The Kiddie Couturiers

We got requests from many publications asking for Damian, said Dirk Standen,the editor in chief of Style.com. The boy photographed for the story was actually his own son,12 years old at the time. As a parent,Standen said,he had conflicting feelings about children who are obsessed with fashion who are starting their careers at such an early age,especially in the fashion industry. But in a case of truth that is stranger than fiction,at least half a dozen teenagers and tweens have started their own collections,some of them as young as 10 .

One of the most successful,Cecilia Cassini,an 11-year-old is marketed on her e-commerce site as the worlds youngest fashion designer and a kiddie couturier. Her trademark is a large silk bow she oftens wears. According to her father,she has sold close to 500 designs since she started her business when she was 10. One of her inspirations is Lourdes Leon,the 14-year-old daughter of Madonna,who helps design Material Girl,the singers juniors collection sold at Macys. Look at how many famous teens there are now, Cecilia said. Fashion is a hot thing to be into when youre young.

The fact that fashion has become a field that is so easy for a tween to crack says a lot about how much the perception of a designer has changed. The allure of fashion is no longer the craft,but the flash.

It is interesting social commentary,more than anything, said Michael Fink,the dean of the school of fashion design at Savannah College of Art and Design. That you can design your own line on almost any fashion Web site means there is very little mystery out there at any age as to how an industry works today.

While there is far more information available to them online,and more of an understanding of the glamorous side of the business,many of their impressions are based on what they see on styling shows or at their local malls. Where is the celebration of the art and the craft? Where is the historical knowledge? asked Fink. Im not sure its up to us to say whether this is healthy or unhealthy, said Standen. If you take Tavi as an example of a writer and a blogger,she really loves this stuff and she is really knowledgeable about it,so you think,Why shouldnt she be doing it?

I would tell people they shouldnt wait until theyre 20 to be in fashion, Cecilia said. Even if youre 5,you can still do it.

Last week, Madison Waldrop,13,shopped for fabrics along the side streets of the garment district. Madison,a fashion newbie,is developing a dress collection called Designs by Malyse,specialising in evening and bridal gowns. The fact that she is still in the eighth grade is not likely to stop her.

This is something that I truly love to do, Madison said. For me,its the whole process of making clothes that I love.

Madisons mother,when asked if she thought it was a good idea for her daughter to start a business at 13,said,We have had conversations about it,that this can take you in two directions,and,like anything in life,you have to choose which path you are going to take, she said.

Lionel Cassini,Cecilias father,also defended the promotion of his daughter. Im happy that she has something that she loves to do,and shes not on a video game or in front of the television all day, Lionel said.

Jane Keltner de Valle,the fashion news director of Teen Vogue,views it as a positive sign that teenagers are taking advantage of online resources to get an early start in their careers.

This is the Now Generation, she said. I dont think the Proenza Schoulers of the world,or Marc Jacobs,need to worry about these kids. Not just yet,but maybe in a few years.ERIC WILSON