Malaysian market
WELL-OFF Malaysian parents, too, indulge their children in designer wear, judging by the array of high-end brands available for the young ones.
Moschino, Jean Paul Gaultier, Gucci, Paul Smith, Prada, Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Armani and Ralph Lauren are among the luxury fashion houses that have launched their collections aimed at children and youth – from infants to teenagers – here.
The apparel is available mostly in Kuala Lumpur at major shopping malls like Suria KLCC, Pavilion KL and Starhill Gallery, which are located in the bustling tourist belt. While foreign shoppers are obviously a very important sector of the target clientele, local buyers are fast catching up too.
Though the concept of designer wear for children is relatively new on our shores, local kids and teens garbed in expensive, stylish clothing are becoming increasingly common as compared to, say, 10 years ago, when just about everyone would balk at spending more than RM300 on a handbag. These days, there are local consumers who pay more than that for a mere T-shirt – for a rapidly growing two-twoyear-old at that!
It has to be said, though, that in those days most were single-income families with limited budgets. Today, the family landscape has changed dramatically with a substantial number of double-earner households. Of these, the middle class and above are dominated by parents who are more affluent and possess decidedly higher combined disposable incomes. They are also a sophisticated and discerning lot with a taste for a more luxurious lifestyle. They follow the latest styles and trends online or through Hollywood movies, magazines and travel.
Kaysha Ubrani, the founder of Vogue Bambini, a children’s luxury wear retailer with outlets in Pavilion KL and Bangsar Shopping Centre, also in KL, says her customers do not just go for the brand name but value the details and material behind the products. The items at her store range from RM99 to RM1,299.
“Malaysians are becoming more aware of the luxury products available in the market for youth. My customers do not just purchase these brands to make sure their children are well-dressed or match their own attire. They understand that these designer clothes cost a lot more than the high-street brands because of the extra effort put into manufacturing them,” explains the proprietor whose outlets carry the junior high-highend labels like Little Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith Junior, Junior Gaultier, Ed Hardy Kids and Moschino Kids as well as luxury footwear Stuart Weitzman for girls and Ferrari for boys.
Jacklyn Lim, a businesswoman who spends on average several hundred to a thousand ringgit each month on designer wear for her five-year-old son, concurs.
“Apart from getting Ralph Lauren and Burberry for my son, I also buy him things that cost under RM100 at ordinary stores. I buy the designer clothes for their quality and design,” she says.
Would the children who grew up wearing RM500 jeans become snobs when they are older, I ask Kaysha. She believes it lies with the parents. “I have a customer who’d come in and buy her daughter a few hundred ringgit worth of clothes. But she never allows her child to know the cost as she does not want the kid to boast or compare with her friends. Instead, she wants her daughter to feel she is wearing a normal T-shirt like everyone else,” she says.
Drawing from her own experience, when Kaysha’s daughter Rivaa, nine, wanted a Louis Vuitton backpack for school, she knew she had to draw the line and firmly say no to the girl’s request even though she could afford it. To her, Rivaa is too young to appreciate such items.
Trendy youngsters and children of deeppocketed parents, meanwhile, are happily decked out in chic branded wear.
Tara Lee, 16, whose parents run their business in Selangor, feels that it’s no big deal for teenagers to own a RM5,000 handbag as long as they are mature and sensible.
“My folks always remind me to take good care of them (the handbags) as it is not every day that I get to purchase a new bag,” says Tara who owns five Louis Vuitton bags and a wardrobe full of designer apparel.
Adrianna Ng, 17, a student at an international school in Penang, has a penchant for Prada handbags.
“My mum is crazy about Prada handbags and I guess I got the love for the brand from her! She buys me the handbags when she travels to Europe for holidays,” she shares.
So, should teenagers own luxury items even before they start working?
“I think it is all right just as long as their parents can afford it,” Adrianna replies.
Ashanti Abraham says many of her college mates have designer items such as Juicy Couture velour hoodies and branded jeans.
“It’s a norm on campus,” says the 19-yearold. “What do you know, I did make quite a few friends when these eye-catching numbers became a conversation starter.”