Downtown Los Angeles\u2019 California Market Center hosted its semiannual LA Textile\u00a0event Sept. 29\u2013Oct. 1. Fashion creatives attended the show to explore trends in fabrics, supply chain and manufacturing for Fall\/Winter \u201927\u2013\u201928.<\/p>\n
Show producers brought together a range of exhibitors to meet the needs of brands at every stage. Offerings also included a daily seminar schedule to cover many of the most-pressing issues facing the fashion industry today. Top of mind for many was the growing influence of artificial intelligence. The show also featured its \u201cTrend Forum,\u201d which is often created for every edition of LA Textile to showcase the latest in color, texture and fabrication.<\/p>\n
Beyond business, LA Textile featured a complimentary espresso and tea bar. German silk maker Barth & K\u00f6nenkamp Seiden hosted a happy hour each day of the show. Kitchen Bann served Korean cuisine for purchase at the lunch caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n
A beautiful day in the neighborhoods<\/p>\n
To simplify the visitor experience during LA Textile, show producers created different neighborhoods where attendees were able to easily locate resources. Different neighborhoods included Made In Japan and the Turkish Textile Pavilion in addition to Sustainable Knit, Denim & Functional Fabrics and Premium Fabric Collections.<\/p>\n
Robert McAuley, who works in sales and product development at Vernon, Calif.\u2019s SAS Textiles, welcomed visitors to his booth in the Sustainable Knit, Denim & Functional Fabrics neighborhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re looking to source in the USA, you have to know exactly the supplier you\u2019re dealing with and where they\u2019re making it. Is the clothing ethically produced? Is there a living wage involved? Accountability is important,\u201d said McAuley. \u201cTraceability of the product. Where did the yarn come from? Who knitted it? Who stands by the quality? Who can repeat that quality?\u201d<\/p>\n
The message of responsible sourcing also resonated with Franky Tran, a designer who specializes in custom occasion pieces. Sustainability requires a different approach when working in formalwear or luxury so Tran focuses on using heirloom-grade fabrics.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try to do things that make sense, from a business perspective and being resourceful. I am mindful of the quality and intention. I intentionally keep my practice small, intimate and commission based. Waste not, want not,\u201d said Tran.<\/p>\n
LP Monte, designer and founder of handmade streetwear brand Band Runnaz Clothing and a fashion-merchandising student at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College searched for inspiration to spark his next collection.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was especially interested in technical fabrics for winter wear, including waterproof materials, insulated fabrics and anything innovative that could elevate my designs,\u201d said Monte. \u201cThere\u2019s a growing need for more-innovative textiles that combine fashion, functionality and sustainability, especially as streetwear continues to evolve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Talking about trends and tech<\/p>\n
The \u201cPanels & Talks\u201d schedule included discussions covering trends coming down the pike, such as \u201cDisobedience\u201d: FW27\/28 trend direction by NellyRodi Paris\u201d\u00a0with Jacqueline Rumohr and \u201cThe New Aesthetic for FW 27\/28\u2014Myth, Mess & Mastery: The New Language of Design,\u201d a trend presentation by Jennifer Karuletwa, managing director of North America for Peclers Paris.<\/p>\n
Conversations during LA Textile turned to technology, particularly AI. Tech show topics included a \u201cFireside Chat: AI Isn\u2019t About Replacing Creativity. It\u2019s About Amplifying It\u201d with Natalie de Groot of The Fashion Aigency and Tirsa Parrish of Fashion Index, who wants to educate creatives and dispel fears surrounding rumors of AI eliminating the need for jobs performed by humans.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to start using tech now. The ones who are going to be replaced are the ones who don\u2019t use it, and they\u2019re going to be replaced by the ones who do,\u201d Parrish said. \u201cWe have to meet the audience where they are. There is a lot of fear that is causing paralysis. We need to get them beyond the paralysis to start engaging.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the booth for Tech Pack Tailor, an online technical design and fashion tool headquartered in Los Angeles, founder Lauren Dorsey noted that AI can support creatives in the industry if it is used correctly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems people are either fearful of it 100 percent and don\u2019t want to touch it or they see the benefit of it,\u201d explained Dorsey. \u201cThe creative component is the part that people really get stuck on. They feel it\u2019s going to take away creativity, but it just depends on how you use it. It can be a good assistant, but it can\u2019t do everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kristina McConnico, owner of the Bay Area womenswear brand Lacson Ravello\u00a0visited LA Textile to search for print and color direction but also prioritized sitting in on Parrish and de Groot\u2019s discussion.<\/p>\n
\u201cAI is so hot right now. If you\u2019re not in it, you\u2019re missing out,\u201d noted McConnico, who has worked in the fashion industry for 30 years. \u201cThis show is more than textiles and fabric. There is so much industry knowledge, from going to the seminars and trend forecasting, vendor relationships, manufacturing, product development, and, of course, technology and AI. That\u2019s why I love to come to this event. You learn so much.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Downtown Los Angeles\u2019 California Market Center hosted its semiannual LA Textile\u00a0event Sept. 29\u2013Oct. 1. Fashion creatives attended the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":497845,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[48,52,51,47,50,49],"class_list":["post-497844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497844","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=497844"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497844\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/497845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=497844"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=497844"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=497844"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}