Designers Wrap Kids in Window Dressing
Even Julie Andrews didn’t know she was onto something when, as the governess Maria, she turned bedroom draperies into stylish play clothes for the Von Trapp children in the 1965 film “The Sound of Music.”
This year, responding to parents’ complaints that children’s clothing often wears out before a kid outgrows them--designers are borrowing Andrew’s idea. They’re taking heavy linen Jacquards, silk brocades and tapestry weaves traditionally used for draperies, sofas and side chairs, and turning them into trendy yet durable street clothes for kids.
That was the big news from the Children’s Trade Expo West, a retailer-only exhibition of dress and playwear held last weekend at the L.A. Convention Center.
“Because we’re using stronger fabrics that are made to stand up to a lot of wear, the clothes will actually last longer,” says Ginna Frisbie, owner/designer of Max & Me, a new line of boys and girls sportswear made from home-furnishing fabrics. The collection, which retails from $28 to $60, sells at Flicka on Larchmont Boulevard and most Nordstrom stores.
“These aren’t bunnies and bears. They’re sophisticated fabrics that moms like.” Forget that they sometimes look too dressy and precious to play in, she adds, “they’re also machine washable.”
But where Andrews’ clothes were a cost-saving idea, don’t look for these new variations to sell at bargain prices. Home-furnishing fabrics cost up to 40% more than traditional sportswear fabrics.
That doesn’t seem to concern most manufacturers, who believe parents are willing to pay higher prices for better quality. “Parents will spend more on their kids than they will for themselves,” says Monica Macciocchi, owner/designer at Bella Bambina, whose $45 floral-and-lace dresses reminiscent of kitchen curtains are sold at Nordstrom.
“Certainly consumers are price-conscious, but they’re also value-conscious,” adds Ron Robinson, owner of the children’s store at Fred Segal Melrose, which already carries some kids clothes made of home-furnishing fabrics. Robinson says parents are buying up many of the items, priced from $70 to $90.
“If you can wear something longer and with more things, if it fulfills more functions, then high price shouldn’t be a consideration,” he says.
Nevertheless, most children’s wear makers who use these fabrics know price is an issue for consumers and say they are attempting to keep costs down. By making pants and jackets reversible or by adding roll-up cuffs and sleeves (which can be rolled down as a child gets bigger), manufacturers are extending the life of the clothes.
Both Cross Colours and Kid Poet, which make streetwear for adults and children, often mix rugged, unmatched fabrics on one outfit for a haphazard, yet durable approach to dressing. “It allows a child to mix and match a lot of things in his closet without worrying about always matching,” says Kid Poet designer Drew Washer.
Others believe they can save parents money by simply creating children’s wear with less fabric. “I’d rather design shapes that don’t use a lot of fabric as opposed to not using an expensive fabric at all,” says Kate Knudsen, owner/designer of a line of romantic, vintage-inspired dresses under the Katy Small label.
