The connection between fashion and sustainability is under the microscope at Denim Première Vision.
The Fall/Winter 20-21 trend stories presented at the Milan trade show Tuesday reflect consumers’ growing sense of urgency to take care of themselves and their planet.
Rather than calling out sustainability as its own trend story, Première Vision chose to weave eco-alternatives throughout its seasonal trends. This focus on the environment was coupled with the increasing interest in self-care and wellness.
“We want to slow down and take time for ourselves in the world that never stops,” said Manon Mangin, Première Vision project manager. “Denim is no exception to this rule.”
As a result, the F/W 20-21 presentation favored soft, cozy textures and comforting silhouettes made with materials like organic cotton, recycled polyester, hemp and Tencel x Refibra.
Key silhouettes include thermal long coats, oversized trench coats, wide hoodie jackets and no-gender workwear-inspired jumpsuits. Jackets have softened shoulders and pants are flannel-ized, Mangin described.
Workwear for the season, Mangin said, calls for both classic 3×1 weaves and compact, solid fabrics in dark shades. These sturdy fabrics are enhanced with contrast textures like silicone trims and labels with a shiny glaze, she noted.
Stretch fabrications also become more dense, particularly as the fabric gains momentum in the men’s market.
Velvet surfaces—plain or striped—are key for winter, as well as check jacquards. Weaves allow natural irregularities to stand out and add texture. Overall, Mangin said denim grows cozier with more cotton and wool blend options.
Sport continues to influence denim, but through smooth and technical-looking surfaces with coatings that create luminous or matte effects. The look is carried into trims with glossy finishes and PVC materials.
And in a nod to camp, the theme of the Costume Institute’s recent exhibition in New York City, Mangin said there’s a movement toward exaggerated prints, faux fur and effects that mimic the look of denim fur. Distorted laser prints are used to animate the surface of denim in graphic ways.
Scattered glints of color are used on raised surfaces, which Mangin describes as intense yet joyful. Dipped indigo tones are dark with a slightly illuminated surface. Over-dyes are refined with purple and reddish hues and animated surfaces that allow the indigo to show. Eroded blues add a cloudy softness, while green adds a digital feeling to denim.
Green is also used as a streaky fluorescent, or in two-tone graphic jacquards. And neon is used in trim as contrasting top-stitching on matte black labels, or as the center of metallic buttons.