Denim Première Vision put jeans at the forefront for FW24/25

From May 31 to June 1, 2023, the Denim Première Vision trade fair in Berlin showcased the work of denim professionals: expertise, FW24/25 trends and environmental awareness all came together to meet the demands of the fashion market.

Wednesday, May 31, Denim Première Vision will open its doors at ten o’clock in the morning. This time the show (which has already visited Paris, London, Milan and Barcelona) takes place in the Arena Berlin, not far from the East Side Gallery. It brings together ‘the denim communities’, as the organizers call them. That is to say: 67 specialist exhibitors of which fifty percent make denim, twenty percent make clothing, twenty percent design accessories and ten percent work for recycling or provide the chemicals used to dye the fabric, or act as service companies.

The Arena Berlin is a huge hall with industrial architecture, but is also artistically designed. The set design by Denim PV show manager Fabio Adami Dalla Val is in keeping with the cool Berlin spirit: “Berlin is a city full of energy, where people express themselves freely,” he told us over a lunch he wanted to call Italian. The result: no partitions between stands, hostesses in jeans, outdoor areas on the banks of the river Spree, lots of entertainment and a trends forum where the public can photograph the fabrics on display.

Selvedge’s heritage is at the heart of Denim Première Vision’s educational program

The first stand, at the entrance, shows masculine silhouettes designed by Italian designer Stefano Chiassai. They are the results of his book ‘Blue Coloring’. Mixed with other materials and enriched with special techniques, on the border between craftsmanship and new technologies, denim comes into its own here.

Further on, a workshop led by Alessio Berto invites visitors to create denim patterns. But not just any denim. We’re talking about “Selvedge” fabric, a contraction of “Self Edge”. Technically, this means that a single weft thread is used for greater strength. The result: a uniform finish with a border, sometimes in red.

After taking over the old looms used to make Selvedge fabric in the 1950s, Japanese manufacturers have become experts in this high-quality know-how. One such company is Kurabo, which will be featured on the show. The aim of this workshop is to show that after the Italians, like exhibitor Berto, now also the Turks, through Sharabati Denim, are positioning themselves in this fabric appreciated by purists.

Turkey, Pakistan, Brazil, Bangladesh and China account for the bulk of the denim business and Denim PV aims to represent the streetwear, casualwear, sportswear and premium luxury markets. However, the selection made by the show’s director focuses on the represented manufacturers’ ability to be “innovative, creative and take a sustainable and traceable approach to their suppliers”.

“Adaptability”: the denim trend for FW24/25 in the context of sustainability

In accordance with the sustainable objective, the scaffolding of the trends forum, made in collaboration with Rikkert Pauuw, is made from recycled wood waste. The three suggested trends for Fall Winter 2024-2025 are: “Adaptable, Digital Interference and High Contrast”.

The ‘Adaptability’ theme focuses on traditional products that have stood the test of time. It includes the famous Selvedge fabric, as well as all-cotton denim, meaning no stretch. The return to these stiffer fabrics is explained by the fact that any material containing elastane, even a small percentage, cannot be recycled. Manufacturers are therefore looking for flexibility through naturally stretchable polyesters, such as the way the fibers are woven, or bio-based polyesters (Lycra T 400). Viscose fabrics are also showcased in this trend.

The fact that cotton is the basic material for making denim is and will remain a fact. Even when regenerated. In fact, it is thanks to the lack of affinity between indigo (now chemical) and cotton that the fabric has irregularities (ring spinning) that, when washed, give a more vintage effect. This is in contrast to plain dyeing, which is done by those who receive the fabric, sew the models and then dye them (Pacific Jeans). For FW24/25 we have ‘warm denim’, with velvet, reinforced and emerised (brushed) denims and wool/denim mix-and-matches.

“Digital Interference”: Acid Dye, Vegetable Inspiration, and Recycling

In line with this search for rough edges, the ‘Digital Inteference’ trend is a sign of the encounter between the real and digital world. Visually, this translates into irregular weaves such as curls, micro washes to create textural effects, tears or abrasions, mixes between knitwear and denim or acid paint effects (speckled).

For FW24/25, the green hue, inspired by the world of minerals and plants, takes over from summer 2023. “We say goodbye to the yellow, dirty side and welcome colors inspired by moss, decomposing matter and dusty greens,” explains Lorenza Martello, head of Denim PV trends.

But what stands out the most is the vintage nostalgia that goes hand in hand with the recycling/upcycling trend in denim. So far, this seems to be the positioning most in line with fashion’s environmental responsibility. The Denim PV show illustrates this with the educational sewing workshop “Therapy Recycling”: designs by young designers, in combination with ‘Monkey’ sculptures by designer Michiko Koshino hanging from the ceiling. There is also a small Vintage Market, where designers can find inspiration. gain.

“A high contrast”: when denim is refined to become premium

”A high contrast”, there are 3D resin effects, glazed effects, laser effects, stripes, pleated, naive or narrative motifs, decorations lurex threads, and so on. Denim is no exception to the fashion world’s desire to innovate and stand out.

This jacquard fabric (pictured), inspired by the baroque period (pictured), embodies a glamorous Y2K (2000s) aesthetic. The manufacturer, Outside by Fabritex from Prato (Tuscany), has 24 jacquard looms. Its remarkable technical skills enable it to meet the demands of luxury brands such as Balmain and Louis Vuitton.

Since the general idea was to make denim attractive, it comes as no surprise that the Pink Party, organized on the first found on the floating pool in front of the Arena, gave rise to a fashion show initiated by Berlin’s ‘Akademy Mode et Design’. The silhouettes, displayed during the show and representative of the exhibitors’ textile offerings, follow a manifesto created by the organizers: ‘to create a collection with a focus on transparency, sustainability, collaboration and creativity’.

The more than 1,250 visitors to the show, who mainly came from Germany, but also from Europe, Turkey and the United States, were given a glimpse into the future of the denim world.

This article previously appeared on FashionUnited.FR and has been translated and edited by Sylvana Lijbaart.