Very Little Black Dress

We applauded Victoria Beckham for her stunning maternity outfit, she wore just days before giving birth to her beautiful baby girl, Harper, but never stopped to consider, until now, the teeny tiny trendsetter she would be spawning. Yummy mummies and fully-grown fashionistas often get all the shining glory when it comes to style - well, they may soon have to be sharing the spotlight as the 'mini modas' are hot on the heels of their Christian Louboutins. Harper Seven is not alone in the petite fashionparade, daughter of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, Suri has been laying down the foundations for infant fashion before she could even say 'little black dress'. Suri even has a fashion blog dedicated to her style, which documents her outfits through papparazzi snaps to satisfy the global appetite for seeing her next designer debut. Daisy Lowe looks blooming lovely on the decks at Latitude Festival 2011, Daisy Lowe's half sister, Betty is another trend-savvy tot who is doing a fantastic job of following in the fashion footsteps of her achingly cool family. As if being the offspring of acclaimed songwriter turned fashion designer, Pearl Lowe and Danny Goffey, drummer of rock band, Supergrass, doesn't give Betty enough kudos, it seems she is now a budding fashion model too.

If you can get past the oodles of cuteness and the relief that there is another generation of Lowe to carry the torch for trendsetting, then you will be able to see that Little Lowe is wearing an extremely fashion-forward design that belongs to a collection of 1920s inspired party garments designed by Daisy and Pearl Lowe. The collection was showcased at the UKs 'best new vintage festival' at Southbank Centre, which celebrates seven decades of British music, film, food, art, design and fashion. Retro designs and lashing of lace are massive this season; combined with the rounded penny collar and ribbon waist tie give a retro twist to a contemporary style, good work Betty, we'll put a gold star on your chart! The Lowes are, by no means, exclusive to the world of 'mini-toure' that the likes of Harper, Suri and Betty inhabit. Jean Paul Gaultier has also extended his fashion expertise into a children's clothing line, aptly named, Junior Gaultier. Junior Gaultier plays with grown-up designs in itsy-bitsy proportions, taking trends from current runways and translating them into stylish party garb for children. The Autumn/Winter collection showcases a range of garments that feature voluminous layering, traditional androgynous tailoring and ethnic inspired detailing which will take the world by storm this season. Try this dungaree style LBD or this embroidered shift with statement collar or the three-tiered sequin dress to have your little nippers top of the class in the language of fashion.

Visit Alexaandalexa, who won Best Online Fashion Retailer in the 2011 Junior Design awards to get your sticky mits on some Junior Gaultier. Here the door is opened to countless prolific design houses and their 'shrunk in the wash' collections that will have your bambino rivaling Betty and co in no time. Sonia Rykiel has also designed this long-sleeved, military-inspired, woollen dress (below, left) with gold button in her Enfant collection. The adorable pockets are lined with a vibrant red fabric while one cuff emblazed with the letter 'R' which adds that little touch of luxury that us big kids simply cannot resist.

 We know only too well how much mess a child can make; the tornado of biscuit crumb destruction and Crayola chaos, so for a Winter woolly emergency change of clothes, look no further than this ribbed, turtle-neck cotton dress (above, right) by Lili Gaufrette. Long sleeves and high neck ensure your little one is snug as a bug in a rug while the bow accent and pleated skirt add a touch of 'pink Princess' magic. If you haven't quite accepted that the sunshine has packed it's bags and gone yet and want your munchkin to be as stylishly summery as you then we advise you to turn another of our favourite Gaufrette designs. You may be wrapping yourself in lace and pouring yourselves into wet-look leather as this season's Fetish Fashion trend takes off but all of that is far too x-rated for your little cherubs! This Gaufrette dress (below, left) is the perfect interpretation of this season's fetish fever with its delicate lace trim and cascading tiers of ruffles which will have your petite fleur looking trend-forward in one swift movement.

The party continues with Derhy kids who have designed and crafted these two beautiful, very little black dresses for you to behold. The simple-yet-stylish jersey dress (above, centre) provides comfort and wearability while the swirling, black tulle roses add texture and enchanting aesthetics. Our personal favourite is the sequined Rara dress with layers of tulle and beaded embellishments. As well as being extremely prone to mess and accidents, we also appreciate that children grow like wildfire and shoot up when you least expect it so the adjustable straps and elasticated back are ideal for your creeping ivies. Sonia Rykiel, Derhy Kids and Lili Gaufrette can all be found at Childrensalon which was established in 1952 with the aim to kit our your kiddies in couture inspired designs with the practicalities and comfort of classic children's wear. Junior Gaultier designs can be found at this 'mini-toure' marketplace also. Yes it is adorable, yes the designs are stunning and yes we are a little envious that we cannot fit into that embroidered collared shift dress but is it really right to have our beloved rug rats enshrouded in glitz when they ought to be rolling around in rompers? It is a fairly outrageous thought that your child's party dress could possibly be costing you the best part of a week's wages! Suri Cruise may be on a par with iconic figures in the fashion world by the time her classmates are learning how to tie their unbranded laces but surely that lipstick and those midi heels would not fair well with jelly and ice cream at a bouncy castle birthday bash? Are we making our little nippers grow up too fast? Whatever your stance on the great debate, they do say, 'start as you mean to go on', so if you want your pocket-sized precious to share in the LBD magic and stop stealing your best little black number for dress up, then check out our featured designers and their A/W 2011 collections. All eyes are on the slinking felines of this season's Autumn/Winter 2011 catwalks at the moment but we strongly advise you to keep an eye on your crafty kittens - these little rascals are paving the way for future generations of the LBD after all!