The Coolest Designer Clothing Brands For Kids
Kids in designer clothing. Discuss…
So, depending on your priorities – whether you are a parent or not, your interest in fashion, how you want to project your image of family, your disposable income, and a vast number of other intangible variables – dressing your children in designer clothing might be perfectly normal, or perfectly mental. Both are understandable.
As a parent myself, and someone who has worked in fashion for 20 years, I get both sides of the equation. I have a 12-year-old son who is more interested in his Fortnite skin than his own wardrobe, and a 15-year-old daughter who is the Griselda Blancos of Depop, practically running an import/export business in her mum’s second-hand designer clothes.
From a parent’s point of view, designer clothes for kids are a sunk cost because children grow fast. But by the same token, you’re much more likely to pass on designer children’s clothes rather than throwing them away, extending the life cycle of the garment. You can also impress upon your offspring the need to look after their expensive clothing, cherish it, and appreciate its value.
Introducing older children to designer clothing is a lesson in cultural signifiers, status, design, style, and, in some cases, sustainability because they can repurpose their old designer garments on resale sites. Trust me, they don’t turn into vacuous label slaves – if anything the high prices make them inquisitive to know why.
Whichever camp you fall into, there has been one Dutch business that has specialised in designer clothing for kids for over 30 years, beautifully curating the best kit from across the spectrum of luxury fashion labels. Based in Rotterdam, Superstellar is a one-stop shop for stylish little people. Featuring all of the biggest luxury kids labels, we’ve handpicked our favourite brands and highlighted what kind of kit they’re best for.
So step aside, Dad, junior ballers are coming through…
Palm Angels
Luxury LA streetwear label Palm Angels has been a West Coast celebrity favourite for seasons thanks to its laid-back graphic tees and broken bear motif. The brand hasn’t watered down the design for the kids either, replicating much of the adult collection in the kidswear.
Relaxed logo sweatshirts and hoodies are favourites, as are super-cool bucket hats and branded socks for your little skater dudes. Look out for some great denim shorts and shirts, too.
Off-White
Founded by the late great Virgil Abloh, Off-White was one of the pioneers that transitioned streetwear into a luxury proposition. While its founder is no longer with us, the momentum has not stopped.
Known for its cross logo, ‘branding’ devices and cool denim pieces, the kidswear is a great distillation of all of those elements, with some logo-rich tees and sweats on the wishlist, together with a few key denim pieces complete with graphic elements.
Moncler
The technical outerwear specialist turned luxury fashion label produces some of the most iconic puffer jackets on the market. If you can’t get over the steep prices for the main collection, you might as well load your little ones up at Superstellar.
While Moncler offers plenty of tees and shorts, we’d skip that and head straight for the polo shirts and outerwear. The former come in piqué cotton with striped collar and sleeve detailing, while the latter is a pretty expansive collection of jackets, from lightweight technical zip-throughs to requisite puffers and padded gilets.
Stone Island
The Italian cult label Stone Island has long been recognised for its pioneering work with technical fabrications, which have duly filtered down into its kid’s collections.
Superstellar stocks an eclectic selection of shorts and polos in various block colours, along with sweatshirts and hoodies, but we love the hooded technical jackets the most.
Givenchy
For your little logo soldiers with a penchant for top-class Parisian fashion heritage, Givenchy kidswear is second to none.
There’s nothing subtle about Givenchy’s branding – the house name is neatly splattered across its tees, sweats, hoodies and shorts for maximum label broadcasting.
Versace
As you’d expect from the lauded Italian label, Versace’s kid’s collection has a touch of glamour to it, which makes it, above all, fun to wear.
The checkerboard shirt and shorts duo sets the bar for junior baller status and will have your guy strutting around like the King of South Beach.
As well as Versace’s bold prints across shorts, Superstellar has some uber-cool bomber jackets that’ll make you want to have more kids.
Tommy Hilfiger
An icon of American modern preppy style has deftly combined collegiate cool with a sportswear aesthetic for decades, handing the baton down to his kidswear collections, too.
The current collection spans all ages, with everything from cute rompers for toddlers to clean-cut polos and sweats for older kids. The tapered denim jeans in particular offer really good value.
Fendi
Fendi may have just produced our favourite kid’s collection this season. Naturally, there’s plenty of the Fendi geometric ‘F’ pattern across polos, jackets, zip-tops and accessories, most of which come in the brand’s signature colour palette of black, white and tan.
But what we really love is the extensive footwear range, spanning everything from slick kicks to proper military boots with logo details.
Antony Morato
If you want to elevate your boy’s wardrobe with some sartorial sharpness, Antony Morato will be right up your street. The Italian brand, founded in 2007 by Lello Caldarelli, has long pioneered designer kidswear, having first launched the genre in 2010.
We love his tailored short suits and short-sleeved shirts, both of which would be on the money for smart summer events such as weddings.
Armani
Giorgio Armani’s cultured brand of Italian minimalism has been neatly translated into a slick and sophisticated range for kids that focuses on easy-to-style tees, sweats and polos.
The collection rarely deviates from the Italian designer’s understated palette of putty tones and neutral hues, bringing that sense of sophistication that defines its mainline menswear.
The hooded varsity jacket is a highlight this season, adding a touch of modern preppiness to the pared-back casualness of it all.
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A paid partnership with Superstellar – words and opinions are Ape’s own.