The Mare di Moda took place at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes from October 22nd to 24th, 2025. It is the leading European trade fair for fabrics in the areas of beachwear, lingerie and athleisure. Each year the event attracts some of the continent’s most innovative designers, manufacturers and design studios. Beyond swimwear and innovative fibers, Mare di Moda is also establishing itself as a place where the future of the global market is being shaped two years in advance.
As the keynote speaker for this 2025 edition, David Shah, publisher at Metropolitan Publishing BV and professor at the Arnhem ArtEZ Academy, captivated the audience with a lecture that was as packed as it was forward-looking. In a compact hour, he analyzed the subtle signals and profound changes that will shape fashion and textiles by 2027.
Between experience and inflation: the new consumer paradox
“People are traveling, but they’re not buying anymore,” observes David Shah. This paradox is evident in both ready-to-wear and swimwear and reflects a profound change. The global middle class is now willing to pay a premium for experiences like long weekends and wellness retreats. However, she hesitates when it comes to investing in clothing. Premium brands, from beachwear to lingerie, must therefore master the balancing act between high quality and price justification.
Recent luxury scandals, particularly involving the Italian brand Loro Piana, have increased distrust. Consumers now expect tangible, measurable value backed by a coherent narrative. In this context, clothing becomes primarily a functional product and not a sign of ostentation.
However, some segments are proving resilient. Sportswear continues to record annual growth of almost seven percent. This is driven by an unprecedented hybridization of lifestyle, health and mobility. Since the Covid pandemic, Shah said, “exercise has become a way to get out of the house; a ritual of social escape.”
This dynamic is reinforced by the growing importance of well-being. This is especially true for Gen Z, who, according to Shah, “prioritizes well-being over wealth.”
Sportswear and hybridization: a new creative matrix
According to Shah, 2027 will be the year of “hybrid fun” – a mix of technical aesthetics and sensory emotion. For textiles, this means that they are high-performance, breathable, protective (UV-resistant, salt-resistant, quick-drying) and durable. At the same time they retain a touch of softness and lightness.
There are four main directions: “Layering” involves putting functional layers on top of each other. This direction is inspired by Skims and The North Face. “Sculpt” is about shaping textiles and a dynamic silhouette, while “Glow & Shine” focuses on satin or iridescent materials and subtle elegance. Finally, “Sober Luxury” is characterized by monochromatic tones and expensive minimalism.
Women’s sports continue to transform the market. “Women are no longer just participating in sport; they are redefining its codes – from sneaker design to brand communication,” explains Shah. They bring a desire for beauty, narrative and emotion to the segment, while men primarily value performance.
However, behind the vitality of the sector, a question arises: is the sportswear market saturated? The US brand Nike, for example, is currently going through a difficult phase. Asian competition, particularly from China, is gaining ground. At the same time, new outdoor brands are emerging that have a lifestyle focus rather than a sporty approach.
“Desired”: the return of emotion and romance
While the 2020s were dedicated to functionality and minimalism, Shah is now seeing a return to emotion, color and romance. Gone are the strict and standardized styles: 2027 is set to be the year of reclaiming visual pleasure. The lines become softer, the colors become vibrant and the stripes become shaded. The key word? “Desired.”
Consumers are tired of crises and gloom. They long for happy endings, tenderness, flowers and sensual textures. Palettes are therefore becoming softer – powder pinks, watery blues, pale corals – and floral motifs are making a comeback, modernized by digital technology.
There is also a strong trend: “kidulting”. This is a fascination with all things cute – cats, toys, naive worlds (think Labubu). The trend reflects the search for innocence in a world marked by uncertainty.
Between modesty and excess: two faces of desire
As fashion rediscovers emotion and fantasy, another trend is emerging: self-confident modesty. “Saint-Tropez, a summer fashion showroom, is no longer the temple of nudity and freedom. Today people talk about traditional weddings, sobriety and religion,” notes Shah.
This more covered aesthetic – protective materials, UV-resistant textiles, restrained lines – reflects less a regression than a need for direction and stability. At the other end of the spectrum, however, the desire for extravagance resurfaces. This is evident in the return of glitter, saturated colors, “ombre” stripes and multi-colored effects.
Since Anna Wintour’s retreat from the spotlight, “quiet luxury” has given way to an aesthetic of chaos, the expert notes. “The rich are starting to show that they are rich again,” concludes Shah. This dualism between protection and provocation, between withdrawal and exuberance, illustrates the spirit of the times. It is a fractured but deeply expressive fashion, where each extreme reflects the same search for meaning and visibility.
Textile innovation: the key role of technical actors
At an industrial level, Shah highlights the role of smart fibers and high-quality recycling. These are being driven by actors like Lycra, “one of the few who are still convinced that sustainability and performance can coexist.”
Substances that enable tanning or contain protective micro-treatments are gaining ground.
Beyond material effects, an entire Euro-Mediterranean ecosystem is organized around innovation. This includes short supply chains and partnerships between spinners, designers and manufacturers supported by European programs.
2027: desirable, hybrid, romantic and conscious
To conclude this 2025 edition, David Shah painted a picture of a fashion that is sought after and liberated, but firmly anchored in reality.
If you read between the lines of the lecture, 2027 seems to be a year of recognized contradictions: protection and sensuality, romance and performance, introspection and expression.
Fashion is no longer just trying to fix the world. She wants to feel them again and connect with materials, emotions and the joy of existence.
Five fashion and textile trends for 2027
Five fashion and textile trends will determine the year 2027. On the one hand, hybridization: Here, sport, luxury and functionality merge into new stylistic territories. Emotion is another trend – a return to color, romance and narrative in design.
Protection is also a focus, as evidenced by the rise of smart, UV-resistant, heat-resistant, breathable and lightweight textiles. Nostalgia and the sweetness of childhood are embraced as comforting values through “kidulting.”
Finally, Exuberance illustrates the end of minimalism: here is a return to showing off, to vibrant materials and visual joy.
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