Kids on Parade at Children’s Club for Fall 2012

The ENK Fall 2012 Children’s Club, held at the Javit’s Center in New York City March 11-13, 2012, featured almost 700 exhibitors. Two new trends spotted were more Made in USA and eco-Friendly brands. There were over thirty-five companies on hand that make their merchandise in the USA; another fifty tout themselves as eco-friendly. Exhibitors reported that sales were up from the previous year, a good sign for all.

Fashion trends included oodles of faux fur appearing on coats, hats and capes as well as a large number of kids’ capes and ponchos; both easy-breezy approaches to what to wear when a chill first announces that fall is in the air. Other trends hat retailers may want to be on the look-out for: vintage apparel in that “everything old is new again” look; animal prints; exposed zippers; and clever mix-and-match patterns. Taking a cue from the adult world, many manufacturers included cashmere, a favorite fabric for luxury and softness.

Backstage energy bubbled around the Vogue children’s fashion show, as pint-sized models got ready to strut their stuff and show buyers the goodies that lay in store. Part of the fun was in mini-celeb sightings, with the runway aglow with the daughter and sons of Robert and Courtney Novogratz, the TV design duo of HGTV’s “Home by Novogratz” and formerly “9 by Design” on Bravo, joined by the offspring of Heather Thompson and Aviva Dresher, two of the real Housewives of New York City.

Here are a few of the brands especially selected by The Giggle Guide’s Leesa Valentino who attended the Fall Children’s Club: Pipopipo, SugaPlum, Knitwits and Bambeeno.

Sock Away Pipopipo Friends

It’s never too early to give wee ones a jump on fashion and where better to start but at the feet? Pipopipo has launched a line of age-appropriate clothes for babies and toddlers with sensible styles in mind. For newborns to twelve months, they show sock sets that keep little piggies warm while entertaining the wearer with squeezable, 3-D faces.

For boys, display Pipopipo friends, including Lin, a black and white panda; Aster a cheery yellow face with a blue, yellow and red striped sock; and Busby, a honeybee who wouldn’t sting a soul.

Girls’ tootsies can flaunt Hana, a purple sock with a yellow and white flower face; Mimi, a bunny with ample attitude set against a red striped ground; and Ruby, a bright red bug face on a green-leaf printed sock.

Socks are mold, mildew and odor-resistant, and their moisture-wicking quality keeps small feet snug and dry. These socks are machine washable and have the latest in non-slip soles. Pipopipo socks all begin with highly sustainable bamboo that has been creatively spun into practical rayon with nylon Spandex and polyester decoration.

Pipopipo was started by a former surf apparel executive and his wife who found themselves with twins to dress and wanted socks that didn’t fight with little rolls of fat on baby feet. After the Japanese earthquake of 2011, they returned to Southern California and used the Japanese concept of “kwai” (cute) as their aesthetic touchstone. Your bottom line will look kwai when you stock these socks in sets of three pair packaged in an eco-friendly, reusable bamboo box that makes a sock set a great gift.

Check out super special sock sets: www.pipopipoclothing.com

Underwear That’s Over the Top

SugaPlum is underwear for maturing girls, designed for developing bodies in the colors and sharp looks that girls want in lingerie. Boost your bottom line with the SugaPlum collection of styles that work both as trainer and starter bras. Sugaplum is practical and comfortable for young figures, with bras in soft cotton, non-wired in all A-B cups and comfortable wiring for a little extra support in C-D cups.

Bubbles and Cakes, a soft multicolored print, comes in a bra and the increasingly trendy boy shorts. A playful array of blue, green and white color-filled circles is the name of the game for Polka Dot, also available in a bra and boy shorts. The Rainbow Sundae bra and boy shorts are decorated with a girlie-girl rainbow and teensy pink hearts.

The everyday undergarments feature soft, molded bras and briefs available in either white or a light pink gingham check. For a bit more sophisticated look with designer detailing, the Yoko Tokyo bra is inspired by the Far East with a diamante “SP” embellishment. The pink lightly padded soft cup comes in non-wired AA-A cups and two hook fasteners in AA-D cups

For more of this sweet collection: www.sugaplumshop.com

Toss Knitwits Hats into Your Ring

One size may fit all, but with hats this ingenious and warm, customers will be hard pressed to pick just one. The original maker of animals hats topping toddlers to teens, Knitwits hats are made in Nepal of natural wool from New Zealand and lined in fleece for the ultimate in comfort. The wool contains lanolin so it’s water-resistant with natural self-cleanability.

Babu the Black Bear has pointy ears, a brown head ending in a lighter brown muzzle and tabs ending in pom-poms. Matching Babu mittens show off a knitted-on smile and have two light brown finger holes. It may not be easy being green, but Fernie the Frog pulls it off in spades with stick-up ears and a fern green and beige hat ending in pom-poms that combine both colors.

The outstanding eyes, combined with the green and brown stripes on the mitten cuffs, are simultaneously warm and very cool. The whole Sesame Street gang is onboard –– all the favorites, including Grover (blue), Ernie (orange), Elmo (red) Bert (yellow), Cookie Monster (lighter blue) and Oscar the Grouch (gray with a big red tongue), each with mittens. Making their debut fall 2012: Big Bird and Abby Cadabby; Hello Kitty; and critters from the World Wildlife Fund.

Score with the hat hoopla: www.knitwits.com

Cashmere: Cozy, Chic and Timeless

It’s never too early to be lapped in a little luxury. This is the philosophy of Bambeeno that offers chic garments in ultra-soft cashmere, starting with tempting treasures for the littlest ones. A crewneck sweater with a snowflake design; a scarf in light pink or blue, ivory or navy; a navy rollneck sweater with a taupe pointer dog or a cableknit hat in ivory, pink, blue, navy or oatmeal are perfection for special new arrivals.

The Ruffle Front Cashmere Cardigan in navy or light pink is something a little girl can live in, wearing it over skirts, dresses and pants. The long-sleeved cashmere Ruffle Dress is timelessly elegant in pink and soft gray while the “big girl” cashmere scarf will keep her warm through all kinds of weather.

The Cashmere Zip Front Hoodie for boys (or possibly “borrowed” by their sisters) is made from a thicker knit so it’s even cozier. The Train crewneck is a holiday photo favorite in navy with, a red train.

Fall items include a wide assortment of novelty with items like an intarsia print sweater. Bambeeno faves like the dog heart, the train, Christmas tree and dinosaur as well as a ladybug and pumpkin are early best sellers. Special holiday colors for 2012 focus on brights like violet, raspberry, ocean blue and cherry red.

Lap up the luxury: www.bambeenocashmere.com