Meet the retailer who says: Designer togs for kids? Pre-loved makes sense - The Jewish Chronicle

Shoshana Kazab still remembers the moment her father returned home from a work trip to New York, with a very special set of Christian Dior pyjamas.

“They were a blush pink, with the Dior print. They were so silky,” recalls Kazab, who was six at the time. “I opened this lovely box with tissue paper and found the short-sleeved shirt and shorts set.

"Even as a child, I knew they were special. I remember growing out of them and not wanting to give them up,” she laughs. “You just never forget things like that.”

So perhaps, it should come as no surprise that London-based Kazab has become an authority in the business of luxury baby and childrenswear — albeit with a twist.

For more than 15 years, she has worked with top brands in her capacity as the founder of industry PR agency, Fuse Communications.

She has represented leading names from children’s designer Rachel Riley, a favourite of the Royal Family, to Mischka Aoki, where girls’ couture dresses retail for thousands of pounds.

She has selected clothes for the children of celebrities and influencers across the globe and seen sales soar for clients when famous kids are photographed wearing their latest pieces.

Kazab champions high-end children’s fashion, noting that it is often more sustainable, ethically made, and a key part of British culture, in part stemming from public interest in what the royal children wear, from knee-high socks to hand-smocking, plaid prints and white Peter Pan collars.

“I do not like fast fashion,” she says. “I don’t buy it myself, and I think it is a false economy. Cheaper garments tend to be badly made and the practices in the industry are questionable. I would always rather invest in quality garments that have longevity, that you can gift, pass to someone else or sell.”

She accepts that for most people the luxury price-point is too high, especially for children who might only wear a garment a few times before growing out of it.

In 2018, she tapped into the second-hand fashion sector, launching Kidswear Collective, a company that encourages customers to buy and sell pre-loved children’s clothes through her business.

Kidswear Collective box 2

A Kidswear Collective box of clothing

The five-strong team based in Primrose Hill ensure that all stock is authentic, cleaned, and repackaged — taking a commission of up to 50 per cent on pieces sold.

With up to 80 per cent off items, she offers Dolce & Gabbana, Dior and Missoni pieces for a fraction of their original price — as well as accessories, swimwear and everyday clothing.

“We never know what stock we are going to get,” she says. “I get so excited when we get a Dior, or a limited-edition piece that people might not have been able to buy first-time round.”

Kidswear Collective started online but now has floorspace in major retailers, including Selfridges and Fenwick branches across the country. Next month it will launch a pop-up shop in Bicester Village, Oxfordshire.

Rachel Riley Prince George smocked shirt & short set

“We are appealing to people who want luxury, but not the price tag that goes with it,” says Kazab, who is so petite that she bagged a pair of pre-owned jeans, meant for girls aged 12 for herself.

“People are increasingly affected by the cost-of-living crisis; they might love luxury goods but not have the budget for it. At the same time, they are conscious about the environmental impact behind decisions they make, so they don’t want to buy fast fashion.

This fills the gap. The conversation around pre-owned fashion is changing.
“Buying pre-owned pieces is such a good idea.

"It gives you access to beautiful garments and accessories at an affordable price-point. There is also that feelgood factor about wearing something that hasn’t had an additional footprint.”

For an item of clothing to be considered “sustainable”, it needs to be worn at least 30 times. “That just does not happen with kids’ clothes. On average they get worn five times, less for under-twos, because they grow out of them, or they won’t wear a dress to every party they go to. Children’s clothes need more owners to reach that minimum threshold of sustainability.”

Kidswear Collective was born out of a “Eureka moment” Kazab had when she saw a trendy woman shopping in a New York second-hand shop in June 2018.

“The store had a really nice, luxurious vibe. There were Pucci and Chanel dresses on the rails. Any preconceived ideas of second-hand items not being aspirational went away. It was a luxury experience and I thought: ‘We could do that in the kids’ space.’”

With her husband, who specialised in financial technology, Kazab launched Kidswear Collective. In June, it underwent its first round of investment, raising £265,000. Next year, Kazab hopes to attract a further £1 million, and is in talks with more major retailers.

In October, Kidswear Collective opened its first international concession in the Galeries LaFayette department store in Doha, Qatar. Even Kazab was surprised at the demand. “I never thought the Middle Eastern market would be ready for this yet, but they are. Dolce & Gabbana pieces, Fendi and Dior are in demand; there is no stigma.”

Growing up in Hendon with her Iraqi Jewish father, who moved to the UK in the 1960s, and Finland-born mother, the former Henrietta Barnett school student recalls spending weekends as a teenager working at the iconic Please Mum shop in Golders Green, where, she recalls,“We all used to go to get outfits. You would see everyone from the Jewish community there.”

Today, she says we still appreciate quality dressing to mark special occasions. “So many kids going to shul on Saturday always look impeccable. The Jewish community has always been good at understanding quality fashion,” she says.

Whilst she still represents major brands through her PR agency, and encourages them to put unsold stock on Kidswear Collective, Kazab describes her entry into the fashion industry as “the biggest accident”.

“I didn’t know the first thing about kidswear,” she says, having worked in the fitness industry as a marketing consultant in 2004, before agreeing to take on a Danish children’s brand as a client. “I tried it and really liked it. It felt ‘untapped’, so I never looked back.”

There have been some stand-out moments.

As well as seeing pre-owned items first sold on Kidswear come back into circulation on the website for another customer to enjoy, she recalls a special note: “An NHS nurse was one of our first customers.

She wrote to tell us how much she loved what we were doing. She had bought a quality Moncler coat that she could not have afforded first-hand.

“Of course we want our business to be commercially successful, but it is also so nice to be involved in something that feels purposeful.”

www.kidswearcollective.com

Topics:

Fashion

Environment