No child’s play

If you thought Tom Cruise’s daughter Suri was the only fashion conscious kid around, there’s news for you. Not only do four-year-olds in the Capital have a fashion sense, they have their own choice of designer wear, too.

If you thought Tom Cruise’s daughter Suri was the only fashion conscious kid around, there’s news for you. Not only do four-year-olds in the Capital have a fashion sense, they have their own choice of designer wear, too. And to tap this growing market, leading Indian designers along with international houses now have labels dedicated to tiny tot fashionistas.



Italian kids brand Chicco, known for the international appeal of its apparel, launched in India in April. Shona Taneja, franchisee owner of Chicco, says, "When I had kids, the Indian market for kidswear was limited. Now, kids can choose from international trends."



Earlier last month, designers Puja and Karan started their kids label called Purple Elephant. Vasant Kunj store Kidology has designers such as Gauri and Nainika, Ritu Kumar and Gaurav Gupta on board. "I have a range in my Paris store but the retail market in India for kids in India is still very limited," says Ritu Kumar.



Designing for kids is no easy task, says designer Ritu Beri who started her kidswear line, Baby Beri, two years ago. She says, "The primary thing for them is comfort. So one must always look for natural fabrics."



Sagarika Goyal, owner of the store Coochhie Coo that makes partywear for kids, says, "There was a wide gap in the market for quality formal, semi-formal and theme wear clothes. Most clothes available were unhygienic, and so we decided to bridge the gap."



Tips for shoppers

Use lengths that a kid is comfortable walking in

Don’t make them wear clothes that are too heavy

Keep climatic conditions in mind while choosing fabric

Look for cotton lining and enough margin

Casual clothes must be able to endure any amount of washing

Colours must be fast

Crushed effect always looks good as kids would anyway crush clothes

Go for bright coloured and happy prints on white