Kids are brand conscious, too!
Ambika Kumar

"MUMMY, I want to buy the lilac capris and the white sphagetti-strap top please", pleads Pia, a four-year-old, confident and charming girl.

Children nowadays are sure as to what to buy and from where to buy it. They are extremely brand conscious and well-versed with the latest fashions.

And the market too caters to this new-found brand awareness among children.There is a whole segment of kids’ clothes, shoes and other accessories to choose from. They can shop from showrooms meant exclusively for them. Run-of-the-mill, rehri market stuff won’t do for the modern-day brood of kids.

This summer, bright colours like hot pink, orange, yellow and fluoroscent hues of blue and green are being worn by the young ones.

Cute tops with swaroski, bead work or sequins or cool halter necks, sphagetti or tube tops and dresses in tie-dye, teamed with a pair of shorts, tights, capris or mini-skirt, are the rage with little girls.

Boys prefer a pair of shorts and a T-shirt with a cap to give them the sporty look. Dungrys, pinoforms and reversible jackets are their other options.

"The kids of today have a mind of their own and are following the western culture due to the media exposure. They are in with the changing trends and fashion", asserts Mr Hardeep Nihal Singh, a kids’ fashion designer. "The fabric needs to be kept in mind for comfort besides the style and colours", he adds.

Of course, the style and colours are important but to beat the scorching heat, the fabric should be of a natural fibre like cotton which facilitates easy breathing, being cool and comforting.

"I love wearing halter-necks or tube tops with a short skirt or a smart summery outfit as it looks nice and dressy. It’s exciting to be wearing the latest clothes which are branded too", gushes Tara, a seven-year-old.

Parents do understand this changing trend has set in. "I feel kids should dress up according to their age and look cute. Branded clothes are good because they do last longer due to their quality but that’s only if it fits your pocket. The clothes must be wearable and comfortable", comments Mrs Sood.

It’s not only the clothes but even kids footwear proffers a lot of variety. The girls opt for a sleek pair of sandals or bellies in all colours while the boys would go in for a pair of sporty shoes with jazzy lights."I am very fond of smart shoes with disco lights or sounds. They are so different and cool", says Tanuj.

"Parents do spend a lot on kidswear. If the branded items are expensive they are worth the price too. Nobody wants to compromise on the quality besides the craze," asserts a showroom owner, Gagan Arora.

It is good to see children having such definite sartorial tastes . If everyone is so brand conscious why should the children be left behind? They love dressing up and looking good, too.

SOCIAL MIRROR
Summer camps turn arty
Anjum Sayed

COME summer and the fraternity of Indian artists would get into a huddle at some five-star hotel, beach resort or hill station, courtesy a business house. For five days, or at the most a week, they would talk art and exchange notes, besides paint, draw, sculpt... and generally, chill out.

What’s more, they do not have to pay for the party!

But then, when the camp ends, they are not allowed to take back their work and display it to family and friends. Over a breakfast or brunch exhibition, the creations are sold to the highest bidders. More often than not, the corporate sponsors themselves buy off the art pieces on the last day.

This year, companies like Ceat, Alembic, Voltas, Oberoi and Leela are holding such art camps in various metros. And the regulars at these events range from Jahangir Sabavalla and Anjolie Ela Menon to Atul Dodiya, Rekha Rodwittiya, Kahini Merchant, Papri Bose, Samir Mondal and Milburn Cherian.

"It’s like an annual reunion of old school boys," says Cherian. "For youngsters like us, it is a very good experience as there are several senior artists who inspire and we get a feedback on our work. Besides, in the company of other artists, one gets different opinions and learns different techniques."

Agrees Chudasama Miller, a Mumbai artist, who has attended six such camps: "It’s like going back to college and staying with friends, exchanging views and ideas. There’s a lot of learning that goes on as the participants watch their seniors at work and express themselves through various media."

Vickram Sethi of The Arts Trust points out that typically, an art camp is more like a workshop with 15 to 20 artists taking part. In conducting such camps on behalf of Oberoi and Ceat for the past 12 years, he even holds slide shows during which every artist explains and answers questions on his/her work.

As far as possible, we invite a range of artists to get a varied selection of the arts," explains Sethi. "So we have an interesting mix of people who do oils, waters, sculpture... everything except photography. Moreover, we make sure that there is an equal number of men and women from different parts of India."

The artists also get an opportunity to jointly work on a piece. For instance, at the Voltas camp held in Thane recently, Miller worked with Bose and Rodittiya to create a sculpted piece out of air conditioner crates. On another occasion, they created a fish out with Karl Antao, out of metal scrap.

At the Thane camp, the company’s boardroom had been converted into a studio. The lighting was changed, the flooring redone (lest the artists spilled paint) and extra space created for their easels. Moreover, they were allowed to rummage through the scrap yard in case they found anything interesting.

"In the process, many participants could experiment with forms of art they had not tried before," says B.N. Garudachar, corporate relations manager of Voltas. "In course of time, this becomes their abiding medium and they come back to us for more scrap. We of course, have no problem with it."

But then, there are kinds of restrictions. One, having to finish their work within the five to seven days of the camp — a deadline many artists find stressful. Some like Cherian, begin work a week before the camp, rather than miss out on the opportunity of meeting others.

Miller points out that many artists refuse to participate in camps as they cannot work in a group and prefer the privacy of their studios. Some senior artists simply do not want to work with juniors and turn down corporate invitations.

Then there is the problem of pricing. Most organisers allow the artists to place a price on their works and upon sale, the latter go home with an honorarium. The fact that no discrimination is made between senior and junior artists on honorarium invariably becomes an issue of dispute at the campus.

Furthermore, organisers often impose a theme on the participants, thereby causing much resentment. Once Alembic, the pharmaceutical company, specified that the artists paint only on glass plates. The Ceat retreat at Marve, had yet another stipulation.

"We were expected to paint self-portraits," narrates Miller. "And this was not the first time we were told to do so. Later on, we learnt that the owner of the company, Harsh Goenka is a collector of self-portraits. Now how many times do we do the same thing over and over again?"

The justification of the organisers for imposing such stipulations is ultimately financial. "We pay for everything and at the end of the day we have to recover our costs," explains Sethi. "I have some paintings done years ago, which have not sold yet. At the end of the day, nobody like to have a hole in the pocket!" — MF