Denim mills nestled into every nook at the fourth installment of the BPD Expo on Wednesday in Soho, New York. Mills showed off their capabilities and creations with a variety of weights, twills and stretches.
RIVET caught up with exhibitors and dished about their most popular fabrics for the Spring/Summer ’18 season and which buzzwords the industry will be talking about in seasons to come.
The 90’s is calling and Artistic Milliners is meeting demand with 90210, a new 90’s inspired stretch collection. The mills calls this look the “right amount of stretch,” for both men and women. Another favorite among brands is the Generation Millennials, a type of 360-stretch. The mill also adds new construction for S/S 18 with green and Chelsea blue casts.
Nien Hsing
For Nien Hsing, the most popular fabrics feature a marbled look with 360-stretch, or high stretch. The mobility of the fabric sells to both men and women, allowing for a cotton and Lycra blend with lighter weights.
Bi-stretch remains in demand for Global Denim. The mill places an emphasis on movement for men in its S/S 18 collection, however, a classic warp-stretch is also popular.
Raymond VCO
Bi-stretch rings popular for both men and women among brands utilizing Raymond VCO. Warped stretch also makes a splash for men, while the mill adds sulfur-dyes to its color casts. The mill cites a drop in bi-stretch pricing as a reason for its popularity among designers.
Calik
For Calik it is all about the Curve. With a 12 oz. weight and a cotton and Lycra formula, the stretch denim is a must for women’s brands. Another important fabric for Calik is Raw Stretch and their anti-bacterial finish which lasts for up to 10 at-home washes. Calik says brands are looking for fabric innovation.
Related Story
KG Denim
KG is all about the comfort stretch with a denim look. The mill touts bi-stretch with a 9-10 oz. weight. The mill is also seeing a strong response to their denim shirt weights (for 4-6 oz.) and cotton and Tencel fabrications.
Big on sustainability, Soorty’s most popular fabrics are bi-stretch with 8.5-9.5 oz. weights for women, and a heavier 10-plus for men. The mill sees colors and prints trending for S/S 18.
Setting themselves apart, the historic mill sees almost 100 percent cotton denim being the most popular for S/S 18, with a heavy weight for both men and women of 11-12 oz. Designers and brands are going to Cone for a more authentic, traditional denim look.
Blue Lab
Amsterdam-based mill Blue Lab names Power Stretch and Comfort Stretch as its most popular fabrications. The Power Stretch is popular for both men and women, while the Comfort Stretch is slightly more rigid.