LOS ANGELES — Specialty children’s apparel retailers here say the demand for shrunken-down versions of adult apparel is growing, fueled by an increase in the awareness of edgy boutique brands spearheading the trend — through magazines, TV and the Internet.
“Celebrities have had a huge effect on what sells for kids,” said Ling Chan, owner of children’s specialty store La La Ling in Los Angeles’ Los Feliz neighborhood. “Any time any of the brands are featured in a magazine, we see an immediate jump in sales for that specific item. [Children’s line] Kingsley blew up after Brad and Angelina’s baby was photographed in it. We had 12 different T-shirt styles from the company and they just blew out of the store.”
La La Ling’s bestsellers include tops by C&C California, Small Paul by Paul Frank and Splendid Littles, along with jeans by True Religion.
Fraser Ross, owner of Kitson Kids, down the street from his successful Kitson specialty store on Robertson Boulevard, said, “I’m the first person to say that Maddox Jolie-Pitt is the spokesperson for designer kids’ wear….he brought it to the forefront. [Celebrity magazines] have brought awareness to new kids’ brands.”
Top sellers at Kitson Kids include shrunken-down T-shirts by Harajuku Lovers, camouflage separates by Flowers for Zoe, Great China Wall hoodies — priced from $395 to $595 each — and premium jeans from companies such as Seven For All Mankind, Kids Antik (spawn of Antik Denim) and Joe’s Jeans.
Denim prices range from around $85 for basic Diesel jeans to just under $200 for rhinestone-encrusted Seven For All Mankind flares.
“I don’t see any slackening in the denim contemporary business for kids,” added Ross. “It’s been tougher for adult denim, but the [kids’] price point is OK for our customer.”
According to the NPD Group, a consumer and retail information company in Port Washington, N.Y., girls’ apparel sales dipped from $8.5 billion in the year ended September 2004 to $8.3 billion in the year ended September 2005. But spending in the category has ballooned in the past year, totaling $9.5 billion for the year ended September.
Ross said the success of children’s designer brands also is linked to the success of the brands’ adult collections. “If mommy doesn’t wear Juicy, the girls don’t want Juicy,” he said, adding: “Kids’ clothes used to be very precious stuff, not edgy. I never thought skulls would sell on kids’ clothing — it represents death, really — but it certainly has been a big hit.”
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Liz Garrett, manager of the Life Size children’s boutique inside Fred Segal in Santa Monica, said kids are just as susceptible to celebrity hype as their parents. “They are really influenced by pop culture in what they want to wear,” she said. “Now eight-year-olds are brand-conscious.”
Garrett said shrunken-down looks are driving sales at Life Size, as well. “Premium denim is huge,” she said. “I definitely think it’s getting stronger. I think most of our shoppers want their kids to be mini thems.”
Top-selling looks at the store include knitwear from Juicy Couture Kids, Harajuku Lovers T-shirts and skinny jeans from Taverniti, True Religion, Miss Sixty, Joe’s Jeans and Replay & Sons, which makes the most expensive pair of jeans in the store — hand-embroidered with rainbows and flowers and priced at $236.
While it may not be surprising that high-profile stores such as Kitson Kids and Life Size at Fred Segal lure the affluent shopper, La La Ling’s Chan said she launched her store with a wide price range, only to find that moderate-priced pieces weren’t moving. “I think people figured, if they’re coming to my store, they are coming for something special,” Chan said. “They can get moderate [playwear] at Old Navy or the Gap. I can’t compete with those stores on that level. But those places don’t have high-end, unique clothing.”
Despite robust sales of kids’ designer garb, some kids’ retailers here said consumers are valuing quality over trendy labels more and more.
Jamara Ghalayini, who launched Pumpkinheads, a children’s specialty store, last year in Brentwood, said underestimating the retail savvy of her clientele — which includes several Academy Award winners she declined to identify — would be the certain downfall of her business.
“Yes, we live in an extremely affluent area, but customers still want value,” she said. “They want pieces that can transcend the seasons.”