The whole kid-as-fashion-accessory thing is old news. Now, kid-with-fashion-accessory is more like it.
Ralph Lauren was one of the first top-tier designers to downsize for kids (inspired by his sons in the late 1970s). But the trend really heated up a few years back, when designer denim brands such as 7 For All Mankind started making tyke-sized jeans.
Today, Marc Jacobs, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Fendi and other big-name designers have jumped into the game, by starting children’s clothing lines.
Look out, world: Munchkins might take over the catwalk.
Just as with adults, kids’ fashion — particularly for girls — has undulating trends to follow and new collections each season.
That’s why Christine Visneau and Olivia Pintos-Lopez created Small magazine last year. Online at smallmagazine.net, it features highly produced fashion spreads, not unlike those of Vogue or Elle. But the models aren’t as tall (yet).
“Children’s clothing has come a long way over the last five years,” Visneau says. “People are willing to spend more if something’s well made and original. Plus, everyone saves their best children’s clothing, so designers are making things they’ll hang on to and pass down.”
How about a pair of Tory Burch’s Reva Ballerina Flats, made especially for girls ages 3-7, as an heirloom? Or a spiffy cashmere sweater from Little Marc (Jacobs’ line for minis)?
Bucktown boutique p.45 (1643 N. Damen Ave., 773-862-4523, p45.com) expects to stock select Kid by Phillip Lim pieces in July or August. “We don’t usually carry children’s clothes, but this collection is just so darn cute. Our moms love the [regular] 3.1 Phillip Lim brand,” p.45 owner Tricia Tunstall says.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/custom/fashion/chi-0316_image_child_cbmar16,1,5944555.story
