Thursday November 12, 2009

Here’s looking at you, kid

By S.S. YOGA

Designer Stella McCartney lends her iconic touch to kidswear at Gap.

WHEN you have young kids, then you realise there are really not that many options when it comes to dressing them up. By that, we mean clothes that are cut well, of good quality and comfortable.

Magical touch: An enchanting hoodie top and tulle tutu ensemble.

Well, American label Gap has been in the scene for years and this time round, GapKids and babyGap have garnered some help from designer Stella McCartney, no less.

“I think there is this really nice link between kids clothes being scaled up for adults and then, adult clothes being scaled down for kids, so I’m trying to sort of find that balance and play around with that kind of scale. Also, working with good quality fabrics at an affordable price point,” says McCartney in an e-mail interview.

“And, I’m also just trying to tap into the innocence of children and bring that into the collection a little bit. It’s quite interesting because you’re entering the mind of a child. There are various age groups and they are all different. I actually needed to tap into what kids above the age of four want to dress themselves in, which isn’t that easy obviously, as I’m 37.”

This collection for Gap sees McCartney creating a collection for girls from newborn up to 12 years. They might be little tykes or moving on to adolescence, but she still gives them her signature touches. So, expect a soft colour palette and familiar silhouettes.

The looks stay true to McCartney’s DNA but are reinterpreted with GapKids’ playful, child-like charm, keeping fun and practicality at the forefront.

For girls, key pieces include an intarsia (patterns with multiple colours) leopard print knit, cable knit sweater dressing and velvet suit. There are references to iconic Stella McCartney designs that are sure to delight little girls the world over, for instance, her classic flare and skinny jeans. Girls will be girls, whether they are five or 50, so some looks work regardless the age divide.

Nifty threads: Smock dress with detailing.

Look out for McCartney’s usual colour palette of neutral, blush and berry tones. There’s a girlish tulle tutu, a ruffle front smock dress paired with an oversized grey hoodie sweater, chunky cardigan coat and colourful hi-top sneakers.

There are standout pieces like the military inspired embroidered Miller jacket that’s worn with classic indigo flare, or the skinny jeans which celebrate the childhood innocence of dressing up like Mummy. A very girlie “I Love You” print enhances the lining in a classic trench.

In heather grey, sky and misty rose hues, McCartney creates a range of organic cotton and cashmere/silk mix styles in simple shapes for babyGap. These range from envelope neck onesies (that’s parent talk for one-piece baby T garments with snaps at the crotch) to sweaters bearing the season’s leopard design.

She has also employed her “Days of the Week” concept to the collection, which translates as bodysuits for babies and underwear sets for boys and girls. They are presented as a set of seven in her McCartney trademark style “drawer” packaging.

Want to fill in that gap in your kids closet now?