Bio materials made from milk and mushrooms and other natural sources are the future of fashion and will be the norm by 2019. Ferragamo recently launched a collection made from Italian patented Orange Fibre which is created using citrus waste, with prints designed by the award winning Mario Trimarchi. The brand describe the exciting development as ‘a new fabric treated like the pages of an imaginary book on the colours of shadow at midday…demonstrating the vivid effects of light and shadow and freehand drawing to suggest clouds in motion and the wind scented with orange blossoms of the Mediterranean.’ Biodegradable is definitely the new chic, looking ‘on trend’ but with less impact on the environment.

A new generation of consumers are more eco conscious, as well as many brands being aware about what they are doing to the planet with their designs and processes. Designer Mara Hoffman, spoke to Vogue this year about her shift to sustainability, beginning with her Spring/Summer 2017 collection, which featured better for the planet textiles such as recycled spandex, tencel, organic linen, and organic Japanese cotton jacquards.

A new brand for eco conscious basics is Iluut, the brainchild of Helinksi born Elina Cerell, Vj Taganahan and Milanese designer Silvia Stella Osella. We love their navy blue shirt dress, which is made of cotton and Tencel, regarded as one of the most sustainable fibre innovations in the fashion industry today! Aside from being a handy autumn to winter number worn with ankle boots or flats, 5 % of this products’ margin will be donated for building the Pencils of Promise school, a trust which trains teachers and funds scholarships.

Mango have launched their first Sustainable collection Mango Committed, which is a line committed to ethically sourced materials, made in Portugal, Morocco and Turkey. The 45 piece sustainable collection is made up of 25 womens and 20 mens garments, made using ethically-sourced fabrics such as organic cotton, recycled polyester and Tencel. This move is part of Mango’s larger Take Action initiative, a plan to encourage a new business model based on sustainability and more environmentally friendly processes.

Watch your step

Ethical shoes are about to put their best foot forward, which makes sense when you think that we produce about 20 billion pairs of them worldwide but only 5 percent get recycled at the end of their lives, which means about 19 billion end up in the landfill.

Micam 2017, the leading international footwear fair, was all about shoes made with non animal materials, vegan sandals and trainers. With Italian brands like SQUARe027, who have proposed a 100% vegan shoe made from vegetable synthetics and a special rubber and cork, this is a new type of Made In Italy, made from Italian nature.

Stella McCartney says Fashion is “Getting Away With Murder” and last year her shoes were launched to coincide with World Oceans Day. In her collaboration with Adidas, she revealed a new version of the Ultra Boost trainer that has features made from plastic recovered from the sea.

McCartney who is known for her ethical approach to fashion design, described sustainability as being “fundamental” to what she does. “I strongly believe in making clothing that is ethically created and built to last, and this is an ideology I channel into every single piece I design,” she said. “For me, preserving and respecting the planet is fundamental to what I do and I always try to make an effort to consider that in my designs.”

Alice: A Modular, Zero-Waste Shoe Grown From Fungus

Belgian designer Kristel Peters began exploring new, low-impact ways of making shoes based using fungus.

Talking to eco friendly website Ecouterre, Peters, a 15-year industry veteran who has worked with the likes of Dries Van Noten and Bottega Veneta said “Most fashion houses tend to focus on formal developments, rather than on process and material innovation, giving sustainable solutions the cold shoulder.”

So, she has created a modular shoe based on sustainable design elements like recyclability and repairability, the use of waste materials like sawdust, and local production. She calls it “Alice.” Peters is also a fan of technologies such as three-dimensional printing, which can eliminate the use of non-recyclable materials such as glues while ensuring a bespoke fit.

The 21st century material balances beauty, utility and sustainability. Expect to see Sughero, a vegetable material, which is easy to clean, waterproof and works well for every season.

Traditional Fusion and eco utility

There will be a focus on hand made and crafts, and anything goes mix and match, as well as traditional materials with modern techniques. A mix of culture and traditions without divisions.

Just like Japanese art of Kintsugi, which takes broken property and creates new designs with the old, thus trends will be following suit for AW 2018-19. Merging traditional, ethnic patterns in a contemporary thread seamlessly tying together cultures and their textiles.

Published @ 5Fashion Forecast May 2017