Denim Makers Highlight Color at Premiere Vision Paris
Denim has been in high demand for more than a few seasons, but for what’s coming up, brands may be looking to add a little more color to their lines.
A walk through the denim area of Premiere Vision Paris is evidence of that fact, as colors from corals to pinks, olives and tie-dyes line the racks of denim concepts to sell.
“New buyers are looking for more color,” Jacky Zhang, sales and marketing executive for Hong Kong-based Prosperity Textile said.
The company, which does garment and piece dyes for its “Feel It” collection of denim with TENCEL® branded lyocell fibers, had pink and olive colorways in the line, which included quilted denim jeans, jackets and slacks.
In it’s research ahead of PV, Prosperity found the trend pointing to pink for the coming season.
“People will think this pink color is for the spring but we think if you do pink for the autumn it will be more interesting,” Zhang said. “Right now in China, many Chinese brands will use more and more color, especially for TENCEL® which holds color so well and as there is a customer focus on quality.”
Also speaking to the color trend in denim, Amrin Sachathep, director of Thailand-based AMC, said the company has been aggressive on color for some time.
AMC does double dye denim, where fabric gets dyed khaki and then a color pigment coating is added to the face. When washed there is color loss and distressing reveals the original color of the jean—and buyers are keen on the coloring, though they’re largely coming from Europe and less so from the U.S.
“In Europe we always get interest in this,” Sachathep said. “A lot of brands [in the U.S. in particular] won’t allow for fabric buyers to purchase into so many fabrics, so that’s the reason they’re not being able to try a variety of colors.”
For Spain’s Tejidos Royo, color is also garnering greater interest.
“There’s more trend now to colors, a little less to indigo,” said Denis Earl Purvis, who handles sales at Royo, adding that denim’s oversaturation has led to a little bit of a focus away from it and to newer iterations in sportswear and casualwear.
Diehard denim buyers won’t be looking away from the trusty blues, Purvis explained, but those that follow the fashion will likely be keener on color for the coming season.
Denim experts believe things like corduroys and velvet will start to introduce color into more bottom weights, which will then lead to greater uptake in twills.
At Japan’s Toray, corduroys and velvets are leading its trend story for the next season.
The company’s most popular item, according to Yoshiki Yamada, manager of the stretch materials section of the company, is an indigo velvet blazer with cotton, Lenzing Modal® branded fibers and spandex, which contributes to comfort and recovery in the jacket. The indigo gives the jacket an authentic denim look depending with a hand feel that’s superbly soft .
“Our customers like soft fabrics so we use Lenzing Modal® and TENCEL® for most of our collection,” Yamada said.
Corduroys in the coming season will come with colorful tie-dye effects—which many customers have expressed interest in—or in pinks or coral colors with detailing at the cuff.
“Color is getting more customers,” Yamada said. “From next season, it will be more popular for the color collection.”