Fashion
KIDS
NORTH WEST SITS WITH THE HEAVY HITTERS AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK IN FEBRUARY; BELOW: HARPER BECKHAM WITH HER DAD, DAVID, AT VICTORIA BECKHAM’S FALL 2014 SHOW
CHILD’S PLAY
50
WHILE MOST OF HER FRIENDS WERE Victoria Beckham’s Fall 2014 show, her three-yearold daughter, Harper, sat front row and picked her pretending to feed a doll or, say, learning to use the potty, North West was sitting front nose). Even designers themselves are inspired by row at New York Fashion Week. Or, rather, children’s innate sense of style. For instance, Alshe was flailing front row at fashion week. exander Wang’s adorable niece, Aila, serves as At just 20 months old, little North West— his unofficial muse. At Dolce & Gabbana’s recent offspring of Kim Kardashian and Kanye motherhood-themed Fall 2015 show during Milan West—attended her dad’s Kanye West x fashion week, models—one pregnant—walked Adidas Originals show in February with her the runway with children and babies in tow. “Kids are becoming more visible and, let’s face mom, flanked by none other than Beyoncé and Anna Wintour. When Kimye junior threw a tantrum—hey, it, they’re just cute,” says Jenny Cooper, head deit’s what babies do—Wintour inched away and gave signer at Crewcuts, J.Crew’s children’s line. In major side-eye (she reportedly went on to declare a a bold and unprecedented move, Cooper and ban on all children at fashion week). Oh, kids today. J.Crew president Jenna Lyons recently tapped a Children being photographed with their famous four-year-old to help design a capsule collection parents is nothing new. Kids clad in designer clothes for Crewcuts’ Summer 2015 line. Mayhem, an worth more than most people’s rent is also a common Ohio tot (real name: Sydney Keiser, now five years sight (for the record, North was photographed wear- old) first gained attention in 2014 when photos of ing a $3,500 fur coat the day before). But nowadays her couture-like paper dresses went viral. With kids are experiencing—and influencing—fashion help from her photographer mom, Mayhem uses first-hand like never before. Take, for instance, a things like construction paper, tissue, scissors and slew of stylish tots boasting tens of thousands of glue to create colourful dresses inspired by everyInstagram followers, their outfits providing inspi- thing from My Little Pony to red-carpet gowns. ration and bringing smiles to even the most jaded Her nine-piece collection for Crewcuts—which of grown-ups. Or the kids—such as North West, Jen- includes sparkly hair bands, shoes and a long, full skirt—is heavy on pompoms, tassels and jewels. nifer Lopez’s daughter Emme and Alicia Keys’s son Egypt—who accompany their parents to fashion “It’s very whimsical and fun to wear,” says Cooper. week, often taking up prime front-row real estate (at “We were a little skeptical at first. Then, when you »
PHOTOGRAPHY: WEST BY DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY; BECKHAM BY DON EMMERT/GETTY; RUNWAY BY PETER STIGTER
DOLCE & GABBANA FALL 2015
Baby bloggers and mini designers—when it comes to fashion today, pint-sized powerhouses are proving it’s a small world after all. By SHAWNA COHEN
FASHION MAY 2015