Bubble London July 2008 – Children’s Fashion Trade Show Highlights

by

Laura Yatim – Dashinfashion.com

Bubble London’s second edition, which took place on July 2-4, 2008 at Olympia, featured 100 beautiful brands from the UK and from 12 other countries that showcased their S/S 09 collections.

Bubble runs twice yearly in New York and London bringing a new generation of kids trade show to the marketplace. The New York show takes place mid-March and early August, to coincide with children’s market week in NY. The London show, launched in 2008, takes place late January and early July, in sync with the European calendar.

Each event is carefully conceived as a focused trade show in a wonderful space, where retailers can meet exhibitors from the 360 degrees kid’s world: clothing to toys, shoes, accessories and more.

Look for our Bubble New York Highlights coming in September…

Born in 2004, Amplified has evolved into one of the hottest street labels aroundthe diamante Rolling Stones licks t-shirt remains our iconic shirt, although the brand now boasts a complement of headwear, accessories, jackets, footwear & obviously some of the coolest t-shirts around.

Music is the absolute inspiration behind Amplifiedfrom the Rolling Stones, the Clash, ACDC and more recently they ventured back to the summer of love & the Happy Mondaysand 2008 sees their passion for 80s New York Disco which inspires their summer collection.

Organic and ethical just got cool and fun! Lady D’Oyly’s Animal Tails children’s clothing made exclusively from organic cotton and ethically manufactured, launched their Autumn 2008 collection and Spring/Summer 2009 at Bubble, London. A complete departure from the perceived ‘organic’ look, Animal Tails has stretched the organic color palette to the color range normally associated with conventionally dyed clothing.

The collection includes 12 outstandingly colorful T-shirts for boys and girls 2-10 years, all featuring striking original art-work of endangered species by the Animal Tails team. Each stunning design comes with its own child-friendly hang-label telling the story of the endangered animal and what children can do to protect it.

All Animal Tails T-shirts are certified by the Soil Association against the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) which ensures ethical manufacturing as well as organic production. A percentage of Animal Tails profits will go to organizations that seek to protect endangered species.

It was on a mother-and-daughter shopping trip to Paris, some three years ago, that inspired Elisabeth Kospoth to create her label of hand smocked dresses called Annafie, which takes name of her daughter Anna Sophie.

Elisabeth combines her background in Art History and interest in embroidery designs and fabrics in her label. In her collection, Elisabeth aims for a timeless style but with a fresh and uncomplicated approach and easy care. Attention to detail makes Annafie dresses special and because of the smocking technique, they look beautiful on every body shape.

“This year we have used many new fabrics, ranging from woven checks and Vayella, to silk and original Liberty prints. There are also matching cashmere cardigans and boys outfits in a wide range of colors,” explains Elisabeth Kospoth, Annafie.

Bamboo Baby – made from organic & sustainable bamboo – offers trendy, comfortable, high quality clothing for babies and children aged 0-5. Bamboo Baby’s latest designer collections use extremely soft fabrics produced using bamboo fibers which are eco-friendly. The company is also taking a bold move away from traditional pink and blue clothing – introducing many lines which are unisex both in design and color.

Bamboo Baby’s Spring/Summer 2009 ‘Dotty’ collection features modern, fun, bright patterns and designs. This eclectic collection is inspired by traditional English deck chair candy stripes and striking spanish flamenco polka dots.

Sophie Tostevin, co-founder of Bamboo Baby explains the philosophy behind the company. “We wanted to create a distinctive range of baby and children’s clothing that is trendy, comfortable, practical and, above all, good for the environment. As far as we are concerned, bamboo is a new type of ‘wonder-fabric’ which allows us to achieve all of that. By combining these envious eco-credentials with inspirational, modern, streetwise designs, we feel confident that we are able to offer collections which are desirable to the discerning customer both in terms of style and sustainability.”

Bonnie Baby is a refreshing collection of luxury baby knitwear, t-shirts, baby blankets, hats and booties, which caters for newborn babies to two-year-old tots.

Bonnie Baby was born in 2005 after the birth of Tracey Samuel’s daughter Alice Bee. With over ten years’ experience as a fashion designer, most recently for Paris fashion house Sonia Rykiel, Tracey quickly realized that her new life as a mother would not fit well around the hectic Paris-London commute! So she took the plunge to set up Bonnie baby, creating beautifully designed high-quality baby clothes in luxury fabrics.

Bonnie Baby’s “babysoft rainbow cotton collection” features a beautiful range of fun sweaters, cardigans, hats and blankets knit with softest cotton. The “babysoft pastel cotton collection” is a luxurious take on traditional pink and blue baby knits, including the cutest pastel striped sweaters, trousers and playsuits mix with polka dot cardigans and blankets.

Bonnie Baby’s “hand embroidered collection” includes playsuits or t-shirts that are beautifully hand embroidered with an appliqu? motif, adding a 3D quality for little hands to touch and feel. The “cuddle me cashmere collection” includes beautiful striped hoodies, adorable motif sweaters and wonderful blankets and accessories that are almost as soft and cuddly as a newborn baby!

Cloud Cuckoo Designs was founded by Claire Pugh in 2006, who began her career as a print textile designer.

Her unique quirky childlike hand writing took her in the direction of children’s fashion where she worked for years designing for reputable worldwide labels.

Originally created as a card design company, Cloud Cuckoo Designs now includes a textile collection offering unique clothing, dolls, baby rooms and pictures.

Born in London, Christa Davis is particularly renowned for her vivid use of color and hand dyed luxurious fabrics, combining modern fabrics with vintage designs.

Christa Davis has continued to design and develop ideas, and recently launched four new labels, Davis Vintage (a continuation of her womens wear) Little Davis and Baby Davis (original childrens clothes made from vintage fabrics and reconditioned cashmere) and Davis Lost and Found (accessories, homeware and vintage clothing).

Christa is concerned that her business has as low an impact on the environment as possible and makes many of her clothes from recycled fabrics and operates a fair trade policy, manufacturing in the UK and Europe.

Dandy Star was established by artists Rose Bamford and Charlotte Day who started creating t-shirts in 2004, initially for their own children. Today their range of inspiring images and words adorn beautiful cotton hand-dyed t-shirts all made from fabulous lightweight fabric, which has been specially developed to give them their unique 70’s feel. Dandy Star’s method of printing also gives the t-shirts a genuine vintage touch.

Dandy Star recently launched a limited edition range of inspiring T-shirts for cancer caring charity Maggie’s. ‘Joy’, ‘Hope’ and ‘Be’ t-shirts are available in grass green, purple haze and sugar brown for men, women and children this summer.

Charlotte Day from Dandy Star said, “Rose and I were delighted to design an exclusive range for Maggie’s. We have long admired the charity’s ethos which focuses on supporting people with cancer to live well and which uses design to inspire them.”

Elephantito, founded by Maria Frallicciardi, is a luxurious clothing and footwear collection for boys and girls from birth to 8 years. After nearly a decade as a television executive, Maria left the corporate world to pursue her dream: to launch a luxury children’s clothing line reflecting her European sense of style and her love for her kids. She launched Elephantito in 2004 and based her company in the paradise island of Key Biscayne where she resides with her family.

Elephantito’s S/S 09 collection is reminiscent of English country gardens, classic, elegant, timeless and full of flowers in bloom. The colors and prints include vintage florals, soft candy stripes, lavender, fuchsia, aqua, delicate bluebell, orchid and hues of pink and yellow. Every piece is made from the finest fabrics, soft pima cotton and alpaca, each button is made from mother of pearl and the shoes from the softest leathers.

Sometimes the mundane items in life are often overlooked when it comes to design. Enter Elodie Details, a company that wants to elevate all those little items of every day baby life into the stylish accessories they all have the potential to be.

Elodie Details was formed in Sweden in 2005 and was inspired by baby Elodie, who had so much personality the accessories available already just didnt do her justice. As a brand, they are certainly not about conventional cool or anything run-of-the-mill, instead aiming their designs firmly at strong characters who are true individuals.

Chief designer behind the brand is Linda Sotterstrom, who after spending several years developing clothes for young people at a well renowned Swedish company Hennes & Mauritz, decided that her talents where more in need on the accessories side of the business. Her designs are often a cross between the adorable and the ultra cool, and her vision is to provide each and every individual with a style that brings out the best in them.

Essentiel was created in 1999 by Esfandiar Eghtessadi (Nicole Cadines son), who grew up in fashion.

At Essentiel glamour and femininity go hand in hand with comfort. This balance is mainly inspired by the complicity of the creators, Esfandiar, and his wife Inge Onsea

Essentiel offers a range of clothing which can be worn and combined to the infinite, a collection fitting to all our moods.

Essentiel offers a collection for girls from 4 to 16 years old. Every girl will be able to find herself in the funny and creative collection which is mischievous and charming.

Green Eyed Monster Childrenswear provides premium organic and fair trade childrenswear for the more discerning baby and child. Green Eyed Baby cotton jersey garments are produced using innovative and fully certified ecological dyeing, printing and production methods, without the use of harmful chemicals, which are kinder to the skin as well as the environment.

Their luxury fair trade alpaca blend knitwear is ethically crafted produced in Peru using ethical and sustainable raw material. Their denim is manufactured in Portugal from 100 certified organic cotton and have been produced using innovative and certified ecological dyeing, printing and production methods. The disposal of by-products into the ecosystem is regulated, so flushing chemicals into the water supply is not an option.

Hucklebones children’s clothing is designed for little girls aged 2-4 years and uses only the finest fabrics and trims. With beautiful hand printed silks and pure Italian wool, this energetic collection will inspire the design conscious.

Hucklebones’ collection has a modern vintage feel with strong hues and luxurious textures. The scrumptious palate is made up of rich mustard yellow, a forest trail of greens and browns, highlighted with sorbet pink and berry reds.

The silhouette is fun with wistful snapshots of times gone by. Attention to detail is paramount. Garments are punctuated with pop stitching and delightful buttons making each item individually special. All garments are designed in London and manufactured ethically in the EU.

IdaT was founded in April 2005 in Denmark by head designer Ida Trads. With her humoristic and sweet illustrations, Ida has given life to numerous wild, fun and sweet animals all over the world. For IdaT’s S/S 09 Collection – “Tiger Tots Globetrotters” – she has done it again with lots more fun colors and fantasy prints from the animal kingdom. IdaT invites us on a worldwide expedition. Brave hearted boys and girls will love to explore the wardrobes of IdaT, travelling over the rainbow escorted by numerous exciting animals will again be the enjoyment for parents as well as the colour full little globetrotter.

The animal kingdom grows for every season and 2009 is no excuse with the collection enriched by more four legged friends having fun in a landscaped jungle of stripes and colors.

The collection can be described as ‘comfortable play clothes’ – manufactured in soft cotton with a holistic view to the health and safety and fair-trade. Fashion and environmental conscious tots, wear eco friendly clothes, and most of the wonderful IdaT collection has the Eco-Tex certification. Eco-Tex is the worlds leading health control for textiles that guaranties the clothes are testes against allergies and chemicals use.

Inch Blue – the UK’s much-loved brand of soft leather shoes – has been adorning the feet of babies and toddlers since 1999. Their constantly evolving collection is complemented by gift sets which include 100 lambswool receiving blankets, making Inch Blue a popular choice for new parents and people looking for imaginative and eye-catching gift ideas.

With over 100 fun and fresh designs to choose from (and around 25 new styles added each season!), there’s always a style that will appeal.

At Bubble London Inch Blue launched a wide range of new designs, all of which can be seen for the first time at the show. New colors including pinks and greys have been added to the collection, as well as metallics, which feature across many of the ranges – Mods & Rockers, Animal Magic, Stars, Retro American, Candy Stripes & Spots, Sheepskin Boots + Rosie & Romeo.

Evolving from its beginnings as Earth Organic Baby Basics, Kate Quinn Organics was launched in July 2006. Featuring stylish apparel made from the finest 100 Organic Cotton Sherpa pea coat in midnight black with coconut buttons (available for fall and holiday 2008) paired with our corduroy Pants in Ginger Orange with a snap waist and zipper fly, belt loops and welt pockets.

kicokids’ is a collection of fine childrenswear from the USA for boys and girls sizes 2-12 years.

Tia Cibani, a.k.a Kico, kicokids’ founder and created director, knows something about fashion. Having designed a womenswear collection for over 10 years, it was natural for her to explore children’s wear…inspired by her nieces and nephews.

Tia approaches kidswear with nostalgic styling and modern practicality.

Inspired by the children in her life, Tia often references the nostalgic “good old days” of childhood in developing kicokids yet understands the needs with pros, the mothers of the children in her life. With this in mind, the collection is a sweet harmony of comfort, style, and necessity.

What started out as an all fully fashion knit collection has expanded to woven styles making more fun and variety.

Since 2003 the designer Dessimira Manalova mixes embroidered designs and collages. Her creations are subtle collections of luminous colors and simple shapes.

LeSouk ? Dessi’s new 2009 collection offers lots of different, veri fanciful universes, so that each one finds its account there!

Children’s lines include: blue/green Capucine (Dance), Pappilons (Butterflies), Explorateur, Bricoleur (Handyman) and Pomme (Apple).

For babies who are not afraid of adventure there is the Tresor and Traffic Jam set.

LeSouk ? Dessi also offers a home collection for children’s age 3-8 including curtains, breadspreads and pillows.

Philanthropist, supermodel, and actress, Liya Kebede, created lemlem in July 2007, a unique, playful, and modern childrens clothing line with a spirit undeniably African. The brands inspiration arose during a trip with her husband to their native Ethiopia. While visiting thousands of traditional weavers who no longer had a market for their goods, Kebede felt a need to preserve their art form while simultaneously creating job opportunities.

Meaning to bloom or to flourish in Amharic, lemlem is handmade in Ethiopia from natural cotton and is rooted in tradition, but woven with a modern touch. It aims to add a sense of diversity to the childrens market while fueling prosperity in another. Its designs are inspired by Africa, and available for children ages 3 months to 10 years.

Liyas clothing line is another voice for African causes as well as a beautiful embodiment of its traditions and culture. While lemlem supports an economy, her Foundation supports a cause, and both raise awareness for and are dedicated to mothers and children.

Little Linens is a vintage inspired collection of 100 designed and printed in the UK.

Maya explains, “We realized there was a gap in the children market for fresh, trendy, design-led products, that weren’t slogan or stereotypical images of teddies and butterflies. We knew we could create something different and refreshing and a little bit Odd”

With her collection Sofie Schnoor from Denmark has dimmed both the colors and the style of our days’ children’s’ clothing. She has created a world of simple and clean-cut collections in soft colors. Petit by Sofie Schnoor has been inspired by the 1920’s classic features in combination with the raw look of high quality products for which this designer is so well-known. The entire collection is a mix of the pure and simple look with raw details. All products are made using only long-lasting, soft materials of high quality with no use of fabricated or artificial materials, Sofie herself is in charge of all prints and coloring of all styles.

Petit by Sofie Schnoor isn’t just a line of collections as much as it is an invitation to explore a new universe! In this universe, the child is the center. The child’s mobility is the very essence of this collection by which, when wearing these clothes, the child is not disturbed or limited in any way. Using a basic style the designer focuses on the child rather than what he or she wears. Sofie Schnoor products are frames only – it is the child who is the master piece!

For the S/S 09 collection, the new colors are coral and yellow. They can easily be mixed with the dimmed colors, and together it’s a happy and light collection with a modern look. For spring/summer 2009, the collection has also bin inspired by the 1940’s and 1970’s, with a French and Nordic look.

Born out of a desire to bring style and sophistication to the world of modern parenting, Petunia Pickle Bottom was founded in 2000 by a trio of people who pay homage to the chic mommy who makes a statement without saying a word.

From its very conception, the Petunia Pickle Bottom line has shown a fearless sense of style distinguishing itself from the once dreaded diaper bag. And what started with an innovative diaper bag has now blossomed into new product categories like Fawn by Petuniaa posh and plush infant bedding line, and Cake by Petuniaa fusion of inspired form and intuitive function that anticipates the mobile mothers every need.

Combining rich European cut velvets and wool tweeds to create sumptuous bags that are at once both modern and forever timeless. By utilizing eye-popping, sophisticated fabrics, and working with only the very best people in the industry, Petunia Pickle Bottom certainly shows no restraint from style.

Serendipity is a Danish infant & children’s wear brand committed to use only the purest materials offered – certified 100 organic cotton of the soft Serendipity quality.

Twisted Tee designers Georg and Suzi for the last ten years have filled notebooks with pictures of dafts and ingenious objects for their fun tees. For the next ten years they plan to make them all.

Among their many creations are twinsets for dads and their babies, nappy pants of high art, knitted ear-gloves and twisted tippets. Twisted Tee’s collection includes cheerfully sardonic childrenswear and eccentric stuff for adults like Lovers Gloves which two people can wear together.

Everything they make is original, affordable and has a story…which comes with the object.

Some things they make themselves and others are knitted by Mongolian shepherdesses, hand-printed in Bath or forged by elves in the mines of Lothren. They even have a Chinese grandmother making four foot long Twisted Mannequin Rag Dolls from lilac tweed! Don’t miss a visit to their fun, colorful and creative online boutique – Its nothing like ASDA!

With the 2009 Spring-summer collection, Danish brand UBANG babblechat has created a magic universe that adults will envy but also make them as delighted as their children. UBANG babblechat’s new collection breaks old conventions for what clothes for children is and can be used for. Designer Ulla Bang sees eye to eye with children and creates clothes the way they think. Her imagination produces pirates, pilots and princesses who have small secrets up their sleeves. 2009 will be a season full of fun whether it is spent at sea, in the air or on the ground.

In 2009, UBANG babblechat will put four candles in the birthday cake. But despite growing success UBANG babblechat is not busy growing up. Being childish is still a badge of honor when the former “puppet-diva” sets the stage for stimulating children’s imagination. With a great sense of humor and delightful motives the collection focuses on play and creativity for children from the ages of 0 to 10 and turns “getting dressed” into “dressing up”.

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Bubble London July 2008 – Children’s Fashion Trade Show Highlights }