And Cath Kidston, the British homeware and clothing brand, has recently expanded its empire as far as Japan.

Whimsy has hit mainstream retailing too, with kittens, puppies, owls and other cute motifs embellishing t-shirts and sweaters on every high street. And whimsical, fairy-tale enchantment is a big story in fashion this autumn, from Dolce & Gabbana’s golden silk hoods and dresses adorned with woodland creatures to Saint Laurent’s Little Red Riding Hood capes.

What began as a niche aesthetic with a cult, fashionista following has grown rapidly, with pioneers such as Miu Miu, Markus Lupfer (king of the kitten-embellished knit) and Meadham Kirchoff attracting an increasingly devoted following. Of course tweeness of any sort remains polarising – what is endearing for some is toe-curlingly cloying and sickly for others – but love it or loathe it, there is now no escaping it. In the UK the word became “chiefly derogatory” according to OED, meaning “excessively affected, quaint or sentimental”, and has since been reclaimed and redefined in the US by the indie-music scene. The word twee started life meaning pretty or nice and derived from the sound a small child might make when attempting to pronounce the word ‘sweet’. Like it or not, twee has been reclaimed and reconfigured – and is very much with us. They are the new, acceptable faces of twee – and they are not alone. Lo, who is shortlisted for the NewGen award at this season’s London Fashion Week, is just one of the many designers embracing and reclaiming whimsy. And if this all sounds a bit, well, cutesie, that’s because it is. A rising star, Lo has made his name with his pink frocks, furry kitten-ear headpieces, pom-pom embellished coats in ice-cream colours, girlish ruffles and Peter Pan collars. “Super dreamy,” is how designer Ryan Lo describes his new mermaid-themed collection.

Quaint notion meaning