-and beyond fashion too-
We are now in the second half of the year, which is an excellent time to investigate the latest fashion and technology trends. From algae-based materials to flashy super-ingredients, a large number of advancements have been developed and implemented in favor of fashion and beyond, including interior design, beauty, technology, and even food. The great thing about these current trends and new developments, in my opinion, is that they are not only intended to be used for a few months but are also intended to last.
I think this article will help you realize how the fashion market (and the market in general) is demanding a change; the user no longer only wants something beautiful, but also something practical, ecological, and truly designed to solve everyday problems.
Solar Power Revolution
Solar energy has officially become the cheapest source of electricity, and it has begun to enter the mainstream.
We have all witnessed the global crisis and how traditional fuel prices have gone through the roof; as a result, solar energy, which is free, local, and green, is now being considered a solid investment with multiple short and long-term benefits. Fashion designers, architects, and others have all begun to promote these initiatives.
All kinds of innovative solutions are currently being demonstrated, and companies should seize this opportunity to help people use solar energy in the easiest way possible, for example from home, not just through solar panels on the rooftops, but through everyday accessories such as lamps, kettles, electric blankets, and even toys.
We know that the textile industry has long supply chains that use a lot of energy. Producing fabrics, transporting, and selling clothing all have an impact on the environment. Making the garment industry run on renewable energy is critical for a more sustainable society, and customers are becoming increasingly concerned about how their clothes are made.
Incorporating energy-generating technology into fashion may appear to some a radical idea, but it has the potential to make fashion much more sustainable in the long run. Textiles are extremely flexible and versatile and can be outfitted with fibers capable of absorbing, collecting, and processing solar energy. It would be ideal, for example, for our clothes to collect energy while exposed to the sun and transmit it to our digital devices, eliminating the need to connect them to an electrical current.
Many of these advances are not yet within everyone’s reach, but I wouldn’t be surprised if many new solar energy developments emerge over the next few months.
An example of the use of this technology is Suntex, a design by Pauline van Dongen and Tentech BV. This textile is light and flexible, durable and waterproof, and also made with recycled polymer yarns.
This demonstration project combined the properties of a textile with energy harvesting potential. There is the possibility of using it as a cladding material on the facades of new and renovated buildings. It could also be applied to glazing to provide sun protection. Suntex can make buildings more energy efficient and bring completely new aesthetic qualities such as color, transparency, and texture. This is just one example of application in textiles, but I am excited to think of all the possibilities that we still have and with time they will be available to all of you.
The modular shoe
I recently came across many shoe brands that are reinventing the way they design, and it was clear that the modular shoe trend was on the way.
Sports and performance shoes, in particular, are making inroads into the footwear market by incorporating removable and interchangeable components, allowing the trekking shoe, for example, to be transformed into an outdoor-ready clog by simply removing an upper segment. It’s like having two types of shoes in one.
Versatility translates into value for today’s cash-strapped shoppers, who reduce the number of items they buy and even lower airline costs by traveling lighter. In addition to helping consumers get more money and avoiding additional baggage fees, modular shoes allow shoe designers to take a mono-material approach to each removable element, meaning footwear becomes easier and more cost-effective to recycle at the end of its life.
The Italian brand ACBC, an acronym for Anything Can Be Changed, has patented, for example, a new model of modular shoes called the Zip Shoe. This, thanks to a zipper, allows you to mount up to a hundred different uppers on the same sole, with the consequence of disproportionately lengthening the life cycle of your products.
But these sneakers are more than just functional: the detachable upper and sole that serves as the foundation for many different models aspires to make its customers’ lifestyles more sustainable as well. The production of the sole is the most polluting phase in the manufacturing of a shoe: the presence of a removable upper part alone reduces carbon dioxide emissions and thus the “weight” that the manufacturing process has on the environment.
Many other brands, like ACBC, are concerned with sustainability, recycling, and the need to find solutions to the excess weight of a thriving market, such as sneakers, which are heavily involved in industrial overproduction.
Algae-based alternatives
Seaweed is one of the materials of the future, emerging as a sustainable alternative compared to other current materials, thanks to its ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In fact, a 2019 study found that it can absorb up to 20 times more CO2 than plants.
These materials will become increasingly popular, and believe me when I say that algae will be increasingly used as a fast-growing and renewable solution to create lower-impact fibers, foams, and materials. It’s exciting to know that there are endless opportunities to use algae, both in the fashion and beauty industries and elsewhere.
They only require light, CO2, and water to grow rapidly, which is why they are already being used as a material in some casual shoes, replacing oil-based alternatives in foam soles. In the apparel industry, seaweed is emerging as a viable alternative to resource-intensive synthetics such as polyester and nylon.
Pangaia, Adidas, Patagonia, Levi’s, and Puma are among the brands testing seaweed inks and fabric finishes and Vollebak pioneered the use of black algae inks to replace oil-based carbon black dye pigments, which are among the most widely used and also among the most polluting.
Algae and other biological materials have many advantages because they allow us to design while considering the material’s life cycle, they are very versatile, and we can manufacture intricate designs of shapes, textures, and colors using new processes and digital technology. Using seaweed on a large scale, however, remains difficult, both in terms of sourcing it and the technological prowess required to turn it into textiles.
Aside from fashion, seaweed is gaining popularity in the beauty industry. Algae-based skin care products are well-known for their antioxidant and healing properties, making them an ideal star ingredient. Algae are also used to create bio-packaging, demonstrating their versatility. For these reasons, algae are expected to thrive in 2023 and beyond.
Skin reconstruction
We know that we are living in a time when skin care is extremely important, so routines that nourish and protect the dermis will return products to their microbial or natural roots.
The demand for natural skin repair products has increased as consumers seek to reduce their use of powerful products that do more harm than good. Personally, I’ve had a lot of issues with skincare products being too strong for my skin type or not delivering on their promises, so I’m very hopeful about these new alternatives that are focused on treating modern-day skin problems using seeds and plants to protect the skin’s natural flora.
Another interesting aspect of these products is that they monitor skin health and are becoming increasingly personalized, based on skin bacteria, genome sequencing, location data, weather, and so on.
AI and facial recognition technologies are being combined by skincare companies to create hyper-personalized skincare routines and product formulas. These advancements enable consumers to gain a better understanding of their skin’s health and the ingredients that work best for them. Using a face scan or skin microbiome swab test, innovations can also track product effectiveness and skin progress over time.
Some of the brands that are implementing these technologies are Opu Labs, Atolla Skin Lab, Epigen Care, and Le Culture Club, among others.
Still in trend, digital lavender
Lavender was chosen as the color of the year 2023, but it will not only be popular in the latter half of this year, but it will also be present in both the virtual and physical worlds for a longer period.
This color will represent happiness, digital escapism, and stability, aligning with the growing emphasis on mental health. Digital Lavender has become a popular choice among the youth sector in the fashion industry, and brands have embraced its gender-inclusive appeal. Digital Lavender has a calming and balancing effect, which links it to the growing mental health movement.
Brands will continue to embrace the health and wellness attributes of Digital Lavender and for smart fitness, wearables, and training product categories. This soothing purple color is also important for sleep products in the beauty, interiors, and fashion industries. This color is ideal for digital fashion masks and virtual beauty filters, especially when combined with shimmer and iridescence. Digital Lavender will be available in all product categories, including special occasion clothing, tailoring, and color cosmetics.
So, if you want a garment that stands out in your wardrobe while also connecting it to current trends, digital lavender is a good option.
After examining a few of the trends that will flourish this year, we can conclude that in a world where sustainability, digital media, and market competitiveness demand more intense attention to the individual customer, it is both possible and necessary that consumers seize this opportunity to acquire distinctive products and customizations, maintaining the possibility of purchasing the goods of our favorite brands while having the freedom to express our creativity; but also to open a new horizon in design, an area that is more vulnerable to technological contamination than others and that may find in these new trends a challenge to transform the industry in small steps.
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