Playtime New York Raises the Roof with Great Space and Big Increase in Visitors

Playtime New York, the international trade show dedicated to all things relating to children, junior and maternity, held a very successful third show from July 30 to August 1, 2011, at SoHo’s 82 Mercer Street, New York City, as evidenced by a fifteen percent increase in the number of visitors compared to the July 2010 edition. Buyers and other visitors were very positive and gave big thumbs up to the creative, imaginative space and merchandise. American and international brands, including infant and children’s clothing, shoes, accessories, baby gear, toys, deco and design products, childcare, and maternity were represented.

Headquartered in Paris, France, Playtime is recognized for excellence in the organization of trade shows and offers the world’s largest trade show network for children’s and maternity collections. Launched in 2006, Playtime Paris quickly became a must-see trade show in Europe with 350 exhibitors. Playtime Tokyo debuted in 2009 and is now the biggest children’s fashion trade show in Japan.

Attendees of the recent Playtime New York included many vendors from previous shows as well as some outstanding new collections. Among the standouts were Wovenplay,Tala Bee Kids, and Mini & Maximus. In addition, a Pop Up Shop — Playtime Loves Japan — raised significant funds for K.I.D.S (Kids in Distressed Situations) to help support Japan Earthquake Relief.

Weaving Style and Practicality

Embracing the use of old techniques, hand-crafted textiles, practical form, and the natural qualities of materials, Wovenplay takes shape under the talented direction of founder and designer Katherine Edmonds, who has a background in art, textile design, and traditional French dressmaking.

Get on board with the long-sleeved, glow striped tee shirt made of organic cotton that will turn on shoppers with its dynamic red and white hand-printed stripes. Little girls will hum “I Feel Pretty” in a silk-satin tutu with chartreuse and grape stripes tied with vintage ribbons, or in a delightful cotton suit with ruffles at the top, gathers at the waist, and a get-happy fruit print. Hand printed dots run gaily down the sides of sweet pink cotton Bermuda shorts.

Wovenplay uses natural or low-impact dyes on all items and constructs garments to the highest standards with the use of a local workforce or fair trade producers. All packaging nods to planet health by being either recycled and/or biodegradable, and the company proudly supports the International Solar Energy Society with a portion of each year’s profits. Clothing from Wovenplay inspires the creativity in every child and enhances the appreciation of art and the inherent beauty of traditional arts and crafts.

Start piecing together an inspiring collection for your store today at www.wovenplay.com

Flirty Fun with Ruffles and Lace

Spring 2012 is the third collection by Tala Banatao, a talented American designer of Filipino heritage. The Tala Bee Kids collection for girls sized 2-12 has two distinctive looks: one featuring a soft color palette with delicate pinks, purples, and grays while the other goes Americana with a red, white, and blue palette.

Girly girls will swoon over Tala’s ruffles and soft, flowing silhouettes, while customers will be intrigued by the embellishments of intricate, vintage laces. Everyone will be enchanted with the classic silhouette of the Delilah romper in lightweight denim with red and white polka dot trip.
Nothing says summer more than the easy-on Ana dress with delicate double-layered ruffles at the neck and a skirt that provides the perfect twirl. Ana comes in pink/grey stripe, purple/grey stripe and a grey and pink floral print.

What’s better than one dress? A dress that reverses like Tala’s Elin in lightweight pima cotton/spandex with cute contrasting stripes and polka dots making this simple tank with a playful hemline that hangs longer in the back — a true charmer. Another fave is the Alex dress that riffs on the trend of a woman’s button down shirt updated for a little one. Alex comes in three playful color combos: blue, red, and navy with white dots and features three-quarter sleeves with a self tie belt. The dress buttons down the front and has a circle skirt that gives girls room to run and jump. Or, go for Cay, a dress with eyelet trim adorning the hemline. Cay is made of lightweight five ounce denim with elastic ruching at the bodice, so the fit is always perfect.

For all the buzz on Tala Bee, visit www.talabeekids.com

Bring Out the Artist in Kids

Collaborations with artists, big and small, known and upcoming, underlie the work at Mini & Maximus, whose spring-summer 2012 line is Rock, Paper, Scissors. This season’s super soft tees are made of cotton/modal and come in sizes 0/1, 2/3, 4/5, 6/7, 8/9. The company is proudly eco-friendly with neck labels screened with water-soluble ink; hang-tags printed on recycled paper; and posters screen-printed by hand on recycled paper with water-based inks.

Think incredibly cool images like the Mima Mouse sleeveless hoodie and sweat pant or the Flag muscle tee with Novella Royale genie pants, made of recycled fabric. For an artsy vibe, go for Bispou Pisou, an art collaboration M&M did with Swedish artist Frida Wannerberger.

Little guys will look semi tough in the Mini & Maximus namesake tee in strong turquoise with the company name in bold lettering. A crowned owl graphic adorns a sleeveless, regular and longer sleeved tee while skinny cuffs and pockets add pow to pants that ask “Are we there yet?” Other tees proclaim “I Cut My Own Hair” or “The Future is Mine”, bold statements supported by bold design.

For kids, everything is a game and everyday is an adventure. A strange rock found in the yard becomes a dinosaur bone, a broken stick becomes a sword, and a piece of paper colored and cut up becomes anything the mind can imagine. In duds from Mini & Maximus, kids embrace a happy future.

Maximize your store’s sales with hip, eco-friendly apparel from www.miniandmaximus.com