Style Talk: Childrenswear Revolution

2014-01
Natasha Ovely
 
This month, we turn the spotlight on childrenswear in Shanghai - an area of fashion that seems to be undergoing something of revolution, spearheaded by parents who took matters into their own hands to create new fashion lines, inspired by their kids. Gone are the frilly frocks and cartoon printed t-shirts that we sport in our embarrassing 21st birthday slideshows. In recent years, a slew of sophisticated clothing brands for children have been introduced. Talk takes a closer look at three childrenswear designers in Shanghai, and their approach to modern fashion for children.
 
 
 
Chou Chou Chic
 
We spoke to Christine Lai, the founder of Chou Chou Chic, whose first boutique opened on Moaming Nan Lu in 2008. The founders were driven to open the store after experiencing, as consumers, a lack of childrenswear options in the city. They felt that this led to an inconsistency between the ways in which parents dressed compared to their children. “There were very few childrenswear boutiques to choose from in China, and parents were left with the choice of either luxury brands or pop-up brands that were coming in with higher prices than in Europe. This left the children of fashionable young parents stuck in a conventional, dated dress code, similar to their grandparents.”
 
 
While they initially targeted foreign families, Lai quickly learned not to underestimate Chinese consumers. “They know very well what suits their children, and the more they respect their kids as complex, independent individuals, the more likely they will be to choose clothes that suit them better.”
 
When it comes to describing the aesthetic of the brand, Lai believes strongly in the incorporation of natural motifs. “Flowery patterns are purer and richer than any cartoon characters. Pure elements match better with children than artificial ones – not only in terms of material, but also colour, tone and pattern. When parents buy clothes for their children, they are often torn between clothes that make them look better or clothes that make them feel more comfortable and happier. In our design, both these elements come together naturally, eliminating this dilemma.”
 
Christine predicts that future growth of childrenswear in China will be very similar to that of adults’ clothing. It will succumb to the trend of democratisation of designer and luxury brands. Despite this, she is positive that more parents are acknowledging unique designs and will become more lenient in their buying habits, instead of just remaining price sensitive toward childrenswear. “They will choose high quality products and unique designs to cater to their needs.
 
Chou Chou Chic will still have the same focus, never forgetting our fundamental priority, which is making a ‘designer brand’ accessible to most children.”
 
Chou Chou Chic. Various locations including 131 Maoming Lu, near Fuxing Lu. Tel: 400 601 1250. Web: www.chouchouchic.com
 

Constance Kids 

Davidson Tsui, along with his wife, started the collection Constance Kids a year ago and named it after his daughter. “As a fashion student, you aspire to be a designer and then as a designer, you aspire to have your own line. After working for Celine, and the birth of our little girl, we decided that it was time to start a line that belonged to us.”

Constance Kids reflects Tsui’s penchant for masculinity and clean lines, to ensure its cohesiveness with his parallel womenswear collection. He also adds a touch of softness with his use of colours, while steering clear of the bright pinks that he finds distasteful in local childrenswear brands. At a first glimpse, this collection seems overwhelmingly mature, but he encourages the pieces to be mixed and matched as separates; combining them with casual elements such as jeans or a baseball cap. They are incredibly exclusive, with only six or seven pieces created for each line.

Tsui’s always uses a mood, feeling or a certain motif as his inspiration for a new piece instead of materials or design first. “If I chose twigs as my starting point, for example, I would start to compile an archive of pictures of them, maybe visit an exhibition or look for a film that uses it as a motif and then start to add the other elements of shape and colour. It is important that this starting point is perfect and strong.” 
 
In his opinion, there will always be a small group of Chinese parents who will continue to dress their kids up in luxury brands to show how much money they make, especially if they work for a company whose way of attracting clients is based on demonstrating the wealth of their employees; turning the kids into accessories and symbols of their wealth. However, he believes that taste can be learned through buying, “If you go out and buy the most expensive Chanel coat, you will start to recognise the feel, cut and the fit of a high quality fabric and you will bear that in mind while you shop. In terms of childrenswear, I think Shanghai is opening up to new possibilities in fashion and is looking for something unique. Taste is subjective but you can change a customer’s mindset through your brand.”
 
Constance Kids. Available at Davidson Tsui, Xintiandi Style. 245 Mandang Lu, near Fuxing Lu. Web: www.davidsontsui.com 
 
 
KelKel
 
 
Lorelei Liu and Andy Wang started this clothing line after the birth of their first son. The two were classmates while studying business administration at university, and decided that a childrenswear venture was one that would excite their passion. After three years in the business, this Hong Kong based brand has now found their niche; somewhere between the overly mature and extremely fussy styles of childrenswear available on the market.
 
The fabric is the main priority and informs the rest of the design process at KelKel, “I am a mother and I want to produce clothing that kids are comfortable in,” says Liu, “They are at an age where their skin is very sensitive and there are a lot of fabrics out there that are very harmful to kids, so parents should be aware of this while shopping for their children. Everything else comes second.”
 
 
Liu told Talk, “Whilst we were conducting the market research, the fact that surprised me the most was that kids are increasingly the ones to make decisions about what they wear and what their parents buy. Kids these days are very aware of themselves and trends in fashion. They want to be ‘cool’, not cute, and they clearly understand the difference between the two. Just the other day, I heard one of my son’s classmates enquire about where he bought his boots from. He is only three years old!” This quest for cool is what prompted them to look for a design team to create a minimalist childrenswear brand, later developing matching lines that both mother and daughter, or father and son, could wear together.
 
It is understandably a design challenge to come up with clothes that suit both adults and children without looking out of place on either one, but it is one that they decided to undertake in order to demonstrate the philosophy of equality that they’ve observed in modern parenting. 
 
 
 
KelKel. 55 Jinyu Lu, near Jinhui Lu. Tel: 3471 7756. Web: www.kalfamily.com