Playtime New York Offers a Big Bite of Fall Previews

The 4th edition of Playtime New York was held in March at 82 Mercer. Playtime New York is an international trade show dedicated to showcasing an extensive selection of children’s, junior’s and maternity collections. Featuring 75 domestic and international collections that included clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry, baby gear, décor, and gifts, the fair attracted more buyers than last year.

Retailers are drawn to the cutting edge and modern selection of creative, exclusive and upscale merchandise that demands a setting that is different from traditional trade shows. Trend spaces, exclusive to Playtime, were designed this year by three American artists around the theme of games and drew buyers eager to see the new trends for Winter 2013. Within an increasingly strong dynamic nourished by the international network of the Playtime trade fairs, this New York edition took place in an atmosphere that was stimulating and relaxing. Many fresh designers, including Neve Inspired, JUMINA, LOUANN and boy+girl previewed their fall/winter collections.

Neve Inspired Believes in the Joy of Children

Neve Inspired presented their first fall collection at New York Playtime. Bob and Kris Galmarini are the husband-and-wife team behind the brand. The idea and inspiration for Neve Inspired started after their daughter was asleep, while they enjoyed a date night of sorts in their art room, sipping wine, listening to music and creating. He enjoyed illustrating and painting and she sewed. Soon he began screen-printing his illustrations onto the clothes she made.

Given their passion for art, and saddened by the fact that many public schools are cutting art programs, the Galmarinis are committed to hand making pieces of art for every garment and giving a portion of their profits to this cause.

They believe that a child’s response to a Neve Inspired garment is the most important part. When designing their clothing line they think simply, as children do, and also strive to create multi-functional garments whenever possible. All of their sweaters are reversible and their skirts turn into dresses with detachable straps, which appeals to parents who appreciate the amount of wear they can get from each purchase.

Inspiration for their collection comes from their children and friends, mixed with their own style. The creative couple feels very blessed to have their hobby turned into a business, which is a dream come true for them.

Get inspired to add a selection of fresh fashion ideas at www.neveinspired.com

JUMINA Premiers a Norwegian Fair Trade Fairytale

Elisabeth Grønning Rognmo is the owner and designer behind JUMINA. Elisabeth lives in a small village in Norway with her husband and their three children. Her family is her greatest source of inspiration, and together they run the company from an environmentally-friendly straw bale house.

JUMINA’s upcoming fall collection is fun and cozy, with mix and match pieces that allow children to show their individuality. The collection features wonderful alpaca knits for the cold days, together with JUMINA’s signature woolen dresses, organic cotton blouses and soft jersey garments with a twist. Simplicity is big for the autumn line, with mixes of muted and bright colors fashioned in alpaca knits, coats, capes, tutus and fun accessories.

JUMINA designs its clothing with the children in mind, from the cutting of the patterns to the finished designs. They rely on children to be both their best critics and fans.

JUMINA is actually the first children’s brand in Norway that uses fair trade certified cotton in its collections. They have been working on this since 2007 and are now happy to finally launch a collection in which all the clothing includes organic fair trade certified cotton.

To offer these beautiful Norwegian finds, visit www.jumina.no

LOUANN Creates Clothing for Happy Kids

LOUANN is a fashion collection for modern girls created by Marie-Noëlle Razafimandimby. Marie is a mother of three whose creative spirit comes from the desire to highlight the skills and knowledge found on the beautiful island of Madagascar. Madagascar is renowned for its fine embroidery and hand finishes.

LOUANN is debuting their first fall collection that consists of earthy colors that show their spiritual relationship with the environment. The practical, playful, stylish pieces are all made with fine materials and details that ensure a perfect finish. Each piece is decorated with handmade embroidery, smocking, pearly engraved buttons or hand-sewn sequins. The mainly cotton fabrics offer subtle colors and easy care convenience.

The LOUANN brand is associated with the work of artist Lydiane Ka, who creates a funny and poetic style that appeals to girls and moms alike.

To brighten your shelves and your sales, visit www.louann-kids.com

boy+girl Courts Californian and European Styles

boy+girl is designed in Venice Beach, California and made locally in downtown Los Angeles. The line is crafted from natural fabrics of the highest quality sourced from Japanese, European and American mills. While boy is rooted in California’s surf and skate culture, girl stems from a European sensibility.

boy+girl is also debuting their first fall collection this season. They are keeping close to their California aesthetic, yet interpreting that for cold weather. There are lots of crew sweatshirts and Baja ponchos for him and pull-on jumpers for her. The collection is all about the fabric and details. boy+girl believes that some of the most important things to consider when designing children’s clothing is to make sure it is wearable and comfortable. They also design clothing that is different and will not be found in every store, which typically means a little less cutesy and a bit more sophisticated.

The girl’s look is reminiscent of an updated storybook girl, complete with a red riding hood inspired cape. They tend to think about what your favorite storybook character would wear if she went to the city. For boy, it is more skate inspired which seems to be right for fall since it is on the opposite side of the spectrum from surf in the summer. Red is a big color with the line for fall because it is classic and it pops, as well as being a favorite holiday color.

boy+girl continues to strive for designs that are stylish and practical, finding fabrics they absolutely love and interpreting them for children. See something new at www.shopboyandgirl.com