INVISTA and trend forecasting agency Stijlinstituut Amsterdam presented the 2017/2018 global Intimate Apparel, Swimwear and Athleisure trends this week in London, through an inspirational LYCRA® capsule collection which features cutting-edge trends and technologies. Claire O’Neill, Intimate Apparel & Swimwear Marketing Segment Manager at INVISTA said: “The INVISTA fibre portfolio offers flexible and performing wardrobes to suit every woman and her various ‘me’s’, and the addition of the Athleisure platform reflects an exciting opportunity for intimates and bodywear brands to expand their business.”
In the Intimate Apparel sector, four trends highlight the rise in health, fitness and mindfulness as a lifestyle with the engaging motto ‘I am every woman’:
Optimised Self
This is about people working hard to be the best versions of themselves they can be. Fashionable sports shades are seasoned with a hint of intimacy and cosmetic skin tones are sparked with energetic accents. Comfortable fabrics with improved performance are key, shifting sweat through the use of COOLMAX® technology or compressing muscles to optimise performance with the LYCRA® POWER technology. New is the COOLING moisture management technology from LYCRA® for a superior comfort and the FreshFX® technology which delivers freshness in wear through fibre innovation.
Flawless Me
Consumers’ increasingly focus on health, mindfulness, peace and tranquility is translated in a palette of subtle pale shades, and lingerie can be seen as a luxurious cosmetic foundation. Fabrics using LYCRA® BEAUTY COOLING smooth and pamper the skin, offering sculptural shaping with comfort and long lasting freshness, while draping fabrics feature LYCRA® BEAUTY brand offering contouring qualities.
Most Feminine Me
Lace transcends borders and cultures and brings feminine qualities to whoever chooses to wear it. Asia inspires the use of colours which include subtle, sunlight yellow with a golden hue, kimono green, mysterious vapour-grey, deep hazel and rose flower blush. XTRA FINE technology by LYCRA® brand allows for “barely there” smooth-fitting fabrics while the EASY SET technology by LYCRA® brand allows heat-sensitive fibres to be used.
The Rebel in Me
The intimate wardrobe embraces festival wear with a rebellious and wild nod to fashion and music, mixing heritage and modernity, romance and tech, leather and lace. Lingerie is worn on the outside to show off, with SHAPING technology by LYCRA® brand there to provide structure, and the trend presents a cheeky palette of daring contrasts, humour and festive/party shades. Black is the rebel’s essential base colour and LYCRA® BLACK technology is used for deeper, darker, radical shades.
Three trends also revealed which directions the Swimwear sector is taking in 2017/2018:
My Wild Side
This is about connecting with nature and fabrics have animal skin or tribal prints, leather looks and camouflage glamour in a cold but exciting colour palette. LYCRA® SHAPING technology is key as consumers move towards the strong, athletic look for swimwear. Garments survive their environment up to 10 times longer than unprotected swimwear thanks to the use of LYCRA® XTRA LIFE™ fibre.
Better Me
The female form is re-designed through a series of engineering solutions aiming to show curves and make strong statements with force and finesse. Black is perfect for this illusionary shaping and a stay-true black is possible with LYCRA® BLACK technology, which also delivers durable chlorine resistance, excellent uniformity and virtual elimination of unwanted elastane grin-through. A powerful palette of bright white, barely blue and steel grey is spiced up with a shot of cayenne.
Playful Self
It is at play that creativity happens and personality and sense of humour shine through. New ideas in online customisation allow consumers to invent personalised swimwear that will creep into a more creatively versatile wardrobe, using feel-good shades with unexpected accents of pastels, acids, black and grey. The perfect base for easy-wear, feel-good garments is LastingFIT technology by LYCRA® brand and fabrics are kept looking new for longer through the use of BLACK technology by LYCRA® brand.
