The biggest textiles and production trends for 2024, according to a trend forecaster

Craftsmanship, girly motifs, seaweed-based fibres and more.

While fashion is inherently cyclical, each year brings a fresh slew of macro and micro-trends, heavily influenced by the social, cultural and political events happening in the world around us. For trend forecasters, it’s their job to identify and predict upcoming fashion movements before they hit the runways. In an industry that’s always five steps ahead, it’s important to be malleable and innovative – this applies to industry insiders, creatives and fashion enthusiasts alike.

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Melbourne’s upcoming China Clothing Textile & Accessories Expo (running from November 21 to 23) is an opportunity for visitors to gain knowledge about the global fashion industry from hundreds of exhibitors, all under the same roof. To give you an idea of what’s in store, we asked trend forecaster and Founder of Soon Futures, Tully Walters, to share some of the biggest textiles and production trends for 2024.

Minimalism now

Across cities and screens, a new approach to minimalism is gaining pace. From Bottega Veneta to the Row to Celine, understated, effortless fashion – emphasising quality materials, craftsmanship and ease of wear – is emerging as a key trend. Call it quiet luxury or ’90s minimalism, there is a discernable paradigm shift eschewing flashy logos and overt branding in favour of subtle details and refined design.

Both Hermes and Zegna have reported double-digit growth – two brands known for their timeless and understated pieces. In a broader context, runway shows indicate a 54 per cent decrease in logos… RM (leader of Korean Pop phenomenon BTS) was recently appointed [the] face of Bottega Veneta, a significant aesthetic departure from the directional (and feverishly influential) BTS styling which favourited brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Yohji, WTAPS Visvim and Needles.

Working in line with the 20-year fashion cycle following the Global Financial Crisis of 2007, Phoebe Philo’s minimalism stormed the runways for Celine demonstrating… simplicity. (The New York Times recently highlighted that the trend corresponds with the 25th anniversary of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s untimely death.)

As we… navigate a context of poly-crisis where social, environmental and political stressors continue to unfold, we can expect consumers to want to lean into a more effortless approach to dressing. We can expect there will be an emphasis on tailoring, clean lines, high-quality basics and wardrobe building blocks – a return to business casual, the LBD (little black dress), jeans and a nice top, etc.

Big girl energy

Another resounding trend emerging from the SS ’24 runways is a playful, ‘larger than life’ celebration of femininity. From ruffles and bows to roses to frothy layers of tulle – it’s ‘more is more’ when it comes to girly motifs. We saw this in Simone Rocha, Sandy Liang, Molly Goddard and Susan Fang.

On the back of… Roe Vs Wade [being overturned], the reclaiming of the word ‘bimbo’ – alongside the ‘Barbie-core’ and ‘girl dinner’ – feels incredibly now. It’s almost a reclaiming of female archetypes, delivered in a fierce femininity. It serves as a pure celebration of girlhood itself…

Consequently, embracing girliness… [is] a powerful daily protest against the existing norms and expectations. We can expect to see more joyful celebrations of day-to-day girliness in our everyday wear.

Decarbonised design

Spring/summer fashion month was… [said to be the] hottest ever three-month period, with scientists tipping that 2023 will become the warmest year on record… For SS ’24 we saw many directional carbon-minimising initiatives, from Eckhaus Latta’s partnership with textile innovator Unspun to create 3D woven garments to Stella McCartney’s usage of seaweed-based fibres that deliver a lower carbon footprint than conventional fibres.

Balenciaga embraced the practice of upcycling (creating new pieces out of leftover materials and garments) in their presentation with a series of one-off recycled looks.

The China Clothing Textiles and Accessories Expo will act as a link between designers, suppliers and makers, helping to deliver in-depth information about upcoming trends. Secure a free ticket to explore a diverse seminar program and more than 850 exhibitors from China and beyond.