Skipping in bunny ears, she stops and giggles. Blinking naively, she refuses to be dragged kicking and screaming into adulthood. Lock up your toys girls and boys, for La Fashion has entered kidulthood.
Yes, everyone’s going gaga for kiddie chic, and it’s not just the young brand whores of Japan flashing their Hello Kitty purses. Judging by Madonna’s Bugs Bunny style Louis Vuitton headpiece and SATC’s Kristen Davis’ 80s throwback socks, it seems this trend is transcending the generation gap.
Speaking of 80’s throwbacks, you’d have to have been blind (or too preoccupied playing with toys) not to notice the recent Lego revival. We’ve had Marc Jacobs’ models stomping down the runway looking like they’d gone to war with the local playgroup; pieces of Lego stuck in their unkempt hair. You may then remember Jean-Charles De Castelbajac’s collaboration with the plastic yellow men and music maestros Four-H on a mock fashion show of his 2008 collection; a viral animation which saw Lego people strutting their stuff down the catwalk. The collection itself was a primary-coloured pop at art and fashion, featuring Lego brick Mohican helmets and retro-print dresses, and it looks like he’s still in a playful mood. His Lego inspired Pop Hours watches (a collaboration with design giants ODM launched in October) are said to be a current bestseller according to our source at JDCD’s flagship Mayfair store. No prizes for guessing which toy everyone wanted to get their mitts on this Christmas.
It’s not just the designers who are having fun either. Celebs such as Alexa Chung and Katy Perry have been seen lending their names to the kiddie cool movement by touting cute Lulu Guinness cartoon bags in Japanese-style kitty and pop-art pouting lip designs. You may have also noticed Lady GaGa and the Olson twins rocking some rather odd headgear of late proving Louis Vuitton isn’t the only one listening in on the animal ears trend. Michel Maison is the real headmaster of this style school; and it’s his lacy Minnie Mouse-esque veils that are the celeb accessory du jour. In the true spirit of fancy dress, Opening Ceremony went for out-and-out immaturity, with their Where the Wild Things Are collection. Inspired by Spike Jonze’s film, the story of a boy who dresses up in a wolf suit and unearths a world of ‘mischief’, the full-length furry playsuits are unwearable to say the least, but this all adds to their appeal. Imagine the fun you could have in one of those! Child’s play is a serious business though, and it seems everyone is cashing in on a collective refusal to grow up.
Thirty-five year old city boys have their dASA Genibo robo-dogs, whilst their girlfriends trawl Ebay for vintage Blythe dolls. Toys are quite literally too cool for school. Hardly surprising considering the current state of play, why on Earth would we want to act our age, when being a grown-up recessionista is so damned depressing?
If the recent Twilight phenomenon is anything to go by – Mr Patterson aside – something has certainly captured the world’s imagination – regressing to an age when vampires, ghouls and fairytales were our daily bread? Of course! Anything to help us win the hide-and-seek game between or pretty minds and our diminishing bank balances.
A snood? Why we’re just playing dress up Mr bank manager Wolf, it’s so incredibly cold outside and we’re going to see Grandmother Topshop who lives through the concrete forest, by the River Island. Forgive our devil may care attitude, for it may have something to do with Pamela Love’s Opening Ceremony horned headpieces. Because even the nicest little children have their naughty moments.
