With the kick start of the pre-sampling season for Spring/Summer 2014, while the product development teams are busy sourcing for more and more options in fabrics and prints, fabric stores and traders are filling in the shelves with the most popular and the highest selling varieties. With most of the forecasts standing correct to their predictions, the season will certainly witness a lot of prints adding to the texture of various base fabrics, influenced by nature, a futuristic approach in graphics, and the continued craze for tribal influences. Taking a closer look at the trend directions in fabric from the most popular traders based in Delhi, the fashion team at Apparel Online finds out what’s ‘hot’ and what’s ‘not’ for the next summer…
It is already established that fine and luxury like summer 2014, will be a season of super light textiles which add to the rising need of comfort in apparel globally. Moving away from the use the fabric as a solid raw material, the season is also referred to the year of ‘Intelligent print’ whereby print techniques will be applied to textured base clothes in order to create new textiles with the look of additional textures.
“We also believe that 2014 will be the next phase of digital printing. Becoming more and more common since the past few seasons, there are all kinds of animal and floral digital prints available in the market all over the world. Breaking the monotony, therefore there is a shift toward picturistic prints which give a futuristic look mostly to become big in the western markets for dresses,” says Bashi Singh, Owner of H.P. Singh, a haven for product development teams in Delhi-NCR looking to source latest in fabrics. Often referred to as mutating landscapes, dreamlike horizons in space and outer universe, and in the form of kaleidoscopic graphics, almost taken out from a picture, both men and women fashion will see the rise of such prints in outerwear pieces, printed bottoms and dresses and scarves as accessories.
Coming into notice also in the last PV S/S 2014 showcase of fabrics, is the rising concept of blurred graphics, another smart printing idea that will soon be present in the markets for ready to wear. The reason for growing trend is majorly due to the shorter turnaround time of production and delivery as compared to developing actual weaves along with the added advantage of a new look which is breaking the visual monotony of weaved fabrics. Mostly printed in patterns of stripes, checks, plaids and different structures of weaves on top of a solid base such as linen, chiffon and also georgettes, the trend is to fake or imitate the look of a weaved fabric which is in reality printed. Even spotted on the runways are imitations of intricate jacquard weaves which are actually printed patterns on top of finely textured solid jacquard bases. The idea is to create an illusion of a lot of textures in a single material base to add a visual value to textiles in the coming season, rather than concentrating on complicated silhouettes and designs. Be it through digital printing or through flat-bed or rotary, all kinds of printing techniques will stay as much in focus to achieve different feels and looks.
The season is also referred to the year of ‘Intelligent print’ whereby print techniques will be applied to textured base clothes in order to create new textiles and will be the next phase of digital printing.
Seen on the recent runways of Thakoon, Valentino, Juicy Couture, Just Cavalli, DKNY and Richard Chai Love for S/S 2014, is the tropical mania that is catching up as fire with the biggest of fast fashion retailers and masses alike. “A twist to the regular florals, small and big – bold tropical varieties in prints is being developed. More like a mix-n-match of leaves such as wild palms combined with untamed flowers, exotic florals, wild vegetation, fruits and animal textures and skin patterns, these prints are almost taken out from a jungle scene creating a tropical influence in prints, also in bright colours,” informs Vinay Goel, Owner of Textures. Printed mostly on top of polyester fabrics even modal which is an upcoming fabric gaining popularity on the sourcing front from every possible trader, it is not only the dresses that are being made from tropical prints but also summer jackets, leggings, and printed trousers like pajamas and palazzos are being spotted for a resort feel in clothes.
- Digital prints will shift toward picturistic prints which give a futuristic look mostly to become big in the western markets for dresses.
- Blurred graphics printed in patterns of stripes, checks, plaids and different structures of weaves on top of a solid base will imitate the look of a weaved fabric.
- Tropical mania will catchup as fire with prints almost taken out from a jungle scene.
- Traditional techniques which are more crafty and require human skill will be a big theme along with authentic prints coming from the South American tribes.
Moving towards a season of innovation and differentiation, 2014 will not only confine itself to the regular flora and fauna inspired prints but will also see a major shift toward traditional techniques which are more crafty and require human skill. “Tribal will be a big theme for the season with techniques such as ombre, tie & dye, batik and bandhani in bright colours will be experimented to the maximum,” added Vinay. Tribal prints with hand block printing, Jaipuri prints and Kalamkari prints will see a major rise in sourcing from the Indian subcontinent, adding to the global polarity of the most authentic prints coming from the South American tribes, as per many forecasts. Also, outline patterns, sketched looks in prints and majorly clean patterns will continue from the last season to the next summer.
Not 100% linen, but in linen dominated blends of linen-viscose and linen-cotton, the trend is to experiment with prints on top to add value,” said Shashank Sachdeva, Director, Sachdeva Fabric World, a fabric trader who exclusively deals in linen. “Design teams are further using linen to develop printed fabrics such as flocked variations with varied motifs printed on the top, also bold white flowers prints on earthy tones of linen for a sophisticated look, all to be translated in products like linen trousers and dresses for women. But more than the heavy weights, the season is overpowered with lighter and much finer weights of linen,” he added.
For a softer hand feel the highest selling varieties are of linen-modal, and for the added touch of a suede-like softness to a silky smooth finish it is linen-tencel blend that is popularly looked for. All traders alike agree to the high demand of modal and modal blends for the future as it is rapidly becoming a good substitute of silk which is becoming expensive day by day, imparting a silky feel and shine to the fabric along with a good drape. Even though the demand for silk will restrict itself to high fashion and boutique products, with the making of modal becoming common and easier in India, while more manufacturers are producing it, even exporters are using the fabric in their developments for high street, mid market buyers.
Concluding with the most important aspect of the season, Bashi Singh also claimed, “Even though prints will continue in the market, there will be more importance on the garment finishing’s and washings and therefore Indian manufacturers have to gear up with in-house finishing facilities. The most popular will be bio finishes, different kinds of enzyme washes and replicas of sand hand finishes for silk”.
