More parents are now pampering their babies and young children with designer wear, luxury toys and pricey toiletries. Born with a silver spoon in the mouth has taken on a new meaning, writes SYIDA LIZTA AMIRUL IHSAN.

Gwen Stefani with her son Kingston James and his black L.A.M.B sneakers.

A BABY of privilege today, it seems, is born straight into the lap of luxury.

He or she would be kept cocooned in a Hermes beige-and-brown, wool-and-cashmere baby blanket costing a cool RM2,510.

Suspended above the crib would be Hermes' fluffy mobiles of stars, bears and horses (RM850) and when baby can grip, there is the rattle in sterling silver (RM955) from Tiffany & Co.

Little feet would be snug in Hermes' pristine-white lambskin booties (RM850) to ward off the cold.
The bibs, caps, mittens and clothes would come from Burberry baby sets (from RM520).

When baby is old enough to be taken outdoors, the black-and-lime green MacLaren Shanghai Tang stroller (RM1,820) is a chic way to go.

Or should parents prefer Burberry checks, then the British brand's stroller (RM3,345) can also walk baby in style.

With parents earning more and are willing to spend on their children (perhaps to give their kids the luxuries denied them when they were young), the business in designer fashion for little ones is booming.

In the movie Sex and The City, Charlotte York's adopted daughter is seen colouring figures as her miniature pink Chanel tweed handbag, complete with the double C logo, sits close by.

However, Chanel does not have a baby or children's range. Could it be that Chanel toting-mothers are buying smaller bags for their daughters?

Popular culture, as we know, is celebrity-driven. We ape celebrity fashion season after season so when celebs become parents, their children's clothes become the fashion standard for our offspring.

Suri, daughter of actor Tom Cruise and actress Katie Holmes, was photographed in a belted Burberry dress and Kingston James McGregor Rossdale was seen wearing L.A.M.B shoes that his mother, singer Gwen Stefani, designed.

Author Mark J. Penn noted this trend in his book, Micro Trends, in which he wrote about pampering parents, a breed of mothers and fathers whose child-raising mantra has substituted "let’s have a good heart-to-heart talk" for "spare the rod and spoil the child".

Yes, parents are more permissive now, he wrote.

Barely 15 per cent of his respondents would take away their child’s privilege after the kid has committed an offence. And with this growing baby focus, the industry selling products for infants and toddlers in America is now worth a whopping US$7 billion (RM24.15 billion).

Armani, Burberry, Chloe, Dolce & Gabbana, Escada, Kenzo, Missoni, Moschino, Ralph Lauren, Juicy Couture, Dior and DKNY all have their newborn, toddler and children lines.

Some of them are available in Malaysia, while others can be bought from websites specialising in children’s luxury brands like www.childrensalon.co.uk or kidscavern.co.uk.

Children Salon is, according to its fashion editor Eloise Gill, a place for "lavish indulgence and charming luxury... whether the child loves the drama and dress-up quality that (John) Galliano and (Roberto) Cavalli provide or the pretty, elegant qualities of Chloe and Alberta Feretti".

Closer to home, Parkson in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur stocks baby and children’s clothing from DKNY, Ralph Lauren and Burberry. Parkson in Suria KLCC has Escada, Cacharel and Timberland on its children’s floor.

Brands that were once seen as expensive for babies and children like Guess Kids, Baby Guess, Gap Kids, Baby Gap and OshKosh B’Gosh suddenly look relatively affordable when compared with Burberry or Ralph Lauren.

A Guess Kids T-shirt, for example, costs RM95 while at Ralph Lauren, the polo tee with the oversized horse logo is RM235 and a long-sleeved Burberry shirt for boys is tagged at RM430.

British buggy and stroller brand MacLaren makes baby carriers for labels like Kate Spade, Lulu Guinness and Lacoste. It even has a small range of baby goods by famed French designer, Philippe Starck.

New York skincare brand Kiehl has a popular baby range made with natural ingredients like apricot and almond that is said to be gentle for baby’s delicate skin. Its bestseller is the baby cream.

Mother Jasreen Jalil buys the cream regularly for her 10-month-old son who has sensitive skin.

“Kiehl’s baby shower helps soothe my baby’s bottom when he has a bad rash. Even though it is costly, Kiehl’s baby goods, by far, are still the mildest products for my baby,” she said.

Juicy Couture infuses the free-spirited charm of designing duo Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy into Juicy Baby that offers not only baby clothes, but pacifiers (RM250 for three) and bibs (RM230 for a set of three as well).

The lady manning the Burberry counter in Parkson Pavilion said business is brisk because of Arab tourists and “Burberry-wearing parents who want their children fitted in the same brand”.

The Burberry baby and children clothing lines begin with items for newborns (until 18 months) to toddlers (three months to four years) and children (four to 14 years). The clothing range is priced from RM225 onwards.

One of the reasons why baby rattles at Tiffany & Co are popular gifts, I was told, is because they are made of silver, which has anti-bacterial properties, thus making them safe for babies apt to put stuff into their mouths.

“We clean them for free when they’re soiled,” said one of its saleswomen.

Aside from rattles, the American jewellery house offers teethers (RM580), baby spoons and forks (RM1,300 for a pair) and some baby plates and bowls.

The British Vogue reported a few months back that Dior designer John Galliano has teamed up with denim brand Diesel to create a line of clothing for children.

“The world of high-end products is generally booming, so it’s no surprise that designer clothing for babies and young children is in growing demand as well, Diesel boss Renzo Rosso told Women’s Wear Daily.

“Galliano likes to create fairy-tale worlds even for adults. Imagine what he could do for kids.”

Ten years from now, I bet a rich man’s eight-year-old son would be zooming around his parents’ sprawling estate in a miniature Ferrari or Porsche... instead of the old plastic pedal car.

If Hermes can come up with a RM1,680 sterling silver cereal bowl, can a miniature sports car be that far behind?