Survey of the European fabric fairs for autumn/winter 2019/20

摘要

The organisers of the European fabric fairs continually assess the timings of the fairs in relation to the needs and desires of their customers. Several customers believe that the twice yearly timing of the fairs is inadequate as designers need to look at the season ’s textiles as early as possible. The fairs have responded to this pressure by holding small, preliminary events which are aimed at giving buyers an early glimpse of the ranges on offer. These first looks have received such a positive response that Milano Unica has taken the revolutionary step of bringing forward the whole of its event for the autumn/winter season from September to July.Environmental sustainability was a key topic at the European fabric fairs for the autumn/winter 2019/20season. Many of the fairs hosted specialist areas dedicated to the topic, thereby providing industry professionals with a space in which to learn more about environmental sustainability and to source environmentally sustainable products easily. The variety of environmentally sustainable products on display was diverse, and rangedfrom alternatives to leather on the one hand to yams and fabrics incorporating recycled materials on the other.The fabrics on show featured pattern and decoration on a grand scale. Flowers, geometries and ornamental motifs were in many cases oversized and enlarged, and artistic references were rich. Other important decorative details included metallic effects which were shown in fluid lamé fabrics and overprinted fabrics. Fancy yams—including bouclé yams, chenille yams, metallic yams and tape yams—were widely used to decorate woven fabrics. Jacquards were ubiquitous in every type of fabric and in all weights. Velvets, corduroy fabrics and wool fabrics were popular. Many wool fabrics were soft and tweedy and had raised and brushed surfaces. Other wool fabric offerings included tartans and big checks, and loosely woven fabrics incorporating fancy yams. Technical fabrics were also important and many offerings incorporated performance properties— including breathability, moisture management and thermoregulation.