As we all have changed the way we work and live the past year, designers and brands are eager to help us emerge from our cocoons—transformed by glorious and sustainable spring and summer fashions for 2022. The prevailing trend toward more eco-conscious materials has not ebbed. If anything, it’s still surging. As you consider your next line, here are five emerging material trends we believe Naia™ cellulosic fiber is well suited for.
A natural life
Crafted in subtle greens, browns, and earth tones, environment-friendly clothing materials conjure up comforting landscapes kissed with gentles breezes. This trend will see designs spilling with natural, organic, sustainable, or recycled fibers. Prints that embody nature will feature fabrics with powder, sand-washed, and dusty finishes that enhance a soft touch. We’ll surround ourselves in soft colors meant to boost our moods and soothe our minds and spirits.
This appreciation for nature begs the question of where our materials come from and the processes used to make them. A fully traceable and sustainable fiber, Naia™ cellulose acetate brings nature to fashion. Designers can be confident their fashions reflect their commitment. For example, Naia™ has received the ‘OK biodegradable’ and ‘OK compost’ conformity marks from TÜV AUSTRIA, certifying that it is biodegradable and compostable.
The she-covery
This trend draws inspiration from our longings to reconnect with ourselves as well as with nature. We’re looking to put trying times behind us with expressions of rebirth, restoration, renewal, and reemergence. These colors are richer, bolder, refreshing—celebrating female empowerment and an imagined green recovery. Embodied in all shades of layered greens, sustainability becomes the norm as we endeavor to bring balance back to nature. Garden-themed prints and pigments rule this trend driven by Mother Earth.
Choosing Naia™ for this trend fits with the idea of being a good steward for the environment. With full transparency from tree to fiber, Naia™ is responsibly sourced from sustainably managed pine and eucalyptus forests and plantations to ensure no deforestation of protected forests. Through our partnership with environmental nonprofit Canopy, Eastman is ensuring excellence in Naia™ wood pulp sourcing techniques and demonstrating its ongoing commitment to promoting sustainable forestry practices.
Surreality
One thing we have learned from our Zoom-at-work and Zoom-on-dates world is how to get our tech on. We see the trend continuing as digital access continues to be the thread that connects all aspects of humanity. Gaming, virtual happy hours, binge watching, and social apps like TikTok and others have become our escape from the stress of “the new normal.” For fashion, the rise of augmented and virtual realties and artificial intelligence technology lets us put the mundane behind us and explore and create supernatural designs. We’re experiencing garments in new ways via custom avatar dressing, try-on technology, and haptics. The colors range from neon to metallic; and prints lean towards sci-fi fantasy palettes, futuristic landscapes, and astrological and geo patterns.
It’s a liberating trend, one in which people want to express themselves in new and powerful ways. With Naia™, you don’t have to compromise. Our cellulosic filament yarn and staple fiber brings versatility to your fashion designs. For example, Naia™ staple fiber blends well with other eco-friendly materials such as lyocell, modal, and recycled polyester.
Adore your core
This is a nourishing trend—one that dovetails with our core values season in and season out. Sustainable fibers form the basis for seasonless core fabrics, appealing to educated consumers. Fashions will arise from versatile, multifunctional fabrics that can be stocked and pulled for printing or solid garment designs. Our clothes will instill a sense of comfort and ease of motion—uncluttered and welcoming. We’ll be wearing timeless, breathable fabrics that feel and look great in multi-climate environments. These are garments for people who want to buy less by buying better. Colors and prints will be subtle, tonal, and shadowy, allowing the fabric to be the focus.
With inherent quick-drying and cool-to-touch properties, fabrics made with Naia™ cellulosic yarn keep your skin feeling cool and dry. Due to the hypoallergenic nature of the fiber, fabrics made of Naia™ are skin friendly, ensuring comfort for even the most sensitive skin. And with Naia™ staple fiber, the style and comfort you’ve intended are preserved. When blended with other fibers, Naia™ consistently reduces pilling on fabrics—even after extended wear and repeated washes. It protects the sublime comfort and alluring aesthetic of the garments you produce, leading to higher overall consumer satisfaction.
Paired down
Finally, consumers are taking a hard look at what is truly important to them—and eliminating the stress, hassles, and clutter of what isn’t. This trend represents a sort of wardrobe philanthropy, inspired by sustainable shoppers who are simplifying their lives by buying less and considering their garments’ end-of-life stories as well. Collaborative pairings between supply-chain partners can entice buyers with enhanced attributes in fabrics and garments. In this trend, minimalist styles for those working from home translate into matched sets, jumpsuits, and all-over knit dressing that requires less decision making. Textured for comfort, lofty fabrics make for an easy fit and styles to mix and match. Colors range from rich burgundies to subtle slate grays and greens.
These fashions will be accompanied with a sustainable story about the materials used. When using Naia™ Renew cellulose acetate, your story can be about circular solutions that divert plastic waste from landfills, incinerators, and oceans.
Produced from 60% sustainably sourced wood pulp and 40% certified* recycled waste plastics, Naia™ Renew offers an innovative solution to the fashion industry’s biggest issues, developing circularity at scale.
*Naia™ Renew recycled content is achieved by allocation of recycled plastics using an ISCC-certified mass balance process.
Where will you find inspiration?
Of course, the beauty of trends is to see how they advance your vision and design. We can’t wait to see how the industry will take sustainable fashion to the next level. In the meantime, take a closer look at the Naia™ spring/summer 2022 color palette and trends.
