There are a number of factors which contributed to my thorough enjoyment of the March Children's Club (March 9-11,2008), in search of the best and newest products from the vast and burgeoning accessory market.

Held at New York's Jacob Javits Convention Center, as usual, I was happy to stumble upon new exhibitors (or find new divisions with established lines), booths that caught my eye with their arresting visuals and displays, and meet with madcap, one-of-a-kind originals (designing moms, dads, and 'innocent' bystanders) who were bursting with creative energy and who have something to say with their inventive products.

In addition, coming on the heels of the Fall/Winter 2008 Ready-to-Wear Collections for men and women, (I attended New York Fashion Week and closely followed the scene in London, Milan, and Paris), the important clothing and accessory 'trends' for the coming season were still fresh on my mind. Since we all know there is a continuing blurring of the lines and a narrowing of the gap between that which is being presented for newborns, toddlers, tweens, and grownups (which makes it all so much more fun and interesting these days), this provided me with a wonderful frame of reference and the advantage of being able to put my knowledge into perspective.

While there are undoubtedly certain themes that only pertain to the little ones (monkey and cupcake prints come to mind), those seem to be fewer and fewer and more often than not, there's that trickle down aspect with similarities across the board, whether it relates to footwear, bags, hats, gift sets, eyeglasses, jewelry, hair accessories, crib, layette, toys, or elements of home décor.

So, what were the big trends that played out on the recent international runways and later surfaced (in various ways) at Children's Club? Prints and patterns continue to be strong, from the ever popular florals (often re-colored for winter using more traditionally fall like hues); to retro mod inspired op art geometrics. Very often, the prints are offhandedly mixed and mismatched to create interest. And speaking of mismatched…the idea of not matching or being purposely mismatched, which adds humor and whimsy, was on display at the Javits Center (both on show attendees - one designer wore two different custom designed high top sneakers - and in their collections). Open weave spider web hand knits (often done in colorful yarns) were very much the news but of course, then there's black. Black is back and bigger than ever for Fall 2008 (whether worn head to toe, mixed with white, or hits of strong color), and it looks best when translated onto high gloss shiny patent or on textured surfaces (like quilting - another huge trend). As for footwear, in addition to the elevation, transformation, and glorification of the sneaker (or athletic shoe), it is truly all about the boot - yet again (booties, ankle boots, midcalf boots, and tall boots).

What else? Fur (or faux fur) and fur trim, silver and gold (leather and jewelry), bold accessories (oversized cocktail rings and statement making necklaces), pearls, ruffles, bows, lace, chunky hand knits, active sportswear influences (from soccer to ski), and high performance gear, perfect for modern day superheroes of all ages. Which brings me to "The Superhero".

The highly anticipated upcoming exhibit to be mounted by The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, happens to be entitled, "Superheroes, Fashion and Fantasy", and will run from May 7th through September 1, 2008. It will explore the "symbolic and metaphorical associations between fashion and the superhero" and will feature movie costumes, avant-garde haute couture, and high-performance sportswear. Which is why I literally did a double take when I stumbled upon Julie Barger's Morfs booth filled with sock sleeved T-shirts emblazoned with graphic images of Superman, Superwoman, Batman, Spiderman, Slash, and The Hulk.

Of course, perhaps no trend is as relevant, noble or as politically correct, as the desire to save the environment and save the planet. There are a growing number of manufacturers and designers (many of whom are parents) who are truly passionate and committed to doing the right thing and to this end, they are using recycled fabrics, organic cotton, and working in tandem with fair trade laws.

Note: All New York runway photos by Randy Brooke.

FALL 2008 TRENDS SEEN IN THE CHILDREN'S AND WOMEN'S MARKETS

WINTERIZED FLORALS: FLORALS RE-COLORED FOR FALL WERE SEEN EVERYWHERE, PRINTED ON FABRICS OR USED AS EMBROIDERY AND APPLIQUÉ

Florals from Vera Wang.

Pediped Flex floral embroidered T-Straps.

Pediped Flex floral suede Mary Jane.

MOD OP ART GEOMETRICS: THIS BOLD STATEMENT COULD BE FOUND ON EVERYTHING FROM ONESIES, BIBS AND BLANKETS TO SHOES AND BOOTS

Art to wear: The bold print from Alexandre Herchcovitch.

Vincent mod camouflage and assorted pattern footwear.

Baby Star mod printed bibs.

MISMATCHED: MISMATCHING PRINTS AND MISMATCHING ITEMS OF CLOTHING

BLACK PATENT LEATHER: SEEN ON EVERYTHING FROM MARY JANES AND BOYS' DRESS SHOES, TO BOOTS IN EVERY INCARNATION

BOOTS: FROM ANKLE TO KNEE HIGH

QUILTING: SEEN ON CLOTHING, BAGS, AND FOOTWEAR

Yeohlee quilted cape coat.

Mish Mish brown lace up boot.

GOLD: FROM GOLD LEATHER USED FOR BAGS, SHOES, AND BOOTS, TO GOLD METAL JEWELRY

Glittering gold from Marc Jacobs.

Vincent gold and silver mini Sabrina mouse booties.

BOLD ACCESSORIES: THE OVERSIZED COCKTAIL RING AND THE STATEMENT MAKING NECKLACE

Bold cocktail rings from Marc Jacobs.

Carolyn Forsman ring watches.

The bold and the beautiful necklace from Vera Wang.

Morfs' appliquéd floral necklace and leggings.

RUFFLES: JUST A LITTLE TRIM GOES A LONG WAY

Ruffles from Oscar de la Renta.

Mooncakes' ruffle trim floral Jazzy Garden dress.

BOWS: USED FOR HAIR ACCESSORIES OR FOR A TRIM ON CLOTHING

Bow tied at Proenza Schouler

Mooncakes' Jazzy Garden Dress with pink satin bow.

Kids Kapers organza bows.

"SUPERHEROES AND FASHION": COMIC BOOK SUPERHEROES COME TO LIFE AND SAVE THE DAY

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's "Super Heroes - Fashion and Fantasy."

Morfs' assorted superhero T-shirts.

SPORTS AND ATHLETIC INFLUENCES: HIGH PERFORMANCE GEAR NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD

MONKEYS: MONKEY PRINTS AND LIFE LIKE MONKEY TOYS, STUFFED ANIMALS, ETC.

CROWNS: CROWN PRINTS OR CROWN SHAPED ACCESSORIES AND ORNAMENTS - PERFECT FOR THAT LITTLE PRINCESS

LACE: AS A TRIM OR USED FOR TIGHTS, LEGGINGS, ITEMS OF CLOTHING

From Phillip Lim.

Gigis lace leggings.

FUR (OR FAUX FUR) TRIM

INNOVATIVE KNITWEAR: FROM COLORFUL OPEN WEAVE SPIDER WEB KNITS TO CHUNKY AND TOASTY WARM KNITTED HATS, SCARVES, AND GLOVES (OFTEN SOLD AS SETS)

The spider web knit from Rodarte.

Jesse Walker mismatched recycled viscose handwarmers.

BOYS (AND GIRLS) IN THE HOOD: HOODS AND HOODIES ARE A PERENNIAL FAVORITE FOR ALL AGES

THE WELL DRESSED ARM: GLOVES AND ARM WARMERS ADD A WELCOME LAYER OF WINTERIZED WARMTH

THE KIMONO: THE USE OF THE KIMONO SHAPE FOR TOPS AND DRESSES

PEACE & LOVE: PEACE SIGNS NEVER SEEM TO DISAPPEAR

SNEAKER CHIC: THE JAZZED UP SNEAKER (COLORFUL AND DECORATED TO THE HILT)

SAVE THE PLANET: GO 'GREEN'…THE USE OF ORGANIC, RECYCLED FABRICS AND HIGHLY VISIBLE SLOGANS THAT REMIND US TO REUSE AND RECYCLE

Originally published March 31, 2008

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