Janet Prescott reports from Milan

Filo in Milan showed a strong design direction for 2014/15, reflecting the desire of the trade to move ahead to more positive economic circumstances.  There was little optimism about the present climate, beset in the week of Filo by serious problems in Cyprus, but rather a wry acknowledgement among the exhibitors and buyers that business was still being done , with some spinners servicing the very top end stating that business was better than satisfactory. 

 Setting its face to the future as it always does, the industry had come up with novelties and a very attractive colour palette for the winter season. The many examples of blends and mixes produced visual effects of texture and sophistication and incorporated particular properties.

Filo’s inaugural conference was led by Biella Director Marilena Bolli and had for a theme the concept of the tracks that human activity leaves behind, including fashion. Designer Massimo Crivelli revealed his penchant for taking traditional elements and changing them; classic yarns mixed with plastic or cellophane for instance. This was well reflected in the different combinations of fibres on show. Italian exhibitors were joined by regulars and newcomers from Switzerland, Germany, Turkey, France, Slovenia and the UK.

Serious buyers

Filo has established a niche for itself as a smaller-scale international fair where business is done and customers are usually searching for specific items. Filo is used by professional, ‘serious’  buyers, often the principals of various mills,  to locate fancy yarns, speciality products - such as genuine Donegal at Knoll- and  new blends and techniques. These featured variations on viscose, overdyes, printed yarns, high strength, and very many natural yarns in long staple cotton, pure Merino, and mixes of various fibres.

Stock is an increasing necessity for the trade,  and there was a theme going through the narrative this year, as many exhibitors  in different areas explained that they had made the decision  that  very small amounts of yarn were being available to manufacturers, to enable the most versatile and flexible approach. This, combined with greater stock-holding in many more colours and qualities, indicated a concerted effort is being made to respond to the business climate.

Ilaria, top fancy yarn specialists, maintain that the design investment they have made has revealed a great demand for novelty and ingenuity. Their colour palette typified the off-beat colours which make 2014/15 look intriguing and attractive. 

Switzerland, remains the home of high quality products as far as textiles are concerned, is a regular exhibitor at Filo. Hermann Buhler,  specialist in high-quality yarns  from extra long staple cotton, Supima, Lenzing’s MicroModal and Edelweiss, as well as new introductions like microTencel, Buhler is also known for organic yarns certified by GOTS.  Buhler’s comment on organic products speaks from a position of expertise in the field; ‘everybody’s talking about it, but the reality is that purchases are slowing down in this area.  In the good times people get interested, but it’s more difficult when margins are tight’.  Nevertheless Buhler’s top-end customers still see value in eco certificated products.  Buhler‘s finest yarns are destined for intimate apparel and they offer detailed technical support to their customers.   

Price was a talking point

Price was a talking point at Filo. Supima cotton prices are stable at the moment, yet paradoxically mid-staple cotton prices are going up. Camenzind, Swiss producers renowned for silk yarn and blends, stated that the price of silk is increasing.  In general cashmere prices are short at the moment, on an upward curve,   all of which means the watchword of stock and service for loyal customers has real meaning.

 Camenzind, Switzerland, stated unequivocally that the Oekotex standard remains important to their business and the company prides itself on long-established eco credentials.  Natural fibres are developed for circular and flat knitting, and the increasingly important area of handknitting. Fine knitting machines developed recently have called for even finer yarns, and Camenzind claim to produce the finest yarn in existence - a 100 per cent spun silk, Nm 300/2 .

Silk blends

Blends for the season include a wide variety of silk pairings including silk and wool, silk/ baby camel, silk /cashmere, silk/ SeaCell, silk/ micromodal and silk and linen.  Emphasising eco credentials is seen as core to the operation; particularly the fact that the production is Co2 neutral; the company possesses its own electricity power station.

Top trends, assembled by the expert Gianni Bologna showed the interest in colour; shiny coloured, transparent Lurex and other synthetic accent yarns in pinks, greens and yellows to further enliven knits and weaves in marls and rich reds and oranges. Techfil and other performance yarns had full superwash credentials, stretch and recovery.  Spoerry offers technical yarns with protection against microwave and electric-smog.

Off beat colours

 Off beat colours gave a new look; unusual tones of green, pink and blue for winter, juxtapositions of these with bright green/yellow accents and deep tones set against neutral or natural yarns.  Knops, marls, bouclés and space dyes were key textural effects.  Unusual pairings were Micromodal and cashmere, thermo-bamboo with cotton and polyester; kidmohair with baby alpaca and nylon, cashmere and viscose.  Top of the range summer quality fibres for winter such as Supima cotton, pure fine Merino and 100 per cent linen were also present in specialist collections, to be combined with wool.

At Lurex the Fine Lurex Yarns range featured bright colours with a holograph-inspired range in colours like framboise, menthe, cerise and bronze.  The enamel range’s dense colours - like ruby and chestnut - are combined with textural black, while iridescence, still an important trend, interpreted in pink mother-of-pearl and bright grey for barely-there yarns which transform a garment.

Contemporary urban jersey jackets were the target for Botto Poala’s luxurious ultrafine worsted yarns, for fabrics using three ply, mouliné and slub yarns.  Donegal designs or glossy and iridescent effects were designed for sophisticated jackets, some of them with stretch, for a look both classic and contemporary, while furry, bouclé looks with bulk and texture gave a luxurious touch.

Filo continues to attract its inventive market, successfully tilted at unusual and luxurious fashion yarns. 

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