One of the best ways to discover the knitwear trends for the next season is usually by visiting dedicated research areas at yarn fairs.
The one at the Pitti Filati 75 (last July) was particularly rich, in fact it was maybe at times too intense and varied, though packed with wild and interesting ideas.
Entitled "Made in" (a concept of Angelo Figus and Nicola Miller), the research area was dedicated to the theme of "making", intended not only as the art of producing something following specific traditions, but referencing also satellite topics attached to this main theme, such as manufacturing processes, methods, techniques and technologies, traceability and quality certificates.
The process of making became therefore linked not only with craftspeople, but also with the landscapes, architectural views, and moods of a specific country, referencing its food, music, language and culture in general.
Being rather vast, the main theme of the research area also offered the organisers the chance to leave behind the usual display revolving around a single row of dummies to opt for a more extensive installation that featured images and swatches, though the main idea wasn't always carried out at its best display-wise.
The main problem was indeed the rather long lists of yarns and mills printed in white on black and displayed under rather unfavourable light conditions (and at unfavourable heights especially for short visitors...).
For some kind of reason the organisers also decided not to give out photocopies of the list of yarns and mills to visitors, a rather unusual option for a research area (how are we indeed supposed to research if it is difficult to take pictures or if we aren't given a list of yarns and mills employed?).
Criticism aside, there was something good about the displays - more swatches than usual by Italian-born London-based knitwear talent Carlo Volpi who seems to have a soft spot (excuse the pun) for crazy combinations of colours and elaborate stitches. But let's learn more about the different trends by looking at each of them.
Made in Voodoo
Inspired by coal, pitch, petroleum and earth, this section revolved around the black shade reinterpreted as textured, rich, three-dimensional and deep patterns and structures.
Complex stitches and surface effects pointed towards rugs, primitive and ancestral forces and rituals, revealing also another inspiration - Africa.
Rusty orange was employed as an alternative shade to black or as a basic colour to bind together black with other nuances.
The swatches featured a variety of gauges and yarns (extrafine wool, superkid mohair, rayon and polyamidic fibres...) by Zegna Baruffa, Filpucci, Tollegno and Lineapiù among the others, and were made by S.M.T. Srl Manifattura Tessile, with print and applications by Bond Factory.
Made in Highland
Celtic legends and the rugged landscapes of Scotland were the main inspiration behind this group of swatches made by Carlo Volpi Studio.
Ideal for the fans of the Outlander saga, this trend developed with yarns by Accademia, Zegna Baruffa, Casa del Filato, Tollegno, Olivo and Filpucci, to mention a few ones, and focused on intense and spicy greens at times incorporated into tweeds, plaids and tartans. These motifs called to mind kilts while the round swatches (in each section the swatches were based on a different geometrical figure) reminded of the shield donned by kilted warriors.
The green tones evoked trees, woods and stones covered in musk, while delicate shades of purple pointed towards heaths and thistles.
As a whole this trend played a bit on stereotypes (Scotland as an idyllic set), though the interesting geometric inserts on simple linear items, the checks reinterpreted as mandalas and metallics introducing the armoured theme presented some variations.Could this trend be telling us that Scotland will be again in the news after this year's referendum on independence? We'll discover it in 2015.
Made in Empire
During the Imperial Age purple was the colour of dignity and status.
Since it was rare and expensive to wash, this shade was considered as something luxurious that only a few people could afford to wear.
This shade hinting at classic and imperial luxury was reinterpreted in this trend as the colour of modern luxury and of "Made in Italy" garments.
The swatches in this section were made by several mills including Igea, Loro Piana and Zegna Baruffa with printed elements by Stamperia Marra.
The most interesting elements in this section were the raised stitches, intarsia motifs, embossed details and trimmings inspired by architecture, mosaics, friezes, and paintings.
While the trend developed mainly in three different shades of purple, it also included fine details in oxidised bronze and delicate turquoise.
Made in Blue
Moving from denim - considered as the major star of the next winter season - this trend actually stepped back to the times of pharaohs.
Sportswear was therefore mixed with Ancient Egypt in an irreverently fun way.
Classic motifs such as the scarab, but also assorted elements borrowed from Egyptian art, sculptures and jewels were reinvented in a technological and innovative key.
This was made possible via beaded motifs, geometric elements and abstract shapes that at times reminded of the flat figures of hieroglyphics and bas-relief carvings.
Wool-based yarns incorporating Egyptian cotton, silk schappe, and wild silk, and the concepts of rich/poor and elaborate/simple (think about precious jewels Vs humble cloths wrapping up mummies) were mixed together in this trend. The main palette was enriched by hints of orangey carnelian that created interesting contrasts with the scale of blues.
Though clearly inspired by pyramids, the triangular swatches (yarns by Filmar, Ecafil, Lanecardate, Tollegno, Alpes, Olivo and Mister Joe among the others) designed by Carlo Volpi (especially when embellished with metallic elements) also pointed towards further and wider inspirations including the iconic and symbolic look of artists à la Sun Ra.
Made in Stone
Designed by Carlo Volpi Studio, this trend was characterised by solid granite-like knitted elaborations created with a variety of yarns going from wool merino supergeelong to superfine alpaca.
Inspirations were borrowed from distant emerged and volcanic islands and the structure of lava (interpreted as coating on thick cable knits or as raised stitches) and volcanic stones.
Lagoon-green evoking exotic waters was juxtaposed to purplish and orangey greys recreating the shades of lush vegetation.
Plant life was hinted at via floating threads while yarns with a spongy consistency and creating contrasts between shiny and matte elements called to mind body mutations and the theme of metamorphosis.
Monumental stone sculptures like the heads on Easter Island suggested big volumes with emphasis on the shoulder area. Quite interestingly this trend didn't only look at the landscape of the island but also at its myths and legends such as the Tangata manu or bird-man cult evoked in graphic tattoo knits inspired by feathers on traditional costumes.
Made in East
The city surrounded by mist and grey fog yet full of vibrant energy was the starting point for this trend that revolved around the negative and positive poles of urban life.
The main palette for this industrial and urban trend was based around neon yellows and semaphore ambers with asphalt and concrete greys pointing towards Le Corbusier.
The architectural inspiration in this trend was strong and clearly visible in the chiaroscuro and minute geometries, the contrasting graphic motifs, the stitches that reproduced the geometric grid of a skyscraper and the unbroken symmetries of the façades of modern buildings, while tiny chips of asphalt and cement created innovative technical tweeds lit up by flashes of yellow that also reminded of road signal stripes recreated with coatings, printed effects or knitted in contrasting materials.
Life in the urban jungle demands protective and technical clothes that may be even used as purifying and comfortable air filters to clean up the atmosphere and this point was made by employing mainly synthetic fibres, with nylon, viscose, polyamide and elité pbt (by E.Miroglio, Sesia, Lineapiù, Millefili among the others) prevailing.
Made in Grand
According to the description on the information panels of the research area, the main inspiration for this trend was the Grand Canyon.
This inspiration was obvious in the layers of evolving reds and burnt oranges symbolising the sun scorched rocks with sparkles of blues hinting at the blue sky.
Volpi designed sculptural items with a variety of colours, curves, knots, stitches, stripes, pleats and volumes to recreate rocky surfaces that can be used to adorn or morph the shape of the wearer's body.
Yet quite often he included crocheted rockets, sparkly appliqued motifs, experimentally blended fibers and metallic threads, three-dimensional motifs and logos of space missions, plastic tubes and ribbed motifs that instantly made you think about astronauts' suits, or alien landscapes like the rocky surface of Mars, things that betrayed a different inspiration borrowed from space missions and the future. In a nutshell, this was more "Made in Space" than "Made in Grand".
Made in Steppes
Given the consistency and thickness of the knits included in this trend that favoured natural yarns (wool, silk, alpaca, cotton, mohair...) over acrylic ones, this was definitely dedicated to people who love nature.
The palette included natural and earthy colours inspired by the mystical power of the Asian steppe, broken by pale nuances of lilac for a fresh and abstract touch.
Textures were elaborate and at times tribal and included cocoon-like forms, soft volumes or thick and furry surfaces inspired by camels, yaks and eagles, combined with the abstract geometric patterns of folk costumes and decorations, while belt and rope-like constructions added a touch of dynamism pointing towards active sports like mountain climbing.
Made in Iceland
Judging from this trend, Disney's Frozen will still be fashionable come next Winter.
The mystery of hibernated and crystallised nature in the land of ice was perfectly recreated in the swatches for this section made by the Shima Seiki company.
This explains the variety of patterns included, some of them incorporating up to 8 yarns of different gauges and consistency (at times also impalpable 100% silk yarns).
The colour palette featured a scale of grey and frozen blues broken by a note of earthy brown to symbolise life throbbing beneath the ice.
The best thing about this trend remained the variation provided by the motifs and patterns (and the tiny raised stitches crystallised on knits and wool imitating ice): there was a constant contrast between warm surfaces and cold crystalline looks, and a mesmerising quality to the fairytale snowflakes, the synthetic yarns recreating frozen water or forming icy cracks on the knitted surfaces.
There was also an interesting dichotomy in this trend between the knits inspired by the sky and the earth with effects that went from smooth to rough, from shiny to matte, from hot to cold.
The sky was evoked in knits reproducing effects similar to paintings; the earth appeared in the mosses and lichens-like stitches, in the complex and layered knits inspired by mushroom gills and in the hybrid surfaces replicating frozen bark.
Made in Outback
The swatches made by the San Patrignano Design Lab for this section mainly incorporated a blend of alpaca, wool and cashmere with some synthetic fibers thrown in for a good balance.
The designs were made employing yarns by Zegna Baruffa, Tollegno, Olivo, Sato Seni, Igea, Cofil and Lanerossi among the others.
The focus on natural yarns was directly linked to the dreamy atmospheres charaterising the remote semi-desert mineral lands that are the symbol of Australia.
The main palette employed to tell this story of open lands and explorations in harsh and primitive spaces, revolved around the green of eucalyptus trees and of distant prairies with sparkles of pink here and there.
Rustic knits were characterised by blanket-like finishes and enriched with wooden embellishments that mimicked the bark of eucalyptus trees, or with leather inserts and stylised boomerang-shaped elements that added a tactile quality to the pieces.
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