View Textile Magazine no. 136

A DIVIDED WORLD

As we look to the future, we mustacknowledge that the world we inhabit is rife with contradiction. Polarisationis evident in every sector of society, and it splits the fashion domain too.There’s a clear separation between two dominant drivers each acting as anantidote to the other:

The first plays into the response tonew-found freedoms. The opportunity to break free of restraints and gather oncemore in celebration prompts a dressing up revival and a desire to expressindividuality, showing off, decadent, amplification both in high style and highcolour.

The other has a gentle more reflectivequality that upholds human and community values and puts the care of our planetbefore oneself. Clothing with integrity is paramount and each product has avisible production process from fibre, through to dying and manufacture, andeven building-in the onward life of the materials once the garments life iscomplete.

A universal thread that runs through bothaesthetics is environmental concerns. Going back is just not possible. Theworkings of our industry are, quite rightly, under great scrutiny andsustainable solutions are being tried and tested at every point in the chain.From the resources we use, the production processes and ethics through to theway we consume.  Post pandemic life isevolving in a hybrid way. Blended work sees us splitting our time between theoffice and our home. We have learnt to value things in our own neighbourhoods,whilst at the same time hankering for escape into new territory once more.Quieter calm pursuits have entered our day to day whilst we also crave theexcitement and surprise of being in noisy crowds. The fashion offer now is diverse.It needs to be to satisfy both sides.

The futureof making – where cultures live together
For this issueof The Future of Making, we sourced happy projects: happy not necessarilybecause of cheerful aesthetics but because of their potential for positivechange.

The future of design – Asianfemale voices
Diversity is no longer just aboutinclusivity, solely in terms of race; it’s about refusing to appease Westernbeauty standards. Representation in the fashion industry is important formental health and self-esteem; it sets the tone for how young people developand how they see themselves.

Menswear messages S/S 2022 –opposites attract
There’s a clear separation between the twodominant drivers for menswear, each acting as an antidote to the other: thefirst plays into the response to new-found freedoms; the other has a gentlemore reflective quality that upholds human and community values

Womenswear messages S/S 2022 –optimism is in the air
This spirit of optimism for the future andthe value of cooperation to find positive ways forward were expressed in manyof the womenswear presentations.  

Womenswear preview –the hybridstage
We are in a space in between the pandemic andour future lives, and we look with fresh eyes from where we are to 2025 and2030, years for which many companies have set big targets to cut emissions.

Menswear preview – design withlongevity and comfort
Summer 2023 marries concept with function asexperimental design determines future forms and elevates craft in a blend ofnature and technology.

Knitwear preview – yarns arethe catalyst for change
The key to good knitwear is to straddle theseasons. The nature of transforming a yarn directly into a garment encouragesthis transeasonality converting the spun qualities directly to garment.

Casual, athleisure and denimpreview – a moment for reflection
The S/S 2023 season offers a moment forreflection as consumers strive to use their purchasing power to establishpositive change within the fashion industry.

Creating change – upturnedvisions
A world where answers are unexpected, andsolutions are disclosed by looking from a different perspective; a new visioncreated by a renewed upside-down community.