A very technical, and quite ingenious, pleating system has been developed by a newly graduated Royal College of Art student – Ryan Mario Yasin – to create children's clothes that grow with their wearers over time. The name of the clothing line is Petit Pli, and it was launched this year in hopes of filling a gap in the kids-wear market and offering an alternative to "dull & ill fitting children's clothes".
Images: Petit Pli
Yasin's inspiration for the clothing design came from his own niece and nephew – after finally finding an outfit he liked for one of them as a gift, he travelled to Denmark to pass on to the little one to wear only to find that it was already too small. Having been trained as an aeronautical engineer, and specialising in deployable structures, Yasin decided that he would put his background to practical use and find the solution to ill-fitting children’s clothes.
The newly-formed brand has created clothes which are designed to custom fit children from 6 to 36 months. That’s six different sizes – at least five times less hassle for parents and for the environment. Aside from raising investment for Petit Pli, Yasin and his contributors are working to make early batches in the UK, and are looking to work with manufacturers with high ethical standards.
The garments included in the Petit Pli line are waterproof and compact; meaning they're not only sustainable, they're also super convenient for busy parents. The brand's mission is to craft the best technical garments for children and their parents by combining technology and fashion. Their clothes are designed to encourage children to explore, and be active, in any weather.
These clothes are also possibly the most fashion-forward infant-couture we've seen for a while. Cute, clever, and carbon-conscious. Now that's a winning trifecta.
If you want to receive updates and more info on the Petit Pli line, you can visit their website here.