Napier firm Adore a'Belles offers Art Deco fashion for all ages

Children's designer Jamie Rae said her daughter loved their new Gatsby-inspired dresses and they are available just in time for Art Deco. Photo / Supplied

While flapper dresses, feather headpieces, and fedoras are being dusted off for the annual celebration of all things Art Deco, a Hawke's Bay business is working to make sure the younger generation are also able to join in the fun.

Next week thousands will don their deco finest to enjoy the Tremains Art Deco Festival 2018, to commemorate the 1931 Napier earthquake and celebrate what was able to emerge from the disaster.

Local childrens clothing designer Jamie Rae has begun stocking child versions of the era's signature looks.

"There's so much available to adults but we realised not a lot for children. Yet all the schools partake in the event - it's a bit of history and it's fun for them.

"This year we are excited to be able to provide a product just for the children. We've brought in specially designed Gatsby, flapper dresses with matching feather headbands. They're gorgeous."

Her daughter had already claimed a dress in each of the colours - silver, pink and blue.

"She loves the sound of the dress swishing around as she twirls."

Boy fashion is also being catered for - from a selection of suspenders/braces "for the little ones", to three-piece suits - beige pants, white collared shirts with matching braces or a vest.

"The boys outfits are really taking off - formal boys clothing tends to be the hardest to find," Ms Rae said.

She said the most inspiring thing about Art Deco was that the Hawke's Bay community came together to produce something wonderful, "and the fashion of the time is loved by so many".

Teamed up with her mother, Leigh, Ms Rae runs the website www.adoreabelles.co.nz, a home-based, online childrens clothing store.

As well as being worn during next week's festivities, she said their Deco-inspired fashion was also being used in weddings, with vintage and Gatsby-themed weddings increasingly popular.