Textile Trends for Spring Summer 2019

Air, Water, Earth: these elements of life are the themes of Milano Unica for the Spring summer 2019 collections.

Milano Unica juxtaposes these elements with three different personalities: the great French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau who championed, back in the day, ecological battles defending deep-sea flora and fauna; the Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev with his ethereal, agile and poetic dance in a space evoking the Northern Lights, and finally the Maasai, a nomadic people, proud of their traditions but, above all, inextricably connected to the Earth, mother and origin of all civilisation.

These are three symbolic juxtapositions that join men to nature to create visionary and fantastical parallels that are often the source of our creative inspirations.

The underlying theme is the search for new solutions, the study of technologies that encourage the use of environmentally friendly materials, reusing scraps and the emergence of new projects with zero impact.

Because the final message is the love for life, for all human beings and nature. Deference for the places we live in and for everything that surrounds us can no longer be a yearning, but it has become an imperative: if the planet is impoverished we will become increasingly poor and barren as well. What good is done to the environment is subsequently done to each of us.

Each trend is introduced by a brief, an emotional and imaginary story that is followed by a more technical description and explanation of the key concepts of that topic. Finally, the descriptive part on colours, materials and accessories follows.

Textile Trends inspired by

WATER

MATERIALS

Cutting-edge biological research into algae in fabrics, dyes derived from bacteria, bioplastic yarns, and silks that originate from filaments abandoned by underwater fauna, are applied to the market’s production trends.

Fibers regenerated from cellulose like viscose and acetate are in the foreground in the construction of technical materials. Fabrics from sailing such as the spinnaker, Kevlar, ripstop and Vectran are used to interpret new micro wool and cotton structures with outdoor constructions of breathable soft-shell material.

Water-repellency and breathability are fundamental characteristics. In contrast to these technical aspects are aquatic fluidity, transparency, aspects of corrosion such as on marine antiquities, crystallisations on pleats and cellular decorations.

Shirting is transformed into chambray armor with micro jacquard stripes, poplin and Oxford combined with a silky touch. Nautical-inspired lines and ropes are used in jacquard decorations. Denim is washed and worn with saline processing

COLORS

Titanium grey, high-tech white, emerald green, crystal blue, techno yellow and deep blue. The color palette is graphic; the protagonists are the chromatic effects of technical and waterproof shades typical of diving equipment. The marine world is interpreted by juxtaposing the nuances of navigation and the auras of hidden treasures.

ACCESSORIES

Precious trimmings are reminiscent of antiquities and hidden treasures are worn away by the sea for decades, enriched with opaque crystallisations and oxidization like erosions on macramè borders and laser-etched multi-layer decorations. Borders with undulating braiding and embroidered edges have bio-three-dimensional effects. Zippers and fastenings consist of rubberised taping and block colour waxing. Buttons and closures made of regenerated materials with crystalline effect contain inclusions of organic elements.

Textile Trends inspired by

AIR

MATERIALS

The planet demands that new research frontiers are applied to the textile industry. We find fabrics that use the sun and the wind as power supply systems, eco-sustainable and self-regenerating, and cosmetic technologies applicable to “second skin” constructions. Tubular fabrics are increasingly anatomical to reveal performance, comfort, and bi-stretch. Tulles are stratified, satins are multi-colored, muslins have iridescent effects, and fine muslin and Zephyr cloth are increasingly lighter and impalpable. Shirting is proposed to degrade shades of color and constructions, like a succession of layers of colored atmospheres. The fil coupè fabrics have a mix of textures from floating lines, on different constructions and sheer constructions appear ruffled as if lifted by a light breeze. The designs are amorphous, shiny, intangible and pinpoint new abstractionisms. The substance in metal is produced on the mirror and laminated effects. Plissè fabrics have rigid structures and bioplastic threads are reworked with jacquard patterns on architectonic nylon.

COLORS

Celestial grey, cyber pink, luminescent orange, high-tech jade, sunrise magenta and black. This color chart vibrates between soft and bright tones, vivid and intense like the sunrise, juxtaposed by the dark and clear-cut shadows of eclipses. The colors of the atmosphere are contaminated by the cyber world, placid pinks and celestial greens steered by the metallic hues of robotics.

ACCESSORIES

The world of Robotics inspires laminated Cordura with inserts of bright micro trimmings and labels and embroidery with microchips. Multi-colored twirls of dawn bring to mind soft mirror and iridescent effects on transparent bases for buttons and closures, such as with galvanizing zippers, are multi-colored with celestial effects. Clouds of tulle and organza with iridescent embroidery interpret celestial atmospheres and lunar eclipses are illustrated through oleograph trimmings.

Textile Trends inspired by

EARTH

MATERIALS

Natural substances such as fruit, beeswax, and single-cell organisms generate experimental fabrics, reaffirming the advent of industrial techniques. Primitivism influences the choice of yarns and processing such as in 100% sand-washed linen, in washed cotton, unevenly dyed and frayed, in “aux naturels” bourette and habotai silks.

Desert settings bring to mind sun-baked and worn out forms but with ultra-soft touches. British checks stolen by Maasai designs are desaturated and are reinterpreted into new chromatisms. Pure and curvilinear shapes become decorations for both jacquard and printed shirting. Marble’s undulations inspire lines and bleached crepe-like decorations and moiré on silks, cotton, and rayon. The tribal costume is interpreted by fil coupè, fringes, and fraying. A new primordial purism is proposed with minimal patterns on tie-dye muslins.

COLORS

Burnt sienna, dusty khaki, purist indigo, pink sand, white rock and natural jute. The tones on the color chart follow one another as if the end of one was the beginning of another, inspired by the stratifications of the Nevada desert; the colors are those of stones and earth-inspired oranges.

ACCESSORIES

Tribal origin tapings, edges, and fringes are contaminated by minimal influences and by the impalpable tones of the desert. Stones, rocks, and leaves turn into tone on tone embroideries and trimmings. Archaic-inspired fringed macramè are interpreted within a purist context. Contemporary desert architectures with marble and vitreous textures inspire basic-shaped ornaments and zippers with plaster, stone or marble effect edges. Primitive aesthetics is interpreted by borders in tone-on-tone cork and raffia, mélange linen fringe, metallic tech-tattoos, airbrushed coconut buttons, and in primordial ethnic closures.