Back when I was studying fashion at uni, childrenswear had hardly ever been on my radar. I distinctly remember having a series of lectures about all the strict regulations that are imposed on childrenswear along with several garment tech tutorials all about children’s wear safety. But still, at that point, I was more so intrigued by sustainable womenswear and all those fabulous Haute Couture creations. Well.
Until I started interning with a fashion agency in Amsterdam during my placement year that was all about sustainable and colourful childrenswear. Fast forward to today, a good three years later, I crossed the one-year mark at the beginning of this month of working with the very brand I used to represent during my internship! And although I never expected this to be the case, working in this part of the industry is a perfect fit for me, my skills and my interests. So, here are three reasons why working in childrenswear is fun, especially when it comes to a colourful Scandi brand, such as Maxomorra.
Working in childrenswear is FUN
Now, this might differ from brand to brand. But in a general sense, working in childrenswear is fun. Plain old fun. Fun, as in not too serious. Not too perfect. A little silly, even. Very lighthearted. A lot of cuteness. Adult brands tend to have a very clean and specific aesthetic. Quite serious and mature. And while I appreciate that as a consumer, from a marketing and communication point of view, being able to step away from that is just wonderful. Creating silly little animations. Designing fun graphics. Developing a positive and joyful brand voice. Getting to see all those photos of kids, one cuter than the other, and following their beautiful childhood. Interacting with the mum community that is obsessed and so supportive of their favourite Scandi brand. Shortly put: working in childrenswear is a lot of fun.
Working in childrenswear is CREATIVE
I spent the latter part of my final year researching and writing my dissertation about creativity in the fashion industry. Or rather, the lack thereof. It’s been a while since the introduction of fast fashion and the philosophy of offering on-trend clothing for cheap. Clothing that is copying the creativity of “real” designers. Seeing the level of creativity diminishing in an industry that you fell into because you loved its creativity in the first place is quite disheartening. Disregarding the Mini-me trends, which really only is the tiny version of your average adult wear, a lot of childrenswear brands aren’t “infected” by that copycat virus. Instead, they are creative, they are joyful, they have fun prints, crazy colours. There are not a lot of trends to follow but rather a lot of freedom of expression and creativity.
Working in childrenswear is IMPACTFUL
Lastly, and possibly most importantly: working in childrenswear can be really impactful. And rewarding. As studies have shown, parents are dressing their children as an extension of themselves and specifically as an expression of their values. Even societal changes can be observed through childrenswear. The rise of unisex fashion, getting rid of “boy” and “girl” labels. Instagram movements, including #boyswearpinktoo and #dresskids_likekids. And let’s not forget about sustainability! While not all of us may be thinking about the clothing that is touching our bare skin, it seems to be a ubiquitous instinct and concern to not let any harmful substances touch a newborn’s and child’s skin. And sooner or later, this carries over to the parent’s own behaviour. And don’t get even me started on the number of mom’s requesting more adult styles so they can wear what their children are wearing! Being able to help a sustainable and colourful alternative to mainstream fast fashion grow is most definitely rather rewarding.
Title Image: Original Print Artwork copyright to Maxomorra
