Valerie Chow Opens Mama Kid

Mama Kid is, in Chow's words, the "Joyce of children's wear." Dedicated to stylish kids, the shop, located in Man Yee Building in Central, sells designer apparel, novelty toys, and accessories sourced from around the world for newborns to six-year-olds from brands such as Bangbang Copenhagen, Dandy Star, Filament, Gold, Lola and James, Jellycat, Holly's, La Petite Luce, Lucky Boy Sunday, Milk on the Rocks, Muchacha, Simple Kids and Zorra.

With the tabloid focus being placed more and more on celebrity children such as Suri Holmes, Violet Affleck, Pax and Maddox Jolie-Pitt, Kingston Rossdale, Harlow Madden, there's clearly a market for parents who like to create wardrobes for their children to rival, if not better, their own. "Mama Kid is for the parent who enjoys avant-garde brands such as Comme des Garçons," says Chow.

And there's nothing else quite like it in Hong Kong. Chow, whose previous endeavours took her around the world, says, "While new to Hong Kong, a designer store for just children is not a new concept. I've seen it everywhere from Milan to New York. So I thought, ‘Why don't we have one in Hong Kong?'"

Luckily, there are a slew of children's labels with fashion-forward designs to choose from. "In the past year, as I sourced all these children's brands, I learned that there are a lot of stylish children's wear out there. It's actually a lot of fun."

Belgian brand Simple Kids, she reveals, has similar patterns to Dries Van Noten (no coincidence, as the designer, Anne Kurris, to work as the label's graphic designer). "Simple Kids have adorable knits, shrunken dresses adults would wear, it's beautiful," she says.

Similarly, Julie Kang, founder of Korean brand Milk on the Rocks, utilises many of the graphics and colours found in Balmain, a result, no doubt, of her stint at the popular French house.

If you're looking for experts in children's wear, Mama Kid is the place to go. "Some of these designers have been in the industry for 25 years and specialise in just children's wear," explains Chow.

The main reason most parents don't invest heavily in children's clothing is obvious: children grow. But the investment isn't temporary, claims Chow, it's long term. It's about children developing their own style: "We're honing their creativity at a young age, it's important to start young."

"Parents conventionally dress their children in pink, cute little stars, bunny rabbits, smocks with flowers. While that is all great, it is time we evolve from that." It is this desire to break away from the norm, combined with her ambitious, industrious attitude that is the key to her success. "I'm walking the walk," she says. "And I'm going use that energy to take on the challenges ahead."