Important international trade marks such as Gucci and Kenzo have triggered a huge boom in the embroidery world. Although this trend appears to be slackening as expected, there is still an extremely high demand for embroideries across the industry. In this article, current topics that designers are using to underscore their collections are discussed.
Embroidery | by Reiner Knochel | Stitch&Print 2-2018
Nowadays, brands are playing around with bold logos in an eye-catching manner. Just like in the 1990s, these logos are embroidered oversized and in different variations. At the same time however, there is plenty of creativity and technical skill around to interpret today’s fashion trends in embroidered colours, materials and looks.
Fall/winter collections
Variety and diversification are important catchwords for the fall/winter collections 2018/2019. Fanciful prints, more sophisticated and extravagant web and knit techniques and finishing processes provide excitement and innovation for fashion. Skills are necessary as cutting patterns are shifting away from proven shapes and are giving sleeves, trouser legs and edges new meanings. Decorations remain rich, sumptuous and extremely divers. Not only fabrics are combined by using strong contrasts, so are finishing techniques and materials.
Pieces are sliced and repaired again, destroyed and newly arranged, torn apart and sewn together. Cut-outs offer insights into layers that are placed below. Effects made from wool and cotton thread underline textured, embossed and voluminous looks.
Contrasting materials are presented overlapping in layers and embroidered, sewn on top or arranged as patchwork. Red and rust in different shades are considered key colours. Equally important are also metallic effects that express the desire for opulence and glamour.
Not only fabrics or different garments are layered, embroideries can be arranged on top of each other in layers in order to achieve this great effect as well.
What are the looks of modern embroidery? It can be imperfect, even hairy with loose threads and irregularly arranged embroidery and decorative stitches. Attenuated earth tones and greyed pastel shades are accentuated by strong, bright green, violet and red colours. Additional reliefs are created using (partly removable) pom-poms and tassels.
Spring/summer collection
For the spring and summer collections 2019, different important catchwords are in place: transparency is key and so are iridescent effects, layering and fringes.
Picture 1 shows iridescent, metalized effect threads embroidered onto a plastic foil. For some time now, embroidery threads have not only been used for embroidery and for decorative stitching. For industrial top stitches with multiples needles they are an attractive option as well. A cotton effect thread of size 12, for example, is perfectly suited to achieve an attractive surface structure on a summer down jacket.
The continuing embroidery trend also makes the fashion brands search continuously for new thread developments. It is therefore not surprising, that a new product development from Gunold arrives just at the right time: the new Poly Flash thread is a hybrid within the effect threads because it is robust and chlorine fast like polyester, has a soft and silky appearance like viscose and the shimmering shine of a metallic thread. Poly Flash has a metallic shine and an appearance of hammered metal, rather a dry than a high gloss look and imparts a used, broken vintage style. Last but not least: fringes are back again! Embroidered fringes are a simple and (still) rather rarely used way to decorate fabrics and garments. Compared to the already finished available fringes and braids, embroidered fringes can be done in any colour and thread combination.
