Metamorphosis

Phase One: Under The Skin

In recent high fashion runway shows, designers are choosing makeup and hair styles that make the models look uglier. Not embellishing their features, having the model look more neutral or even unappealing, to draw the viewers attention to the garment and even distract from beauty to focus on the essence of the materials. We are looking under the skin.

Phase One: Under The Skin

We are seeing a manifesting imperfections to add interest – going straight to the essence and character of material. Making products precious by scattering dust, dirtying, as if it is the skin of the planet; Extracting from the earth is precious and not yet defined – space for originality and appreciating raw materials. Consumers want materials to look, feel, and have connection to nature.

Phase One: Under The Skin

We are seeing a lightening by brining back lace textures that are organic, technical, abstract, and with biomorphic details. There is also lightening happening with the impression of volume created with pleats, folding, and even air-filled forms.

Phase Two: Retaking the Basics

We are seeing a reinterpretation of tradition being shown in a different nature. Heritage. Timelessness. Items that last more seasons for sustainable future. Waterproofed for protection and comfort. Super shiny mirror effect contrasted with matte. Focus on black, true blues, red and brown tones. The image on the far right had an added impression of dimension created with an angled gradient spray that appears as a shadow.

Phase Two: Retaking the Basics

3D volumes emphasized with contrasting textures and shine Puffy volume, budding, very light, very protective, very comfortable, volume but light weight
Matte, shine, suede, subtle shifts in tone, and mixing & layering materials to create new effects that coexist in a new space.
The second to last image is a “ghost” type effect with a mesh laminated to a leather to show texture through the smooth surface.

Phase Two: Retaking the Basics

Suede effect, nubuck, powdery feeling/effect. Creamy and smooth, buttery touch. – cozy objects. Constructed and deconstructed on same item.
Less traditional gradients that are created with specking, hand brushing, and subtle shifts through multiple tones to create a soft and cozy feeling.

Phase Two: Retaking the Basics

Contradiction chic (woven and smooth) – which is a playful male and female style, Newest material have no gender, are fluid and playful.
Smooth is interpreted with softness -glossy and semi glossy casting. Grains are smoothed out & flattened and micro grains. Technical grains with texture and movement however tend towards micro grains and micro prints. The last image had a super micro print/grain that was only visible when lifted in a certain angle.

Phase Three: Additive Vision

More is more is more! Layering, glamorous details, rich colors, & expensive effects add brilliant and festive hyper decoration to leather surfaces, including some with real gold accents. We are seeing a full expression of the interpretation of fantasy-nature.

3D effects combined with digital printing to enhance visual impression.

Phase Three: Additive Vision

Ink jet printing & screen printing are paired to add dimension. Printing that mimics shadows to create dimension & printing copied from original artwork creates sense of individuality, bespoke, and uniqueness.

Phase Three: Additive Vision

Liquid glossy, glazes over color shifting pigments & iridescent effects made to look almost like mermaid tail, showing a strong futuristic marine life influence.

Phase Three: Additive Vision

Hinted iridescent effects are found in prints & softer iridescent silvers, golds, and metallic whites with hue shifts.

Phase Three: Additive Vision

Gold was everywhere. As tipping, full leather finish, from warm golds to cool golds. Seen in organic designs mostly, or as a crafted element. Paired with mostly neutrals, but sometimes a pop of color.

Phase Three: Additive Vision
Gold was seen in a huge variety of applications – From fantasy and mystical looks to sophisticated and polished Reddish undertone to silver. Multiple metallic tones pared together Metallic gradations.

Phase Three: Additive Vision
Liquid glossy, glazes to give impression of protection, glamour, and sleek smooth touch. Pinkish shades paired with dark tones & silvery pinkish tones.

Pink was EVERYWHERE. A huge influence from the Barbie move was seen at the show. From subtle soft feminine pinks, true hot pinks, and metallic pinks – Everything was pink. There was a big range of what pink was paired with, from neutral tones, purples, dark colors, maroon, to blues, yellows, oranges and teals; Pink was the most versatilely used pop of color at the show.

Phase Three: Additive Vision
Hot pinks are paired with subtler shades of pink, color changing tones, metallics, prints, embossing, gradients, textures, sequins, destructed, high gloss and polished…seen on a whole scope & spectrum.

Phase Three: Additive Vision
Pinks were also seen in a more summer-y and light tones, which is surprising for a fall show. Pinks are being paired with yellows and warm tans, teals, bright blues, orange and reds.

3D effects combined with digital printing to enhance visual impression. Smart materials & newly released materials stand out of the show especially ones that challenge perception of color, texture and light. Change of perception creates an experience transformation with use of new playful technologies. New opportunities, new challenges, & new risks are being taken with enrichments and surface effects. Materials that change color instantly look futuristic and magical.

Phase Five: Tribe of Seekers

Aesthetic movements of rugged and raw artistry is embraced using hand crafted techniques, clashing colors, and mixing technology with traditional. Contemporary expressionism is being shown with assembling, disassembling & reconstructing. A visualization of conceptual metamorphosis through mixing and matching patterns, colors and processes. Exaggeration and fullness of creation and focus on freedom of expression.

Phase Five: Tribe of Seekers

Unexpected color pairings are found in suprising places; while mostly neutral, strong unexpected pops of bold color define this trend. Green crust, paired with a gold metallic finish, on a very natural grain leather, as shown in the image above, is a key example of this.

Phase Five: Tribe of Seekers

Wovens that look rugged, rough and handcrafted, that included mixes of grains woven in the same piece create a unique sense of texture, dimension, and call to attention of the natural qualities and variation of leather. Larger scale wovens or smaller wovens that together create a larger overall style & pattern are emerging.

Leather grains are seen in a wide variety. This fall, geometric grains, dimensional grains, and super large-scale grains with bold features were seen across the show as key.

Leather grains are seen in a wide variety. This fall, geometric grains, dimensional grains, and super large-scale grains with bold features were seen across the show as key.

Ink jet printing was seen in a wide variety of aesthetic styles; from traditional textures, bold geometric patterns, to recreations of artwork, logos, and soft watercolor gradients.

Creative displays showed leather in many different ways, including crumpled, hung, trimmed, and swatches. Displays prioritized showing color collections or promoting hero-colors.

Sustainability and leather go hand in hand – it is a given. There was a emphasis at the show that ALL real leather is sustainable.

There was also a focus on environmental impact, transparency, and communication of processes & partnerships.