Sarah Jessica Parker to launch limited-edition kids collection with Gap

The Sarah Jessica Parker kids collection for Gap is ...HERE. Almost.

Launching worldwide next week (mark March 1st in your diary) the Gap X SJP kids collection will be exclusively available at Gap.This collaboration also reunites Gap with New York Actress, designer and all out fashionista Sarah Jessica Parker, who starred in a series of Gap ads in early 2000.

This limited edition collection captures the nostalgia of well-loved pieces being passed along to family and friends and features an assortment of girls and boys apparel and accessories available in toddler and kids sizing - as well as two women’s dress styles that SJP worked with Gap to create.

Stemming from Parker’s family tradition of saying “rabbit, rabbit” on the first of every month for good luck, the collection celebrates love, luck and magic and is inspired by SJP's own childhood fashion heirlooms.

Channeling Parker’s good luck tradition, there are embroidered rabbits found throughout the collection as well as special ‘property of:’ sewn-in tags to detail each wearer throughout the years which takes inspiration from her own family’s rituals.

The Gap X SJP kids collection uses classic Gap silhouettes but with an added SJP twist: think ginghams, stripes and florals mixed with texture, eyelet details and quickly trims. Sarah Jessica Parker says:

Creating this collection with Gap has been such a treat as a mother, as one of eight children, and as a reconnection with the brand, I hope the pieces are cherished by the children who wear them, that items are passed down among generations, and that some great memories are created while wearing them.

So, for now, here's a sneaky peek at the collection that will no doubt be a sell-out and a Q&A with the lady herself:

Can you tell us a little bit about how the collaboration with GAP came to life and why a kid’s collection?

This is my second time working with Gap and it’s just as lovely as the last time. It seemed like a natural fit to work with Gap again and expand our partnership to include a design collaboration. The entire process has been so satisfying. The team is so collaborative and designing with them is easy and fun. I also got to work with my sister on this project, so it felt very nostalgic for us to work with Gap on a kid’s collection that matches back to prints and silhouettes that we used to wear as children.

What was your inspiration for the collection?

One of my favorite parts about working with Gap was their enthusiasm around creating a cohesive collection by including pieces that were sentimental to me like the grosgrain, "Rabbit Rabbit", the whimsy and gingham prints. I was inspired by my own family heirlooms so I want the pieces in this collection be able to be worn by any child, anywhere, anytime, from generation to generation.

What is your favourite piece from the collection?

I’m so bad at picking favourite items because as designers, we were so thoughtful in the aesthetic of the collection as a whole and piecing looks together was one of my favourite parts. Nobody was afraid to mix and match prints which is great since kids have that same type of abandon anyway. There is also an innocence to this collection that I am particularly fond of that makes it simple yet charming. The design team had so many inspired ideas.

Were you thinking of your own children when you designed the pieces?

I know my daughters are very sensitive to soft materials and always want to feel comfortable. Therefore, we used quality fabrics that are soft to the touch and played with colors that can be styled together and worn by any child.

What do you personally think of look-alike styles for mums and daughters?

I have a very special relationship with my mother. She always loved picking out dresses for me and my sister to wear and it eventually created this unexpected mother-daughter bond. Nowadays I wear dresses that she wore therefore our entire family has a similar style from all the hand-me-downs over the years.

What kind of input do our children have when it comes to their own wardrobe choices?

My son is 15 so I don’t play a huge role in his wardrobe and my daughters have strong ideas about their own identities so it’s very special watching them develop their personal kind of style. I let them wear what makes them feel confident since they are still discovering who they are in a larger context.

What did you enjoy more: designing for children or for women?

Collaborating with Gap on the children’s collection has been wonderful. The biggest test was designing clothing that was compelling to the parents however, we knew it was necessary for the child wearing the outfits to be just as equally enthused.

With all your experience as a mum and designer: Can you name 5 features or characteristics that all kids clothing items should have?

A big reason why the partnership with Gap was so natural was because we both find inspiration from our past and are rooted with similar core values. We created an iconic, timeless, sustainable, charming, flattering and quality collection for everyone!

The new kids collection for Gap is a lot about nostalgia. Tell us a moment in which you personally felt the happiest and satisfied?

I am very fortunate to be where I am today and am so lucky that I got the chance to collaborate with Gap with my sister by my side. The little things that are most satisfying to me currently stemmed from the most unforgettable memories from my past. All of our design concepts and ideas came from specific moments where I was my happiest and Gap’s design team made them all come to life.

How did the expression “rabbit, rabbit” come about? In what ways are you superstitious?

I have been doing it for over 25 years and I honestly can’t remember who told me about it. I am very vulnerable to superstitions because I grew up in the theater where every day was riddled with superstitions. There are so many that I have collected over the years and integrated into my life, but this one is my favorite since it’s pretty simple. I even have a system to reminding myself so I never forget! My daughters now participate in the ‘rabbit rabbit’ tradition every month and they obsess over it.

How important is tradition in your life?

Traditions have always played a role in my life from when I was a child working in theater to present time as a working mother. Helping keep our traditions alive is one of the more enjoyable parts of social media. I can now share my family’s traditions with my friends and family or my followers can show me how they made the ritual their own.

Do you have some fashion pieces that you’ve kept for your daughters to wear one day?

Absolutely! My daughters wear the dresses that I wore as a little girl. We are in a constant state of a hand-me-down rotation between my sister's kids and mine. As a parent, I understand the importance of producing clothing that will withstand the test of time and am excited to add this collection in our family’s hand-me-down rotation.

>> The Gap X Sarah Jessica Parker collection starts from £10.95 up to £59.95 and will be available through Gap and in selected Gap Kids stores.