By Julia Szabo
Most childrenswear collections are simply stylish spinoffs of designer brands for grown-ups. But one forward French fashion brand, Bonpoint, made the bold move of prioritizing kids—infants to toddlers to teens—and lavishing them with every necessity, from crib blankets to cardigans. Born in 1975 and now nearing its semicentennial, the world’s first fashion house exclusively for the very young celebrates 50 years of chic childhood by opening its first permanent boutique out East: the Bonpoint Beach House, on Newtown Lane in East Hampton.
The elegant, 992-square-foot space provides a perfect seaside home for the brand, covering every Bonpoint category: newborn, baby, ceremony, girl, boy and skin care/fragrance. The atmosphere of whimsical cool is perfectly summed up by the showstopping vehicle parked inside: a custom Vespa in palest Bonpoint pink, with a Liberty of London floral seat.
There’s substance to Bonpoint’s style: Mindful that babies’ skin is fragile, the newborn collection—including pajamas, onesies, jumpsuits and more—is fashioned from pure, organic cotton jersey. Older children may browse racks of organic cotton denim untouched by harmful chemicals (made with a process called ozone fading), and items fashioned from natural, biodegradable merino wool.
From swimwear to stuffed animals and strollers, PJs to parkas, Bonpoint designs are family heirlooms that moms covet too, which is why Bonpoint loyalists fervently await the brand’s womenswear capsule collection, a collaboration with designer Vanessa Seward. It features a Liberty print short jumpsuit, a perfect French trench, plus other timeless must-have items that women can seamlessly integrate into their wardrobes to wear and enjoy for years.
“I’ve admired Bonpoint since the ’90s, when I would buy their teen clothes for myself, mixing them with couture pieces,” Seward says. Adds Bonpoint CEO Pierre-André Cauche, “We share a common vision of luxury and craftsmanship. Vanessa’s approach had allowed for subtle connections between the worlds of women and children.” Not to mention a new iteration of the Bonpoint philosophy: “Getting dressed is like being reborn.”
66 Newtown Lane, East Hampton; us.bonpoint.com