Interfilière Paris 2019 selects D2P Billon as Designer of the Year. © D2P Billon

This season, Interfilière Paris has recognised D2P Billon for its pursuit of perfection in knit production, combining major creativity with manufacturing of the highest quality.

Still located near Lyon to this day, in the Ain region, the company is present on the men’s and women’s decorative swimwear market with mid- to high-end brands. Princesse Tam Tam, Lise Charmel, Banana Moon, Seafolly, HOM, Repetto, Solid & Striped, Heidi Klein, Beach Bunny, and Aussie Bum are among its major brand partners.

With 260 exhibitors from all around the world, the Interfilière Paris leading trade fair for fabrics and accessories for lingerie, swimwear and activewear will present all the latest trends, including a more sporty athletic take on swimwear, from 6-8 July.

Venerable skill

Constant Billon founded his workshop in Villeurbanne in 1904 and quickly gained fame in the fashion industry for his tulles and veils. In the 1950s, Billon Frères stood out as the top French knitter of stretch fibre, offering, just ten years later and well ahead of its time for the swimwear market, the concept of knit with Lycra.

Since then, Billon has proven its place as one of the most important specialists in decorative Lycra synthetic knits. Acquired by D2P, a specialist in the sale of fabrics for women’s and children’s ready-to-wear, in 2013, the renamed D2P Billon continues to promote a heritage that includes 30,000 archives.

100% French expertise

“The strength of the Billon Group lies in helping its clients stand out from the crowd by personalizing each fabric. It has become truly essential for each brand to “tell its own story” with its collections. Using the very latest technology, D2P Billon thus serves as a solid working base for designers to create customized fabrics that are both visually and tonally coordinated,” the company says. “A wide range of 56 colours of yarn-dyed polyamides enriches a product offering that is unique in its category.”

Featuring a varied machine base, the French firm brings true diversity in the products it offers, including yarn-dyed or cross-dyed textured jacquards, Lurex or placed yarn-dyed stripes, stretch laces, crochets, 3D knits, structured knits, and other assorted multicoloured, straight-lined herringbones.

“With fully integrated dyeing and knitting (using their 26 knitting looms), D2P Billon has full control over design and production that is 100% French.”

Sustainable innovation

In 2019, Billon has entered the eco-sustainable era with the inclusion of a 100%-recycled polyamide yarn, combined with the very latest machine technology, allowing the consumption of water in the dye bath to be divided by five, using less colouring, additives, and waste.

The Enola Range using botanical polyamide will also be expanded throughout the year.

“Another innovation for 2019 is that the vast majority of the swimwear collection becomes 50+ UV-protectant, complying notably with the highly specific regulations in Australia, where we find many clients of D2P Billon with products that are sold throughout the world,” the company explains.

This is the type of global reach that Interfilière Paris wants to celebrate this year, the organisers of the show conclude.

www.eurovet.com

Further reading

Interfilière Paris invites all on board