Textile Insight

November/December 2017 ~ Textile Insight • 9 textileinsight.com IN THE MARKET | INTERFILIERE NY A Softer Side of Performance With French Flair, Vendors Debut Creative Collections for Next Season. little bit of Paris came to Manhattan earlier this Fall with Interfiliere NY showcasing beautiful fabrications from over 60 textile vendors in a trade event targeting buyers of intimates, swim and athleisure apparel. As boundaries continue to blur between markets, new materials bring subtle performance in soft-to-the-touch, lightweight qualities. Innovation is seen in the juxtaposition between sport and sexy, and inspiration comes from retro constructions updated for modern wearability. Interfiliere NY has grown significantly in the past few years, expanding to become a two-day trade fair, and drawing a steady stream of attendees from big brands as well as start-up designers. A Creative Lab area complete with trend boards, fabric displays and concept garments is a nice complement to an adjoining exhibit hall. Smart presentations on market research and global fashion trends rounds out the show agenda. Eastman took full advantage of its inaugural show sponsorship to get the word out about Naia, the com- pany's latest textile innovation. The cellulosic yarn features an appealing smooth, silky hand with inherent performance features, and a strong sustainability story. Drawing on Eastman's long-established acetate expertise, the new technology dif- ferentiates Naia with its printability, color-fastness, ease of care, and com- fort properties. Eastman is putting more empha- sis on its textile business. Naia was introduced at the January 2017 Paris Interfiliere show, and follows on the heels of Avra, a per- formance product for active/outdoor/lifestyle markets. Also of note, Naia is a different type of polymer than other cellulosics. Cellulosics have inherent wicking and quick dry properties; Naia does all that but also offers inherent soil release. According to the company, fabrics made with Naia can have a high luster, shine, and drape. If the garment style demands it, Naia can also have a subtle matte finish instead. Eastman execs say market feedback on Naia has been very good. Interestingly, the product's sustainability aspect is garnering attention from fast fashion companies, as well as others. Tech to Talk About The event displayed collections by international mills, among them Darlington (USA), DEBS (Japan), Liberty Fabrics (UK) and Wing Yue (HK) for fabrics; Broderies Deschamps (France), Encajes (Colombia), Macra Lace (USA), Hang Gang Lace (China) for embroideries and laces; Lunartex (Portugal) and Texco (Hong Kong) for accessories. A number of companies exhibiting also offered full package services such as Protela - Prointimo (Colombia) and Tengfei (China). Of note at Tengfei was innovative use of 3D printing. According to the company, the technology achieves better functionality and comfort particularly in sport bra applications. New and sophisticated knitting techniques were a highlight Penn Textile Solutions. The supplier previewed GripZone knitting technology used in the thigh area of an elite cycle suit from high-end maker Castelli. The innovation integrates spandex in a unique way to boost comfort and sleekness without sacri- ficing performance. "You don't need a narrow (elastic) to finish the piece, it's all integrated into one piece," explains Markus Regenstein, CEO, Penn Textiles Solutions. The German company, known for its knitting expertise, also featured how to create areas of stretch seam- lessly with other non-stretch areas within the same garment. This offers more than just a new way to think about customized compression. Penn Textiles also incorporates custom embellishment. The com- pany calls this tech "Dream Shape Secret," and the design possibilities are limitless, says Regenstein. "You can put stretch where you want, how much you want, and add design. Together this offers support and freedom of movement." Not to mention an appealing aesthetic. In terms of industry news, it was announced at Interfiliere NY that Raphaël Camp will succeed Pierre-Nicolas Hurstel as general manager of Eurovet Americas, the U.S. sub- sidiary of the Paris-based trade show company Eurovet. Camp comes with a strong background in marketing and distribution, having successfully launched the French gourmet tea brand Kusmi Tea in the U.S. five years ago, now distributed in department stores, e-commerce sites and their own boutiques. O The Museum at FIT: Into the Wild Two exhibits recently on display at the Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) cover a lot of ground— from ocean depths to Arctic regions, and from mountain tops to outer space—examining the relationship between fashion and the natural world. Materials play a key role in the evolution of apparel, and there are great ex- amples on display of how wool, goose down, neoprene and other synthet- ics have shaped wardrobes over the centuries. However, the fun is in seeing how designers interpret the natural world. Hats inspired by hummingbirds; wolf-fur pants; feathered footwear; and an Eddie Bauer original Skyliner jacket morphed into a hip-hop influenced puffy by Tommy Hilfiger are among the many standout styles on exhibit. Together, "Exhibition: Fashion from the Extreme" and "Force of Nature," showcase how designers look to nature for fresh ideas. Not just in terms of color, shape, and silhouette, but also by use of natural dyes, dating back 5,000 years! Interest- ing, too, are the creative leaps from military and African safari uniforms to fashion chic, as well as scuba gear re-imagined for the go-go scene of the mod 1960s. The science of the times is not dismissed, and that remains true to this day. "Force of Nature" closes on this note with a video and display focused on how eco-responsibility will impact the future of fashion, with specific shout outs to advances in bio-mimicry and biomaterials. Fashion's impact on the environment has been largely detrimental in the past, so this nod to sustainability is significant. O www.fitnyc.edu

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