London Free Press

As the old saying goes: necessity is the mother of all invention - and this statement couldn't be more true than when you look at the children's fashion industry. Unlike many contemporary adult lines that have been created by up-and-coming fashion design graduates, children's lines are typically started by innovative, creative mothers who were looking for clothes that were durable, comfortable, and trendy. Unable to find clothes that meet those criteria, many have decided to take their love of fabrics and fashion and turn it into their very own clothing line.

Devorah Miller is one such mother who tapped into her passion for making children's clothes and turned it into a lucrative, highly sought-after fashion collection for children called Red Thread Design. The Toronto-based studio specializes in the design and production of children's clothing using Asian and retro-inspired fabrics. The clothes are designed for girls aged 1-12 and boys aged 1-6 and are comfortable, practical, and fun.

"My design work reflects my lifelong passion for great fabric, my background in textile history, a love of quilting and handwork, and a life full of amazing kids," says Miller. "I was born to be a fabricholic. Growing up in the 1970s with a textile artist mother and a weekend art school in the basement of my family home, I spent much of my childhood surrounded by cloth, wool, and needles. I started Red Thread in my kitchen six years ago, and now I'm in stores across Canada, and some in the United States and Europe. This fall I'm expanding my use of organic fabrics and I'll be releasing my first designs for boys."

Armed with a strong sense of what looks best on children and a profound knowledge of durable, gorgeous fabrics, Miller's 2011 spring fashions are all about longevity, colour, and prints. The clothes, including standard favourites like her trademark caterpillar and ribbon sundresses, are a unique combination of fabulous printed fabrics with simple, highly functional designs.

"For Spring/Summer 2011 I've taken a collection of juicy, intense floral prints at different scales, and pushed the envelope with colour, juxtaposing colours against each other so that they pop," says Miller. "Two of my dresses this season are designed to transition to tops and to fit for about three years, a very long time for a growing child."

Though the hours of design and creation are long, Miller loves her work. Designing for children allows her to express her creativity in a way that is pleasing to not only herself, but also to the many parents who are devoted and loyal clients.

"When you're designing clothing for children you have to pay a lot more attention to comfort and durability, because children are so much harder on their clothes and need to move," says Miller. "Because kids are free spirits who love to express themselves loudly, you can really have fun with colour, pattern and texture if you want to. And because children are growing, I try to design clothing that can grow with them as much as possible. It's much easier to buy things that you know will fit for a long, long time."

Other great lines for kids:

Soft (softclothing.net) - a clothing line created specifically for kids with sensory or tactile sensitivity, including features like no plastic labels, soft seams and vegetable dyes

Please Mum (pleasemum.com) - a Vancouver-based children's clothing company that prides itself on fashion and durability - and great prices

Ivivva Athletica - founded by parent company Lululemon, this athletic line for girls is as comfortable and long-lasting as the adult clothing, and has added features, like an extra elastic built into the zipper, in case you forgot yours