Briana Hersh, Designer, Haven Girl

What is your brand best known for? Bling, comfort and amazing prints!

Who is your target consumer? The mom whose daughter wants to be fashion-forward but still look like a kid. We offer trend-driven items with comfort and age-appropriate styles.

What served as your inspiration for Spring ’11? I watch the women’s market because my daughter always wants what I have on. That is what drives the line. Most recently, I saw a ton of animal and tribal prints, tie-dye, asymmetrical bodies, embellished leggings, zippers and neon. Eighties trends continue to be big this season.

Are you carrying over any successes from past collections? Skorts are always something we offer. They will be updated in new prints with new embellishments. Valentine’s Day tees are always a great gift item our stores love. We have a dozen new and improved versions.

What’s your favorite item from this collection? There is a white and black polka dot dress in the “Show Off” group with ruching on the sides and an off-the-shoulder neckline with a neon tank on one side. It is so ’80s. I would wear it right now if I had it in my size!

Did you adapt your designs or merchandising strategy given the economy? We try to offer more for the same price, so the customer really feels the value of the garment. Also, we have offered more basic items for less as an option for those who have really had to become more price-conscious. In addition, we have tried our best not to raise prices, even though the cost of doing business continues to change.

How is designing for spring different from designing for fall? Spring is so much more fun! I love all the color. There are no boundaries for spring. Living in California, our weather is spring-friendly all year. Fall is always more challenging for me because we don’t have a traditional fall season in California. I work twice as hard on concepts and bodies. But it pays off, because year after year it appears to be our best season.

At what point did you know you wanted to be a designer? My daughter Haven Blu was 3 years old. I had just graduated with a degree in psychology and was visiting my family in Bali when I realized I wanted to do something more creative. My family has had a women’s line for 30 years, so the natural step was for me to develop the children’s division.

Airianne Fink, Designer, Pinc Premium

What is your brand best known for? Pinc Premium is known for an adult-styled jean fitted for a little girl ages 4 to 14. I am always hearing from customers how much they like our fit.

How has the brand’s line evolved over time? We started with the focus of denim, but over the past few years the line has grown to include tops, dresses and jackets.

Are you carrying over any successes from past collections? Our jeggings were an enormous success for us the last two seasons—they’re so comfy. We found an amazing soft, stretchy denim knit for spring that we’re really excited about. We are offering the jegging in new washes and in several different lengths with updated styling and embellishments. We’re also bringing back the knit motorcycle jacket in a light wash with added raw edges and distressing.

What else will we see in your spring line? Chambray rompers in three different styles and colors. We’re primarily staying skinny with the bottoms but adding extra zippers, pockets, seams and distressing. The denims will be stretchy and the washes will be contrasting—either beachy light or classic dark. The spring palette is inspired by the summertime: a bright pink popsicle, the ocean, sand, sailor blue, lilac, navy, cement and white chalk. I experimented with mixing fabrics and prints on the tops and dresses—tiny stripes, big stripes, ditsy florals, slubs, chiffons and crochet.

In terms of trends, how is Spring ’11 different from last spring? I feel the trends are a little more natural or organic-inspired, as opposed to bright and flashy. Our collection this season is nature-inspired with a twist of craftiness. I can picture this season’s Pinc Premium girl picking flowers in a field or flying a kite on the beach.

Did you adapt your designs or merchandising strategy given the economy? We didn’t really have to change much. Our jeans have always been on the affordable end of the spectrum, and since our tops and dresses are made in Brooklyn, N.Y., we are able to offer them at really competitive prices with very fast turnaround.

How is designing for spring different from fall? I am much more inspired by spring. I grew up in Florida, so I just make all of the things that I would’ve loved to have worn as a little girl running around on the beach.

At what point did you know you wanted to be a designer? I would read magazines as a teenager and draw the outfits that I wanted to own. There were several sad attempts to hand-sew my creations! Then, in college, I was a studio art major until one of the career counselors saw my sketchbook and suggested I try fashion design. I knew I had made the right decision after a month. I find making clothing to be truly gratifying. I get to dream up a design, draw it out and then have the finished three-dimensional creation in front of me. I love it.

Why did you choose children’s wear? Children’s wear sort of chose me, but it’s a good fit. I remember being an 11-year-old full of dreams and insecurities. I feel like I can relate to the Pinc Premium girl and design for her.

What’s the best tip you’ve ever received from a buyer? Take your best-selling style and update it. Sometimes it’s just that simple.

Emily Fong, Marketing Director, Isobella & Chloe

What is your brand best known for? Our coordinating sister dresses. We use the same themes and fabrics to design garments for both infants’ and bigger girls’ bodies.

How has the line evolved over time? We started off with a small line of semi-dressy to very special occasion wear, but due to customer response we strove to create more casual, knit styles that are wearable for more occasions. We’ve continued to incorporate the small details and stylish cuts that make feminine wear so fun.

What served as your design team’s inspiration for Spring ’11? The candy store is where the color scheme developed. The designers used a bright, summery palette reminiscent of cotton candy, gumdrops and tropical fruits. It was very easy to get excited over the potential of such scrumptious colors and fabrics.

Are you carrying over any successes from past collections? Our knit program has been a hit because of its versatility and price point, so we have added new colors and bodies for this season. We’re also incorporating a lot of layered ruffles—now with even lighter tulle fabrics to accommodate little girls’ light, carefree summer attitude.

What’s brand-new this season? We’ve always carried an eclectic range of styles to accommodate all occasions. For Spring ’11, we made an adorable tutu collection for little princesses and ballerinas alike. It’s light, colorful and wonderfully constructed.

What else will we see in your spring line? This season has lots of colors: hot pink, lime green, turquoise and honeydew, just to name a few. In terms of construction, we have layered ruching, wavy ruffles, interwoven pleats and floral-inspired embellishments.

How do the trends for Spring ’11 differ from last spring? The bold, bright colors in Spring ’11 are a marked difference from 2010’s pastel and nautical-inspired colors. This season is still sweet, but it’s got that kick of fun as well.

What’s your favorite item from this collection? A dress from the Adore Group that is a delicious, more mature take on conventional tutus. It’s an amalgamation of many different design elements used this season: a ruched bodice with a vibrantly colored, ruffled tulle skirt. Little girls will have so much fun twirling around in this dress.

How is designing for spring different from designing for fall? Spring or fall, our brand has always walked the balance between feminine sophistication and fun. The difference is that for fall we infuse our line with more sophistication, while for spring we pump up the fun factor.

What’s the best tip you’ve ever received from a retailer? Keep the quality. Give us less dressy and more casual. Ship on time. And maintain low price points.

Lisa Kanouse, Creative Director, Saurette

What is your brand best known for? We’re known for offering a more contemporary alternative in children’s wear. I’ve collaborated each season with unknown graphic artists to design some of the prints for our collection that have a bit of sophistication without being too grown up. It’s something the mom is proud of and the little girl feels lets her dress like her mom.

How has the brand evolved over time? Since our launch in Spring ’09, we’ve continued to adapt to our clientele’s needs. Having started with XS to XL, we added numerical sizes for wovens for a more precise fit. We also revamped our grading after our first two seasons and adjusted our sizing to a European fit, which was more appropriate for our boutique clients.

What served as your inspiration for Spring ’11? The bright flowers and fruit you look forward to after a long winter. The color palette is named after fruit: grape, blueberry, raspberry, tangerine, lime and lemon balanced out by white and heather gray. I love the way the brights play off the crisp white in our prints or against a solid white cardigan, while the styles that are grounded back to heather gray keep the look very modern.

Are you carrying over any successes from past collections? We had a big hit with our ruffle skirt from Fall ’10, so we’re bringing that back in lots of exciting prints and new solid colors in eco-friendly Pima cotton. Also, our Spring ’10 Butterfly dress was a huge success, so we’ve updated it and expanded the concept this year.

What’s brand-new this season? We’re expanding into the 0 to 24 months range for spring, and we’ll be introducing several eco-friendly Pima cotton options. We wanted to do our part for the environment, address the growing eco boutiques’ needs and add ultra softness with this new fabrication. There’s a large assortment of cut-and-sew knits that offer a choice to our buyers.

What will we see in your spring line? We’re known for our embroideries and embellishments. You’ll see butterflies, dragonflies, flower and leaf appliqués, heart prints, mesh accents, raw edges, lots of ruffles, bright color mixing, ribbon trims, etc.

In terms of trends, how is Spring ’11 different from last spring? Last spring was split into two distinct color palettes—pales for early delivery and brights for summer. We got the best reaction from the bright palette, so for Spring ’11 we focused on brights that can mix and match back to one another but still have our signature modern edge.

What’s your favorite item from this collection? I’d have to pick two: the lace-back tank—I want one in my size!—and our mesh ruffle dress.

Did you adapt your designs or merchandising strategy at all given the economy? We’ve continued to introduce more knits to our collection each season in order to offer a lower price point in all classifications (i.e. dresses, skirts). The key is to design silhouettes that lend nicely to the knit fabrics while maintaining the aesthetic of Saurette, which offers great value.

How is designing for spring different from designing for fall? In many ways, it’s a breath of fresh air. You get to focus on bright, happy colors. Fall can sometimes be a challenge in finding the right color and silhouette mix to address the regional needs of our stores.

At what point did you know you wanted to be a designer? For as long as I can remember, I’ve always liked creating things, but I have an analytical side as well. I kind of fell into product development about 15 years ago because it offered a nice balance of the two. As time went on, I had a greater desire to focus on design. The reward in creating something that others enjoyed became very addictive. I was always thinking of new ideas; weekends, nights, I’d wake up at 4 a.m. and couldn’t sleep because I was too excited to get to work.

Béryl Landes, Designerd, Berlingot

What is your brand best known for? Berlingot offers a world of gifts, clothing and nursery items for little ones from 0 to 4 years—baby clothes, bedroom decorations, bed linens, toys. Since the beginning we made quality the central focus of our expertise. Pediatricians and infant care specialists are associated with each project for greater security and practicality. We place the safety of babies at the heart of all of our design and innovation.

Who is your target consumer? We cater to the birth/gift market, so [we target] mothers but also grandmothers and friends of mothers who are looking for a present for a new baby. We consider our clientele to be a fashion-oriented urban lady who also greatly cares for quality, softness and safety for her baby and/or grandchild.

What served as your inspiration for Spring ’11? We work with a variety of color groups and get inspired from the men’s and women’s collections. For the season’s [military] group, which features stripes mixed with golden stitches, we were inspired by the recent Jean Paul Gaultier line that had a marine/navy look.

What’s brand-new this season? Our “Mix and Match” collection, a new concept for 3 months to 4 years. This is an outstanding collection offering countless looks, where every piece can be mixed and matched to answer to today’s consumer’s new [price] expectations. You’ll see a wide choice of fabrics and prints plus modern and graphic images.

What else will we see in your Spring ’11 collection? The revamped navy look—a touch of officer glamour with badges and blazons, plus angel wings made of gold stitches, mixed with soft raw denim; structured, black and white graphic looks; a colorful group featuring embroideries and vibrant prints; and lots of stripes.

In terms of trends, how is Spring ’11 different from last spring? The upcoming summer is very colorful. You’ll see lots of bright colors—nearly fluorescent!

What’s your favorite group from this collection? The light pastel layette newborn collection. It offers highly classical colors but they’ve been revamped this season with a superb leopard/panther print, names and words of a story written [in script], and mirrored buttons for little girls.

What’s the best tip you’ve ever received from a retailer? Never ever forget how fragile a baby is, and never forget the comfort of the clothing when designing a baby garment.

Heidi Schwarck, Designer, LunaLuna Copehagen

What is your brand best known for? It’s high detail and special touches in super-comfy fabrics and functional styles. A girl can be a girl, have fun at the playground and go to a nice dinner in the same outfit.

Who is your target consumer? Everyone from the grandmother to the mom to the actual little girl wearing it. It’s definitely a consumer who appreciates quality, style, comfort and individuality.

How has the line evolved over time? We started off as baby-driven, and as my inspiration—a.k.a. my daughter, Luna—grew up, the collection grew up with it. The pieces have gradually become more sophisticated and a little funkier, yet we maintain our commitment to detail, style and comfy fabrics. This season we are focusing on two major deliveries instead of three smaller groupings. We feel the retailers need more time to sell and the collections really flow together.

What served as your inspiration for Spring ’11? I was intrigued by Tim Burton’s vision of “Alice in Wonderland.” The nautical trend is also still a favorite. In our first delivery, “Nautical & Nice,” we are putting a sweet LunaLuna spin on marine classics with variegated stripes and nautical trims.

What will we see in your spring line? The colors we developed for spring are the most amazingly beautiful hues we have ever done. Standout colors, mixed with muted LunaLuna classics is what our customers love. The new stripes and watercolor florals are strong in the new lounge sets, which are accented with ruffles and beading.

What’s your favorite item from this collection? The butter-soft “Venetian lace” lounge sets mixed with watercolor prints are definitely standouts.

Did you adapt your designs or merchandising strategy at all given the economy? Though we have been lucky to continue with our higher-end clientele, our sales reps kept a close eye and ear to retailer feedback to make sure we stayed on point with the economic climate. We kept hearing that the loyal Luna customers were still on board but that there was definitely a portion taking a second look at the price tag. We quickly realized that there was a need for a more accessible price point for these customers, so we created the Starlet collection, which starts shipping in July. These are classic lounge sets with the same twists in bold colors at a sharper price point, which we feel will only increase our business, exposure and customer base.

How is designing for spring different from designing for fall? Designing for spring/summer is definitely my favorite, because I can be more playful and flowy. It is such a happy season.

At what point did you know you wanted to be a designer? When I was 19 and happened to be in Paris with friends, I sneaked into a Chanel show. That’s when I knew.

Why did you choose children’s wear? I had been designing women’s wear for many years, but the birth of my youngest daughter Luna changed my focus. We are currently playing with the idea of starting a mother/daughter loungewear division, launching for Holiday ’11. —Leslie Shiers