Apparel Online India Magazine April 2nd Issue 2018 | Page 38

FASHION BUSINESS
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
A stronghold for India, 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.
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, observed Agarwal. Designers
can work on contrast stitching on
dark tint denims for simple but trend-
embedded jeans.
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
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.
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.
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.
Sandeep Agarwal, Founder of
the trade show Denimandjeans
corroborated this demand, adding,
“Two-tone denim and blends with
fibres like elastane and lyocell
are dominating majorly.” The
internationally, cult-favourite brand
Vetements is the biggest pioneer of
38 Apparel Online India | APRIL 16-30, 2018 | www.apparelresources.com
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.
“Washes are out!” agreed Agarwal.
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.