Shrimps Has Just Launched A Kidswear Collection At Next – And There’s Adult Styles, Too

By The Time they reach adulthood, will Generation Alpha – that’s those born since 2010 – ever cringe like their Millennial parents did when looking back at childhood photos? Judging by the number of fashion- forward designers currently straying from their grown-up stomping ground into childrenswear, perhaps not.

And, if you've ever been shopping for children's clothes and thought, 'I wish this came in my size', prepare for a heady sense of deja vu. Rejina Pyo has just launched the most adorable kidswear range- and it's every bit as desirable as her ready-to-wear collections, sharing the same playful shapes and exuberant prints that fans will immediately recognise.

The collection, which dropped last month with prices starting from £39, is aimed at little ones from 2-7 years, and features collared sundresses, short-sleeved shirts, tees, shorts and trousers, all in a sun-bleached colour palette of pink, green, yellow, blue and orange. The idea has been percolating since Luka, Pyo's four year-old son who became her fit model and frequent studio visitor, was born. 'I have team members who are parents, and many of my friends now have kids, so it felt like a natural next step. I wanted to create an easy-to-wear kids collection with a twist, which doesn’t create a big divide between girls and boys fashion,' she says.

And it's quite literally a chip-off-the-old-block because everything has been made from sustainably-sourced materials (like organic cotton) and, in some cases, excess fabrics and off-cuts from the designer's mainline collections. 'It's important to me that the collection can stand the test of time,' says Pyo, who, noticing that lots of children's clothes tend to fit on the tight side, wanted to create more relaxed and easy shapes in her own range. 'The 2-8 range is the perfect time to be free and fun your kids' clothing choices. Once they get older, they tend to be driven more by what their friends are wearing, so I wanted to play around with bright colours and prints.' The only problem? As soon as you've seen, for example, the puff-sleeved and collared dress, it'll be a serious battle of willpower to not add the grown-up version to your basket.

Pyo is just one designer who is making a foray into the realm of childrenswear this spring.

Take Shrimps’ Hannah Weiland, who has just launched her debut kids’ offering for Label/Mix, Next.co.uk’s designer collaboration. Her signature whimsical femininity downsizes with ease on to leopard- and teddy-bear-print dresses and embroidered sailor-collar knits. Pregnant when she designed the collection, Hannah took inspiration from her own childhood. ‘I used to wear a lot of oversized dresses with big collars; these shapes definitely inspired the collection,’ she says. ‘All my childhood memories are in them. I loved pairing the dresses with big pearl necklaces, which is very Shrimps, too!’

And there’s good news for the ‘I wish that came in my size!’ brigade: there are complementary styles – think floral tea dresses and Peter Pan-collar blouses – for fully-grown fans of the brand. Similarly, & Other Stories has just launched its first kidswear collection, brimming with delightfully nostalgic dresses, which also come in adult sizes.

At the end of July, Browns will also join the party, with childrenswear offerings from the likes of MM6 and Rick Owens. But why are designers and retailers turning their attentions to the under-10s? ‘It’s not only a fast-growing category but, even more so, a really fun and emotive one,’ says Browns’ buying manager of ready-to-wear, Holly Tenser. ‘Kids grow fast, so their wardrobes are constantly growing as they do. As designers are moving into a new phase in life and having kids of their own, they naturally have a new focus on the kids’ market, and either start to see gaps or want to create something playful with their own paintbrush or style’.

Other brands joining the mini-me movement include Tekla (organic cotton poplin PJs and bathrobes), Self-Portrait (star mesh dresses, ruffled cotton poplin blouses and point d’esprit tulle capes) and Hunza G (the cult crinkle swimwear brand’s Hunza Baby G line launches on 23 June). For the ultra fashion-forward, Ssense launched its kidswear department last month, which boasts contributions from the kind of labels that are a hit with fashion insiders, such as Chopova Lowena, Collina Strada and KNWLS.

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