From now on, the international sourcing fair Première Vision will act as a committed and pioneering comrade-in-arms for ecological change in the service of the fashion industry. This was proven by the current edition, which took place in Paris from July 4th to 6th, 2023.
On the occasion of the presentation of fabrics, leather, accessories for Fall/Winter 2024-2025 and manufacturing, the Première Vision fair has undergone a major facelift.
The Forum Sourcing Solutions in Hall 6 stretched the entire length and showed the most important themes of the season using fabric samples arranged as if on a stand and by product areas such as embroidery, silk and shirts as well as by market segments such as casual wear, sports & outdoor and denim were divided. If you consider that more than 11,000 samples will be exhibited at the fair, it becomes clear how diverse the range is.
This was followed by the highlight of the fair: the new forum for eco-innovation. The presentation of the materials is supplemented here by large explanatory panels that offer visitors the opportunity to find out about innovations in the field of research. Because what seemed revolutionary yesterday can be new today, but will probably be out tomorrow.
The booths with dead stock are full to bursting
Is this diverse teaching approach enough to convince designers to switch to sustainable sourcing? Intellectually, yes. In concrete terms, it is more complicated, as the young designer Benjamin Benmoyal explains. “My added value comes from exclusive weaves. I can’t make a profit with this new generation of fabrics that sell for 25 to 70 euros per meter. I therefore prefer to resort to dead stocks as offered by Nona Source.”
At the booth of Nona Source, a company owned by luxury goods group LVMH, co-founder Romain Brabo explained: “We are responding to a real market demand: small quantities – we sell per roll, two, five, ten meters and so on – no production time and quality at prices 70 percent below market prices.”
“The homes have surpluses – 15,000 rolls of fabric containing 2,500 items are stored in our warehouse near Tours – and this is an opportunity for young people to recycle and create something from existing waste,” he adds while being Stand keeps filling up. A successful first exercise for Première Vision, even if the industry had previously resisted it.
Woolmark: Focus on wool
There is also a question at the show which natural material that already exists doesn’t require expensive innovation and has the least impact on the environment. One of the answers is wool, which is produced by the Woolmark Company, an Australia-based not-for-profit company for technological expertise and research.
Most people wonder about animal husbandry and especially about mulesing of Merino sheep. “We are very sensitive to this issue,” says Damien Pommeret, who is responsible for Woolmark in Western Europe. “We strive to select animals that are resistant to parasites and vaccines are being developed to avoid this animal suffering.”
Woolmark presents wool materials that are thin enough to be used for swimsuits (Vilebrequin) but are still durable. An example of this is a sneaker from the Circle brand, whose upper material consists of 65% merino wool. It should be noted that some crafts require chemical treatments while others require little or no chemical treatments, such as Optim. That depends on the intended use.
Fashion trends: Winter 2024-2025 will shine thanks to solar energy
Solar Vision is about capitalizing on an alternative resource, clean energy. This is reflected in dark chains and grids giving rise to bright golden flashes of light. The wall of orange fabrics of all qualities evokes this radiant intensity.
Nouvelle Élégance emphasizes the quality of materials that last and conform to the philosophical quest to “produce less, buy more, but do better”. Solid color fabrics highlight the sophisticated fashion. It’s the longing for a new understatement that goes against the bling-bling trend.
The third theme, the dialogue between nature and the digital, is suggested by the scenography of the space, which showed how nature can be transformed through digital tools. Embroideries, jacquards made of silk or knitwear, moiré effects, flock on velvet, reliefs, ribs, cell movements or microscopic visions of elements from nature are also presented here.
A better way to spread information about the climate and social challenges in the fashion industry
Hall 3 features an overview of the A Better Way program launched by Première Vision with 290 exhibitors out of 1313 participating. A pictogram – two hands clasping a membership card – marks the manufacturers who answered the questionnaire to identify them as actors in a sustainable production chain. Admittedly, many dodge the relevant questions on site because they “are not the right contact persons and the person concerned is unfortunately not present”. That doesn’t make the research any easier.
However, at the stand of Spanish company Texless Ecofabrics, which ticks all the boxes, someone is willing to give a testimony. He makes recycled polyester from yarns from Alicante. Although his supplier certifies that the fibers are recycled, he has no direct influence on this information.
“We welcome a new category of visitors: those responsible for CSR of the brands,” explained Gilles Lasbordes, General Director of Première Vision. “They come to identify their potential suppliers. In this context, it is essential that qualified people are present at the stands and able to answer their questions. They need to explain their approach and get the message across to the sales teams. Unfortunately, we cannot replace this compulsory training”.
Is recycling old clothes a solution for the future?
In fact, getting to the origin – the genesis of the yarn – seems like the best way to start a non-technical, yet informative discourse on sustainable materials. The first exhibitor with the said pictogram was Hirasim & Simsan from Turkey. Yarns with the designations PES for polyester and cotton, PAN for acrylic (petroleum derivative) and PP for polypropylene (plastic) can be found at his stand. The only eco-friendly fiber here turns out to be linen, which is nothing new.
It would take well over three days to scour all the exhibitors who claim to have an engaged attitude and report objectively on the reality of their offerings. In reality, it will take years for the topic to become self-evident for everyone. “Similar to wood, we can turn old cotton clothes into pulp to make Tencel fiber. The problem is that most garments are blends, especially polyester and cotton,” summarizes Johannes Stefan, senior sales manager for Austrian giant Lenzing. “So far, it has not been technologically possible for us to identify the composition of the materials, especially when consumers tear off the labels.”
It’s also a time-consuming process, requiring manual removal of buttons and cutting of seams. Lenzing therefore prefers to use old hotel sheets, uniforms or fabric leftovers from patterns. Creating new from old is more laborious and costly than starting over. “Without legal regulations, progress is slow,” says the expert.
“The European Union’s ambitions are relatively high and can only be achieved through the development of R&D technologies,” Gilles Lasbordes concludes. that we accompany.”
This translated and edited text originally appeared on FashionUnited.fr.