Children's Business back issues from September 2004:
WE'VE GONE BOY CRAZY!
Sep 01, 2004 ... Fact Or Fiction? The Multicultural Kid The Big Three Checking In On The Chain Gang Asia Major Inside The ...
BOY OH BOY!
Sep 01, 2004 ... Byline: Tracy Mitchell How many times have we heard the phrase, "the elusive boy customer"? I assure you, you've read it in these pages more than a few times. In fact, it might even appear in this very issue. I suppose we industry folks use it so often because the boy customer ...
HIGH-END REBOUNDS IN KIDS'.(luxury retailing for kids' wear)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Thomas J. Ryan Luxury retailing has been on fire lately, and kids are getting in on the action. High-end spending started undergoing a rebound the second part of last year as the economy improved and stocks recovered, and it hasn't slowed down so far. The ...
TOCCA TOASTS TOCCA BAMBINI.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2004 ... Women who have long had a love affair with Tocca can now fill their little ones' closets with the label's dreamy couture confections. The New York-based fashion house, known for its striking use of color and rich embellishment, has premiered the new Tocca Bambini collection for girls' ...
AOL LAUNCHES KOL FOR KIDS.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2004 ... AOL has launched KOL, a new service specifically designed for kids. According to a 2003 America Online/Digital Marketing Services, Inc. online survey (conducted in Opinion Place among more than 2,000 kids aged 7 - 12 years and parents of kids aged 7 - 12 years), "nearly half ...
RETAIL BUZZ UPBEAT FOR B-T-S.
Sep 01, 2004 ... Byline: Thomas J. Ryan With a tough summer session over, children's wear retailers have renewed hope for the back-to-school season. For many, sales during May and June were hurt by cool weather lingering throughout many parts of the country, and July wound up being a ...
FINANCIAL TICKER.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(Jonathan Stone Inc)(Jonathan Stone Inc)
Sep 01, 2004 ... Byline: Thomas J. Ryan MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS Longstreet, a New York-based maker of children's apparel and school uniforms, has purchased selected assets of Jonathan Stone Inc., 20-year-old producer of kids' outerwear and swimwear. Key J. Stone labels include ...
QUOTABLE: WHAT'S DRIVING BOYS' 8-20?
Sep 01, 2004 ... Byline: Thomas J. Ryan Scott Kemnitz, buyer, boys' 8-20, Macy's West: "There are a few different waves that we are currently riding that will fuel the fourth quarter: 1. Trend toward traditional. Urban preppy is a driver with renewed interest in plaids and stripes. Newness in ...
THE BRITISH ARE... HERE.(in the childrens' wear industry)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Julia Fein Azoulay Thanks to the unparalleled success of the Harry Potter series, American kids have become increasingly familiar with the British schoolboy look and sensibility for a few years now. Combine that with the popularity of U.K.-based preschool properties ...
BRANDED STORES GAINING IN ITALY.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Julia Fein Azoulay FLORENCE- In April, 2004, an upper mid- to upper-tier 30-square-meter kids' wear specialty store on the upscale Borgo San Jacopo, just off the Ponte Vecchio, was full to brimming with a winning combination of such high-end lines as Dolce & Gabbana, ...
FASHION FINESSE, SAVVY MARKETING DISTINGUISH TOKYO TWEEN BRAND EYEING GLOBAL GROWTH.(Narumiya International)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Tsukasa Furukawa TOKYO - Stand at the entrance of the "109-2" building in Shibuya for a glimpse into Tokyo's children's fashion scene. The seven-story store that bears this address is a magnet for tweenagers, who frequent the store with parents in tow. An annex of the ...
PASSING THE BAR (CODE).
Sep 01, 2004 ... Byline: Julia Fein Azoulay In June of 1974, at a grocery store in Ohio, the bar code on a pack of Juicy Fruit gum was scanned - marking the inauguration of the American Universal Product Code. Speed and efficiency characterized check-out counters coast-to-coast; inventory and ...
NEW "KIDS REPUBLIC" FLOORS SPUR SALES AT JAPAN'S AEON.
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Tsukasa Furukawa TOKYO- Aeon Co., the largest general merchandise chain in Japan, is reorganizing its children's operations based on a new concept designed to attract more customers and meet competition from category killers. The new idea presents an entire ...
'SIX HELPING HANDS' HELPS DRIVE JAPAN'S KIDS' BIZ.(children's wear industry's market share)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Tsukasa Furukawa TOKYO - They have a name for the savior who has come to the rescue of a Japanese children's wear industry troubled by a declining number of babies and children. It's called "Six Pockets" or "Six Helping Hands." Japan's children's market has been on a ...
BEYOND THE OUTLET: VENDORS AS RETAILERS.
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack With space considerably scarce at retail, more and more wholesalers are opting to take the retail reins in their own hands, peddling their products themselves through company-owned stores. Nautica and Oshkosh B'Gosh are two fashion firms who've recently ...
FIND: SMART SNACKING.
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack Dallas, TX-based Wild West Products has baked up a solution for small retailers either looking to quiet restless kids while moms shop or who want to encourage customers to remember their store by offering a small souvenir. The company markets snack-size ...
LESTER'S CONSOLIDATES FOR A SUPERSTORE.(meshed brief)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack Successful, family-owned specialty retailer Lester's has consolidated its pair of Long Island, NY, stores into one, larger store, which recently opened its doors on Northern Boulevard in Greenvale, NY. The new, 10,000-square-foot store houses a wide variety ...
LOOK BOOK.(kid's clothing )
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Kimberly E. Ratican O'NEILL BOARD-CERTIFIED Though board shorts and logo T-shirts continue to be O'Neill's bread and butter, the line also features fashion inspired not just by Surf, but by the world. Picking up on Japanese and Hawaiian trends for ...
LITTLE DUDES CREATING BIG WAVES ON THE SURF SCENE.(boys select cool wear)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Kimberly E. Ratican With the wave-riding world influencing clothing trends across the globe, its laid-back style makes for an easy sell to the elusive boy consumer. "It's easy to be cool when you're wearing surf stuff" claims Tyler, 11 of Huntington Beach, CA, outfitted ...
WIRE: ROCKER-BYE-BABY... THE LAP OF LUXURY... HAPPY LAMBIVERSARY!...(Lambs and Ivy)(Lulu Castagnette)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Kimberly E. Ratican ROCKER-BYE-BABY AC-DC, Blondie and David Bowie may not be music to the ears of a napping baby, but as a graphic on T-shirts and bodysuits for said babe, the rockers are right in tune with the modern mom and dad . Los Angeles-based ...
FOOT NOTES.(Jumping Jacks'S ups and downs)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack SPOT LIGHT: JUMPING JACKS' REBOUND Jumping Jacks has seen its share of ups and downs. Established in 1942, the firm shuffled through several owners before Munro & Co. bought it out of bankruptcy in 1991. Throughout the '90s, the brand ...
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK: `LA LA' LAND'S LA LA LING.(new clothing store)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack After walking away from a 12-year career in the entertainment industry, former Warner Bros. marketing exec Ling Chan (left) tossed her hat into the retail ring with La La Ling. Already garnering its share of celebrity buzz, Chan's new children's lifestyle ...
FIND: EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE.
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack As any new parent quickly discovers, every bundle of joy also comes with a bundle of paperwork. To keep things organized, Tamar Shay has created the BabyBriefcase. The clever organizing system features 15 durable plastic folders pre-labeled with common ...
BUILD-AN-ELMO.(toys)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack Build-A-Bear Workshop is teaming up with Sesame Workshop in a unique program that extends customers an opportunity to create their own Elmo plush toy. Children will be able to pick out a special heart for Elmo and watch as he is stuffed, stitched and ...
KATE SPADE ON A ROLL.(product introduction)
Sep 01, 2004 ... Byline: Erin E. Clack Kate Spade on a Roll Accessory designer Kate Spade has stamped her well-known moniker on a new stroller from Maclaren. Designed on the company's top-selling Quest frame, the Kate Spade stroller ($299 retail) features a four-position reclining ...
NOW: MINI PREP SQUAD.(Jubilee Designs offers baby stripes)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack Even babies are prepped for spring. Newcomer Jubilee Designs ...
O'KEEFE & DAUGHTERS EXPANDS.( O'Keefe & Daughters)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack Infant and toddler wear resource O'Keefe & Daughters, based in San Francisco, CA, has expanded its offering with the premiere of a layette line, available in sizes 0 to 24 months. Emphasizing a clean, contemporary look with subtle ...
GROSS OUT!(children's paraphernalia)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack Boogers and vomit and farts, oh my! Years after the Garbage Pail Kids and Beavis and Butthead, a new generation of stomach-turning products and programs are grossing kids out. The gross-out trend has taken children's publishing by storm. Called ...
NATURINO TO FIT MOMS.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack In a long-awaited move, Italian children's footwear brand Naturino, part of the Falc family, has debuted a small collection of shoes for moms. Coined Naturino Woman, the collection consists of a colorful mix of loafers, sandals and casual, ath-leisure ...
GO GA-GA OVER ZAZA.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack For young girls in search of fashions a bit off the beaten path, Dallas, TX-based newcomer ZaZa Couture - which made its Children's Club show debut last month - offers a selection of playful, mix-and-match sportswear ...
SPRING SCOOP: C. I. CASTRO'S SORBET.
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack Children's wear industry veteran C.I. Castro & Co., headquartered in San Antonio, TX, hopes to satisfy the market's style tooth with its new bid, Sorbet. Scheduled to debut next spring, the collection dishes up sophisticated, dressy sportswear and dresses ...
THE WRITE STUFF.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack Nickelodeon and American Greetings have teamed up to launch a new line of communication products for kids. Nicknamed Nickpressions, the line incorporates the same elements of surprise, irreverence and offbeat humor associated with its television programs. ...
TWEEN 411.
Sep 01, 2004 ... Byline: Erin E. Clack FIND: CALENDAR GIRLS To help today's tweens keep track of their busy lives, Corona del Mar, CA-based stationery company PulpFactory - a celeb favorite - has introduced the new "A Tween Girl's Life" 2005 desk calendar. As stylish as the tween ...
INFLUENCERS.
Sep 01, 2004 ... Byline: Erin E. Clack PERCEPTION VS. REALITY With the images of flawless people staring them down in the pages of every magazine they pick up, it's no surprise today's young girls face feelings of not-quite measuring up. In an effort to dispel the ...
PLUGGED IN.
Sep 01, 2004 ... Byline: Julia Fein Azoulay CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? GLOBAL CELL PHONE FAST FACTS According to the research group mobileYouth, 400,000 children in the UK under the age of 10 owned a mobile phone in 2003, as opposed to only 80,000 in 2000. The figure should pass the half ...
ACCESS: CONSUMER.(Interview)
Sep 01, 2004 ... Byline: Erin E. Clack CONSUMER SURVEY INDICATES BACK-TO-SCHOOL SPENDING WILL INCREASE FOR `04 The cash registers will be ringing loud this back-to-school season, giving retailers across the country a welcome third-quarter boost. According to a new survey conducted ...
MARKETERS TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN FIGHTING CHILDHOOD OBESITY.
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack Obesity continues to cast its dark shadow wide over children's futures. As reported in a WWD CB industry trendspotting piece in August `02, obesity is one of the most significant trends shaping the children's business. From the increase in ...
DESIGNER MOVES; RECENT RE-LAUNCHES AND A SHIFT IN OWNERSHIP HAVE CREATED SOME BUZZ IN DESIGNER KIDS' WEAR. WWD CB OFFERS AN UPDATE.
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Julia Fein Azoulay For a while there, designer brands were all the rage in kids' wear. The look was clean, prestigious, immediately-recognizable and a way for parents to keep the status in the family. Then, along came the hip-hop and urban brands, the lifestyle labels ...
ASIAN INFLUENCE EXPLODES; THE ASIAN EXPLOSION IS A GRASS ROOTS PHENOMENON. AFTER A DECADE OF TOSSING ASIAN-INFLUENCED KINDLING (VIDEOS AND TV IN PARTICULAR) INTO THE BLAZE, IT'S NOW THE KIDS, THEMSELVES, FUELING THE FIRE.(child consumers' preferences)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Julia Fein Azoulay American kids' passion for all things Asian - from the Saturday morning cartoon line-up to publishing to fashion - continues to burn hot. In fact, elements of Asian culture have spread like a wild fire throughout the children's marketplace. But it's ...
Myth of the multicultural kid.
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack As reported in last month's issue of WWD Children's Business, kids today remain deeply divided based upon their ethnicity, despite growing up in a time of unprecedented diversity - this, according to a newly released syndicated multicultural study ...
CHANNEL SURFING; NATIONAL CHAINS IN THE MID-TIER CHANNEL ARE IN MAKEOVER MODE AS THEY EMPLOY VARIOUS STRATEGIES TO GIVE THEIR CHILDREN'S DEPARTMENTS A FRESH FACE. SEE WHAT'S NEW AT SEARS, JC PENNEY AND KOHL'S.
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Thomas J. Ryan Sears Sears has relaunched its kids' department for the back-to-school selling season with an aim toward creating a more "mom-friendly" shopping environment. The relaunch also includes the addition of several new labels - OshKosh ...
BOY CRAZY; MARKETERS ARE WILD ABOUT BOYS - THE NEW `IT' CONSUMER.
Sep 01, 2004 ... Byline: Erin E. Clack ABOUT A BOY Tech-ies Tech products & services owned by tween boys today: 87% video game equipment 58% portable video games 56% Instant Messenger 47% Email 19% Cell Phone ...
BULL'S-EYE ON BOYS; A CROP OF CONSUMER CATEGORIES - HISTORICALLY ORIENTED MORE TOWARD GIRLS - ARE NOW TARGETING YOUNG MALES.
Sep 01, 2004 ... A is for Accessories Traditionally a heavily girls-driven segment of the fashion market, the accessories category continues to gain ground with boys. Tandy Brands Accessories, in the boys' accessory market for over 25 years, says it has seen a sudden spike in sales of boys' ...
BORN TO BE COOL.
Sep 01, 2004 ... From their catchy names to their urbane, mini-man fashions, newcomers Wonderboy and Mr. Tiny clearly have cool in their genes. Joining popular babywear hipsters K. Kauff-Men, ACME , Oink Baby and Laurenceleste, this pair packs a lot of visual punch ...
HOT BOX.
Sep 01, 2004 ... THE NEW LINE-UP From top: CHEVIGNON, PERRY ELLIS by J.A. Besner, PACO, CUBAVERA by French Toast FLAME THROWERS Clockwise from above: CONVERSE; ...
HOT WHEELS HEATS UP.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2004 ... Hot Wheels has a brand new look. The well-known Mattel toy brand, which got its modest start back in 1968 peddling miniature die-cast cars, has enjoyed a 40% sales growth over the past two years, thanks to a brand image and identity tune-up and aligning its core heritage with the world of ...
FOUR BY FOUR.
Sep 01, 2004 ... With the Spring 2005 selling season in full swing, we posed four key questions to four key boys' wear execs. 1. Active looks have proven to be a mainstay in boys', always with some kind of interesting twist. What's the twist this season? "For us, the twist is ...
THE GLOBAL BOY.
Sep 01, 2004 ... Byline: Julia Fein Azoulay Transmitting fashion messages at the speed of light, tweens today are truly global. Elements of European, American and Asian culture are shared and traded at a clip so speedy, designers, manufacturers and buyers are often left playing catch-up. To get ...
BOYS TO MEN.(footwear industry)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack, Ariel L. Kaiser With children's footwear vendors suddenly paying closer attention to the male market, boys luck out with a standout selection of sophisticated spring shoes. Taking their cues directly from ...
PREPPY'S WALK ON THE WILD SIDE.
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Lynda M. Johnson Boys' wear designers put some pep in preppy's step for spring. Perhaps inspired by such hip-hop and R&B artists as Kanye West, Slum Village and ubiquitous music video scene-stealer "Farnsworth Bentley," boys' vendors are offering bold pattern play, ...
FASHION WAVEMAKERS.(swimwear)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Lindsay Estes This season's swimwear is certain to stir up interest among trendy stylesetters. All the fashion looks found in sportswear have surfaced for the beach and pool. Designers treat girls to lingerie accents, decorative hardware, charms, patch pockets, sash ...
BUZZ.(meshed brief)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack STAR STYLE Tinseltown Tote It didn't take long for diaper bag label Fleurville, founded by husband and wife team Steve and Catherine Granville, to zip up a large Tinseltown following. The company's unique baby bags - which marry ...
MS. BYRD GOES TO WASHINGTON.(interview of Trudy Byrd)(Interview)
Sep 01, 2004 ... Four years ago, when the Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation sent a company- wide e-mail informing its employees of its sponsorship of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.,Tommy Hilfiger Childrenswear public relations manager Trudy Byrd decided to ...
LOOK WHO'S TALKING; WWD CB ASKS SOME DESIGNING MINDS TO STEP BACK IN TIME AND DESCRIBE THEIR FAVORITE BACK-TO-SCHOOL OUTFIT FROM CHILDHOOD.
Sep 01, 2004 ... John Tee Senior Designer Plugg Jeans Co. "My favorite back-to-school outfit was from second grade. We had `picture day' the first week of school, and I used to love to get dressed up back then (fashionista from an early age). It was a maroon window-pane ...
MOCS ROCK... AGAIN.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2004; ... Byline: Erin E. Clack Moccasins are back on the fashion map. Dating back to the early days of America's history, the soft-soled shoes were cobbled together by hand from a continuous piece of leather by Native Americans looking to protect their feet from the harsh climate. The ...