Marc Jacobs' youngest fans

American designer Marc Jacobs is in the middle of a baby boom and adheres to the adage "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em". Not that he's having a baby, but he is turning his hand to designing for them. Jacobs and business partner Robert Duffy have decided to launch Little Marc, aimed at the age 2-7 category. The children's collection is based around the waffle-weave thermal cashmere underwear that has become a basic element in Marc Jacobs' men's and women's collections. The collection consists of a hooded top, a cardigan, long johns and crewneck top available in pink, blue, gray and white and in sizes S, M and L.

"The thermals were the right thing to do because they are so mauch a part of our vocabulary and are easily adaptable," Jacobs told WWD . "It's taking something luxe and offering it in the traditional shapes and colours for young people, and very young people." As yet, Jacobs is not planning on turning the line into a complete, stand-alone collection. "Should it naturally evolve, we will prepare ourselves and we will do what it takes to be organized about it, but at the moment, it's just a whim," said Jacobs.

Little Marc is launching in Marc Jacobs store in New York , San Francisco , Boston , Los Angeles and Bal Harbour , Florida this week. Prices range from £220 for the hooded top to £109 for the long johns. Although the prices are very high for children's apparel, Jacobs believes there are parents willing to purchase the clothes."There is a customer for everything," he said. "It may not be a mass customer, but that's not what we are trying to say with it."

Although Duffy did not wish to give sales projection for Little Marc, he did tell WWD that it would be a small launch, with "a few hundred units per style". Depending on customers' reactions, the line could be expanded and even be licensed, he said. Furthermore, Duffy indicated that he and Jacobs are currently working on the concept for a more affordable ready-to-wear line and said that he would like to shift the inhouse men's and women's underwear into a licensing deal, allowing for larger volumes to be produced.