London’s first Première Vision Denim tradeshow has finished, and what now? Orders have been taken, fabric sampled and visitors have been updated on the latest fabric and fashion trends. One thing is clear, all of these denim businesses are now actively working towards reducing their impact on the planet – or are they? In an imagined denim utopia, all fabric manufacturers are connected and share their expertise, practising an open-source attitude and an eco-responsible approach to the planet. In reality companies are fighting over themselves to add catchy brand names to that expertise, and holding onto the rights of their innovations to give them a financial edge in business – and can we blame them? Branding and marketing are crucial to any business, a big part of this is storytelling, and right now sustainability is the biggest story line of all. Bryan Boy, the popular outspoken fashion blogger has had a message pinned to his twitter account since October “I’m gonna jump off a bridge head first if i hear about yet another “sustainable” clothing line. There’s nothing sustainable about creating something new en masse. Just stop. Please. You wanna know what’s sustainable? Wearing your old damn clothes, that’s what. Bye.” Obviously Bryan Boy isn’t against sustainability, it’s more of a reaction to the over-production of fast fashion and the resulting waste product. The point is that businesses need to be sure that their eco-credentials will stand up to scrutiny, as there are those who will be ready to dismiss any unclear or generalised claims as nothing more than ‘greenwashing hype’. To counter this the British Government has set out some official standards in the form of Company Certifications to measure levels of effective environmental management through all processing stages from fibre production, spinning mills, weaving mills, knitting mills to finishing facilities and manufacturers of ready-made textile items.
Denim jeans are one of the most popular items of clothing in the world, but they have the potential to be one of the most destructive to the planet. A recent report by just-style.com shows that the popularity of jeans is growing and states that they predict “the world jeans retail market will hit $60.09 billion by the year 2023.” This is great news for the industry, but when we consider the water used to grow cotton, the pollution caused by dyeing and treatments, and the modern-day slavery associated with manufacturing, it’s obvious we need to find new solutions – or start a revolution. The good news is that fashion manufacturing and fabric production is being pushed towards a sustainable future, motivated by pressure from retailers and buyers who are in turn responding to a growing awareness from consumers. The industry itself is offering support and encouragement so businesses can adopt environmentally friendly solutions, eco-responsible methods and develop non-violent treatments. There are round-table talks, fashion summits and conferences. Première Vision offers a SMART LIBRARY of participating companies with sustainable development at their heart, advice in the form of SMART TALKS, where experts and international organisations can share experience and SMART WARDROBE, finished products produced through responsible sourcing and manufacturing to inspire other brands and show that sustainable goals can be achievable.
Denim is one of fashion’s favourite fabrics, it is incredibly versatile and stable, making it easy to work with. The scope for fabrics is huge, it can be coated, washed, laser engraved, digitally printed, tie-dyed and woven with patterns or countless other fibres. Denim jeans and jackets are classic styles, most people would be able to describe a 5-pocket Western and some of the details: the double stitching, rivets, belt loops and pockets. It’s because of this connection and familiarity that designers choose revisit these styles again and again. They like nothing better that to disrupt and deconstruct, producing exciting new riffs on the familiar or completely new concepts. Customisation and styling trends in jeanswear emerge from the street, and designers are quick to react and expand on any new ideas.
The 4 trend directions set out by Première Vision for spring/summer 2020:
DISCOVER Is a call to join a cultural revolution, embracing diversity and tolerance and pushing towards new directions, exploring new cultures and aspects of life. Discover a new attitude, free of restrictions.
CARE & SHARE Embracing a socially responsible approach to society and the environment. It encourages an open-source attitude to enable the sharing of ideas and to find the solutions to problems.
PERSONALISATION A look at creating individuality and a sense of uniqueness through customisation. The idea connects to visual arts and crafts exploring the role of fantasy as a form of expression.
PERFORMANCE PERSPECTIVE Encourages the idea of becoming “an everyday hero in real life” stepping out of the comfort zone and into uncharted territory. The trend links to sportswear and durable workwear
The show was a boost for London’s fashion scene and is part of Première Vision’s plan to stage the show in a different venue each season. The next show is scheduled for June 5-6, 2019 in Milan and will return to London again in December.
DENIM PREMIÈRE VISION The Fashion & Culture Event
BRITISH ASSESSMENT BUREAU Certification Verification
DENIZ SAGDIC Crafted denim artwork
VICUNHA TEXTIL Denim fabric manufacturer
BOSSA Denim Fashion (Dye Art)
BETHANY WILLIAMS Hand Embroidery
SAN PATRIGNANO Community Rehabilitation (Weaving)
BLUE OF A KIND Eco-conscious Fashion
JUST-STYLE Apparel Sourcing Strategy
TRENDZOOM.COM Fashion Forecasting Service
