Modern design, color dominate N.Y. gift show

New York— Energy was high at last month's New York International Gift Fair as nearly 43,000 attendees filled the Javits Center to visit the more than 2,800 exhibitors. Just Kidstuff, a special section dedicated to gifts for little ones with more than 60 exhibitors, was bustling with activity as the latest in giftable goodies was revealed.

Exhibitors were thrilled with traffic on the show floor. "We have written more orders here than at Toy Fair," said John McCrory, president and CEO of Crystal Lake, Ill.-based Pint Size Productions, a first-time exhibitor.

Jim Lancaster of Atlanta-based Jack Rabbit Creations observed that even if traffic was down, sales were up. "Even in a tough economy, we are going to do this show," he said. David Sopp of Wry Baby agreed: "This show just rocks," he said. "It's young, it's hip and it's cool. It's the best ever."

While some juvenile product manufacturers chose to exhibit in one of the main pavilions, the Just Kidstuff area provided convenient, one-stop shopping for buyers. "The Kidstuff area qualifies buyers who know what they are looking for," said Jakob Jakobsen, who handles sales and marketing for Los Angeles-based Zookies. "Attendance has been amazing, and we have been getting great feedback from customers."

Modern, sleek design was the overwhelming theme of the show. Manufacturers displayed cleverly packaged, innovative items from toys to décor that will appeal to sophisticated consumers with an eye for design. Novel products, from Argington's birch table sets and toddler beds to Trumpette's baby socks packaged in an egg carton, attracted attention from discerning buyers.

Expanding on the popular trend, cheeky one-piece outfits with creative sayings from manufacturers including babygags and Urban Baby Designs dominated the show. One-pieces from New York-based The Go Club, which expanded its sizes up to 6T, featured sayings like "I was worth the wait" with simple graphics and funky shades of lime green and pink that are conveniently packaged in small red tubes. San Francisco-based Wry Baby introduced a new line of giftable one-pieces with cute phrases like "Someday I'll demand a pony," and a humorous safety book for parents that illustrates basics like changing a diaper.

Kee-Ka of Brooklyn, N.Y., displayed its expanded organics line, with bibs, one-pieces and burp cloths featuring its signature artwork. "Organics is transitioning into high fashion," said owner Yaron Litwin, who noted that style-driven customers are now putting health and safety first. "The consumer has changed from California hippie to hip." Kee-Ka's Baby Classics collection features outfits packaged in VHS cases with quotes from movies such as "Hasta la vista baby."

Adorable dish sets adorned with animals, flowers and stripes were abundant. Melamine dish sets from Los Angeles-based Pigment & Hue featured graphic spaceships, dinosaurs and polka dots. Jack Rabbit Creations introduced garden party enamelware perfect for a tea time, and a ducky dish set in soft pastel shades. Expanding on the kitchen theme, Guidecraft USA introduced a kitchenette with a pastel mini-kitchen that's stocked with all of the amenities a little cook could need, including a microwave, clock and even a wireless telephone.

Traditional toys and décor got a modern twist with bright colors and bold motifs. Artistic giclee prints from Goodnight Moon featured new BMX, skater and fashion-inspired prints with 3-D embellishments like ribbons and rhinestones. White Wicker Co. displayed a whimsical garden-inspired canvas that is hung as a faux picture window to bring the outdoors inside, and even includes an adorable pink valance that frames the pastel painting. New one-pieces from Kelly B. Rightsell bring the designer's fanciful artwork of frogs and bunnies dressed in sweet outfits into apparel.

Grannimals, bright and colorful knit animals including ducks, donkeys and dogs from Pint Size Productions' Latitude Enfant, put a modern design spin on traditional playthings. From There to Here of San Francisco introduced beautifully crafted wood toys designed in Germany. With an old-world European feel, small figurines like a cyclist and a tennis player hang from the ceiling and bounce with the aid of a small metal coil—a simple touch designed to keep even the most modern child entertained.

Pint Size Productions showed Latitude Enfant's Grannimals collection at last month's New York gift show.