The seven bright sparks

Winter is notoriously grey and cold, but at the forthcoming Dot to Dot London trade event, on 31 January – 1 February at the Vinyl Factory in Soho, your world will be coloufully lit up by seven fantastic industry newcomers showing their collections in a new area of the show called Spark.

Spark launches for AW16 as a concerted effort to continually offer young labels the same industry opportunities as their more established peers. Housing a mix of fashion, footwear, lifestyle and homeware products to win the hearts of the cool kid, creative play fans, tiny tots and their loved ones will be new signings Bumble Blooms, Doodlemoo, Hug and Hatch, Jax & Hedley, Knit Planet, Mamma Couture and Wildfire Teepees.

Exhibiting at Dot to Dot is something Lindsey Aitken, owner and founder of Wildfire Teepees says she's been aspiring to do, ''When I was offered the opportunity to be part of the show through the Spark concept I had achieved one of my goals for Wildfire. It's perfect for where I am now with my fledgling business and I'm particularly drawn to the small nature of the show and the way the emphasis is on building relationships, and in turn our businesses.''

Micky Wang, co-founder of knitwear label Knit Planet, also felt a strong synergy with show, ''The idea of Spark is lovely. It's good for us to start effectively and efficiently and Spark has provided a tailored size space which is just enough to show off the products with less pressure on our shoulders.”

Emily Canino and Christian Hayes, founders of home decoration and stationery brand Doodlemoo, spoke of their hopes for the season, ''It’s exciting to be able to showcase our work with other independent and interesting design-led brands of such a high standard. Spark is the perfect opportunity for us to springboard our work amongst like-minded people.''

The AW16 edition of Dot to Dot will feature approximately 40 dazzling British and overseas children's brands.

For more information visit www.dottodotlondon.com