British Textile Week: a digital showcase of the craftsmanship, creativity and technical skills of the UK textile industry.

Normally the month of September is when top British textile companies would be showing their offering at international apparel fabric trade shows in Europe such as Premiere Vision Paris, putting the spotlight on some of the leaders in British textile industry.  But in the absence of many of such events this season, cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions, the UKFT has launched British Textile Week online to provide a digital showcase of the craftsmanship, creativity and technical skills of the UK textile industry.  This digital showcase is valuable resource for those seeking British talent, flair and skills.  The British industry is known for the mills ability to blend creativity with commerciality in printed, woven, knitted and embroidered textile designs.

UK fabrics are highly sought after by the world’s most prestigious designers, tailors and fashion brands as the starting point for their collections.  Exports of  British textiles reach almost every country in the world to the tune of £3 billion.  

Meanwhile UKFT is supporting two of the country's most established fabric producers: Linton Tweeds and Liberty Fabrics who will be exhibiting at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics in China this week, from September 23-25.  This has been made possible through the Department of International Trade’s Tradeshow Access Programme.  China is an increasingly important market for British textile creations.

Linton Tweeds will be exhibiting its innovative collection of fantasy tweed fabrics.  The firm plans to develop the China market further, in collaboration with its local agent.

Liberty Fabrics will also be exhibiting their iconic printed fabric collectio.  They have an established sales office in Shanghai to develop the market further.

The UK’s textile manufacturing sector produces £5.8bn of materials, ranging from the world’s most sought-after cashmere to the finest worsted wool, luxurious tweeds and distinctive tartans. In addition to the world-renowned apparel fabrics that will be featured during British Textile Week, the UK textile industry also produces high quality fabrics and accessories for the home and contract interiors sectors,  plus a wide range of technical textiles and performance fabrics that are used in industries such as medical, defence and aerospace.

There are more than 4,200 businesses manufacturing textiles in the UK – an increase of 12% in the last five years – in a sector that employs more than 64,000 people.

UKFT is coordinating the project, with the support of The Clothworkers’ Company and the Campaign for Wool.

The UK has a strong textile heritage and also a promising future – with more than 4,800 people studying textiles at university each year on courses including textile design, textile technology and textile engineering.

All information on British Textile Week can be found on the UKFT website. 

You can also get inspiration on fabric trends and colour from leading British mills by going to the British Textile Trends for AW 21/22 page.  

Photos by Lucia Carpio: A selection of world class British fabrics on show in the UKFT booth at a recent Premiere Vision Paris trade fair.

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.

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