Yarns

Be Italian. What else?

“Be Italian”, was the slogan of the last Pitti Filati based on two keywords for the SS 2016 season: “optimism” and “investment”
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According to the preliminary figures processed by SMI, although still decreasing, the turnover of the Italian yarn industry (in this context, inclusive of production of wool, cotton, and linen yarns) registered positive signs, and is expected to have halved the 2013 rate of fall: the average decrease for 2014 should be -2.2%, for total sector turnover of a little more than 2.9 billion euro. Both cotton and linen spinning, thanks to good results both on the foreign markets and in Italy, were already showing an inversion of the trend in all their results including total sales, which thus returned to showing positive variations. The last Pitti Filati based on two of key words: “optimism” and “investment”.

MagliaItalia is the theme at Spazio di Ricerca conceived by designer Angelo Figus together with knitwear expert Nicola Miller. Italy as a source of interest, in fact the coming Expo is the subject that inspires “passion and pride of Made in Italy products: a journey in our country beginning from the charm of its places and history to a contemporary landscape of lights, colours, scents and impressions that combine beauty, craftsmanship, quality, research beyond its geographical boundaries, to impress the whole world.” An exciting creativity occupies this space full of texture and technical suggestions. Colour combined with refined stiches emerges. From orange to tile red, from asphalt grey to blue as concept shade of the season. Uneven surfaces, where knits lose their identity as a result of coatings and prints in a mix of techniques and materials.

Maglificio Ellynore is worth mentioning for the high-finish knitting combined with woven fabric and for number of process steps, such as washing, matting, sand blasting, felting and printing.

This special project Denim Italiano results from a cooperation between Milano Unica and Pitti Immagine, covering the Italian denim supply chain and approaching the high end global market. Managed by Angelo Figus, together with some other designers, weaving mills, clothing manufacturers, industrial laundries, accessories manufacturers and embroiderers, it shows a selection of fabrics and outfits from the best Italian manufacturers. T.B.M. Blue showed a range of denim fabrics of different weight and materials, not just indigo cotton, but cashmere, silk, wool or cupro, viscose and Lyocell mixtures. Not to forget top accessories manufacturers such as Zip GFD, with ecofriendly zippers, both as far as raw material and processing are concerned. Remmert, a historical leader on the ribbon and tape market, presented Comfort, a genuine revolution in woven ribbon and tape manufacture.

 

Investment is the topic at Filmar, a company involved in a social responsibility support project in favour of Egyptian cotton farmers. The political troubles the country went through caused a lot of difficulties to cotton farmers no longer supported by the government. Lacking the support of private entrepreneurs, farmers, actually the weakest loop of the supply chain, would stop cotton cultivation, putting the crops at risk.

The company signed a cooperation agreement with the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture to start a five year programme to cultivate, process and market Egyptian extra long staple organic cotton. A larger range of cotton shades in the stock service is offered both for flat knitting machines and for hosiery and underwear.

Filpucci invests in natural materials like silk, linen, jute and cotton hybridized and converted into high tech yarns. Viscose is the highlight of the company, while and its texture is being continuously explored in search of new opportunities: matt and seedy, machine washable, metallised, extremely thin and semi-transparent.

«… we do not impose any limits on ourselves in terms of cost of the fibres we process, both natural and technical and performing…» stated Federico Gualtieri, vice president, Filpucci. The colours presented for the season were visually impressive: ecru, red, black.

New investments are the target of Lineapiù. They powered their own dyeing mill before acquiring a new spinning mill opened in February. At Linea Più too one can feel optimism and investment in the air. The range goes from viscose crêpe feeling as smooth as silk, to printed viscose ribbons. Devoré, wet, slub fabric effects.

Lanificio Dell’Olivo decided to maintain an ethical standard so as to ensure environment safety and health: “Going green” is a sign of the company’s aim at internationally approved standards as high sustainability guidelines, like e.g. the GB 18401 standard. The company resolutely shares international negotiating tables like e.g. ZDHC – www.roadmaptozero.com, a group of major apparel and footwear brands committed to help the industry towards zero discharge of hazardous substances.

Sophisticated, unusual stitches, a creative mix of inlays, devoré, fil coupé and jacquard in cool and lightweight yarns are the keynotes for Zegna Baruffa Lane Borgosesia. Viscose turns into a major player, perfectly combined with extremely fine cotton, like Nm 2/100, or looks like crêpe. A skilful blend of wool and flax where the broken fancy flax yarn is highlighted. Impact natural fibres, carded, for Chiavazza; on the other hand, items made with precious Botto Poala worsted yarns turn into “pocket knits” to be packed down when you do not need them.

Woolmark supports young emerging designers through a contest selecting ten young designers from several fashion schools in the world, five for a menswear range and five for womenswear.

Fashion at Work, the space devoted to style and design departments, accessories and intermediate processing has been an eye catching area. “Art is magic from our heart” is the claim of the Forza Giovane range offering machines that process stitches simulating hand embroidery stitches of different length, chain stitch effects, a new bouclé felting, fabrics made of trimmings and jacquard ribbons. Tintoria di Quaregna offers wool, cotton, silk and linen yarns for flat knitting machines and felting, 100% dyed with natural substances like flowers, berries, roots and farm produce or food waste. The only Woolmark certified “natural” dyeing mill.

by Manuela Rubertelli