#Textiles & Apparel / Garment
Woolmark on Première Vision Paris
International buyers, designers and press were stimulated by the innovation, imagination and inspiration provided by a wealth of exuberantly colourful fabrics from mills and companies around the world. Quality yarn in high-class natural fibres led the way, often partnered in ingenious blends. These marry up directional style with enhanced ways to keep cool in hot weather, adding the expected factors of minimal care demanded by modern lifestyles.
Cool Wool launched to an international gathering of textile trade personalities, a move in line with Wool Lab’s predictions for an increased role for wool in summer collections. Lightweight collections graced the stands of Cool Wool partners, crafted into smoothly elegant worsted suitings in the new blues, greys and classics with barely-there elegant designs, often with performance factors such as anti-crease properties. These cool fabrics were seen at Dormeuil, John Foster, Joseph H Clissold, Hield, Charles Clayton and Yunsa, Fratelli Tallia del Delfino and Ipekis. Colour striped light wool men’s blazer fabrics, done superbly at Holland & Sherry and Butterworth & Roberts were bright and bold and also proved a hit with womenswear stylists.
Clever mixtures of natural fibres enhanced the individual aspects of fibres: wool, cotton, linen and silk, seen in pale, light summer wovens - most stylish at Johnstons of Elgin. Textures and colourful pastels defined lightweight tweeds embellished by bright colour knops and slightly sparkling yarns.
Key menswear colours for the season are a lively navy blue, dove grey and taupe for men, but with salmon pink, pale yellow or purple in marls, stripes, checks and micro ground decoration. Women’s palettes veer from elegant pale primrose, light blue and cream, to much more acid and brasher colours - neon yellow, green and orange, all enlivened with white. Everyone will need those Merinos’ sunglasses.
