Growing up with style
When designing garments for tiny tots, style comes last. Gan Tian finds out that the most important elements are safety and comfort.
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A boy displays clothing designed by T100 Kids head designer and president Dong Wenmei in Beijing. Zhu Xingxin / China Daily |
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The just-ended China Fashion Week 2014 Spring/Summer features three children's wear shows, namely T100 Kids, Ye Ye Kids Wear and Tou Tu Kids Wear.
In these shows at Beijing Hotel, adorable children models blink, grin and pat colorful dolls in their arms. Some of them strut down the runway imitating professional models, others skip their way through. There are also some shy and talkative little ones who whisper to each other as they walk. A girl model, who appears unhappy with the dress she wears, walks fast with an angry face, which amuses the audiences. The shows are full of laughter.
These young models present among others red-striped loose tops, short pants with laces, and red dancing shoes with giant candy knots.
Yang Jian, secretary-general of the China Fashion Week organizing committee, says the event has seen various children's fashion shows during the past years, but it is the first time that so many companies have taken part.
Dong Wenmei, head designer and president of T100 Kids, says her company decided to attend the China Fashion Week to present its collection because the children's wear industry has been making a big progress during the past five years. She says now is the time for designers to show off their creativity.
Watching a children's wear fashion show is totally different from a fashion show for adults. Fashionistas will be disappointed, as they might not find something fashionable, so to speak, during the show. For children's wear, the most important thing is safety, then comfort. Style? That's the last consideration.
"In children's wear, you cannot sacrifice safety for style, and this makes it more difficult to be a children's wear designer," says Zhao Enhuan, creative director of Tou Tu Kids Wear based in Fujian province.
Citing an example, T100 Kids' head designer Dong says for a child's garment, be it a pair of jeans or a small coat, a designer should never use too many belts because the wearer might trip on the belt, or even accidentally strangle themselves with it.
It is the same with the collars. A child's suit should not have a tight collar.
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