What Makes Australian Designers so Good?

We’ve had a very busy past couple of months here at Mini Treasure Kids visiting the Bubble trade show in London then Pitti Bimbo in Florence and back to Melbourne where we attended Kids in Style in early August.

We were flattered that LMNOP blog described us as “local heroes” and “the toast of the town” at the Europe tradeshows.

The latest edition of Studio Bambini features an article on Pitti Bimbo, the “world’s largest and most prestigious children’s fashion trade show.” Our very own Conie Silvestro is quoted as saying “Pitti is the fair to be at to capture a worldwide audience. Pitti Bimbo is the pinnacle of trade shows – the attendance is high and the products are of exceptional quality."

So we were wondering, what makes Australian Designers So Good?

When you hear the word “designer” you will probably immediately think of clothing that comes from Paris or Italy, countries that have a rich history with fashion and culture.

But we consider Australian Designers to be up there with some of the best in the world, a breath of fresh air with unique designs, ideas and creativity.

Australia certainly has a unique landscape and climate and our culture and history certainly make us a distinctive country in many ways. Australian designed clothing is undoubtedly beautiful and inspiring with a modern edge while still remaining timeless.

“There is a place for (Australian fashion) as we don’t look the same as all the labels in Europe,” says Conie.

Mini Treasure Kids is proudly 100% Australian (and proud Melbournites) – stay tuned as we reveal our Summer Range in the upcoming weeks.

Pitti Immagine Bimbo Tradeshow in Florence

June is a very busy month for Mini Treasure Kids.

Next Tuesday, 7th June, is the photo shoot for our Winter 2012 collection featuring the three gorgeous models who won our Search for a Model competition Dylan, Rihanna and Mahalia.

After that we are attending the Bubble London Tradeshow on the 19th and 20th June.

Then is the very prestigious Pitti Immagine Bimbo Tradeshow in Florence from 23rd to 25th June.

Later next week Conie is heading over to Italy (with husband & four kids in tow) to attend the show in Florence.

According to the website, "539 collections presented, of which 208 from abroad, just under 7,000 buyers out of a total of over 11,000 visitors at the last summer edition: these figures confirm Pitti Bimbo’s role as the only trade fair in the world that presents a complete overview of children’s fashions, combining it with an extraordinary platform for presenting new kids’ fashion and lifestyle trends."

There are some top Italian and international buyers attending, such as: Harrods and Selfridges (UK), Le Bon Marche and Galeries Lafayette (France) Barney's, Begdorf Goodman, Saks and Neiman Marcus from the USA as well as other top department stores and boutiques from Japan, Russia, Emirates, Turkey, Hong Kong and even Brazil!

Along with Mini Treasure Kids there are some other Australian labels going such as our friends from Old Soles and Minimink.

This is the first time Mini Treasure Kids has hit Italian shores and we can't wait to show the world our gorgeous Australian label!

Kids in Style

It’s hard to believe it has been a week since the Kid’s In Style (KIS) Trade Fair in Sydney.

If you are not a retailer or wholesaler you might wonder what actually goes on behind the doors of a trade show.

At KIS basically the large open floor of the Hordern Pavilion was transformed into the ultimate shopping experience with little ‘rooms’ or shops where exhibitors displayed their shiny new things whether it be children’s clothing, shoes, toys, bedding, baby items and accessories. KIS is a little different from a mainstream trade show; all the exhibitors are chosen by a Jury to attend and must show a high quality product and good design.

For MTK we loved sitting and chatting to our existing retailers and lots of new ones. We love to keep in touch and chat about their business and our clothes. We were very pleased to hear people comment quite often about how gorgeous and lovely our upcoming ranges are!

Of course, it was fun to check out the other exhibitors – our favourites were: Old Soles and Minimink.

Here are some pictures of our little 'room' and if you look carefully you can sneak a peak at some of our upcoming ranges!