Materials Innovations

The Future of Fabric
HOMEFEATURES ▸ Materials Innovations – The Future of Fabric
2018.02.09

The textile industry is going to extremes, utilising the latest in science and technology to create a new generation of intelligent, performance fibres and fabrics that meet the needs and lifestyle demands of a modern, multifaceted consumer.

 

The growth areas of sportswear and athleisure have not only been proactive in harnessing the state-of-the-art fabric technologies on offer but instrumental in developing them directly with manufacturers, to create new materials that blend style with substance.

 

Today, we invite Trendstop’s team of experts to bring us the latest advancements in fabric technology and the cutting-edge designers changing the face of the fashion materials market. Be inspired by four of the latest ideas, developments and innovations that are shaping the future of fabric and will be essential in informing your next collection. 

Aeance Collection 02 Lookbook I
Light Weight - Super Strength

Fabric innovators are seeking new methods to combine ultra-light weights with high strength properties. A combination of weight-saving, strength and durability is crucial for outdoor, extreme sports and mountaineering apparel. The development of Dyneema, the world’s strongest fibre, has seen contemporary outdoor and athleisure brands utilising woven and non-woven processes to create exceptionally strong and hardwearing materials while minimising weight and bulk. BLACKYAK’s 70g, packable Emergency Jacket and Outlier’s Dyneema Composite Ultrahigh Rolltop backpack illustrate how lightweight fabrications can still be exceptionally hardwearing and resilient, incorporating the latest in insulation and water resistance technologies.

Trend takeaway: High-tech performance materials will filter down from specialist outdoor and sports sectors into more mainstream markets.

Spinnova Wood Fibre Yarn

Finnish fibre technology company Spinnova, are relative newcomers to the textile industry but are leading the way in the development of biodegradable, wood-based textiles and wood fibre yarn. Currently the only company worldwide that is able convert wood pulp into textile fibre, Spinnova’s sustainable and fully recyclable materials are being introduced to the fashion and lifestyle markets through collaborations with iconic design house Marimekko and organic women’s and kidswear brand Melli Eco Design. In an industry that is increasingly seeking sustainability, wood fibre yarn offers an environmentally friendly alternative to cotton or manmade fibres such as viscose or rayon by utilising a naturally occurring resource and harnessing a closed-loop method of production.

 

Trend takeaway: The fashion industry must appeal to a more ethically aware consumer through sustainable materials and production methods.

grethesorensen.dk
Digital Age Knits

The digital revolution has had a major, ongoing influence on new materials innovation and direction. Not only confined to modern manufacturing and production processes, digital imagery has also been a source of visual inspiration for textile artist and designers. Weaver Grethe Sorensen has pioneered the integration of digital and traditional tapestry techniques, converting photographic pixels into threads and translating video recordings into jacquard weaves to create her textile artworks and commissions. At the Fall/Winter 2018-19 and SS19 fabric shows, digital patterned weaves and knits were much in evidence as manufacturers experiment with contemporary finishes and effects.

Trend takeaway: Traditional production techniques are revived and reinvented for the modern age through digital era inspirations and advancements.

Athlovers at Pitti Uomo

Leading menswear trade show Pitti Uomo introduced the Athlovers initiative for Fall/Winter 2018-19. In collaboration with Reda Active fabrics, conceptual athletic brands such as Aeance, Dyne and 42.54, created specially designed pieces using Reda’s high-performance textiles that marry the properties of natural raw materials with ultra-modern bonding, coating and printing techniques. The breathable, waterproof and thermal protective properties of wool fibres are enhanced and expanded with heat sensitive membranes, sealed seams and contemporary construction techniques that are perfectly placed to meet the demands of today’s activewear consumer.

Trend takeaway: New initiatives showcase the application potential of new textiles in a growth sector of the market.

Trendstop is a trend forecasting agency and consultancy with the finger on the pulse and an eye firmly to the future. With Trendstop’s trend forecasts, designers have the fundamental tools to build a collection that is not just conceptual, but carries the right elements to attract buyers’ attention and make a new label commercially viable.

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