Trend Research

Embroidery

What trend do I identify? Why?

One of the future trends that I identify with is the technique of embroidery (forecasted for 2016/17) that has become a key trend for both summer time and winter next year as reflected within the trend forecasts and the catwalks shown at fashion week. The reason that I identify with this trend is due to several reasons listed above:

·         Feminine quality – to me embroidery always has this very feminine girly quality to it but I can’t really place my finger on why that is, but I feel that due to the history of women using this technique on their garments and for jobs for the sale to people with status for them to wear to show off their money. One of the other elements I feel that embroidery has a feminine feeling to it is due to the way that you are able to have a really refined style to it which links to femininity due to the way that women are linked to being delicate/refined, beautiful and delicate which the technique of embroidery real is (physically it’s a delicate technique as it can catch and pull due to the way that it sits on top of the material) therefore the way that I identify with this trend is the way that all my work is aimed at a women’s wear and especially the more girly side of the market which this technique does relate to, unlike others that are harder this technique is very soft feeling and therefore being a trend that is feminine as it processes both the elements linked to women and the history to go with it as well, therefore the use of it within my collections can really help accelerate my individual style and area within the market place.

·         Old technique/ vintage feeling – as I have already suggested briefly before embroidery is a historical technique and therefore has a very classic quality to it which is perfect for my style and therefore I have an infinity with it as this trend will highlight the way that my product and style of work does have a timeless quality to it and feels more vintage like, as it will not really age with time like the way that some of the embroidery they created in the older days are now popular and current in today’s market some even more so than when they were created.  My collection and work is aimed to include this ageless quality so this trend technique is one of the ways that I can make my work more focused on that message making it clear to my customers about what my style is really about.

·         Elegant expensive look – to me embroidery always has this expensive feeling to it due to the way that I know that it is something that takes great time to do or by the use of expensive machinery and therefore I have an infinity with it due to the way that within my collection I want to focus on it having this more exclusive personal feeling to it that is gained by the use of expensive techniques and materials. I want to focus on pieces that women can buy (spend more money on) of quality that will not age with time and also makes a person feel special due to the way that it is expensive to produce and oozes femininity making the women feel more desired due to these qualities) which this trend allows me to do due achieve these elements stated above (timeless, feminine) helping my brand message and style stand out.

Where did you obtain the research?

For the brand research I used WGSN, vogue.com (to look at the latest catwalk shows) and general internet processes (such as social media and the such) and looked at the future trend, by looking at these trends forecasted it helped me established what Kind of look and style that I relate to and the path that my look is going down. WGSN allows you to look at different documentations about that one trend from all over the globe so is an easy way that you are able to research into one chosen subject. This really helped me to see the way that the same trend can differ within different locations which is very interesting to see and will help me tailor my collection if designing to that area of the market. The way that they gain different information from different sources makes the program reliable and the way that the industry also uses it to tailor their collections on really helps you match what they are doing so you can be on trend with the big name companies and therefore gain sale figures through the way that people desire the high end but can only afford garments less costly so will chose your items instead as they have the same style.  I also looked at the catwalk shows on vogue.com to see how current designers have taken the trend and manipulated it for their usage for their chosen market. To see the style, placement and layout of their imagery is really key to see as well as you are able to see the way that different structures and placements can be more successful as others and therefore you are able to learn from their mistakes to propel myself in the industry and be as desired as possible and as a result gain the customers and the support that is needed within this competitive industry.

How do these fit into the designers I have looked into in shop report?

This trend fits into the designers that I have looked into on my shop reports and in week one (first couple of pages where I looked into two designers that I like the style off) due well here are the designers I looked as and why or why not they fit into this trend:

Designer	Do they fit into trend	Why
Enusuk hur	yes	This designer uses mixed media within her pieces to create more of a statement piece then a item of wearable clothing which is something that I do not want to do, but with the way that she layers up techniques to create a textual look you can easily see the way that embroidery can be used within her collection as well to really showcase her prints and adding to her mixed media usage, overall making this trend fitting to her style.
Dolce and Gabbana	yes	Dolce and Gabbana is one of the designers that I absolutely love due to their feminine look and elegance of their prints.  They are mainly print based but they do have some embroiled pieces and therefore fitting into his trend. But their prints are ones that I can really see being embroidered either instead or on top of the designs they way that the brand look is very refined makes it easy to see embroidery within it and the whole feeling of the brand being very feminine and timeless in style (with a more classic feel to it) fitting in well with what the technique and trend of embroidery projects message wise. Overall being a designer and trend that can go hand in hand with.
Valentino	yes	Valentino’s collection at the moment feature embroidery in nearly every garment they produce in their high end stores making this trend one that they are already following and will do within the futures clearly showcasing their infinity with it. They use this trend to show off their imagery with the use of it on sheer material making the technique mixed with the material stand out more and highlight its delicate nature of the trend and also the wearer/women in general. There use of embroidery is inspiring and really states their brand message of femininity and beauty  making it one to look at due to its success using this trend and the way that if due to the way that they are currently using this trend now if when it comes out into high street shops weather they still participate in this timeless look/style or if they either step it up or move to a different technique instead to be different from the cheaper stores.
Roberto Cavalli	no	This brand does not have an infinity with the trend of embroidery and I feel that it will never be a designer that does fit this trend due to the way that Roberto Cavalli targets the digitally printed material within their garments and not any other techniques. They are focused on the more realistic look with their imagery looking very photorealistic with borders and placements that make the print look of higher quality then the high street products, therefore the use of the trend would take away from their style and identity as a designer and therefore is not fitting with each other at all and not within the future.

How could I include or use this trend in my projects currently and in the future?

This trend would be a good one for me to work into my collections and designs due to the way that it expresses the wearers femininity, timeless quality and expense (as I suggested earlier that embroidery is expensive to produce and make with it being so time consuming) these elements are ones that I desire within my own collections and as my brand identity as suggested within the first couple of pages titled About my brand. Therefore I will research this trend and technique more to see how I can manipulate this trend to be the most successful to pronounce these qualities within my brand identity now and also in the future of the creation of my work.

Conclusion of the trend

Overall I chose this trend because it is one that does fit into my brand identity, the way that the style is timeless and also the way in which the trend is one that is more technique based and not imagery based. Therefore I have chose this technique trend and also looked at one of the printed trends to see the way that they can be different in the look they fit into and the popularity of them, showcasing within the retail market and in catwalks if the designers value look (imagery) or texture (technique) and the success of these, stating to me what people desire more within fashion textiles. Embroidery is one of the trends that will always be on style due to its timeless quality and the way in which we value our vintage market with the majority of all designers influence now-a-days coming from our past making embroidery key due to its historical values. Therefore it is a trend that I want to look into more and that will be interesting to see when it comes out within the high street stores to see what path that they chose and the way that they apply this technique based future trend.