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Fabric versatility centre stage at Première Vision Paris show
We should expect a few surprises in the new collections that will be launched for the Fall/Winter 2024-25 season. Fabric versatility was in fact the theme that stood out among the main trends unveiled at the Première Vision Paris trade show, held at the Villepinte exhibition centre on July 4-6.
A theme that echoed the statements made at Première Vision’s launch conference last June. Fabrics are no longer restricted to a single use, nor made with a single fibre, nor have a uniform look. Making fabrics more versatile is an emerging trend inspired by various motivations. The trend for combining a casual look, comfort, and performance stems from the generalised post-pandemic need to look presentable in multi-purpose clothes. It is also the first time that “the presence of fabrics with blended plant and animal-based fibres is so widespread,” said Desolina Suter, head of fashion at Première Vision. And, from a purely aesthetic point of view, double-sided fabrics were hugely successful among the products on show, another instance of fabric versatility.
Mixing sport performance and everyday wear
Fabrics for outdoor garments are now chiefly inspired by nature. An approach that will definitely be a feature in the Fall/Winter 2024-25 season, and that will perdure through the coming decade, as Suter said in early June. Some of the materials showcased in PV Paris’s outdoor section were characterised by textures similar to that of leaves, or pattern paper. They are thin and ultra-lightweight but extremely durable, and their performance features are typical of the fabrics used for outdoor garments (wind resistant, water-repellent and impermeable). As was the case for the fabrics exhibited by two companies from Korea, a country that is home to many textile innovation pioneers.
Yes Textile Consulting Lab, based in the South Korean city of Daegu, the country's main textiles hub, presented its most recent lightweight fabric. It features multiple layers applied on the underside of the fabric, to prevent water from seeping through and to expel perspiration. The material, 60% nylon and 40% elastane, was based on a brief by some of Yes Textile’s clients, and is chiefly used to make rainproof garments. Yes Textile was founded in 2001. It was one of Daegu's bi-stretch fabric pioneers, and the material is still its hallmark. But Yes Textile isn’t the only company that adopts this technology. Another, also from South Korea, is Koojoo, founded in 2004. Rachel Song, head of exports at Koojoo, said that “a metallic layer, the fabric's unique feature, is added to a transparent external layer.” Koojoo’s beige-pink 100% nylon fabric is used for lightweight spring/summer tops and is also down friendly, so it can be used in down jackets. Utilising innovative fabrics like these, ready-to-wear labels will be able to launch hybrid products, suitable both for sporting activity and everyday use.
Responding to ecological imperatives
A second example of versatility were the fabrics made with a blend of plant and animal-based fibres. It isn’t a new solution, but one that responds to the current ecological imperatives. This kind of blend is primarily interesting for its multiple properties. For example, the warmth and comfort guaranteed by wool can be combined with lightweight, durable fibres like linen, hemp or cotton. Hybrid fabrics like these are part of the range offered by Japanese company Maruwa by Ueyama Textile. According to Natsuko Tsuji, the company’s head of European sales, the fabric's main appeal lies in its texture, and the fact that it doesn't contain plastics. It looks like a check weave in shades of blue, and is made from a blend of cotton (56%), linen (30%), and wool (14%). It is impossible to guess so little wool is used when you feel the fabric. Its composition makes it also suitable for winter garments. Tsuji said that hybrids like these have been manufactured for many years, and one cannot specialise in them. Also because designers primarily look at a fabric’s weight and pattern, rather than at its composition.
Besides these specific technical aspects, the fabric versatility observed at PV Paris also had an aesthetic dimension. Several of the products on display were double-sided, and some could even do without a lining, said Suter. A black furry fabric layered with blue and greyish patterns of an entirely different texture, and a performance fabric made by Taiana, with a reverse side in silver, gold and electric blue, were showcased at the show's Trend Forum in Hall 5. Taiana is based in Italy, near Lake Como, and last month it launched Feather MTL WR, a lightweight fabric made of nylon and recycled polyester, used chiefly to produce lightweight jackets according to Luca Taiana, the company’s head of design and co-owner.
The versatility theme that emerged among the products on show for the Fall/Winter 2024-25 season went hand in hand with three main visual trends: the power of the sun, augmented elegance, and bio-craftsmanship. The next PV Paris show is scheduled on September 13-14, and will be held at the Grand Palais Éphémère venue.
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