Catimini: a name that resonates across France’s childrenswear market. And it is poised for a revival. On January 20, French baby and childrenswear specialist CWF announced the acquisition of Catimini.

After several turbulent seasons under the ID Kids umbrella, marked by a drastic reduction in its store network from 2023 and a suspension of operations in 2024, Catimini is changing hands. The northern French group had taken over Catimini, along with several other brands from the beleaguered Kidiliz group, in 2020 but failed to restore the brand’s profitability; despite 18 million euros in revenue (per filed accounts) in 2021 and 2022, it posted multi-million-euro losses.

In formalising the deal, without disclosing the amount, Children Worldwide Fashion said it had brought the brand’s founders, Paul and Monique Salmon, who launched the label in 1972, on board.

“Catimini was born of a free and creative vision of children’s fashion. Seeing it join CWF, in Vendée, where it took root, is an obvious choice. We share the same values of know-how, high standards and respect for the brand’s DNA, and I have no doubt about the teams’ ability to embody its codes, gestures and soul,” said Paul Salmon, who is supporting this handover, in a press release.

For CWF, the stakes are high: to restore the lustre of a house that has defined the creative wardrobe of generations of children, while integrating it into the logistical and commercial set-up that has enabled it to establish itself as a strong player on the global children’s luxury stage.

The Les Herbiers-based group built its reputation managing luxury licences (from Givenchy to Marc Jacobs and, more recently, Boss), and is now accelerating the development of its own brands. Alongside Billieblush, Catimini becomes its new in-house standard-bearer. Repositioned in the premium segment, the brand will draw on the group’s expertise as it seeks to reclaim its place in the market by reconnecting with the strongest elements of its DNA, with joyful, graphic fashion in which its signature red is set to play an important role.

CWF is also announcing a first collection for spring/summer 2027, comprising 150 styles for ages 2-14, including accessories, footwear and a gift offering for babies. This comprehensive proposition should quickly find its place within the Kids around network, the group’s multibrand concept, which already boasts 85 stores in 29 countries. The French market accounts for more than a third of the group’s revenue, with CWF Fashion reporting 210 million euros in 2024, according to filed accounts.

To mark this new chapter, CWF intends to make a statement. The group will unveil the first looks of this “new” Catimini on March 11, at a special catwalk show at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. A deliberate choice of venue, as the site hosts numerous fashion shows during fashion weeks. A symbol of CWF’s determination to bring its premium expertise to Catimini across the board.