California Apparel News

NEW YORK—Sustainability took center stage at the Première Vision New York international textile show while show organizers doubled the size of the “Smart Creation” area, which spotlights trends and technologies in sustainable fashion.

The show, held July 17–18 at Pier 94 in Manhattan, also featured a new “Forum” area, where all visitors could see and touch a huge array of fabric samples representing key trends for the Fall 2019/Winter 2020 season.

This edition of Première Vision saw the addition of a new audio guide to help visitors navigate the show, plus free Smart Talks about building smart, creative fashions in addition to registration-only seminars. “They reaffirm our commitment to the market to bring the content and products that can make fashion more creative,” said Guglielmo Olearo, the show’s international exhibitions director.

Key trends for the season were grouped into five moods or themes: “Free Expression,” featuring fabrics with vivid hues and surprising textures, such as a zebra stripe in russet tones with a subtle shimmer; “Nonchalance,” bringing a cozy, carefree feeling to casual apparel with soft, thick chenille, rustic wool checks and crinkled fabrics; “Raw Elegance,” with mineral motifs bringing a modern edge to traditional winter wools; “Sporty Attitude,” with bold, strong colors and smooth surfaces; and “Joyful Evening,” focusing on metallic sheens and shimmering textures.

“Metallics are always important,” said the show’s Associate Fashion Director Julie Greux, talking about the “Joyful Evening” mood. “This season, we are arriving at something more subtle. It’s not silver or gold but more copper.”

Of the overall trend story for the season, she said, “We wanted to focus on fantasy. There is a feeling that people want to express themselves more and more.”

Recycled materials made a bold statement in Botter’s debut menswear collection, called “Fish or Fight.” It was created by Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh, winners of the Grand Prize at the prestigious Hyères Festival in France. (Première Vision featured their collection as part of its ongoing partnership with the Hyères Festival.) “It’s a tribute to our Caribbean roots,” Herrebrugh said. “There are a lot of plastics in the ocean, damaging the coral reefs. For us, this is a really important message.”

They expressed this message in a “fun and positive way” in the form of a striking jacket made of plastic bags—not melted down but ripped up and woven into textured bands of yellow and blue.

For other exhibitors, sustainability is gradually becoming part of their business strategy. “We got certified, so we can do certified organic. We have a customer base for that,” said designer Rachel Bake of Fine Cotton Fabrics, a manufacturer of sportswear knits based in Toronto. How does a North American company compete with overseas manufacturers with lower labor costs? “We started in the mattress industry, which used the same machinery as the apparel fabric,” Bake said. “So we’re able to piggyback on that.”

Speed is another competitive advantage. “We work close to the season, so we can have orders out in four weeks.”

Hülya Aksu, development and sourcing manager for Turkey-based Ekoten Fabrics, reports that 10 percent of his company’s offerings includes sustainable fibers, an increase from previous years. He pointed out that Tencel is eco-friendly and has features that add softness and superior performance compared to viscose. “Tencel did great marketing, and now everyone accepts it as eco-friendly,” he noted.

Asku’s experience—in which sustainability is one piece of the business puzzle—aligns with the views of Giusi Bettoni, the sustainability consultant for Première Vision and organizer of the show’s “Smart Creation” area. “Smart means that something is beautiful, novel and also responsible,” she said.

The garments on display in the “Smart Creation” area reflected this view. They included a striking mini-dress, created by Sylvia Heisel from 3-D-printed, biodegradable resin. “We are looking all the time to the designers,” Bettoni said. “They are starting to do amazing things, putting together these three values.”