World leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials, Lectra has joined forces with Les Enphants and the Shanghai Institute of Visual Art to hold its inaugural childrenswear design competition in China using Kaledo®, Lectra’s textile design solution.

Outstanding designs from the competition will be included in Les Enphants’ children’s wear range, and the winner will be awarded a unique opportunity to intern for the company. Over 30 fashion design students from the Shanghai Institute of Visual Art took part in the competition.

China’s market for children’s products is expected to boom, with children’s wear becoming a major source of growth for fashion companies due to the government’s newly implemented two-child policy. The design campaign was officially launched in September 2015. Design Managers and Purchasing Managers from Les Enphants conducted classes, helping students carry out market research on upcoming childrenswear trends and define their design direction and style while providing creative guidance. Lectra’s design solution Kaledo helped the students bring their design ideas to life. The submitted designs were then evaluated by a panel of industry experts, followed by an awards ceremony recently hosted by the event sponsors. These designs will then be used by Les Enphants and even have a shot at appearing in the Shanghai 2016 autumn/winter fashion show, where they will be highly publicized and showcased to a wider audience.