The subject of reflections
Pitti Bimbo, the largest children’s clothing fair in Europe, took place in Florence, Italy from 11th to 13th January 2022. 170 brands exhibited at Pitti Bimbo, 81 of them from abroad. It was only the second time the fair had been held “in person” since the pandemic in early 2020. As such, exhibitors and visitors had to wear masks and provide proof of vaccination to enter Fortezza da Basso. The overarching theme was “Reflections “.
The fair divided the exhibiting brands into two areas. The “100 percent Bambino” area presented traditional children’s brands, while “Kids Lab” showed avant-garde children’s clothing and children’s lifestyle products and presented young, pioneering brands.
Sustainability was high on the agenda
Some of the buyers in attendance were featured on the Pitti Bimbo website, including Shana Laub, founder of e-commerce site Shan and Toad. When asked what she thinks makes the Pitti Bimbo so unique, she replied: “What makes it unique is the mix of premium brands and smaller, up-and-coming designers. This makes it the most relevant and important fair for buyers like me”. Laub was also asked to describe some trends that are prevailing in children’s fashion.
“A proven trend that has been around for a while and doesn’t seem to be going away is graphic motifs. Especially when it comes to children’s clothing, this theme makes the products fun, appealing and amusing. Sustainability is also trendy, and rightly so. Sustainability seems contradictory to the fashion business, so I see it as my duty to choose brands that produce responsibly and ethically.”
Sustainability and circular production was a dominant theme throughout the fair. The German company Infantium Victoria specializes in high-quality, contemporary, ecologically responsible and vegan children’s clothing. The brand showcased “zero-waste dresses” in its “Kids-Lab,” which it says were “developed from recycled garments and using innovative cutting techniques that produce less than 1 percent fabric waste;” a manifesto of circular fashion”.
The editorials
The editorials are an indispensable part of the Pitti Bimbo. This time there were two, both curated by stylist Maria Giulia Pieroni. “Magic Box” is the title of the first editorial: a collection of well-known board games with fresh designs, which Pitti Bimbo’s website describes as “very fun and stylish, refreshed with new and captivating graphics”.
The second editorial, “Instantly Outdoor”, was presented exclusively online and “merges functional and fun accessories, stylish and technical, for temperatures below freezing: in short, the best of brands with an adventurous spirit,” according to the description of the Pitti Bimbo website.
Highlights of the Pitti Immagine Bimbo
Petra Barkhof and Enrico Fragale Esposito are editor-in-chief and deputy editor-in-chief of the children’s clothing magazine Scimparello. During the fair, Petra and Enrico examined the collections of the brands and created colorful outfits from them. Two videos on Pitti Bimbo’s website show the results.
Nicoletta Costa is a well-known author and illustrator of children’s books and animated films. She is known for creating the characters “Nina & Olga”, the main characters of a popular Italian TV series. Costa collaborated with the brand Illustrabimbi, which was present at the fair for the first time and showed prints inspired by the adventurous duo.
Stylist and editor Maria Giulia Pieroni called the collar “the new must-have”. Many designers and brands presented shirts, dresses and sweaters with a variety of fancy collars. Pieroni observed embroidered details at Aletta, retro collars at Alitsa, romantic ones Collars at Cotton Moon, collars with fine lacing or patterns at Twin & Chic and college style at Ulla Lab.
The next Pitti Immagine Bimbo will take place from June 22nd to 24th, 2022.
This article was previously published on FashionUnited.uk. Translation and editing: Karenita Haalck