A crucial aspect of knitwear design is staying on top of the latest trends.  Our designers take seasonal trips to the most influential markets around the world to research the latest trends in knitwear fashion.

I just got back from a 10 day, three city research trip; seeking inspiration to develop product for Fall/Winter 2020.  I spent time tracking trends based off runway & high level brands.  This research gave me such a strong understanding of trending silhouette shapes, yarn, armhole & trim details and stitch direction.

In regards to silhouettes, the aesthetic is all about comfort & ease.  Shapes are a bit more relaxed, oversized & effortless.  The sleeve shapes are a bit more expressive, too, with fullness at the bicep and tapering in at the sleeve.  Continuing with the concept of comfort, yarn played such an important role helping shape the emotion behind each item. Brushed & cozy yarns were the leading look throughout all three cities.  Because of the natural texture & dimension of the yarn, the stitches remained fairly simple.  The focus was solely based on the emotional yarn used.  Brushed yarns also played a very important role within pattern.  Animal; both tiger stripes and leopard, were the most important pattern throughout Europe, primarily showcased in soft, brushed yarns.  Warm browns and khakis paired back to blacks & creams created an easy palette.  The newness was derived through scale.  The animal was either exploded in scale or paired back to a small, ditzy layout.

All in all, the trip gave me great insight for development.  I’m feeling excited and energetic for this upcoming development season.