Mantis World's babywear range, Babybugz, was launched in 2005, following the success of Humbugz, its range for older kids up to 12 years.

Fashion

"This year we introduced some trendy, pretty styles for girls in dazzling colours such as Canary Yellow, Raspberry and Apple Green in styles like the HM102 Girls' Stretch360° Tee and HM62 Girls' Racer-Back Vest, both made with our signature ‘Stretch360º' fabric, using 5% elastane for a soft, stretchy fit," says Bhardwaj. "For both boys and girls, we launched the HM46 Children's Long Sleeve Raglan Top, a classic Jersey long sleeve top ideal for outdoor activities and in a range of sizes from age 2-3 years up to 10-12years. For babies, we introduced a bib (BZ12) with velcro detail, a long sleeve rompersuit (BZ13), and some cute long sleeve tops such as the BZ11 and baby collar top BZ14." 

But fashion isn't the only consideration when designing for children, says Bhardwaj. "We consider the practical uses of the garments for the end user who will eventually wear and wash the garments, as well as the branding considerations for the buyer, in our case printers, embroiderers and retailers.

"For instance, our styles are designed to maximise the print and decoration opportunities. There are many uses for imprinted garments, particularly as kids' and babies' styles make for perfect promos, sampling and giveaways thanks to their relative low unit cost and cute factor.

"The opportunities to profit in this growing business are endless, with end users expecting innovative designs and high quality in their giveaways from baby product manufacturers (nappies, baby food etc), nurseries, and newborn/pregnancy bundles. And when we think about the speed at which babies naturally grow, it's a high turn around of products! For printers, embroiders and designers, baby and childrenswear often inspires greater creativity, with endless opportunities for cute, witty and even cheesy messages (to entertain the parents rather than the kids) to be emblazoned across these styles."

Diversity

Brands need to see variety and creativity in their collections to keep the momentum and interest from their customers, says Bhardwaj. "It's important that a childrenswear manufacturer produces a good assortment of sizes to be able to adjust to the differences when kids are growing up," she adds. This year Humbugz introduced new sizing with smaller age gaps in selected styles from ages: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 and up to 10-12 years for better fit and more choice. Mantis World also claims to offer one of the most extensive collections of complementary styles in the market, enabling customers to find styles that are available across all size/ages. For example, the Babybugz BZ11 Long Sleeve top for babies up to age 12-18 months is also available in a complementary Humbugz style HM46 from age 2-3 years up to 10-12 years for kids, then extending to the Mantis collection with size S or S/M for teens and adults.  

Variety in price should also not be overlooked, adds Bhardwaj, as customers want competitive pricing and an offer of different price points to meet any type of budget.

"Both Humbugz and Babybugz offer good quality at good value, with the cheapest garment, BZ12 Baby Bib coming in at the budget-conscious carton price of £1.00 and the most expensive HM52 Kids Contrast Hoodie at £6.45," she says. Customers can choose from 29 kids' and babies' styles ranging from T-shirts, tracksuits and long sleeve tops at various price points.

To add to this and to cater for the environmentally conscious customer, Mantis World also claims to have the industry's widest selection of organic kids' and babies' T-shirts and babygrows and hats as part of its trademarked Tender Loving Clothing (TLC) range. All the TLC garments are made with the highest quality organic African cotton, making them soft, breathable and kinder to the skin, says Bhardwaj, adding: "These styles are perfect for both green promotions and for retailers catering to parents who want the very best for their children."

Safety and best practice

Safety is of paramount importance for kidswear and babywear, says Bhardwaj - delicate skin is more sensitive and babies are most vulnerable as they can't tell a parent if something's wrong. All Humbugz and Babybugz products go through stringent safety checks, including going through a metal detector and having a strict needle policy to avoid the possibility of broken needles caught up in the clothing.

The entire collection also holds Oeko-Tex 100 certification, (including Class 1 for babywear), which guarantees safety against babies' delicate skin and also if they put the fabric in their mouth. The company only uses the highest quality nickel free YKK trims to prevent potential allergic reactions. Bhardwaj adds that more customers are switching to printing with water-based rather than plastisol inks to achieve a softer touch and to avoid the use of potentially hazardous PVC phthalates.

CSR

On a general note, it is clear the market is becoming more ethical and environmentally friendly, and baby and kidswear manufacturers need to keep at the top of their game when it comes to their social responsibilities, suggests Bhardwaj. "Mantis World has always strived to improve performance in these key areas, and we do not use child labour or forced labour and a fair wage is paid in a safe and fair working environment," she says. "We have a policy to reduce, reuse and recycle wherever possible and work closely with both trade unions and international NGOs for best practice.

"At the same time, we have to adapt to our customers' specific demands and remain flexible." Flexibility is key in the launch of Mantis World's bespoke Made to Measure service, which gives customers the opportunity to develop their own products exactly as they wish. "This could mean creating a completely new design or adaptation of an existing style in the range," explains Bhardwaj. "There will be times when a customer will need to screen print or embroider their own design on a product, or when a client's kimball and swing tag need to be attached at production. Our factory is set up for all of these requests, and we are able to fulfill them in good timing."

At the beginning of the year Mantis World introduced an unbranded and neutral size woven neck label with only the size information, making its childrenswear and babywear easier to re-label and re-brand.

What's next?

This year, the Babybugz collection included a selection of 12 styles in total, the Humbugz 17, plus a further 8 styles (6 babies, 2 kids) made from Organic cotton (part of the TLC range). For 2009, these ranges will expand and continue to offer more funky and fashionable styles from newborns up to the age of 12 years.

"We can't say any more, but look out for the new 2009 catalogue and come and meet us when we set out on tour at next year's trade shows," hints Bhardwaj.

Born in London, Made in Africa

Mantis World works closely with its family-owned factory in Tanzania, East Africa where it oversees a vertically intergrated operation that gives transparency at every stage of the production process. "We actively support fair trade, fair wages and fair working conditions for all, and are working to meet the exacting standards of the Ethical Trade Initiative Base Code to ensure our working conditions exceed international labour standards," adds Bhardwaj. "To help us improve these standards each year, we take advice from the experts with regular independent social and environmental audits to monitor our progress and to guarantee our compliance."                    

All Humbugz, Babybugz and TLC styles, as well as the Mantis collection are ready to order from extensive stocks held across Europe. For a free 2008 brochure or more details email: info@mantisworld.com or call +44 (0)207 224 8991. Or contact one of the UK Distributors: UKL: 0800 220955 and Prestige Leisure: 0800 652 1234

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