New York City’s tweens and teens, and even their little sisters and brothers, seem to have a built-in sense of street-smart style.
That fashion savvy reverberated down the runway in February, as spirited young models rocked a slew of cool designer threads during petitePARADE’s popular bi-annual city event, Kids Fashion Week.
Spring beckons, but those warm, bright, and stylish head-turning looks have been the talk of the town since they were featured at the fall–winter 2015 Showcase, held at historic Bathhouse Studios in Manhattan’s East Village. Several unique toddler-to-teen collections got plenty of oohs and aahs from invited guests and families eager to get a sneak peek at what the younger set will be wearing in the coming months.
Rising designer Alia Charvel opened the Showcase with the debut of her Little Miss Galia collection in the American market. The Mexican brand interprets fashion trends with colorful cultural elements and past traditions through lovely fabrics and patterns (littlemissgalia.com).
And designer Jane D’ Haene debuted her collection with a fun kick-off that took place at a local school park. Kids modeled her clothes while playing hop scotch and volleyball.
During the grand finale, Manhattan-based designer HJ Chung of Imoga (a petitePARADE alumni brand) walked the runway with her teen daughter, who wore a fabulous wintry jacket that her mom designed. Crafting pint-size silhouettes that maximize style and freedom, Imoga is all about timeless and whimsical, fun-to-wear clothing, and Chung’s designs keep little souls delighted all year long. You can find her creations at dozens of stores all over the city (www.imogacollection.com).
All-boy brand Dillonger’s New Jersey-based designer LaToia Fitzgerald and her son Dillon accompanied Chung at the finale walk. Young city dudes really dig the edgy style that makes her clothes stand out in a crowd.
This time around, Manhattan-based designer and mom Bonnie Young emphasized fun geometric shapes and showed off her signature dramatic style on the runway.
Here and there sparkly party and holiday pieces emerged, and a luscious blue velvet jacket was a hit with onlookers.
Short, retro black leather jackets looked hip on the runway; girls wore them with flare skirts, tights and leg warmers, reminiscent of the ’80s. And there was lots of big hair.
An exotic flower motif adorned a stunning party dress by Anais & I — a simple, geometric pumpkin sheath had that unmistakable ’60s look. Oh, and your daughter will probably want to check out the newest version of a ’70s shirt dress for fall. You can take a cue from petitePARADE designers and show her how she can create a great outfit by wearing a soft sweater (even a cotton one) under an edgy, zipper-accented textured vest. She can complete this look with a pretty skirt or dark leggings.
News flash! This fall, colorful large-print flowers will be popping up amidst those basic blacks and darker hues. And traditional prints and plaids — which were all the rage on the runway — got an unexpected twist. Look for fabulously mismatched prints as well, and muted tones juxtaposed against shiny fabrics. If you’re thinking, anything goes! You’re right.
Rumor has it that Gotham’s trendy young ladies and gents will have a lot of great looks to choose from in the fall. And budget-conscious moms and dads shouldn’t worry, because there are so many options out there for every wallet, and in the coming months you and your kids and teens will be finding runway styles at many local retailers.
More than ever before kids designers are saying: cute but not cutesy, sophisticated yet whimsical, basic but not mediocre, comfy but always stylish. Look around you. Long gone are the days of cookie cutter childrenswear — even for babies. Savvy designers are breaking all the rules while holding on to that innocence factor.
My own impressions: Bonnie Young’s classy and dressy white collared black dress with white cuffs looked a lot like a piece that my cousin wore to a birthday party back in the ’70s (I found an old pic). And one short red jacket with a wide collar looked like a really cool, very updated version of a gray ’90s jacket that’s still hanging in my friend’s closet. Overall, the runway vibe seemed to range from sophisticated chic to slightly lil’ rebel for the young set, while the wow factor was amped up for tweens and teens.
If you want to get an idea of what your kids’, tweens’ and teens’ closets might look like this coming fall and winter, check out these awesome collections at: www.petiteparade.com/8th-edition/
Without a doubt, the newest kids’ looks are kind of edgy and electric in a fun and funky way. For show highlights, you and your kids can go to: https://instagram.com/petiteparade.
And for a behind-the-scenes peek at the recent event, visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhBHov7sNKo.
With more than 100 designers and 10,000 guests, petitePARADE continues to attract media, parents, and the children’s industry, but philanthropy has always played a vital role. Each season, it partners with outstanding organizations, such as Only Make Believe, Free Arts NYC, New York Foundling, K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers, and The Juice Foundation to raise money and awareness and provide the families in attendance with fun, interactive workshops which expose children to the importance of giving back.
