KIDORAMA: 200YRS OF CHILDRENS FASHION

Concoctions of colour and geometric shapes are just two of many irreplaceable ingredients in Jonathan Lawes Print 03 Design for MiniHuman and LittleHuman Clothes That Grow. Taking form back at the end of 2021, our collaboration with J. Lawes is now reaching new heights as it features in a retrospective exhibition of 200 years of childrenswear at the Fashion & Lace Museum in Brussels.

Through thematic and chronological pathways, the exhibit tours the history of fashion for children up to 12 years of age. It is a frankly crazy honour for our sustainable childrenswear innovation to be part of the narrative which journeys through constructions of gender, developments in unisex childrenswear and growing interests in luxury clothing amongst other focuses. Like the rapid growth of LittleHumans, childrens fashion has made leaps and bounds over the years. More inclusive, less restrictive, more ecological, each year new brands and inventions take flight.

Here at Petit Pli, our story started out with addressing a fundamental problem in childrenswear and technical outerwear, LittleHumans grow out of clothing at lightning speed. Our contribution? Petit Pli designs significantly reduce carbon footprint at the point of production, distribution and after purchase. Our garments grow up to 7 sizes – that’s 1 Petit Pli garment purchased in place of 7 traditional ones.

We have always liked riddles at Petit Pli. We believe our Clothes That Grow design solution solves the pain many new parents are riddled with. When designing our garments we learned no one LittleHuman grows alike. They may all have LittleHuman forms but have very different geometries; they're geometric riddles! That's why for our first ever collaborative design - Print 03, we decided to collaborate with an artist who is as obsessed with the geometric world as us!

Based in South East London, Jonathan Lawes experiments with predominantly silkscreen printing to craft bold and vibrant works. Lawes is as obsessed with the geometric world as us! Expert cognitive psychologists have long written about the impact of colour and pattern in active LittleHuman minds, particularly on improved memory and awareness. For the opportunity to feature in a holistic, rigorous retrospective, Print 03 is our proud archetype.

Kidorama: 200 years of childrens fashion, is on until the 5th March 2023. Be sure to swing by if you’re visiting before then. The Fashion & Lace Museum is a mere six-minute walk from Brussels Central Station!

Here’s to the next 200 years of future childrenswear. We’re happy to be here and will continue exploring versatility, sustainability and the outer boundaries.