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Welcome Our "Best in Show" Newcomers for Fall 2006 Each season we present a "Best in Show" citation to a designer who made a strong debut at the ENK Children's Club event. Our criteria for the line deserving of this recognition has always been exacting; now, with so many great new designers entering the market, we've become even pickier. To make the cut, a manufacturer has to present a collection that is saleable and easy to merchandise, a qualification that could apply to many of the new lines at the show. Beyond that, the garments must reflect the designer's sensibility in a way that sets the pieces apart from others. Color is an important factor too: just following trends doesn't make a collection exciting. A designer who is aware of new color looks but ultimately heeds her own instincts is the person we want. And the workmanship must be topnotch; there's no excuse for sloppy craftsmanship. Our Best in Show Newcomer for a girls' collection for Fall 2006 is awarded to Rhonda Wolk of Rooster, for presenting a collection of streamlined, better sportswear. Lauren Hines of Okkies Fresh Bottoms is also recognized for her boys' collection. Congratulations Rhonda and Lauren! Your collections are what modern childrenswear is all about.
BEST IN SHOW NEWCOMER FOR A GIRLS' COLLECTION WINNER: ROOSTER DESIGNER: Rhonda Wolk Sizes: 2-8, some styles available in size 14; Wholesale prices: $28-$65 Before founding Rooster, Wolk was a textile designer and her training is apparent. She chooses colors that other manufacturers might eschew for being too high end: mostly neutrals - charcoal, dusty navy, cocoa, rich khakis, plum and moss - form the backbone of the collection. For a spark she'll throw in a bright note like leaf green, or use a single sparkly trim to enliven the works. There isn't a single print in her collection, and they're not missed. The layering of textures and build up of color is pattern enough. Like her spring collection, this season's silhouettes are lean yet easy to move in, and, at a time when kidswear is rife with embroidery and trims, her designs are refreshingly unencumbered. For fall, she layers Jersey over cotton, silk atop tulle, and throws in a ruffle here and there. "I enjoy layering fabric, and mixing textures together. Even if the color doesn't match, textures are an alternate way to make the items work together," Wolk says. Outstanding Pieces: Wolk's "Lauren" tea dress looks like a two-tiered skirt beneath a jade-toned tee but it's one easy piece. The garment is just one example of the designer's casual yet elegant, strikingly confident sense of style.
Tel: 212-925-1214 Email: rhonda@roosternyc.com
BEST IN SHOW NEWCOMER FOR A BOYS' COLLECTION WINNER: OKKIES FRESH BOTTOMS DESIGNER: Lauren Hines Sizes: 6 months-6 years; Wholesale prices: $20-$31 This is the second season and the first time showing at ENK for Hines' Okkies Fresh Bottoms collection of boys' tops and pants. In her 20 years as a fashion and costume stylist, Hines has created garments for The Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson and Sting, and developed editorial pages for Interview, Details and Face magazines. But it wasn't her celebrity clientele that led to Okkies (pronounced "ah-keez") Fresh Bottoms. Hines' sons Hugo and Oscar (the collection's namesake) inspired her. "I struggled to find comfortable, easy-care, trend-aware clothing for boys," she says, "so I designed the collection with three interwoven elements; high-quality fabrics featuring a soft hand and exceptional drape; a unique yet accessible color palette; and superior craftsmanship." Hines puts her styling experience to good use by designing and coloring her own modern prints for the collection's shirts and pants and choosing offbeat solids for the bottoms, too. The pants have unique details such as knee patches with lots of stitching that adds textural interest. The look is casual with a 60's feeling and a strong, up-market slant. Outstanding Pieces: Hines' bold color sense and refined design sensibility is apparent in the richly colored striped fabric. She wisely keeps the details of the tops pared down to let the pattern take center stage. Her generously cut pants and the knee patches encourage running and tumbling.
Tel: 323-533-5937 Email: laurenlhines@aol.com
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