Archive for the ‘From the Industry’ Category

Last fall, Earnshaw’s posted it’s 2010 Spring Preview issue of Little Steps.   At the time, it seemed way too early to share some of what’s to come, but now that it’s starting to feel like spring where I live, I thought I’d pull the issue back out.

Little Steps is a trade publication that highlights children’s footwear and accessories for retailers interested in seeing new brands and products.  These retailers will soon be making the following little kid’s shoe styles and designs available to you, if they haven’t started already:

• Fish-patterned outsoles, butterfly motifs, seahorse appliques, chameleon tails, and even bats will make appearances on Merrell’s wild, spring line-up.  Polliwalks, Weboo Kids, and others are just as eager to share their wild shoe lines.

• Keen will expand on their adjustable fit shoes for little feet.

• Stylish baby sneakers and Mary Janes are coming in fun colors and vintage looks from See Kai Run, Elk Kids, and IsaBooties.

• Look for Mickey, Minnie, and Pooh to show up on boys and girls clogs and sandals from Birki’s in the licensed character arena.  Batman, Hello Kitty, and Peanuts will also make appearances.

While there are many more children’s footwear styles and trends to look forward to, this is just a sampling to help get you ready for spring.

Michelle Mokalla is always on the lookout for new talent, but the kind of talent she finds is different from what you might expect.  As the Director of Fit Modeling for Marla Dell Talent in San Francisco, Michelle often helps children’s clothing designers find children that will help them test the products they create.

How does fit modeling affect the clothes kids wear?

Typically, child fit models are hired to test newly-designed clothing items. They try on sample clothing during the development phase of production so that the designers and merchandisers can see how an item fits, how the fabric hangs, what a garment looks like when worn.

According to Michelle, manufacturers, when they can afford it, prefer live fit models because mannequins cannot comment on whether a shirt is too tight around the arms or a pair of pants is comfortable to run, jump, or play in, for example.

In other words, this fitting process helps clothing manufacturers make clothing that fits children’s bodies and activities.  They can use their observations and the child’s feedback on how it feels when wearing and moving in a clothing item to make changes to their designs before it is mass produced and available to you and your kids.

Finding the right fit

It takes a certain kind of child to be a fit model.  First of all, the child’s measurements must fall within a clothing manufacturer’s specific design requirements for whichever size (or sizes) they want to fit.  These size requirements will vary from brand to brand, but reflect the brand’s target wearers.  In her role at Marla Dell Talent, Michelle will:

“…look for children who meet a given manufacturer’s requirements and then introduce them to each other.  Because fit modeling also requires a child to be able to focus, take direction, and share what they think, manufacturers will then meet with the child for a mini-audition.”

These auditions are also an opportunity for the designers to re-check the child’s measurements, see how they interact with their parents and the design staff, and to check for technical items like the child’s posture, the slope of their shoulders and their body proportions.

Creating positive experiences for children who fit model

Fit modeling, particularly as it relates to children, is sometimes criticized because of the potential that such scrutiny and comments have to hurt feelings and self-esteem.  While many manufacturing companies make efforts to prepare staff who interact with children to be sensitive with them and to abide by a class-room style level of respect and behavior, Michelle makes the point that:

“Children hear everything.  I would just caution people who work with child fit models to be careful about what and how things are said around them.  Laughing and sarcasm, even if you think it’s innocent, can be misunderstood and hurtful.”

A positive fit modeling experience, though, can result in a long-term relationship between kids and designers.  A manufacturer may try to find a child whose measurements are at the small end of their clothing size range and then work with the same child until they grow “out of size” for the clothing line.

As well, a child’s involvement in fit modeling gives them an up-close look at the world of fashion design.  This behind-the-scenes involvement, as well as an opportunity to see a garment in a store and know that it fits well because of them, can be exciting and lead to interest in design as a possible career option.

Resources:

• For more information on working as a fit model see Marla Dell Talent Fit Modeling page
• For more information on working with fit models from a manufacturer’s perspective, see The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing by Kathleen Fasanella

Post script: this post provides an outside-in view of the role that fit models play in fashion design.  I would be interested in hearing from technical designers and parents about your experiences with child fit modeling.

I just received the latest Earnshaw’s: Infants, Girls’ & Boys’  Wear Review magazine this week and saw that it includes the  2009 Earnie Award winners.  Congratulations to all of the winners!

According to Earnshaws.com, the Earnie Awards have been presented for more than 30 years to honor manufacturers who demonstrate excellence in children’s wear design.  The nominees are selected by children’s wear industry experts, but winners are voted upon by the retailers who see which brands and products their customers choose time and again.

Designs from this year’s winners, while respectful of shopper’s current demand for value, offer enough excitement to keep their products flying off of store shelves.

The award covers the categories shown below; the links go to the manufacturers websites so you can see what all the excitement is about:

Denim: True Religion

Licensed Property: Hello Kitty

Outerwear: Widgeon

Hosiery: Jefferies Socks

Footwear: Pediped

Hair Accessories & Jewelry: Wee Ones

Sleepwear: Skivvydoodles

Licensed Apparel: Haddad Brands

Boys’ 8 to 20 Sportswear: Wes & Willy

Boys’ Dresswear: E-Land Kids

Girls’ 7 to 16 Sportswear: Haven Girl

Swimwear: Kate Mack

Gift Item: Mud Pie

Girls’ 2T to 6X: Luna Luna Copenhagen

Boys’ 2T to 7 Sportswear: Knuckleheads

Girls’ Dresswear: Biscotti

Diaper Bag: Petunia Pickle Bottom

Girls’ Newborn/Infant: Kissy Kissy

Canadian Brand: Petit Lem

Boys’ Newborn/Infant: Zutano

To read more about this year’s winners and see sketches of some of their designs, see the Nov/Dec 2009 issue of Earnshaw’s magazine online.

Have you ever wondered how retailers and clothing brands determine the trends that influence what winds up in your child’s closet each year? Well, while there is definitely art involved in creating the clothing kids wear, there is also a lot of science – in the form of market research – involved in figuring out what it should look like, how much it should cost, where it should be sold, and who should be targeted with advertising.

Some market research is very specific – like the results of a focus group of moms 30-40 years old with at least one school-aged child and of a certain economic bracket. Other research is more general, focusing on major demographic, economic, and societal changes. Today I got a hold of a pre-publication overview of a children’s apparel industry report from Mintel that addresses the latter, more-general research into the children’s clothing.

The Trends

Do you see yourself in any of these trends that will eventually inform the availability of different clothing styles, sizes, fabrics, colors, and prices, as well as how you learn about new products and where you can shop for them?

Demographics

• Growing number of older moms and unmarried moms
• Choice of retailer varies substantially with mom’s age and income level
• Children under 12 will increase by 2 million in 2014 and include growing number of Hispanic children

Shopping Patterns and Locations

• The economic downturn has led 84% of moms to change their shopping habits to trim costs
• Recession drives down demand, compels consumers to change shopping habits
• The amount spent on clothing is driven by income and age of children
• Concern with environment and child-safety drives demands for organics
• Alternative channels offer moms growing access to second hand children’s clothes
• Hispanics show high demand for children’s clothing and warrant long term focus
• Attitudes related to pleasure shopping and ease finding clothing

The Kid Factor

• Increases in children’s weight is driving need for plus-sized clothing
• “Age appropriate” clothing a key concern, especially for moms aged 35+
• Children have growing voice in clothing with age and value characters

Marketing

• Licensing is integral to branding and marketing of children’s clothes
• Brand identities runs the gamut from “kid cool” to “age appropriate”
• Advertising and marketing across a gamut of media, with emphasis on savings and value during downturn
• Some tensions in marketing outreach to both moms and kids
• Consumer findings: Who purchases clothing

To sum it up, we may be seeing more clothing options for younger children, with themes that appeal to a more diverse population and kids’ growing media savvy, and which also appeal to moms’ price, safety, and value consciousness.

Interested in learning more about the report? Reach out to Danielle Berasi at Mintel.

This fall, just in time for back to school season, American Apparel is expanding their baby and kids’ clothing line beyond the baby rib brief, karate pant and baby one-pieces they currently offer. After employees and models requested pint-sized versions of their own attire for their kids, designers at the brand known for its ethical, US-based production practices and controversial marketing relented.

The result? 30 new pieces specifically designed for babies and kids, but which reflect the style and sensibility of the adult-sized basics that the company offers. New styles include gingham button-down shirts, suspenders, high-waist skirts and several styles of print leggings, including The Shiny Legging.

American Apparel clothing for adults is designed to fit a little snugly; their kids clothes may be cut in a similar way. Parents who prefer a more generous fit might want to purchase clothing one size larger than the size chart recommends for their child’s measurements just to be sure it will fit.

Many pieces are made from 100% cotton knit and shirting, while more-fitted pieces use cotton blends which include polyester, spandex, nylon and/or rayon. As with all American Apparel garments, the kids and babies lines are knit, cut, designed, sewn and marketed in downtown Los Angeles, CA.

Check out some of the new American Apparel pieces today!