Apparel Online Bangladesh Magazine Magazine May 2018 | Page 62

FASHION BUSINESS
Two-tone denim and blends with fibres
like elastane and lyocell are dominating
the international market. The cult-
favourite brand, Vetements, is the
biggest pioneer of the two-tone cut-
paste style trend which came to fruition
in the brand’s collaboration with Levi’s
Strauss last year and several retailers
and brands are now religiously
following suit.
Embroidery gets
reformed
Embroidery is definitely sticking
as a strong point of value addition.
Mahbubul Alam also agreed on the
trend, adding that both women and
menswear garment makers should
watch this one out.
In terms of what trends will govern
the embroidery scene, our research
suggests that like the teen-favourite
movie Sisterhood of the Travelling
Pants, travel and themes of escapism
will thrive. Careful references to
global cultures, especially the Middle
East (another streetwear favourite),
and weaving patterns from antique
African cultures can serve as great
inspiration boards.
Gender defying
silhouettes
In terms of silhouettes, the
denim jeans has not seen very
many changes, but new demand
skews towards the changing
perception of genders themselves.
Gazi Mahbubul Alam, Director,
Mahmud Group, manufacturing
for mega fast fashion brands like
H&M, Zara, and K-Mart, told the
Apparel Online team that the entire
perception of femininity is changing.
The notion that body-hugging jeans
are for women, and men prefer loose
fits, is getting completely reversed.
“If you look closely, for women, we
are getting demands for straight fits
like the boyfriend jeans and rugged
overalls, whereas men are going for
the lean fits. The world is looking at
gender in a very fluid way. So even
ESSENTIALS
Embroidery
inspiration will
look something
like the film
Sisterhood of the
Travelling Pants,
with escapism
and references
to global cultures
dominating the
story. Apart from
kitschy patchwork
and paisley
prints, techniques
like contrast
topstitching and
light quilting on
dark denims are a
must watch.
value additives like patches are all
being used in both women and men’s
assortments, perhaps more commonly
for men’s,” added Mahbubul Alam. In
terms of styles, he said that skinny
jeans are definitely not a womenswear
piece anymore; they are more about
high waists and tapered hems now.
From upcycle to
recycle
While sustainability in production is
important, denim is undoubtedly one
of the longest lasting fabric and can
survive the worst of wear and tear.
This was the main reason for its initial
surge in popular culture. Hence, it is
natural that upcycled denim is hugely
trending. People are creating hybrid
weaves, mixing up different washes
in the same garment for modern
looking cuts.
62 Apparel Online Bangladesh | MAY 2018 | www.apparelresources.com
Patchwork that takes a dig at heirlooms
and kitschy all-over paisleys or bandana
in all-over prints can be used with
simpler denims to create balanced
jackets and statements tops. Apart from
embroidered motifs, a strong demand for
stand out topstitching and light quilting
is also there. Designers can work on
contrast stitching on dark tint denims
for simple but trend-embedded jeans.
Simple is significant
Vintage has always had a big influence
on denim. Most of the fabric’s appeal
comes from its worn out, old-world
charm. Add this up with the fact that
‘ugly’ or ‘dad-core’ fashion is trending
all over the runways; you have a theme
that is all about going back to basics
and relooking at past archives. Going
forward, customer preferences are
going away from overpowering washes
and raw appeal of pure denim.
A hint of preppy but mostly just plain
silhouettes that have not been updated
and stay true to core double denim focus
will come to fore. The inspiration here
is American workwear and uniforms,
but taking an ironic approach while still
keeping functional details like pockets
and buttons in focus.