Luxury kidswear designer calls for a sustainable 'new normal'

Elodie Le Derf, head designer and fo-founder of slow-fashion label Born - a luxury brand that boasts of clientele among Bollywood's star kids - finds the kids' fashion industry has also been greatly affected during the time of the lockdown, like all industries, but nonetheless stresses on dressing in sustainable fashion, especially for children.

"It might be a bit early to talk about how the market will be affected. We can only make assumptions, and prepare for change in consumer shopping habits. While we have our own retail store and an online retail model, even online sales were slowed down by the fact that we couldn't courier non essential products. For a lot of people it was an obstacle to buy. We have remained positive and keep our community engaged. We were lucky and got a positive response online. Luckily babies and kids continue growing up and will need their wardrobe to be renewed frequently. However, people are more conscious of the way they spend their money and we are expecting a drop in sales in the coming months," Elodie told IANSlife in an email.

What is the trend expected to be like post-pandemic?

The fashion expert hints at online sales growing in the near future as people will probably feel a bit apprehensive of going outside to shop. "Brands will have to find a way to create a unique virtual shopping experience. We will have to develop a hybrid model of social media, e-commerce, and WhatsApp to build and maintain customer relationships and to continue to pamper our customers. We are working on a concierge/shopping assistant model, using video chats to share looks and connect with the customers one-on-one."

Speaking of slow eco-conscious fashion, a movement gaining feet even before the shutdown, the fashion entrepreneur hopes it is the way forward.

The French designer shares, "a lot of people have been reflecting a lot on their lifestyle and their way of consuming during this lockdown. We have seen the consumption of health products and organic food going up during this time. The environment has definitely been in the center of all discussions and debates. People have realised that it is still possible to reverse things and change our impact on the planet by being more responsible."

Since she has a kidswear label that also makes clothes for both mums and kids - like their latest Twinning collection, Elodie is vocal about catching young consumers early. The brand did a small collection of cloth masks for mothers and kids with their scrap fabrics.

"As parents we have to be responsible, as our kids mostly learn a lot by imitating us and watching the way we live. At an early age, they are able to understand why it is bad to use plastic and why we have to preserve nature. Likewise we can slowly raise awareness among young children about green fashion, organic food, sustainability in general by communicating about it frequently so that it becomes part of their life," she believes.

The way we are taught healthy eating habits when we're kids, similarly we need to introduce sustainable consumption habits with our kids, she said. "I truly believe that more people will try to change their lifestyle and find more interest in responsible and sustainable brands. I am hoping that sustainable fashion will be the new normal, and not the exception," she signed off.