Part 2 : Fabrics, textiles and threads for pattern design ideas from summer 2022

In the second part of this series I'll be taking you through the trending fabrics, textiles and threads with some pattern design ideas for 22.

For those of you that missed that, I’ve linked that link in here.

In the next blog in this series however, I want to go deeper into another the key component of the process. The canvas that all pattern design ideas, colours and prints are imposed onto.

What's certain, for Fall-Winter 22-23 the industry is doubling down on its creative efforts, injecting new products with energy, optimism and hope, with the new fashion season going to be cozy and warm ☺️

Fabrics 🧵

In summary:

• What was the fabric in style for 2022 - Airy texture wollens and soft and plush knits were everywhere this summer
• Feels and comforts - Lighter more casual compositions seem to be back in vouge for FW23
• Colors and prints - Stripped back compositions that relied on nudes and greys as well as checks and stripes

Read on for our take on the latest pattern designs for wollens, knits and casuals for Fall-Winter 22-23 below 👇

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🐑 Wollens

Airy textures and feelings

Light, bright, but still cosy to the touch, we saw swatches from airier blends at PV this summer, with cashmere and velvet in particular providing the perfect canvas this kind of luxury.

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In terms of pattern design ideas using this fabric, checkout Laurent Garigue from the UK, for a great example of how to use bright and colourful hues when combining your pattern design art with this composition.

Technicality wise the wollen above is a Autres fibres, Laine and Mohair blend and was intended to be created into jackets and coats, so bare that in mind when you think how to incorporate this fabric into some pattern design ideas.

In the future blogs we’ll be providing our recommendations on the best vendors, mills and platforms to help you actually source these fabrics for when you create a collection, #watchthisspace 🕶

Stripped back colours and compositions

On the slightly opposite end of the scale, we came across wollen compositions that contained nude treads and different design patterns ⚪️

Using Browns, beiges, dark greens and greys, I’ve featured below pattern design ideas in this fabric you may want to include in your pattern design software or moodboard this season.

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We also got talking to a number of reps from European textile trade bodies, and with near-sourcing in full swing, they’ve seen an almost 40% uptick in brands and designers sourcing from European mills.

If you’d like to learn more about the why that may be, check out our blog on the fashion supply chain crisis 🚚

🧶 Knits

Softness and plush

No fabric can ever be too soft, fact 😇

From bedding and coats, to scarves and hats, this season knits was no exception, with softer, plusher blends that are lighter, but also cosy making an appearance.

Some patterns and designs on the high-volume knit side, saw shearlings, fake furs and plush looks continue to trend for Fall-Winter 22-23.

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Generally speaking we didn’t see a whole lot of pattern design art or pattern design ideas using this fabric at the shows, but then again arent trends meant to be set and not followed? 😉

With brighter bolder pattern design art and prints making their way into wardrobes this Fall-Winter, there’s no reason surface pattern and fashion designers couldn’t utilise this fabric in their creations.

😎 Casuals

Checks and stripes

Last but by no means least, more casual fabrics contained cottons that channelled denser handles, finer yarns and smoother weaves, which appeared to be inspired by the double facing macs of old 🏁

With the world’s most famous pattern brand, Burberry going through a bit of a transition at the moment, this is no real surprise.

For a few pattern design ideas, using checks and stripes, checkout my moodboard example below 👇

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I’ve also added a link to it here.

Up Next ⏭

For both fashion, pattern designers, and any creative who designs patterns for physical products using fabrics, seeing the colours, drape, textures, and feel of these materials in the flesh is a crucial part of their inspiration process 🖼

During the summer we met many designers from all over Europe, who visited the shows to get an idea of what the mills were producing, and what pattern design ideas it gave them when incorporating the fabrics into their collections.

The supply chain is circular, and this proved that is very much the case ⭕️

Although not all of you could visit the shows in person this year, hopefully this blog has given you some insight on the trending fabrics and patterns, so you have a couple of pattern design ideas when creating your next collection.

For the next blog in this series, I’ll be going deeper into the actual patterns and designs we captured this summer.

Check out our other content on surface pattern design below:

• A surface pattern designers guide to what is surface pattern design
• How fashion brands source patterns and prints
• Part 1- The highlights of the latest fabrics, patterns, and pattern designs
• Part 3- The latest patterns, prints and pattern designs from summer 2022

Keep making those dots 🤙🏾