Swatch Report: S/S '09: decorative and print

Decorative

Plissé

• A key method of fabric manipulation for the autumn/winter season, pleating takes on a more feminine air for spring/summer in lightweight plissé patterns.
• Heat-setting technology is used on polyesters to create gently crimped structures and subtle surface embossing, or to create crisp knife pleats on chiffon for lightweight volume.

Burn-out effects

• Fine textural translucency is seen in both natural and synthetic fibres, creating shadowy, barely-there patterns through yarn manipulation or heat treatments.
• Linen and cotton blends explore floral designs in delicate jacquards and by trapping loose yarns within doublecloths, while polyesters have a puckered, burn-out look from using heat-printing methods.

Matt/sheen

• Yarn sheen brings a more sophisticated approach to the usual metallic story that comes with a summer season and creates a sumptuous handle for plains or delicate matt/shine jacquards.
• New developments in synthetics see them behaving like silk, as seen at Debs Corporation in washed satin looks, or micro-mesh at Denis & Fils.

Metallic cloqué

• Summer cloqu és are also present in metallics, mixing polyester with cotton or silk for a much more casual and pared-down feel.
• Notable colours for the season are pastels and pearlescent hues, which give a much fresher feel to the traditional gold and silver.

Overworked pattern

• Tactile layering creates transient surfaces and optical lightweight volume for a highly decorative story.
• Patterns are disrupted with overprinted flock, or high-pile flock effect in a cotton/polyester jacquard - as seen at Taenaka Pile - while matelassé jacquards incorporate metallic yarn for animal-skin interpretations.