“Updated take on outdoor sector inspires fresh ideas.”

Product categories presented at OutDoor by ISPO 2019 ranged from classic outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing, trail running, walking and water sports, while the move to a new concept and location enabled a more fluid interpretation of the outdoor sector, to further include adventure travel and mountain biking, as well as the growing area of urban outdoor. Inspired by this transformation, design consultant Anne Prahl highlights her top three design trends from the fair.

Urban performance styling

As identified in our PREVIOUS REPORT on the new generation of urban outdoor brands, this was by far the most influential trend, as urban styling merged with performance to create a fresh and modern approach to designing outdoor apparel. Showcased in the dedicated space ‘The Borderlands’, many new brands, including start-ups, as well as some more established brands, presented their unique collections, designed for use in the city, as well as the great outdoors.

One of the most eye-catching displays was by British brand Griffin, who presented highlights from their own collection, as well as their limited edition collaboration with US outerwear company Woolrich. Many of the pieces were reversible or adaptable with detachable sleeves or hoods, to reflect the constantly changing needs of the wearer in various outdoor environments. Other outstanding collections included Hong Kong based And Wander, who presented unique camouflage print interpretations on high-tech fabrics and ARYS’ innovative design approach, which merges functional outdoor with fashionable minimalism.

The unmistakable urban influence reached well beyond niche brands, as mainstream companies including Goldwin, adidas and Vaude also tapped into urban styling details for specific elements of their collections. The adidas MYSHELTER collection of jackets takes its design direction from outdoor technology, merging mountaineering performance with urban lifestyle to provide technical and adaptable pieces and the MYSHELTER PARLEY jacket won the special achievement award for its clever styling details and use of recycled ocean plastic fabric without the use of any dyes.

Lightweight & packable jackets

The trend for super lightweight and packable woven jackets is partly inspired by the growing need to travel lightly, as outdoor activities range from micro adventures to extended trekking in a variety of locations, terrains and climates and consumers prefer to travel with less but more adaptable pieces. Also in tune with the urban trend and the sports and outdoor industry’s current fascination with the design and development of LIGHTWEIGHT WOVEN SHELLS, many unique products were presented at the show.

Great examples are the extremely lightweight Six Moon Design’s 3-in-1 rain cape, which provides 360° protection and full coverage when worn either as a cape, as a shelter or pack cover, and adidas’ TERREX Fast Hiking Windweave light insulation windbreaker, which can be stowed in a pocket.

Many of these lightweight jackets utilise transparent or semi-transparent fabrics and will therefore benefit from more innovative types of accessories. Aware of this need, trim specialist WILSON GROUP developed and presented a range of flexible and translucent trims, including drawcords and tapes.

Engineered textures

Another compelling trend is innovators’ experimentation with textile engineering to produce specific performance features merged with striking aesthetics. Great examples at the show included textile innovation through construction methods, as well as surface treatments, such as printing.

Amsterdam based textile innovation studio Byborre is known for its pioneering work utilising a combination of hand-rendered techniques and circular knitting machines to produce highly tactile engineered knits. Their collection for adidas included custom designed re-interpretations of classic pieces, including sweatshirts, pants and jackets. Giving the classic crew neck sweat a thoroughly modern twist, Byborre created a silhouette with ergonomically shaped sleeves and combined different fabric weights to provide structure, warmth, breathability and minimal friction.

German start-up Patronace designs striking soft protection jackets and other active styles suitable for skateboarding or biking in the city. The textile shell provides breathability, moisture management and water repellency, while the decorative print on the inside of the fabric forms a protective layer, should the wearer fall. The printing technology GRDXKN® was specifically developed by the brand and is based on 2D water based screen-printing, which transforms the textile into a 3D functional structure, visible from the outside.

Another good example of this trend is Singtex’s STORMFLEECE fabric, which is engineered with a single layer woven fleece technology to replace conventional two or three layer softshell fabrics, while providing wind resistance, breathability and heat retention. The fabric is extremely lightweight and flexible due to its 4-way stretch construction and is available in eye-catching customised patterns.

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