Survey of the European fabric fairs for autumn/winter 2020/21

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.Many 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,and some customers have pressed the organisers of the fairs for an earlier view of the season's products.The organisers have responded to this pressure by holding small,preliminary events which are aimed at giving buyers an early glimpse of the ranges on offer,and the organisers of Milano Unica have brought forward the events for autumn/winter seasons from September to July.Environmental sustainability was a key topic at the European fabric fairs for the autumn/winter 2020/21 season,and many of the fairs hosted specialist areas dedicated to the topic.There was a diverse variety of environmentally sustainable and socially responsible products on display,and several companies were keen to promote their uses of environmentally sustainable and socially responsible production processes and materials in the manufacture of their fabrics.Such materials included traceable fibres,organic fibres,and fibres derived from recycled waste materials.An important theme for autumn/winter 2020/21 is that of nature,and this was evidenced at the fairs in the widespread use of natural fibres-notably wool.Indeed,the intrinsic properties of natural fibres dictated the handle of fabrics for the season,which were soft but also dense.The natural theme was also evident in colours,and many fabrics incorporated undyed natural fibres in various shades of browns,fawns and greys.Also evident were tones reminiscent of earth,lichen,moss,ochre and terracotta.Other prominent trends included fabrics with metallic aspects,and prints in tonal details and muted tones.In terms of pattern,woven checks and stripes were important,as were prints in paisleys,exotic florals,abstract designs and geometric designs.