Woolmark releases colour trends for 2014

Blues ranged from imperial blue to royal blue, from emerald tones to sky blue in several gradations expressed in many different fibres and yarns.

This use of colour was an important influence already marked out in The Wool Lab’s predictions for the season, where the newest lightweight yarns were seen transformed into fabrics, prints and technical blends, examined by the textile professionals who are discovering The Wool Lab as a great source of inspiration.

New deeper brights with a more aggressive mix of clashing colours emerged with a strong prediction of influences from South America, anticipating the World Cup and the Olympics in Brazil.

Jacquards were very strong, in graphic designs, such as the sails of a yacht floating on a textured blue with waves and ripples at Loro Piana. Fancy stitches added depth and texture, with many different knit media used together to demonstrate the yarns: embroidery, quilting, overdyeing and different tensions in one panel for instance, emphasising craft values.

Very rarely was a yarn made from just one fibre. Some new collections included light wool yarns of different constructions, where wool was mixed with cashmere, viscose or silk. Fine Merino joined the yarns of choice to interpret new spring/summer textures and designs.

Olimpias introduced Cool Wool and blends, with Total Easy Care, in super-extrafine Merino. Extrafine and super-extrafine Merino was also blended with silk and cashmere for all season wear. At Zegna Baruffa extrafine ‘Brand Nnew Wool’ at 12.5 microns also included a Total Easy Care package.

Each season ever more complex yarns are twisted, dyed and manipulated into new looks. Nature and technicality were mixed, natural textures joined by synthetics so that fine nylon microfibres or metallic Lurex yarns or tapes give an extra element to classics.

Ultralight yarns were tightly twisted or knitted in tape form, imbued with mysterious colour effects. References to the plant world featured greens, inky blues, gloss and matt while printed, laminated and transparent effects gave ethereal looks.

The abiding impression for 2014 was the incredible lightness of elegant blended yarns, and the sensual impact of pastels and optical whites.

Woolmark