Chromatic Reflections
54th edition
Introduction
By Gianni Bologna
A suspended time, as the one we have experienced during the past months, always brings both PAUSES and REFLECTIONS. In order to describe this unavoidable change, at least in part and in relation to our areas of competence, and hint at the new idea that has spread in relation to the indispensability of creating a new way to exploit resources and new mental maps concerning interpersonal relationships and general consumption’s connections, we want to start from a simple, main and basic issue: COLOUR.
We do not want to talk about colour in terms of the creation of a story based on colour cards or to list chromatic ‘trends’. Rather, we aim at drafting a little compendium of sensations, the ones that non-professionals usually experience in front of a colour or the ones that everybody, traditionally and often anciently, has within his DNA in relation to colours. Without sophistication.
This is also made considering that what we define as ‘trends’ is quite aleatory, differently from the emotions given by life. These ones, however, represent the real motivation for our resulting reactions, actions and choices. Any kind of choice but, especially when it comes of colour, it relates to clear separations which act on the very wide range of ‘presences’ living the small universe of dresses that we buy and we wear, pieces of furniture, objects and everything surrounding us. Being inspired by such a basic and direct element as colour allows us also to hint at another important issue: the expected shift of consumer’s approach towards the product, in particular of the behaviour of luxury’s consumption, considering that this is a very important sector for Made in Italy industry: it is proven that the approach towards aesthetics of luxury goods will envisage a strong desire for the consumer towards a more basic look, a ‘silent’ luxury, free from extreme decorations and hypertrophic recognition, clearly based on the intrinsic quality of the product and its processing rather than on the show-off. Somehow, that minimalism which highly exceeds the concept of linear shape and which calls for some ‘assumptions’: the ones linked to environmental consciousness, ethics, respect for the expertise on the job, objectives and so on.
As a result of this, we have tried to make clear on the images of the fabrics and yarns these product’s aspects which somehow are inspired by the understatement and less ornamental compared to the past seasons.
YELLOW AS LIGHT
Yellow is the colour of sun, gold, cheerfulness, happiness and fantasy, a warm, vigorous and creative colour.
It represents optimism, intelligence, wisdom, extroversion, lightness, growth.
Everywhere sunlight is the element of life, even where, apparently, it could be banned for not showing its excesses and its extreme consequences, as in the deserts. On the contrary, it is just temporarily put on standby.
Types of textiles
Wool and wool-blended etamines
Cool wool and blends
Bourrettes and toussah, quite rough and not glossy silks
Changeant types on light weights by contrasting with weft and warp fibres.
Coarse and fine linen materials both pure and in blends with other cellulosic and artificial materials. Hemp aspects.
Yarns
Looking for a perfect mix between rustic and elegant.
Fine and medium yarns with cottony aspect, yarns with surface movement and a kempy element inspired to gold/copper.
Yarns which tend to semi-glossy silky aspect by using cellulosic and man-made materials. Little glossy effects which do not look neither too artificial nor excessively matt.
Refined rough silks as toussah and bourette in quite heavy counts too.
Yarns which contrast with very big aspects as man-made cable, glossy vibren, polyamide monofil with fine and medium counts cotton-based yarns.
Rusticity suggested by the yarn with raffia effect to cotton slubby moulinè and matt viscose and the contrast with a bourette silk twisted with glossy viscose t/ton.
The contrast between the semi-glossy aspect and the silks and silk/wools or linen/silks strongly matt and animated by waves and the twisting with almost invisible monofil.
The perfect union between rough and very elegant aspects: a chain with melange effect in pure silk.
Cotton and linen-based yarns for moulinè intended for classic men coats by a formal but relaxed aspect.
RED AS ENERGY
Red is the first colour of rainbow, the first colour perceived by children, the first one named by all populations.
It is the colour of dynamism and vitality, passion and sensuality, authority and pride, strenght and safety, confidence in its own abilities. The colour of love and magic.
It is the colour of fire and blood which allows to live and fire up vital impulses and action.
Types of textiles
Elegant silky tupes with rather simple decoration
Jacquard and yarn-dyed made also in cotton
Very fine wools even glacé surface
Wool-blends with cellulosic fibres and viscose
Coated ones even irregular. Glossy man-made ones.
Yarns
A summary of the aspects which we will see in this section: matt, semi-glossy and silk or viscose’ aspects to be matched or not and even as inspiration for fabrics’ finishing aspects.
Fancy pattern on silky aspects blended with natural materials characterised by different levels of dullness and brightness up to polyamide monofil used for twisting.
Cotton and its blends with linen, viscose and silk. For natural aspects without adding misleading brightness. For men’s coats and shirts. Fine and medium counts.
Aspects between silk and cotton with high counts and hints of brightness for light effects on the fabric.
There is still the previous theme in a series of effects between glossy and matt for natural yarn matched together with staple and filament viscose.
The same theme matched together with highly hefty counts.
Versions based on man-made glossy and semi-glossy aspects for ultra-light or average weight fabrics but sharing the transparent or semi-transparent glassy look.
VITAL BLUE
BLUE is the colour of silence, calm and serenity, tenderness and joy of living. It is the colour of contemplation and spirituality. It brings to calmness, peaceful and deep satisfaction, adaptation or harmony.
Light blue is the colour of the sea and daily and night sky. For some cultures, blue is the colour of immortality and in our Western culture it is statistically the most loved one for both men and women.
Air and water are blue elements. They are vital for human beings but they are also irresponsibly and excessively exploited.
Textiles types
Fine and transparent textile aspects even on lightweight jersey.
Light laces, decorated and embossed meshes
Sophisticated denim couture
Elegant casual dyed-yarn country
Man-made “liquid” aspects
Yarns
Many lightweight aspects also with some proposal for fairly high twist types.
A very opposed and visible twisting.
Some hints at twisting effect fancies mainly based on man-made, some of them quite visible.
Pure cottons with different level of brightness to be close to elegant casual and denim.
In relation to casual/formal theme, some elaborations of yarns where cotton is blended with linen components or little wool and viscose percentages.
Highly artificial and glossy aspects which tend to plastic effect.
NON-BLACK
Human beings overcame the darkness of primordial nights. They created metropolis which live day and night extending life’s time and a world which is active 24 hours per day.
Black is the most overwhelming colour and non-colour, it evokes strong emotions. From one hand it is considered as the lack of colours, but at the same time it could also be considered as the totality of colours, therefore the absolute presence. It is considered the symbol of closure, but after every closure, after every end, there is a new birth: it is up to us to open eyes and minds and be able to catch it, towards something new and unexplored. We choose the positive and quivering aspect of an end which spreads towards multiple possibilities.
Textile types
Extreme contrast black plains + strong plastic
Classic and science fiction
False plains with wavy surfaces
Weaves – geometries – volume
Yarns
Contrast of synthetic and artificial yarns with vitreous effect with more plastic yarns.
To push to the extreme the formal aspect use a metallic hint. Silky and man-made aspect.
A wool top blending natural and metalized components.
Yarns with high count in natural and man-made blend to renovate the fabrics characterised by cool wool aspect thinking about suit and coat’s weight.
Yarns which recall the look of the previous ones with lower counts and with the presence of very little slubs.
Once again a vision of the yarns inspiring a new formal style based on cotton natural blends and fine wool with polyamide man-made and viscose elements.
COLOUR CARDS
