The 17-Month-Old Toddler With A Lollipop Redefines True Professionalism In Kids Fashion | HANAKIMI

The Most Iconic Moment At 2017 Shanghai International Fashion Week

The Lollipop No One Dared To Take Away Backstage

Backstage at Shanghai Fashion Week, a makeup artist was gently adjusting the delicate lace hem of a little girl's custom gown.

She was only 17 months old — the youngest runway model in the entire history of Chinese fashion weeks. Her tiny hand clutched tightly to a half-eaten strawberry lollipop, with sticky candy stains on her soft cheeks and the hand-embroidered lace of her dress.

A staff member reached out instinctively to take it away. "Leave it with her," said HANAKIMI's chief designer. "That's her special runway prop."

And so, this wobbly little angel stepped onto the glittering T-stage, lollipop in hand. Halfway down the runway, she suddenly paused, tilted her head and looked back for her mom. After seeing her mom waving, she continued walking slowly, the shiny candy wrapper glinting under the stage lights.

The audience first broke into warm smiles, then erupted into heartfelt applause. No one saw this as a runway mistake. This moment became the most memorable highlight of 2017 Shanghai Fashion Week, and the most precious story in HANAKIMI's brand history.

We Value Authenticity As Much As Professionalism

No Single Standard, Only Growing Children

On every HANAKIMI runway and in every campaign shoot, we never reject professional child models — their dedication and expressive talent are deeply respected. But we also firmly believe that the true star of a children's fashion show is never a "perfect model", but a "living, breathing child".

What you will see is the full spectrum of childhood beauty:

Professional models delivering elegant, confident performances

A little girl lifting her dress hem and running straight to her mom

A boy stopping mid-walk to tie his shoelace

A tiny model holding a snack, her eyes scanning the crowd for her dad

We never make "professional training" the only casting criterion. We don't cast "models who can walk". We cast children who are living their childhood.

Our Embrace Of "Imperfection" Is A Deliberate Luxury Philosophy

A Gown Serves Childhood, Not The Other Way Around

Many industry insiders have asked us: Aren't you afraid this will damage your luxury brand image? Won't it make you look unprofessional?

Our answer has always been the same: What is true luxury in children's fashion? Is it flawless makeup, perfectly timed steps, and impeccable fixed poses? Or is it letting a child be fully themselves under the spotlight — eating candy when they want, laughing freely, and turning back to find their mom whenever they need?

HANAKIMI unapologetically chooses the latter.

We firmly believe that the highest form of bespoke couture is not forcing children into adult aesthetic boxes. It is designing gowns that adapt to children — to their running, their jumping, and their spontaneous stops to watch ants on the ground.

A gown exists to celebrate childhood. It should never ask childhood to shrink to fit the gown.

The Irreplaceable Glow Of Ordinary Children

We Only Cast Kids With "Light In Their Eyes"

Every season, we open casting calls to ordinary children around the world. No portfolio required. No runway experience needed. No professional training whatsoever.

We have only one casting criterion: Does their eyes light up when they put on a HANAKIMI gown?

That light is a child's innate response to beauty — the little chest that puffs out unconsciously when they feel pretty, the joy of spinning in front of a mirror and watching their dress fly, the curiosity as they touch the delicate lace with their fingers.

This pure, vibrant glow cannot be taught by any professional training. It only grows when a child feels respected, allowed, and seen exactly as they are.

At HANAKIMI, Kids Are Always Allowed To Be Themselves

True Luxury Is Embracing Your "Imperfections"

In a world that constantly tells children how they "should" be — Sit up straight. Smile politely. Be perfect.

HANAKIMI wants to be the brand that says "you can". You can walk the runway with a lollipop in your hand. You can stop halfway to look for your mom. You can wander off the planned path if you see something more interesting. You don't have to be a perfect model. You just have to be you.

True luxury is never about the most expensive fabric or the most intricate craftsmanship. It is having someone tailor a gown just for your "imperfections". It is having someone reserve a spot on the world's most prestigious runways, just for your childhood.

Closing Note If you ever see a little girl on a HANAKIMI runway, biting a lollipop, with candy stains on her dress, stopping mid-walk to find her dad — Please don't think it's an accident. It is the most intentional, and most important, part of what we do.

HANAKIMI | Qimei Luxury handmade bespoke couture, celebrating every unique childhood. Including the one with a lollipop.