Australian fashion designers are starting to embrace leather for all seasons. EDITD, a UK trend forecasting agency founded by two Aussie expats, offers a break-down of key trends and technologies for this new textile of choice.
Earlier this year, Ragtrader predicted leather would invade the Rosemount Australian Fashion Week catwalks for spring/summer 2010.
Sure enough, the ‘Hell for Leather’ story (January 29, 2010) was on cue, with light leather separates and dresses dominating key ready-to-wear collections in May.
As local textile buyers gear up for the next round of global trade shows, Aussie expat and co-founder of trend forecasting agency editd, Julia Fowler (JF) muses on leather’s longevity. Here she exchanges ideas with Claude Vuillermet (CV), stylist at the Paris leather and fur trade show, Le Cuir a Paris. The fair kicks off on September 14, 2010.
Have there been any advancements in treating and finishing leather?
CV: Treatment techniques for leather have diversified and are almost certainly the driving force behind the current resurgence of interest in leather. These innovations include a new range of cutting methods, from lasers to mechanical razor blades, the emergence of 3D, volumes obtained by ultrasound or quilting, the importance of images produced by serigraphy (screen printing) or by digital printing, new dyeing methods that superimpose over washing, the sophistication of crumpling and tumbling, and the reductions in weight that have not in any way diminished the robustness of the material. We are seeing a veritable technical revolution take place.
JF: The next few seasons look to be a really exciting time for leather. There’s a lot of new innovation pushing the industry forward. New techniques mean we’ll see leather in ways that consumers haven’t even imagined yet. We’ve seen tanneries and labels working together to produce really unique garments. Leather has beautiful draping qualities and softness, and on-trend colours and textures are becoming readily available. Notable advances in lamination techniques, allowing for bonding with a soft backing, eliminate the necessity for linings that wriggle around in the wrong direction. Cleverly laminated fabrics are comfortable and allow for attractive reversible and convertible garments, too.
Is the sudden enthusiasm for leather in recent international and Australian collections a fad or is it here to stay?
CV: The current resurgence of interest in leather, fur and their derivatives is surely not a flash in the pan. It is based on a number of factors: one is the subjective factor, which is intimately linked to fashion trends. Leather has developed enormously in recent years. It has shifted from being sober, turgid even, to being lively. It is suitable for all the structured and deconstructed trends in current collections. Tanners have lightened, washed, crumpled, pleated, printed, refined and modernised it, and have successfully distanced it from its initial rigidity. They have also understood that leather needs colours just like textiles, and have dared to use highly contemporary colours, closely aligned with current trends and this has been appreciated by designers. The other factor behind the current success is of a more sociological nature. Leather is a reassuring material that is known to last and is considered more beautiful with the patina of age than when brand new. In an era where value for money has become particularly important, owning leather in all its forms seems to be a reasonable investment because it will last. We feel justified in this pleasurable purchase.
JF: 2010 has seen a very modern, minimalist approach to leather. Consumers are just getting used to owning leather again, and making the commitment to care for it. As they become more comfortable with the concept, designers have the freedom to be more adventurous. This time around, leather has the opportunity to be sporty and modern, its supple handle lends well to casual wear and previous connotations of it being staid and stiff have been shed. As the shift in perception progresses, we’ll see a move away from safe black and brown into refreshing fashion colours, developments in finishing (such as pearling, quilting and ageing effects) and an appreciation for beautifully tanned, natural hides. As a material, leather is durable, natural and ages well, while lighter, thinner and more delicate finishes are helping to refresh leather’s image.
Shearling is just one leather trend that met with a very positive consumer response when it burst onto the catwalks during the autumn/winter collection debuts in February. Seen in numerous collections, including Hermes, DKNY and Ralph Lauren, the sheepskin look reached a crescendo when Burberry Prorsum featured it in every look, from bomber jackets and bags to ankle boots. Retail buyers and high street designers were tracking the consumer response to shearling very closely. Shoppers are fickle; a polarising trend like this can be hit or miss. The sentiment was approving and continued to rise in the wake of the fashion week shows, which gave our clients the confidence to place stock orders. So expect to see lots of shearling when the collections hit the shops.
How can Australian labels use leather to appeal to a global market?
CV: Understand the trends in the region you seek to conquer, analyse the existing offer, and identify the gaps and how to fill them by providing a unique selling point linked to the culture of your product. There is no question that only something that stands out and can demonstrate good value for money is able to capture the attention of European buyers and stylists.
JF: Australian and New Zealand labels have a real opportunity to differentiate themselves in the global market by examining the virtues of domestic hides – kangaroo has a reputation for its strength and suppleness even when split (see Ragtrader’s January 29, 2010 edition for an in-depth report into kangaroo leather). Details as small as this add real exoticism to a collection and have appeal to foreign buyers looking for something fresh. Rosemount Australian Fashion Week saw designers starting to explore the possibilities of leather. A high proportion of labels introduced it in their spring/summer 10/11 collections and Kate Sylvester embraced the trend wholeheartedly with a number of fresh leather separates. Two key themes emerged during RAFW: minimalist – a stiffer silhouette that reduced t-shirts, tanks and skirts to their simplest form; and bondage – a figure-hugging profile consisting of straps, buckles, laced-up corsetry detailing and lingerie shapes. Whereas overseas markets are homogenous and high street-dominated, the Australian industry has retained a significant number of independent labels, which would be well placed to gain traction overseas.
2011: Future Leather Trends
It’s all about texture: Editd trends for 2011:
EMBOSSING
• moves away from imitation skins
• intricate geometric repetitions
• florals, paisley and Indian-inspired
• negative embossing with foil highlighting
LAMINATING
• double-sided fabrics
• reversible and convertible
• unexpected contrast
• juxtapose textures/materials, e.g. lace or 3D blistering
LUSTRE
• hint at the ethereal
• pearl, metallic veins
• glossy and oily finishes
• prismatic and holographic illusions
RAW TEXTURE
• ancient, fictional animal hides
• primitive forms are irregularly exotic
• rough hewn, cracked and thirsty textures
• bubbled, shrivelled and puckered
PERFORATED
• technical detailing for a sports/performance feel
• breathability and light weight
• uniform patterns formed by laser-cutting
• ragged finishing by random pinpricks and slashes
PATTERNED
• patterns are emphasised with flocking or puffed print
• mono-colour printing over vegetable tanning
• informed by ancient gilded cordwain wall-hangings
WOVEN
• fully finished leather becomes woven itself
• humble, utilitarian spirit
• homecraft and cottage industry roots
• tangled, ribbed and integrated with other textiles
2011: Printed Leather Trends
PAINTED
• naive brushstrokes
• watercolour transparencies
• bold hand-painted florals
HAND-DYED
• tie-dyed effect
• indigo bleeding
• dip-dye and ombre looks
CAMOUFLAGE & ANIMAL
• strong combat prints
• marbled and faded leopard prints
• printing on contrasting textured surface
TATTOOED
• rockabilly and sailor designs, roses, skulls
• Japanese irezumi tattoo, inspired by full-colour woodblock prints
BYGONE NOVELTY
• worn and aged, from a long-gone era
• overprinting to build up multiple layers
• newsprint, maps, botanical illustrations