Voices
Navigating Changes In The Dynamic Kidswear Market 
With constant changes like new generations of parents entering the market, policies between countries shifting, technological advances like AI entering the scene, and so much more, it can be hard to know what to do. So, this winter at Playtime & Kid’s Hub New York, we gathered a panel of experts to discuss navigating changes in the dynamic kids’ fashion and lifestyle industry. Offering actionable tips and first hand experiences, this panel was full of insightful information!
To get further insight into navigating changes, the seminar moderator and owner of the boutique Babesta, Jennifer Cattaui, gathered the panel again to dive deeper into the subject. Join these experts once more in the article she wrote to learn more about navigating changes!
From left to right: Jenn from Babesta, Ali from Ali’s Market, Cissy from Momiji, Lynsi from Saint Ida, and Erin from WGSN (Photo by Nafisa Skeie).Ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus was onto something when he said, “There’s nothing permanent but change.” And for us in the children’s fashion industry, there’s no doubt that 2025 is delivering a heck of a lot of change, from new customers, to new regulations and new technologies.
For children’s fashion brands and retailers, responding to a changing market has always been baked in the pie when it comes to customers. Every five to ten years our customers grow up and size out, not to mention we’re on to a new generation of parents who have fresh and unique needs and habits when it comes to shopping for their littles.
Now up to bat is Gen Z, a generation for whom “authenticity reigns supreme,” notes Erin Rechner, Head of Childrenswear at trend forecasting firm WGSN. “There is no loyalty like there used to be, making it incredibly difficult for brands.” These days, being on point to dazzle this fickle new client can be a challenge, especially when trying to listen through the noise of TikTok trends and “cores” she notes.
On top of appealing to this new generation of parents, we also have to worry about our broader client base who have been increasingly resistant to opening their Birkins (or Wirkins). But, according to Allison Moroze of multi brand showroom Ali’s Market, this resistance is not necessarily about the price. “Boutique customers often don’t mind the dollar, but they want the value of that dollar.” The opportunity, she says, is in better education and communication.
Lynsi Coressel, founder of Saint Ida Swimwear agrees. “At Saint Ida’s, we’re teaching buyers about what it means to purchase something that’s built to last — something that is not disposable — and pass it down.” They’ve also moved away from platforms that favor mass production at lower costs. Instead, Coressel says they’re seeing a lot of success with better aligned retailers — many of them surf and swim shops — where customers are looking for quality technical swimwear. “Find that organic group of people who like your brand and lean into it,” she advises.
Saint Ida SwimwearFor their part, many retailers are widening their offerings to address more of their customer’s needs. Dalia Seltzer, CEO of childrenswear marketplace Maisonette, says they’ve expanded their price range and the brands they offer. “The same customer may want a $200 dress AND a 3-pack of leggings for $40.” They’ve also broadened their aesthetic, Seltzer notes, allowing them to reach more kids with different styles.
Convenience, too, is top of mind for Maisonette’s Seltzer who knows that anything to make shopping easier will make customers happier. To that end, she says, they’ve started offering more product bundles and sets.
“Over the last few years, we noticed that one of the product types that continuously outperformed was mixed apparel sets. The more SKUs we added, the stronger this product type performed,” she shares. Realizing they’d hit on something that her customer truly wanted, Seltzer says they leaned in and took it further. “We decided to apply the same logic to other categories — bundles of Halloween costume accessories, bundles of low-price point toys, and multi-packs of leggings and t-shirts. It has worked across the board.”
Of course with all this talk of price and assortment, it’s hard not to think about the specter of tariffs that — at the time of writing — was to be 10% on Chinese imports and 25% on Canadian and Mexican imports. However, before setting off the alarm remember, tariffs are just part of the equation when it comes to sourcing.
Most important, says Saint Ida Swimwear’s Coressel, is the product itself. “Quality, quality, quality is our hallmark. We want to always have beautiful products that will never wear, fade or break.” She says a potential tariff won’t change their sourcing strategy. “Tariffs will always come and go, but quality will make your brand stand out for a lifetime.”
Cissy Kang, co-owner of Momiji, a Singapore-based children’s furniture brand that manufactures in Indonesia, calls her own sourcing approach “fluid.” Kang and her partner, who took over Momiji a couple years ago, had to review all of the sourcing choices and options to ensure they were getting the right quality product at the right price.
MomijiAlthough they too are not planning any changes as to sourcing, for anyone who is, Kang has one piece of advice: Find a trusted local contact on the ground where your factory is located. “When you’re long distance, it’s too easy for a supplier to promise you the moon and send you a container of nasty surprises, all the while prioritizing other users who have local contacts exerting pressure on them.”
The potential of tariffs is also making retailers look hard at their assortments. “As there’s a lot in flux that affects every part of the supply chain [including the final price to the customers], we’re working through this with some of the brands that we carry,” says Selzer of Maisonette. Of course, with 750 brands in their assortment, their risk is diversified.
For businesses trying to balance a value-conscious consumer and an ecosystem of rising costs, AI can be a welcome new tool in the toolbelt so to speak. Today, brands are leveraging the technology in all sorts of ways to make their businesses run faster and more efficiently — getting an AI assist in everything from copywriting to consumer profiling. Kang is a big fan of Photoshop’s generative AI capabilities in particular, as she says that the tech helped her out when they had shot a campaign vertically but ended up needing it in landscape.
“By generatively expanding the image it saved us hours of graphic design work and significant funds as we didn’t need to reshoot.” Coressel uses the technology for inspiration and to ensure their designs’ authenticity. “We’ll query ‘show me swim ads from the 70s,’ or ‘pictures of people on the beach from the 60s and 70s,’ or even ‘swimsuit patterns of the 70s.’” Instantly she can view real vintage pictures and products that may spark an idea.
Of course, as always these efficiencies come at a cost, WGSN’s Rechner cautions. “Compared to a Google search, Chat GPT takes 10x more energy to produce a single answer.” She advises if it’s something you could just as easily do with an internet search, consider making the more sustainable choice.
Rechner admits the question of sustainability is a tricky one these days, as consumers are saying they want it but they’re not seeking it out: the old talk the talk but don’t walk the walk problem. But, she notes, this doesn’t mean brands shouldn’t keep pursuing their sustainability goals (we all need to for the planet’s sake). Companies with authentic commitments can stand out in the market, like new-to-the-US brand Momiji. In fact, Kang says at Momiji they’re doubling down by getting formal certifications and quantifying their carbon footprint as others have gotten quiet on the issue.
But for retailers and brands having a hard time balancing cost and commitments, Rechner has this to say: “Just be authentic. Even though you can’t achieve everything to be sustainable, be sure to relay to your consumers that you are working on it and trying to be better.”
Flöss“This will lead to more success than doing a lot of things not as well. It allows you to be more nimble in addressing consumer trends and market hurdles.” – Lynsi Coressel/Saint Ida Swimwear
”For example, sourcing: If you are a European brand and where you are made is critically important to buyers, then you should consider a location with that in mind. However if your manufacturer can’t produce a good quality product, within the price point that you need, in a way that will work for you and your consumers, you need to keep looking.” – Lynsi Coressel/Saint Ida Swimwear
“Often you have a small clue or feeling about the direction you want to head in but the path forward is completely unclear. Keep enquiring, talking, and meeting. Every new person you share your vision or questions with can help bring you one step closer to the exact contact you need to tackle your problem.” -Cissy Kang, Momiji
“As being a sustainable business increasingly becomes the norm, invest in extra branding campaigns or formal certifications to clearly distinguish yourself at the higher tier. This way consumers can also quantify your business value at a glance.” -Cissy Kang, Momiji
“Be honest and champion what you personally connect with. There’s a real chance to connect to consumers in a way that’s your most authentic self.” – Erin Rechner, WGSN
“Even if your consumers aren’t prioritizing sustainability, you can reframe your products to incorporate it as the “and.” For example, consider a bag that’s appealing for its compact shape, ability to be stored on planes, convenience for subway travel AND happens to be made with 100% recycled materials.” -Erin Rechner, WGSN
“Just like retailers engage with customers, manufacturers should engage with the retailers. That means more sales books and storylines — anything you can use to teach retailers about your product so that they can best present its value.” – Allison Moroze, Ali’s Market
“Don’t get overwhelmed by your inbox — Spend 30 minutes a day to organize and use folders so it’s easy to find things. It will save you a lot of time and frustration. Also, if you’re a brand, label your photos so that they make sense to everyone who will use them. That means, don’t just name them the season or a style number. Try something like Brand-Garment Name-Color, so that all the information is there.” -Allison Moroze, Ali’s Market
“It sounds easy in theory, but in practice it’s not always so straightforward. For us as a marketplace, diversification means that we cannot rely too heavily on a small cohort of brands to be our main revenue drivers. We’re always looking for new and interesting brands in every category. For a company that manufactures products, diversifying risk might look like a factory base in multiple countries. Usually, change is a blessing in disguise, so embrace it! It’s often a push to reorganize and become more operationally efficient.” – Dalia Seltzer, Maisonette
“How can you automate redundant tasks and empower your team with more time to be strategic? There are so many innovative companies out there now doing incredible things with AI for the retail industry.” – Dalia Selzer, Maisonette
From left to right: Noelle From Earnshaw’s Kids; Jenn from Babesta; Ali from Ali’s Market; Cissy from Momiji; Lynsi from Saint Ida; and Erin from WGSN (Photo by Nafisa Skeie).
Thank you to Jenn for this outstanding article and to the panelists for sharing their insights on navigating changes within the kid’s industry. We hope you feel more informed about navigating changes thanks to their actionable tips. For more insights, (re)watch the live seminar any time here on our Instagram.
The seminar at Playtime & Kid’s Hub New York is hosted in partnership with Earnshaw’s Kids each season. We can’t wait to share with you who will be on the panel and what the topic will be for the summer edition July 27-29, so stay tuned!
