Young designers traditionally seek their fame and fortune in the women`s apparel arena but, locally, it`s kids who have been capturing the attentions of the Donna Karans of tomorrow.
”Children`s clothing may be a smaller market than women`s, but it`s more creative for the designer. You have a lot more options,” says 24-year-old Tammy Pruitt, a senior fashion design student at Ray College of Design. Last spring, Pruitt trimmed clear plastic raincoats with Coca-Cola bottlecaps for the school fashion show-which featured 48 pieces for children`s compared with about 150 pieces for women. Those numbers reflect the significant growth in interest in children`s apparel, especially when considering only eight pieces for kids were shown in Ray`s 1989 show.
And at Chicago`s two other downtown design schools, the fascination with kids` fashions flourishes as well.
Jennifer Vanslager, 21, a `92 graduate of the International Academy of Merchandising & Design, started designing for her 7-year-old sister recently and now is considering a career in kiddie clothing.
For 24-year-old Giselle Ishkanian, another `92 Academy grad, inspiration came from her nephew. For years, Ishkanian had planned a career in women`s eveningwear but now has shifted over to the children`s camp.
Ditto for Kathleen Haines-Finley who, following her graduation from the academy in 1991, has been getting ready to launch an accessory collection for infants-bibs, blankets and buntings with an old-fashioned heirloom look.
Schools of thought
Targeting tykes makes demographic sense. In recent years, Baby Boomers have started having children of their own, sparking a Baby Boomlet. From 1989 through 1991, U.S. births exceeded 4 million each year, according to American Demographics magazine. That`s the largest wave of births since the post-World War II boom.
There is another important issue massaging the children`s market: How Baby Boomers are spending their money. ”Because many Baby Boomers are having children later in life, they tend to be more affluent and are often dual-income earners. Two incomes also makes them a little guilty,” says Judith Waldrop, a research editor at American Demographics. The result: More money is spent on each child.
Shirley Kurnick, a Ray College student, knows first-hand about buying for kids. She`s got two little guys of her own.
And she is getting ready to test the waters of children`s apparel this fall by unveiling a line of clothing called ”Shyla`s Designs” (Shyla being her grandmother`s nickname) for the wholesale market. The collection features silhouettes, but done in lively geometric prints and vivid colors. Eventually, Kurnick wants to market more detailed designs like safari outfits with pleated pockets and drawstring waists.
Kristi Rose, a 1991 grad of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, has been out in the children`s wholesale trenches for 18 months. Her clothing line, ”Confetti Kids,” sells in Chicago area specialty stores Designers including Such A Deal in Northbrook and Born Beautiful in Buffalo Grove, as well as in boutiques on the East Coast. Prices range from $24 to $34 per item, and the collection currently is generating about $60,000 in annual sales, says Rose.
Like Kurnick, Rose`s concept is simple: She takes plain sweatshirts and T-shirts and embellishes them with appliques and tiny toys-sort of a portable toy chest. Rose is adding pants and shorts to the line and eventually plans on developing more sophisticated silhouettes.
And what will Pruitt be up to? She`s planning to create a glow-in-the-dark collection this fall, applying reflective plastic in vivid greens, pinks and yellows to colored denim. ”I guess I`m just a big kid at heart,”
says Pruitt with a shrug.
