Ski Press World Inc. - Index

Ski Press World Inc. - SIA Day 1 - Index

trend +/fashion
Kids have all the fun — at least that’s what it’ll look
like when you walk around SIA’s booths this year. Vivid
colors, wild prints, embroidery, embellishments and nontraditional
fabrics are the trend for youth-oriented apparel.
Outerwear is the new canvas and all forms of artwork are
showing up. This creative expression echoes the art-culture
of surfboards, snowboards and powder skis — all providing
a wide platform for lots of design space. The popularity of
freeride culture has given designers carte blanche for more
freedom of expression and boundaries are being pushed in
the form of wearable art. Burton, for example, introduces a
new sublimation process that infuses prints in almost photographic
defi nition onto fabrics. Look for the Woodstock
Festival crowd scene on the women’s Lucky Cargo LTD pant
for the next level of “clothes as canvas.”
That’s not to say the “mature” crowd has been overlooked.
Technology is the Holy Grail in this arena. New stretch
materials are lightweight, weatherproof and have higher
mobility than ever. Technical softshells and midlayers now
act more as outerwear because they’re made out of technical
fabrics. W.L. Gore has come out with yet another
innovation, this one called GORE-TEX LTD, a new liner
construction that makes more fabrics available to technical
apparel manufacturers. Baselayers also get a facelift: new
seamless construction techniques erase any discomfort next
to skin and new fabrics made with renewable resources
such as bamboo are more eco-friendly. Alpine styles are
sleek, fi tted and full of stretchy new fabrics, but down jackets
are still en vogue — though insulation has improved
this season so that warm doesn’t have to equal “puffy”
anymore. Workaholics barely need to be in the offi ce during
the winter: many technologically advanced, gear-laden
shells house all the high-tech gadgets you need.
High art and technology make good retail stories to share
with consumers whose biggest challenge will be picking
something from the vast array of choices. “Fashion has
become a vital part of the industry and the
bar is being raised every season. The
days of everything being stuck with
the same designs and colors are over.
Fabric development and prints are
pushing style and function to levels
unseen before. Everyone should be
able to fi nd something that says
‘this is who I am’ — whether
it is a neon jumpsuit or a
black and red jacket and
pant that will be safe for
another 10 years,” said
Philip May, manager,
Throe Clothing.
Descente
Swiss Team jacket
22 SNOWPRESS DAY 1 skipressworld.com/snowpress
THE COLOR STORY
Quiksilver discovers a rainbow in the Utility range with bold
hues such as pop green, ocean blue and art borrowed from
their trend-setting sportswear. Women will fi nd new graphics
on outerwear and bold stripes and plaids on layering
pieces. Obermeyer sees “true red” with pieces such as the
Faith Hoodie — a technical best-seller, brought back in
bolder colors. White Sierra goes big next season with bright
colors, large all-over prints and embellishments on buttons,
snaps and stitching. Neve — now licensed with the US Ski
Team — fuses striking color combos with contemporary
styling in sweaters such as the Sylvie. Orage’s new line stays
true to their color story of vibrant hues — plus fl ourishes
such as fake snake trims, die-cut logos, reflective hood
design and antique fi nishes.
FIRST-RATE FABRICS
Core Concepts introduces the Spellbound Soft Shell, a technical,
windproof and water-resistant Schoeller four-way stretch
shell with a fashionable cut. 686 joins with LEVI’s for a collection
of jackets and pants that are waterproof and breathable.
Smartwool’s new lifestyle apparel line features the Women’s
Chimney Jacket — a 100-percent wool jacket with sweater-knit
sleeves and leather-trimmed pockets for a multi-textured look.
Stretch materials are big, and the entire collection of KJUS Free
Motion is made out of fabrics that are lightweight and have
lots of freedom of movement. Bogner’s Fire + Ice focuses on
proprietary European fabrics such as Italian wool plaid, urban
camoufl age and fi ve-color print soft shell. Descente focuses
on fabric variety and introduces a printed 4-way fi ne stretch
fabric and a more rigid Pullera Stretch fabric, plus leatherembossed
Down Proof Satin Fabric. FoxSkin — found in the
women’s Tech line — is a new soft performance laminated
fabric. The DNA collection echoes Descente focus with several
new fabrics: Rep-tile (reptile emboss print laminated fabric),
Woolskn (wool face performance fabric) and Denim (denim
face performance stretch fabric). �
Quiksilver
Holy Smoke jacket
DNA Big Tom jacket
Neve
Sylvie sweater
Fire + Ice
Linos jacket
VOLVO — OFFICIAL CAR OF
Obermeyer
Dolly jacket