Salon International De La Lingerie & Interfilière Paris
January 2023: key takeaways from the Concepts Paris team.
Innovation Focus
Elastique’s seamfree technical elastic was a big novelty at Interfilière. With the development of ultrasonic bonding, the unattractive stitched seams in waistbands can be removed allowing for a 360° design. The deterioration of standard elastic often experienced by constant wash-and-wear is also minimised. This technique means faster production and reduced wastage as elastics arrive readymade to precise dimensions. The innovation so impressed our Concepts Paris CEO Jos Berry that she brought it to everyone’s attention in her Sunday VIP conference after a chance encounter with the supplier that very morning!
Located directly next to our trend Forum was Hypercurve Studio. This inspiring design source applies 3D innovations to the intricacies of lingerie design. Alongside Hypercurve we advocate the idea of ‘brandscaping’ and believe this is an approach to product development that should be taken seriously.
French brand Hästko offer active underwear for lingerie lovers; designing pleasure into a sports technicality. Collaborating with athletes and doctors of breast biomechanics to test and develop their products. Bra no.38 is of a thermo-welded, wireless and seamless-where-sensitive construction. It promises high support and comfort. The patented Sports Panty No.23 features a removable anatomical gel pad that protects the pelvic floor from friction and impact.
Another leading development was the focus on home pleasures, expressed in design, scales and colourations. With the market expansion of warmwear and thermals we were drawn to Calida’s DeepSleepwear collection utilising Supima cotton and silk-TENCEL blends. This aligns with the themes expressed in Jos’s presentation on sleep-focused design: “intense sensual pleasures; the home is my castle” a concept communicated in the newest embroidery collections by Inter-Spitzen. Read more about the Interfilière fabric forum here.
Decoration & Detail
After years of athleisure and minimalism, we witnessed a return of seductive decoration. The evolution of the French powerhouses, the revamping of their brand image and revival of true French style dominated the mood of the fair.
We loved the way Mey blended their lingerie, lounge and homeward prints in a lifestyle concept, achieving a very Gucci mood in mixing everything together. The rejuvenation of Lise Charmel! Suddenly more modernised. What was most stunning to us was Chantelle X redefining seduction with a creative and disruptive attitude, alongside the Aubade x Elie Saab collaboration.
Most interesting was the effect of Livy Studios on the market. Clever cut-outs using lace in a decorative but contemporary way is very typical of Livy’s impactful and influential handwriting.
Start up brands are too re-igniting that French feel in their collections, with focus on the material and it’s makers. Luxurious German brand Iiana Biasini celebrates the artistry of lingerie, paying homage to the pattern makers and seamstresses.
Our trend forum at Interfilière also featured the work from the IA Technical Collective showcasing the person behind the design. Prototypes by @intimateapparelsamples @studio.underneath @sofialuzon_atelier and @the_amora_atelier were all exhibited above.
Also impressive was the taste for cuteness amongst Gen Z. Nagisa Paris and Cuconé delighted us with their Japanese Kawaii frill. Forster Rohner illustrated enthusiasm amongst the youth to restyle grandmas corsetry. This mirrors Jos’s mentioning in her VIP conference that “details are coming back, details that tell stories. The past through the eye of the beholder. Young people discover beauties of the past with ornamental ideas.” These details include a strong come back of trimming, a big role for contrasting elastics and research into interesting eco hardware.
Booming Period Panty Market
Many start ups are concentrating on period panties, with a new focus on stages of absorption, interesting techniques in make and a move towards more fashionable range building.
Japanese brand K+1% presented fashionable and functional sanitary lingerie sets (integrated into their core collection) in colourful lace and velour, with unique gusset pockets discreetly designed to conceal wings. Wuka’s dual-sized briefs feature contractible gusset panels that adapt to the bodies changes in size throughout the month. French start up Moodz offer responsible and committed technical lingerie in bonded x cut-and-sew hybrids in a range of styles and fabrications. Practical and sleek: Yade offer free-cut bonded briefs in nude shades whilst Pantys keep it playful in print and colour.
Print Perspective
The fair was rife with a mix of acidic and lightning shades for resort. We were impressed with the artistic large scale painterly prints from artist and founder of swimwear brand CZI. We also saw vibrant inks for swim from polish brand Love and Hate. Alongside a digital feast for the eyes from Surf Sense and Peulh Fulani.
The sleepwear market is thriving with more and more established bra brands integrating lounge and nightwear into their core collections. We saw this from British brand Nudea’s new lounge-to-sleep-to-beach range which features classic French navy stripes in pyjama sets. Unisex nightwear brand Nufferton introduce happy colour combinations in stripes and Cuconé update the stripe with a floral kawaii touch.
We can’t get enough of the animal prints that were flourishing at Interfilière. We loved the Zebra print sports bra from Chantelle and the leopard print period panty by Wuka! But what was most notable in the realms of print was the waterless process used by eco lingerie brand Scandale for their new sheer snakeskin collection of unisex pieces.
“In a world we can’t control, we can control our creativity” was the final message of Jos’s VIP presentation which encapsulates the overall feel of Interfilière this season. Energetic and positive in the way of colour, with fresh innovations to inform and inspire, the main focus was enormously on decoration. Impressed by the latest collections by Xin Fei Lin, Inter-Spitzen and Hämmerle and Vogel, we felt it was the very best fair in seasons for embroiderers illustrating their refinement and originality in ornamental designs. In regards to lace, real fine laces and Leavers were a huge focal point. Corsetry prevailed, however the wireless, softer comfort bra for a younger market still has its place. Our overview is that even in a fluctuating economy, the loungerie industry remains stimulated and in a stable position.
Written by Jessica Haughton