On the 22nd-23rd of June, Pitti Immagine Bimbo held their semiannual celebration in Florence, Italy. Mostly recognized in connection with its more widely known version of fashion for men, Pitti Immagine Uomo, Pitti Bimbo is an international reunion for fashion industry professionals who specialize in apparel for children 0 – 14 years old.
As of this year, Pitti Bimbo has already celebrated 85 reunions. This year more than 530 industry professionals attended (more than half of whom arrived from Italy) – making this easily one of the most important events in the children’s fashion niche.
This year’s theme was “Boom, Pitti Blooms!”, and was dedicated to giving space to smaller brands that are growing incrementally. This concept was highlighted through the incorporation of different sections such as “The Nest” or “KidzFIZZ”, where areas were provided for those brands that are exploring the limits of the children’s wear industry, undaunted despite their relatively small size.
Another one of the most important initiatives at this gathering was the presence of the “EcoEthic” section, which gave space to those brands working with ecologic fabrics and ethically correct practices to achieve a sustainable product.
SoundMachine had the pleasure of being present to produce a playlist for the fashion show of well-known luxury children’s wear brand Monnalisa. In the show, which took place in the breathtaking gardens of the Palazzo Corsini of Florence, attendees could view the clothes forming Monnalisa’s new Spring-Summer 2018 collection.
With almost 50 years of presence in the industry, Monnalisa serves as an example to follow for any company working in a relatively niche market. Their passion and their know-how has put them in a privileged place among their cohorts in the children’s wear, always accompanied by strong values of sustainability, both social and ecological. They work to create fashion for children and take very seriously their goal of leaving a better world for the youngest and smallest of consumers.
SoundMachine created a playlist in compliance with the style of the brand, adapting it to the environment in which the fashion walk was hosted. One aspect of Monnalisa that we particularly enjoy is that despite being a luxury brand, they do not dress up the children as adults. Rather, they focus on quality, exclusive designs – always encapsulating the essence of youth in all their apparel. That is why their playlist was comprised of songs that were modern and chic, but always conveying a young and playful spirit. This included predominantly electronic independent music, very close to pop sounds with a fresh and relaxed core.
At the same time, we tailored this playlist consciously to the surrounding environment – the Florentine gardens – incorporating a summery feeling and very noticeable beats, perfect to guide the children down the catwalk.
Music that is played in an open environment dedicated to children has a lot of peculiarities and factors that must be taken into account. It is not only important to avoid any music with potentially offensive lyrics, but also to steer clear of any questionable themes, regardless of the language. It’s recommended that the music helps to channel the energy of the children, avoiding extremely slow rhythms. However, care must also be taken so the music is not too upbeat – otherwise the children might become overexcited.
On the other hand, the music in a public environment with children still must comply with the same requirements for coherence and cohesion that applies to an environment with adults. It’s quite clear that for a brand specific to children, such as Monnalisa, these factors will be fundamental to the core of the playlist. Nevertheless, we must not forget that every brand is unique: a fact which must be represented in the music as much as possible.