Loud or soft, harmonious or shrill, calm or moving, fast or slow. The fabric trends for autumn/winter 2023/24, which are currently being shown at Munich Fabric Start, reflect extremely contrasting tendencies. In the broadest sense, it is about the game between the real world, where fashion must become more sustainable, and the digital world, in which the surprising wins.
Organizing a trade fair in times of a pandemic is a challenge. But little was noticed at the Munich Fabric Start, which ended today. The team led by Managing Director Sebastian Klinder and Creative Director Frank Junker was able to welcome around 900 exhibitors to the Munich MOC, the Bluezone, the Keyhouse area and, more recently, also to the halls of Motorworld across the street. “We are feeling the after-effects of the pandemic just like everyone else, but we have not given up anything that we have offered at our previous trade fairs. On the contrary, we’ve actually upped the ante,” says Sebastian Klinder.
New segment: The Source for Manufacturing
Instead of shrinking because, for example, Chinese exhibitors could not come, Klinder has enlarged the trade fair and expanded the range. Not only was the number of exhibiting design studios able to double, in the new hall eight, which is located opposite the MOC on the first floor of Motorworld, the trade fair was able to present the topic of manufacturing for the first time. “We try to map the industry as completely as possible, so to speak “1 place for fashion in 3 days. People don’t travel as much anymore,” explains Frank Junker.
The new The Source area for international manufacturing presented 65 selected international manufacturing companies and all-in-one suppliers that showed end-to-end solutions from PLV to white label. The expanded offering was a risk, but it came at the right time. Klinder: “We only started planning the hall four months ago and have received a great deal of encouragement. We notice that the industry is trying to move closer to the EU and think of new value chains.”
Fabric trends: Between feel-good atmosphere and metaverse
After the conspicuousness set the tone in the current seasons, autumn/winter 2023/24 is about emphasizing the haptic and the feeling of well-being. “It’s about moving surfaces with 3D optics, about padded materials, fake fur, wild silk, linen,” explains trend analyst and curator Jo Baumgartner. High-quality materials emphasize the sustainability aspect of long durability, and regional products such as Bavarian Wool or regional hemp are also gaining in importance. In contrast, the Metaverse comes up as a source of inspiration with its glittering, shiny looks. Luminous colors, lurex, iridescent foil prints translate the virtual worlds into reality and inspire fashion. “Pink is making a comeback for many fabric manufacturers,” Baumgartner continues.
Post-pandemic: speed up or slow down?
Carl Tillessen also relied on binary trends as part of his DMI trend presentation. “One must not only know what is, but also why. Only then can you plan and recognize long-term developments.” The pandemic has divided consumers into two camps. Some found the deceleration and the return to what was important to be something positive, while others saw their thirst for action slowed down. Both tendencies – speed up and slow down – are currently determining fashion and present the industry with the question of which direction it should choose. Tillessen: “We are currently seeing a lot of contradictions: on the one hand, people cleaned out during the pandemic in order to reduce their size, while at the same time they bought more than ever before.” Not fashion at first, but as soon as relaxation became possible somewhere, revenge shopping at luxury labels and Low-cost providers alike for enormous sales.
However, according to Tillessen, the fact is that the fashion industry will consume more and more resources due to population growth, no matter how green the products become in the future. “That means we have to move away from fast fashion and towards slow fashion.”
Second-hand and virtual fashion can satisfy the hunger for fashion in the future
But the young generation in particular “will not, will not and cannot do without fast fashion,” explains Tillessen. She grew up with fast fashion and last but not least social media promotes the need for fast fashion and fast consumption. He therefore sees a way out in second-hand fashion and virtual fashion. “Secondhand has the same price structure as fast fashion and is often even faster in terms of fashion. Everything that is currently running on Tiktok is already available on Ebay.” NFTs and virtual products are not only lucrative for luxury labels, brands like Nike are already making millions of dollars in sales with them. Real fashion, on the other hand, will inevitably become more expensive, which is currently evident everywhere. This paves the way for higher quality, more durable and more timeless products. So what is his answer to whether we should speed up or slow down? Tillessen: “We should speed up to slow down!”