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Children's Club Spring 2008: Glamour Girls and Swanky Dudes Surface in Established Collections - Part I I noticed something twinkling in the corner of my eye in one aisle; around the next more glitter; and by the third turn around the ENK Children's Club (October 14-16, 2007) I realized that the industry had gone full-out glamorous. Sequins turned up, not just in expected places like funky T-shirt collections and special occasion dresses, but on sweater necklines, suits and swimwear too. Boys can throw a well-cut jacket over neat pants or atop a surfer tee and shorts for a look that's long on style and short on fuss. Whether they conceived their garments for maximum allure or childlike innocence, the established designers below exhibited polished collections.
INFANT AND UP COLLECTIONS CHRISTENING WEAR LAURA ASHLEY CHRISTENING COLLECTION FROM LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT Homebase: American Fork, UT Sizes: Preemie to infant; Wholesale prices: $25 -$63 for the Laura Ashley Christening Collection Theme: The collection forgoes floral prints in lieu of white, but the sophisticated gowns and boys' pieces still look very Laura Ashley.
Favorites: Adding richness to the simple gown with inserts of lace and delicate pleating for crisp, old-fashioned appeal.
This one-piece for boys' has a nostalgic look with absolutely no fussiness. It's ideal for parents who find most boys' christening garments too feminine. Tel: 801-756-7908 E-mail: Manager@littlethingsmeanalot.com
T-SHIRT AND COORDINATE COLLECTIONS ANGELIC GENIUS Homebase: West Hollywood, CA DESIGNER: Marine Goss Sizes: 3 months to 6 years; Wholesale prices: $12-$30 Theme: "Cool shirts for the youngest hipsters." This line of cotton knit tees and pants has a strong rock 'n' roll vibe, but with all the gold and silver wings, butterflies and ladybugs, it's sweet too.
Favorites: The gold metallic wings on this tee are pure angelic genius. Tel: 310-862-4521 E-mail: Customerservice@angelicgenius.com
POSITIVELY ORGANIC Homebase: New York, NY DESIGNER: Nancy Possenti Sizes: NB to 4 years; Wholesale prices: Contact manufacturer Theme: "Positively beautiful baby apparel, positively good for the planet." Positively Organic stands by its name. Each item is made of organic cotton grown by a farming community in Northern India. Whatever snaps they employ are nickel-free and the dyes are low impact. All of that is good news, of course, but it's the garments' rich colors and elegant motifs that sell the product.
Favorites: The seahorses and other natural motifs are positively gorgeous. Tel: 646-286-5966 E-mail: Wholesale@positively-organic.com
SPORTSWEAR TRALALA Homebase: Orange County, CA DESIGNER: Anastasia Backstrand Sizes: Preemie to 6X; Wholesale prices: Contact manufacturer Theme: "Romantic, vintage, classic and sweet." Each season Backstrand creates romantic prints influenced by French toile, ribbons and flowers, or digs into grandma's keepsake chest for great vintage designs. She then prints her one-of-a-kind patterns on soft, simple cotton knit garments so the shapes never detract from the motifs.
Favorites: This celadon and red dress with the lovely antique wallpaper print is special enough for a birthday party. Jack's Rack Tel: 215-656-3174 E-mail: jacksrack@aol.com
ZUTANO Homebase: Cabot, VT DESIGNER: Uli Belenky Sizes: Preemie-4T; Wholesale prices: Contact manufacturer Theme: Seaside delights Belenky finds inspiration along the coast for a collection alive with flowering paths and sea life, all colored in a vibrant palette of bright blues and jades. Spring 2008 may be the designer's boldest season yet.
Favorites: The outfits' cool fabrics and comfortable shapes are made for walks along the beach. Tel: 802-563-2961 E-mail: Zutano@zutano.com
RABBIT MOON Homebase: Richmond, CA DESIGNER: Rolando Landeros Sizes: NB to 24 months; Wholesale prices: $12-$24 Theme: Beautifully colored cotton knit separates This collection features a mix of richly colored solids and interesting prints. Meticulous details make a big difference.
Favorites: There are several admirable features to this boy's set: The taupe, cocoa and light blue combination is soft yet striking; the jacket's stripes are carefully engineered; and the tee's print is arresting. Tel: 510-222-5843 E-mail: rabbitmoon@rabbitmoon-usa.com
PINK CHICKEN Homebase: New York, NY DESIGNER: Stacey Fraser Sizes: 12 months to 6 years; Wholesale prices: $14-$32 Theme: "Our retro-BoHo baby frocks in classic silhouettes are fun and easy with vintage inspired prints." Fraser can add "chic" to the adjectives that describe her collection of modern cotton pieces. Her embroidery work lends textural interest without looking over embellished. The bloomers just add to the pleasure.
Favorites: This little cotton tunic with the ruffled bloomers satisfies a child's yen for ornamentation and a parent's appreciation for clean lines. Tel: 917-903-0048 E-mail: info@pinkchicken.com
KNITS GREEN LITTLE BEANS Homebase: Miami, FL DESIGNERS: Micheline Claussen and Gloria Orona Sizes: NB to 6 years; Wholesale prices: $18-$32 Theme: Knits and giftwear like Grandma's but better. A group of Brazilian women artisans hand-knit and embroider the little dresses, tops, sweaters and pants. The garments are endearing in the old-fashioned, made-with-love way.
Favorites: This little apple strewn string bikini awash in sequins will add sparkle to any poolside gathering. Tel: 305-503-5307 E-mail: info@greenlittlebeans.com www.wholesale.greenlittlebeans.com
Originally published November 14, 2007
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