Forest adventure, D&G mini-me and luxury sneakers: the kidswear trends at Mytheresa

The children's fashion fair Pitti Bimbo just took place in Florence, where buyers of Mytheresa were active as well as at Playtime in Paris as they looked to discover new brands and trends.

But what role does children's fashion play in the luxury sector? Is it all about occasion wear or do customers also buy their children everyday clothes in the high-priced segment? Tiffany Hsu, chief buying officer at the Munich-based luxury fashion retailer, explained these factors and what else is currently defining the segment.

How important are trends in kidswear?

Kidswear trends are frequently influenced by and derived from adult fashion. However, overall, kidswear is a category that is less driven by trends.

If trends are not as strongly represented, what is shaping children's fashion?

Bright colours and bold prints have been trends dominating the fashion scene for both boys and girls for many seasons, and green shades are again featured prominently in the upcoming autumn/winter ’23 collections.

We also see a great number of brands drawing inspiration from the forest, using the neutral colour palette across a range of fabrics and cuts to create silhouettes reminiscent of nature.

For adults, the logomania trend seems to be cooling off a bit. Can the same be said for kidswear?

In general, logomania was never a prominent aspect of kidswear, and even if it did exist, it was mainly limited to the “super brands”. However, we have noticed this has been slowing down for kids as well.

What about the ‘mini-me’ trend? Are parents specifically looking for a matching look for themselves and their kids?

Over the years, we’ve observed that “mini-me” looks were very much appreciated by our customers. Specifically, shoes and accessories have been particularly popular in this regard.

How important is this section at Mytheresa?

At Mytheresa, we offer a wide range of brands dedicated exclusively to kids, but we also offer some “twin look” options from brands that design for both adults and children. As an example, on May 24 we launched an exclusive capsule collection with Dolce & Gabbana, for women and their children. The collection includes eight kids’ looks and marks our third collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana on an exclusive womenswear and kidswear collection.

What pieces are doing well for boys and girls right now?

Sneakers are having great momentum throughout the year and we’ve seen this category experiencing continuous growth, particularly driven by brands such as New Balance, Rick Owens and Nike.

Moreover, for the current spring/summer season, we notice a significant increase in demand for summer dresses from brands such as Zimmermann and Chloé.

Is kidswear more about clothes for formal occasions or also everyday wear?

I would say it’s a fair mix of the two, as they’re both very important categories for us. In the autumn/winter season, ‘Back to School’ is a topic just as significant as the festive season for instance.

This interview was conducted in written form.