Striped patterns become the ‘must have’ for 2017…
Striking Stripes for SpringStripes are prints that never go out of style, interpreted and used in different ways for a fresh look season after season. This season stripes were everywhere, in multi-colours that not only conjure preppy and sporty moods, but are also elegant and suitable to be adorned on tops, bottoms, dresses, almost every garment. In the quest of getting out of the quintessential checks, tartans and plaids many fashion designers and apparel manufacturers have found refuge in experimenting with stripes. Stripes in vivid colours, patterns, and spacing have emerged in the collections of various and different designers on the Fall ’16-17 and Resort ’17 runways. Derived and manipulated in distinct techniques, stripes appeared in various mediums such as weaving, knitting, laser cutting, patching, etc. and not necessarily as printing alone. With stripes becoming a more directional update for this summer, exporters seek opportunity in this graphic pattern effect which is an innovative approach to the age-old print…
Rosetta Getty
Stripes as a design element are as inevitable to spring as florals are. Designers can be very creative with stripes, by the way they choose to position them and the way the garment is cut. Stripes also have the power to sculpt, slim and stretch on the garment they are laid on. Resort 2017 embraced stripes in all their guises, on everything from skirts, shirts, pants, dresses, clutches and shoes. The current trend notifies stripes as bright and colourful, oscillating between the thick and the thin. As the checks and grid patterns seems to have played out and buyers looking for a new variations, stripes have paved their way back into product development. Loveleena Dubey, Designer Bittoo Overseas avers, “With patching technique gaining the spotlight again, we are doing a lot of appliqué with embroidery. We are working with a lot of stripes, nautical stripes to be precise. These kind of elements never really go out of fashion, but witness their ups and downs, figuring out the right time to make and bring them to the market is what an exporter should concentrate on doing.”
Carolina Herrera
Stripe trend in 2017 is like a stripe hybrid and is directly taken from the patterns we have seen since our childhood. These stripe prints give off a ’90s vibe, especially when used in varied colours and varying sizes, agreeing to which Dolly Sidhwani, Owner, Nobel Faith Clothing, a manufacturer, exporter, supplier and wholesaler of printed leggings, stoles and scarves says, “Nowadays with increased design demands from clients, we incline more towards developing combination prints. Leggings in geometric prints and stripes, black and white, thin stripes, bold stripes, a combination of glossy and matte stripes, neutral and shimmery stripes, in small and big sizes are quite in. Stripes with florals are getting popular too.” Exporters seem to agree with this ongoing fashion trend of stripes with florals, which was seen in the collections of Chloe and Christian Dior. Christian Siriano opted for painted irregular stripes, Tia Cibani was all for engineered stripes, whereas, Just Cavalli’s style reflected bold regular stripes and Nicole Miller went for vertical and horizontal ones. Primary colour mixtures like yellow and navy, effervescent green and navy, orange and red took center stage for the summer. The trend was also seen hinting towards a shift from closely placed monotonous stripes to more sparsely distributed ones. These stripes also transformed the classic silhouettes into striking digital canvases – offering appeal for the contemporary market.
Horizontal Stripes
At Missoni, Tommy Hilfiger, and Max Mara, broad colourful stripes came in the form of duster cardigans, bodysuits, and knit dresses. Balance the clingy nature of these bodycon pieces with a casual sneaker. Monse twisted shirts into off-the-shoulder tops and voluminous gowns, reinterpreted in classic men’s fabrics, like the striped silk lining of a jacket.
Gabriela Hearst
The new collections are zinging with seafaring stripes of all shapes and sizes, horizontal or vertical, on ribbed jerseys, billowing silks, for night and for day, and layered too. The simplest ideas are always the best. Carried out in numerous print varieties, stripe patterns are seen in many digital printed avatars mixed with water colour effects. Stripes stormed the Resort ’17 runways in every style one can possibly imagine – some ran horizontal while others vertical; there were thick lines and super skinny ones, too. At Ralph Lauren, asymmetric blue-and-white stripes lined a strapless evening gown, while at Salvatore Ferragamo stripes went in every direction in bold hues. Clearly, these stripes went far beyond the classic navy-and-white nautical ones we all know and love, but they absolutely have just as much statement-making appeal.
Vertical Stripes
At Dior and Prada, bold vertical stripes offered a graphic touch to polished office-friendly separates, but at Dolce & Gabbana thinner lines had a pyjama-esque feel on a long shirtdress and pants, whereas, on the other hand, Adam Lippes emphasized on shocking pink and black-and-white zebra stripes. Stripes are not only restricted to be created through print mediums, the woven options are in fact getting the most popularity. “With prints taking a back seat for the domestic market this season, we are seeing a massive growth in the jacquard and woven segment. There is an initiation of stripes developments using the jacquard technique leading to the re-emergence of striped patterns in the jacquard and woven segment,” informed Gaurav Chopra, Owner, RG International. Proving the statement correct, many designers were seen with jacquard stripe avatars as well. Erdem created a series of stripes in a combination of reds, greens and blues in jacquard adorning the fabric with an added depth.
Asymmetric Stripes
Stripes don’t necessarily have to walk a straight and narrow path. Case in point: The lines at Gucci, Stella McCartney, and Ralph Lauren were artfully asymmetric. At Gucci, rainbow-coloured metallic stripes came in the form of a pleated skirt, while Stella McCartney’s two-toned stripes were sporty and casual. And at Ralph Lauren, the print was elevated with glam evening gowns.
Tory Burch
Now the stripes are passing through multiple techniques serving as a platform for designers to explore the patterns, opening a plethora of ways in which these designs can be manipulated and presented, and laser cut stripes is one such example. Whether laser cut into coats or layered over surrealist cloud prints, graphic black lines update the classic stripe design. This trend can be interpreted for super edgy looks, or for more classic chic looks. “The market of laser cutting is expanding every day; and this technology is being combined with several others to achieve a unique one of a kind effect. We are getting many enquiries regarding striped laser cut patterns, indicating that the laser cut stripes are in trend,” reasons Kunal Sawhney, Director, K. M. Tex, a laser cut service providing company.
