Textile Insight

IN THE MARKET | INTERFILIÈRE NEW YORK Concepts for 2020 12 • Textile Insight ~ November/December 2018 textileinsight.com Function Takes a Back Seat to Fashion this Time Around. nterfilière New York is a fabric and sourcing trade event that in a relatively short period of time has made a name for itself as a fun Fall show with a decidedly French flair for presenting trends and exhibiting the latest textile collections from innovative mills, acces- sories suppliers and sourcing firms. Since its launch six years ago, Interfilière New York has outgrown its space at least twice, expanding in scope and attendance along the way. The past few years the show has settled into a venue called The Tunnel, located in the trendy High Line neighborhood of Manhattan that is ideal both in terms of accommodating exhibitors, concept displays, and seating for seminar discussion, as well as capturing the spirited, fashion-focused personality of the event itself. Lingerie and swim are the undisputed strength of Interfilière New York; this comes as no surprise as Eurovet, known internationally as a leader in these markets, pro- duces the show. However, as athleisure emerged as a force in the industry, a sporty element made inroads at Interfilière New York. The category succeeded in carving out a nice niche and attracting attendees on the hunt for versatile textiles suitable for active-inspired applications with a fashion aesthetic. With Invista's Lycra brand as an inaugural Show sponsor, functional fabrications had some backing. Such was not the case at Interfilière New York this October. The focus was razor sharp on lingerie; swim was almost an afterthought with reference to activewear subtle at best. If anything, it was "outdoor" that got singled out in trend displays. One factor could be that the Lycra brand has not been a sponsor for two years; Eastman picked up that role last year, highlighting its latest textile development called Naia, a cellulosic yarn that combined a silky hand with performance and sus- tainability. Eastman did not repeat as sponsor this year, or even attend. FashionUnited, a B2B fashion platform, was the main sponsor this Fall. Another distinction at the recent show was the mix of vendors. Asian suppliers made up the majority of the more than 60 exhibitors. About a dozen European suppliers were on hand and only two U.S. mills. This is a complete shift from years past. While the quality remained high, the atmosphere lacked a certain "je ne sais quoi" Euro vibe. Finding Function Technical innovations may not have been front and center, but when asked specifically about functionality, interesting items appeared. For example, Italian mill Piave Maitex, offers a woven with Graphene. Graphene is cur- rently garnering a lot of attention in the active/outdoor market for its performance characteristics. Enrico Serafina of Piave Maitex noted Graphene's ability to distribute body heat in a uniform way to increase comfort. Lightweight yet durable with a nice hand, the quality produced by this Italian mill has plenty of appeal. Piave Maitex, a fully vertical operation, also offers engi- neered fabric with exposed grip customized for bike wear. This collection does very well especially with cycling such a strong sport in Italy and Europe in general. Another performance highlight was an innovative heat transfer technology from 3T Transfers. The Lithuanian company, founded 20 years ago in the capital city of Vilnus, is the largest heat transfer manufacturer in Eastern Europe. The newest process is water-based PU that heats successfully for molding purposes. Prints can range from sporty to sexy. "It's not just about technology, but fashion, I An outdoor influence featured in next season's "Tribal Tech" trend.

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