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Innovation

Premiere Vision blog

By August 25, 2022No Comments

Our take on the findings…

 

Our Design and Supply Chain teams have joined forces and went on an inspiring trip to Paris to find out the latest innovation from Premiere Vision fabric fair. These findings share some great creative ideas and trend insights.

The main themes from the show were:

  • Traceability and transparency in supply chain
  • Fabric innovation
  • Sustainable creative textiles
  • Leather and alternatives
  • Natural dyes
  • Plant based textiles
  • Prints
  • Textures

Traceability

Apps like Footbridge push the limit on what can be done to trace products and show the life cycle of the garment. They support this by using an app with a map of all suppliers and they collect all data through TILKAL technology (a secure network based on a private blockchain).

Innovation

Direct to garment 3D printing was in the spotlight and the technology that stood out the most was the one used by StrataSys.

 

Sustainability

Sustainable fabric were also predominant in the show, the categories being

  • Plant based fibers: Hemp, Nettle, Pinatex, Kapok
  • Cellulosic fibers: Cupro, Circulose, Refibra
  • Bio-sources plastic: Oceansafe

Diving deeper into this trend, we found out that bananas and pineapples could replace cotton and leather. The industry is looking into turning a by-product of the agro-food industry into a new fashion resource. By creating collaborative networks between different industries, and optimising the use of a given plant, these new materials can reduce our impact on resources.

Due to the change, it would be essential to research into the background of these new materials. Things that would need to be consider are how the materials are grown, what is the transformation process etc. Alongside this, it would be key to assess them based on the strengths and weaknesses of the materials. Currently these new materials could not fully replace the existing ones, but in terms of design and expansion on the available materials, the alternatives could simulate new thinking and broaden possibilities.

Colour trends

Experimental and artisanal- colour evoking natural materials inspired by culinary ingredients; also dyes are used from the food industry

Essential and Maximalist- an abundance of greys and lavender shades can be observed targeting impactful luxury and a dramatic effect

Cadence and Decadence- a contrast of pigmentary colours was also at the forefront; tensions between pales and bright shades were challenging the new colour palettes of the season

How to colour garments without leaving a stain on the world

It has been said that when working in fashion, one of the most asked questions you will be asked is “what’s next seasons colour?” It seems that humans will even mirror their mood with the colours they choose to wear. However, we may love popping a colourful outfit on, but did you know this is having negative effects on our environment?

So what issues are dyes causing? The pre-treatments used to clean and used to clean and prepare fibres to absorb dyes can represent a source of risk. Colorants themselves have a variety of properties. Some are water soluble, such as acidic, direct, mordants or basic colorants, others are insoluble such as pigmentary colorants, dye bath, reactive or dispersed colorants. These components can generate water pollution and cause health risks too. Their presence in the liquid effluent after the dyeing process or because of washing the textiles represents a serious risk, if it is not purified, to the quality of the water courses into which it is discharged. Regulations differ according to the region of the world and even according to the country. Millions of chemical substances have been examined by Reach, and around 100 dyes can still be found on the market in regions outside of Europe and end up in dyeing baths.

Here are some of the smart dyeing tips:

  1. The impact with the least environmental impact would be to leave the fabric undyed. This offers a restricted colour palette however it gives room for creativity.
  2. Another way we could work on this to be less damaging would be to monitor the chemicals that are being used. An assessment of the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) of effluent can be used to analyse the pollution or potential biodegradability of waters. This way it can be more closely monitored surrounding what is used.
  3. If you used dye without water this will decrease the negative effects. The lower demand for water, substantially reduced dyeing times, and very precise process generate a minimum of impact.

 

If you would like more information on the findings please email marketing@murray-uniforms.co.uk