Pitti Bimbo: Kidswear orders on the up
By FashionUnited
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Among the labels, especially in the high sector, which have decided to start up a line for younger kids in recent months, is Gucci (within the orbit of the French group Ppr), which over these last few days in Florence christened the first brand dedicated to children’s fashion with the new collection designed by Frida Giannini and partly produced by Altana S.p.A., a company from the Veneto Region that also produces the children’s collections Moncler, Pinko and Moschno, Dimensione Danza, Jacob Cohën and its own brand Amore. The other brands making their debut recently in this segment also include Fendi (owned by the French luxury colossus Lvmh) and Ermanno Scervino. The list of children’s clothing brands also includes Ice Iceberg, which presented its new clothes at Pitti with a concert parade at the Ronda hall at Fortezza da Basso, Miss Blumarine, Daniele Alessandrini, Harley Davidson, La Perla, Nolita Pocket and Roberto Cavalli, which licensed Simonetta, a company that also produces items for Fay Junior.
Leaving our borders, on the other hand, the new entries of the division include Brooks Brothers which last October launched the line kid Fleece, the British Hackett London and Custo Growing. The Spanish label just launched its first worldwide single brand in Barcelona. The autumn-winter 2011-12 line was presented at Pitti Bimbo, a show that remains an important international showcase dedicated to collections for younger kids. Whereas it is too soon to forecast the position of the Milan show White Kids, whose edition planned for this January (it would have been the third) was cancelled due to the crisis in the division no less. The crisis was averted, instead, by the organisers of the Florentine show who garnered the support of Italian buyers like Pupi Solari, Giò Moretti, and La Rinascente, as well as the British Harrods and Selfridges; the French Bon Marché and Galeries Lafayette; the Germans August Pfueller and Barbara Freres; the Americans Barney's, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and Neiman Marcus, and the Spanish El Corte Inglés.
As can be seen from the list of buyers in this segment the department stores are very active. According to Sistema Moda Italia for a few seasons now the first middle-man is no longer independent retail (which has decreased further to a share of 26%), but the chain stores, which hold 41% of the consumer market. In terms of performance in the last winter season the chain stores resumed their growth (+2%).
From our correspondent in Milan
Photo: Miss Blumarine, A/W 2011/12
Pitti
Pitti Bimbo