As a parent, I have found nothing more frustrating than to not be able to find engaging clothes for my little cub. Garments that she would be proud to wear and hate the day she will grow out of, clothes are just there to be worn, not to be proud of. I have tried to find original Power Ranger clothing for her as well as other that she would adore to no avail.
My wish is to make clothing that she (and other children like her) would be proud to wear and feel creative and imaginative and yet fun in.
The clothing range is called Kidhood, however you can find it as our kidhood on facebook as well as instagram, the range will be inspired by the imagination of children and will be fun and vibrant and influenced by old videogames, movies, books, Japanese animation and being a child. The idea of creating a nostalgic feel for children in a new way is a new concept as well, and to let us remember the ‘good old days’ when we were young and reconnect. It’s to provide a genderless collection for children to dress how they like in whatever they like without judgement.
Bringing back in a new way and style images from Captain Planet for world peace day, and in general reconnecting with ourselves.
Within my research we have not had anything like this and nor is anyone looking through the eyes of a child to see what they would love to wear.
When studying at the University of Sunderland I came up with this range and I wanted to further it along and see what would happen with this concept.
I hope to have customers that have children with a point of view, children of celebrities that love to dress different and to inspire. I want to make the voice of children ring clear with their fashion,and enable them to live in the imaginative.
My biggest influence is the love of my life, and she is a constant source of inspiration and how she dresses, as she doesn’t like girl attire and she has been raised in a genderless home, knows she can make her own mind of what she wants to wear, and she likes to adjust her clothing to be more play friendly. She is still growing and learning and how she sees herself in the world is what I care about and how she grows to be a young strong woman with a world vision of her own and she may even take over KidhooD one day.
My target market will be parents. I aim to fill the gap in clothing that are gender coordinated, and make children wear, for children again, and with that utterly genderless.
With influences from old films such as The Goonies, Studio Ghibli, The Addams Family, Little Rascals, and The Neverending Story.
The clothing available to buy will be imaginative, and fun. With leggings that have details of colourful plasters on their knees, as well as ponte roma waistcoats with hoods, interchangeable coats, gloves and hats as well as purposely mismatch socks.
I have found that we let our children look too grown up too soon, strip them of their identity of who they are and what they want to become. In a short, our vision of who we are, changes the way we see our children and lacks imagination.
Currently we can find everything that has sequins on, and basic wear that has a single colour, a quote “sassy” or basic stripes yet no influences of fun. I feel like we need to let our children take the lead and be children again. And with that show us who they are with wearing these clothing and making a change in the world.
The people who would buy my products are looking for a change, something fun, easy to wear, and creative without restricting in children’s play.
They want to find outfits that look the same for siblings yet with a twist.
Individuals, with children that are making a statement. Celebrities and people in high class positions. They want their children to have a voice and be who they are without looking like a child, but still a child, with a sense of class and sophistication as us adults want, but with the unique eye of an eccentric kid.
Imagine young kids in France walking around in a ‘bite me’ teeshirt, hooded waistcoat and a beanie, wearing their favourite shoes that glow with every step, heading towards The Louvre.
Or a small baby that has a baby grow that says, ‘my mommy is stronger than your dad’, on it.
Even a spring advertisement, with all different race and colour wearing a print of Captain planet on their jackets, with the slogan above WWCPD (What would Captain Planet do?)?
I feel we underestimate how much our choices are important but even more so how important it is for us to teach children what is right, and how to treat each other and the earth, and if fashion can help then so be it. Our children have a voice let’s, hear them use it.
KidhooD will start from home in a spare room and within a few years I expect it to grow into a bigger workspace in a new home with more space for the business and home life. In future, there is a possibility to have a separate office that has employees and technical sewing staff as well, where we can work on an international basis and send items to our stores worldwide. With this child range of clothing it is a very unique market and would be very successful with the right balance of things. The target customer is the ones seeking trendiness for their children but with ease to dress them in as well as still a child-like yet not naïve quality. First the products will be designed and will be made into samples to see if they meet all the requirements, then then produced a few sizes to send online, where customers can find it, and then they will be available to purchase. To start with networking online and making it a social media would be clever as its global and can spread the word over the seas. Finding the success in doing this, then the target would be to open a flagship store, where all purchases can be made as well as online. By 5 years I aim to have 3 stores and continuously growing. With opening a flagship store it is important to have the footfall of people and spreading the word and making networking happen. Bringing in new customers and new influences. Looking at the area there are no competitors and no one that would look into doing any business involved with children’s wear.