Advanced fabric developments lead through innovation and smart technology

Consumers are increasingly aware that fast fashion can lead to unnecessary wastage and thus can do more harm to the environment, and thus there is growing demand for high-quality textiles and well-made clothing that have a long service life and can remain in use for much longer.  

Modern fabrics now often carry special smart properties boosted by new technology and qualities such as water- and dirt-repelling functions, which help to preserve the environment and cut down on the use of resources.  

Under the patronage of UN Climate Change and in keeping with the Paris Agreement, many leading companies in the global fashion sector are tackling the effects of the fashion industry on the climate along the entire value added chain and signed the UN Charter for Climate Action.

At Premiere Vision Paris (September 17 - 19 2019), textiles with eco credentials were abound to meet the increasing demand for qualities that are environmentally correct while also integrate performance and technology with fashion trends.

US company drirelease® is a global technology company pioneering in performance and comfort textile solutions.  Its functional fabrics have qualities such as wicking, fast drying, cooling and protection benefits, with wide-ranging application, from leisure to high-performance, fashion and sportswear, as well as sleepwear and intimate fashion.  Their technology is also available in a wide range of classic and fashion-forward blends, from classic cotton to merino wool that never feels damp against the skin.  There is machine-washable silk for summer cool and winter warmth, easy-care natural linen, soft smooth acetate or Lyocell, E.C.O. (Environmentally Correct Origins) with BCI, Organic cotton and/or recycled polyester.  

Portuguese company TIMTEX introduces natural based, smart and responsible innovative fabrics such as their Naturally Advanced fabrics enhanced by the new non-salt Colorau ®  Natural dye process.  In their new collection there is a new range made from a mix of new generation fibres that enhance free movement such as REFIBRA ™ by Lenzing, Q-NOVA ®  by Fulgar and the unique GRS certified premium stretch ROICA  ™ EF.  

Meanwhile, Swiss textile maker Schoeller Textil continuously observe its responsibility to humans and the environment by manufacturing products that are compatible to sustainable climate protection by taking part in the Energy Agency of the Swiss Private Sector programme to actively reduce carbon emissions and optimise energy efficiently.  Its ecological portfolio of products that focus on sustainability includes upcycled products, such as its ECONYL ®  yarn, as well as 100% recycled, recyclable wear2wear woven and knitted fabrics or bio technologies based on sustainable raw materials.  

The ECONYL ®  Reclaiming Programme from Aquafil SPA reduces the quality of waste material occurring worldwide by collecting regenerative resources from waste disposal sites and the oceans and returning them to the production cycle.  

Photos by Lucia Carpio.

Lenzing Group joins Hong Kong's TextileGenesis platform to embark on blockchain technology

Increasingly in the world of fashion, consumers are regarding transparency as a major focus when we talk about sustainable development, and are looking to obtain information such as source of the materials being used from hangtags and labels. 
Bearing in mind that in terms of transparency, the first level of information plays an important role for the consumer when they are evaluating the value for money of their purchase.

The Lenzing Group, Austria-based world market leader in specialty fibres made from renewable material wood, announced at the Premiere Vision Paris trade fair this autumn (Septmber 2019) that it will use blockchain technology to support its TENCEL ™ branded fibre business as a means to strengthen its leading position in sustainability in the textile industry, and has selected to join
the platform of the Hong Kong based technology company TextileGenesis ™ to accomplish this ambition.  TextileGenesis use digital  Fibrecoins ™  and its CEO and Founder is Amit Gautam, who was previously executive vice president for the global textile business at Lenzing and board director of Lenzing China.
TextileGenesis ™ technology is built on a fiber-forwards approach to create real-time transparency across all five-tiers of textile supply chain for sustainable & premium fibers.  

Andreas Dorner, 

Lenzing's Commercial Textile Director Europe & Americas

Photo by Lucia Carpio.

Lenzing’s Andreas Dorner, Commercial Textile Director Europe & Americas, said consumers increasingly want to understand the ingredients and suppliers of the products they buy, requesting a new level of transparency and traceability.  

The supply chain transparency from wood to garment and home textiles will enable all of its customers and partners to identify its TENCEL fibres and the respective wood source in each production and distribution step, thanks to a QR code on the final garment.

The first pilot was presented at a Fashion Summit held in Hong Kong in September 2019. Another pilot partner is WWF.  Lenzing expects the platform to be fully operational by 2020.

Première Vision Group to launch PV Awards Next Gen in 2020.

Première Vision Group has  confirmed it will launch the PV Awards Next Gen in September 2020,  a new event incorporated into its annual PV Awards, a prestigious competition that is held annually for 11 years as an important programme of the September edition of Premiere Vision Paris to recognise exceptional creativity from various sectors of established international textile industry.

Giles Lasbordes, Managing Directoir of Premiere Vision Group at TexSelect's 2019 prize-giving 

ceremony on September 8 2019 during Premiere Vision Paris.

Photo by Lucia Carpio.

Giles Lasbordes, Managing Director of PV Group, organisers of the international Première Vision trade shows in Paris and around the world, made the announcement at the TexSelect 2019 awards  prize-giving ceremony (held during the September 2019 edition of the Premiere Vision Paris trade show) that his organisation will take over the legacy of TexSelect which completed its voluntary winding up at the end of September. .

“The most important thing is that it will continue to be a textile competition.  We have decided that it will be an international event as we are an international player,” Mr Lasbordes told My Fashion Connect Global. “We will welcome all universities from around the world, a selection will be made and a group of finalists will be announced.  Perhaps there will be 4 - 5 prizes and will be integrated into the annual PV Awards, which we have organised for 11 years recognising innovative developments and creativity from international professional textile companies and designers.”

He said the Première Vision Group being a longstanding sponsor of UK-based TexSelect, share a common objective of supporting creativity in textile design and the two organisations have run in parallel for nearly 50 years.

September 2019 saw TexSelect’s final participation in the international PV Paris trade show, which habitually was the highlight of its annual programme when a group of 24 finalists who had been selected through a rigorous selection process conducted by design professionals would showcase their design creativity to industry experts at PV Design.  

For over 50 years, the annual TexSelect programme had championed the most creative graduate textile designers of all nationalities from the UK’s BA and MA courses, guiding their first steps into professional practice. During its history, TexSelect had  interviewed more than 10,000 young textile designers and supported more than 1,250 of them to develop their careers and launch into the industry. But, in its 50th year, the team behind TexSelect had announced its closure.due to industry changes, shrinking sponsorship budgets, and a long-serving management team reaching retirement, and faced with increasingly challenging efforts in recent years to raise the funds required. In the era of social media, designers have also evolved new ways to promote their talents and develop themselves. 

Weave Designer Jaeyong Kim, a graduate of Central Saint Martins, won

The Woolmark Company TexSelect Award in Paris on September 18 2019.

Photo by Lucia Carpio.

For more information on other winners of TexSelect 2019 awards, please go to their website.

Premiere Vision Paris welcomed 56,000 visitors in its September 2019 trade fair

Despite a challenging trading and economic climate, including concerns surrounding Brexit in the UK, a continued decline in fashion consumption globally, and a crowded European trade events calendar bracketing the show,  organisers at Premiere Vision Paris  can hold their heads high that their international trade fair attracted more than 56,000 professional visitors from around the world.

The September 2019 edition of Premiere Vision Paris, which took place between 17 and 19 September, maintains its much-valued position as a meeting place for all in textile and apparel industries in  search of market trends, inspiration and innovation that drive their professional life, including eco-responsible apparel, and the continuous strong ties between fashion and sport, while supporting innovation and creative talent.

There were 2,056 exhibitors, including 230 newcomers, presenting their latest on offer covering textiles, technical developments, smart products, leather, fabric designs, yarns, haberdashery and footwear accessories, knitwear and finished garments.

While the total visitor number has declined by 1.89% compared to the September 2018 show, 73% of the visitors came from European countries led by the French, followed by Italy and the UK, Spain, Germany and Belgium.

Elsewhere, the show saw a growing number of Asian visitors, now accounting nearly 12% of the attendance at this September edition, including those rom China, Japan and South Korea respectively.

North America also saw a significant increase accounting for more than 5% of visitors, while Turkey accounted 3% representing an increase as well.

All photos by Lucia Carpio.

Premiere Vision Paris takes over the reins of TexSelect to support textile creation and design

Premiere Vision Paris takes over the reins of TexSelect to support textile creation and design

Première Vision Paris attracts some 60,000 trade visitors, fashion and textile professionals from around the world and international members press and media to each of their bi-annual seasonal events.
The next PV Paris will take place 17 - 19 September 2019 in Parc des Expositions, Paris.
Photo by Lucia Carpio.

A couple of  months ago news got out that the not-for-profit organisation TexSelect (previously known as TexPrint) was to  wind up after more than 40 years of nurturing, mentoring and supporting British-trained textile and design talents due to funding challenges and the retirement of long-standing management executives. 

Now industry professionals can feel a sense of relieve with the announcement that the Paris-based Premiere Vision Group, organiser of the world's leading sourcing events for fashion professionals, will continue its support for emerging textile designers through an agreement with TexSelect that will build on the talent search programme's legacy with an international perspective from 2020.

The P.V. Group will take over as champion of new graduate talent when TexSelect completes its voluntary winding up at the end of the year.  Further announcements will be made about the future structure of the talent selection scheme under Premiere Vision's auspices during the September 2019 edition at Premiere Vision Paris in Parc des Expositions.  The two organisations have run in parallel for nearly 50 years, share a common objective of supporting creativity in textile design.

"Both Premiere Vision and TexSelect view knit, print, weave and mixed media innovators as being a vital, creative force in the advancement of textile and apparel design, "says Gilles Lasbordes,  (at left) managing director of Premiere Vision Group.  "Premiere Vision is committed to giving new designers space and support between university and the launch of their professional practice."

Barbara Kennington, TexSelect's honorary chairman (at right) explains:" Over recent years, we have had a tough time raising the funds required to run the scheme.  At the same time, many of our loyal management team are retiring."

"As a major sponsor and host of the TexSelect design village, we spoke with our colleagues at Premiere Vision about our intention to windup the charity at the end of 2019.  We are delighted that Premiere Vision has been so forthcoming and will create new opportunities for young designers when TexSelect in its current form closes."

Premiere Vision Group is the global leader in upstream, creative fashion trade shows.  From 15 Lyon-based weavers in the early 1970s to more than 2,000 exhibitors at PV Paris today, the group's strategy has remained to support the development of the international fashion industry and major market evolutions through its services and 12 events per year, to which has been added a unique online sourcing tool:  Premiere Vision Marketplace, managed by the company's subsidiary, Premiere Vision Digital.

The next PV Paris will take place 17 - 19 September 2019 in Parc des Expositions, Paris.  The show encompasses textiles, leather, yarns, fabric design, haberdashery and accessories,  knits finished goods and manufacturing. 

All photos by Lucia Carpio.

Best of British Fabrics at Premiere Vision Paris

UKFT booth at Première Vision  Paris September 2018 edition, showcasing top quality British fabrics to industry professionals.   Photo © Lucia Carpio 

Every year the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) take more than 700 British companies to the international market place taking part in overseas trade shows to display the best of British products, as part their work to support British brands establish or expand their export.  

British fabrics sought after by international fashion houses.
Photo by Lucia Carpio at Premiere Vision Paris, September 2018.

 International fashion houses, as well as agents, press and buyers alike across the whole industry have come to rely on the Association to gain news and information  on the well-made and superbly designed  British products and brands. at major events.

This week, among other activities, UKFT is leading a delegation  of British and London-based designers this week are showcasing their collections at Men’s and Women’s Fashion Week, as well as showing their British pre-Collections in showrooms.

Come February 2019, another entourage of top British mills will be taking part in the Premiere Vision Paris Fabrics trade fair due to take place February 12 – 14, under the banner of UKFT in partnership with Department for International Trade.

At the last Premiere Vision Paris event held last September, British mills wowed the fashion industry with some of the most desirable qualities and designs for the Autumn/Winter 2019-2020 season.

Click HERE for a reminder of the luxury British fabrics on show in the September 2018 Premiere  Vision Paris trade show.

Lyst Index: Off-White is hottest global brand

In Paris, at the Roger Vivier
SS2019 presentation.
Photo by Francois Durand/Getty Images For Roger Vivier 

Today we’re seeing a growing alliance not only between fashion and sport but also between luxury and sport, leading to the term “athluxury” - a blend of ‘athletic’ and ‘luxury’ - according to Pascal Monfort, fashion expert and founder of REC Trends Marketing, a specialist in sports, youth and street culture.

Photo © Lucia Carpio 2018

Presenting a series of conferences on Sport &Tech at the Autumn 2018 edition of Premiere Vision Paris in September, Pascal Monfort said: “The inclusion of sport in fashion is no longer simply a trend, it’s a necessity for many fashion brands, whether they come from the fast fashion or luxury worlds.”
In his view, 2020 will be the pinnacle of this success, the ultimate incarnation of the love affair between sport and fashion.

Still it is remarkable to learn that Off-White is officially the hottest brand on the planet, according to the latest edition of the London-based Lyst Index.  Over the last year the cult streetwear label has risen 33 places in the Index, now surpassing Gucci and Balenciaga at the top of the table for the first time.

Lyst said, thanks to a quarter packed with globally-hyped launches and collaborations, the Off-White buzz surrounding Virgil Abloh and his disruptive creative aesthetic continues to grow. Searches for Off-White across Lyst’s partner retailers are up 14% quarter on quarter, and Off-White is responsible for 3 out of 20 products in the hottest products lists.

Nike is the other sport brand on the list of top 10 brands in the index, having moved up five spots to take fourth place.  Nike’s recent Just Do It campaign starring American footballer Colin Kaepernick helped boost total search traffic to its related pages by 13% quarter-on-quarter. Four out of the 20 hottest fashion products in the Index this quarter are by Nike.  Continuing the popular Ugly Sneaker trend, Nike’s M2K Tekno replaced the Fila Disruptor as the most wanted affordable take on the look that had been pioneered by the Balenciaga Triple S (which remains in the men’s hottest products list for a second quarter.) The Nike shoe is the first product to appear in both the men’s and women’s hottest products lists at the same time on the Lyst Index.

Roger Vivier sports-inspired luxury footwear for SS2019.
Pascal Monfort said: “80% of sneakers have never been run in, nor seen a gym.
Sneakers have definitively become fashion footwear.” 
Photo by Francois Durand/Getty Images For Roger Vivier

Photo © Lucia Carpio 2018

Pascal Monfort said: “What’s happening today is fantastic. Creativity isn’t dead, far from it. Together, fashion and sports can go a long way and we love that!”  

He added that the power of collaborations is incredible "We’re seeing the most unexpected and most surprising ones: Marine Green x Oakley, Vêtement x Oakley… Nike x Off-White for the team Nigeria fielded for the 2018 World Cup (3 million jerseys pre-ordered) … Koché x PSG: even football can become fashionable and cool!"

The fact is that fashion designers love sportswear, said Montfort.  The power of streetwear and sportswear designers is overturning norms. The most recent example is undeniably the appointment of Virgile Abloh (Off-White), a multifaceted American designer, as head of the House of Vuitton, an event which created quite a surprise in the fashion world.

Nevertheless, a series of collaborations with the biggest luxury brands and the creation of the “luxury” Nike City Ready line now places Nike on the pages of the leading fashion magazines such as Vogue.

PREMIÈRE VISION PARIS September edition ushers in new launches and innovative developments

From 19-21 September, the next edition of the prestigious PREMIÈRE VISION PARIS will raise its curtain again.

PV Paris February 2018
Photo © Lucia Carpio 

This autumn, it is held exceptionally from Wednesday to Friday and will offer a formidable showcase for 1,964 international exhibitors representing 57 countries from all sectors of the fashion and associating industries, including yarns and fibres, fabrics, leathers and furs, textile designs, garment manufacturing, accessories and components.

Known as the global leader in upstream fashion trade shows, Première Vision Paris – which takes place at Parc des Expositions across 5 halls - is launching new initiatives to accompany the changes taking place across the global industry, embracing digitalization, eco-responsibility, creative innovations, while providing inspirations to international professionals looking for trends and developments for the autumn/winter 2019-20 collections.

PV Awards 2017 winners and judges
Photo © Lucia Carpio 

Among the highlights on offer this autumn are :
• A strong development of manufacturing sourcing – The Sourcing Connection, with a Country Focus dedicated to Portuguese know-how – and in particular leather manufacturing – with a new specialised Leather Manufacturing area.
• Spotlight on the reciprocal and growing influence of sport and fashion – with a Sport
& Tech forum and space, and dedicated conference cycle.
• A special highlight of textile creation and designs - Designs Factory at Première Vision Designs.

There will also be an updated Smart Square space to introduce eco-responsible fashion, including materials, finished products and services.

And not to be missed is a spotlight on creativity for today and tomorrow as it celebrates the 10th anniversary of the PV Awards, as well as showing Hyères Festival exhibits and the TexSelect® design competition.

Also trade visitors should watch out for RITMOEMOTIVO, ANYTHING WORKS exhibit, and Hair Custom Bar at Première Vision Accessories.  There will also be workshops dedicated to leather working, and conferences dedicated to sport and Portuguese manufacturing.

In terms of digital expansion, the launch of the Marketplace Première Vision via a physical space, will allow visitors to experiment and test out the platform with the help of a dedicated team.

Glorious lace at Christopher Kane's AW 2018-19 and from the House of Darquer in France

Lace has been part of European fashion for a very long time, and remains as relevant today as it was centuries ago.

Recently in the February 2018 edition of London Fashion Week, lace was featured profusely in British designer Christopher Kane’s Autumn/Winter 2018-19 collection.

Reflecting the interior strength of the Christopher Kane Girl with an external display of power, the collection evolved from last season to become less cheeky and more subversive this season.

“It's about strength of character shown by the strength of the clothes. It all started with the illustrations from The Joy of Sex and More Joy of Sex, by Chris Foss and Charles Raymond. They're both a textbook study and a sensuous display of line drawing, almost in 'coffee table book' form that's both weird and really everyday. All of which always intrigues me,” says the talented Christopher Kane.





Catwalk Source & Images from Christopher Kane



Meanwhile at the Premiere Vision Paris textile fair also in February, French lace house Darquer showcased their latest lace creations for the congregating fashion industry.  Designer Frédéric Ruminy’s latest on offer includes beautiful lace in two tones, also lace made with denim effect as well as lace in cotton blended with cashmere to lovely results.

The "Millennium" collections includes a selection of white & black lace designs, evocative of the heritage of Maison Darquer, while among its heritage are the highly sophisticated Chantilly lace that have stood the test of time.

Darquer was established in 1840 in Calais, and is the oldest and most renowned lace company in France. In this regard, it has an exceptional collection of lace samples of all styles and periods.

Today, Maison DARQUER is very much a modern company as it continues to develop a wide range of services to meet the needs of today's markets with a new “See now Buy Now” website for immediate delivery.

Maison DARQUER is very much a modern company as it continues to develop a wide range of services to meet the needs of today's markets with a new “See now Buy Now” website for designers to choose designs, place orders and for immediate delivery.

Darquer lace photos by Lucia Carpio.

Darquer opened its Paris showroom in 2017, in a former 18th century private mansion Hotel de Vibraye, classified as an historic monument, on 15 rue Vielle du Temple in the 4th arrondissement.

The showroom features the entire collection  of its famous 7 points Chantilly lace  as well as the novelties, Cornely, Beyroux and "hand made embroideries  ".  It is also possible for buyers and fashion designers to develop their own made to measure patterns using Dacquer designs as starting point.

Pictured right,  at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, fashion model Sara Sampaio wears a sexy creation by  Francesco Scognamiglio realized with an  evanescsente lace from Maison Darquer.

Showroom and Cannes Film Festival photos from Dacquer.

LENZING announces TENCEL™ as its flagship brand

Austria-based textile and nonwovens cellulose fibres producer LENZING has announced that it is entering a new phase launching its TENCEL™ brand as their flagship brand for textile with a new slogan “Feel So Right” to foster a connection between industry partners, retailers and consumers.  

The TENCEL™ brand portfolio covers a wide range of applications, from activewear to denim, home, intimate apparel and luxury ranges, notably TENCEL™ Active,  TENCEL™ Denim, TENCEL™ Home, TENCEL™ Intimate and  TENCEL™ Luxe, all enabled by two fibres: TENCEL™ Modal and TENCEL™ Lyocell.

Sketches of a nature-inspired TENCEL™ Luxe lounge dress
introuced by Lenzing  and  lingerie guru Jos Berry.

Among the first to team up with LENZING for this new branding milestone is renowned lingerie guru, Jos Berry, Founder and Creative Director of Concepts Paris, introducing a nature-inspired lounge dress made with 100 percent TENCEL™ Luxe, a breakthrough sustainable cellulosic filament yarn specifically for the luxury fashion market, launched a few months ago.

TENCEL™ Luxe sustainable cellulosic filament in a range of colours;
designed specifically for the premium fashion market.

Featuring liquid-like drape and a silky-smooth hand feel, the lounge dress was recently showcased at the Nature Moves Us Exhibition at Interfilière Paris in January 2018 and would be showcased in Hong Kong during Interfilière Hong Kong, slated for 27-28 March 2018.

Ms Berry explained: “With a change in lifestyles, the dividing line between underwear and outerwear is becoming blurry, leading to growing importance of loungewear in the fashion industry, and the TENCEL™ Luxe lounge dress is a perfect fit to the narrative. Given TENCEL™ Luxe is designed for sensuality and engineered for sustainability, we hope to showcase inspirational designs of nature beyond flowers.”

“The TENCEL™ Luxe lounge dress by Jos Berry is a great example of how comfort and sustainability can be integrated with high-end fashion and lingerie,” added Judy Chen, LENZING’S director of Global Business Development, innerwear. “Since there are virtually unlimited possibilities for using TENCEL™ Luxe in fashion, we look forward to seeing more integration of sustainability in the innerwear and lingerie sector through this innovative cellulosic filament yarn.”

Earlier this month, at a press conference on February 13^th 2018 during the Premiere Vision Paris international textile trade fair, LENZING’s Chief Commercial Officer Robert van de Kerkhof said he expected 2018 to be a game-changer year for the fibre group. 

Designed and based on the findings and insights of an extensive market research, the brand architecture is deemed as an important step for LENZING to make the transition from a business-to-business (B2B) fibre producer to a business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) brand, underlining its core principles of trust, transparency, reliability and amicability, said Kerkhof, and by leading technology innovation in the textile sector.

Acknowledging a growing trend amongst retail brands and consumers to seek out products that make them look and feel good, but also do good via sustainable and transparent production processes, the TENCEL™ product brand as been redefined with the tagline “Feels so Right” to better communicate the fibre’s characteristics and value.

LENZING’s director of Global Brand Management, Harold Wedhorst, who is based in the group’s Hong Kong office, said their aim is to grow TENCEL™ beyond fibre types and functional characteristics to become a true consumer-focused brand, offering the holistic benefits of botanic fibres that bring comfort and high performance for everyday life.

New swing tags and marketing materials will be launched on a retail level to provide clarity on product benefit claims.  "Co-branding programmes and co-marketing campaigns with retail brands will enable us to reach out to consumers directly," said Amit Gautam, Lenzing's vice president of Global Business Management in Textile.

Read about LENZING'S Denim Competition.

Photos: Lenzing / Lucia Carpio.

February 13 - 15 2018: Premiere Vision Paris sets the course for a new look and innovations

All professionals involved in the creating of fabrics and the development of textiles, for the fashion, accessories, leather and interior industries need to always keep their fingers on the pulse of innovation if they are to make progress in their business, and this makes the Première Vision Paris international trade fair a must-visit event each season where the world's top movers and shakers meet, connect, network and interact.

Première Vision Paris September 2017 event.

Première Vision Paris group of trade fairs takes place February 13 – 15 2018 at Villepinte, north Paris, to showcase the latest products from 1,725 exhibitors (an increase of 1.6% compared to the February 2017 show) from around the world, representing 50 countries across six dedicated sectors, from textiles to leather, fabric designs to yarns, accessories to finished garment manufacturing.

 Première Vision Paris February 2017 event.

Focusing on Spring/Summer 2019 collections and trends, two of the key areas of the February 2018 session are being given a face-lift, featuring a new stand design created by French designer Ora  Ïto  who presents an exclusive stand and furniture concept, putting a special emphasis on highlighting the creativity of exhibitors at two sectors: Première Vision Fabrics and Première Vision Yarns, offering new lighting and novel additions, such as video screens built into the stand walls.

“I worked to create a virtuous and homogeneous microcosm, a fresh, reinvented showcase where each element is eco-friendly and thought-out all along the manufacturing process,” explains Ora Ïto. 

This creation brings together all in one place the strong values of Première Vision:  aesthetic research, access to new technologies and environmental awareness.

The show’s new look and layout is also accompanied by changes in the organization of the fashion information areas and forums, which are indispensable tools for brands and buyers looking for inspiration and exhibitors’ latest products.

There are also two market focus areas:   TECH FOCUS dedicated to the sports, performance and functional-wear sector, and JEWEL FOCUS to present a selection of components for the fashion jewellery market.

Displays at Wearable Lab, Première Vision Paris February 2017 event.

Also notable is the expansion of the Wearable Lab covering 800 sq metres dedicated to Fashion Tech, with a strengthened space for discoveries, meetings and discussion.

Maison d'Exceptions at Première Vision Paris, February 2017 

And the Bag & Shoe Manufacturing is another key focus area in the Leather segment, while the scope of Maison d’Exceptions for exceptional and artistic hand-craftsmanship has been expanded.  It presents a diverse international showcase of unique techniques for designers and buyers from luxury and high-end fashion brands on the hunt for exclusives.

Meanwhile the Première Vision Marketplace is designed to keep step with the profound changes in an industry seeking accelerated product renewal and a shorter time-to-market.   As a B-to-B e-commerce site, an editorial platform and an industry service provider, the Première Vision Marketplace will be inaugurated in the second semester of 2018,  thanks to a dedicated team within the Group’s new subsidiary, Première Vision Digital.

More details can be seen on the website: www.premierevision.com
Photos © Lucia Carpio 2017.

Alluring creations from France's oldest lace master

At a time when lace continues to seduce as fashionable adornment on women's apparel, it is the focus of a new exhibition at the Fashion Museum in Bath this year; entitled Lace in Fashion - which encompasses fine luxury garments worn by royals and the aristocracy up to machine-made fashions for the everyday.

Evening wear lace featured at Premiere Vision Paris, 6 -9 February 2017.
Photo: © Lucia Carpio 2017

It is equally fascinating to see new exquisite lace designs emerging from the world's foremost lace producers that invited great admiration from the industry during the Premiere Vision Paris trade show held this February.

Darquer's Spider lace adhere to the body
like a canvas.
Photo from Darquer Dentelle.

Among the latest collection for the new Spring/Summer 2018 season is a new lace called Spider from one of France's foremost lace producers which has harnessed the unique beauty of the web produced by the ingeneous arthropod and will no doubt fire up the imagination of fashion designers everywhere.  The new Spider lace, endowed with a kinetic effect, is launched by the lace manufacturer - Darquer and from the imagination of its creator, Frederic Rumigny. 

Perhaps like me you too hold unique sentiments attached to the spider's web - it is at once seductive and alluring, mysterious and captivating.  Scientists have for years aspire to create the amazing quality of the spider's web, thought to be among the strongest natural material in the world.  The intricacy of each web, how it is spun and woven, is magical to watch and appreciate.

In keeping with its illustrious heritage, Darquer 's innovative Spider lace has been produced in its particular weaving that allows the lace to adhere to the body like a canvas.

Photo: Spider lace presented at Darquer's exhibition stand at Premieren Vision Paris 6-9 February 2017
 © Lucia Carpio 2017

In an effort to emulate the strength of the spider's web, the Spider lace is the result of an extension of tulle made into a thread, realistically representing the spider‘s web with the repetition of a similar pattern creating; thus a very «seventies» and sexy kinetic effect is achieved.

Photo© Lucia Carpio 2017 taken  at Darquer's exhibition stand at
Premieren Vision Paris 6-9 February 2017

.

Lace designer Frederic Rumigny.
Photo from Darquer.

The resistant thread’s size allows a modest macramé transparency on an obvious spirit of eroticism, according to Frederic Rumigny whose inspiration came from the giant spider Kumo, a creation by French artist François Delarozière (whose company MACHINE designs and makes fantastical mechanical creatures often known as living architecture) that was unveiled in Calais last summer.

The relay of Delaroziere's creation was transcribed to the equally impressive lace-weaving machines, Leavers 7 points that weave their thousands of threads to make the new lace.

To read the article in Full, and to see Darquer's other new lace creations, click HERE.

Novelty fabrics for SS18 - a showcase of new technical and creative styles

Evening fabrics and novelty textiles showcased at Premiere Vision Paris in February 2 - 9 for the Spring/Summer 2018 season displayed a wide range of schematic patterns and appealing surface textures that point to a fresh and optimistic outlook full of innovation and imagination.

The PV fashion team described the SS2018 season as one that is simple yet extraordinary.  Neither naive nor romantic, but rather highly graphic and contemporary.  Definitely a season infushed with creative energy, featuring flowery or geometric lace and guipure with well-defined contours, schematic patterns in two-tone or three-tone colourways with refined contrasts for maximum visibility, as far as evening fashion fabrics are concerned.

While there were sparkling examples, such as mixing cellophane and iridescent yarns, there were also colourful reflections and exuberant, full-coloured metals to enhance jacquards.  There were also dishevelled, fringed patterning, applique embroideres and flowers budding in pulsating scales, featuring greenhouse plants and exotic natural themes burgeoning with flowers, leaves and birds of paradise.

British textile mills and design studios' new creations for high fashion shone through in this genre where new technical and creative styles were highlighted.  

The variety of decorative visual details enriched with visual fantasy played off a complicity that was clever, modern and yet embracing.  Any designer wishing to present their clothing as objects of desire would be spoilt for choice.    A decorative showcase of exuberance for an optimistic future indeed from the British mills.

British creativity and technology knowhow when combined with Asian workmanship produced extraordinary results as showcased by the London Embroidery Studio which participated in a special zone at the fair called Maison D'Exceptions dedicated to high creativity, targetting fashion designers and luxury brands.
Founded in 2007 in London, the studio combines digital and analog techniques to produce made to measure embroidery and adornments.  The company was set up by Royal College of Art graduate Andrew Kenny whose founding aim was to tie together research practice and studio production in the promotion of design-led embroidery practice.

Also featured at Maison D'Exceptions was British company Rare Thread, a textile studio/collective conceived by Laura Miles and Kirsty McDougall incorporating a team of designers and specialists.  The studio has worked with couture names such as Valentino, Chanel, Balenciaga, YSL and other top brands including Calvin Klein and Christopher Kane, with its global networks scross yarn, material, woven manufacturing and finish.  The studio also produces small-scale series in varied and uncommon formats, combining experimental techniques to achieve surprising results.

The UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) stand at the Premiere Vision Paris trade fair February 7 - 9  2017.

From Stephen Walters & Sons, the SS18 collection launched at PV covered womenswear, menswear and neckwear fabrics boasting a broad range that featured the company's signature combination of superior technical expertise and intensely creative spirity.  Both contemporary and heritage inspirations were very much in evidencr, displaying refined, sophisticated fabrics with luxe appeal.
"Our SS18 collection is a wonderful demonstration of both the technical capabilities of our historic Suffolk silk mill, and the innovative, fashion forward vision of our design team, " said Bruce Crabtree, Design Director of Stephen Walters and Sons.  "Thesse exceptional strengths not only enable us to create the finest fabrics for menswear, womenswear and neckwear, but also undertake creative partnerships with fashion houses, producing unique designs for their signature collections."

Meanwhile Bella Tela, another English design house, showcased a wide range of evening wear couture fabrics in its new collection, showcasing widely sourced materials combined with state of the art contemporary embroidery, as well as traditional manufacturing techniques.

New additions to Litmans Lace & Fabrics included luxury crepe and Marocain fabrics, stretch chiffon and stin, French Style Chantilly laces and on-trend metallic shimmer fabrics, geometric, sequin and luxurious 3D stretch laces.

All photos © Lucia Carpio 2017