After two decades of championing a more considered approach to fashion, Aotearoa label Kowtow is turning its attention to the next generation with the launch of Kowtow Mini, its first-ever childrenswear collection.
Launching Thursday 5 November, the limited-edition capsule takes a selection of styles from the brand’s Prospect Sky collection and scaled them down for little ones. Think playful silhouettes, cheerful colours and prints, all crafted from 100% Fairtrade organic cotton and entirely plastic-free.
For designer Dayne Johnston, the move into childrenswear marks an exciting new chapter, and one that has been some time in the making.
“It felt like a natural extension of the Kowtow world,” Johnston explains, “After 20 years of designing womenswear and menswear, we have developed a strong design language, and introducing childrenswear gave us an opportunity to explore that language in a different way.”
When selecting which pieces to adapt for the childrenswear capsule, the team gravitated towards styles that balanced playfulness with practicality, retaining the charm of the original collection while ensuring each design was perfectly suited to its new, pint-sized wearer.
“It wasn’t simply a matter of making the garments smaller,” the designer explains. “We had to think about proportion, movement, comfort and practicality, and how children actually wear and interact with their clothes.”
The result is a collection designed for curious minds and busy little bodies, without compromising on the brand’s longstanding commitment to responsible production.
And while Kowtow Mini is currently a limited release, it may not be the last we see of the label’s foray into childrenswear.
“I think there is definitely an opportunity for childrenswear to become part of the wider Kowtow offering,” Johnston shares. “There’s something really special about seeing the Kowtow aesthetic carried through to another generation, and we’d love to explore where that could go.”
The Kowtow Mini capsule is available in limited quantities from Thursday 5th November at Kowtow stores.
