All dressed up and raring to go

Siam Paragon treated shoppers to another tremendous display of cute youngsters in amazing clothes with last weekend’s Kids International Fashion Week, during which more than 300 junior models traipsed down the runway – and hardly any of them were crying.

It was the event’s fifth consecutive year and a few panicky tears have come to be expected, but for the Thai and foreign designers involved, it was a smashing success in promoting looks and labels. 

In keeping with the “All-Star Walk of Fame” theme, some of the models were the children of show-business celebrities. There was plenty more to gawk at under the gigantic dome set up in Parc Paragon, though, as the two-day “week” presented outfits from three leading Thai brands – Kloset Kids, Tube Gallery and Pravit Kids Haute Couture. Eighteen brands in all participated in 12 separate, with the attire ranging from casual to couture.

Demonstrating why it’s such a popular label, Kloset Kids offered more of the sweet-and-chic flare for which designer Mollika Raungkritya is best known. This time she’d created matching outfits for mothers and their kids, taking cues from the unique sartorial style of late English singer Amy Winehouse. Mollika mixed that in with the concept of love as a “competition”, and the result was an array of neatly cut items and distinctive details. 

Femininity was heightened with lace, bonded fabric and embroidered hearts and playing cards (of all suits). The palette included black, pink, white and navy blue.

Tube Gallery, another hit fashion house, introduced the “Natural Geometric Society”, with dynamic designer duo Phisit Jongnarangsin and Saksit Pisalasupongs tapping into nature’s simplicity and hues and adding their own twists of complexity. Graphic elements did all the talking, defining the shapes, textures and patterns of flowers, ocean vistas, flowing water and various creatures with interesting, modern angles, as though the glory of nature was being viewed through a prism. 

Neat cutting was evident even in the ready-to-wear pieces, mingled with lovely elements to make the clothes fun for youngsters. The main tones were pink, pale blue and navy blue, lending a “semi-couture” sense to the collection.

Pravit Kids Haute Couture does luxury attire, and very meticulously indeed. Designer Pravit Sawadviphachai was in fact going for a “Luxury of Modern Europe” concept, incorporating excellent craftsmanship inspired by the stained-glass windows of Europe’s Gothic cathedrals. 

Gold, beige, brown and various pastels bolstered the delicate appeal of fine tweed and fabrics woven with silver and gold thread. The moulage cutting technique was used to mould the material closely to dressmakers’ mannequins to create beautiful structures. The girls’ collection featured hand-decorated feathers and French lace that moved elegantly, while the boys looked sharp in bow ties and suit jackets.

The other brands presenting collections were Gap Kids (collaborating with TV entertainer Ellen DeGeneres), Zara Kids, and all 13 shops from Siam Paragon’s Kids’ Planet – Diesel Kids, Catimini, IKKS Junior, Le Petit Pumm, La Magie de Pumm, Laugh, Paul Frank Kids, Miki House, Double B, Earthmagic, Mickey Mouse, Petit Chou, and Millions of Colours.