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What a Difference a Year Makes: Spring 2010 at the ENK Children's Club - Part II
ZUTANO Hombase: Cabot, VT DESIGNER: Uli Belenky Sizes: Preemie to 4T; Wholesale prices: $2-$20 Practical cotton knits and wovens with spunk, and always, fabulous color has made Zutano a staple in better stores worldwide. This season, the tones pop and the prints, well, nobody is better at whimsical kids' patterns than Belenky.
Outstanding piece: Great colors and the cutest lion motif roar into spring. Tel: 800-827-5139 E-mail: Zutano@zutano.com
SCOUT ORGANICS Homebase: Oakland, CA DESIGNERS: Mimi and Ellen Leinbach Sizes: Girls infant to 8 years, boys infant to 7 years; Wholesale prices: $8-$22 I've always been a fan of the Leinbach's color palettes and the multi-cultural symbols that enhance their pieces. This season the mother and daughter team have hit their stride with a color range of sparkling hues and innovative new motifs.
Outstanding pieces: Shades of sand and beach glass make for a breezy, sundrenched collection.
The delicate fish swims across fresh water hues. Tel: 510-868-2871 E-mail: Mimi@scoutorganics.com
RABBIT MOON Homebase: Richmond, CA DESIGNER: Rolando Landeros Sizes: NB to 4 years; Wholesale prices: $7.25-$28 I admire Landeros's collection for the simple, sweet shapes, the sweet prints he chooses for the girls' groups and the bold designs he selects for the boys; and the unusual way he cuts swatches of color into his boys' pieces to create drama, but it's his color choices that I'm most impressed with.
Outstanding pieces: Landeros has combined peach and lilac in this outfit, adding a tincture of lilac to the peach. Side by side the hues shimmer.
The way this romper is colored is like listening to great jazz: the notes bumping against one another with some tension, then meeting harmoniously. Tel: 510-222-5843 E-mail: rabbitmoon@rabbitmoon-usa.com
TWIRLS & TWIGS Homebase: South Figueroa, CA DESIGNER: Shawna Dalton Sizes: Girls infant to 6X, boys infant to 7 years; Wholesale prices: $12-$32
Outstanding piece: If grandma were incredibly hip, had a wild imagination and a love of mixing recycled fabrics, she'd come up with outfits like these. Wouldn't you rather have an adorable organic set than another hand-crocheted pink and baby blue acrylic blanket? Tel: 310-965-7700 Ext. 218 E-mail: Shawna@twirlsandtwigs.com
TODDLER AND UP: SAURETTE Homebase: New York, NY DESIGNER: Lisa Kanouse Sizes: 2 to 12 years; Wholesale prices: $25-$45 Kanouse colored her collection in shades of lilac and rose. The feminine pieces, in super soft cotton, are strewn with floral embroidery. She's added fine 12-gauge knit sweaters to complement the delicate hand of the pieces.
Outstanding piece: The flattering rose-colored dress on the left is meant for a day of casual play. The clean lines and crisp tailoring of the purple and white frock make it suitable for casual or more formal settings. tel: 646-729-3528 email: lisa@fieldingproductions.com
WATI DESIGN Homebase: Palo Alto, CA DESIGNER: Wati Grossman Sizes: 4 to 14 years; Wholesale prices: $13-$24 The Mexican painter Frieda Kahlo inspired Grossman's spring collection. The garments' ruffled bodies, ornate embroidery and saturated hues are as romantic, spirited and lyrical as the famous artist.
Outstanding piece: The vibrant tones and patterned bodice of the Fernanda Smock Dress evoke the rustic tile work Mexico is known for. Tel: 650-224-7478 E-mail: Wati@watidesign.com
ROOSTER NYC Homebase: New York, NY DESIGNER: Rhonda Wolk Sizes: Girls 4 to 14 years, boys 4 to 7 years; Wholesale prices: $18-$52 Simplicity reins in minimalist Wolk's collection. This season, the fabrics float, the colors soothe, and the shapes define the body without being suggestive.
Outstanding pieces: The green dotted dress is all about great cut and two perfect details: the twisted cord at the neckline, and frayed edges for understated elegance. Yoka Showroom (Caroline Nagle) Tel: 212-594-7714 E-mail: Caroline@yokashowroom.
T-SHIRT COLLECTIONS: SPECIALTEE DESIGNS Homebase: Haledon, NJ DESIGNER: Mary McCart Sizes: Girls infant to 14 years, boys 4 to 7 years; Wholesale prices: $10-$14 I'm all for classic wear, but sometimes a girl needs a little glitz. SpecialTee Designs offer plenty of rhinestones, sparkling and flouncy tutus as well.
Outstanding piece: This season, there are more peace signs than retailers know what to do with. The two here have impact, and the one made of metallic stars that seem to float offers something special. Curly Girls (Wendi Cooper) Tel: 212-967-6457 E-mail: Curlygirls@aol.com
Originally published August 31, 2009
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