FROM OUR SPONSOR'S COLLECTION


FROM OUR SPONSOR'S COLLECTION


PRODUCT SHOWCASE


PRODUCT SHOWCASE


PRODUCT SHOWCASE

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

SUPPLIER SHOWCASE

ON THE INSIDE WITH TINA BARRY

 

The Fall 2005 Children's Club Show: The Newcomers

What a debut! Walking the show we discovered so many great new collections. We were wowed by innovative knitwear lines, rocked by cool sportswear collections and charmed by delicate dresses. To honor the talented new designers who presented such carefully conceived lines at the Fall 2005 ENK Children's Club Show held at the Javits Convention Center, we're continuing our "Best in Show" acknowledgment for the newcomer whose collection shows the most promise.

How do we make our selection? We look for a designer who is confident in her own aesthetic, not someone who adheres to current trends. Whether a manufacturer presented just one or several small groups, each piece needs to be well designed and work effortlessly together; a little of this and that won't cut it. Color is an important consideration, too. A designer should use tones that enhance the garments' silhouettes, while keeping an eye on the marketplace. And, of course, the workmanship has to be impeccable.

Competition was stiff, but only one collection can win. So our second "Best in Show for a Newcomer" award for Fall 2005 goes to Adrienne Catrina's Neige collection of refined dresses. Congratulations, Adrienne. Your clean-lined dress designs stood out at the New York show like Cinderella at the ball.

 

BEST IN SHOW - NEWCOMER

NEIGE

DESIGNER: Adrienne Catrina

Sizes: 4-14; Wholesale prices: $22-$66

Adrienne Catrina's first collection of dresses works like the best poetry. Each design employs the most significant design details of the 1920s and early 1930s - a drop waist, a bias cut skirt - and incorporates them into streamlined creations. That's the work of a true modernist.

Catrina exhibited just four small groups. She selects rich, evocative fabrics like rayon satin, silk and rayon blend velvet, Merino wool and the delicate veil-like textile bobbinet, and instead of prints or bright colors, she allows the fabrics' natural drape to take center stage. To keep a buyer's eye on the dress' line, and on the child wearing the garment, Catrina adheres to a palate of deep neutrals and dark jewel tones.

Outstanding Pieces: Above, the "Olivia" dress. The bobbinet falls gracefully over a cream colored silk slip. The empire lace trim is the only detail and that's enough. All a girl needs to do is tuck a gardenia behind her ear and she's ready for the dance floor.

Below, wool dresses can look a bit stuffy, but not Catrina's. Touches like ruffles, flirty cap sleeves and drop waists have the same charm as the rest of her collection. Thanks to their light weight, they're wearable fall through spring.

9 Cabazon

Irvine, CA 92602

Tel: 888-221-6366

E-mail: info@neigeclothing.com

www.neigeclothing.com

 

LAYETTE

YITE BUB

DESIGNER: Erin Moran

Sizes: NB-4; Wholesale prices: $4.50-$12

Can you ever have enough soft cotton layette wear with adorable prints?

Outstanding Piece: The one-piece in an attractive blue, jade and brown print. The striped sleeves and fun animal motifs make it a winner for baby boys.

20 Serena Lane

Danville, CA 94526

Tel: 925-383-2218

E-mail: erin@momdesigns.com

www.momdesigns.com

 

SPORTSWEAR

AGATHA RUIZ DE LA PRADA INFANTS

DESIGNER: Agatha Ruiz De La Prada

Sizes: NB-3 years; Wholesale prices: $45-$55

Agatha Ruiz De La Prada's Technicolors and cubist patterned toddler wear will do for your mood what a cup of well-made espresso does for your morning.

Outstanding Pieces: The hot pink cotton blouse with bright yellow stars at the wrists, and the red wool jumper with stripes of brilliant velvet ribbons, stood out in the show's sea of tasteful beiges and dusty sea greens like a charming extrovert at a tea party.

C&C Childrenswear

12 West 32nd Street

NYC, NY 10001

Tel: 212-564-3031

E-mail: sales@cc-childrenwear.com

 

BELL AMIE TOUJOURS

DESIGNERS: Linda Trau and Sandra Aronson

Sizes: 2-14; Wholesale prices: $14-$66

The Bell Amie Toujours collection puts its stamp on feminine sweater and skirt combinations.

Outstanding Pieces: This teal sweater and gorgeous sky blue skirt, heavily embroidered with teal flowers, is an example of the designers' folkloric yet sophisticated take on sportswear.

40 East 80th St., Suite 21A

NYC, NY 10021

Tel: 917-670-7319

E-mail: sandraaronson@aol.com

 

BILLTORNADE

DESIGNER: Bill Tornade design team

Sizes: 3 months-16; Wholesale prices: $40-$190

This is the sort of elegant collection with just enough glitz to appeal to rock stars and film celebrities. You're bound to see pieces of the collection on Phoebe Cates' and Kevin Klein's kids. Ms. Cates was in the booth placing an order.

 

Outstanding Pieces: The pale pink silk chiffon top goes from ingénue to young starlet with a sprinkling of a bugle beads around the neckline. The cocoa circle skirt keeps the look casual.

Groupe Zannier U.S.A.

131 West 33rd Street, Suite 1006

NYC, NY 10001

Tel: 212-279-7672

 

CARAMEL

DESIGNER: Amy Walton

Sizes: 3 months-10 years; Wholesale prices: contact manufacturer

Walton's strength is her mix of textures, sophisticated color sense and great knits.

Outstanding Pieces: The dark navy blouse over the silver tulle skirt (available in gold) blends serious styling with a playful note. The teal and cocoa coat with velvet touches is pure elegance.

49 Tregunter Road

London SW10 9LG

Tel: 44 (0)20 7370 1002

E-mail: info.caramel@spitfireuk.net

 

EXTRASMALL

DESIGNER: Iris in't Hout

Sizes: NB-24 months; Wholesale prices: $8.50-$50

This casual line of cotton sweaters, pants and T-shirts is meant for a day of fun. in't Hout even offers adorable knit animals for kids to play with.

Outstanding Pieces: The cotton sweater in wide bands of olive, cocoa and sky and the deep olive corduroy pants are perfect for a game of tag.

P.O. Box 6074

San Rafael, CA 94903

Tel: 1-877-XTR-SMLL (987-7655)

E-mail: christine@extrasmall.com

www.extrasmall.com

 

INNIES N' OUTIES

DESIGNER: Robin Doyle

Sizes: 3 months-4; Wholesale prices: $12-$29

Most of the pieces in this cute, casual collection are reversible so one outfit gets a lot of mileage.

Outstanding Pieces: "Bubbelah" is the right name for this easy jumper that switches from a modern geometric print to washable suede. T-shirts are dyed to match.

4570 Van Nuys Blvd., Suite 188

Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Tel: 866-866-2880

E-mail: abbe@inniesnouties.com

www.inniesnouties.com

 

OLD WORLD LINENS

DESIGNER: Portuguese design team

Sizes: NB-8 years; Wholesale prices: $48-$110

With so many collections maxed out on layers, appliqués and glitz, the impeccably made, classic, tailored girls' wear by Old World Linens looked especially fresh.

Outstanding Piece: The soft gray wool dress with the red smocking and trim is appealingly prim and childlike. Can't a little girl look like a little girl once in awhile?

196 Haviland Court

Stamford, CT 06903

Tel: 203-461-8260

E-mail: decarvalhosa@aol.com

www.oldworldlinens.com

 

PUREPENSEE

DESIGNER: Jacques Lichtenstein

Sizes: 6 months-12 years; Wholesale prices: $14-$83

This new collection has every trend working - the mix of small prints, the off beat colors and the all important overcoat in buttery novelty yarns - but Lichtenstein's attention to detail makes the collection look like a trend originator, not a follower.

Outstanding Pieces: The woven coat in soft cocoa, teal, cream and rose over the lightly quilted dress. The dress' mix of patterns, and that shot of blue running through the bodice, transforms the piece from garment to art.

Avenue de la Toison d'Or, 19

1050 Brussels

Belgium

Tel: 0032 2 353 29 74

E-mail: jacques@purepensee.com

www.purepensee.com

 

TATTOOI

DESIGNER: Erica Janke

Sizes: 18 months-7; Wholesale prices: $21-$44.50

Last season, Erica Janke introduced T-shirts with tattoo inspired motifs. For fall she combines the Tee's with pretty sportswear pieces.

Outstanding Piece: Janke's dramatic black circle skirt embroidered with hot pink ribbons is a must have for every girl's wardrobe.

9206 Sommerland Way

Austin, TX 78749

Tel: 512-301-1775

E-mail: erica@tattooi.com

www.tattooi.com

 

WATI DESIGN

DESIGNER: Wati Grossman

Sizes: 4-8; Wholesale prices: $30-$60

Wati Grossman has designed for The Gap, Banana Republic and Levi's. But working for mass-marketers hasn't influenced this esoteric collection of exquisite Asian-inspired sportswear.

 

Outstanding Pieces: The watermelon colored silk velvet tunic scattered with pale gold embroidery, over a wide legged, cotton sateen pant embellished with stylized floral motifs. I wanted to linger over each unique piece, admiring every detail.

1825 Guinda Street

Palo Alto, CA 94303

Tel: 650-224-7478

E-mail: watigrossman@yahoo.com

www.bywati.com

 

WHITNEY KIDS

DESIGNER: Whitney Ross

Sizes: NB-8; Wholesale prices: $22-$55

Whitney Kids' slogan is "Clothes you wish they'd never outgrow." I wish the clothing would grow so I could fit into them.

Outstanding Pieces: The coat, sweater and skirt ensemble. The pretty pink and cream boucle is sweetened further with a soft fur collar. The cream sweater is knit from 50 percent cotton, 50 percent modal blend with a cashmere like hand; and the pink taffeta pleated skirt is pure charm. Audrey Hepburn would approve.

29 Castle Knock Road

Toronto, ON M5N 2J3

Tel: 416-486-1503

E-mail: whitney@whitneykids.ca

www.whitneykids.ca

 

KNITWEAR

CLEMENTINE PETITE

DESIGNERS: Delphine Lafont and Heather Whitney Ashforth

Sizes: NB-8; Wholesale prices: $11-$126

The cashmere collection is available in two weights: the lightest gauge is perfect alone or layered over T-shirts; the heavier knit is warm enough to bundle baby in when the weather plummets.

Outstanding Pieces: The side-button sweater in the heavier weight is the ideal "go-with-everything" piece. Ditto for the striped onesie.

1112 Montana Ave #147

Santa Monica, CA 90403

Tel: 310-210-4860

E-mail: delphine@clementinepetit.com

www.clementinepetit.com

 

KICO KIDS

DESIGNER: Tia Ciabani

Sizes: 2-12; wholesale prices: $16-$145

Simple shapes with just enough detail knit in fine cotton, wool that's been "cash washed" to feel like cashmere and real cashmere. This season's colors - soft dusty pumpkin, beiges, cocoas and deep green - make merchandising the line a no-brainer.

Outstanding Pieces: You decide.

177 East 77th Street, Ste. 9A

NYC, NY 10021

Tel: 212-535-5418

E-mail: sambogen@kicokids.com

www.kicokids.com

 

FOURNIER

DESIGNER: Anabel Fournier

Sizes: NB-8 years; Wholesale prices: $11-$54

Fournier's fine alpaca hand-knits are simply shaped with just a few details for impact.

Outstanding Pieces: The black knit tunic over the knee-length off-white skirt. The empire waist tie is an unexpected touch and the flower adds whimsy.

Roland

762 Arthur Godfrey Road

Miami Beach, FL 33140

Tel: 305-531-5534

E-mail: rolandl@bellsouth.net

www.petitsfournier.com

 

SUGAR PI

DESIGNERS: Catherine Andreozzi, Brenda Swift

Sizes: 2T-12 years; $23-$150

Some say there are too many knitwear lines out there. But when a sweater designer comes along with an original look, people take notice.

Outstanding Piece: Everything about this tunic works - the side button closing looks chic and keeps a kid warm; the colors are rich; and there's just enough detail in the hand-embroidered swirls and silk ribbon to keep an admirer riveted.

261 Potowomut Road

East Greenwich, RI 02818

Tel: 401-884-0702

E-mail: info@sugarpi.com

www.sugarpi.com

 

T-SHIRTS

BABY ANARCHY

DESIGNERS: Melinda Webber Kerstein and Janet Perles

Sizes: 3 months-6; Wholesale prices: $11.75-$13

Baby Anarchy's T's and onesies have a fruit or rock 'n roll motif on the front and on the tush. They're packaged in a 45-record cover (remember records?) so they make a great shower gift for a hip mom.

Outstanding Piece: All the graphics are cool. Rock on!

16 Spruce Street

Beacon, NY 12508

Tel: Melinda, 347-693-5114; Janet, 917-495-8688

E-mail: janet@babyanarchy.com

www.babyanarchy.com

 

I CAN FLY

DESIGNER: Doris Oswald-Burrell

Sizes: 3 months-6 years; Wholesale prices: $8-$12.50

All the wonderful animals printed on Oswald-Burrell's T-shirt collection quiver with happy, nervous energy.

Outstanding Pieces: The double-sleeve T-shirt sports a great monkey riding a bike. The pants are wide and comfy and the colors are just funky enough.

P.O. Box 39683

Los Angeles, CA 90039

Tel: 323-913-2339

E-mail: doris@allkidscanfly.com

www.allkidscanfly.com

 

DIRTY LAUNDRY

DESIGNER: Teresa Findlay

Sizes: 6 months-6 years; Wholesale prices: $26-$39

There's lots of woofs, squeaks and meowing happening on Findley's T-shirts, not to mention delighted giggles from the lucky kids who wear them.

Outstanding Piece: An original take on the animal T-shirt. The visible seams should keep kids in stitches.

55 Water Street, Ste. 611

Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 1A1

Canada

Tel: 604-648-2014

E-mail: Erika@dirtylaundrytees.com

www.dirtylaundrytees.com

 

M.C. SQUIRT

DESIGNER: Heather Olson

Sizes: 3 months-6; Wholesale prices: $8-$18

All the graphics are designed to please groovy baby boys.

Outstanding Piece: The collection's mascot, a woebegone baby elephant, is charming.

P.O. Box 28784

Austin, TX 78731

Tel: 512-560-4696

E-mail: heather@mcsquirt.com

www.mcsquirt.com

 

PEACE MONKEY

DESIGNER: Deneen O'Neill

Sizes: 3 months-6 years; Wholesale prices: $10-$12

You've had enough of tie-dyed and sequined T-shirts. Time for something new.

Outstanding Pieces: Western themes are hot this season, so you gotta' round up O'Neill's Tee's that read "Yee Haw," "Lil' Cowgirl" and "Varmint." Got that partner?

860 South Los Angeles Street, Ste. 933

Los Angeles, CA 90014

Tel: 213-614-9493

E-mail: deneen@peace-monkey.com

www.peace-monkey.com

 

17 CHICKENS

DESIGNER: Christy Thom

Sizes: 3 months-6; Wholesale prices: contact manufacturer

Christy Thom prints T-shirts with the paintings of a number of edgy artists. The images - kewpie dolls wearing grass skirts, dogs in flag-striped hats, knickknack style crystal animals and jack-in-the-boxes - are more David Lynch than Disney.

Outstanding Pieces: The Tees printed with the odd Asian plastic doll. A kid will either love it or run screaming back to their playpen.

11718 Barrington Court, Ste. 124

Los Angeles, CA 90049

Tel: 310-471-6556

E-mail: info@17chickens.com

www.17chickens.com

 

DIAPER BAGS

CADEN LANE BABY

DESIGNER: Katy Mimari

Wholesale prices: $60-$68

Mothers want diaper bags that don't look like diaper bags. That's why Caden Lane's elegant designs are so appealing.

Outstanding pieces: One style is shaped like a bowling bag and comes in chocolate edged in pink for girls, and black edged in pale blue for boys. The other shape is a traditional diaper bag in the same color options, updated with silk ribbons. Their shiny sateen surfaces, simple piping and great details - like two see-through inner pockets and a removable insulated bottle pouch - make the bags must-haves for new moms.

222 Aster Trail

San Antonio, TX 78256

Tel: 210-687-1919

E-mail: info@cadenlaneco.com

www.cadenlaneco.com

 

STROLLER BLANKETS AND CARRIER COVERS

BROOKS POND

DESIGNER: Susan Forbes

Wholesale prices: $22.50-$72.50

Here's a great gift item - a "Buggy Blanket" that snaps easily into place over a stroller and jogger. The item is fleece-lined for cozy warmth and has a special boot pouch that keeps muddy shoes from soiling the blanket. Forbes also offers a chic faux mink "Carrier Cover" that snaps over a Snugli.

Outstanding Item: The "Buggy Blankets" come in a variety of wind and water repellent prints and solids. The cover is warm enough so a mom can forgo the snowsuit. Life with baby just got easier.

88 Beals Street

Brookline, MA 02446

Tel: 617-879-2733

E-mail: mmorgan@brookspond.com

www.brookspond.com

 

 

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