About petite PARADE New York

petitePARADE/Kids Fashion Week is a story that originated from three veterans of the fashion industry ; Gina Rizzo & Tiziana Indelicato (Branding consultants) and Aleksander Stojanovic (Event/Fashion Shows producer).

The three owners of petitePARADE partnered in 2010 when the first petitePARADE kicked off in an effort to create an idea that is set to fill a void in the children’s fashion industry as well as offer a platform that generates
branded visibility and celebrates the magic of playfulness in style. There are still very few outlets that represent exponential growth of the children’s market and petitePARADE’s effort is to offer excellent cross
marketing and brand exposure in a fun and creative way. And this is exactly what petitePARADE established since March of 2011 when they organized Kids Fashion Week in New York in collaboration with VOGUE
Bambini magazine; a member of Conde Nast International.

Where does it take place?
The event takes place twice a year in New York (March and October, following the schedule of the children’s market in the US) at the Industria Superstudios in the Meatpacking district.

 Who are the most creative brands who participated?
Creativity is the most needed ingredient in every Fashion Show presentation. I collaborate with the designers on a daily basis but the most exciting part  is when all the models are ready backstage and it is obvious then that each
one of the participating brands makes a mark with their own creativity and final styling by the VOGUE Bambini editorial team. Participating brands in the past include new emerging ones as well as some of the more established ones
from all over the world. Some examples are : Il Gufo, Lamantine Paris, Bonnie Young, Baby CZ,Caramel Baby&Child, Lilly Pulitzer, Millions of Colors, Mali Kids, Monnalisa, Joe’s Jeans Kids, Custo Growing, Miss Blumarine, Imoga and many others.

How many people generally attend the show ?
petitePARADE is a presentation for a key audience of buyers, print & online media, bloggers, stylists & Kids Fashion photographers, pint-sized celebrities, socialites, key clients/partners and even the final consumer/
parents. Buyers from small boutiques as well as department stores better understand the designs once they enjoy them worn by mini-models. During the October 2012 petitePARADE two day event we had approximately five Fashion Shows per day with full attendance. Some of the notables were luxury designer Brian Atwood, Jill Stuart, the Novogratz family from HGTV’s Home Novogratz, model Zoya Loeb with her daugther and many more.

A memorable/beautiful/moving moment in the past editions?
During the last edition we closed the event with the Swarovski ELEMENTS Fashion Show. It was a special collaboration where 11 key brands where invited by petitePARADE and VOGUE Bambini to create pieces from their existing collection embellished with the Swarovski crystals. The Fashion Show was about to start and 8 year old DJ Kai Song opened the show with the song “Somewhere over the Rainbow” which was timed perfectly with the lighting of the custom designed Crystal Rainbow on stage. Moments later the first young model walked out onto the runway with the most ethereal smile….It was a very magical moment where the model and all the guests felt the emotion of being Somewhere over the Rainbow.

How does it work, who can participate?
Every designer who is looking for branded visibility can participate. It’s a turn-key event, which includes all the production elements needed for a Fashion Show, a Backstage photo shoot by top VOGUE Bambini photographer,
editorial in VOGUE Bambini and interactive visibility for designers who want to participate maximizing the experience making it both a buyer & consumer oriented event  (workshop or other fun activity) . petitePARADE along with
VOGUE Bambini showcase monobrand Fashion Shows but also curate multi-brand Fashion Shows based on the brands’ needs and positioning. This offers the opportunity to the younger designers to participate as well.

What’s up for the next edition?
We are looking for more interesting and fun collaborations in an effort to continuously bring to our audience something new and unexpected.  One of the main goals is to continue creating an event that respects the Kid’s
world and this is why we will definitely continue our workshops and fun activities while showcasing the best in Children’s & Tween Fashion.