G-Star Raw licences first childrenswear line to Kidiliz

By

Sarah Ahssen

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Dec 6, 2018

G-Star Raw is launching into childrenswear with the help of Kidiliz. The Dutch denim brand and French group Kidiliz, specialised in premium childrenswear (whose brands include Catimini, Absorba and Kenzo Kids), have signed a licence deal for the design, production and distribution of G-Star Raw’s very first children’s line.

The collection will be inspired by G-Star Raw’s signature items, and will debut with the Autumn/Winter 2019-20 season, targeting young girls and boys aged 3 to 16. Distribution-wise, G-Star Raw’s childrenswear will be available in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at department stores, multibrand retailers and Kidiliz stores, on several e-tail sites and on G-Star Raw’s e-shop.
 
This first foray into childrenswear affords new growth opportunities for the denim brand founded in 1989, which last April weathered the departure of creative director Aitor Throup. According to market research firm Euromonitor, the denim market in 2017 was worth $16.2 billion, and suffered a 14% slump in four years. Only Levi Strauss, whose European childrenswear licence Kidiliz lost in July, is seemingly unaffected by the situation, and keeps posting rising revenues.

The Kidiliz group (formerly Zannier) was bought by giant Chinese corporation Semir in early October. In 2017, Kidiliz generated a consolidated revenue of €430 million, of which more than half was produced outside France.