Pitti Bimbo: 5 Children’s fashion labels to keep an eye on

The 97th edition of Pitti Immagine Bimbo, the Italian ready-to-wear,
accessories and lifestyle fair dedicated to children, will be held from
June 21 to 23 in Florence, in the Fortezza da Basso. On the occasion of the
event, FashionUnited has selected five labels of children’s fashion to keep
an eye on.

Esther

In 2019, Diana Lugo Caro decided to create Esther, a ready-to-wear brand
for infants and children, after noticing the lack of supply in this segment
in Puerto Rico, the city where she is originally from. Based in New York,
the company offers a selection of clothing from 3/6 months to 14 years, as
well as a few toys.

The range includes shirts, blouses, tops, skirts, dresses and even
shorts. Esther promises comfortable clothes with simple, clean lines. While
many of the items are plain pieces, the brand is also keen on patterns such
as black gingham and “mustard yellow” or patchwork effects. Esther also has
a denim collection. On its e-commerce site, the brand assures that its
products are 100 percent cotton and that some pieces are made entirely from
organic cotton.

Prices range from 28 euros for the sleeveless “Bori Club” bodysuit to
168 euros for the “Gloria Dress”, a multicoloured summer dress. The brand’s
products are sold on its e-shop and through several international
retailers, including the Ssense platform.

Mimi & Lula

After the birth of their daughters, Natasha Hodson and Nicola Byrne
realised that there were very few good-quality accessories and clothes for
children. Following years of experience in women’s ready-to-wear, they
decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship and created their own
accessories brand in 2017. In the space of just six years, Mimi & Lula has
managed to make a name for itself – as evidenced by its 87,500 followers on
Instagram – thanks to its colourful, playful and fun world.

Mimi & Lula offers “accessories designed to allow children to express
their personality with flair and style”, the brand states on its website.
Its range includes barrettes, headbands, headbands, bows and other items to
sublimate hair.

The company also sells clutches, shoulder straps, fanny packs, backpacks
and baskets. Its added value: the shapes of its accessories, which
sometimes take the silhouette of a dinosaur, fish or butterfly and other
times those of a star, rainbow or planet. In addition, it has a “fancy
dress” range with petticoats, capes and crowns, among others.

The price range is around 15 euros for hair accessories and 30 euros for
bags. In addition to its e-commerce site, the brand is available at
selected department stores such as Selfridges & Co in London and Bon Marché
Rive Gauche in Paris.

Tia Cibani

New York-based eponymous brand Tia Cibani specialises in clothing and
accessories for children and infants, covering a wide range of sizes from
six months to 16 years. It stands out for its colourful, striped and
geometrically shaped pieces, all of which are inspired by the designer’s
North African heritage.

The company also offers a range of basics with impeccable cuts,
available in several colours – an imperative for Tia Cibani, who was
artistic director of luxury house Ports 1961 for a number of years. The
brand completes its range with a women’s line, aimed at mothers who want to
coordinate their outfits with those of their children. Some shoes and
swimwear for little ones are also available on the Tia Cibani e-shop.

Price-wise, you should expect to pay 36.95 euros for a patch tee, 42.95
euros for a striped “Rafael Multi-Snap Shirt” and 135.95 euros for the
“Vanessa pleated maxi”, a mini wedding dress. The brand is mainly present
on the American market, but is also sold by a number of distributors in
Belgium, South Korea, Italy and Qatar.

Risu.Risu

“I’ve always dreamed of dressing my children organic and beautiful and
so I created Risu.Risu to dress them in clothes not only made from organic
cotton but also with eco-friendly dyes,” explains Camille Fleck, founder of
the brand, on the website.

Launched in 2014, the French company dresses almost the whole family,
with pieces for babies, children, teenagers and women. Size-wise, the brand
ranges from 1 month to 14 years and from S to L for the women’s
collections.

Risu.Risu focuses on soft, delicate tones such as sage green, pastel
pink and terracotta. Its country-style garments come in florals, gingham or
embellished with little embroidered squirrels, the brand’s mascot
animal.

The label promises clothes made from 100 percent organic cotton,
certified by the GOTS label and Made in Europe manufacturing carried out in
Spain. Some of its pieces are designed from French fabrics and use
eco-friendly dyes in line with GOTS standards.

The ‘Zéphyr Bodysuit’, a classic bodysuit, costs 42 euros, while pyjamas
for babies and children are priced at around 60 euros. The red gingham
dress is priced at 82 euros and the “Lola Strap Vest” tank tops are priced
at 45 euros.

Risu.Risu, based in Paris, has its own boutique in Neuilly-sur-Seine, at
50 rue de Chézy. Its items are also marketed by distributors including
Smallable, which is dedicated to the sale of ready-to-wear, accessories and
decoration for the family.

Raspberry Plum

It was in 2014, at the Pitti Bambino show, that Aleksandra Matthews, a
graduate of the Royal College of Art, unveiled her first children’s
collection. Based in London, Raspberry Plum is positioned as a
mid/top-range children’s brand with a girly, kitsch and couture aesthetic.
It is aimed primarily at little girls aged between six months and 14 years,
although it also offers around five pieces for women.

Very quickly, the fashion brand made tulle its great speciality. It
distinguished itself through dresses and petticoats embellished with bows,
ruffles, lace details or claudine collars. Its range also includes flare
trousers, culotte shorts, short jumpsuits and swimwear.

Raspberry Plum items range in price from 35 pounds to 207 pounds. They
are available on the brand’s e-shop and at selected retailers including
Farfetch, Childrensalon (UK) and Bambini Fashion (Austria).

This article originally appeared on
FashionUnited.FR.
Translation and edit by: Rachel Douglass.