Fiona Coleman, a colour and trends consultant for fashion and textiles, shares some of her favourite childrenswear collections from CIFF Kids SS24.
Ace & the Harmony
With a beautifully considered presentation and stand, Ace & the Harmony (pictured above) chose CIFF Kids to launch its brand for wholesale. All collections are created in the EU from high-quality fabrics that are either deadstock, recycled or certified. Products are gender-neutral and responsibly made to last through generations for ages 2-14 years. Each print contains hidden details relating to its foundational values, encouraging inquisitive mindsets and prompting learning, curiosity, perseverance, self-confidence, empathy and optimism. Designs are created by experienced print artist Romeo Jr., who takes inspiration from his daughter and his relation to fatherhood. Combining the multicultural with the sub-cultural, his work blends a diverse mix of colours, fonts and vintage references. Ace & the Harmony places these design elements in a wholly new context to tell new stories and give kids new ways to explore and question the world around them. Collaborations are an essential element of plans for the brand. It has already worked on local projects with both Uniqlo and Adidas. Its first official collection will be launching for AW23 at selected retailers globally.
Contact: partner@aceandtheharmony.com / @aceandtheharmony
Petit by basics
This slow fashion brand for 0-8 years uses natural materials including 100% mulesing-free merino wool and organic cotton. The permanent collection offers styles in more than 65 colours with a focus on comfort and quality. Petit by basics is a part of ‘by basics,’ a Danish company launched in 2015 with a mission to create uncompromising and timeless essentials for everyday wear. Today the company is present in more than 20 countries and has its own factory in Poland. It is also OEKO-TEX® 100 certified and has a zero-waste philosophy. It does this by using its own factory and cutting all pieces by hand. Everything is made-to-order too, meaning no waste by overproduction. Plus, leftover materials are upcycled for accessories. The final fabric scraps are re-used in partnership with another company, where they are unravelled and given a “second chance.” Packaging is also produced with sustainability in mind. Hang tags and promotional materials, meanwhile, use Munken Cradle to Cradle and FSC-certified paper, all made in Europe.
Contact: pg@bybasics.com / @petitbybasics
Christina Rohde
Danish designer Christina Rohde established her brand in 1991. The girlswear collection sells globally from the head office in Denmark as well as through agents in the US, Japan and China. Staying true to its roots, classic styles have endured over the years, evolving each season. The use of high-quality directional fabrics such as metallics, quilting and puffed materials is central to the collections, as are the signature florals. Highlights for SS24 include silver metallic lurex, shimmering taffeta, and sporty boucle numbers on jersey and puff-sleeve ruffle neck blouses. We love the supersize botanical florals on pastel backgrounds echoed in the 3D floral sets featuring in the campaign by Danish flower artist Signe Kejlbo.
Contact: christinarohde86@gmail.com / @christinarohde_
Fliink
Founded in Denmark in 2022, Fliink showed again at CIFF Kids as well as at Playtime Paris for the first time, and once again had a very busy season. Fliink designs and produces valuable quality wear for children aged 0-7 years with a playful yet timeless Scandinavian approach. Products are carefully made to last beyond the season to be more responsible and leave a lighter footprint on our planet. Furthermore, the brand only produces after orders have been placed to avoid waste and over-production. Fabrics are thoughtfully chosen, and Fliink strives to replace conventional materials with more sustainable options. Welcome to the Circus is the overall theme of the SS24 collection. Highlights include all-over ice cream motifs on gingham separates for girls and boys, linen-mix stripe sets, summer embroidered knits, and crinkle cotton polka dots.
Contact: hello@fliink.dk /@fliink.kids
FUB Kids
Showing at both CIFF Kids and Playtime Paris this season, FUB has been a long-time favourite for its timeless yet contemporary knits for kids and women. Founded in 2006 by Anne Sofie Olrik and Lotte Bundgaard, products are made with single materials either in 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton or OEKO-TEX® certified merino wool. “It is essential to us that we can offer our customers healthy sustainable products that have had a minimum pollutive impact in the making. Our designs reflect our values, and several styles are long-term members of our collections. We keep up with the latest trends but never follow them entirely.” The brand uses only metal-free and low-impact dyes that meet strict environmental guidelines. And, as it only produces fully fashioned knitwear, it does not have any cutoffs or waste. Products are also packed in biodegradable bio bags. To extend the life of garments, FUB offers spare buttons and yarn for repair. It also has hands-on mending tutorials available on its website.
Contact: sales@fub.dk / @fubkids
Bundgaard
Bundgaard, the oldest children’s shoe manufacturer in Scandinavia, is preparing to celebrate its 120th anniversary in 2024. As part of the celebration, it will be launching a limited anniversary collection. The collection takes inspiration from some of the very first Bundgaard designs as well as iconic styles from the 50s and 70s. Today the brand’s mission centres around children and their evolving needs; embracing curiosity, adventure and playfulness through designs that prioritise comfort and adaptability. Bundgaard still honours traditional craftsmanship and uses high-quality materials to guarantee children’s comfort. For Bundgaard, colours should not be seasonal but instead have longevity. Alongside its classic colours it adds a few new ones each season, so the collection evolves but has familiar favourites. For SS24 the brand has also introduced two new leathers. Yucca, a soft engraved nubuck, and also Relaxed Milled, an engraved aniline.
Contact: sales@bundgaard.dk / @bundgaard_shoes
Molo
An important presence at CIFF Kids, Molo enjoyed buoyant business from Scandinavian buyers seeking the brand out at the show. Some of the inspirations and motifs for girls include horses, the English Bloomsbury group, funfairs, candyfloss, ice creams and sunny days. While for boys, there are energetic parties with lots of music and cool cars dressed in flames. This is alongside palm trees and big waves, volcanic dino prints and friendly aliens. As part of its ongoing commitment to responsible practices, Molo is now certified with the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) for its swimwear collection. Besides the GRS-certified swimwear, all cotton styles continue to be GOTS-certified organic. In a world becoming increasingly divided and polarised, the need for love has never been greater. Molo has named its SS24 collection (MO)RE (LO)VE, and it is careful to point out that this isn’t just a play on words or an abstract and utopian idea. “We inject love, care and dedication in everything we design. We are proud to say that our SS24 collection is responsibly built with emphasis on choosing certified eco-friendly materials wherever possible. So, let us all commit to showing more love in our daily lives. Let us be kinder to each other, more patient and more forgiving.”
Contact: molo@molo.com / @molo
The New
This Danish fashion brand is owned by LUXKIDS, one of Denmark’s largest multibrand fashion houses for children’s clothing and interiors. The New and The New Siblings (a mini brand for babies and toddlers in size 56-104 cm) centre around soft and comfortable everyday wear, party styles and accessories. Fun, casual and colourful are the signature looks, along with cute and quirky graphic prints and positive statements. A casual mix-and-match, free-spirited streetwear look with oversized fits for ease of movement and longevity. “We want to give children the freedom to choose clothes that match their personality and mood and to inspire them to be strong and confident. It is important to us that all our materials and fittings make the children feel comfortable and give them the freedom to play and grow.” We love the brand’s DIY kits of fun patches to add a personal touch or to add longevity.
Contact: chris@luxkids.dk / @thenewsheandhim
Soft Gallery
Each Soft Gallery collection is built around a unique story. For SS24 the theme is Summer Souvenir; gathering souvenirs and memories that encapsulate a Scandinavian summer and inspire fabrics, prints and styling. It’s also important for the brand to work with local and international artists. For SS24 there are two artist collaborations. Firstly, Thea Dalager, an illustrator from Copenhagen who produces playful sketches about everyday life. Prints include seagulls, horses and faces. And also from Copenhagen, Helene M. Keiniche, who creates paper collages and works inspired by nature. Focus is on high-quality materials and comfortable silhouettes. There are two main collections a year as well as a swim range and Christmas capsule. Alongside the main collections there is a Never Out of Stock programme, which includes basic styles in 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton.
Contact: chris@luxkids.dk / @softgallery
Hanevild
Offering traditional Danish knitwear with beautiful attention to detail, Hanevild’s collection caught our eye for its use of colour and embroidery. With practical shapes and timeless themes, the aim is for pieces to become heirlooms to pass from child to child. With consideration for the environment – an important factor for any collection – yarns are certified OEKO-TEX® and responsibly transported. The brand’s cotton is also compacted to make it super soft on the skin. Embroideries, including chicken motifs and wildflowers, are made by hand for a perfect finish. “We always aim for the clothes to look like something that has just been spun, to create fun, authentic clothes wrapped in a little adventure of colour and magic.”
Contact: kontakt@hanevild.com / @hanevild
Want to see more from Fiona Coleman? Click here to visit her Instagram. Alternatively, click here for further information on CIFF Kids.
