The over-the-top glamour statements made famous by popular faces of the 70s made their triumphant return on the runways this Fall. Taking pride in showcasing the likes of sequins, glitter, lurex and lame, designers created opulent and sophisticated styles keeping the 70s spirit alive. Though India is not popular for its winterwear sampling, still fabric manufacturers and exporters are witnessing a shift from matt and rough surfaces to a shinier and smoother base. With exporters and designers working on the process of translating the dull winter into a more glamorous one, the bases for skirts, dresses and even outerwear change from the quintessential tweeds and checks to shiny glittery fabrics…
Carrying forward the tweed fashion, no one thought about bringing the S/S ’15 fabrics into Fall ’15, but as designers are known to get extremely creative when it comes to collections, we witnessed a variety of shiny coatings, woven manipulations and dazzling knitted versions on the ongoing runways of Fall ’15. S.K. Satyam, Assistant Designer, Shahi Exports, elaborating on the trend said, “The shiny surface has started to grow popular and this is evidently reflected in the enquiries received from different buyers. We are developing a few styles in a mix of jersey and lurex. We are also contemplating shinny coating on our outerwear.”
The return of the shiny surface was also clearly visible in the Pre-Fall ’15 and Fall ’15 collections. Moschino showcased acid washed denim mixed with the flashiness of a gold lame fabric creating a gold and denim patchwork overalls, whereas, Gucci, touched down the seventies with pleated skirts in lame, lurex and leather. Giles presented a black & white lace and leather made tough-chic bedfellows in strictly tailored jackets, skirts and ruffled lacy blouses. One technique to achieve shiny surface on outerwear, is coating which not only adds a functional edge to the fabric but also takes its decorative aspect a notch higher by making it as shiny as you want. Be it pigment, acrylic or polyurethane coating, every medium shields the fabric with a transparent film which imparts the fabric with a metallic shimmer or a laminated leather-like effect.
This year, coating was seen on materials like leather and other normal bases on the runways. Topshop Unique presented a green leather mini skirt with a patent leather-like surface, while on the other hand, Emilia Wickstead, offered the best balance of sexy and sweet, with a shiny coated blouse and long skirt. Noureddine Elatouga, Representative, Maple Solutions, explaining about the various fabric effects says, “We use normal cotton fabrics in different counts and the appearance of the fabric changes every time with different applications of coating. Sometimes, the entire fabric is coated and then laser is applied on top in a particular pattern so that the coating gets dissolved from unwanted areas and an ornamental design on the garment is obtained. The acrylic and PU coatings give properties like shine with durability.”
Coating has carried forward from the runways of last Fall, where we saw a varied assortment of designers working on coating varieties. In some interesting applications, coatings provide optical reflective effects and tinted glazes like mirrors and in some recent developments, denim manufacturers are producing denims with coating on the reverse-side. “A growing trend is the back coating technique where we coat the reverse-side of the denim with fine PU, which makes the fabric reversible. First the backing is given a colour coating and then is sealed with PU for an extended durability,” shares Vinod Gupta, Head-Marketing, Century Denim.
Glistening silk organzas and high-tech fabrics with a luminous glow are the new way to shine, and after lighting up the catwalks at Chanel, Christopher Kane and Marc Jacobs in the spring collections, lurex inserted checked dress was seen and appreciated at Emilia Wickstead at the Fall runway. Talking about elaborate brocades and shiny jacquards, Christopher Kane designed a range of dresses and separates in brocades with plastic detail which shone with grace in the runway lights. Discussing about the shiny aspect of fabrics like brocades and jacquards, Atul Mittal, MD, Bharti Udyog said, “The trend is now more towards shiny designs and patterns, so we are developing interesting and innovative range of jacquard fabrics and made-ups for our customers in shiny and glittery surfaces. The trend was towards the minimalistic approach till last season but suddenly there is an upsurge of glistening fabrics in domestic as well as export market.”
To start with, one technique to achieve shiny surface on outerwear is by the means of coating, and coating when applied on a fabric surface not only adds a functional edge to the fabric but also takes its decorative aspect a notch higher by making it as shiny as you want.
Lanvin, Alber Elbaz featured rich metallic materials in his sportswear collection, whereas Gareth Pugh was inspired by science fiction and his extraterrestrial aesthetic was augmented by silver metallic accents. Fabric manufacturer and supplier, Sumit Gupta, Director, Shakti Hosiery Works, discussing about the growing demand of sequined, foil printed and lame fabrics shared, “We are noticing a great demand in the shiny fabric segment right now. Metallic prints, dual colour sequined surfaces, gold, silver and bronze lurex varieties are picking up a lot these days.” Dries van Noten also incorporated this theme into his show, with golden touches like pleating and head-to-toe metal. Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci played with a bronze colour palette which gave his draped gowns a Grecian glam makeover.
Be it New York or Milan Fashion Week or exporters here in India, everyone has prepped themselves for a shiny and sparkly winter. With printed tops and dresses draped like liquid metal in J.W.Anderson, Christopher Kane’s hyper metallic glitzy bags and shoes, matching the dresses and Gucci’s shimmering gold dress, runways have declared shimmer to be the trend to look out for in the next winter!
