Monday, 14 August 2017

Pittt Filati AW1819

A recent trip to Florence, Italy and the trade fair Pitti Filati. A truely excellent yarn fair heralds the incoming season and the new trends for knitwear AW1819. What a season it looks likely to be. Working a year in advance in search of the newest trends in yarn and colour to serve all levels of the knitwear market.











Monday, 6 March 2017

Best from the Catwalks: From a Knit Perspective

Missoni and Prada for me had it all wrapped up... and the best of the rest... well there was a definate politcal message. With many designers choosing to use the catwalk to vent a message of inclusivity and togetherness, A "rainbow world". This is highly commercial and one we will see filter through in both colour palette and slogan tee.






Friday, 20 January 2017

Prada, Menswear AW1718, Womens Preview




Miuccia Pradas’ AW1718 spoke volumes if you care to read between the artistic lines. Firstly unisex... with more women’s introduced at this traditionally “mens” time of year. We are not only loosing the seasons but the uniform of what is mens/womens. 
The 1970’s theme, one of quiet peaceful revolution, there was a clear left bank undertone. 
Then the nurturing of the unknown artist, with sweaters practically used as canvas, creativity could not have been more pronounced.  
This collection definitely leans more towards the poet laureate Bob Dylan than the White House wives.

Tuesday, 6 December 2016

A Sweater for Christmas with a Twist







Unless you resurrect your Christmas jumper year after year, or hand-knit your own, I object on principle to the idea of a knitted item to be worn for only two weeks of the year. Perhaps these two trends can fulfil both the need of staying on trend and giving that Christmas 2016 HO HO HO glow, while lasting a little longer!















Monday, 19 September 2016

AW1718 Landscape sweaters


Paint a pictorial scene in yarn. this is a gret trend for knit and a highly commercial one. I'm personally very excited about this as a designer. I have started working on this for clients already some time back, having seen this one coming as soon as Matches released those lovely beauties onto the market and then Vicky Beckham followed up with her scenic scenes and then her embroidery... how the high street with handle it? As one off pieces? or will the pictorial landscape disseminate into the Christmas jumper range?

Friday, 16 September 2016

AW1718 Walk Like A Lady



AW16 catwalks were awash with ladylike sweaters, Gucci and Mui Mui were two designers who put the chic back into the librarian look. Chanel has also pulled out the old style pearl as a key detail as well as pretty bows and pink pink pink. So we can see that this traditional Lady look with a capital "L" will be coming down the line for AW1718. Pitti filati also forecast a back to work trend so the two looks neatly tie up together.

Wednesday, 14 September 2016

Aw1718 Pick One Colour: RED


Peclers are putting their money behind one colour apparently, next year according to Janet Holbrook of Holbrook Studio. I attended a presentation last week- DIT, Arthur Ryan, Retail Centre and Janet revealed that the head of the Paris office had been heard to say to an American retailer when quizzed for a one colour of the season prediction " well, if you have to have one colour, it hazzz to beee RED"... so there you are... 

Monday, 12 September 2016

AW1718 New Colour Combos

Next season the traditonal spicey autumals will get a modern twist, be that with an injection of a solar yellow or by unexpected combination. Military greens & khaki are coming through these are being worn with dusty pink or combined with block red or spicey orange, injecting punch. In terms of fabric combine also the unexpected- lace & mirror satin for day, with fur (fake & highly coloured) suede, leather and printed woodblock effects.

Friday, 9 September 2016

AW1718 New Colour Combos flight of the bumblebee


As we accidentally nuke the humble bumble in our mighty fight against zika, the fashion world pledges a left field rememberance day. AW1718 will drink their nectar and pillage from their honey filled comb. Black, spicey ochre and solar yellows dance like little rays of light on dark grey days.

Tuesday, 6 September 2016

Pitti Filati Florence Knitwear Trend Aw1718

A sensural knit story of soft handfeel. Drape and viscose in fine gauge. Hairy soft and transparent yarns in chunkier gauges but still ligtweight. lots of pattern and a sophisticated palette of dark nightskies a beautiful combination of purple, blue and jade.

Monday, 5 September 2016

Pitti Filati Florence AW1718 Knitwear trends

Weave and Embroidery and other crafts have been heavily influnencing knit, artisan crafts. Pattern is heavy in this trend, winter garden, applique leaves, kidsplay, scribbled embroidery crafted yarns and interwoven layered yarns. Again jacquard this time in bright contrasting playful colours on double beds and textural heavy guage sweaters for later seasons. Treated yarns, fringes, checks, woven in ends... this is a playful trend full of creativity the only limit is imagination.

Saturday, 3 September 2016

Pitti Filati Florence Knitwear AW1718 trend 2

We are officially back to work... the world is coming out of recession and we are getting dressed for the occassion. Again jacquard is important in repeat pattern with classic workwear motif, like lettering and check making an appearance. The palette a subdued blend of blue and a return of green undertones with classic camel.

Friday, 2 September 2016

Pitti Filati Florence Knitwear For Aw1718



Its a 24/7 world, "wake up, wake up, get up get up"... get out out of bed and get the day started... knitwear that is all about stretch and starting out. Pattern at play, jacquards are key in soft stretches, and mixed playful converstaion patterns. Get up, get out, walk that dog, get active, stretch.