CRADLE WILL ROCK
Byline: Jessica Kerwin
NEW YORK — If all the kids who were forced to dress like nerds turned into rock stars and rebels, then what will happen to the ones who grow up wearing the new D&G Junior line? Are Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana paving the way for a generation full of accountants and librarians?
The duo’s children’s line is full of all the clothes their grown-up customers love — literally. A graffiti print from last fall’s D&G collection graces an itsy-bitsy denim mini, a fleet of T-shirts and even a little shearling coat, while that season’s screaming red-and-pink stripes have been worked into a small Mod-ish blazer and matching corduroy pants. It gives new meaning to the phrase “hand-me-downs.” For boys, there’s a tiny leather motorcycle jacket, just like one shown with the spring men’s line, and for girls, cherry-print undies that are tiny replicas of those in the women’s lingerie line this season. Sizes run from a children’s 2 to size 14, and the collection has already been picked up by Barneys, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and children’s boutiques worldwide.
Of course, Dolce and Gabbana didn’t skimp on the leopard prints. Do they ever? The collection is loaded with spotted stuff, from knits to earmuffs to a fur coat. Which brings us to another point. Dolce and Gabbana’s kind of playground cool doesn’t come cheap, kids. Wholesale prices range from $16 for a T-shirt to around $40 for distressed and patched jeans to $100 for a little fringed cowboy jacket, while shearlings and furs go from $425 to $800. But then, did high prices ever stop a true fashionista? Wearing those butterfly-printed mary janes as a girl is just the kind of fashion moment you could obsess over for decades. As they say, you’re only young once.