PRESS January 2019
MISS CROFTON
RELEASE
SALON INTERNATIONAL DE LA LINGERIE & INTERFILIÈRE PARIS
CONTENTS
12-13
4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11
Singing the body’s praises Lingerie and hosiery market: figures Influential more than ever The new must-see spaces at the show!
14-15 16-17 18-19 20-21
Interviews with Souhela Ferrah & smile makers The brands Chantelle, designer of the year Penn Textile Solutions, designer of the year
24-25 26-27 28-29 30-31
Bodywear Elisa from the blog « et dieu créa » RTW lingerie Elegant comfort
EXPOSED
a fresh look on lingerie & swimwear
22-23
Fall in love with Yourself
BODY CELEBRATION 32-33
A love of
KNOW-HOW
34-35 Corsetry focus 36-37 Iconic brands 38-39 Embroidery & lace focus
40-41
A COLORFUL & DESIGN Lingerie 50-51 The
TRENDBOOK
68-69
42-43 44-45 46-47 48-49
Structured design Graphic design The modern spirit of trend Photogenic Lingerie
52-53 54-55 56-57 58-59 60-61 62-67
Trend 1 - Controlled neckline Trend 2 - Strapping Trend 3 - Layering Trend 4 - Dance inspiration Trend 5 - Naturalness What’s New
The art of
DETAILS
70-73 Exception space 74-75 Tomorrow space 76-77 General Forum space
78-79
NATURAL Fibers
80-81 Cotton recycling 82-83 Linen 84-85 What’s New - Interfilière Paris 86-89 Nature Meets Advanced Technology 90-91 Hemp & Nettle 92-95 4 Responsible Fibers
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We unify and highlight the
EXCELLENCE
EDITO
By Marie-Laure BELLON President / CEO Eurovet
T
he Salon International de la Lingerie and Interfilière Paris launch a new season and new year 2019 that we hope will be full of discoveries, encounters and favorites for all, generating desire from current and future clients, and advancing our industry within an overall consumer context that remains challenging. We’re evolving, too. From a creator and organizer of the biggest events in the industry, several times a year, in Paris, New York, or Shanghai, etc.…it’s now yearround that we unify and highlight the excellence of top brands and their top suppliers on our digital platform “The Lingerie Place”, where we collect the most important professional data in the industry and publish exclusive previews
of information on trends, collections, and innovations. Today, we’re working in an even more targeted fashion to bring together the right brand or the right mill with the right buyer, online, 365 days a year, as we do during our events designed as periods full of momentum, where the quality of the experience, inspiration, encounters, and discoveries takes pride of place. Over three days, we tell the story of our industry at a certain moment; we lead our professional community on a world tour of the finest expert craftsmanship, highlighting relevant contacts that promise to optimally boost your business. And so, this year, you can discover the new selection from our Exposed concept store, participate in “speed-dating” to meet potential new partners in just a few minutes, discover the Tomorrow space or the “Natural Expression” exhibit at Interfilière, and request an even more personalized contact service from our personal shoppers. And don’t forget the trend spaces, fashion shows, and talks, to enhance your knowledge of the trends, help you dare to dream, and buy better. The marvelous world of Lingerie opens its doors and sets the tone for this year….Enjoy! Soon, we’ll see you again online, then this Summer for new, innovative events that will allow you to shine a spotlight on the excellence of our industry beyond our professional community, directly with consumers, and to enchant fashion buyers and influencers just that much more…in a more experience-led, segmented manner. We look forward to seeing you for the next part of the story, but for now…Have a good trip to Paris!
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie / Interfilière Paris
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SINGING THE BODY’S PRAISES
Singing
THE BODY’S PRAISES
Les Nanas d’Paname is an inclusive collective of influential women founded 7 years ago. Today, the collective includes 50 women from a variety of industries, cultures, and age groups. And this is what constitutes the strength of this large network, where talent is the key concept. Les Nanas D’Paname has a message to convey: that of changing minds and moving forward equality between men and women in a healthy and constructive manner, but also supporting women’s entrepreneurship and demonstrating that difference means strength.
T
he image of women is becoming healthier and evolving, yet still too slowly. June 2018: as summer approached, still the same old story. On the internet, in ads, in magazines, we see tall, very slim women, accompanied by the following text: “How to lose 5 kilos before summer”, or “The perfect diet to be beach-ready”, among other “Bikini Challenges”. We are literally inundated with dictates on the perfect physique that we simply must have. The perfect body doesn’t exist, so rather than setting off on a fruitless quest, let’s learn to love our bodies, since each of us is unique. Let’s make our differences a strength to counter these infamous dictates on the perfect body, and free ourselves of any judgement or comparison. As leaders in this movement, Les Nanas d’Paname represent women all over the world, with the varied profiles within this collective. There are no quotas, nor physical requirements: a woman is beautiful through her energy, and because she decides to be beautiful.
CHLOÉ BONNARD
The collective decided to take on the problem by offering a project that is both symbolic and visually impactful: THE LOVE YOURSELF PROJECT. A woman who is liberated from stereotyped clichés on the body and from selfcriticism is a woman much more likely to feel fulfilled. And yes, a woman who feels fulfilled is beautiful because she is radiant. Alongside iconic feminine personalities from the world of girl power, Chloé Bonnard, President and Co-Founder of the collective, has undertaken a photo shoot of 60 women in underwear, wanting to tell the story of the relationships they have with their bodies, through photographs and personal testimonies. Experienced as a real challenge for most of these women who decided to take a leap of faith, the project was thus able to help several hundred women by opening the pathway toward other ways of living. That of loving one’s body in total liberty, of living free from body shaming, and of highlighting your body rather than hiding it. ¢
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LES NANAS D’PANAME
Demonstrating that difference means strength.
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie / Interfilière Paris
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LINGERIE AND HOSIERY MARKET
LINGERIE AND HOSIERY MARKET
Women 15 years and + Data from January to October 2018
LINGERIE AND HOSIERY SALES FIGURES
FOR SALON INTERNATIONAL DE LA LINGERIE
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INTERNET, A POWERFUL CHANNEL
OVERALL RETAIL DIVISION / January - October 2018
AVERAGE LINGERIE AND HOSIERY SPEND PER YEAR
45 & MORE YEARS
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie / Interfilière Paris
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INFLUENTIAL MORE THAN EVER
INFLUENTIAL
more than ever before The Salon International de la Lingerie and Interfilière Paris are committed to making their clients feel as welcome as possible. This is why, as experts, our shows are here to accompany you, our clients, in optimizing your visit and making it as efficient as possible.
Here’s a tour of your specially dedicated services.
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that reveal our favorites for the season
___ Speed meetings: a 7-minute encounter between
buyers and brands to trigger even more business
___ Bra-Fitting workshops to help boutiques better
advise their clients
___ A Retail Tour: a tour of the most influential
Parisian boutiques of the moment to get inspired and leave with lots of merchandising ideas
___ Talks: top-quality speakers on key topics that are
on our minds today
___ A Welcome Breakfast, every
EXHIBITOR SERVICES
BUYER SERVICES
___ A Personal Shopper service for specific requests ___ The Selection: a guide and brand fashion show
morning
___ Lunches delivered to your booth
(upon request)
___ Offices in Europe, the U.S. & Asia,
to bring in buyers from all over the world
___ Matchmaking lunches to foster
encounters between exhibitors and buyers from a specific country
___ Podcasts available on the website the day after the
New
___ Boutique Ambassadors: a club for the most
to all exhibitors! Exhibitors no longer need to run around the show to solve problems related to their booth.
shows, so you can re-live the talks dynamic boutiques in the world
___ Eurovet Lounge : a specially dedicated space
offering personalized guidance to boutiques in their own languages
___ A retailer lunch: the chance to chat and welcome
__ Services that come to you, available
__ A specially reserved line at the
Biotiful restaurant, so you don’t waste time
new visitors.
New
__ practical, inspiring workshops, offering buyers a
brand-new experience
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie / Interfilière Paris
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THE NEW MUST-SEE SPACES AT THE SHOW !
THE NEW, MUST-SEE SPACES at the show!
Colors and Skin Tone Workshop
How to decipher the right shades of color to suit each and every skin tone?
Color highlights, adds proportion to shapes, outlines the cut of a garment, and energizes prints, revealing the curves of the body. Beyond its beautifying aspect, color symbolizes an entire universe infused with feminine energy. Once you participate in this workshop, color will hold no secrets for you! The Eurovet team looks forward to seeing you there.
Materials Workshop Get to know our industry and its materials to boost your sales. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00 Trend & Selection area Sylvie Schekler-Itzhak from Storia Intima will talk about lingerie materials and techniques in this practical workshop. A true professional, Sylvie pairs lingerie and swimwear expertise with design, pattern modeling, and visual communication. The key to a successful sale is perfect, in-depth knowledge of the product you’re selling… www.storia-intima.fr
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NUBIAN SKIN
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, from 10:00-12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 Trend & Selection area and Pop-up ‘Constructivist’
Each year, The Salon International de la Lingerie offers inspiring, enriching content. This year, to make your visit even more of an experience, the show is offering 4 practical workshops that are truly not to be missed.
Bra-Fitting Workshop How to become an ace at Bra-Fitting techniques? Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, from 10:00-11:00 and 15:00-16:00 Trend & Selection area Kimmay Caldwell, American lingerie expert, helps you optimize your Bra-Fitting techniques: enhance comfort, reveal a gorgeous silhouette, and identify the right sizes. Enter the fitting room and let us be your guide… www.hurraykimmay.com
Cosmetics Workshop The cosmetics workshop that will teach you a bit more about the world of beauty… Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10:00-13:00 and 14:00-17:00 Trend & Selection area and Pop-up ‘Naturalness’ The world of beauty is intimately linked to femininity. This is why Laboté, partner of this cosmetics workshop, will share with you their expertise and passion for beauty. Their products are freshly made to order using the finest extracts of medicinal plants. www.labote.paris
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie / Interfilière Paris
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EXPOSED
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EXPOSED provides a new take
on lingerie and swimwear A CLEAR-CUT SELECTION FOR A CUTTING-EDGE ASSORTMENT OF EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED BRANDS THAT REPRESENT THE NEW FACE OF THE LINGERIE INDUSTRY.
MATTHIEU PINET, Founder of the Exposed zone
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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SOUHELA FERRAH
SOUHELA FERRAH
EXPOSED
Interview with
Souhela Ferrah How did your brand come to be?
Can it be said that you make RTW lingerie? “Readyto-show” lingerie?
Souhela Ferrah / After being a lingerie model for several years, in 2017, I decided to launch my own brand, out of passion for the product. Most women spend money for visible garments, but, for me, that’s not necessarily the best way to give myself a treat. Personally, I’ve always felt good in beautiful lingerie: that little something that belongs only to me. In beautiful lingerie, whether it’s seen or not, I know that I’ll have a good day. I lived in Paris for 5 years; sitting at a café terrace, I always enjoyed noticing the incredible elegance of women who showed just a bit of their lacy bra, in total simplicity. For me, a modern woman’s silhouette is simple and isn’t part of any particular era. Truly timeless, it is embellished with beautiful lingerie that a woman shows with revealing see-through looks and with an eye for detail. Here lies the inspiration behind my brand: it’s all about the details, down the very last centimeter.
S.F. / Offering a variety of cup sizes wasn’t possible with my limited budget, so I chose to go with ready-to-wear sizes: XS/S/M/L. I work with an expert in size conversion, and, for the time being, I have only had positive feedback. My production is deliberately limited to a certain number of pieces so that it remains a unique brand both in its offer and in the luxuriousness of its products. Silk remains an essential, classic fabric that gives my pieces a timeless dimension. Organic cotton is also sustainable: I use fabrics that are handmade in small factories. I’ve also started to dye my fabrics with natural pigments. At the same time, I work on a lot of bodysuits, including my body-shirt, which is like a top: a silk shirt with small pearl buttons. It’s very pure and truly classy, so Parisian. It’s perfect to wear with jeans, a lovely skirt, or open over a pretty bra. It’s quite symbolic of my brand: luxurious but affordable.
Made to be layered…is that still your brand’s positioning?
What are you looking to achieve at SIL 2019?
S.M. / I’m so happy to have been selected for the Exposed space. Over the past year, I’ve been doing everything alone from Bali, and it’s not that easy. It’s actually quite challenging to grow a brand from behind a computer screen when one isn’t a marketing pro. And, of course, my lingerie isn’t the sort of product that can be purchased online. For me, lingerie is a whole experience related to texture, so I simply couldn’t buy it online without seeing it in-store first. Exhibiting at the Salon de la Lingerie gives me the chance to encourage boutiques to sell my brand, knowing that the concept is not to sell in the largest number of shops, but rather to focus on high-quality boutiques. It’s about growing my brand, but in a reasonable manner. ¢
S.F. / Beyond my emphasis on layering, I design pieces to give women a certain sense of beauty and a feeling of wellbeing. I love lingerie and fashion, so I wanted to make something that’s in-between the two; despite what’s currently on the market, in my view, there was something more luxurious missing in terms of a layering silhouette. I try to innovate to enhance pieces that are made to be shown off and not just designed to fulfill a primary, basic function. I cover the elastics with fabric so that they can be beautifully revealed. My briefs are, again, very simple, but the bras are very detailed and elaborate. You can wear them with a see-through shirt or simply with a plunging or open neckline. The idea is to add a refined touch to a truly simple look. Lingerie has this power to be a sophisticated accessory.
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Interviews
Surprising figures > In the United Kingdom, the percentage of women who own a vibrator is greater than that of households that own dishwashers.
SMILE MAKERS
> In Western Europe, approximately 50% of women possess a vibrator. > One out of three women have expressed interest in trying one.
Interview with
Smile Makers How was the Smile Makers brand created?
Has your approach been understood by retailers?
Smile Makers / In 20O2, on a Saturday morning in Stockholm, I wandered into a sex shop, looking to buy a vibrator for my girlfriend. The experience was a disaster for me when I saw the ugliness of the products on display in an intimidating atmosphere. Though several people I knew were comfortable enough using sex toys, none of them liked the shops they were sold in. And so, it became obvious to us when we saw the overall demand and the paucity of supply: this is why we launched in 2013, with the desire to offer products available exclusively in department stores. The idea was not to be scandalous, but, on the contrary, to normalize this purchase by including it in the beauty, health, and fashion departments.
S.M. / Though our company offers an alternate approach to women’s pleasure, it took us two years to convince retailers of the relevance of our product line: they were afraid of getting bad press about these unusual items. But that never happened, because we’ve been very well received by consumers and by the media. I’m convinced that, over the next two years, department-store lingerie departments will be selling our brand: in fact, we’ve just signed with Selfridges for this. It’s only natural for underwear departments to offer sexual wellness items: it’s a caring environment for women to do their shopping.
How would you describe your brand positioning?
S.M. / Our presence at the Salon seeks to show European retailers how interested we are in selling our brand on this market. The same is true in terms of our feeling of responsibility to offer this product category for women: experiencing a fulfilling intimate life is inseparable from overall wellbeing. I don’t think that one buys a vibrator to feel beautiful, but I am quite sure that a sexually fulfilled individual does become more beautiful. Indeed, our slogan is: “Discover yourself ”, which is quite relevant to the theme of the Salon International de la Lingerie this year. ¢
S.M. / It’s all in the name! But seriously, our approach is to normalize the perception of feminine sexuality. More than just an approach, it has become our mission, whether it’s through the quality of our products, the impact they have on our clients, or the media talking about them. We had to create an international consensus to enchant all types of female consumers, with the idea being to add a bit of humor, so we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Therefore, we asked women all over the world for suggestions and named our items after their erotic fantasies: the Fireman, the Tennis Coach, the Millionaire, the Frenchman, or even the Surfer.
What is your goal at the Salon International de la Lingerie?
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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THE BRANDS Exposed 01
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01/ Marieyat - 02/ Rossell England - 03/ Le Petit Trou - 04/ Fleur of England - 05/ L’Angelique - 06/ MilaKrasna - 07/ by Dariia Day - 08/ Nubian Skin - 09/ Miss Crofton - 10/ Elissa Poppy - 11/ Voiment - 12/ Dear Denier - 13/ About 14/ Lonely - 15/ Parachute - 16/ Le Journal Intime - 17/ Superbe - 18/ Just A Corpse - 19/ Aromatique Casuca - 20/ Paloma Casile 21/ Ruban Noir - 22/ Studio Pia 16
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23/ Sarah Brown - 24/ DSTM - 25/ Taryn Winters - 26/ Six - 27/ Undress Code - 28/ Smile Makers - 29/ Neiwai - 30/ Amalthea 31/ Nicolas Messina - 32/ Myla London - 33/ Else - 34/ Opaak - 35/ Dora Larsen - 36/ Souhela Ferrah - 37/ Moon and Junes - 39/ Underprotection - 39/ Icone - 40/ Kana Matsunami - 41/ Domestique - 42/ Lรถv
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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CHANTELLE LINGERIE
DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Interview
Interview with
Renaud Cambuzat, Design and Visual Director Chantelle Lingerie
Renaud Cambuzat / It is truly an honor to receive this award, which recognizes a significant joint effort across all brands of the CL group (Chantelle Lingerie) since 2017. We are delighted with this, especially since the theme selected by the Salon this year reflects the values we represent, and which are at the very core of what our brand offers. The industry remains polarized between archetypes that have certainly evolved, yet which continue to exist, whether it’s sexy empowerment, opportunistic Body Positivism, or pretty chic that everyone can agree on. We wanted to defend a more authentic, bolder vision that is resolutely creative and able to reflect the complexity of our society and all the richness of the individuals that make it up, in a relevant manner. Stepping out of the confines of standardized, bland beauty, representing and talking to new types of femininity, avoiding any form of strict, stereotyped gender definition, celebrating the energy and promise of our time through unbridled creativity, leaving each person to their free interpretation and opinions, such are the values at the heart of our creative as designers, which imbues us with a sense of responsibility.
With all the risk involved in taking on this new identity, what do you consider to be your greatest achievement? R.C. / I think we are most proud of the integrity with which we have undertaken these profound changes. We are convinced of the relevance of these new directions for our brands, and have done all we can to make them, all together, a complete, unique, and long-lasting product offer. It is crucial for us that our approach should make sense, and we will make sure that this continues to be the case, in a world that’s evolving and transforming at an impressive pace.
What is your vision for Chantelle Lingerie ?
heart of our group vision and are particularly focused on comfort. This is how we developed Soft Stretch, our innovative one size underwear program: in IIS unequaled confort.
For you, is lingerie the best way to express “body celebration”? R.C. / I believe that there are many ways to celebrate the body. Lingerie is one of them. For us, it’s not just about celebrating the body, but also the spirit, individuals, their personality, and their history. Without this, the body is a mere nothing. This is also what lingerie has sometimes tended to forget. If you take the show’s theme, “Fall in love with yourself ”, it’s first and foremost a mental and emotional approach.
What trends are your group focusing on for this A/W 2019-2020 season? R.C. / Modernity, contrasts, creativity, comfort, and a reinterpretation of seductive allure. This is the first season that we’ve really been able to work on our collection with this transversal approach as a portfolio of brands, which has allowed us to perfectly construct our collection for Chantelle, Passionata, Chantal Thomass, and Femilet. In terms of image, for the first time, we’ve worked with a common theme for the season (States of being) over all our brands, which is elaborated in a variety of interpretations according to each brand.
RENAUD CAMBUZAT
What does this selection as Designer of the Year mean for you as part of the major theme (at the Salon International de la Lingerie) “Fall in love with yourself”?
Does the heritage of expert craftsmanship remain a key concept for all your collections? R.C. / It is clearly an essential element and a real strength of our group that we want to preserve. High standards, quality, and the expertise acquired over 140 years remain fundamental shared values for our brands. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t say that these are the leading concepts for all our collections, which, I believe, offer much more than that. Beyond expert craftsmanship and style, they reflect an era for which they are crafting the future, and bear a rich, complex vision that is open to the world. ¢
R.C. / CL is the group’s new identity. It’s not a product brand, but rather an overarching brand identity, under which our different product brands are united, linked together through the “designed by CL” signature. There is, therefore, no CL lingerie per se, but there is a vision, a certain level of expertise, and there are CL values that are expressed in a variety of manners through our brands. Altogether, they constitute a diverse, complementary product offer that crosses categories, over different price levels, allowing us to meet a wide range of varied needs. We have in common a certain love of design, simplicity, and creativity. Quality and innovation are also at the
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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Interview
Interview
Federico Colombo, Head of Sales Marketing and Product Penn Textile Solutions
What does this recognition as Designer of the Year mean to you as part of a strong theme (at Interfilière Paris) of the «Art of details»? Federico Colombo / It is an important recognition of how innovation can make the difference. It is a pleasure to be nominated after such long time on the market and to be able to keep investing in innovation, trying to make the difference. Riding this positive wave, we are investing in new, modern knitting machines to continue to develop new concepts.
How do your fabrics fit into the readyto-wear trend, a trend that is definitely strong in the lingerie industry for the F/W 2019 season? F.C. / The fit pperfectly into this trend, due to our flexibility to knit fabric using a body-mapping structure to maximize fit and comfort, with a technical look. The ready-to-wear trend is a mood that we’ve been following for years now and connecting it our portfolio of products. We have identified many fabrics under our Dream Shape brand which will permit our clients to select different fabrics suitable for this theme.
How do you adapt your designs to women’s desire for a wider array of bodywear? F.C. / By providing functionality yet maintaining comfort and a modern look. Dream Shape has also helped us identify fabrics for women’s bodywear, with all the fabrics characterized by engineered edges and with a good combination of softness, light weight, and proper functionality and compression.
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At Penn Textiles, are you looking for solutions to the current problem of sustainability of materials? F.C. / In terms of sustainability, PTS is really sensitive to this subject, so we have developed a specially dedicated, ECOINNOVATION, that includes recycled fabrics in polyamide and polyester with Roica Eco-Smart. All our fabrics also follow an eco-process, for example, our eco-wash, where we don’t use any chemicals to wash greiges. We are also reducing our use of water and our generation of CO2. In addition, we are developing a greater number of contacts with fashion schools and universities to generate contacts for the future and get inspired.
What is your biggest challenge in terms of innovation? F.C. / Our latest challenge has been to identify an ultimate innovation based on engineered construction and body-zoned knitting technology to deliver maximum performance, minimizing seams and maximizing comfort, all in one concept. As has frequently been the case, we like to underscore our belief in our strengths: Italian design, with German engineering and manufacturing. In other words, flexibility and creativity, combined with precision and innovation. ¢
JANUARY 2019 Interfilière Paris
PENN TEXTILE SOLUTIONS
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DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
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Fall in love with yourself
ody Celebration
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LE JOURNAL INTIME
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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BODYWEAR While in 1968, feminists burnt their bras in an attempt to free themselves from the shackles of a reductive sexism, today we are seeing a new form of women’s emancipation, expressed with tolerance and self-assurance. The bra is no longer considered as the enemy, a barrier to comfort and freedom of expression. With the rise of body positivity and women’s selfacceptance, lingerie is no longer a seductive tool that caters to the male gaze, dictated by a stereotyped fashion: as designated spokesperson for body celebration, the fashion is definitely for bodywear!
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omen are now buying lingerie to satisfy their own selfimage, like a beauty product. A new generation of bra that is more subtle in its approach to comfort for all, has allowed us to reinvent the codes of sensuality (MarieYat, About, the Skarlett Blue cotton range, Löv the label, Neïwai, Moons and Junes, MilaKrasna, Understatment Underwear). With an aesthetic borrowed from dance, bodysuits become leotards and the bra becomes more like a top (Undress Code, Just a corpse, About, DSTM). While some women are keen break with certain norms to wear soft and simple lingerie, others will choose a more elegant comfort with bralettes and bodies made entirely of tulle and lace, embellished with silk, satins, embroidery, decorative straps and other frills (Lonely, Mey, Myla, Le petit trou, Aubade, Silent Arrow, Gisela, Jolidon). Eager to reconcile themselves with their bodies and their image, women have finally managed to free themselves from clichés and embrace this hybridisation of fashion that has turned the industry on its head. Bodywear lingerie now aligns itself with the style codes of ready-to-wear, where 24
the most comprehensive collections come in sizes XS/S/M/L/XL, not including cup size. Some even offer just one size only, such as the Soft Stretch by Chantelle collection. There are no shortage of options, to meet the demands of women in all their diversity, and the high standards they require. Freed from selfcriticism, lingerie now highlights features what were previously seen as flaws (MarieYat, Chantelle, Lonely, Silent Arrow, Le Journal Intime, etc.). The restrictive architecture of past models becomes a structured design, enhanced with highly photogenic colours that are designed to be shared. Mismatching is no longer off-limits, and is sometimes even the focus of a range (Lonely, About, Chantal Thomass). We are embracing a new approach to lingerie And it feels good. It’s sort of a new feminist feminism: to live our best lives, let’s stop hiding! ¢
ABOUT
BODY CELEBRATION
LÖV
SOFT STRETCH
ROSSELL ENGLAND
KANA MATSUNAMI
COEMI
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie NEIWAI
OW INTIMATES
MARIEYAT
UNDERSTATMENT UNDERWEAR
Bodywear
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BODY CELEBRATION
LES NANAS D’PANAME X LITTLE MAGAZINE
We are far from perfect, with transgressions and successes alike. It’s called an identity.
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Elisa from the blog Et Dieu Créa
ELISA THE LOVE YOURSELF PROJECT, the Mum version, a collaboration with LITTLE x LES NANAS D’PANAME magazine, takes things a step further for the Salon International de la Lingerie.
I have always felt that curvy women look better in lingerie that hugs their curves and highlights the shape of their body under clothes. The notion of comfort is very important to me. If I want to feel beautiful and sexy, I refuse to wear lingerie that is too structured: I get the unpleasant impression of being trussed up and constrained. With three children, a very active life and a lot of work to do, this restrictive lingerie was no longer suitable for me. I don’t really have what is considered a bigger bust, but I do still need support. I decided to pass on underwire bras because the issue of support is no longer an issue at all. If the product is well built by a hosier, a craftsman with a real knowledge of the field, the bust is supported with softness and flexibility. It doesn’t come down to a wire or a frame, but the help of better straps or a more carefully-designed back. Sportswear is a good example. It’s just about working models differently. In addition to being kinder to women’s bodies, this new style of lingerie is very pretty, too. We are now seeing sophisticated pieces that are worlds away from the initial crop top style, which were often unflattering. Some are now very delicate, and combine with other forms. There has been a real transformation in style. I have decided not to use filters in my communications and my sharing, not to lie to people. It is useless and even counterproductive. I often get annoyed seeing these images of mothers, a little too ideal, even idealised. We are much more interesting with our flaws. It only makes us value our qualities more. We are far from perfect, with transgressions and successes alike. It’s called an identity. ¢
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
THE LOVE YOURSELF PROJECT, the Mum version, a collaboration with LITTLE Magazine x LES NANAS D’PANAME It wasn’t until I was over forty that I finally became comfortable with my body. And yet, I am a little too round for my taste, compared to what I consider to be my healthy weight. I have suffered professionally, in recent years, from high stress levels at work, a mental overload that I compensated for by covering myself up. The curves that I carry today are not the result of my pregnancies but of a protection that I built myself at work in order to manage everything around me: family life, career, etc. until a few months ago I realised that enough was enough. Since then, I have been working on myself, professionally at first and then little by little my body began to bounce back. I’ve started exercising again, and I’m losing weight very slowly, in a calm and careful approach. And even though I still think I need to build up more muscle, and rid myself of the mental overload that manifested itself in love handles, I love my body. I am proud of it. It’s capable of a lot, including giving birth to three children and, most of all, of keeping going regardless of what life throws at me. It adapts, it makes sure that I don’t give up. What I see today in this picture is a body with a story, an experience, and one which bears the traces of every different stage of my life. In the future it might be more muscular, healthier maybe, but either way, it will finally be in harmony with myself. This body is beautiful quite simply because it is me: perfectly imperfect and yet feminine, harmonious and each curve is testament to my life and my past.
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MYLA
AUBADE
DSTM
BLACK LIMBA
SILENT ARROW
BODY CELEBRATION
RTW
Lingerie MAISON LEJABY
The lingerie sector is becoming ever-bolder, offering products that amaze us at every turn.
U
ndergarments are becoming stand-alone pieces to be glimpsed or simply seen, flirting with the worlds of ready-to-wear and accessories. The interesting aspect of this evolution is, of course, that lingerie has gradually gained prestige as an essential product, beyond its practical purpose. There is now definite interest in the fashion side of lingerie to match our own personal style and is increasingly design-oriented, thus reaffirming its identity! The appearance of bralettes, a major element at Myla, Lonely, Gisela, and Aubade, has revolutionized bras, envisioning lightweight pieces for small bustlines, with more fashion and more fun, but without all the previous constraints. We needed to distance ourselves from the pragmatic side of lingerie, with its primary support function. Women have been waiting for more modern products that have something more creative to say, where the superfluous becomes essential to the notion of pleasure: frou-frou, all-over lace, etc. IInspired by haute couture brands, this trend toward hybrid lingerie has seen the inception of collections that want to show off and that adorn both casual and sophisticated outfits. Feminine undergarments, functional underwear, sportswear, streetwear (Chantelle, Black Limba, Anita)…styles are blending together and reinventing themselves in a desire for elegant comfort and easy-wear pieces. There is a move toward simplification that is also emerging through the use of a sizing system inspired by ready-to-wear (S, M, L or 1, 2, 3). Based on this modern trend of products that are hybrids of fashion and lingerie, technicians (Bonbon Lingerie, Mapale Wear, Milaksrana, Silent Arrow, DSTM) have taken the liberty of adding shapes, colors, lace, and strapping effects, seeing these items as fashion accessories for stylish silhouettes, and to proclaim loud and clear a much less formal, more socially engaged version of femininity. ¢
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Trend-Watching With leopard print, lingerie hasn’t forgotten that it’s a fashion product. It increasingly affirms its desire to evolve toward adopting the current trend for leopardprint in accessories, bags, shoes and clothing. Lingerie simply couldn’t pass up the chance to use this print. And so, many designers (Maison Lejaby, Just a corpse, Le Petit Trou, Understatment Underwear) are bringing a breath of fresh air into collections that were sometimes a bit too traditional. Aficionadas will therefore have the chance to find a “favorite” from the brands they love, while new consumers will take a fresh look at their collections. This type of occasional piece allows shoppers to discover the rest of the collection with a stylish approach to shape and fabric.
RTW Lingerie
One Size Only
SOFT STRECH
A real favorite of the Salon International de la Lingerie, the Soft Stretch range represents a small revolution for the Chantelle brand, with a truly surprising product selection for a group based since 1876 on corseted support. Seamless, stretchy, made from an ultra-soft and comfortable fabric, Soft Stretch comes in all types of colors, but only one size that adapts to all women and all body types. This is an innovation that’s sure to become an essential you won’t be able to live without!
B
SOFT STRETCH
ased on the strength of its innovative heritage, CL Lingerie is looking to the future by focusing on the more design-oriented aspect of its essence. With this unique innovation, Chantelle has created a range of underwear that adapts to a wide range of sizes, from 36 to 44. This is a real technical achievement that is clearly in line with the Body Positive movement: loving your body in comfortable fabrics and accepting your flaws that you no longer want to hide. “These undergarments, which range from a classic brief to a bodysuit, are ultra-simple from a stylistic point of view. We want to demonstrate that everyone can adopt them and make them their own”, explains Renaud Cambuzat, Creative and Image Director of the Chantelle group. Beyond a simple, comfortable product, Soft Stretch offers a true fashion point-of-view. Chantelle will regularly call upon young designers to add a cutting-edge aspect to its new range, as it did for Spring/Summer 2019, with the collaboration of Victoria/Tomas. This young design house, which showed their collection during the last Fashion Week, created an attractive, sporty capsule collection, with, in particular, a bike-short style. This is an easy-wear range that brings together their two worlds, while highlighting the ready-to-wear spirit of Soft Stretch. ¢
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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BODY CELEBRATION
Elegant
GISELA
COMFORT
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LONELY
AUBADE
MYLA
BLACK LIMBA
MAISON LEJABY
Elegant comfort
Though the bodywear trend is moving toward a certain type of minimalism, the passion for lace is nowhere close to ending.
C
onsumers want to spend their money on a high-quality product. Lace remains something of value and that adds value, like silk or the new innovative, technical materials, adding real expertise and craftsmanship.
Delicate, ultra-sheer bodysuits are embellishing the skin with floral and/or geometric arabesques (Aubade, Maison Lejaby, Jolidon, Mey, Bonbon Lingerie, Lingadore), even to the point of entirely covering the body with the lace of a bodysuit from Emilio Cavallini.
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
ELSE
FREYA
EMILIO CAVALLINI
BONBON LINGERIE
JOLIDON
At Myla, Coemi, and Black Limba, triangle bralettes offer wider straps with voluptuous, graphic motifs. At Simone Pérèle, lace is invited onto the neckline, with the delicate incursion of a flower. It becomes ruffled (Lonely, Maison Close) to enhance the bust or the hips, or to create epaulettes for a bra top (Else). ¢
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K A love of
nowhow
32
AUBADE
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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A LOVE OF KNOW-HOW
A love of
KNOW-HOW
L
ingerie still requires a certain expertise, particularly for women who have a bigger bust and are looking to retain their femininity.
EMPREINTE
They rely on specialist know-how that provides them with the comfort they need to feel free in their day-to-day lives. But exceptional lingerie is for women with smaller breasts too, looking to enhance their body with the finesse of detailed design. Though we are seeing a preference for minimalism, revealing only the materials and cuts, there is still a loyal pool of «old-fashioned» consumers with a fondness for the sophisticated embellishments of the major fashion brands. Let’s not forget, lingerie is here to be enjoyed. ¢
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POUPIE E AND PATRICIA CADOLLE
Corsetry Focus
Interview with
Patricia Cadolle, Cadolle Director
Have you noticed a change in bras? Patricia Cadolle / Have women’s busts changed since bras were created? I don’t think so. Breasts still need just as much support, and this is the primary purpose of a bra. We’re still talking about a product that adapts to a specific need. The real question is whether there has been a shift in values and, thus, the liberation of women, reflected in what they choose to wear.
CADOLLE
Are women more “liberated” now?
A bra in the French corsetry tradition is a showcase for women’s breasts, the most comfortable of precious settings for the bust
P.C. / I think that the bra has experienced, and has always been part of, women’s liberation since its creation by the house of Cadolle in 1889: it placed itself as the liberating answer to the corset, like tights were to stockings. After this liberation in terms of clothing, what remained was to shift our values. This is yet another chapter, with new expectations from women in terms of the bra that shouldn’t simply be functional, but also beautiful, because today, we show it off, and not just in the intimate sphere.
Have you adjusted the style of your designs in light of these expectations? P.C. / For us, women’s breasts in 2019 are the same as those in 1889: extremely delicate and sometimes extremely heavy. We can’t ignore the number of seams needed to support a woman’s breasts. This is the baseline of the corsetier’s trade. We provide support, and then embellishment, respecting a certain expert craftsmanship that comes from just the right touch. Though our machines and materials are more modern than those used by my grandmother, the gesture remains the same. This, in itself, defines the style of the piece. We use the technological progress of our age alongside the technical prowess of venerable manual craftsmanship.
What is the value added by corsetry? P.C. / The goal is not to have a “luxury” positioning, but rather one centered on well-being: when a woman slips on a bra, she should no longer feel her breasts. She should, more than anything, feel good about her body, without pre-formed molding that removes her unique identity: with molded bras, you have the same breasts as everyone else. ¢
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A LOVE OF KNOW-HOW
I
CADOLLE
CONIC BRANDS
AUBADE
CHANTELLE
CADOLLE
With more than 60 years in existence, Aubade has always been the high-end seductive French lingerie brand par excellence. The brand offers women a variety of models with perfect cuts and fit, the result of a long history of corsetry expertise, featuring creative lines that are constantly reinvented, following the trends and fashion of the time. The details and finish are meticulous, and the materials are carefully chosen for added refinement and elegance: Calais lace, Swiss embroidery, guipure, silk and Italian satins have all contributed to the success of this brand, which has something for every bust, ranging from A cup to G.
Since 1876, Chantelle has been successfully developing its precious expertise. «Dexterity», «expert tips», «approaches», and «little nods» are passed down through generations of employees. Drawing on this legacy, Chantelle offers women everyday underwear that has benefited from a couturestyle creative approach, meticulous tailoring and a variety of the most noble materials.
Maison Cadolle brings a high standard and a special focus on creating a showcase for women’s silhouettes. The Cadolle Woman seeks a feeling of well-being, thanks to technical secrets that support and sculpt her body, for an unapologetic, elegant style, choosing home-made colours and luxurious fabrics that will adorn her body and make it even more beautiful. Cadolle Couture manufactures exclusive models for its customers, made to the measurements of their body and according to the traditional methods of French Haute Couture. Each model they make is especially created to fulfil a particular request. Maison Cadolle has been enhancing the female body and supporting it in its movements since 1889, when the founder of the House, Herminie Cadolle, released the woman from her corset by inventing the bra. Alongside the cult collections, which are still scrupulously followed and updated, more seductive lines have been added. The expression and affirmation of a woman in keeping with her time, the Geisha line marks a turning point in the often discreet and elitist history of the House: it reveals an unapologetically seductive woman, with the imprint of the famous «Cadolle touch».
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Iconic Brands
LOUISE FEUILLÈRE
SIMONE PERELE
LISE CHARMEL
EMPREINTE
LOUISE FEUILLÈRE
Combining excellence and expertise, and specialised in tailoring, Louise Feuillère is committed to showing off all aspects of women, their particularities, their demands, their dreams, their energies, and their nature, to encourage them in their pursuit of well-being and the desire to be beautiful… The brand adapts lingerie to a woman’s body, not the other way around. «My constant research and development on morphological diversity and silhouette design have contributed to the development and creation of technical methods,» explains Louise Feuillère, Meilleur Ouvrier de France.
EMPREINTE
LISE CHARMEL
SIMONE PÉRÈLE
The bra is an intimate ally for women in their everyday lives and therefore needs to be comfortable. Beyond comfort, everyone deserves excellent support. A well-supported bust contributes to the overall balance of the silhouette. Empreinte therefore designs products that «model» the body of women, with respect and generosity: a structured waistline, a sculpted look, visible results that make the Empreinte silhouette so identifiable, like a Visual Signature. Perfect support, absolute comfort and sophisticated elegance are more of a challenge to achieve when the cups are larger. This is where Empreinte comes in, ideal for C cups and over. This «visible» bust is sometimes difficult to live with; an asset for some, an issue for others. In any case, wearing a bra adapted to your body is a basic need to which we can all relate. One in two women is concerned by this market referred to yesterday as «niche»: 52% of them wear a C cup or more, 25% are larger than a D cup. And it’s a global reality.
The Lise Charmel brand was born in the 1950s in the heart of Lyon’s silk district, the birthplace of French corsetry, before being taken over in 1975 by Jacques Daumal, its current CEO. Dedicated to the feminine world of intimacy and seduction, Maison Lise Charmel creates underwear that combines attractive aesthetics and quality production, guided by the demand for excellence, and quickly becoming a benchmark in luxury lingerie. With its selection of the finest materials and the creation of exclusive designs and prints, the brand is deeply rooted in arts and crafts, combining tradition and innovation.
Rooted in excellence, the Maison has cultivates its expertise, from its mastery of precious materials, its high standards of quality and subtlety of detail, and precise knowledge of the female body. For a garment to fit all shapes, from A to H cup, it takes up to 18 months of reflection, research and testing. For fittings, carried out with consumers and other female associates of the Brand, up to 15 fittings are needed for every size. Working to the millimetre, to guarantee the perfection required by the brand. In the workshop, movements are precise. Straps, staples, bias, visible or invisible: 25 pieces are needed to construct a bra. From the first sketches to the finishing touch, each stage of the creative process requires extremely detailed work so that in the end, the silhouette is accentuated by an exceptional work.
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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A LOVE OF KNOW-HOW
Interview with
Corentin Potencier, Business Developper, Potencier Broderies
Deeply connected to the world of fashion, embroidery is an integral part of French heritage, despite its Swiss origins. Led by a unique craftsmanship and longstanding expertise, the five generations of the Potencier family at the company’s helm have conquered the world of lingerie to boot. Interview with Corentin Potencier .
Have you noticed a change in the demand for embroidery? Corentin Potencier / Certainly ten years ago, the embroidery on the lingerie market was quite heavy and rich, very visual and striking, whereas today we are tending towards a finer, more delicate look. Like in fashion. So designs have changed in this regard, and our techniques too. For lingerie, we are now making lots of motifs that are a world away from our usual work, especially with the current trend for adding features on the back. We used to sell embroidery designed to be applied to the cups. But nowadays, lingerie brands have decided that the back is just as important and offer models with elaborate designs focused on the straps. The current trend for comfortable, understated styles has meant we’ve had to get creative, adding delicate embroidered motifs that generate a certain level of chic.
embellishment follows. This involves washing, dyeing, heating, and so on, all of which are important steps to give such exceptional character to our embroidery.
Is manual know-how still essential? C.P. / Beyond the technical skills and specialist expertise, it is important to remember that there are fifteen people working on each embroidery. Without this human element, we couldn’t do anything, as each individual has their own contribution to make, to achieve the embroidery that we are really looking for. Even when it’s mechanical, the human hand is very important in the creative stages. Like in the past, programming is done manually to send the item in question to the embroidery loom; the technician marks the path of the needle stitch-by-stitch on the piece.
Are you often asked about natural fibres?
And now it’s all about showing your lingerie! C.P. / Absolutely! When a woman wears a vest or a bare back, that focus on the design of the straps starts to make sense. The designs are leaning more towards the geometric, but this varies depending on the brand. Floral is still a popular option. In any case, our collections always revolve around these two graphic themes. For added sophistication, we can even mix the two, for a slightly more fusional style. Maintaining the same level of expertise but for a totally different effect. Given that embroidery is still slightly more expensive than lace, we need our creations to offer real added value, which is the case for guipure. This thread work for very fine designs, which are then sewn on to tulle, is key to a more couture effect. With lingerie now heavily influenced by ready-towear, our products need to be more fashion-forward.
What expertise does French embroidery have to offer, and more specifically your Brand? C.P. / I think that we are generally chosen for the extent of our archives, dating back to our creation in 1883. We are constantly coming up with ideas, based on 100-year-old embroidery combined with more contemporary things: it is crucial that we are inspired and responsive to what people need. Because the basis of our profession is the design work, we put a lot of energy into creative development. We also try to innovate in terms of technique, by transforming the mechanics of our trades, our main machine. This is where we create our embroidery following several - mainly manual - steps. Once the embroidery has left the machine, the human hand takes over and the
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C.P. / There’s no doubt that in ready-to-wear, we are starting to see a preference for organic or recycled thread. Less so in lingerie but we will get there, surely. There’s no reason why not, it’s only a question of cost. I think we will make our move when the process is more accessible and less expensive. Although the difference is not critical for embroidery, beyond the eco-responsible approach of course: it doesn’t change anything in a visual sense if we use an organic thread or a traditional thread.
Do you think embroidery has a bright future ahead? C.P. / I do think that we will always need it. I hope so and I believe it. Our customers continue to express the same desire to enhance a material and bring something really different to a piece. An ornamental creation, but nothing superfluous. Today we are used as much by couture as by lingerie. These complementary sectors feed off each other, though it’s fairly new to see lingerie feeding off ready-to-wear, for very different and modern things. And ready-to-wear is inspired by lingerie in the sense of its pursuit for finesse. ¢
Embroidery & Lace focus
Interview with
Julien Bracq, Jean Bracq, CEO
«Jean Bracq Lace» comes from a long family tradition and a unique savoir-faire passed down through the generations. Founded in 1889 in Caudry, in the north of France, the company designs and creates exquisite Leavers lace for a range of prestigious clients. Its world-renowned laces are used by famous fashion houses and ready-to-wear brands in the luxury market. An interview with Julien Bracq, business and administrative manager of the family business.
With the current trend for lingerie in ready-to-wear, have you noticed any changes when it comes to lace? Julien Bracq /There is no denying that we have seen a certain shift in women’s fashion, with underwear taking a more prominent role, in every sense of the word. With lingerie now aligning itself with ready-to-wear, we have seen a substantial increase in the use of rigid lace, whereas it had always been elasticated in the past (elastane or lycra). The rigidity gives the pieces more structure and hold, making them garments in their own right. This new style of lingerie, designed to be more visible and therefore more elaborate, has opened up new perspectives for us. It has brought something new and fresh, like our collaboration with Livy, the Etam Group brand that creates products with a difference, with embroidered Leavers lace, for example. Traditionally dress-makers, we had rarely been involved in lingerie. It’s new for us to have people taking our ready-to-wear lace and our wedding dress chantilly to transform them into lingerie. Innovating is an essential part of our business, it’s what keeps us moving forward. Because lace-makers are creators above all else, constantly coming up with new models, new designs, and new compositions. It is a fantastic challenge for our workshops.
starchy feel (it is purely potato starch) to make it softer to the touch. We have worked on specific softeners to avoid any manufacturing problems related to this new flexibility, which is increasingly requested by our customers. This fashion for lingerie that breaks with traditional codes actually takes us closer to the specifications of our ready-to-wear clients: some lingerie collections really are designed and thought out in terms of fashion trends, be it by colour, material, or the feel.
At what level does your expertise come in?
J.B. / It means lace made up mostly of cotton, cotton/polyamide, viscose/polyamide, with a clear preference for natural materials. We have the ability to offer 90% cotton with a small nylon base. They are fibres with a natural elasticity, of course, but are generally more limited than synthetics, which we cannot totally give up. We are yet to find anything satisfactory to replace them.
J.B. / Lots of things are changing right now. We need to reinvent ourselves in the face of extreme competition from our Asian friends who are advancing and coming up with more and more interesting and qualitative ideas. It is forcing us, as traditional French lace-makers, to raise our level of creativity and make sure we stay one step ahead. That’s why we are supported by fashion consultants and trend forecasters. In a way, we are fighters, battling to maintain the standing of this French lace, known throughout the world as the most creative, the most beautiful, the strongest and the most innovative. To be clear: our Leavers lace is made by weaving warp and weft on traditional looms, which has the advantage of avoiding unravelling, as well as its high degree of finesse. If you take scissors and make a tiny snip in a Leavers lace, you can pull on it without it undoing, unlike the knitted lace that attempts to copy our product in a slightly less noble manner, since it is bound to have knots. All over. The fundamental difference will still be the manufacturing process, which is not the same and which does not give the product the same characteristics: to continue to better themselves, Calais lace is constantly renewed to help it stand out from these knitted laces.
Are you using more and more natural materials?
Is design a good way to reinvent the business?
What do you mean by rigid lace?
J.B. / We have a lot of requests for organic and recycled materials: we are starting to offer products that contain these fibres but are unable to offer a 100% organic or fully recycled product. These specially studied fibres are not manufactured in large series which complicates our supply in this regard. We can provide certain blends but given that this demand is on the rise, perhaps we will be able to extend the offer with a bigger volume. The industry must invest in this matter to encourage the movement.
Do you get any specific requests regarding the feel of the fabrics, to increase their comfort? J.B. / Yes, we are often asked for a softer hold. In the past, we have tended to use a primer that stiffens the fibres and ensures the lace has structure. This creates a certain weight or «substance», that facilitates the making of the lace. However, the customer has the option to reduce this
J.B. / For the third season in a row, we have had very specific requests for geometric and abstract forms, moving away from the floral motifs. We are asked for things that are nothing like what you would usually expect from a Calais-Caudry lace. For a company like ours, it’s a real challenge after 130 years of flowery designs and Chantilly lace. We are completely reinventing our patterns and shapes, and therefore our ways of working. This revival in lace design is bringing us new markets and new customers, outside of the classic circuit. It is easy to imagine a time in the not too distant future when we might widen our scope even further and integrate menswear collections, for example, with a geometric, abstract look. Lace is the extra little piece of soul that dresses the garment, dresses lingerie. ¢
JANUARY 2019 Interfilière Paris
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d
A Colorful & esign
40
Lingerie
MILAKRASNA
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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STRUCTURED
Design
Though bralettes have freed themselves from pattern modeling, launching an innovative trend, they are not able to satisfy all bustlines in their desire for a modern spirit. For these women who prefer support, it is essential to return to structure, but with greater creativity in terms of shape. The lingerie industry needs to move further into this creative terrain to satisfy all women, and design is clearly the common thread in this need to bring in new proportions with new shades of color. Patternmakers always construct their models around well-defined shapes: today, for them, it’s about exploring by mixing materials, looks, structured shapes, and effects, even coatings, to highlight the shape of breasts while adding unprecedented suppleness and unique comfort.
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E.L.F ZHOU
A COLORFUL & DESIGN LINGERIE
T
ELISSA POPPY
MAPALE WEAR
SILENT ARROW
OPAAK
BONBON LINGERIE
Structured Design
Brands have, of course, also understood that their communication happens essentially through social media, and, therefore, through a need for powerful visual identity. Elisa Poppy sculpts silhouettes, using design to revolutionize shapes and patterns, as the very finest materials are often crafted. Its collections are coated, and the cups are deconstructed to reflect marbled effects. Energizing the cut of a garment and marking out shapes: such are the many essential elements to effective visual communication.
These new ways to shape and model lingerie have opened the way to experimentation and more mad fun! This is why design has become the main focus in collections, to create new shapes. The Silent Arrow brand thus dares to create an ultra-design-oriented maternity bra, with no need to hide its function, because commitment and sensual allure are part and parcel of the new feminine spirit so beloved of this brand. Motherhood can now be synonymous with generous beauty, due to the new design of these products.
At a time when customization has become more accessible (My Tailors & Co, Germain sur mesure, 1083…), it has also become more attractive because it guarantees good value for money, close to our personal identity and comfort! The lingerie industry must add a proper dose of modernity to its venerable expertise, and, especially, to its view on women, to position this sector ever closer to consumer needs. They are now ultra-informed about the marketplace and are at the very heart of this type of personalization; they have an overall sense of the market. Design through 3-D modeling offered by brands such as La Redoute, Habitat, and made. com are sharpening consumers’ eye on products, leading them to make even more cutting-edge choices, considering themselves stylists in designing their own Nike sneakers online!. ¢
GOD SAVE QUEENS
UNDRESS CODE
ROSSET
BORDELLE
As a vast and dynamic industry, lingerie is innovating. It is also fertile ground for mixing materials and modeling shapes creatively, allowing itself something extra. Like accessories, lingerie can specify a use, fastenings, and the positioning of straps, as we see with the Bordelle brand. Their collection oscillates between lingerie and sporty accessories, through an aesthetic that is truly new. Their work on design is the common thread that runs through this clearly structured and sculpted collection, crafted to make bodies even more beautiful.
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
E.L.F ZHOU
he appearance of bralettes that we like at Myla, Lonely, Understatement, and more, have revolutionized bras, envisioning lightweight pieces for small busts, with more fashion, more fun, and no need for support-related constraints. To this trend for hybrid products that are somewhere between fashion and lingerie items, technicians have dared to add shapes, colors, lace, and strapping, seeing these products as fashion accessories for stylish silhouettes, proclaiming a much bolder, more socially engaged feminine spirit.
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A COLORFUL & DESIGN LINGERIE
What do you consider to be essence of lingerie design? Paloma Casile / I would say that it’s a matter of pushing the technical limits to create lines on products that leave the seams highly visible: this little folly is actually not incidental, because seams are essential to the construction of the piece. It also means using the crucial elements of corsetry, such as the placement of lace, the setting and positioning of elastics, or the visibility of seams, to offer an ultra-graphic type of design. The sheerness of the zone where straps cross at the back of bras adds a highly structured touch, whereas previously, these functional fastenings would have remained opaque. It is this pushing the limits that, in my view, updates lingerie: we don’t always need to eliminate something…on the contrary, here, we’ve shown it off.
Interview with
Paloma Casile, Designer
Is this a trend that’s set to last? P.C. / We’ve gone from lingerie that we wanted to conceal to lingerie that we want to show off; the best way to do this is to work around the neckline. Either we really go for it with pieces that have highly visible strapping, or we don’t do it at all. It’s important to have several ideas within collections. We have, precisely, chosen to develop both of these solutions for more comfortable items: this is also what is expected from a corsetry brand today. Style, of course, but also comfort. This doesn’t mean that strapping precludes comfort, but it assumes a certain seductive quality: women are also expecting something “simple” and more minimal. Do you still consider your collections to be part of the “strapping” trend? P.C. / What makes us different from other brands with a pure bondage inspiration is that we offer a softer version of this spirit, with a more design-oriented, bejeweled-detail focus. Though British and American brands are bold in their strapping, we, as a French brand, are less comfortable with the openly erotic connotation of bondage. We don’t have the same approach to femininity, and it’s crucial for us to offer something else based on the same idea. These truly elegant straps are also part of our brand image, with a precise placement that is meticulous in terms of elastic bands in sheer chiffon, and rectangular clasps that are very simple, though shiny. Our ultrasimplified fastenings add a bejeweled aspect: therefore, it looks more like a necklace underneath a T-shirt.
PALOMA CASILE
What materials and colors are you highlighting this year? P.C. / I’ve worked exclusively in black for the past three years, but this season is a celebration of color for us. We gradually introduced ivory, bordeaux, and navy-blue last summer, and we’re going to add nude and a very light khaki green. I opened myself up to color because clients were asking for it. Even though color is alluring at first, clients leave our boutique with a black set 90% of the time. I’ve tried lots of things ever since I launched my brand, and, in the end, only lace items sell really well. So, I work with exceptional lace makers in Italy and Calais: the Italians aren’t afraid to try incredible blends with electronic laces. In Calais, we’re mostly talking about gorgeous motifs that are carefully crafted. With Jean-Bracq, we only work with cotton/nylon laces (otherwise, they don’t hold up well). Women no longer want fluid lines, and are asking for more clear-cut, marked, “Instagrammable” items. I’ve always been a fan of this type of visual impact that’s really important in photos. I also use jersey crepe, a weaving technique that produces an extremely matte aspect for the fabric and is really comfortable. There are so many satin-textured fabrics on the market that I prefer to use crepe and tulle. In the new collection, we have ultra-thick, ultramatte, ultra-black knit, or very thin, nude tulle that’s somewhere between taupe and cappuccino. In other words, to give either a super-opaque, clean-lined look contrasting with ultra-sheer lace, or the opposite, to refine the style of the piece. ¢
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FOCUS
Design graphique
The job of model-maker
‘Jane’
our benchmark piece, has been our greatest success. This is why we’ve now developed it in red. Personally, I’m a big fan of the world of tattoos, so my florals look a lot like them, particularly in the case of the “Auguste” style, which came out in blue last summer. Florals with climbing vines, a truly organic motif, yet which has enough empty space to allow the imagination to take flight: is it embroidery or a tattoo?
PALOMA CASILE
Project manager in the creation of a garment, the model-maker brings the stylist’s ideas to life. Thanks to this fashion magician and their expertly nimble touch, the sketches leap off the page and take shape, to make pieces from the collection. A creator and a technician, the model maker must have good taste and a keen eye to stay within the style codes of a brand and ensure that the model is technically feasible. A masterpiece in the creative process, it is up to him or her to create new forms of products (materials, processes, systems, shapes, prints), to work on materials, to make patterns, to shape, to amend, adjust and develop prototypes through their sense of measurement and proportions. After a few years of work experience, a talented model-maker can quickly become a studio head, become a stylist, a product technician or even a production manager if they demonstrate artistic sense and great creativity. Many public and private training courses are open to budding model-makers in France: baccalaureate level (bac pro métiers de la mode-vêtements), 2 years post-baccalaureate (BTS design de mode, BTS métiers de la mode, BTS innovation textile, BTS métier du cuir), 3 years post-baccalaureate (DN Made, mention mode, licences pro métiers de la mode, certificat de spécialisation en mode stylisme-modélisme), 4 years post-baccalaureate (DSAA mode et environnement) and 5 years post-baccalaureate (diplôme de l’ENSAD option design et matière). Private schools also deliver their own qualifications and diplomas in the fields of fashion design, model making or textile design. They recruit on application, often at bac level for courses over two or three years. Find out more at: https://www.ifmparis.fr/fr/ JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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A COLORFUL & DESIGN LINGERIE
The modern
SPIRIT OF COLOR This season is marked by the influx of nude tones, for natural collections that we find at Skarlett Blue, Lejaby, Just a corpse, Nubian Skin, About, and Le journal intime, among others.
N
avy blue and burgundy are the key colors for winter that easily mix with all skin tones; Hanro commits to these warm tones with elegance. Color is gradually gaining ground, refreshing black and white to come up with new combinations: Dora Larsen reflects this phenomenon through their meticulous design and colorful lace. Lingerie industry players are increasingly active on social media, proclaiming an entire aesthetic around a brand and offering a more inventive, creative type of femininity. The visual aspect is now, of course, a leading factor in brand communication. This is why color has become a powerful communications tool.
MYLA
Lingerie comes alive with color!
70% of collections are comprised of basics, with the remaining 30% offering trendy items, influenced by the desires of the moment - prints and colors that offer a new look to a brand. These 30% are the gateway to discovery for many consumers, helping them find new brands in the marketplace. Color, therefore, draws us in, but, more than anything, it keeps us up to date! It adds newness and creativity within relatively neutral collections (Lonely, Silent Arrow, Myla), and Black Limba refreshes tulle and lace with a palette of fresh, truly tangy, colors that contrast with skin tones, thus enhancing their products. Chantal Thomass has understood clients’ enthusiasm for color, and brilliantly, resolutely breaks with its signature pink and black, for a real punk look! Color here embodies energy and commitment and creates a powerful identity, for femininity that is in sync with the times. Let us remember that color first revolutionized the world of make-up, creating improbable palettes of blues, greens, and metallics, for crafted beauty. The influence that we can see at Voiment and Milakrasna, is, here, with a few subtle differences, the very same!
Color underlines, lends proportion to shape, outlines the cut of a garment, and enlivens prints, revealing the lines of the body. Beyond its beautifying aspect, color symbolizes an entire universe infused with femininity. Löv offers bodywear collections full of color, with warm tones that meld together to cover the body and add texture to soft, comfortable fabrics. Like a developer in photography, color reveals the essential nature of materials as much as it does the feminine form.
Lingerie forges strong links with beauty, and this desire to build the architecture of the body, like makeup, with color, can reveal all the beauty of radiant faces. ¢
And let’s not forget that fashion is the star of online shopping! We can thus consider all the tools that may be useful to segment products and to guide purchases and the customer’s eye amid the avalanche of products on the market!
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01/ SIMONE PERELE 02/ YSABEL MORA 03/ SKARLETT BLUE 04/ MAISON LEJABY 05/ JUST A CORPSE 06/ MIRABILIA 07/ ROSSELL 08/ ENVIE DE LINGERIE 09/ LASCANA 10/ PALOMA CASILE 11/ UNDERSTATMENT UNDERWEAR 12/ MEY 13/ FELINA JOY 14/ ELOMI SACHI INK 15/ AUBADE 16/ LE JOURNAL INTIME 17/ VALÈGE 18/ LÖV 19/ HANKY PANKY 20/ MAISON CLOSE
NUDE
The modern spirit of color
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RED
NAVY
BURGUNDY
01
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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A COLORFUL & DESIGN LINGERIE
PHOTOGENIC
Lingerie
Like a virtual showroom, Instagram has become a real source of inspiration for brands. Excited by the self-acceptance now proudly displayed online, they have come up with digital campaigns that put women centre stage in a gentle and reassuring space. With new settings, new positions and new emotions... a movement of freedom has emerged, for a fresh approach to femininity and seduction.*
I
As true ambassadors of style, influencers are a source of inspiration, partnering with brands and showcasing the lingerie. Each with their own identity, they display the pieces they love in outfits designed for real life. Underwear is revealed with subtlety, shown off with audacity, and adapted as desired. Now a precious ally for creating a timeless look, and always in style, lingerie inspires the moment.
MISS CROFTON
nstagrammable underwear is edgy, colourful and graphic, it’s a photogenic lingerie, made to be shared. Lace, for example, has very marked floral motifs that ensure definite visibility. The motif is not a detail, it is the essence of the piece.
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*See you on Saturday 19 January at the conference Exclusive encounters x Leherpeur Paris: «Bodytalk or how Instagram is reinventing the eretoric on intimacy»
Photogenic Lingerie
INFLUENCERS POINTS OF VIEW LINA x MUSE 105k followers /
LINA X MUSE
B
efore you had to hide your lingerie. But now, I can easily leave the lace of a black bra showing through a white blouse. I think it looks pretty, like the bodies that I use as tops, teamed with a small leather skirt, for example, or with a tailored suit for going out at night. It’s very elegant. I also wear silk nighties with trainers or even a T-shirt, turning underwear into outerwear. Without ever being vulgar, I play with every trend, especially during Fashion Week where I allow myself to experiment freely. The reality is, this trend isn’t really new: Madonna would often show her bra in the 80s, but it was somewhat taboo. And it was Madonna. Now, everyone can have a go, current trends allow it. Maybe because we’ve seen so many influencers showing their lingerie. Brands have also joined in, with their look-books showing underwear in everyday settings. It has definitely become more widespread. I’m not afraid to mix colours, while always trying to maintain a consistent look. I love mixing different materials and styles. Every day, I dress differently, with no one specific style, it depends on where I am, where I’m going. I find it fun to share my different inspirations and always surprise my followers, who never know what to expect with me. They can’t love everything, or wear everything, but they appreciate that I dare to show different things and that includes my lingerie.
MADE BY F. 114k followers /
MADE BY F.
A
s an ambassador for the brand Intimissimi, I regularly share photos of my lingerie. Sometimes I am specifically asked to subtly show it under my clothes because it’s another way of highlighting the piece. It’s not just about showing your pants, but about incorporating it into a ready-to-wear outfit. Although you can sometimes get criticised for revealing your lingerie, for me it’s a way of liberating us as women. There are lots of limitations on what we can or cannot show. I find it helpful and important to take liberties. With subtlety, of course, otherwise it can easily become vulgar. I feel I have an interesting approach, and one that’s always well received by my subscribers. Before being a lingerie ambassador, I was already showing my underwear. For example, when I wear a white top, I have no problem putting on a black bra as long as it looks good, like a beautiful lace bra. I like that it can be seen: it’s a pity to have pretty garments and not be able to show them. It’s very frustrating. I think that above all a woman buys her lingerie for herself and not necessarily for her partner or spouse. With a new more fashionable aesthetic, lingerie is no longer being hidden away: we try to show it off in an elegant and subtle manner, like Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City all those years ago. A classic!
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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t
rend book The
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OPAAK
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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THE TREND BOOK
CONTROLLED NECKLINE
T
hough ultra-plunging necklines have been in fashion for several seasons now, the trend is being confirmed with more designoriented lingerie that emulates the accessorizing of a ready-towear look. And so, we show off lace and strapping effects with new, delicately worked details, lending a dressed-up look to our newly artful necklines.
HANRO
1
Trend
We owe this, first of all, to a social phenomenon, the 50th anniversary of May 1968. Many things became associated with this anniversary, such as the recent #metoo movement, which freed women to truly speak out. Women are inventing a new type of femininity that’s more committed to causes, that isn’t afraid of a seductive and enhanced feminine form for one’s own enjoyment, before thinking of being alluring in anyone else’s eyes. Before this revolution, up to 2 or 3 years ago, lingerie was only a product with a practical support function. Today, it has become an accessory, or even a real fashion centerpiece (Opaak). And as part of this concept, we realize that lingerie is here to be seen, or at least glimpsed (Aubade, Lingadore, Maison Close). We don’t hide it anymore (Soft Strech, Passionata). We can still see real, elaborate work around the neckline: strapping effects have the main purpose of enhancing the bust, no matter what type of neckline reveals them (Hanro, Piège, Chantelle). This is why these straps, sometimes totally free of elastic, are becoming thicker and, therefore, increasingly present and visible. With lace, there’s a desire to enhance necklines with bras that dare to be bold (Black Limba, Chantal Thomass, Maison Lejaby). This isn’t necessarily for the purpose of wild seductiveness, but rather in a desire to invent this new, unabashed and artful feminine style. In 1987, in Caroline Loeb’s song, a woman was “passive and pensive in a silk négligée”; today, she’s much more assertive, and is a key player in lingerie full of comfort, even stylistically speaking. ¢
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CHANTAL THOMASS
BLACK LIMBA
MAISON LEJABY
MAISON CLOSE
AUBADE
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie OPAAK
CHANTELLE
PIEGE
LINGADORE
Trend 1 - Controlled Neckline
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THE TREND BOOK
STRAPPING
F
or several seasons now, strapping has been highlighting curves with an approach clearly inspired by the world of BDSM.
OW INTIMATES
2
Trend
Items underlined the silhouette with a determined air, beautifying curves, with a strongly erotic connotation, as we can still see from British brands such as Elissa Poppy and Bluebella. Today, even if it’s still related to a certain type of support, the trend is moving toward comfort and a more casual type of body wrapping. Designs are increasingly sport-oriented, with wider straps and bands (Silent Arrow, MilaKrasna), flatter elastics accessorized with a gold buckle, with a bit more of a jewelry inspiration (Bordelle, E.L.F Zhou, Gonzales) with a decorative look. At OW Intimates, this sexy lingerie that used to be hidden has evolved into something more elegant that can be worn without its erotic aspect. At DSTM, strapping comes in a multitude of ways, with design pushed to the extreme. Lashing embellishes nude-toned bodysuits and corsets (God Save Queens), in true ready-to-wear style. For purely ornamental use, straps adorn the body in a graphic manner (Aubade, Bonbon Lingerie, Maison Close, Impudique, Mapale Wear), with, at Me Seduce, even a selection of men’s accessories. ¢
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BORDELLE
ELISSA POPPY
DSTM
GONZALES
ELF ZHOU
BLUEBELLA
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
SILENT ARROW
GOD SAVE QUEENS
Trend 2 - Strapping
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THE TREND BOOK
LAYERING
W
ith its roots in Japan, beauty layering consists of placing layers of creams and skin care products on the face, in a specific order, as a preventative measure against skin problems. This Japanese trend rapidly inspired the world of fashion, which then cleverly reinvented new looks using this layered approach.
MAISON LEJABY
3
Trend
Still, it’s not simply a matter of piling on several strata of garments, but rather of making them visible in a specific order to create contrasts in fabric, volume, and color. This is a true art in which lingerie has led the way, notably encouraged by multifunctional loungewear. Nighties and other nightshirts thus invite themselves underneath turtleneck sweaters (Hanro). A play on matching shades reveals a brief or bra barely concealed underneath a flocked or embroidered leotard (Anita, Aubade by Viktor&Rolf), a tulle bodysuit (Maison Close), or a tutu-like skirt (Understatement). Layering positions itself as an ingenious mix of style that also allows one to play around with body shape, re-balancing the silhouette (Just A Corpse), or offering a play yet again on the art of seduction, with elegant see-through effects (Souhela Ferrah, Le Petit Trou). Another choice would be a twoin-one style that offers a bold combination of materials (Kana Matsunami). Sweatshirts, shirts, pants, jackets, and T-shirts adjust to variations in weather or one’s mood, or in terms of materials: knits, cotton, bejeweled effects, strapping…(Bijoux Indiscrets, Aubade, Domestique). Thus, there is a freedom to wear one’s favorite pieces year-round, as one so desires, a freedom from traditional rules and uses in order to create a unique, bold look. ¢
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JUST A CORPSE
KANA MATSUNAMI
HANRO
ELISSA POPPY
DOMESTIQUE
AUBADE
ANITA
BIJOUX INDISCRETS
VOIMENT
Trend 3 - Layering
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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THE TREND BOOK
DANCE INSPIRATION
T
his season, we’re seeing a major trend coalesce around classical dance, both in terms of styles within collections and in the artistic expression reflected in the images of their look books, where tutus abound (Aubade, Maison Lejaby, Chantelle, Skiny, Move by Conturelle, Kana Matsunami, Gonzales)...
BORDELLE
4
Trend
Bodysuits and bralettes play with a wrap look (About, Else) which, in the collective unconscious, also symbolizes the total comfort of girls’ first bras. This is a piece that promises, with great certitude, comfort and femininity. The acrobatic feats of models as ballerinas require supple looks for freedom of movement (Bordelle, Skiny, Soft Stretch, MilaKrasna). The leotard perfectly reflects this moving comfort specific to the world of dance: it promises lingerie that’s easy to wear every day, embracing the body in a harmonious fashion in terms of both fabrics and colors (Undress Code, Just a corpse, Le journal intime). Within top-selling lingerie items, there have always been white, black, and skin tones. We can see a white/skin-toned mix to create a “nude” color that, beyond its ability to be combined with all types of looks, lends stylistic comfort. This color is like an invitation to naturalness by being the closest to the real color of the skin, visually molding itself to the body, a way to remain faithful to oneself. This is also what women want: an easy-wear product that respects their nature. Creating collections that are as close as possible to skin means committing to concepts of self-identity. Dance-inspired pieces offer lingerie that pairs beautifully with the curves of the body in a choreography of materials and colors, an all-day companion for every woman’s active schedule. ¢
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MILAKRASNA
FOCUS
MOVE BY CONTURELLE
ABOUT
UNDRESS CODE
Trend 4 - Dance Inspiration
is a luxury leisure and body-wear brand that draws inspiration from dance and fashion, two arts sharing a mutual starting point: the body. Its unique identity is a seamless blend of the two media characterized by individuality and vitality. It was created by a top model Valerija Kelava and UroĹĄ BelantiÄ?, a Paris-based fashion designer with extensive experience within the industry and the history of creating costumes for ballet troupes. With dance being their mutual inspiration, they embarked on an independent, sustainable project where they connected with a family-run manufacturer from their home town of Ljubljana, with over 30 years of experience in producing personalized garments of impeccable quality for top athletes. Their garments are crafted with the technical precision of contemporary sportswear and marked by sophisticated Parisian attitude, which gives them a unique touch and feel. It makes them a distinctive style statement appropriate for a variety of exercises, leisure activities or just for feeling comfortably sexy. SKINY
KANA MATSUNAMI LE JOURNAL INTIME
Just A Corpse
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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THE TREND BOOK
NATURALNESS
A
need for all that is natural is also reflected in the return of microfloral motifs and the rather bracing presence of green, a color that had been hard to use until now in lingerie, since it’s not necessarily adapted to all skin tones and has thus been little used by designers for the niche that it represented. HANKY PANKY
5
Trend
And yet, the selection is now abundant, available in several shades ranging from a truly tangy apple green (Silent Arrow, Hanky Panky), to emerald green (Voiment, Bonbon Lingerie, Envie de lingerie), bottle green (Vova), and even shades of khaki (Mojito, Mey, Morgan), anise (Anita, Rosset), bronze (Hanro), spring green (Black Limba), or peacock (Lingadore, Simone Pérèle). With this green that embodies a return to nature, we can see a whole combination of micro-floral motifs in truly bucolic, refined tones (Selmark, Maison Lejaby, Yzabel Mora, Myla, Conturelle). A far cry from a girly look, this pastoral trend presents real lightness of design, with a spacing of motifs (Lonely, Aubade), and gossamer, even blurred graphics (Kana Matsunami). It’s just like a garden (Baiser volé, BB Lingerie, Huber)! This desire is tied to a cosmetics-related baseline trend built around naturalness (Amalthea), with, in particular, essential oils that are occupying increasing amounts of space in the market. Getting closer to nature and choosing eco-friendly products also means respecting your body. This is a fundamental societal shift toward eating organic and using sustainable products. And lingerie goes hand-in-hand with this green movement that’s bringing us such a sense of well-being. ¢
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BAISER VOLE
ENVIE DE LINGERIE
HANRO
MORGAN
CONTURELLE
BB LINGERIE
SELMARK
LINGADORE
YSABEL MORA
KANA MATSUNAMI
Trend5 - Naturalness
JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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WHAT’S EW
Salon International de la Lingerie
AUBADE X VIKTOR&ROLF
TThe Bow Collection is the story of two brands seeking to enhance the female body coming together. This duo of Dutch stylists from the brand Viktor & Rolf, a leading figure in international haute couture for 25 years, are working with Aubade. An ultra-graphic and modern collection has been designed around their iconic knot. Two colour schemes take pride of place: Soir and Bonbon. Unique and highly visual embroidery, highlighting the laser-cut patterns, blends elegantly with transparent tulle and clean-cut mesh. The final touch is achieved with a pretty flat satin knot - the signature of the entire the line. For men, the Aubade x Viktor & Rolf collaboration offers three boxers. The artwork is the same, and the codes are identical for complementary men’s and women’s lines.
BAISER VOLÉ
PMC Lingerie draws on all its skill and expertise in offering a new brand for generously shaped contemporary women who are at ease with their bodies! Baiser Volé promotes lingerie without complexes and in total harmony with fashion trends, offering perfect comfort and support, at affordable prices.
CHANGE OF DIRECTIONS ANITA
ANITA
BIJOUX INDISCRETS
Founded in 1886 by Ernst Max Helbig, Anita is today known for its corsetry and swimwear models, helping ensure comfort for all types of women. The brand stands out with its 5 lines, created especially for active women, for maternity wear, or for ultimate comfort: Rosa Faia, Anita Comfort, Anita Maternity, Anita Care and Anita Active. Sabine Pasquier took over management of the French subsidiary on 1 November 2018.
A gift box for lovers that contains our most iconic products, celebrating seduction, empowerment, pleasure and beauty so you can experience Valentine’s Day magic 12 days in a row. Passionate and playful, this box is set to become the ultimate gift for lovers of lingerie and passionate adventures. But 12 Sexy Days is so much more than a gift box, it is a challenge! Open one window a day and discover which carefully selected Bijoux Indiscrets product has been waiting for you. The game is simple, but fun. Inside the box are twelve separate doors. Get started by opening door number 1. Behind each one, you’ll find a secret accessory plus a product guide. Whoever opens the door gets to decide how to use it: with clothes, lingerie or bare skin. The game has just one simple rule: wait a day before you open the next door! 62
NEW PRODUCTS
THE TREND BOOK
DANS MA CULOTTE
Created in 2014, Dans Ma Culotte this French brand designs, produces and markets personal hygiene products, such as washable sanitary towels and other menstrual cups. It offers a full range of protection items that are chic, healthy and environmentally friendly. To maintain links with its community (40k on Instagram), Dans Ma Culotte has since September 2018 launched a monthly limitededition capsule collection in response to their customers’ demands (darker, various fruits, etc.), but also in keeping with the seasons.
EDITH ET MARCEL
The choice of the suppleness of lambskin together with a royal blue sole from goatskin velvet means these Edith et Marcel indoor shoes define French elegance. With its longestablished expertise that is 100% made in France, the brand promotes luxurious, and now personalised, comfort. At the trade show visitors will be able to discover the customisable line, the range of leather embroidery, and new colour schemes for an even more “dazzling” array.
IMPUDIQUE
After an entirely black collection in 2017 and the addition of nude the following year, the young brand is innovating in 2019 by introducing blue into its REBELLE collection with its trendy, sleek lines. Although it only used to sell to stores, Impudique has had an online presence since 1 December 2018, at the e-commerce site maisoncatanzaro.com.
MAGIC BODY FASHION
The brand presents this year a new collection made with Bamboo fibers. sustainable, breathable, natural and cool. Ultra soft to the skin and comfortable to wear all day long. Three styles: Comfort Bra, Comfort Bra Spaghetti Straps & Trendy Hipster in a 2-pack. All in 3 colors: Bamboo Mocha, Bamboo Cream, Bamboo Rose. Sizes S thru XXL.
WACOAL
Wacoal has been committed for over half a century to developing lingerie in close relationship with women. For the AW19 collection, the Japanese brand is presenting an innovative shapewear collection, Body Lift. Designed to fully support the body thanks to nanofibre woven directly into the fabric, Body Lift ensures the contours of a refined figure.
What’s New
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
BAISER VOLÉ
WACOAL
BORDELLE
2019 celebrates ten incredible years of unique design and outstanding quality for Atelier Bordelle. The brand has continued to develop and thrive organically, carving out a global niche by maintaining its trend setting position in the lingerie industry of instantly recognisable high fashion luxury design at an unmatchable quality. Bordelle’s signature and seasonal collections have grown into over 80 styles across various colourways available at handpicked stores in over 25 countries worldwide. Seasonal lines are developed into three diverse ranges that cater to all lingerie consumers. From delicate bespoke lace shapes to minimal mesh styles and the bondage aesthetic that Bordelle is synonymous with, the ranges cover an array of shapes and tastes while maintaining the multiple adjustability strap features – an invention of Bordelle that the industry has now coined ‘easy sizing’. AW19/20 introduces Part 2 of the Viennese Secession Artists inspired theme. Celebrating the diverse creativity of artists within this movement and the ways in which they pushed the boundaries of design, these three ranges offer an exciting and contemporary take on the importance of exploring creative limitations.
COEMI
MAGIC BODY FASHION IMPUDIQUE
RÖSCH FASHION 70 years CREACIONES SELENE 40 years COMPTOIR DE LA PLAGE 20 years CATANZARO 25 years
ELOMI
AUBADE X VIKTOR&ROLF BIJOUX INDISCRETS
COEMI
This year Coemi proudly celebrates 25th years of existence, presenting reinvented bestsellers and a lot of new designs. This special anniversary is a great opportunity to demonstrate brand’s new image that concerns communication, visuals and refreshed logo. Coemi’s mission is always listening to the women and provide them with the sense of luxury and comfort every single night. Thanks to the strong experience and modern creativity Coemi is able to master the balance between everyday pleasure and elegance and still surprise women with the new collection. Today the family owned brand is run by the second generation, but the same values guide Alicja Jędraszek and her brother Wojciech Wiśniewski.
ELOMI
Elomi is celebrating its 10th birthday! Its continued success since 2008 has allowed the brand to push the bounderies in the fuller figure lingerie market and to expand its shapes, styles and sizes. Elomi has built up an extensive array of products with shapes, clolors and designs to suit a variety of body shapes. The brand growing from strength to strength has also been aides by its ever growing presence with a 200% followers increase on Instagram. Its community built on positivity, confidence and support is very involved and passionate. Elomi continues to invest in its socila presence and has recently launched its latest campaign, Live Limitless, focused on a diverse group of inspirational influencers, all bound by empowerment and strength. Anniversary cocktail organised at their stand on Saturday 19 January at 5.00pm, during the Salon International de la Lingerie. JANUARY 2019 Salon International de la Lingerie
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THE TREND BOOK
WACOAL / CAPTURE BEAUTY
WACOAL
EXPO
MEN’S NEWS
So as to ensure the continuation of its legacy, Wacoal is joining up with the Wise Women group of women involved in culture and creation, and launching its artistic programme Mécène de la Beauté (patron of beauty). This sees the brand give free reign to six artists, for them to express their vision of beauty and create unique pieces. Represented by Maroussia Rebecq (co-founder of Wise Women) and Margaux Barthélemy (founder of hashtagart), the exhibition is focused on beauty, in all its forms. As such, the two exhibition organisers invite an artist a month on the “Capture Beauty” theme: Camille Vivier, Inès Longevial, Apolonia Sokol, Célia Nkala, Leslie David and Alice Guittard. The aim is to take a different look at beauty and to showcase a new, diverse and confident femininity. The six works of art will be brought together at a “Capture Beauty” charity exhibition at the Villa Rose, from 8 to 16 March 2019. The works will be sold for a cause led by Wise Women to support a new generation of female artists and creators.
ÉMINENCE
LOÏC HENRY
1, 2, 3, Go!
This winter, Eminence is hitting the road in France and shifting into high gear. In the starting blocks: 2 new boxers and briefs Made in France featuring Frenchycool prints, and 100% cotton pajamas made in their factories in Aimargues and Sauve. In 2019, it’s a style infused with racing-inspired lines and details that’s sure to clinch the victory, in underwear, loungewear, and socks. And because you have to know when to slow things down, this brand is offering a “slow” range focused on well-being, featuring an ultra-soft color palette and fabrics.
HOM A “Free Style” that combines all styles
Innovation to serve creativity and free expression marks the new Autumn/Winter 2019 collection from the HOM brand. A collection that comes in 3 themes with a new vision: California Dream, Exotic Dream, and Graphic City. Look books are out! HOM is also innovating in the way it communicates, with its MOOK combining storytelling with illustrations and articles for each collection. This brand isn’t stopping here and has decided to match its socks to the prints and colors of each of its collections. And don’t forget its iconic product, the HO1 in a cotton/modal blend, which keeps surprising us with its incredible comfort that has even been on display at the Musée des Arts et de la Mode (Fashion and Arts Museum).
LAURENCE TAVERNIER A sophisticated inner/outerwear look
Laurence Tavernier highlights the very finest materials, soft shapes, tender colors, and prints full of personality. She keeps exploring, with a new men’s collection focused on refined well-being and relaxed style that never compromises on total comfort.
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The second-skin effect
Loïc Henry, a passionate entrepreneur and great athlete, has designed a high-tech boxer with a sculpted shape and exclusive design, making it an ultra-graphic, personal second skin. Its trademarked “Hold Up Balls” system is making waves in the world of men’s underwear and is rapidly becoming an essential accessory for sporting activities, with its perfect support.
ME SEDUCE
Polish erotic lingerie brand Me Seduce, recognized in 2018 by the American adult media, is extending its range to men, with strapped accessories.
PARACHUTE Isn’t true luxury something that’s not visible to everyone?
A new player on the market, Parachute is reinventing a key piece in the stylish man’s wardrobe, while respecting his body and the environment. Inspired by the spirit and heritage of iconic pieces, this brand combines technical expertise, innovation, and comfort, with the very finest materials. Choosing OEKO-TEX-certified cotton is a mainstay of their strategy, guaranteeing a certain level of human and ecological quality and nontoxicity for the body. Parachute keeps evolving, with its brand-new, 100% Made in France boxer in the finest, brushed organic cotton. Ultimate comfort is ensured, combined with a shape inspired by Miles Davis’ boxing shorts from the 1970s.
EMINENCE
HOM LAURENCE TAVERNIER
LOÏC HENRY
ME SEDUCE
PARACHUTE
What’s New
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THE TREND BOOK
COLLECTION NEWS
LÖV
Inspired by the simplicity of the 90’s and the force and character of the age of the Supermodels, LÖV presents it’s new A/W 20 “Smooth Operator” collection with sensual see trough fabrics and smooth velvet that is soft to the touch. Working with recycled polyester and organic cotton, to prove that caring about the environment and shopping with a cause in mind can be empowering and sexy. From comfortable to subtle sensual, stylish more than your average pijamas. Löv explores a growing vary of pieces to choose that you can wear at home, out in the morning to grab coffee and croissants or late at night, for that spontaneous last minute errand.
LOUISA BRACQ
For this new collection, the creative direction of Louisa Bracq renews its creative approach. This season, the specific qualities and unique characteristics of this lingerie brand take center stage through several of its ranges. This winter is inspired by women of the 80s and 90s, in their everyday working environment, and more specifically, their office. This is the common inspirational thread for Louisa Bracq. This same woman will be reflected in the Fall/ Winter 2020 collection as bold and confident, yet lighthearted in her sense of humor and selfdeprecation. There will be 7 ranges with subtle, recognizable details, such as for pieces in the “Elise” or “Série” ranges, in new colors this season, as well as a certain number of new products that highlight the exceptional craftsmanship of this brand, particularly with the “Matyo” range and its Hungarian-inspired embroidery. And finally, the collection is built around the range infused with the brand’s signature look, with the “Julia” style. The season promises to be diverse, surprising, and harmonious, giving the women of today just what they want.
MAISON CLOSE
As an authentic meeting of worlds and materials, Coup de Foudre is establishing itself in exclusive lines as an intrepid, essential and refined collection. Breaking down the barriers between daring and elegant, Coup de Foudre subjugates, intrigues and seduces. Through its play of bold transparencies, finely worked lace and materials that feel like a second skin against the body, Maison Close presents a collection as ardent as it is romantic, as if struck by a lightning bolt of passion.
MYLA LONDON
Myla London is a Luxury brand combining comfort with elegance. Day to evening wear with wearable shapes, beautiful fabrics with strategic styling for a flattering, sophisticated silhouette. Combining functionality with style. Many shapes have been designed with clever seaming and details to enhance the body. Combining rigid luxury French laces with soft stretch silks and tulles to allow designs to flatter and accommodate body types. Myla has its own store in Mayfair London and has also collaborated with Spring Studios to create a new website. Not just the norm of ecom website, but all of the imagery has been creatively shot in campaign style for a new online shopping experience.
ROSSELL ENGLAND
The AW19/20 colour palette is a seductive modern mix of blush, raspberry and black inspired from the colourful doorways found in Paris to the paintings of Modigliani. The core principal of the brand continues to create stylishly designed, wire free lingerie in 100% natural fabrics. This means, breathable, beautiful and high performing underwear for the wearer. Innovative fabric cutting techniques create structured support and in place of under-wiring, angled boning at the side of the bra gives support, without the wearer feeling it. The Kimono is the central piece from the sleepwear range - a perfect cover-up and bathrobe. Made in the most beautiful 100% Irish linen jacquards, sourced from an artisan mill in Ireland. These unique robes compliment the clean lines and modern lingerie style of Rossell. The full range offers luxurious night slips, camisoles and shorts. New for the AW19 season are versatile bodysuits, made from 100% cotton jersey and offered in blush and black.
SKARLETT BLUE
Skarlett Blue is designed in NYC by women who were tired of compromising their sexy for comfort. The design team set out to create lingerie women can actually live in and feel sexy and confident every day. The brand merges the «everyday bra» with the «date night bra» so that women can get the best of both worlds in one style. This season’s new lingerie collection is inspired by the 90’s and designed with the modern woman in mind. The designers created practical, everyday underwear and put a sexy edge on it with lace, printed details, and
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romantic silhouettes. Thoughtfully designed with classic silhouettes, the pieces are tailored to be structured yet soft, minimal yet elegant.
UNDERSTATMENT UNDERWEAR
For women by women, Understatement is a brainchild of a creative engineer and a fashion addicted PR-guru with a common drive to change the way you wear and shop underwear: « We wanted to bring exciting contrasts and color combos, edgy details and a big dose of humor into the underwear segment- creating a brand being both fun to shop and empowering to wear. » With a stylish, bold and confident brand image Understatement doesn’t just make underwear, making premium modern statement pieces, blurring the line between clothes and underwear. With an unconventional and creative concept in branding and packaging Understatement aspires to transform an everyday necessity into a lifestyle concept and an active style choice. For example, Insomnia and Mesh Mania items made from sheer tactile mesh, the perfect bodywear that feels like you aren’t wearing any.
UNDRESS CODE
The core of Undress Code’s philosophy is a modern woman and her ever-changing needs. The brand frees itself from traditional perception of sexy lingerie and wants to take part in the process of reconfiguring the roles that women can play in the modern world. To Undress Code women’s empowerment means the freedom in making conscious choices. Undress Code pieces are based on a need of functionality without the resignation from the fashionable style. They are sewn in a seamless way to make them as comfortable as possible. The highest quality is guaranteed by selected Italian and French fabrics. The pieces are perfect both as lingerie and an element of clothing to wear on daily basis. In terms of design the collection is the combination of fashion and art, covered in modern cuts. The founders don’t want to cling to cliche’s, but to create a real positive definition of what femininity can mean for modern women. On the top of that, they want their products to be a symbol of the entirely fulfilled female, whom they will gladly support as a brand, being present during women initiatives and supporting women foundations.
UNDRESS CODE
MYLA LONDON
UNDERSTATEMENT UNDERWEAR
LÖV
SKARLETT BLUE
MAISON CLOSE
LOUISA BRACQ
ROSSETT ENGLAND
What’s New
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POTENCIER
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rt of Details Interfilière Paris The
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xception SPACE
What was the context around designing this exhibit?
Sylvie Maysonnave / Though we don’t yet know what direction fashion is taking, there is clearly a need for authenticity, with a current taste for all that is retro. There is, in fact, in the return to what is natural, something truly nostalgic. And something Eastern, a sort of imaginary Asia: Eastern wellness is generally in vogue in several fields, such as beauty, design, and fashion. Moving toward the natural, in this case, is a matter of care, in a manner of speaking. Women are expecting a product offer that has no contradiction between inner and outerwear. Since the 1980s, we have noticed that there are ever-more elements in underwear that have gone “outerwear”. So, this is, in fact, a space for development of the lingerie industry, allowing it to appear in the full light of day, alongside the other major challenge/opportunity that is sustainability. Identifying designers working with natural fibers was not so complicated, since it is so much a part of what’s happening now: still, the difficulty was finding a connection to the world of lingerie. Though loungewear is what most closely resembles clothing, with comfortable materials included in everyday wear, lingerie has its own rules that are irretrievably linked to elastane. There is no going back. We are certainly talking about a natural spirit, but we can’t expect women to renounce comfort by returning to pure cotton. This is why we’re advocating a natural mood, but not 100% natural fabrics, which would be nearly impossible. Instead, we’re leaning toward a natural inspiration rather than 100% natural fabrication. Artificial fibers are moving as close as possible to natural textures, even to a natural mood, in terms of color and print.
Have you expanded your outlook?
CHARLOTTE KAUFMANN
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The Exception Space
S.M. / In addition to natural materials, we’ve looked at artificial materials derived from nature (of plant or animal origin), with viscose products based on milk proteins. We went searching for all kinds of samples of truly fascinating artificial materials. There has been so much progress toward what is
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THE EXCEPTION SPACE
SYLVIE MAYSONNAVE For the third year in a row, Sylvie Maysonnave takes the reins as artistic director of the “The Exception” space. Consulted for her expertise in fashion and natural materials, she found it important to broaden the scope of lingerie for a wider view which, in her opinion, relates to all that is intimate: “a certain need to return to what is natural moves our emotions in every domain, like a new way of living at home, on our plates, and in our wardrobes”, explains Sylvie. “This is reflected in eating for health, in home furnishings, and especially in homewear, an important part of lingerie. There is perhaps something truly modern about offering lingerie that is pure, raw, and primitive, yet which remains refined. There is a real trend to move toward something more authentic and simpler.”
natural, with a focus on materials that were hardly in use a few years ago, but particularly through recycling. The natural mood is not necessarily organic: true progress would be using sustainable cotton. This is why it was important for us to bring up this theme of recycled materials. For six years now, the Centre européen des textiles innovants (CETI) has been focused on the industry’s sustainable development, with the creation of recycling processes for short fibers, such as cotton. This is quite new, considering that, up to now, it was polyester that tended to be recycled.
How is fashion making use of this recycling trend?
S.M. / We’ve identified couture designers who are working with this recycling concept. I went to visit Gustavo Lins, whom I’ve worked with on recycling vintage kimonos. I found an interesting link between couture, recycling, and the spirit of lingerie: the kimono is originally an outdoor garment, but which melds beautifully into the homewear mood. Many innerwear pieces are derived from the kimono. Another young designer out of the Institut Français de la Mode, May Bernardi, has found her place in this exhibit, with very interesting items using natural materials. We have identified two young designers who are part of the Ateliers de Paris and are working on recycling or on the use of multiple natural materials in textile design. It extends all the way to working with animal products. Lucie Touré works using paper, with ultra-delicate embroidery samples that could absolutely be used in a lingerie manner. With Charlotte Kaufman, we’re dealing with the weaving of plant material. Igor Brossman made us a kimono from paper knit. We will, in fact, be showing it on a paper table also designed by Igor. Virginie Gallégo and Fabien Desportes work a lot with Japan, a culture that truly inspires them. They only work in cotton and linen, creating old-fashioned shirt-dresses. In their boutique, the whole interior reflects their collections, telling the impactful story of a natural home.
What natural fibers have you chosen to highlight?
S.M. / We will have linen or cotton makers who are expanding their textile production into the world of household linens. We will also be showing objects made from natural fibers: for example, a linen chair from designer Christian Meindertsma. Linen is the most renowned of all eco- and sustainable materials, with its European production that is highly respectful of the environment. We’ve also decided to focus on the use of hemp, for which we collected several samples (fashion and décor-related), such as kimonos, specifically, from Couleur Chanvre. We’ve also broadened the discussion to expression through cotton with Fatimata Sy, New talent prizewinner from the 2018 Artisanat d’Art award at the Chambre des Métiers. She will show several wax-print swimsuits that are truly lovely and interesting. We will also be showing naturally dyed cotton, in a limited palette, of course, but we found it fascinating to show all the work being done with natural pigments. It has become truly modern to give up traditional lingerie colors and choose only natural pigments.
What does this exhibit seek to achieve?
S.M. / “The Exception” is a way to feed the imagination of the lingerie industry, encouraging us to move toward a more sustainable approach. For us, it’s more about providing sources of inspiration to manufacturers with samples whose production still remains anecdotal. The idea is to eventually upscale fibers used in an artisanal manner and make natural materials accessible to the greatest number of people. The concept would be to push the search even further, in order to develop something even more virtuous. Lingerie must nevertheless remain affordable: it’s a matter of managing to produce at a lower cost so that it can be used in lingerie. ¢
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P
Participants of The Exception
ARTICIPANTS
of The Exception
Within her collections,
May Bernardi,
combines experimental design and poetic tales. Inspired by nature and mythology, she reinterprets artisanal textile handling techniques to create new textures and hand-made textiles. Her aesthetic is both elegant, sophisticated, and raw. She represents a multifaceted image of femininity: strong and independent, soft and sensual, but never worried about pleasing others.
THE EUROPEAN LINEN & HEMP CONFEDERATION is the only European agro-industrial organization that brings together and unites all stages of production and processing of linen and hemp. The privileged interface for 10 000 European companies, the CELC thus controls the fiber of the plant down to the finished product.
CETI
MAY BERNARDI
Founded in 1951, it offers a forum for study, current analysis, strategic orientations, and dialogue within this industry.
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THE EXCEPTION SPACE
CHARLOTTE KAUFMANN
A multidisciplinary artist and designer, Igor Brossman specializes in paper-based creations, and explores the ephemeral nature of contemporary fashion trends. This designer works with different types of paper to create accessories, garments, and patterns for décor, installation, or shop windows. This desire for a return to nature has been clearly understood by home linens brand Couleur Chanvre. Hemp, an ancestral plant in use for the past 3000 years, had practically disappeared since the 1950s, in favor of industrial and chemical materials. A model of sustainable development, Couleur Chanvre offers 100% French manufacturing, in which respect for nature is primordial. Processed with passion and true expert craftsmanship, hemp fiber is synonymous with comfort & well-being.
IGOR BROSSMAN
COULEUR CHANVRE
The Gallego Desportes brand is the result of an encounter between Virginie Gallégo and Fabien Desportes. Since 1993, they’ve been working together and have created their first collection mixing fabrics Made in France with antique textiles. Understated comfort and elegance are the key concepts behind their designs. Textile designer Charlotte Kaufmann creates singular textures in wovens, embroidery, and bobbin lace. Her hand-crafted collections are developed in her workshop, pairing an instinctive talent for craft with a gift for interpretation, for customized haute couture and interior design projects. With all the strength of his renowned talent and craftsmanship, Brazilian couturier Gustavo Lins returned to the spotlight in March 2018 with his brand Lïns Paris and a new project: ARCHI-SWEAT. Sweaters with or without sleeves, assembled with three or six seams all down the body like the waves seen on kimonos in ancient Japanese prints. They are a melding of two worlds that are traditionally opposites: that of urban sophistication, and that of skaters, rappers, and graffiti artists. This represents a type of cultural syncretism that is typical of our era. Designer Christien Meindertsma explores the life cycle of products and raw materials with new manufacturing processe. Through the FLAX chair, his ambition is to create an affordable product that is locally made, adaptable, and respectful of the environment. Made up of a blend of linen & PLA (bioplastic), this 100% biodegradable chair is the perfect illustration of eco-friendly creation.
Fatimata Sy
envisions eco-friendly fashion in her custom design workshop, where she works with recycled materials, discontinued pieces, and fabrics Made in France. With her By Fatimata Sy brand, this designer highlights the importance of an ethical stance by offering one-of-a-kind pieces, organic cosmetics, or fair-trade products. Zero waste, zero inventory!
LUCIE TOURÉ
Embroidery, cutouts, weaving…Paper & textile designer Lucie Touré enhances paper by combining it with textile finishing techniques and thus suggesting new uses of it. Her luxurious creations are used both in fashion and interior décor.
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The Innovative Exchange and Experimental Way
TOMORROW !
Space
Conscious of contemporary environmental and social challenges, Interfilière Paris seeks to inform its visitors and exhibitors about future-focused projects. It’s through a specially dedicated space with a revealing name – Tomorrow – that the show wishes to demonstrate its eye on innovative processes and experimental research. In collaboration with DEFI-La Mode de France, the incubator and growth accelerator for the fashion business in France, Interfilière Paris has identified two projects for this edition that illustrate an industry in transition. This is an inspired spotlight on textile innovation and production in this sector.
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One space, four key players in innovation…
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t
omo
NÉNÉS PARIS Recycled-fiber lingerie
Nénés Paris is the first French brand to use fabrics exclusively made from recycled fibers. This brand has as its philosophy offering the public sustainable, delicate lingerie at a reasonable price. Their ambition? To boost the image of ecofriendly products with frequently-refreshed capsule collections, warm shades of color, a variety of materials, and pretty prints.
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NEATEK Technology to serve the needs of fashion
Neatek has developed a STYLE AND FIT solution, a digital app that automates the instantaneous creation of patterns for all types of custom garments. Starting with the closest larger size, client measurements are taken in store or sent through the internet using a configurator for the choice of style and materials. Client data recovered from the Cloud allows for the immediate generation of a personalized pattern, with a measurement template. STYLE AND FIT promises a signification reduction in cost and production time for custom apparel.
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TOMORROW SPACE
TOPTEXCUBE Disruptive textiles
Specialized in the use of new technologies for the textile domain, TopTexCube notably uses alternative technological processes to traditional garment manufacture, for greater innovation and industrial efficiency. This company facilitates a shortening of manufacturing processes by reducing the number of stages in garment-making, using laser-cutting and heatbonding processes.
orrow Space
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ARÍ VAN TWILLERT “Haute Comforture”
AArí van Twillert is the world’s first true 3D fit lingerie specialist. They make Haute Comforture; completely bespoke garments, created for the perfect fit and hand crafted in their atelier in Rotterdam. They use 3D scanning, 3D printing, software engineers and couture crafts seamstresses for the best fitting bra with an accuracy to the width of a hair.
The Innovative Exchange and Experimental Way
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The Innovative Exchange and Experimental Way
GENERAL FORUM Space
The evolution of the lingerie landscape For nearly twenty years now, the Interfilière Paris show, unlike other textile events, has decided to invest in the in-house design of their trend forum, both in terms of the swatches selected and the creation of trends (the truly unique EVOLUTION guide and color range), and even the installation design of the space.
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he General Forum in its current format plays a key role within the show, marked by growing enthusiasm and enjoyment from all sides of the industry, both manufacturers and buyers. For visitors, the Forum is very often the first step of their journey through the shows. For most exhibitors, with products that have been selected for this display, their presence at the Forum is considered a mark of success. Nevertheless, the lingerie and swimwear markets are undergoing rapid evolutions, reflecting what is happening throughout society. Buyers are better informed and are, more than ever, interested in viewing this shift within a global context. New product categories such as athleisure, loungerie, or swimtimates are appearing, and our lifestyles are evolving, focusing more on health or “afterwork”. All these new denominations are expressions that reflect a rapid hybridization in terms of product categories. New creative talents are emerging, bringing unprecedented energy to our industry. These new brands are more attentive to consumer behavior than to the “rules” of the industry. For its part, the entry of streetwear into the world of luxury is shaking up the traditional rules of this sector. Values are shifting…All of this therefore requires us to adapt to new shop and communications concepts. ¢
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NOUVELLE VAGUE (NEW WAVE) is the name of January’s new Forum. The General Forum will reflect the new wave that we’re experiencing in this industry. Manufacturers and designers will be playing the starring roles here. This new Forum seeks to shine a spotlight on all aspects of the industry, their know-how, talents, and ability to adapt to evolutions. It will be a sort of social network in three dimensions. A large number of designers will be present, including Livy, Maison Lejaby, MarieYat, Neiwai, Undress Code, Rossell, About, Studio Pia…who will be sharing their experience and vision of the lingerie of tomorrow.
GENERAL FORUM SPACE
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general orum The Interfilière Paris
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CHARLOTTE KAUFMANN
f
Neglected for years in favor of higher-performance synthetic fibers, natural fibers are back with a vengeance on the fashion and lingerie markets. The environmental awakening and the growing importance of wellness and the protection of health are intimately tied to a desire for more natural, healthier products and comfortable materials that are, in theory, less “toxic�.
Still, all these fibers, starting with cotton, are not necessarily free of a negative impact on our planet.
natural ibers I
n a desire to save our environment, manufacturers, scientists, and textile-industry denizens, whomever they may be, are now looking to develop natural alternatives with a low impact on the environment and are animal cruelty-free. Among these alternatives, the most highly developed are undoubtedly the implementation of a new recycled cotton circuit and the relaunch of long-forgotten textile circuits with venerable histories, such as nettle or hemp. But new, sometimes surprising, often interesting solutions, because they are from by-products or waste, are also starting to appear: citrus-peel fiber, fishscale fiber, and more. We are undoubtedly now experiencing the dawn of a new generation of intelligent fibers.
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Rewind
The French
COTTON RECYCLING
project is picking up pace
Rewind is a forward-looking project for the cotton industry. Supported by the Ademe and led by TDV Industries, in collaboration with CETI (the European Center for Innovative Textiles), this threeyear project launched in September 2017 with a budget of 6 078 155 € brings together several partners from industry and retail. Rewind seeks to develop a recycling process for cotton from used garments to make new clothes.
Increasing demand for cotton Cotton is by far the favorite fabric of all consumers, from East to West, and North to South: healthy, comfortable, easy-wear, soft, practical, hypoallergenic, absorbent, reassuring…such are the words to describe consumers’ love affair with this material. Our wardrobes and lingerie drawers, in particular, overflow with this white gold. These qualities can no longer hide a grim reality: 5 260 liters of water are needed to produce a single kilogram of cotton. Its cultivation requires a massive dose of pesticides (25% of all pesticides used throughout the world). Despite competition from synthetics, cotton fiber still represents a quarter of worldwide fiber production. In 2017/2018, world production of cotton increased by 10%, reaching 25.4 million tons (up 9% over 2016/2017). According to the FAO, total demand for cotton may reach 28.3 million tons in 2025, in other words, 1.8 million tons higher than the record consumption of 2006. Over the coming decade, cotton consumption will continue to grow faster than the world population. This is without taking into account a drop in production, already seen in China, but made up for by India, is expected.
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FIBRESPP X CETI
NATURE MEETS ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
Initial objectives attained
A pilot project to add value to the industry Mara Poggio, in charge of the Sustainable Development department at CETI, highlights the importance of this project for the entire industry: “There is a real challenge at stake in terms of sustained, economically viable added value for all types of used textiles, whose collection keeps growing and may reach 300 000 tons in 2020, according to Eco-TLC. The recycling of cotton offers solutions that will allow us to mitigate the likely decline in cotton cultivation. Our goal today is to bring added value during recycling.” The very first samples, fresh out of the machines, are more than satisfying. A brand-new woven fabric created by the R&D department at TDV Industries has served as a starting point for developing a range of cotton fabrics containing around 70% recycled fibers. Knitwear tests have also shown satisfactory results. “There is no impact on the yarn. We must further improve its durability, which is still a bit weak and is preventing us from making 100% recycled fabrics for the moment”, explains Mara Poggio.
For the CETI and its partners, including TDV Industries, the uses of recycled cotton fabrics are many. Though the goal of Rewind is clearly to develop a cotton recycling process that allows for the obtention of quality fibers, this project has already managed to meet technical challenges such as: the implementation of reliable, efficient collection thanks to collection and sorting firm Gebetex, the automation of the breakdown of used textiles and of their cutting into strips in preparation for reprocessing, and the creation of a new fraying machinery. What remains is to evaluate recycled cotton fiber’s environmental impact. Rewind estimates that 3.8 kg’s-worth of CO2 are saved per kilo of recycled yarn, which, on the scale of the entire project (that is to say, 210 tons per year, eventually), would represent a net reduction in 800 tons’-worth of CO2.
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Linen
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NATURE MEETS ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
Three questions for…
MARIE DEMAEGDT
Textile and Sustainable Development Manager at the CELC (European Linen & Hemp Confederation)
What is linen’s proportion of overall European textile consumption?
M.D. / The public loves linen nowadays because of its qualities – it’s an eco-friendly fiber that grows nearby and is traceable – and for its ubiquity, which allows it to be used from fashion items all the way through to technical textiles. This is a range of expression and an influence that is inversely proportional to its niche aspect: linen represents less than 1% of the fiber market worldwide.
Where are we in terms of the redevelopment of European linen textile fiber for the fashion market?
M.D. / Being a truly resilient fiber, it is in fact as part of linen’s capacity to innovate that it has so many uses, such as in linen knits, denim, mid-season blends, etc.…with softening finishes for greater comfort and easy care.
What are the perspectives for linen on the fashion, lingerie, and, in particular, the loungewear markets?
M.D. / Directly giving consumers what they want, linen, the only textile fiber of European origin, has verified benefits in terms of traceability and environmental and social responsibility, with its European Flax® and Masters of Linen® certifications. As for its performance, which is laboratory-tested, its thermo-regulating and moisture-wicking properties offer major development potential both in active sport and for laces and second-skin jerseys. ¢
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News Interfilière Paris
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WHAT’S EWS
in natural fibers and fibers of natural origin from exhibitors at interfiliere paris
LES TISSAGES PERRIN
PONGEES LTD Textured silks
This British silk specialist expands its collection, placing textured effects in the spotlight: hammered and sanded satins complete the vast collection of chiffons, crêpes de Chine, tulles, and dupionis. Pongees focuses on natural shades of nude, bronze, mocha, midnight, etc. This silk maker is also developing a new range of silk laces.
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LES TISSAGES PERRIN
Jacquards and prints
This French silk house presents new, refined and slightly textured, matching dobbies for its Soielyne silk jacquard range. Designed especially for loungewear, the range of soft, elegant silk satins is enriched with two new prints entitled Orchidia and Nautilus.
PONGEES LTD
Natural fibers and fibers of natural origin are in the spotlight within exhibitors’ collections. A real “lingerie-friendly” material, cotton is rediscovering its place of honor. Its softness and comfort are popular with consumers looking for all that’s “natural” and who are increasingly concerned about the ecological consequences of toxic agricultural practices. Exhibitors are developing ever-more organic cotton, while looking to burnish the image of standard cotton, through more sophisticated treatments that are clearly oriented toward the high end of the market. Silk is taking advantage of the renewed interest in natural materials. Cellulosic fibers, namely Modal, MicroModal, Tencel, and Cupro are also doing very well as part of revamped collections. Here’s a look at the most notable new products of the season.
NATURE MEETS ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
AET SAS Linen and lyocell
This new French company specialized in flat and circular knits makes natural and artificial fibers the thread that runs throughout its new collection: new 100% French linen jersey, solid-colored or printed, for homewear and RTW; stretch jersey with 93% MicroModal®, for a cozy-chic mood; double-sided bouclé terrycloth knit with 90% Tencel, available in a burnout print with maxi floral motifs; a 45% Cupro , 45% lyocell, 10% silk jersey knit to wrap yourself in; and a fresh jersey knit with 94% Tencel. Also new and notable: a new printed piqué knit with a vintage spirit, in recycled polyester with lyocell, especially designed for active sports.
CADICAGROUP SPA Ethical Choice Collection
This Italian company specialized in tags and labels takes things a step further in terms of an eco-conscious approach. This brand-new collection is made using organic or recycled and biodegradable materials. Among the most remarkable items are Recyclabels, labels made from cellulosic, bamboo, hemp, linen fibers, and more…
IPEKER
FEINJERSEY Top quality
Faithful to its high-quality image, this Austrian knitter unveils a remarkable collection: new double-sided, fine-gauge jacquards that are anti-pill and anti-roll, with MicroModal on the inside for lingerie; lightweight, ultra-soft knits in Micromodal and cashmere or silk, for loungewear; technical two-toned knits in micro-Tencel and thermoregulating wool/polyamide for activewear. And don’t forget their truly sustainable “organic” Supreme cotton.
Nature is the key concept for Ipeker’s approach to fashion. This Turkish company, ultra-ethical and GRS certified, is very first to offer a “vegan” collection bearing the European Vegetarian Union label. This firm has, in fact, set up a VTP (Vegan Textile Processes) production system that allows for the production of biodegradable “Vegan Cupro” with a minimal environmental impact. As a global leader in Cupro fabrics, Ipeker innovates once again:
MIATEX Fine and ribbed
This Moroccan firm, specialized in fine knits, offers a double-sided ribbed knit in 100% cotton and is developing several qualities blended with artificial fibers. For lingerie, MicroModal and cotton/Modal jerseys. For loungewear, cut terrycloth in mostly cotton, and for activewear, invisible fleece in cotton (70%) and polyester.
Fine silk, like Cupro/rayon twill, is the closest alternative to Habotai fabric. Another innovation is the fine quality of the stretch Cupro/viscose that is perfectly adapted to the lingerie market, with its peachskin hand. Eco-burnout prints applied on different weights of Cupro fabrics add a new dimension to printed Cupro fabrics,
SATAB Organic beauty
This family-run company designated as a “living heritage enterprise” creates its new collection around silhouettes with nomadic, tribal, glamorous, and eco-friendly inspirations. It is notably debuting grosgrain, taffeta, and twill ribbons in 100% organic cotton.
CHANTY Creator of natural laces
FABTEX With marine collagen
A renowned knit specialist, Fabtex is launching an unprecedented range based on Umorfil®, the new bionic yarn that includes, at the supramolecular level, collagen from marine amino acid peptides. The result: fabrics for the lingerie and activewear markets that are functional, soft, and respectful of the environment.
explains Belgin Sabrioğlu. The new Vegan collection will be enhanced with special satins and metallic-effect wovens, fine cottons, lightweight jerseys with animal, floral, and geometric prints, and burnout linen with micro-motifs.
SERAM Naturally yours
This French specialist in textile accessories presents a collection made using natural materials selected for their authenticity and precious nature: wool, silk, cotton, linen…A series of bows, ribbons, braids, but also labels and pouches for the high-end market and custom or “turnkey”-designed.
JANUARY 2019 Interfilière Paris
SERAM
Fully committed and ethical, this lacemaker is creating in stand-alone natural fibers in 3 ranges: Green Line, with stretch braids and all-over laces in organic cotton with Roica™ Eco Smart or in Q-Nova® (recycled polyamide) fiber; Cotton Line, with soft, comfortable, cotton-based laces; and Naia Line, with stretch laces made using the new cellulosic fiber created from sustainable resources, by Eastman.
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Nature meets advanced technology
60% of fibers used today to make fabrics are still derived from petroleum. Many researchers, designers, and scientists have decided to elaborate new ways to make fabrics, for a new, more natural, cleaner, and more sustainable textile industry. Fibers produced from plants or animals are appearing on scene or making a comeback. Innovative solutions are emerging from new processes of chemical synthesis. Manufacturers have finally understood that the challenge also lies in the use of natural by-products and in recovering organic waste.
LISELORE FROWIJN
Here’s an overview of the latest developments and research underway.
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NATURE MEETS ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
FRUIT, COFFEE, SPIDERS, AND FISH…
Truly precious fruits Banana
Pineapple
Coconut
Used since the 13th century in Southeast Asia, banana fiber is back on the textile market due to certain inspired designers. It is a truly abundant resource in India (29.7 million tons in 2018, 60 million tons expected through 2025), China, the Philippines, and Africa. Banana fiber is extracted from the petioles located at the base of the Abaca banana tree leaves. Banana tree silk is made using these petioles cut into strips. The fibers extracted from this are then washed and dried. They have dark-brown or white color depending on whether they’re taken from the heart or the edges of the petioles. Banana silk is lightweight and biodegradable, flexible, and water-resistant. It is soft and silky, supple and strong. It allows for perfect evaporation of perspiration. Thus, it is ideal for undergarments.
This alternative to leather has been developed by Carmen Hijosa, a Spanish designer. Inspired by traditional Filipino garments, Carmen Hijosa has created Piñatex, composed of fibers extracted from pineapple leaves, a by-product of the fruit’s harvesting. The leaves gathered from plantations are husked into long fibers, before undergoing an industrial process conducted by Carmen’s company, Ananas Aman. This requires 480 leaves, that is to say, around 16 pineapples, to make 1 m² of fabric. The rolls of non-wovens are then sent to Spain to be turned into a fabric called Piñatex, and then finished. Durable, lightweight, and supple, it can be cut, pitted, embroidered, or printed. It is available in 2 ranges, Original (4 colors), at 50 € per meter, and Oro (metallic tones), at 58 € per meter. Several eco-friendly designers are working with Piñatex: Alicia, designer for Bourgeois Boheme, an English shoe brand, Tara Gannon, designer for Maniwala, a California-based accessory brand, and Dutch designer Liselore Frowijn, award-winning creator of luxury sportswear. Famous brands such as Hugo Boss or Trussardi are already working with it as well. Camper and Puma have made prototypes with it. Piñatex has received the fabric innovation award 2016 from the Royal College of Arts in London.
We know about Cocona™ fiber, a derivative of active charcoal from coconut husks that come from water-filter industry waste. Used by certain sport and sportswear industry brands, such as PN Jone, Cocona™ fiber offers well-known properties: light weight, durability, moisture absorption, fast drying, and anti-UV protection. Today, this exotic fruit is getting new attention, or, rather, a truly sustainable new life, as developed by Australian company Nanollose. A truly refined new life that offers it promising prospects on the fashion market. Nanollose has developed a unique synthetic process for residual biomass waste produced by the coconut processing industry. The goal is to generate a sort of viscose, without using any plants: Nullabor™ fiber (the name of the Australian desert plain that has no trees) represents a major technological advance for the cellulose industry. Contrary to standard viscose, this new, sustainable fiber is obtained using microorganisms that “eat” biomass and convert liquid biomass waste into microbial cellulose. This process takes less than one month in total, and requires very little soil, water, or energy. Microbial cellulose is then converted into fibers to form Nullabor Fibre™, using the Nanollose technology, which is compatible with existing processing and manufacturing equipment. Alfie Germano, CEO of Nanollose, wants to apply this process to other biomass waste from the wine, beer, and other liquid food industries.
Australian brand AussieBum, founded by Sean Ashby, has gotten it right. They’ve launched a range of men’s underwear made from banana fiber (27%), organic cotton (64%), and elastane (9%), made in Australia. (Priced at around 22 € per brief). Several designer names and young designers have chosen banana fiber, like Dita Sandico, who was been working in the Philippines for 15 years now with banana silk, or Coralie Marabelle, General Public Prize winner at Hyères 2014. A graduate of Studio Berçot, this designer, who started off at Hermès, Maison Margiela, and Alexander McQueen, has created dresses made from banana and pineapple fibers, paired with an Umorfil® jersey, a unique textile fiber made from collagen molecules derived from fish scales and cellulose.
JANUARY 2019 Interfilière Paris
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Nature meets advanced technology
S.CAFE
Fermented tea
Tea or coffee? Coffee grounds Developed using coffee grounds, S.Café Yarn® is not a natural fiber. It’s a fiber composite featuring a technology that uses a natural ingredient. Specializing in the production of functional textiles, Taiwanese group Singtex Industrial Co. Ltd, founded in 1989, quickly realized that importance of the ecological challenged posed by climate change. It invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the research and development of eco-functional fabrics that respect the environment. It was in 2008 that S.Café® yarn was developed using plastic bottles and coffee grounds. No solvents are used in the manufacturing process. Contrary to other coal-based materials, the charring treatment of S.Café® is conducted at a low temperature, thus reducing CO2 emissions. The properties of S.Café® are opening up new and interesting potential uses for the lingerie and swimwear market. Technology has allowed for a considerable acceleration of drying through the dispersion of moisture absorbed by the surface
of the fabric (up to 200% faster than cotton). Coffee-ground micropores absorb odors and perpetually reflect UV rays. Several casualwear and sportswear brands have used it in their collections: Hugo Boss (polo shirt for 99.90 €, made with 40% S.Café®), Timberland (Cycling Falmouth jacket, 160 €, with 42 grams of coffee grounds, in other words, 16% S.Café®), and Louis Garneau (Drytex 3400 cycling pants with 62% S.Café®).
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Growing your clothes: here’s a concept from a pioneer in bio-culture, British designer Suzanne Lee, who managed to grow her fabrics using living microorganisms. The cultivation is conducted using kombucha, an acidic drink with a green tea base. This fermented tea is mixed with bacteria and yeast. The bacteria feed on sugar and produce a membrane: microbial cellulose. After a few weeks, this material is dried and molded before it is manufactured. A young French designer took up this idea by growing a symbiotic bacterium called “scoby”. Like a fungus or Mother of Vinegar, this scoby grows by developing mold. Stelina Lorieux thus obtained organic matter, with an initially gelatinous consistency, which solidifies after dehydration. French start-up Open Biofabrics, specialized in bio-design using scoby, also wants to revolutionize the textile world by replacing garment factories with high-tech laboratories. Starting in 2011, Suzanne Lee presented her first jackets and shoes made from “kombucha”. In 2016, it was Young A. Lee’s team, a researcher from the University of Iowa, and author of “Sustainable Fibers for the Fashion Industry”, who presented similar work on jackets and shoes, emphasizing the biodegradable aspect of this fiber. Despite a truly virtuous life cycle, this new cellulose fiber is not yet fully ready for market: issues with moisture absorption make the fabric less durable. Its manufacture in a lab setting have yet to be scaled up to an industrial level. We’re not quite there yet.
ADIDAS FUTURECRAFT
NATURE MEETS ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
Little creatures Spiders
Hagfish
Pinna Nobilis Byssus Threads
Many eons ago, mankind noted the quality of spiderweb, since its famous thread is exceptionally strong, superior even to that of steel or Kevlar (aramid fiber), yet so much finer and more elastic. Truly hard workers, these little creatures never stop weaving. But they have the annoying tendency to devour each other…So, it’s impossible to imagine any large-scale production. Several researchers have thus attempted to artificially reproduce this silky thread. German company AMSilk, using genetic engineering, has succeeded in modifying bacteria using spider thread DNA, in order to produce fibroin, the protein that generates this exceptional strength. Grown in large bioreactors, these proteins provide a synthetic material that is full biodegradable called Biosteel®. For AMSilk, Biosteel® allows them to take “the best of what nature has to offer, manufacturing it on an industrial scale”. With, as an added benefit, enhanced properties: high resistance to heat and truly soft, it loses none of its elasticity and biodegradability. “Development is still in process and limited, for now, to a small number of projects and partners”, Anja Mayer, executive assistant at AMSilk has confided to Interfilière Paris. Among these partnerships is that with Adidas, which has allowed for the elaboration of a prototype sport shoe, Futurecraft Biofabric, with an upper woven from Biosteel®. Take note that the beige color of the Adidas shoe is natural, due to the protein, and is not dyed. The massive potential for development that spider silk represents is already attracting competition. Among pilot projects underway for the textile market, we can also note that of The North Face, the outdoor brand, which has developed the Moon Parka, a jacket in artificial spider silk, created with Japanese-made Spiber.
The hagfish looks like a prehistoric eel measuring from 30 to 120 cm long. When it feels threatened, this “old hag” secretes, through a system of 150 pores, a viscous type of mucus. This substance has the unique capability of diffusing itself instantaneously once excreted into the water, expanding to several hundred times its initial volume. This system is truly effective: predators that would like to devour this harmless scavenger are suffocated by the mucus. The hagfish thus repulses the dozen or so enemies it has, including several species of sharks. This gelatinous substance contains ultra-fine, strong filaments that can be spun and woven like plant fibers, with an exceptional result: “The glands of just one fish can produce a million kilometers of yarn with a diameter of 1 to 3 thousandths of a millimeter”, proclaims Timothy Winegard, researcher at the University of Guelph (Canada), who has studied the hagfish. There’s just one problem: these animals are difficult to raise in an aquarium. Scientists thus hope to include the gene that generates the secretion of this gel into bacteria to manufacture this fiber in a laboratory setting. Some companies have already tried to synthetize it. Start-up Benthic Labs has developed a biodegradable polymer, created using components derived from the gelatinous substance secreted by the hagfish. This material could be used to produce protective garments, food packaging, and bandages. One hundred times finer than a human hair, the threads that compose this gelatinous substance are 10 times stronger than nylon. For Professor Yi Cui of Stanford University, hagfish mucus possesses stunning properties such as that of cooling down the body. It is therefore perfect for making garments that are true comfort-wear.
Though the production of “sea silk” dates back to ancient times, today, only one person has retained the secrets to making it: Chiara Vigo. To produce this luxurious fabric that shimmers like gold, it is necessary to harvest the byssus, this bunch of filaments that can grow even longer than 6 cm and are secreted by certain mollusks, allowing them to maintain a grip on the sea floor. Marine silk, or “fish wool”, is secreted by the Great Pearl mollusk, Pinna Nobilis. In days gone by, this mollusk was fished for its flesh. But nowadays, this animal is protected, and its harvest is prohibited. Chiara Vigo has developed a unique method to obtain this “silk” without killing the mollusk. To take the filaments with damaging the animal, she studied the habits of Pinna Nobilis over several years. Diving both day and night, she realized that in May, the sea floor was soft enough to allow her to detach the shellfish. She could thus take a part of its “beard”, before replanting it into the mud so that embedded filaments could continue their slow growth. Each shellfish provides less than two grams of fiber. The byssus is then washed, lightened using a chemical process, and carded. The byssus threads are used today to make gloves, hats, knitwear, and luxury objects. The production of sea silk remains artisanal…but for how much longer?
...Just think about it JANUARY 2019 Interfilière Paris
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Hemp & Nettle
Real hope
FOR TEXTILE HEMP
in Europe
What we know for sure is that in 1937, a year before DuPont de Nemours registered the trademark for nylon, the Marihuana Tax was adopted, heavily penalizing the industrial use of hemp.
A virtuous fiber
Eighty years have passed since prohibition was enforced on this plant. Truly robust, textile hemp endured in Europe during the Second World War, but it was limited to a few canvas fabrics for tents, ropes, and bags. Meanwhile, in China, things have been evolving: for thirty years now, the Chinese have learned to work with hemp, a traditional pastoral crop, by using different “rouissage” techniques than those used in Europe (“rouissage” is a complicated step that allows for the dissolution through maceration of the gum that binds together the plant’s fibers). The Chinese now offer hemp jerseys that are much suppler. Now the top producer of industrial hemp, with 40 000 hectares in 2014, China’s use of hemp is essentially for textiles, while in Europe, the number 3 producer in the world with 14 500 hectares (behind Canada), its use is much more technically oriented: for construction, insulation, paper, and automotive use. This noble plant with a multitude of uses requires little water and no pesticides. Few plants are as eco-friendly: it adds value to poor soils and uses up CO2 in massive quantities as it grows. Textile hemp, Cannabis Sativa L, is antibacterial in terms of its chemical properties and uniform surface. Its moisture wicking and thermoregulation properties are truly stunning: it absorbs up to 7 times its weight in water and releases more than it retains. With antistatic properties, it also protects from UV rays.
Full of promise
Though most European hemp is still being used in construction, new opportunities are opening up in the food industry, alternative medicine, and the fashion world. An indisputable eco-alternative, it is nevertheless crucial to allow this industry time to develop and re-energize production in Europe. Though the area used for hemp production in Europe continues to expand and has tripled within the last 4 years, according to EIHA (European Industrial Hemp Association), it is clear that the materials market is still leading the way. Still, there is clearly a demand for textile hemp: specialized in the hemp fabric business, French company La Cantate du Chanvre has seen its sales multiplied by 10 for its hemp products over the past 15 years. Created in 2002, this company has just been bought out in October 2018 by Macasports, a supplier of technical and added-value fabrics for events, artistic and acrobatic sports, and showbiz. “We want to stand out with different products. The selection of eco-fabrics matches our vision. This new hemp supply complements our assortment of organic cotton fabrics”, explains Caroline Rousset, CEO of this venture. Hemp nevertheless remains an expensive fiber, with a price level that is 3 to 4 times higher than that of organic cotton. Three European spinners are already working with wet hemp, a spinning technique that involves immersion in 60°C water and soaking to obtain the very finest of yarns for use in apparel. Some spinners are looking for less-costly alternatives, with organic cotton and hemp blends, as with Spanish company Intercot, which offers several yarns from 5 to 12 Nm. What remains to be constructed is a whole marketing structure to restore the image of hemp, which truly has everything manufacturers and consumers are looking for: durability that prevents a garment from losing its shape, and a hand that is similar to that of raw silk, with a softness that is enhanced with each and every wash. ¢
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MACASPORTS
It’s impossible to talk about hemp without referring to the famous book by Jack Herer, “The Emperor has no clothes”. This cult classic tells the sad story of the history of hemp and the conspiracy against cannabis. The campaign to demonize hemp – the most cultivated plant at the start of the 20th century – was led by powerful American lobbies; it brought about the downfall of textile hemp. Was there really a plot at the highest levels of government to promote synthetic fibers and nylon?
NATURE MEETS ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
The fine promise
CLOSE UP
OF URTICA
The use of nettle fiber to make garments is part of history. It became increasingly rare over time, disappearing completely in the 1920s. Three strains of nettles provide fibers for fabrics: the Chinese nettle (ramie), the Nepalese nettle, and the European nettle. Harnessed for around the last decade in Germany, where seeding tests have been carried out, it has been planted over the past 3 years in France by a Lorraine-based company that is betting on relaunching French production.
Pierre Schmitt,
a fervent defender of the European textile industry, a visionary, and director of the Velcorex group, has joined with this project and passionately supports it in the name of one of his companies, Emanuel Lang.
Why are you interested in nettle fiber?
Pierre Schmitt / The nettle is a Liberian plant that grows well here: its fibers are found in its bark. The nettle can regrow on its own in the same plot of land for over a decade. The older it gets, the better it is. It doesn’t need water, nor fertilizer or pesticides. Nettles are part of our heritage; they belong to textile history. Why should be look down on a plant that has all these virtues? These include purifying the ground and water. The nettle is nitrophilous, that is to say, is feeds on nitrates. In fact, we’re in touch with a Water Authority to explain to them how a denitrification station could be replaced by a few hectares of nettles.
What are the properties of this fiber?
P.S. / This is a long fiber that’s eco-friendly. Nettle fibers provide an ultra-soft yarn, much softer than linen, for example, and slightly shiny. Nettle-fiber ribbons could even be mistaken for silk. Fabrics made from nettle fiber are hydrophilic, anti-bacterial, and rot-proof. These inherent properties are truly of interest for apparel.
Will it really be possible to relaunch this industry?
P.S. / I truly believe so. It’s true that we’ve lost entire sections of our textile and agricultural history by sending production overseas. We abandoned them to take the easy road, choosing the low-cost option of cotton imported from Asia that’s, unfortunately, imbued with toxic growing methods. This has had adverse effects. Today, things are changing, and minds are more open and curious. We’re realizing that there’s an alternate industry that can only develop if there’s a real desire to bring back this field. For this, we need to bring together all the key players in the field, sharing all our experience at the European, or at least, the French level, to be able to attain an industrial scale. It’s not going to be easy, because we’ve truly forgotten how to work together as a field. But only automation of production will allow us to reach a market price level for fabrics in nettle fiber, which, for the time being, twice or three times more expensive than linen.
What are its growth perspectives within the textile market?
P.S. / They are promising if we manage to bring together our skillsets, motivate people, and, especially, learn to adapt to natural materials. We’re not going to change how nettles behave. We’ve mastered most of the stages, from combing and carding to weaving. The refining or “defiberization” of the fiber remains complex operation. We must depend on the experience of professionals from the linen sector, for example, or test other techniques. We have the technical capabilities: within the region, in Alsace, we have the leader in long-fiber spinning, Schlumberger. What remains is to unlock a few technological conundrums and open cultural attitudes, because we’re dealing with something at the very heart of Enterprise Social Responsibility policies.
And for the lingerie market?
P.S. / We’re now the first to offer, for the denim and sportswear markets, 100% nettle fiber denim fabric, using a 15 nm yarn. The first jeans in Nepalese nettle fiber are being sold under our own new brand name, Matières Françaises, in our namesake boutique located in Colmar. The lingerie market needs finer thread counts, with 50 nm yarns for knits. This being said, nettle fibers are cellulosic fibers that blend well with Tencel or wool. These blends offer finer grounds. With its silky, bactericidal qualities, nettles certainly have their place in the lingerie market. Especially since the industry is becoming ever more exacting in terms of the natural and ecological origin of its materials.
How is this fiber being received?
P.S. / The consumer is truly surprised at first, but also reassured by nettles’ ecological pedigree. Consumers are quickly showing major interest in this plant that they know well, but in a different way. This fiber thus has enormous potential, as long as everyone gets motivated: the agricultural sector, industry, and the textile industry, all the way down to designers. ¢
JANUARY 2019 Interfilière Paris
Her Majesty the Nettle Literature boasts of this plant that no one calls a stinging weed. Here are some selected passages that prove it: 1838 – Andersen’s Tales: The wild swans A king had eleven sons and one daughter, Elisa, who lived happily until their father remarried a wicked queen. The stepmother, after trying to poison the little girl, sent her to live in the country-side, and hunted the eleven princes after turning them into swans. When Elisa began looking for her brothers, she encountered the fairy Morgane, who told her: “Your brothers may be saved, but you’ll have to be brave and persevere…Do you see the nettle I’m holding in my hand? You’ll collect it, crush it under your feet to make yarn from which you’ll weave eleven long-sleeved tunics. Throw these tunics over the eleven wild swans, and the spell will be broken…”. Elisa spent many nights weaving the coats with the nettle fiber. Then, she threw the eleven tunics over the swans, who transformed into eleven handsome princes. 1862 – Victor Hugo: Les Misérables (First part: Fantine, Book V: The descent, Chapter 3) “One day, he saw local people busy pulling up nettles. He looked at these uprooted, already dried plants, and said: It’s all over. Still, it would be so good if we knew how to make use of them. When the nettle is young, its leaves are an excellent vegetable; when it gets older, it has filaments and fibers like hemp and linen. Nettle fabric is just as good as hemp fabric...And what does the nettle need? Not much ground, no care, no cultivation. The only thing is that the seeds fall as it matures and is difficult to harvest. That’s all. With a bit of trouble, we could make the nettle useful; we neglect it, so it becomes harmful. Then, we kill it. Oh, how mankind resembles the nettle! He added, after a period of silence: My friends, remember this: there are neither weeds, nor bad men. There are only bad farmers.”
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4 Responsible Fibers
4 RESPONSIBLE FIBERS
1
ORANGE FIBER
Sustainable apparel, as soft as it is energizing
It was in 2011 that Adriana Santonocito, a native of Catania and a young student in Fashion Design & Innovative Materials in Milan, dreamt of using the tons of orange and lemon peel discarded by the Sicilian agro-food industry. Nearly a million tons of citrus by-products are destroyed each year in Sicily: a high cost and major environmental impact that also caught the attention of Enrica Arena, then a young graduate in international cooperation and communications. In 2013, these two young Sicilians, in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Milan, developed a cellulose extraction process using pastazzo. This trademarked chemical process allows them to obtain a polymer, which is then spun by a partner yarn spinner in Spain. After founding their company Orange Fiber in 2014, the two friends opened their pilot fiber-production outfit in December 2015. In 2017, designer Salvatore Ferragamo launched their “Ferragamo Orange Fiber Collection”, and won the hearts of their clients: dresses, shirts, pants and scarves were both elegant and sustainable. These ultra-lightweight, gossamer fabrics offer a hand that is very similar to that of silk: satin, poplin, and twill made in a natural shade of white are also as easy to dye and print as traditional fabrics.
Adriana et Enrica now hope to rapidly attain industrial-level production. With over 15 million tons of orange peel discarded throughout the world, Orange Fiber already have their work cut out for them. With their 5th anniversary fast approaching, the cofounder of Orange Fiber, Enrica Arena, has offered an exclusive interview to Interfilière Paris: How is your new company doing?
Enrica Arena / We’re about to celebrate our 5th anniversary next month. We’ve wasted no time between the presentation of our first prototypes to the public in 2014, the launch of the first collection with Salvatore Ferragamo, and now, the development of large-scale production. We’ve been working hard!
How many tons of fiber are your producing now? What are your short-term objectives?
E.A. / In 2016/2017, we produced 3 tons of fiber, which were sold directly to manufacturers under our Orange Fiber brand. We’re in the process of launching a crowdsharing funding campaign in order to increase our production capacities to 60 tons by 2020.
You’ve used 400 000 tons of citrus peel. Do you need to develop a larger waste collection system to grow your production in terms of raw materials?
E.A. / We’re currently only using a small part of by-products available in Italy, which are disposed of during citrus processing. Our goal is to increase this percentage so we can recycle even more waste. We’re working directly with fruit juice producers, and they’re highly favorable to supplying us with a larger quantity of peel, depending on our needs.
What percentage of orange fiber is needed to make fabric?
E.A. / Our initial production was tested on a 100% Orange Fiber yarn blended with silk. We’ve achieved an optimal result with 69%
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Orange Fiber and 31% silk. We’ve also tested other blends, and are open to all types of development, according to client needs.
VDoes your fiber have development potential for the lingerie market?
E.A. / We’re totally convinced of the benefits that our ultra-silky fiber offers for the lingerie market. Orange Fiber is a cellulose fiber whose inherent characteristics depend on the spinning processes used, their composition, and their twist, and on blends with other fibers that may be suggested.
ADo you have other partnership projects underway? Who are your current clients?
E.A. / We have a proposed partnership that we’re set to announce in the Spring. We sell directly to fashion brands fabrics specifically developed for them. But we’re in the process of considering supplying our fiber directly to spinners, if the brand requests it.
Is Orange Fiber an expensive fiber?
E.A. / It’s an innovative and ecologically sustainable fiber that respects the environment. There is no other comparable fiber on the market developed today on an industrial scale. Considering its qualities and characteristics, we can say that its price is similar to that of highquality silk produced in Italy. ¢
2
NATURE MEETS ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
DELICIOUS UNCONSUMABLE MILK
in our wardrobes!
Attention to detail, passion, and convictions: these are what led young and talented German microbiologist Anke Domaske to imagine, formulate, and create an innovative fiber: QMilk. Made using casein proteins from milk that’s expired or not fit for consumption, QMilk bring to the textile marketplace a soft fiber with many interesting qualities. It offers a truly sustainable solution for the planet. In an interview with Interfilière Paris, Anke Domaske told us about the story of this fiber and its growth potential.
Anke Domaske, confides in Interfilière Paris about the story of this fiber and development appreach
Why did you take an interest in milk, when casein fiber has existed since 1930?
Anke Domaske / I was looking for clothing free of chemical products for my father-in-law. Since he had cancer, his immune system was significantly weakened. Milk protein caught my eye. When I realized that in Germany, producers throw out 2 million liters of unconsumable milk, I said to myself that here was a solution. With a few friends, we purchased 200 dollars’ worth of milk and equipment, including a large confectionery thermometer to check the temperature of the water. We didn’t want the fabric to dissolve in water. We tested over 3000 recipes in my kitchen!
What is the manufacturing process that you came up with?
A.D. / The process is simple and fast: we make the milk turn in order to separate the protein. We obtain a sort of cottage cheese that we dry out. Then, we insert a protein paste made of powder and water into an extruder, a sort of big spaghetti-making machine equipped with a spout that has extra-thin holes.
and allows perspiration to evaporate. It’s highly resistant to heat. The fiber can also be heat bonded.
How do you use QMilk?
A.D. / Currently, and due to production that remains limited, we use the fiber in blends with other natural fibers, such as alpaca, merino wool, cotton, or cellulosic fibers like viscose. QMilk can also be spun with synthetics. Eventually, we will develop 100% QMilk fabrics.
Are you able to produce the fiber in industrial quantities?
A.D. / We’re still working on development, because convincing the fashion market takes time. Projects launched 3 years ago are now coming to market. We’re trying to increase production to bring it up to a level that could at least fulfill the significant demand we’ve seen. We’re present in the non-wovens market, because the technical applications in that case are quicker to develop.
EWho are your main clients at the moment?
Ce procédé est-il totalement écologique ?
A.D. / Oui contrairement aux procédés chimiques qui jusqu’ici permettaient d’utiliser la protéine du lait. QMilk est la fibre qui possède le plus bas taux d’émission de CO2. Et elle est totalement biocompostable. En 5 mn, et avec 2 litres d’eau à 80°, on obtient 1 kg de fibres.
A.D. / QMilk is used in hygienic products already on the market from the Carezza di Latte Tenderly company. We’re also in two collections developed by outdoor specialist Vaudé. We’re working on projects with the lingerie market: the properties of our fiber are ideal for a market that’s looking for increasingly natural and ecofriendly materials.
Is this process totally eco-friendly?
Is QMilk an expensive fiber?
A.D. / Yes, contrary to chemical processes that, up to now, permitted the extraction of milk protein. QMilk is a fiber that possesses the lowest level of CO2 emissions of them all, and it’s fully bio-compostable. In 5 minutes, with 2 liters of water at 80°C, you can obtain 1 kg of fibers.
What are the performance characteristics of your fiber?
A.D. / The fiber costs 25 € per kilo. This is a similar price level to that of wool or silk.
You’ve launched your own collection of clothing using Q Milk. What’s the latest on this collection?
A.D. / We’re constantly out of stock. It’s a small collection that’s been a big success. We really do need to increase our production capacity! ¢
A.D. / QMilk is 100% natural and bio-compostable. This fiber is soft and comfortable, lightweight, non-allergenic, antibacterial, and UV-resistant. It has thermoregulatory properties, absorbs moisture,
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4 Responsible Fibers
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A new generation of
Straight out of bionics, this relatively recent field that appeared in the 1960s, Umorfil® technology is a major innovation in the world of textile fibers.
BIONIC FIBERS
It was in 2012 that the Taiwanese Camangi group undertook the development of supramolecular polymerization, with one goal in mind: taking comfort to the next level by offering a new generation of bionic fibers, useful fibers that come from nature, are high-performance, and respect the environment. Camangi turned to fish scales, which contain marine amino acids known for their properties and benefits. The Umorfil® technology thus bears this name that is a contraction of the Latin “Umor” (humidity) and the French “fil”: it integrates, at the supramolecular level, collagen from marine amino acid peptides, into fibers such as viscose. This has allowed for the creation of a wide range of bionic fibers that are 100% biodegradable, with high-performance characteristics: a softness like silk, a hand similar to that of cashmere, impeccable odor absorption and moisture management, and very good protection from UV rays. Applications are manifold for knits and wovens: lingerie, underwear and base layers, fashion apparel, activewear and yoga wear, jeans, bedlinens, and more… Camangi has now created the Umorfil® range with 3 bases: Umorfil® Beauty Fiber®, for blends with cellulosic fibers such as Tencel, and for wool, cotton, or synthetic blends; N6U™ nylon, an ultra-soft bionic polyamide that’s easy to dye and features excellent color consistency, and Umorfil T®, an ultracomfortable bionic polyester featuring superior tensile strength and an alluring natural champagne color, also easy to use in
blends with natural or synthetic fibers. Present at Interfilière, Fabtex and Sanko are two of Umorfil’s many partners. ¢
Exceptional skine Tilapia skin is particularly rich in collagen. Its collagen content of types 1 and 3 is higher than that found in human skin. Among other characteristics, it possesses a high level of moisture. What’s more, these agro-food waste products are an abundant resource: this farmed fish, second in the world only after carp, is one of the most-consumed species, particularly in the United States (215 000 tons of it was devoured there in 2010!). Massive global production keeps growing: according to the FAO, it’s expected to double between 2010 and 2030, reaching over 7.3 million tons from aquaculture.
Umorfil® isn’t the only company interested in tilapia. In Brazil, a hospital is testing the use of tilapia skin that is normally discarded to help major burn victims heal.
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NATURE MEETS ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
L’ORYLAG®
An exceptional rabbit
ORYLAG
Orylag®, a brand trademarked in 1989, is a truly special rabbit resulting from natural evolution, with a slow growth pattern. Its original breed was discovered by the Abbé Gillet in the Sarthe region in 1919. Also known as the rabbit of kings (Rex du Poitou®) for the exceptional flavor of its meat, orylag® possesses incredibly soft underfur, with super-fine hairs (less than 13 microns) of exceptional density (around 8 000 per cm²).
orylag® the truly exceptional new natural fiber. A brand-new natural fiber of animal origin was discreetly introduced to the market a few months ago: orylag®. This ultra-fine fiber is the product of fur meticulously collected from a very specific rabbit knowns as the Rex du Poitou® (a brand trademarked for the sale of meat). It was a great fan of this animal, Jean Boutteaud, now President of the Orylag company, who came up with the idea nearly fifteen years ago of focusing on the soft underfur of these rabbits. Extremely fragile, the Rex du Poitou was first a focus of major research and natural cross-breeding to improve their stamina. Today, only around ten breeders in France, located between La Rochelle and Cognac, raise, pamper, and play classical music for 60 000 animals each year. “This animal requires such strict conditions to thrive, growing slowly, free from stress, that it seemed to me essential to make use of their underfur by offering new opportunities for what is actually a by-product”, explains Jean Boutteaud. Initial tests on this material began around three years ago with GTI, an Italian partner that was just as motivated as he was. The issues related to the cling of a fiber that is so fine and features very few scales called into question the first trial development of fabrics made from 100% orylag®. “This fiber is so exceptional that we rapidly understood that 20 or 30% orylag® was enough to give a remarkable hand to fabrics. We therefore turned to intimate blends with silk, wool, or cashmere, and managed to offer around fifteen different fabrics”, explains Jean Boutteaud. Today, he’s looking to knitwear, with even more promising developments that are enchanting luxury fashion houses that are already on board with the wovens. Though Orylag, which is developing its own brands with a range of products, throws, stoles, and accessories, retains the exclusive production of yarns, today, the company is turning to competent, enthusiastic partners. “We have resolved issues with durability and peeling of the fiber, which does not pill. Its uses are now multifaceted for those with a certain level of expertise and who are looking for an exceptional product that is traceable, certified, and Made in France”, Jean Boutteaud maintains. He’s giving himself two or three more years to establish the development of this orylag® yarn. Conclusive tests have even been carried out for the sportswear market, with only 5% orylag® for knitwear garments. The price of this exceptional fiber lies somewhere between that of cashmere and vicuña. It is important to keep in mind that one pelt produces only 40 g of fur. ¢
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