The Best Brands from Kids InStyle Sydney 2016

Kids InStyle Sydney is always a must-do on my kids' industry calendar - to catch-up with favourite brands, check out trends, and scout for new Australian kids' designers. The 2016 show in Sydney showcased more of what we've loved in the last year - pastels, monochrome, fruit, unicorns, Aussie-Scandi style, graphic prints on kids' clothes, and a lasting interest in children's rooms. Read on for my favourite brands and trends from the show this year.

10 products to watch from Sydney Kids InStyle 2015

It's my final round-up, showcasing 10 of my favourite products for kids by Australian designers from this year's Kids InStyle and Life InStyle tradeshows in Sydney in 2015. With decorations by Beci Orpin (see the huge mobile below), amazing kids' bed linen (see my post here), and kids' fashion (see my other post here), it's a children's lifestyle blogger's dream. Heaven for me!

These are trade-only shows for retailers and buyers, but I'm happy to share with you the inside scoop on some of the great products on offer this year. Read on for my pick of the show including great Australian children's decor, stationery, artwork and other fun products and gifts for kids:

Australian Kids' Beds and Linen: Kids InStyle Sydney 2015

Hello linen lovers. This is Part II of my favourite finds from Kids InStyle 2015 in Sydney recently - the great selection of beds and bed linen on offer by Australian designers. This is by no means a complete list, but these brands caught my eye as I zoomed around the trade show.

First up, very sweet Scandi-inspired cots, change tables and matching furniture from Incy Interior's Teeny brand. As always, beautifully styled with Australian linen and homewares; this is a great option for those who want a complete matching nursery set when out shopping for all the big ticket items for baby. Check out the blonde timber with crisp white and dove grey trim:

Australian Kids' Fashion: Kids InStyle Sydney 2015

Looking for something new for the little ones in your life? Here are some of my favourite Australian-designed kids' fashion finds from the Kids InStyle Sydney 2015 trade show. This isn't an exhaustive list, but a great starting point to hunt down beautiful clothing for babies and kids that is designed locally.

Best In Show: Kids InStyle Sydney 2015 - Phoenix and the Fox

My favourite stand at Kids InStyle Sydney 2015 was Phoenix and the Fox, a brand new clothing label based in Sydney. Let me start by saying that I only had 4.5 hours to traverse the enormity that is the Kids InStyle and Life InStyle trade shows. Camera in hand, I zoom up and down the aisles, pausing only to catch-up with designers that I have already been following. But I literally stopped in my tracks as I passed Phoenix and Fox. Here's why:

Milk & Masuki owl blanket

One of my favourite pieces at the Kids InStyle 2015 Sydney trade show this past week was this gorgeous stretchy wrap/throw/blanket/cover by Milk & Masuki, featuring this cool owl print designed by label co-owner Ishak Masukor (also holding the piece).

Sydney Kids InStyle and Life InStyle 2014 - my picks

I had a great time zooming through the Kids InStyle and Life InStyle trade show on Saturday - scoping the new trends in kids' interiors for 2014, making new friends and chatting to some favourite designers too. Here's a run-down of some of my picks from the show. I'll be showcasing a few of these in more detail over the next few weeks as their websites go live and products are available online.

Sydney ABCD meet-up at Life InStyle 2013 - photos

We were all totally inspired at another amazing Sydney ABCD (art, craft, design bloggers) meet-up on 28th February. Lisa Tilse (the red thread) and I hosted the first part of the meet-up at the Sydney lifestyle-products event of the year - the Life InStyle and Kids InStyle trade show. We wandered around checking out all the upcoming trends in homewares, kidsware and accessories (my kind of show!) sipping on our sparkling wine, and gathered at a table in front of the Cool Edie's Style Lab.

There were so many Australian designers showing their new products and they were all pretty fabulous. Here are a few photos from our abcd gals on Instagram:

Girls walking the trade show: Margie (My Very Own Eye Goggles), Babs (Patchwork Cactus), Bodhana (Poppet Hill), Michelle (Me We), Claire (Craft Scmaft), Lisa (the red thread).

Gold bike at the entrance.

Margie (My Very Own Eye Goggles) and Bodhana (Poppet Hill) chatting to Tess and Anna from Polli.

 Beautiful jewellery from Polli.

Lighting from Nelson and Co.

 Gold spray-painted pineapples and terrariums.

Various exhibitors' pieces curated by Cool Edie's at The Style Lab.

Sydney creative bloggers taking a break at the abcd meet-up table at Life InStyle.

After much ooh-ing and ah-ing we headed next door to PJ Gallagher's Irish Pub after the show. There was much mixing and chatting in preparation for our small group discussions about wholesale with amazing Life InStyle exhibitors: jewellery designers Polli Design (Anna and Tess), kids' lifestyle desiger Scoops (Sophie) and stationery designers KatyJane Designs (Katy and Jane). They so generously shared their time and experience, and provided us with invaluable advice and tips on taking the next step to wholesale. Thank you ladies!

Chatting, snacking and getting to know each other before the small group discussions.

Learning all about wholesale: Bodhana (Poppet Hill), Tara (Dudley Redhead), Cybele (Blah Blah Magazine), Jo (Wonder Dot), Suzanne (Paper Ivy) and Sally (Jambo Chameleon).

Sally (Jambo Chameleon), Anastasia (Anastasia Drawing & Dreaming), Carolyn (Indie Art and Design, Non Fiction), Lamina (Do A Bit).

Melinda (Paperklip Design), Amanda (My Little Table), Deni (Free Range Living), Kristen (Kristen Doran Design), Michelle (Me We), Margie (My Very Own Goggle Eyes).

Our aim for Sydney ABCD meet-ups has always been to encourage the art, craft and design community online to get out from behind our computers and make connections with each other IRL (in real life). We love our community of creatives here in Sydney and our meet-ups just keep getting better. In the last few years we have also started introducing a theme to our meet-ups to provide an educational element too. Lisa and I have been plotting out some great meet-ups for the rest of the year and can't wait to share the info with you. If you haven't already, please sign up to our abcd meet-up mailing list to be alerted when our new meet-ups are announced. We would love to meet you too :)

Thanks to all the meet-up creatives who came, chatted and shared. Head to their websites to say Hi!: Lisa (the red thread), Jo (Bubala), Melinda (Paperklip Design), Lamina (do a bit), Desleigh (Desleigh), Bodhana (Poppet Hill), Cybele (Blah Blah Magazine), Claire (Craft Schmaft), Anastasia (Anastasia Drawing & Dreaming), Saffron (Saffron Craig Designs), Fiona (Fiona Kate Simply Gorgeous Storage), Kristen and Monique (Kristen Doran Design), Suzanne (Paper Ivy), Amanda (Amanda's Musings), Sheryl (Two Spoonfuls of Sugar), Sally (Jambo Chameleon), Michelle (Me We), Andrea (Andrea Smith Illustration), Helen (Paper Poetry), Bozana (Boz and Love), Tara (Dudley Redhead), Carmen (Carmel's Closet), Deni (Free Range Living), Carolyn (Indie Art & Design, Nonfiction), Margie (My Very Own Eye Goggles), Susie (Flowerpress), Anni (Milk & Honey Photography), Anna (Tea Pea Design), Amanda (My Little Table), Jo (Wonder Dot).

Much thanks as always to my co-host Lisa (the red thread), and to the lovely Jaclyn from Life InStyle (and little paper trees) who orchestrated the trade show visit for us.

Thanks for the Instagram images above go to Lisa @theredthread, Babs @patchworkcactus, Jo @wonderdotshop, Amanda @amandafuller and Anastasia @percivalroad. Other images by me @sbond.