Give Life, and Dress It in Cash?

Give Life, and Dress It in Cash?

Writing for blogs is good.  It makes me delve more into some of the topics that interest me or are relevant in my life.
For example, last year I became a mother of a little boy (although, at 9 months, I already find him to be quite gigantic).  Naturally, I started looking at babywear and children’s clothes.  Mind you, these were two categories in fashion that I never took  a second glance at before.
I soon realized that, in the fashion world, the array of stuff out there is truly amazing.  Every luxury brand you can put on an adult, you can put on a baby or child.  Only last year, as the world started to come out recession, Gucci, Fendi, and Stella McCartney launched their children’s lines.  Other luxury brands that already embrace a children’s line: Paul Smith, Marni, Jean Paul Gaultier, Tommy Hilfiger, Burberry, and Missoni… the list is endless.  Then there’s all the craze over Suri Cruise, Daisy True, and the not-even-born-yet daughter of the Beckhams.
Business-wise, it makes sense.  The little wearers of these clothes outgrow them fast, and parents who can afford them can be persuaded to spend more for high-quality clothing.  True to the test, children’s market seems to be leading the way.  The Datamonitor Group, an industry research organization, reported that children’s wear is outperforming the rest of the market in the European Union.  Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst with the market research company NPD, reportedly said that parents have “a propensity to show how they have weathered the economic storm through their kids.”  How interesting, that, as adults, we celebrate new signs of life not just by birthing it, but also by dressing it in cash.
Now, that might be a little too cynical.  Granted, you have the “mini-me” approach for some children’s lines where, for example, Jean Paul Gaultier dresses his models in little trench coats.  But you also have Stella McCartney and Silvia Fendi on the other end of the spectrum.  Both of these ladies have elegantly fused their new roles as mother and grandmother into their creative work.  Take a look at Stella McCartney’s children’s line and you feel the happy, fulfilled mother behind the designs.  Mother of four children, she had designed collections for Gap Kids before launching her own children’s line.  A committed supporter of eco-friendly clothing, Ms. McCartney is set out to create affordable children’s clothing made from natural fabrics and that are not too precious to never be worn.
Every parent would choose natural and organic fabrics for his/her children without a doubt.  As for me, facing a 9-month-old flinging his hands covered in mashy food, I, for one, certainly also appreciate the “affordability” part to good-looking designs.  H&M, though not a luxury brand, does this brilliantly with their organic cotton collection.
While aesthetics is crucial in our household, we also welcome the other virtue that came with motherhood: practicality :)