Denim is back and how!
Classified as an essential item, this category has undergone massive shifts in the years since its popularisation by Levi’s.
And though the pandemic might have momentarily paused its ascent, the category is back in demand with full force and has much in store. The denim industry is expected to grow to US $ 88.1 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2 per cent, as reported by research firm Allied Market Research.
As consumers embrace life in the new normal, designers and brands are revisiting this essential category, updating it to suit the consumer’s evolved choices and expectations post-pandemic.
Even at Denim Premiere Vision, which was held in Berlin last month, the executive shared how Fall/Winter 2023-24 collections are simultaneously ‘rigid and flexible’, ‘static and dynamic’ and ‘natural and synthetic’. Furthermore, the industry is not going back to what it was, but marching ahead to find and implement more sustainable solutions with the rise of natural fibres such as hemp, linen and lyocell being widely used for the season.
Natural dyes derived from clay, plants and food by-products are becoming a way to ‘stand out’, with the ‘delicate grey/blue’ colour being achieved through non-dyed recycled products. Companies are working towards incorporating zero-waste policies, using scraps to make denim ribbon and labels. Mills are also ramping up their efforts for regenerative cotton and traceable cotton.
Natural fibres such as hemp, linen and lyocell are being widely used for the season.
Check out the four key themes for the upcoming Fall/Winter 2023-24 season with excerpts from Denim Dudes, that represent different pandemic mindsets, all the while sharing common interests in comforting silhouettes, loose fits and sustainability woven naturally into design.
A FOCUS ON ESSENTIALS – SOFTLY
If there is one thing that the pandemic brought into focus – it is our ability to focus on what really is important and doing away with the frills.
It has encouraged a more conscious way of living that is filtering into the way garments are being made. Manufacturers and brands are paving the way for slow fashion with a refined focus on key essential products that consumers buy only because they need them.
The natural character of fabrics is highlighted by leaving them untreated — either unbleached or undyed. Hand embroidery, natural tints, faded shibori and marbled pastel effects further complement the slow fashion theme.
Softly focuses on essential pieces, or items that consumers buy only because they need them. Cocoon-like comfort, oversized silhouettes, duster-length coats and shirts, and jeans and jackets embodying timeless utilitarian details such as deep pockets fit perfectly into this trend.
The natural character of fabrics is highlighted by leaving them untreated — either unbleached or undyed. Hand embroidery, natural tints, faded shibori and marbled pastel effects further complement the slow fashion theme.
There is an increased focus on raw materials and their intrinsic properties – for example, ‘hemp and linen were previously saved for Spring/Summer collections but the fibres’ sustainable benefits are making them popular for year-round use,” Shannon Reddy, a Designer and Trend Forecaster at Denim Dudes, reported.
The trend embraces a colour palette comprising true indigos and soft neutrals like terracotta, brown and shades of green and indigo vat dyeing.
ADDING A SENSE OF WONDER WITH ‘WONDERMENT’
After having to spend the most part of the last two years locked up and surrounded by restrictions, the pandemic has given a rise to radical optimism as people all over the world catch onto feelings of hope, wonder and only love.
In this regard, Wonderment taps into mood-enhancing fashion and upbeat escapism, where fashion fills in the void left by the pandemic.
A saturated colour palette of blues and bright yellows and pinks, makes Wonderment break traditional Fall colour stories and promotes joyful colour blocking and bold monochromatic styling much like Valentino’s recent ode to bright hot pink.
Jeans and jackets with ‘pumped up’ volume, softened workwear and preppy items like varsity jackets add to the theme’s playfulness. Cartoon-like deconstruction, quirky jacquards, trompe l’oeil laser prints and conversational prints speak to the trend’s overall youthful theme.
A saturated colour palette of blues and bright yellows and pinks breaks traditional colour stories associated with Fall, while promoting joyful colour blocking and bold monochromatic styling.
Extreme washes, gradient washes with synthetic colours and shiny surfaces add visual interest, while denim fur and velvet add a plush tactile element to jeans.
MERGING TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES WITH ‘THE OUTSIDER’
A lot of niche aesthetics are emerging on social platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, including goblincore, a subculture of folklore, underscored with craft and nature. Goblincore’s off-the-grid style inspires this theme, a F/W ’23-24 trend story that taps into young crafters’ desire to blend traditional mending techniques with streetwear.
This psychedelic-friendly trend calls for hippie staples such as printed fleece and layered knits. In addition, dad-inspired oversized waterproof jackets coupled with ’90s skate staples aka tees with extra-long sleeves and wide jeans add to the nostalgic ’90s aesthetic.
Army surplus, repurposed fabrics and mismatched layers further tap into the ’90s festival garb, whilst butterfly and mushroom motifs and eccentric quilting feed into the hippie aesthetic.
In terms of washes, Denim Dudes reported that sun-bleached washes offer a new take on worn-in denim, while a nature-inspired colour story spanning green-cast indigos, practical military colours, pops of yellow and magenta ties it all together.
WHERE THE PHYSICAL AND THE DIGITAL MEET – ‘SIMULACRUM’
For young generations, the pandemic has ‘birthed a moment that feels like both a technology revolution and a dystopian society that lacks trust in social structures and labels optimism as uncool,” Denim Dudes Founder, Amy Leverton, told Rivet.
In Simulacrum, real life and digital converge to create an aesthetic that is grounded in gigantic silhouettes that feel protective with the subversive styling of The Matrix added to the mix.
Biker jackets and jeans with exoskeletons that double as armour, collide with the body-accentuating designs inspired by Mugler, while influences from the late ’90s, like low rises and miniskirts, return in a more elevated way.
Real life and digital converge to create an aesthetic grounded in gigantic silhouettes that feel protective with the subversive styling of The Matrix.
In terms of colourways, monochromatic muted hues and washed out ’80s indigo are juxtaposed with synthetic ‘computer screen’ colours. Laser and digital prints mimic the look of online designs, and upcycled fashion veers toward post-apocalyptic style.
