After sitting down with our trade show team, we found out the latest buzz in toddler and young children's apparel is coming from a new group of business people: Parents. The term Parentrepreneurs is not new but this group who sees fashion from the inside out is making waves in the childrenswear segment.  

Parents who have been frustrated by their own needs not being met are turning around and saying 'Well, I'll just make it myself because if I am having trouble finding X, chances are someone else feels the same way too." For some, the fruits of their labor are a side bar business that may help to pay for trips or tuition; for others, it's a complete business idea that has taken on a life of its own.

At Fabkins, cloth napkins become cool for school packed lunches while at Baby Bonkie, the swaddler becomes the sure fire sleeper hit offering parent some much needed zzz's.  

This lifestyle trend is just starting to become important. More parents are looking for creative ways to augment their income and with the connectivity of the internet, parenting blogs and the eco sustainability trend, a captive audience is looking for problem solving ideas, longer lasting clothing, and non-gender printed apparel that can be handed down from one child to another!  
 

http://www.monkey-toes.com/

http://www.babybonkie.com/

http://www.fabkins.com/

Wal-mart wanted a piece of the animated action that JC Penney enjoyed with Bobby Jack, so they went to artist Han Lim Lee to create something that would be exclusive to Wal-mart. The Miskits, 3 diverse and personality minus cats are the brainchild of this union.

So far the creative cooperation has yielded little on the retail level with only one pair of fleece pants to show for the new brand. The website looks like it will be cute, but the substantial back end that we would expect to see is not there. There are no games, no product and no content really other than character bios and a chat room that doesn't look terribly safe. There is a link to shop at Wal-mart but that does not take shoppers to Miskits merchandise...yet. While the site promises that the brand will be about apparel, accessories, personal care and home products, none of these items can be found there or elsewhere.

The idea is fundamentally a great one. Character driven merchandise that doesn't come at premium prices are just the thing to fit into any retail frame. At Wal-mart it makes extra sense because here we see how licensed merchandise is tagged at least 33% higher than generic in tees, fleece and sleepwear (see our competitive shopping reports). If Wal-mart could deliver a licensed look at a fraction of that uptick, they would be right on track with their philosophy which is to offer consumers more for less, all while creating an opportunity for themselves and artist Lee.

On another front, the overall strategy of website + artist driven property is a good one, but we see how a partial execution can be devastating to a brand. The Miskits link leads viewers to Miskits myspace and a Download Games bar leads nowhere, while the retail and shop portion goes right to Wal-mart, not to Miskits merch. For an 11 year old girl looking to create a relationship with a brand, a no-game, no-fun site is a buzz kill at best; brand suicide at worst and to a parent, the lack of safety and the redirect to myspace is a nightmare.

While I usually try to focus on great execution to drive a point, sometimes I have to focus on what a slip up looks like so we can all appreciate what to do and not to do when approaching any new market. Kids' expectations and level of sophistication is surprisingly high. They can smell a phony and they will stay away in droves if something is uncool. So, to steer clear of phony and uncool...

1) Always look at competing and non competing retail and e-ntertainment formulas to gage the product scope and sophistication of the message.

2) If you are teasing your market, make it be a teaser and not a half completed site.

3) Stick to one demo...If Miskits wants to reach tween girls, they need to be looking at Littlestpetshop and Webkinz for what a secure, fun and interactive formula looks like. They can always build in a retail component at a later date. And stay away from myspace if your audience is under 13!!!!!!

4) It may seem like we are saying to stick your neck out but yes, do stick your neck out...offer a complete assortment of product and link to the product at retail so your audience can see it!

While thumbing through a magazine before an appointment, I stumbled upon an interesting tidbit about marketing in the future. I couldn’t rip apart the magazine, but the gist of the piece got me thinking deeply about the importance of a meaningful web presence and how even seemingly mundane products can make an incredible impact.

The author of the article had a simple premise; If your product is not going to strike up a conversation between people, then it won’t survive in the digital future. In other words, if your product doesn’t have emotional resonance, enough to strike someone’s psyche and cause them to reach out to another person to discuss it, it won’t stand a chance.

Well that sounds pretty heavy…but so true. We have been talking about building emotional relevance into products (and retail spaces) for some time because with the glut of products and services out there, the only way to make a difference is to speak to some aspect of the consumers’ mind set either by addressing a lifestyle trend that he or she may be involved in or by giving him or her the opportunity to express something personal. I found a company that did just that with a product as commonplace as a facial tissue: Kleenex.

If I were a professor of marketing, I would force everyone to take a 1Ž2 hour and go to http://www.kleenex.com/USA/Home.aspx?sectionID=2&s <http://www.kleenex.com/USA/Home.aspx?sectionID=2&amp;s> =

Kleenex started an emotional outreach campaign called ‘Let it Out’ where they encourage people to do just that: share a story, a dream, a memory or even video blog, and then cry it out into a Kleenex tissue. The Kleenex brand Ambassadors are on a 7 city tour, with a blue couch, asking folks questions like, What would your mom say if she were here? They have built a blog and, dare I even say, a community around tissues.

Let 

Let 

While I really have no comment about the Snot Boy video, I have to say Kleenex brand builders have tapped into the zeitgeist. People don’t take the time to connect and share, and yet they long to do so. With a mix of web, TV spots and up close and personal interaction, they have created a genuine outpouring of emotions that connect right back to the end use of their product. There is no gimmick here other than a well-crafted effort to reach out and start something.

Other brands have not been so successful at trying to create a community on the web. The root of the problem is often that the brand is pandering to the audience and somewhere there is a hint of product pushing for the sake of sales. Other times, brands drop the ball mid way and don’t follow through on their initial intent. I checked in with Mr. Clean and found that only some of the video clips offered up for the Make a Scene with Mr. Clean contest was actually for his product, others were random youtube feeds about scootering or other unrelated nonsense.  I couldn’t figure out who won the contest or get any closer to the point of the site!

http://www.mrcleanscenes.com/mrclean/en_US/mclanding.do

Dead 

The reason I am going on about Kleenex and cleaning products is that if something as mundane as a Kleenex can stir emotion and create a community in it’s wake, then some well thought out apparel should be able to do the same. For starters, authenticity and a ‘don’t stop till you are done’ attitude is needed. You’ll also want to establish your company’s motto, language and core beliefs. Start a conversation and continue it through viral applications. Create a web presence that begs nothing more than a relationship. Nothing pushy, nothing preachy and no hard sales…Verify that what you are saying is in line with who you are as a brand. Don’t say something is exclusive or special if it’s not, and don’t tell your audience you selected this for them, if in fact everyone is getting the same message. In short, be honest and be prepared to share.

Need some ideas on how to create a genuine web experience for your brand audience? Ask me how!

It was a big day in Celebrity Fashions when Sarah Jessica Parker announced that she was collaborating on a fashion line to be called Bitten and that the line would be sold at Steve and Barry’s. But the first question I asked was ‘Who the heck are Steve and Barry!’ 

Steve and Barry’s started with a couple of friends who were selling University branded tee shirts on the Jersey Shore and at flea markets and quickly expanded into a campus hit at several larger universities. By the late 1990’s they developed their mall store strategy and have grown to well over 200 stores.

After successfully adding juniors and kids apparel to their line-up, they began to pursue celebrity lines in earnest. They currently feature Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker, Dear by Amanda Bynes, Starbury by Stephon Marbury and, after November 15, the new addition to the family line-up will be Eleven by Venus Williams.

Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker

Dear by Amanda Bynes

Starbury by Stephon Marbury

I headed over to one of their stores at The Block in Orange. The 50- 100,000 sq. foot store format is cavernous, but easy to navigate with each department well defined as a shop within a shop. In addition to the celebrity apparel I found a golf line and a supersized wall of the university tees that made then famous in the first place. There were also kids and baby departments on deck.

 I struggled to find the attraction to the merchandise. While the posters and the monitors featuring sound bites from the celebrities were very slick, the merchandise left me cold. At Bitten the main event was the denim but I couldn’t find a skinny fit or any fashion silos on the floor. They had reams of striped shirts, a smattering of fashion tees and some accessories crammed into a very untidy space. Over at Dear the merchandising mix was even less clear with lounge, underwear and fashion apparel all heaped together. There was nothing visual to indicate how anything could be put together as an outfit and I challenge even the most fashion forward teen to do so in this mixed bag format. I never found the Starbury but I did check out the kids apparel closely. Some pieces looked like a great buy on the quality side (though no prices were visible anywhere). In terms of merchandising, the kids concept fell dismally short.

The bright spot was the University tee shirt wall. Any fan could find a tee shirt here; the wall is clean, well organized and incredibly stocked with just about every school on the planet. But I couldn’t tell you the price of the shirts…

So what is the deal with this retailer and their rapid expansion and popularity? This is a fashion company ‘built by engineers’ who are all about streamlining production, shipping and sourcing so as to save money at every step of the way. They say that their $15.00 sneakers are just as good as a pair that would retail for $100-150; that’s ballsy! But do these same engineers have what it takes to effectively merchandise around the deals that they can buy? Can the star value outshine the actual assortment on the floor?

Right now Steve and Barry’s is looking more like a Big Lots than an organization that wants to woo the student body with democratically priced fashion. I venture to guess that their biggest challenge is their strongest point: Being able to source at crazy low prices. Just because something is a deal overseas, doesn’t mean it can fit into merchandising goals or arouse any sort of consumers’ lust.

What can they do to keep their forward momentum? Work on merchandising! Keep those lines cohesive and don’t overbuy on that one item that was a deal. How many striped shirts can one person want! Keep the fashion integrity behind your celebrity lines; Bitten is savvy, Dear is Cute, Starbury is active and urban lifestyle; and don’t blur the lines! Use the Dear as an anchor for the girl’s merchandise and then take the Starbury and trickle it down to boys. That should fix the lack of identity in the kids departments!

We hope this retailer can keep up with the hype it has built (entirely by word of mouth and celebrity endorsements…they do no advertising per se and no marketing either). With many more stores in the works and plenty of celebrities lining up for a piece of the action, things could still go either way. Engineers can save them money but a lack of fashion vision can kill them.

While I was in Australia, I asked my patient and lovely guide, Sharon Rae, to immerse me in the shopping experience 'down under'...and she delivered! As much as I love to look at high end merchandise, it's the real mid and mass-mid markets that interest me most because that's the reality of any country's shopping scene, so that's where I focused my energy.

Let me start by saying that Australia is headed into Spring, unlike the rest of the world that is about to hunker down into autumn. That made me wonder right away; Will they be 6 months behind us or 6 months ahead? Well, they are ahead! They can take what was on the runways in June-August and spin it immediately into retail. They don't have to wait till next spring for heavily embellished tanks, butterfly sleeved dresses, reverse printed Rave tees and menswear fabric cargo shorts for guys. They are on it right now. Also, Australia is surrounded by wonderful beaches and seaside communities so to that extent, it mirrors LA culture very closely. In fact, Sharon told me that MANY manufacturers from Australia head over to LA, FOR THE WEEKEND!!! They fly out friday, land friday and leave Sunday to be home for tuesday. They hit up our shores for the latest looks to spin off right away.

The in-store experience is also quite different from what I expected. Many mass retailers such as Jay-Jays offer juniors and young men's merchandise, side by side. They don't downplay mens at all...it's a 50-50 floor deal. Think Anchor Blue but much quicker on the uptake, somewhat younger and even cheaper at the register. The menswear in particular would have been my guys' dreams come true! (see my last blog where I shopped with my kids in Montreal!) Even retailers such as Peter Alexander (a dead ringer for PINK) has an EXTENSIVE menswear selection. It's not a side bar at all. I have to say the young men's strategy, by and large, was something we could learn from stateside! Forever 21,Target, Wal-mart are you listening! Not so much club gear, not so much plain merch, just great, quick flip, fun stuff for guys aged 14-22! Check out images from Just Jeans and their competition, Super as well, they all have the same philosophy and all coexist at slightly different price points.

Jay-Jays

Peter Alexander

Just Jeans

Super

Then I came upon 2 other retailers that showed exquisite depth: Witchery and Seed. Witchery ( I want to live in that store) is a mid retailer that caters to the 25-55 demo with the BEST coordinated looks I have seen ANYWHERE. This is what Ann Taylor, LOFT and Banana could be and what Forth and Towne could have been, had they seen it! Remember, I am the one who whined about not having cute, fashionable and fitting stuff for the over 30 crowd! So Witchery, to me, is an exceptional find and a must see.

Witchery

At Seed, you will find the most delicious kids wear for the hi-mid market crowd. Again, the coordinates are inspiring, fabrics are exquisite and the looks are timeless yet with that fashion twist. Too bad my kids have outgrown the 0-6 demo or I would have dropped some Aussie dollars here as well.

Seed Kids

Now if you have lived in or visited Australia and have more shops to add to this list, or want to talk more about some of the strategies I saw, please drop me a note. This early inspiration thing can go both ways you know!

I was fortunate enough to be invited to Australia to be the keynote speaker, on behalf of Fashion Snoops, at Fashion Exposed in Melbourne. The trip was too short, but very exciting! Melbournians are a friendly bunch and the scene there is vibrant and top notch. The architecture is razor sharp, the shopping a blast and, much to my surprise, the urban art scene is among the best in the world!

Sharon Rae, our most wonderful representative in Australia, has an office in the hip little hood of Collingwood. As we approached the area I was blown away by the graffiti to which she replied; "Oh yeah, it's a big deal around here. In fact, we had someone do our building. Better to have it commissioned than to have it 'hit' by taggers!” Needless to say, I was blown away and promptly ran around the streets of Collingwood snapping these graffiti walls for you...Enjoy! By the way, the pink wall with the Medusa is Sharon's!

Graffiti pics, Collingwood Victoria Australia....

I just recently took a trip to my hometown, Montreal. Sure it was nice to connect with friends and family but I think the best time was had by my 16 year old twin sons, Alex and Michael, who were on the prowl for back to school coolness. They ran us up and down Ste. Catherine street and through the malls and shops downtown until they had just the right mix of tees, jeans, hoodies and sneakers that would be the talk of the town once they got home to suburbia Los Angeles. In their words, here is what is shaking in Montreal!

The twins’ mandate: We need shirts, shoes, jeans and a hoody but it can’t look like the stuff that our friends are going to wear. Do they have Bape in Montreal?

My View: Are you kidding me? Bape? Your budget is set at 2 shirts each for under $25 each, a hoodie each for under $60 and 2 pairs of jeans at $60 or less. Shoes are debatable, depending on the quality, we will subsidize up to $80 for one pair each.

1st Stop le Chateau

Alex: OK, I could get into this, but the stuff feels like tracing paper.

Michael: This is too expensive and too dressy…let’s get out of here…

My view: Le Chateau, like Bedo, Tristan, Reitmans, Smart Set and a handful of other chains are Quebecois institutions that must be seen in order to understand the market. True, Chateau’s quality was never their strong point but they continue to churn out up to the minute fashions at a mid price point.

Various Locations along Ste. Catherine and in malls around the city.

2nd Stop Underworld Skate

Alex: This is cool! Whoa…$60 bucks for shorts that I got for $20 at Vans in LA. But they have great jeans and shirts.

Michael: Ya, I like the decks and shirts but it’s too expensive for stuff I can get at home.

My View: LA style comes at a premium in Montreal. The beauty is that they get shipments of fall and winter looks that we never see in Southern CA. It’s worth the trip just to see original fall and winter looks, even at hefty retail prices.

                                Underworld Station 21

289, Ste-Catherine East

Montreal, Qc

H2X 1L5

Phone: 514.284.6473

Fax: 514.284.6478

3rd Stop: Jazz Urban Style

Alex: Holly Cow. They have Ice Cream shoes for under $90 bucks a pair right up front. I’m taking a picture to send to my buds in LA…they’re gonna die. (He proceeds to buy 2 pairs). They also have racks of fakie Bape hoodies for $85 bucks a piece!!!

Michael: Ya, this stuff is cool and all, but it’s not me…

My View: Alex debates the Bape hoodies and we discourage him because they really look cheesy. How do they get away with selling this stuff! It turns out that Jazz Urban Style is a national retail chain. Hmmm.

Various locations around the city and along Ste. Catherine.

4th Stop: Off the Hook

Alex: This rocks. They have LRG, Scifen, Freshjive and cool New Era’s (hats).

Michael: This is more like it! Love the Obey shirts and they have all of these brands and shirts I’ve never seen before!

My View: Both guys blow their budget on truly original stuff that looks and feels home grown. Tons of New Rave looks and colors are mixed in with Urban Skate looks. If you only have one stop to make…go to Off the Hook!

Off the Hook

1021a Ste-Catherine W.

UPSTAIRS

(514) 499-1021)

5th Stop: Zara

Alex: I love this stuff but it’s too dressy for school!

Michael: I’m gonna try on these shirts….

My View: We love Zara in Southern CA because we just don’t have enough of their stores around. The only downside? Their men’s sizing is bizarre with short and boxy tees that barely skim the top of your jeans and with XL’s that feel like mediums. Too bad, Michael leaves the very original screened tees behind.

6th Stop: Winners

Alex and Michael run through the store without connecting to anything in particular…

My View: Ask any Montrealer about Winners and their faces light up. This Canadian version of TJ Max has all of the brands and skus you could hope for in a marked-down, rows of racks setting. Fashionable? Not really…Fun? You bet!

Take a look at what the boys bought!

Once upon a time, kids TV was almost entirely animated and while many animated shows such as Spongebob Squarepants still enjoy phenomenal success, it’s the relatively new breed of ‘reality’ programming that is changing what kids are tuning into and, consequently, what licensed merchandise they are looking for.

Both Nick TV and The Disney Channel feature large blocks of real-kid programming with shows such as Unfabulous, Zoey 101, The Naked Brother’s Band, Hannah Montana and the soon to be released High School Musical 2. The target audience for both channels is tween boys and girls, though the boys have harder to nab with reality TV than the girls.  

The formula for kid friendly programming starts with a simple concept: an ordinary person in an extraordinary situation. Shows about a teen girl leading a double life as a pop star or a group of boys managing and performing in their own band has the right fantasy quotient for the target audience. Celebrity and fantasy go hand in hand and both are empowering to this audience. Layer onto the aspirational quality of life that these new stars are living is the musical context. Shows as The Naked Brother’s Band and High School Musical offer male role models in musical contexts; talent show performers, boy-kid bands, undercover rock stars and athlete-singers are the new stars in tween eyes!

Disney Channel lead the way when in 2001 the executives realized that music was an important part of the formula for serving the tween audience. By backing concerts and turning series lead actors into pop stars, they could launch music acts and increase the show and the brand’s reach. Hillary Duff's 2003 album and soundtrack, the Cheetah Girls show and, most recently, Hannah Montana’s success have proved them right. The are continuing to use the same formula to back HSM2’s Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu.

So what does all of this realism do for the Licensing Market? The obvious tee shirt and character driven backpacks still exist but how will we replace all of the other iterations and character art possibilities that we have with animated shows and plotlines?

Many of these shows have already branched out into new territory that can be mined for licensing opportunities. HSM2 has a digital Twister game while other shows such as Drake and Josh are now licensed into digital game platforms that feature great art that should be turned into a style guide for apparel licensing. Bratz, while launching its reality movie this past weekend, has also launched a new doll-interactive site where kids can log on, name, dress and interact with other doll owners (think Webkins for Bratz). The result could lead to licensing opportunities where girls ‘design’ and purchase apparel that they ‘design’ or there could be an entirely new style guide based on the interactive experience.

Finally, just like Disney has turned each lead star into a pop star, many tween performers can be approached for outside deals and licensing agreements for apparel. Disney is leading the way Hannah Montana fashion gear (not just printed tees but an entire collection of Hannah Montana fashion apparel) at Miley-cyrus.com.

See link to Snoops story on this: (Hannah Montana)

Now more than ever is the time ot start thinking about celebrity lines and licensing for the tween market. You will end up with something more than tee shirts and you will be on the cutting edge of licensing!

At Fashion Snoops we have already brokered several celebrity licensing relationships so if you are looking to expand your licensing to include some ‘reality’ tween stars, give us a call!

New tween reality shows and movies to watch for:

• iCarly on Nickelodeon (features online podcast talent show that audience can submit their own segments)
  

• HSM2 on August 17, The Disney Channel
  

• Hairspray, in theaters now
  

• Bratz the Movie in theaters now
  

• Alvin and the Chipmunks coming to theaters soon
  

• Underdog in theaters now