S/S15 Boy's wear at Playtime Paris

I would have loved to be a childrenswear buyer for boys at Playtime, as there was such a variety of really wonderful clothes. I hope this abondance reflects in next season’s shelves and parents find an abondance of great options for their little men!

Spring/Summer 15 for boys, Oh boy, has so much variety of fresh, exciting, desirable products : from my my old boy’s favourites Munster Kids, AO, Bellerose, Simple Kids, No Added Sugar to younger brands, many of them embracing the flora&fauna theme…

I will start with a long time favourite, US based Lucky Fish and its amazing tee-shirt collection with hundreds of prints and colours, all unique, beautifully made with love and care. All T-shirts are screen-printed in an old textile printing factory in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The printing is done by hand in small batches. The artisanal process may result in slight changes in color and placement that Jann Chiefitz (founder of the brand)  considers as “perfectly imperfect”. For newborns, check out the muslin blankets and baby sleep sacks, delicious and great as birth gifts.

Lucky Fish

Since they won the Bubble London Prize 3 seasons ago, Portuguese brand Wolf&Rita has beautifully expanded their product range, offering a whole silhouette for boys and girls. Their prints are always unique, and their attention to details make their creations stand out.

  Wolf&Rita

Danish brand MarMar Copenhagen produces kidswear for girls and boys from six months to twelve years, and focuses on comfort and wearability. The perfect mix of country-chic and urban coolness, old and new, luxurious and functional. The collection includes rough linen, refined cotton canvas and great knits in subtle grey+beige tones, with touches o vibrant yellow.The girl’s range is absolutely gorgeous too.

MarMar Copenhagen

Among the best knits I saw were the ones of Velveteen,  in a thin Merino quality, very chic and light, perfect for late spring or fresh summer evenings. Launched by a California-born/New-York-educated living in Hong Kong, the brand works with fair-trade organisations whenever possible, mainly with Indian artisans. Shirts, jackets and pants are also available.

 Velveteen

Motoreta is another brand that launched recently and that is developing very well. Based in Andalusia, it combines the skills of  María Llerena and Cristina López-Lago, both coming from the world of architecture and design. Their S/S 2015 collection for boys and girls is graphic and clean, and the “whale shirt” was one of my favourite at the show.

 

Motoreta

Another favourite was this jacket by Suoak, a label launched in New York by Elly Geana-Park in 2012 . Knowing that Elly worked in fashion design with brands such as Issey Miyake and Anna Sui is no surprise. Her collection has a strong fashion content, is made out of gorgeous fabrics and is finished to perfection.

Suoak

 

Another great brand for a jackets is Unruly Blue, from the UK.  The brand offers stylish three-piece suits, Harris Tweed jackets, plain or Liberty shirts, in sizes 4 to 14. Drawing inspiration from her life in Oxford, as well as her love and appreciation of children, founder and designer Samantha J. Taylor has created a quintessential British brand, committed to quality, craftsmanship and style. Very British, very Savile Row with a slight vintage feel. 

Unruly Blue

British brand Tootsa MacGinty also caught my eye. Their  Spring/Summer 2015 is inspired by the beautiful animals and bright textiles of Africa. Kate Pietrasik, founder of the brand and designer, has a thorough experience after she spent years with companies such as Quiksilver, Tommy Hilfiger and Le Coq Sportif. She delivers garments made from softly pre-washed cotton, enriched with nice jacquard, embroideries and colourful details.

 

For light tops in thin cotton, ideal for hot middle summer, Indian based Chandamama has a very nice range, in soft halftone colours.  The brand embraces the use of the old technique of Indian block printing and the use of natural Indian fabrics and dyes.  I like very much the approach of Chandamama, who supports children’s projects in India with a portion of profits each year. Founder and designer Chantal Kumar has a background in diplomacy and got trained at Parsons School of Design.

 

Chandamama

Last but not least, a wonderful choice of shoes to complement these boys looks : from simple proposals made of good leather that will age well, to fruity/floral to 60’s revival…lots of options around at Pepe, Theluto, Pom d’Api, Young Soles, etc.

Pepe

 

Theluto