Monday I was in Las Vegas at a big fashion trade show, going to trend reports and walking the show to see what is happening with textile and color trends.
When I went to the one big trend forecast that I attend every year, I was pleasantly surprised at what the presenter had to say. He kind of gave the designers and manufacturers a lecture, saying that the boomer and senior population is being ignored, despite the fact that they have such huge influence on trends due to their buying power. "These people need something to wear!" he admonished the crowd, of which half was wearing tight short skirts and sky high heels.
Did you know the fastest growing segment of the total population is 80 and over? I didn't believe it until I did some research on the web. In the quilt industry we've been really focusing on connecting with the younger customer, but perhaps sometimes at the expense of elder quilters.
One thing is for sure: As humans live longer and remain creatively active, some can be a great resource for teaching the traditional needlework crafts to young people. We have to find a way to harness all this creativity and talent, to pass on to those younger people! Long Live Grandma Power!
As we remain productive, there will be more quilts to pass on to loved ones! Those treasured heirlooms will outlast their makers (as long as they use high quality fabric and thread) and may tell their stories a century or more beyond the life of the quilter.
This week I've been contemplating the cycle of Life, as we've had a few babies in our own circle of friends, but have lost some older friends too. Paul and I attended a wedding on Saturday, and I met Donna Wilder's grandson for the first time Sunday. (You may recognize Donna's name from her leadership in the Fairfield Fashion Show, and as founder of Free Spirit Fabrics 11 years ago.)
Sophie got to hold Baby Wilder, and as you can see by this photo, she was very proud of herself.
With all that is happening in Libya, the earthquakes in Colorado and the East Coast today, I am reminded of that old saying "the only thing that stays the same… is constant change." When the world is swirling outside our doorstep or halfway across the globe, we can sit down with fabric needle and thread, and find our own Center.
**************
Some of the trends that caught my eye at the trade show were surprising – in a pleasant way. One of the big trends in fashion textiles now is what I call "throwaway hand-dyes". If you've ever dyed fabrics, you probably make a point not to waste dye, so perhaps you pour leftover colors on waiting scrap PFD, curious to see what will happen.
Those muddy mixed-up hand-dyes showed up in several dresses and tops, as an expression of the "use everything" philosophy of urban art. There were also lots of 2-tone hand-dyes, representing shibori dyeing, with a similar Throwaway recycled look.
Another (opposite!) trend is Allover Sequins, All the Time! There is new textile technology that creates absolutely encrusted fabrics so full of sequins, there is no base fabric showing through. The favorite color for this luxury fabric is GOLD, and there is a strong vintage resurgence of this luxury color.
Another trend I saw was the continuing color story of Black and White. This perennial favorite seems to always find new permutations, from huge 6" polka dots to a rough scraped texture of charcoal-on-white. The secret is one pop of color – like a Taxicab Yellow or a Candy Pink.
One thing we know is not a trend but more of a lifestyle, and that is quilting as a hobby. I saw patchwork shorts and jackets, plus lots of textile techniques we like such as sashiko and shibori, pintucks and bias ribbon latticework, fabric 3-D roses, and necklines like antique doilies, but nothing could compete with the HUGE influence of the print trend.
The fashion industry is awash the same prints that we use – especially super LARGE scale florals – and the delicate small scale Liberty-type florals. Huge scarf prints with giant placed motifs on dresses, and a profusion of Boho bright paisleys, drowned out the skull prints from past seasons. Solid Paprika Red and Banana Yellow jeans and jean jackets were head-turners, as well as pantsuits and separates made from lightweight denim and chambray.
Color trends parallel, in many cases the food trends we see in specialty grocery stores! Colors such as caramel, fig, pomegranate and lobster bisque are echoes of our international palate which has expanded with our grocers' imports.
It is always interesting to digest all of my notes down into a trend report for our textile industry, and that's what I'll be working on for my keynote presentation at the Intl Textile Expo Sept 25th. Quilting is such a pure expression of our love of fabric, and it has cycles and trends just like everything else around us. The trends will happen whether we predict them of not, because they are an expression of trends occurring in the fabric of society.
Our deepest sympathies go out to our sales rep Allen B. who lost his wife last Thursday. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family.
Share Post:
