Pitti Bimbo: 5 Children’s fashion labels to keep an eye on
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The 97th edition of Pitti Immagine Bimbo, the Italian ready-to-wear, accessories and lifestyle fair dedicated to children, will be held from June 21 to 23 in Florence, in the Fortezza da Basso. On the occasion of the event, FashionUnited has selected five labels of children's fashion to keep an eye on.
Esther
In 2019, Diana Lugo Caro decided to create Esther, a ready-to-wear brand for infants and children, after noticing the lack of supply in this segment in Puerto Rico, the city where she is originally from. Based in New York, the company offers a selection of clothing from 3/6 months to 14 years, as well as a few toys.
The range includes shirts, blouses, tops, skirts, dresses and even shorts. Esther promises comfortable clothes with simple, clean lines. While many of the items are plain pieces, the brand is also keen on patterns such as black gingham and "mustard yellow" or patchwork effects. Esther also has a denim collection. On its e-commerce site, the brand assures that its products are 100 percent cotton and that some pieces are made entirely from organic cotton.
Prices range from 28 euros for the sleeveless "Bori Club" bodysuit to 168 euros for the "Gloria Dress", a multicoloured summer dress. The brand's products are sold on its e-shop and through several international retailers, including the Ssense platform.
Mimi & Lula
After the birth of their daughters, Natasha Hodson and Nicola Byrne realised that there were very few good-quality accessories and clothes for children. Following years of experience in women's ready-to-wear, they decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship and created their own accessories brand in 2017. In the space of just six years, Mimi & Lula has managed to make a name for itself - as evidenced by its 87,500 followers on Instagram - thanks to its colourful, playful and fun world.
Mimi & Lula offers "accessories designed to allow children to express their personality with flair and style", the brand states on its website. Its range includes barrettes, headbands, headbands, bows and other items to sublimate hair.
The company also sells clutches, shoulder straps, fanny packs, backpacks and baskets. Its added value: the shapes of its accessories, which sometimes take the silhouette of a dinosaur, fish or butterfly and other times those of a star, rainbow or planet. In addition, it has a "fancy dress" range with petticoats, capes and crowns, among others.
The price range is around 15 euros for hair accessories and 30 euros for bags. In addition to its e-commerce site, the brand is available at selected department stores such as Selfridges & Co in London and Bon Marché Rive Gauche in Paris.
Tia Cibani
New York-based eponymous brand Tia Cibani specialises in clothing and accessories for children and infants, covering a wide range of sizes from six months to 16 years. It stands out for its colourful, striped and geometrically shaped pieces, all of which are inspired by the designer's North African heritage.
The company also offers a range of basics with impeccable cuts, available in several colours – an imperative for Tia Cibani, who was artistic director of luxury house Ports 1961 for a number of years. The brand completes its range with a women's line, aimed at mothers who want to coordinate their outfits with those of their children. Some shoes and swimwear for little ones are also available on the Tia Cibani e-shop.
Price-wise, you should expect to pay 36.95 euros for a patch tee, 42.95 euros for a striped "Rafael Multi-Snap Shirt" and 135.95 euros for the "Vanessa pleated maxi", a mini wedding dress. The brand is mainly present on the American market, but is also sold by a number of distributors in Belgium, South Korea, Italy and Qatar.
Risu.Risu
"I've always dreamed of dressing my children organic and beautiful and so I created Risu.Risu to dress them in clothes not only made from organic cotton but also with eco-friendly dyes," explains Camille Fleck, founder of the brand, on the website.
Launched in 2014, the French company dresses almost the whole family, with pieces for babies, children, teenagers and women. Size-wise, the brand ranges from 1 month to 14 years and from S to L for the women's collections.
Risu.Risu focuses on soft, delicate tones such as sage green, pastel pink and terracotta. Its country-style garments come in florals, gingham or embellished with little embroidered squirrels, the brand's mascot animal.
The label promises clothes made from 100 percent organic cotton, certified by the GOTS label and Made in Europe manufacturing carried out in Spain. Some of its pieces are designed from French fabrics and use eco-friendly dyes in line with GOTS standards.
The 'Zéphyr Bodysuit', a classic bodysuit, costs 42 euros, while pyjamas for babies and children are priced at around 60 euros. The red gingham dress is priced at 82 euros and the "Lola Strap Vest" tank tops are priced at 45 euros.
Risu.Risu, based in Paris, has its own boutique in Neuilly-sur-Seine, at 50 rue de Chézy. Its items are also marketed by distributors including Smallable, which is dedicated to the sale of ready-to-wear, accessories and decoration for the family.
Raspberry Plum
It was in 2014, at the Pitti Bambino show, that Aleksandra Matthews, a graduate of the Royal College of Art, unveiled her first children's collection. Based in London, Raspberry Plum is positioned as a mid/top-range children's brand with a girly, kitsch and couture aesthetic. It is aimed primarily at little girls aged between six months and 14 years, although it also offers around five pieces for women.
Very quickly, the fashion brand made tulle its great speciality. It distinguished itself through dresses and petticoats embellished with bows, ruffles, lace details or claudine collars. Its range also includes flare trousers, culotte shorts, short jumpsuits and swimwear.
Raspberry Plum items range in price from 35 pounds to 207 pounds. They are available on the brand's e-shop and at selected retailers including Farfetch, Childrensalon (UK) and Bambini Fashion (Austria).
