There are different sides to the fashion industry and, while some of us may be more attracted by the more superficial aspects such as being part of the hip circus trapped in the movable feast of fashion shows, others may be more interested in living an infinitely less glamorous, but incredibly rewarding life, researching behind the scenes and looking for genuine innovations.
The research area at Pitti Filati usually offers a safe haven for such people since it provides new ideas for what regards themes, inspirations, yarns, colour palettes, surface elaborations and textures.
This year the A/W 2023-24 season research area at the fair (that took place last week) was entitled "Into the wild" and was a riot of colours and textures.
A celebration of the term "wild" applied to a variety of fields and disciplines – from politics and economy to information, communication and social relations – the space interpreted this word into yarns and patterns in both a positive and a negative way to allow visitors and researchers to consider the thrilling and the brutal side of the term "wild".
Designs included in the area were divided into three groups: "Basic Instict", "Victor/Victoria" and "Carnivorous".
The first group featured a series of swatches inspired by a primitive future and provided ideas for new tribes focused on sustainability, raw or recycled materials, and a more minimalist approach to life.
The second group was inspired by Blake Edwards' 1982 eponymous film and was a celebration of gender fluidity conceived as a strong theme in fashion, art, and culture that can also lead to economic and political changes.
The theme in this case was interpreted via hybrid designs hinting at the reversal of gender roles, a series of elegant half jackets combined with corsets decorated with trompe l’oeil motifs representing a rib cage or the laces of a corset, or incorporating fabric gears, almost to hint at the robotic body and at future hybrids between humans and machines.
The third theme was an explosion of colours: in this case the adjective "carnivorous" referred to a celebration of uncontaminated nature, an expression of beauty in its truest and most complete state.
The cocooning knits created to embody this theme combined a multi-coloured bright and energetic palette and patterns or three-dimensional textures that recreated the leaves and shapes of carnivorous plants in all their splendid violence.
So, which one will be your favourite knitwear trend for next year – "Basic Instict", "Victor/Victoria" or "Carnivorous"?
