“Can you say ‘Hi, Vogue’ to the camera?”
Eita, 3, looked at Lucy Dolan-Zalaznick, from Vogue’s social team, with bewilderment.
“Who is Vogue? I don’t know them.”
This may have been true for many of the toddler models who arrived at Studio 5 on the 24th floor of the World Trade Center last week, but within an hour of the shoot, they all knew exactly who Vogue was: an Oz-like benefactor providing toys and playspace on a chilly winter Friday.
When the Vogue fashion editors returned from Europe in October, one of the resounding takeaways from the spring 2025 shows was a wide embrace of the childlike and playful, from the animal beanbag seating at Bottega Veneta (I was partial to the otter) to Coperni’s Euro Disneyland spectacular. As a parent of two toddlers who live and breathe Richard Scarry, I found Matthieu Blazy’s giant intrecciato leatherbound Biggest Word Book Ever to cause a rare moment of fashion awe. Elsewhere, Alessandro Michele gave models kitty cat purses at his first Valentino show; Moschino showcased hand-scribbled bags and shoes; and models at Coach hugged oversized leather teddy bear clutches and had toy taxi cabs affixed to their sneakers. With designers so intent on leaning into childlike whimsy, we thought: Who better to take them up on their creations than actual children? The offspring of various Vogue staffers were called to duty.
“You can’t wear that hat, can you?” photographer Jeff Henrikson challenged Henry, 2, using the oldest trick in the book. Henry quickly insisted he could indeed wear the voluminous Marni topper.
With reference boards creating six scenarios, from “adventure playtime” to “dress-up tea party,” Henrikson, himself a father to two toddlers, was a deft handler of tiny people with outsize egos. Eve, 2, absolutely refused to wear anything but the Simone Rocha crocs–which were not on her board! Instead, she demanded two purses, “all the jewelry,” and “Elsa sunglasses,” which were in fact vintage Miu Miu.
Many of these Vogue youth happen to be friends off-set: Henry and Eve, who have spent weekends together, shuffled towards each other for a cozy greeting; and Agnes, 5, gave Eita a big “hello.” Meanwhile, overwhelmed by the number of onlookers, Calliope, 2, requested a closed set and insisted on a pink or purple purse, but was forced to settle for Bottega Veneta’s hand-appliquéd Andiamo bag. And Alice, who had a hard out for her early dinner time, kept announcing it was time to go home while holding cobalt fringed Ferragamo heels to her face like a hangry Munch’s The Scream.
Agnes took the assignment the most seriously, arriving directly from school and announcing that she was pleased with the bejeweled Simone Rocha platform crocs but had feedback about the Valentino kitty clutch: “Too heavy.”
Eita also seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, removing his shoes and putting on clean socks to stand on top of Bottega Veneta’s $10,000 ladybug bean bag. He was, however, more starstruck to meet Corduroy the Bear and Lowly Worm.
Grant, 6, also showed up after school and was very proud of his handstand skills, but fortunately held back while wearing Loewe’s clown brogues, with their rather dangerously elongated toe box. And Khalin, 2, arrived roaring—lion in hand—and raring to go, very glad to play with a Noah’s Ark line of Schleich animal figurines while wearing a crimson Marni hat. Happily, no one was overheard declaring that they wouldn’t leave naptime for less than $10,000.
