Knitwear Solutions, the area dedicated to the creativity of flatbed knits, was inaugurated at the September edition of Premiere Vision last year and since then it has been growing steadily: with an increasing presence of knitwear in ready-to-wear collections, it only seemed obvious to expand this dedicated platform to provide both designers and manufacturers alike with an opportunity to meet and establish new business relationships.

In comparison with September 2012, when only 26 companies showed, there are already 50 exhibitors confirmed and an additional 26 new companies that will show at the next edition of Premiere Vision. Knitwear Solutions is not only a platform dedicated to manufacturers from all over the world, but it fulfils all the requirements dictated by the demanding process of knitwear design, from the numerous spinners showing at Expofil, to the manufacturers and also the knit design studios present at Indigo.

A new development for this edition of Knitwear Solutions was the new Knitwear Focus Forum, a trend area curated by designer Xavier Brisoux in collaboration with the exhibitors. The platform offered designers some general themes for next winter’s collections and it was divided into several mini areas. The overall theme of this forum was centred around the idea of playing with proportion, the silhouettes were very simple, boxy, and the fabrics very minimal, light and airy, with carefully designed areas with interesting stitches and structures.

There was a very seducing, almost clinical and industrial feel to the collection, stern and simple lines clearly delineated the shape of the garments and defined those sections where the yarn seemed more free to express itself in very precise and regimented stitches with uniform repetitions. Three of the themes that were featured on this platform, “Understated Galmour” , “Engineered Cables” and “Drawing Measurement” had a more hand crafted feeling compared to the others.

Isolated stripes

This mini area featured garments in very fine gauges and monochromatic tones. The silhouettes are very sporty , oversized or cropped and with a relaxed fit. The shaping is kept to a minimum and the fabrics are single bed jerseys.

Some very simple, yet considered stripes tentatively appear on the garments on closer inspection in the form of intarsia or separate mini cords that have been knitted separately over a small number of stitches and then appliquéd onto the garment.

Other dimensions

A collection of very relaxed, simple and minimal silhouettes. These garments have no shaping at all and are mainly formed by a simple arrangement of squares or shapes that have been exaggerated or cut, creating dramatic tensions. Cold shades of grey and fine gauge fabrics create very fluid, drapey and airy garments with unexpected silhouettes dictated by the wearer’s body and how they move.

Some of the pieces are knitted in chunkier yarns on heavier gauges (7gg) and feature some very minimal monochrome hand embroidery. Blocks of vertical stripes are knitted with touches of intarsia in similar yarns or using understated stitch details (like the textural effect of single bed and its reverse) on the sleeves and the shoulders.

Proportioning fantasy-stitch play

The garments featured in this section are knitted in a variety of gauges, from very fine, approximately 18gg, in warm, earthy colours, to chunkier, 5 and 3gg in neutral colours. A combination of moss and double moss stitches create some textural striping with interesting optical effects. The motifs are still very minimal (squares and stripes) and they are mixed with other textured effects, like some geometric lace patterns or single bed.

Garment constructions are effortless yet sophisticated, there is a good balance between simple fabrics and carefully placed sections with more interesting stitches. Textured lace patterns also define and accentuate the female silhouette, cleverly placed drop stitch patterns create a tension that pull and relax the fabric in various places.

Proportioning fantasy-colour applications

The garment shapes of this section are once again very simple, the constructions are minimal with very little seams: some of these pieces are knitted from the bottom up in one piece with no shoulder seams. The colour choices are quite bold and more vivid, there are various shades of pink, grey and lilac, deep purple and light grey and the fabrics are light and drapey.

Carefully placed blocks of colours, sometimes in different, minimal stitches (like reverse singled bed) are placed on unexpected areas of the garment redefining the perception of the body, creating asymmetrical effects and highlighting unconventional parts of the female figure.

Drawing measurement

This group of garments has a slightly more hand crafted feel, with subtle screen prints of geometric motifs inspired by the representation of units of measurements, like centimeters and millimeters on measuring tapes. Soft, cream yarns are used to knit light and cozy sweaters layered with geometric, yet watered down prints.

The grey lines of the prints are very soft, almost phased out, and are irregular in size, making the fabric look like a plaited rib or knitted with a mélange yarn, or even a micro jacquard. There are also some more figurative print designs with numbers and some others that have been reinterpreted as knits.

Understated glamour

Simple, relaxed shapes with touches of handcrafted details, fur, unusual yarns or needle felting. Sometimes the handcrafting is well disguised and the unusual details are camouflaged in the simplicity of the garment.

Shaping volume

The garments featured in this group play on the tension between denser, single bed fabrics and more lightweight, laddered textiles with a different drape.

The use of ribs in strategic places contrasting with single bed jerseys pulls the fabric of the garment creating unexpected shapes on the body.

A touch of transparency

Another small collection of monochromatic knits in dark, warm colours, like deep red and purple and similar minimal, relaxed shapes. Sections of single bed jerseys are combined with delicate fabrics knitted with very thin yarns on a very loose tension.

Transparencies are also obtained by using lightweight, airy yarns or by incorporating understated micro lace patterns on fine gauge garments.

Proportioning fantasy-contrasting gauges

The contrast between various gauges creates interesting structures with opposing qualities: drapey yet structured, light yet sturdy, impalpable yet heavy.

The apparent conflicting nature of these textiles is harmonized in the garments with a homogenous use of yarn, stitches and colours, once again neutral shades of cream dominate this group.

Proportioning fantasy-engineered cables

Cables are always in season, the sweaters in this group present some contemporary cables knitted with hand crafted techniques or more industrial processes.

Some garments featured multi gauge knits with chunkier cables or tuck stitch fabrics that were manipulated to look like cables.

Despite being in its first edition, the Knitwear Focus Forum was a good starting point for a well needed trend area in Knitwear Solutions.

The current popularity of knitwear in fashion and the ever growing presence of prestigious exhibitors at Premiere Vision will keep the interest alive in this area that will certainly keep improving.

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