It’s a Girls’!

As the famous lyric in the 1957 song by Maurice Chevalier goes, thank heaven for little girls. Kapital K’s Owner and Designer Spencer Sujjaporamest is certainly thinking along these lines as he launches a full-fledged girls’ assortment slated to bow at Children’s Club this month in New York.

As Sujjaporamest tells it, Kapital K began nine years ago with a boys’ collection that fulfilled a void in the marketplace—that is, a contemporary line at affordable price points in a world where most boys’ clothing was either high-end or mass-produced. Armed with 20 years of experience in the business (previously an executive of a womenswear brand), Sujjaporamest decided childrenswear fit his personality better than the cut-throat, politics-heavy women’s environment. “For me, you just can’t go wrong with kids’ fashion,” he says. “I love the whole process of designing from two dimensions to three dimensions, and kids clothing gives me this opportunity. They’re just shrunken-down versions of adult clothing.”

Every season, Kapital K adds to its assortment. A few years ago, a layette range bowed. Last year, swimwear was added. For Spring ’17, the company started dipping its toe into girls’ silhouettes, specifically infant and toddler dresses in various prints. For fall, however, the girls’ collection is wide-ranging, from outerwear and holiday dresses to separates and coordinates. The boys’ lineup is also filling out with new items to complement the girls’ collection as Sujjaporamest envisions stores will pick up pairings like big brother/little sister ensembles.

Kapital K’s girls’ collection is also introducing several new fabrics—some exclusive—including double-faced silver Lurex, French terry, plaid flannel, knit denim terry, patterned and sequined mesh, gold metallic jacquard, leopard-printed poplin, sherpa, faux fur and metallic wool tweeds. Key silhouettes include open-shoulder dresses and tops in both A-line and swing styles. For fall, the color palette revolves around dusty pink, dark navy and heathered cranberry accented with frosty ivory and beige hues as well as sparkling metallic silver and gold.

With the girls’ line, Kapital K hopes to add to the retailers it already serves—about 250 to 300 stores comprised of major department stores and specialty boutiques. About 80 percent of goods are produced in Thailand while some trims and materials hail from Hong Kong, Japan or Korea. Producing in Asia has allowed Sujjaporamest to keep price points competitive—ranging from $12 to $29 wholesale. “That’s why our customers keep coming back,” he says, noting sizes range from newborn to size 6. “They get a lot for what they pay for. We don’t cut corners, and we try to give them as much as we can afford.”

As for what’s behind the Kapital K brand name? Sujjaporamest can’t help you there. “I wish I had a really good back story,” he laughs. “People tell me to make one up. It’s just a play on words that isn’t too serious or common. It’s a good name for us. It rolls off the tongue.”