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Kidswear has its own Fashion Week now, complete with a front row, trend reports, and the obligatory after party (there was a giant bubble machine, apparently). Why is this necessary? As far as we can tell, it's so that designers can sell overpriced clothes to adults, who can then in turn try and force children into wearing things like matching lederhosen and fedoras in real life.
Now, kids aren't dumb. They know when they look stupid. Even a five-year-old knows it's not cool to wear knee-high nylons. In fact, anyone who has spent any time dressing little kids knows that in reality, you'll probably have better luck getting a cat to wear a parka than getting a five year old to put on anything he or she doesn't want to. This is why you see so many defeated-looking moms carting around little girls in tutus and princess costumes at the grocery store.
But as this event has very little to do with reality anyway, let's hear from Global Kids Fashion Week founder Alex Theophanous, who explains his reasoning for launching the event thusly:
"Each year another mainline designer branches out into kidswear—from Chloe's 'mini me' girls collection launched in 2007, which is the current favorite of Harper Beckham [Ed note: Harper Beckham is 20 months old], to Stella McCartney for Kids in 2010, which is one of AlexandAlexa.com's best sellers. Alongside these global and established brands, we've seen emerging and independent children's designers make their mark in the industry and gain a cult following — parents love discovering fresh new brands and we find they spend as much time hunting online for those unique kids' outfits as they do for their own wardrobes... The time felt right to launch GKFW this year, to showcase children's fashion in its own right and celebrate this thriving industry."
Participating designers—including Kenzo, Roberto Cavalli, and Oscar de la Renta—helped pay for production and styling costs, but the majority of the event was funded by Theophanous's children's e-tail shop, the aforementioned AlexandAlexa.com, which he describes as "Net-a-Porter for under 14 year olds."
Theophanous says if all goes well, this event will become a regular thing. "We have created a stand-alone brand [GKFW], which we aim to roll-out annually, or even seasonally, following our feedback and experiences with the debut event," he told WWD. Harper Beckham will be so pleased.
· Kidswear Gets Its Own Fashion Week [WWD]
· How Have Our Children Managed Without this Fendi Stroller? [Racked]