Scandal and lawsuits have been hitting the industry hard recently as harmful metals being used in cheap children's jewellery were exposed. Thankfully, the metals have since been banned from being used but the blow to consumer confidence in children's jewellery has been a harsh one, and it fell to Grunge and their Winter collection last year to help keep the ailing fortunes of many children's fashion outlets alive.
For the new year, it is perhaps the beginning of a fresh start for children's fashion and jewellery as we start with some predictions from last year coming to fruit with neon and sea-colours doing their rounds for children's clothes and accessories. Justin Bieber has been seen with red neon items and it seems that the market may be alive and well with accurate predictions guiding designers and consumers through the rocky times.
For jewellery, the metal scandal has understandably affected the sale of cheaper items and metal accessories but this itself is a double-edged effect as it means there has been a boost for non-metal accessories which offer more versatility than their metal counterparts. Pearls and designs including kid-favourites such as animals and cartoon characters have been doing their usual rounds as have the summer colours such as yellow and pink.
A good sign for the future, though, is the growing environmental awareness being shown by some kids and the kids' fashion scene. Many projects and products featuring renewable materials, such as wood or string, have been making a strong appearance and a trend for making your own jewellery has made a welcome return and helping kids to express themselves and to develop a better understanding of how to accessorise to make the best with what you've got.
The metal scares have definitely driven consumers to go with more natural materials, but 'safe' metals certified as genuine silver and gold are receiving some of the share as consumers buy more expensive pieces to avoid cheaper pieces made from the offending metals. Femininity for the girls is always strong with kids jewellery and beads as well as charms and bracelets are going strong in silver, as well as summer colours.
It's not all about metal, though, as fabrics are starting to make their presence felt around the children's accessories scene. Slender rope for large charm necklaces in bold yellows or soft greens (perhaps trying to capture the emerald leanings going on elsewhere) and fabric beads in whites and sky blues are the order of the day, with the obligatory heart-shapes making their usual appearance as the favoured shape for pendants and charms. Fashion-conscious or no, kids will be kids.
For the boys, fashion seems to be veering toward denim or the Bieber-look, with hats and scarves being seen in the 2011 collections of many top-class designers such as Gucci. On the jewellery front, boys have always been a hard market to break into (no demand means no supply, after all) but accessories have been going strong with watches and its bright neon in green and blue for the win, colours of the sea. Hats have also had a strong showing, though when the summer heat (eventually) hits it won't be surprising if these items find themselves ditched unceremoniously to the ground.
It was rough going with the metal scandals, which may well continue if more dangerous materials are found being used in children's jewellery, but this may be the spark needed to push the fashion in the right direction to more environmentally conscious designs and materials. It will be a fresh direction and that is something which is always welcome in the never-ending fashion quest for the next big thing.
For the new year, it is perhaps the beginning of a fresh start for children's fashion and jewellery as we start with some predictions from last year coming to fruit with neon and sea-colours doing their rounds for children's clothes and accessories. Justin Bieber has been seen with red neon items and it seems that the market may be alive and well with accurate predictions guiding designers and consumers through the rocky times.
For jewellery, the metal scandal has understandably affected the sale of cheaper items and metal accessories but this itself is a double-edged effect as it means there has been a boost for non-metal accessories which offer more versatility than their metal counterparts. Pearls and designs including kid-favourites such as animals and cartoon characters have been doing their usual rounds as have the summer colours such as yellow and pink.
A good sign for the future, though, is the growing environmental awareness being shown by some kids and the kids' fashion scene. Many projects and products featuring renewable materials, such as wood or string, have been making a strong appearance and a trend for making your own jewellery has made a welcome return and helping kids to express themselves and to develop a better understanding of how to accessorise to make the best with what you've got.
The metal scares have definitely driven consumers to go with more natural materials, but 'safe' metals certified as genuine silver and gold are receiving some of the share as consumers buy more expensive pieces to avoid cheaper pieces made from the offending metals. Femininity for the girls is always strong with kids jewellery and beads as well as charms and bracelets are going strong in silver, as well as summer colours.
It's not all about metal, though, as fabrics are starting to make their presence felt around the children's accessories scene. Slender rope for large charm necklaces in bold yellows or soft greens (perhaps trying to capture the emerald leanings going on elsewhere) and fabric beads in whites and sky blues are the order of the day, with the obligatory heart-shapes making their usual appearance as the favoured shape for pendants and charms. Fashion-conscious or no, kids will be kids.
For the boys, fashion seems to be veering toward denim or the Bieber-look, with hats and scarves being seen in the 2011 collections of many top-class designers such as Gucci. On the jewellery front, boys have always been a hard market to break into (no demand means no supply, after all) but accessories have been going strong with watches and its bright neon in green and blue for the win, colours of the sea. Hats have also had a strong showing, though when the summer heat (eventually) hits it won't be surprising if these items find themselves ditched unceremoniously to the ground.
It was rough going with the metal scandals, which may well continue if more dangerous materials are found being used in children's jewellery, but this may be the spark needed to push the fashion in the right direction to more environmentally conscious designs and materials. It will be a fresh direction and that is something which is always welcome in the never-ending fashion quest for the next big thing.
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