‘Chanel'ling the kinder spirit

Fendi diaper bags, Dior feeding bottles, Simonetta floral bands or maybe an Aston Martin silver cross baby stroller that you can push your little one in. Kids today can give you tough competition at any social do. Gone are the days when you picked up a cute pink hairband from the shop nearby and matched it with your kid’s outfit, and the latter would wear it without resentment!   Shoes, clothes, hairbands and funky accessories — kids fashion is no longer child’s play!

Celebrity kids typify this philosophy the best. Take the case of Suri Cruise, daughter of former celebrity couple Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who is tagged as the most stylish celebrity child. Dressed in the most expensive and snazzy outfits, shoes and accessories, she never fails to catch the paparazzi’s eye. Suri, already a young style icon at seven, regularly carries a $950 Ferragamo handbag or puts on a $30 Chanel lipgloss. From Romeo Beckham, the 10-year-old son of David and Victoria Beckham, who was signed by Burberry for its spring/summer 2013 ad campaign to Emme Anthony, daughter of Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, who toted a $2,100 Chanel purse to a Paris fashion show, celebrity kids have given a whole new direction to luxury.

Indians, too, are warming up to the idea of matching the accessories of their kids with their clothes. Kids are now emerging as the new, aware and independent buyers who prefer shopping for themselves rather than relying on their parent’s choices. “The Indian kids’ luxury wear market is currently pegged at Rs 38,000 crore and is expected to touch Rs 80,000 crore by 2015,” says Swati Saraf, president, Prive Luxury Ltd, and the owner of Les Petits, India’s luxury wear multi-brand boutique for kids. “It’s a refreshing change to see that people are not just going for the brand tag. They are equally conscious about the quality and exclusivity of the product and are willing to pay a befitting price for the same,” she adds.

Young well-off mothers, ‘alpha moms’ and clubbing and partying mommies are very selective about not just what they are wearing but even what their infants use. “They are willing to spend anywhere between Rs 10,000 and Rs 80,000. Accessories from brands like Fendi Kids, Baby Dior, Miss Blumarine, Simonetta, I Pinco Pallino and furniture from Theophile are aggressively making their presence felt in Indian markets. Exclusive range of kids accessories priced between Rs 75,000 and Rs 80,000 are surprisingly doing well with customers,” she adds.

For parents, it is a reflection of their own personality, which they want to extend to the offspring. “There is a desire to vicariously live through their children and that desire is running strong in the younger generation,” says a lawyer, a legal consultant for a luxury kids wear store, Sumedha Sharma Bahuguna.

Highly-coveted among the customers are the accessories with prominent logos. “Fendi, Versace and Baby Dior logos are noticeable from a distance. So Fendi pamper bags (Rs 75,000 onwards) and Dior baby wraps (Rs 10,000 onwards) are massive hits with fashion-conscious young mommies,” shares Sumedha.

Indulgence has got a whole new meaning.

“Undoubtedly, the world of kids is not small anymore. When we go to a party, my daughter Yashika takes hours to select a well-fitted dress and ensures that she has matched her accessories as well. Kids today are privy to some of the most renowned luxe labels and perhaps will become aware of the latest fashion trends sooner than you and I would!” shares young mom Shivani Bansal, who believes that when parents can be spendthrifts, then why not the kids? 

Antilia, Mumbai, India: Mukesh Ambani - The Indian business magnate's house in Mumbai is a 27-story, 400,000-square foot skyscraper. It has has 6 levels of underground parking, 3 helicopter pads, and reportedly requires about 600 staff to run it. The construction cost for this residence was more than $1 billion. Villa Leopolda, Villefranche-sur-mer, France: Lily Safra - This 20-acre estate was built by King Leopold II. In 2008, it was estimated at 500 million euros.Fair Field, Sagaponack, NY, USA: Ira Rennert - As per the 2012 tax assessments, the value of this property of American businessman, Ira Rennert, stands at about $248 million. It houses 29 bedrooms, 39 bathrooms, 3 swimming pools, plus its own power plant on premises. Photo by Cfijames via Wikimedia Commons. Kensington Palace Gardens, London, UK: Lakshmi Mittal - Indian steel magnate, Laxmi Mittal owns 3 homes in the Kensington Palace Gardens, a street having some of the most expensive properties in the world. In 2008, during its purchase Mittal's house stood at a whooping 117 million pounds ($222 million at the time). One Hyde Park, London, UK: Rinat Akhmetov - The world's most expensive apartment, located in the posh locality of Knightsbridge, was purchased by Ukraine's richest man, Rinat Akhmetov. It has a 25,000-square feet, bullet proof glass and 24-hour hotel concierge service. As per 2011 estimate, this property stands at $221 million. Ellison Estate, Woodside, CA, USA: Larry Ellison - The next in the most expensive homes list is that belonging to 'Oracle' co-founder and billionaire Larry Ellison. His 23-acre Japanese-style estate in has 10 buildings, a man made lake, a tea house, and a koi pond. The property is currently assessed at an approximate value of $70 million. Kensington Palace Gardens, London, UK: Roman Abramovich - Kensington Palace Gardens also plays host to Russsian tycoon Roman Abramovich's residence which in 2011 was said to be priced at 90 million pounds (about $140 million). Blossom Estate, Palm Beach, FL, USA: Ken Griffin- President and CEO of Citadel Investment Group bought 4 side-by-side properties totaling 8 acres on the ocean. The total purchase price in December 2012 was nearly $130 million. Xanadu 2.0, Seattle, WA, USA: Bill Gates - Named as Xandau 2.0, the world's second-richest man's home is located on the banks of Lake Washington. Among its many hi-tech facilities are a pool with an underwater music system and a 2,500- square foot gym. Mountain Home Road, Woodside, CA, USA: Masayoshi Son - Japanese businessman and the founder of SoftBank, Masayoshi Son's home in Woodside, is among the world's most expensive properties. In 2012, the estate's market value stood at $117.5 million. It includes a 9,000-square foot house, a library, a retreat building, a swimming pool and a tennis court. Further Lane de Menil,East Hampton, NY, USA: Ron Baron - Investment guru Ron Baron purchased 50 acres of undeveloped oceanfront in the Hamptons at a whooping $103 million in 2007 (Image for representational purpose only).Silicon Valley Mansion, Los Altos Hills, CA, USA: Yuri Milner - Bought as a secondary home, the Facebook investor, Yuri Milner bought this French chateaux-inspired limestone house for $100 million. It has indoor and outdoor pools, a ballroom and living areas that face the San Francisco Bay. Broken O Ranch, Augusta, MT, USA: Stanley Kroenke - American business entrepreneur, Stanley Kroenke bought this ranch which boasts of a 10,000-square foot main house with indoor pool, horse stables, and 4,500 heads of cattle. Though the purchase price remains undisclosed the list price of the estate was determined at approximately $132.5 million.Kensington Palace Gardens, London, UK: Tamara Ecclestone - Tamara Ecclestone, daughter of Formula One billionaire Bernie Ecclestone (in pic) owns a house in the Kensington Palace Gardens. Constructed at a cost of 20 million pounds this 55-room house includes a private nightclub, a bowling alley, a subterranean swimming pool, a beauty salon, a dog spa and a car lift. 15 Central Park West, New York, NY, USA: - Hedge fund titan, Daniel Loeb owns a 10,674-square foot penthouse on the very top of the high rise. In 2008, the purchase price of the apartment was $45 million. Maison de L'Amitie, Palm Beach, FL, USA: Dmitry Rybolovlev - Russian businessman, and the owner of AS Monaco FC, Dmitry Rybolovlev owns the $125 million, 60,000-square foot compound estate. Bought from Donald Trump this estate has a garage that can hold upto 50 cars at any time. Promised Land, Montecito, CA, USA: Oprah Winfrey - Purchased in 2001 for nearly $52 million, Oprah Winfrey's 23,000-square-foot Georgian-style mansion sits on more than 40 acres, boasting a tea house and more than 600 rose bushes. 15 Central Park West, New York, NY, USA: Ekaterina Rybolovleva - Daughter of billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, Ekaterina Rybolovleva bought the Central Park-facing 6,744-square foot penthouse $88 million in 2012. At roughly $13,500 per square foot, it is the most expensive sale by square foot ever in the US. The Manor, Los Angeles, CA, USA: Petra Ecclestone - Petra Ecclestone, daughter of F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone resides in this 56,500-square foot mansion which includes a dog grooming room, five bars, a gift-wrapping room, a flower-cutting hall and a bowling alley.

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