Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/925208
textileinsight.com MARKET UPDATE | DENIM t's not all about the weave in the denim market these days. Tech innovations, eco-responsibility, global trend influences and performance fabrics provide plenty of interest in the contemporary jeans business. Add to that the closings of four denim mills in recent months, and you've got an apparel category moving in new and diverse directions. Case in point the recent Kingpins NYC event. The show had a patchwork quality made up of creative resources, trend presentations, show concepts and international exhibitors stitched together in a uniquely Kingpins construct. For instance, Denim Repair, with a sewing machine at the ready to restore blue jeans, was positioned directly across from a high-tech display by MYR, a new software business specializing in denim customization. In another area of the trade show floor, Kingpins merchandise and denim wares were for sale at the Kingpins Show Curiosity Shop, while across the aisle sponsor Invista showcased a recent collaboration with online brand Who What Wear promoting Lycra stretch technology to the fashionable millennial shopper. A beautifully arranged trend area was another highlight. Styled by Amy Leverton of Denim Dudes, mannequins featured four distinct S/S19 trends: Boutique Bazaar, Corporate Craft, Denim Dads and Summer Goth. Likely the most commercial trend, Boutique Bazaar, is a sophisticated take on artisanal crafts and techniques with a Middle Eastern influence. Workwear has a colorful, youthful tone in Corporate Craft, and Denim Dads is even more normal than normcore, with utility seen in functional fabrications, reflective trim and assertive pocketing. Grunge-inspired Summer Goth taps into that era's music scene in what is described as "near-nostalgia." Eco Evolves with Greener Jeans Eco stories have become common talking points as denim makers emphasize the use of natural and reactive dyes, digital print techniques, recycled fibers and eco cottons. Similar to how denim customization is viewed from different perspectives Denim featuring Invista's Lycra DualFX drew interest. Denim Diversifies