CSR drives desirability in kidswear market: Playtime 2026 insights

The trajectories of Minimalisma, MarMar Copenhagen and Gray Label, three northern European brands exhibiting at Playtime in January 2026, confirm a fundamental trend. The international children's fashion trade show highlights that corporate social and environmental responsibility (CSR) is no longer a peripheral narrative. It is now a key factor in reshaping the desirability of the kidswear market.

Children's products are not inherently virtuous, but they are an effective medium for a credible CSR narrative. This is because they tap into powerful emotional, moral and projective drivers. Children's clothing provides the ideal conditions to transform CSR into commercial value through the use of natural materials, visible durability and an educational message.

“At Playtime, we see that all brands are moving in this direction, step by step,” said Chantal Danguillaume, director of the Playtime Paris and New York trade shows. “We are committed to supporting and defending a sensitive and inspiring ecosystem that is under attack and threatened by the rise of ultra fast fashion players who standardise, impoverish and trivialise.”

“This concern is now at the heart of their DNA, driven by the desire to leave future generations a healthy, protected, respected and resource-rich environment,” she added.

FashionUnited reports on the evidence from Playtime, which took place from January 24 to 26, 2026, and presented the autumn/winter 2026/2027 collections.

Minimalisma: CSR through materials and the production chain

The Danish brand Minimalisma was founded in 2011 and commercially launched in 2012 by Maja Akraberg Siler. It was born out of a personal need related to her motherhood, with an initial focus on the quality of materials. These included silk, merino wool, organic cotton (sourced from Egypt and Turkey) and linen.

The yarns are then sent to the production units. For the organic cotton, the knitting, fabric stabilisation, cutting and manufacturing are carried out in a GOTS-certified factory in Hungary.

The silk and wool are knitted and finished in China, in the Jiangsu province. “In China, I work with only two women, two different suppliers,” Maja Akraberg Siler explained to FashionUnited. “We are of the same generation and have children of the same age. Our businesses have grown together, and we understand each other very well.” The products made in China are transported to Europe by train (the former Silk Road).

The stock is centralised in Germany. The brand has worked to GOTS standards (respecting environmental and social criteria) from the outset. This is “despite the administrative complexity.” The founder carries out production and manufacturing condition checks herself.

Minimalisma produces two collections per season. “I don't set unrealistic deadlines for production. I push, I help, I remind them of deadlines, but I think it's important not to put people under pressure,” commented the designer. “I have worked in companies where everything had to go much faster and where people had to endure that stress.”

Its main markets are currently Switzerland, Germany, Italy and China. Minimalisma has only one point-of-sale in the south of France. A significant part of its business relationships comes from trade shows (it has been exhibiting at Playtime since 2016) and from direct contact via Instagram.

MarMar Copenhagen: durability through use and product longevity

MarMar Copenhagen highlights durable kidswear and closed-loop production Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, MarMar Copenhagen was founded in 2008 by Marlene Holmboe. Holmboe remains active in the company as the brand owner and creative director.

“We want to make clothes that last. They should be comfortable for children to wear, pleasant for parents to look at, and able to be washed almost endlessly,” Holmboe told FashionUnited. “Our clothes are not tied to a particular season. We prefer to avoid trends rather than follow them.”

The material composition of the products includes 58 percent modal (Tencel by Lenzing), 40 percent organic cotton and five percent elastane.

The modal is sourced from a closed-loop production process. This means that the solvents and water used to manufacture the fibre are recovered, recycled, and reused within the same process. While the brand incorporates organic GOTS-certified cotton into its popular modal blend, MarMar Copenhagen as a whole is not GOTS certified. The addition of elastane is intended to maintain the shape of the garment over time, even after repeated use.

Approximately 75 percent of the total production is carried out in Turkey. The brand also works with partners in India and China, particularly for the manufacturing of outerwear.

MarMar Copenhagen is represented by around 500 points-of-sale, including multi-brand stores and department store corners. In France, distribution is currently very limited.

Gray Label: from permanent essentials to circularity

Gray Label prioritises minimalist design and circularity in kidswear Launched in 2011, Gray Label is a Dutch brand of clothing for babies and children. Initially focusing on sizes for newborns to six-year-olds, the label later extended its range to age 12.

Gray Label maintains a unisex positioning without gendered codes, such as pink for girls or blue for boys, and avoids busy prints. “When I first became a mother, there were a lot of garish colours in baby clothes,” founder Emily Gray told FashionUnited. “I think babies are pure in themselves; they don't need all that”.

The designer began with a permanent collection consisting of six styles in four colours. These essentials remain available year-round, supplemented by two seasonal drops added annually to meet wholesale demand for newness.

Since its inception, Gray Label has worked exclusively with organic cotton. The brand obtained Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification approximately five years after its creation. Production currently takes place in Portugal and Turkey.

The garments are designed to withstand numerous washes while retaining their quality and softness over time. Gray noted that the clothes are frequently passed down between siblings, neighbours and other families.

In its own boutique in Amsterdam, Gray Label features a “pre-loved” space where customers can return used clothing in exchange for a voucher. The brand is also distributed across approximately 40 countries through more than 250 multi-brand points-of-sale. In France, it is represented by Smallable Paris, Centre Commercial Kids Paris and various online platforms.

Playtime Paris registered 4,892 visitors from 72 countries, including 23 percent from France. 16 percent of buyers were visiting the trade show for the first time. The next edition will be held in New York from February 8 to 10, 2026.