MARIA'S STYLE PLANET: February 2016

Julien MacDonald is launching his first childrenswear offering, in collaboration with Mothercare, and it's all thanks to his godchildren.

"I have two godchildren and so I think the things that I do are always quite reflective of my life and my situation - whether it's where I'm travelling or whatever, your life always has implications on your work," Macdonald explained. "I have a godson who's five and I have a goddaughter who's one, so basically over the last few years I've been surrounded by lots of children; on the weekends they all come to stay with me, and my friends are always saying, 'Why don't you do kids' clothes? We can't find anything that we want that's affordable.' So, after a while, I approached Mothercare and we developed the licence to produce this collection."

Smile for Mothercare by Julien Macdonald

Two bespoke childrenswear pieces, which are not part of the Smile collection, take to Julien Macdonald's spring/summer 2016 catwalk

"Mothercare have really risen to the challenge, doing something they really haven't done before, and now that we've done this first one together I think the next collection will probably be a bit more fashionable," he nodded of the autumn/winter 2016 offering, which is already in the works. "The fabric is a much higher quality than Mothercare would ever use, because when you go to a luxury store to buy baby clothes, that is the difference - literally a feel-good factor, and that is what you're paying for: the fabrics. I wanted my collection to be super-soft and comfortable, much better quality than you would ever find on the high street, but still very practical for baby's needs. In terms of design, we were a bit more cautious, but the buyers loved this one and wanted everything, so that gives us the confidence to really build on that. We've started with babies, so I think adding pieces for older age groups will be the next step. It's a great extension to my brand."