‘Hibernation,’ Brutalism, Climate Key at New York Textile Trade Shows
NEW YORK — Amid one of the hottest summers on record, July trade shows showed one common thread: sustainability is a sanctioned value. Legislation is saying the same.
At Center415 in New York, Première Vision offered an intuitive guide to fall 2024 color theories, trends and steering topics like the European Union’s eco-design requirements. There were 179 suppliers registered across July 18 to 19.
More from WWD
In an opening seminar, Celine Khawam, designer, textile historian and consultant to Première Vision spoke to how new sustainability requirements are impacting textile design and raw material sourcing. Today’s designers are tasked with knowing everything from eco labels to textile recycling.
“It is necessary to consider a product’s end of life when designing,” she stressed.
Première Vision’s conscious program, which is new to New York City this season, is called a “Better Way” and is a serious stab at transparent sourcing. The program promotes ethical standards in regard to workers, production impacts, traceability, product composition processes and finished product durability and end of life.
Colors can and do tell a story. Color inspirations at Première Vision were derived from mineralogy, moonlit evenings, sunsets and a contrast between natural and futuristic elements. Hues mimicking a desaturation reminiscent of recycled materials and sustainable dyes were also intentional. Fall 2024 color selections included yellow clay, true orange, simple gray, opal green and dark purple.
“Today as natural resources are starting to disappear, we are calling for the sun [for energy and solutions],” Khawam said. “This season, plant-based tannins are becoming more refined.”
Diversifying fabric choices and exploring alternatives is crucial for staving off future shortages, as in for cotton. Eco dye recommendations for cotton and wool include using a fiber’s natural color. For trimmings, Première Vision highlights including zippers that are free of PFCs, and stainless steel as a low-impact preferred option (over zinc-coated galvanized options). The quiet luxury trend will continue its hold next fall with muted hues and cozy textures, especially of leather and wool.
Première Vision exhibitors like Turkish firm Soydan (caviar grained leather), Taiwanese firm HerMin (biodegradable performance fabrics), Chinese firm Springtex (recycled Relino linen), Italian firm Lyria (fabric replicates veins of wood), Japanese firm Bioworks (recycled flax or “PlaX”), and more were highlighted by trade show curators.
Biomaterials were also on display on the Première Vision New York show floor with a cactus-derived leather alternative from Mexico-based Desserto, where the material’s range was shown in application across industries from auto, footwear, apparel to home. As for performance, chemical company Sambu Fine Chemical Co. Ltd. touted collaborations with players like Nike, with bio-based polymer innovations underway more broadly.
Certifications were a central topic in traceability. A swath of eco badges dotted the exhibitor booths signifying these credentials with certifications such as the Global Organic Textile Standards, or GOTs, being a popular one.
Skip Kann, executive vice president for sales and marketing at Canadian vertically integrated textile factory Fine Cotton Factory, told WWD that GOTs certification is a key signifier for its 500,000-square-foot facility. As with many others, the firm is looking to increase its U.S. apparel business.
In an afternoon Première Vision seminar, Ragna Frodadottir, director of trend forecasting firm Edelkoort Inc., spoke about fall 2024’s stand-out story of “hibernation.” Setting the tone with a Narnia-like, folklore mood board including foxes, rabbits, bundled-up children napping in wardrobes — the nod to comfort was clear. Frodadottir said swaddling, cuddling, sharing and cocooning are all feelings indicative of the trend.
“This is what we need for the climate right now,” she said, before flipping the slide to a toned-down outerwear style heavy on buckles, drawstrings and pockets. “This is like our very own straight jacket,” she quipped in a nod to “holding ourselves together” (with existential crises also evidenced in the movies of the moment “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie”).
At Lineapelle, which was held at Metropolitan Pavilion from July 19 to 20, trends spanned everything from ’90s brutalism, trompe l’oeil digital realistic printing to deadstock.
“The leather goods sector is one of the most important industrial goods sectors that we have in Italy,” Danny D’Alessandro, general manager at Assopellettieri, said in an interview with WWD. For reaching U.S. markets, Mipel Lab — Assopellettieri’s leather sourcing concept platform — is making strides. For the second year in a row, Mipel Lab was stationed on the second floor of the trade show. There are now between 12 and 15 members actively using the platform, each celebrated for their high standards in craftsmanship in the leather sector, per D’Alessandro.
Stefano Giacomelli, chief executive officer of Tivoli Group, called Mipel Lab a “one-stop” shop for vendors, stressing the importance of maintaining strong connections. “The goal is to make it easy for a U.S. brand, and we are working with some of them already, [to source Italian] production and development.”
The exhibition looks to hold monthly events in New York City in its ongoing aim to connect the North American market to best-in-class Italian artisans. Its next edition will be at the Mipel Lab in Milan in September. For the time being, the digital version of Mipel Lab is available year-round.
Meanwhile, Functional Fabrics (which returned to the Javits Center July 18 to 19) also put a spotlight on the need for climate optimism. The show’s 2023 focus topic across its three editions this year is “The Journey to Carbon Neutrality,” which involves measuring and mapping carbon dioxide emissions in fabrics. The show featured 140 suppliers from all over the world. Among the innovations were Eastman’s Naia (a versatile cellulosic fiber), Graphene One’s Kyorene Graphene (a carbon composite fiber), Lenzing’s latest Tencel creations and plant-based functional finishes from ProTecht (touting odor control abilities for up to 40 washes).
In a second-day panel session at FF, designers spoke of their evolving role from one of aesthetics to accountability.
“What we’re called to do as designers is be our best authentic selves and that is being accountable for the designs we put out into the universe,” said Andrew Morgan, founder of Knytlab. “For so long, design was based on your own sense of creativity and voice and that was fine for a while. But now, our voice reaches much further through many platforms.”
Best of WWD