The careers of Minimalisma, MarMar Copenhagen and Gray Label confirm a fundamental trend. The three Northern European brands exhibited at Playtime in January 2026, the Parisian children’s fashion trade fair. Social and ecological responsibility is no longer a sideshow. Rather, it is a factor that can redefine the attractiveness of the children’s fashion market.
A product for children is not inherently sustainable. But it is the ideal vehicle for a credible CSR narrative. This is because it triggers strong emotional, moral and projective impulses. Children’s clothing combines all the ideal conditions to transform CSR into a market value. This is done through the use of natural materials, visible durability and an educational message.
“At Playtime we see that all brands are gradually developing in this direction,” says Chantal Danguillaume, director of the Playtime Paris and New York trade fairs. “It is important to us to support and defend a sensitive and inspiring ecosystem. This is being attacked and threatened by the rise of ultra-fast fashion actors who standardize, impoverish and trivialize everything.”
“This concern is now deeply anchored in their DNA. It is driven by the desire to leave future generations a healthy, protected, respected and resource-rich environment,” adds the person responsible. The current edition of Playtime, which took place from January 24th to 26th, 2026, provides proof of this.
Minimalisma: CSR through material and production chain
The Danish brand Minimalisma was founded in 2011 by Maja Akraberg Siler and launched in 2012. It arose from a personal need related to her motherhood. The initial focus was on the quality of the materials. At first it was silk, merino wool and organic cotton from Egypt and Turkey, later linen was added.
The yarns are then sent to the production facilities. For organic cotton, the knitting, stabilization of the fabric, cutting and assembly take place in a GOTS-certified factory in Hungary.
Silk and wool are knitted and finished in China’s Jiangsu province. “In China I only work with two women, two different suppliers,” explains Maja Akraberg Siler to FashionUnited. “We belong to the same generation and have children of the same age. Our companies have grown together and we get along very well.” The products made in China are transported by train to Europe, on the former Silk Road.
The warehouse is centralized in Germany. From the very beginning, the brand has worked according to GOTS standards, which take ecological and social criteria into account. This happens “despite the administrative complexity”. The founder herself carries out checks on production and manufacturing conditions.
Minimalisma produces two collections per season. “I don’t set unrealistic deadlines for the productions. I encourage, help and remind people of deadlines, but I think it’s important not to put people under pressure,” comments the designer. “I worked in companies where everything had to happen much faster and people were exposed to this stress.”
Their most important markets are currently Switzerland, Germany, Italy and China. A significant part of her business relationships arise at trade fairs – she has been exhibiting at Playtime since 2016 – and through direct contact via Instagram.
MarMar Copenhagen: Sustainability through use and longevity of the products
MarMar Copenhagen, based in Copenhagen, was founded in 2008 by Marlene Holmboe. She continues to work at the company as creative director and owner of the brand.
“We want to make clothing that lasts a long time. It should be comfortable for children to wear and beautiful for parents to look at and can be washed almost endlessly,” the founder told FashionUnited. “Our clothes are not tied to a specific season. We prefer to avoid trends rather than follow them.”
The material composition is as follows: 58 percent modal (Tencel by Lenzing), 40 percent organic cotton and five percent elastane.
Modal comes from closed-loop production. This means that the solvents and water used to make the fiber are recovered, recycled and reused in the same process. MarMar Copenhagen is not GOTS certified. The addition of elastane is intended to maintain the shape of the garment even after repeated use.
75 percent of total production takes place in Turkey. The brand also works with partners in India and China, particularly for outerwear.
MarMar Copenhagen is present at multi-brand retailers and in department store corners, which corresponds to approximately 500 points of sale.
Gray Label: From a timeless basic to a circular economy
Founded in 2011, Gray Label is a Dutch brand of baby and children’s clothing. Originally it focused on sizes for zero to six years, but the range was later expanded to up to twelve years.
Gray Label positions itself as a unisex brand with no gender codes – no pink for girls, no blue for boys – and no overloaded prints. “When I became a mother for the first time, there were a lot of bright colors in baby clothes,” founder Emily Gray tells FashionUnited. “I think babies are pure on their own, they don’t need any of that.”
In fact, the designer started with a permanent collection. This initially consisted of six models in four different colors. These basics are available all year round. Two seasonal drops are added each year, primarily to meet wholesale demand for new items.
Since its founding, Gray Label has worked exclusively with organic cotton. The brand received GOTS certification about five years after its founding. Production takes place in Portugal and Turkey.
The garments are designed to withstand many washes and maintain their quality and softness over time. The founder observes that clothing is often passed down from one child to the next within the family. Sometimes it goes to neighbors or other families.
In their own store in Amsterdam, Gray Label has a ‘pre-loved’ section. There, customers can bring back used Gray Label clothing, receive a voucher and can redeem it in the store. In addition, the brand is distributed in around 40 countries, which corresponds to more than 250 multi-brand points of sale. In France she is represented by Smallable Paris, Center Commercial Kids Paris and online.
Playtime Paris recorded 4,892 visitors from 72 countries, 23 percent of whom were from France. 16 percent of buyers visited the trade fair for the first time. The next edition will take place in New York from February 8th to 10th, 2026.
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