Lots of changes on the horizon for the, until now, conveniently protected lingerie market. At the Lingerie Salon (renamed Unique) things were perhaps less cutting edge, but the moment you entered the Interfilière everything was about CHANGE, indeed written in capitals.
It is re-construction time, and not just for form and function. Everything in intimate apparel needs to go on the drawing board: from garment design to retail, marketing and merchandising. Even production needs adapting to diversification and the growing number of micro-multinationals.
If a colour trend reflects the mood of the market then this boom in yellow can only indicate something good, because yellow is a sacred colour, the colour of the sun and optimism. During the first decennium of 2000 yellow was significantly on the menu and in an earlier edito we reflected on the growing diversification and very positive expectations. And then, as we all know, the financial crisis hit and the whole lingerie world went into a long cycle of range reductions, cost savings and colour was considered a risk element.
For the first time in many years we have found the London sleepwear scene in the process of revival. The popularity of PJ dressing from previous seasons is definitely the reason behind the re-orientation of a classification that was in danger of becoming extinct. We have seen major department stores reducing their sleep/loungewear departments to one or two brands. New energy now comes from commercial private label and from high-end brands, such as For Restless Sleepers, Laura Urbinatti, Olivia von Halle and newcomers like Violet & Wren, who all show that the parameters for sleepwear are not longer related to the bedroom – it’s versatility and adaptation to the contemporary wardrobe that matters. The golden rule for sleepwear success: it needs to be uncomplicated and easy, but details, colours and proportion need to conform to general fashion.
The press is full with a revival of the Eighties. Like the crazy big shoulders at Marc Jacobs, the glam and sex at Tom Ford and the masculine suits in bright colours in various collections. And then of course all those tracksuits we so hated in the eighties, but now are actually looking quite good and an attractive addition to the current athleisure wardrobe.
There is a lot written about the millennials and their refusal to comply to a fashion world with stale shopping malls and luxury brand stores that are closer to a museum than a fun shopping experience. In various anti-fashion manifestos the baby-boomer fashion elite complained about the ‘vulgarisation’ of fashion. And then BOOM, we now hear that millennials are addicted to fashion, which does not come as a surprise judging by the popularity of Instagram. They have their own heroes, their own refusal to adapt, their own brands and their own mindfulness in asking themselves who they are, how they fit in between gender discussions, eco-matters and race.
Technical solutions dominated recent Première Vision and were confirmed by the first wave of designer catwalks. And although luxury branding is trying to walk in the footsteps of Gucci, with a wave of extravert design crossovers, more consistent developments are taking place on the crossroads between sport, casual streetwear and warrior glamour.
New season, new colours! Against the backdrop of the positive mood, confirmed at the Lingerie Salons in Paris, this is the moment to give new colour stories a try. Dora Larsen, the successful British start-up brand by an ex Topshop buyer, is going wild with colour and it works. She also told us that in her E-shop her customers are far more courageous in their colour choice than store buyers.
No question about it; lingerie’s new era has begun with a big bang in Paris, including diversification of the offer and an impressive change in atmosphere. Dominating at both Salon International de la Lingerie and Interfilière was a dynamic mood with a focus on newness and experimentation.
From the Victoria’s Secret extravaganza in Shanghai to interiors in cosy Scandinavian Hygge, retail has opened all the registers to make us forget the rising uncertainty in the world around us. Big retailers like Galeries Lafayette and Selfridges try hard to be super original, Le Bon Marché has young designers customising everything and live opera and ballet performances.