AS Colour‘s product designer Shanne Pritchard discusses the rise in demand for streetwear styles such as wide-leg trousers, the return of brightly coloured sweaters and an increase in women asking for sustainable fabrics
What are the key design trends in womenswear for 2019?
We‘re definitely seeing more demand for streetwear items like wide-leg pants, cargos and also crops – they are here to stay! Oversized, baggy items are another one; we find a lot of girls are opting for larger sizes at the moment or even wearing men‘s heavy cotton tees. Also, the statement cotton tote bags are great, which we‘ll see more of as plastic bag use decreases.
What colours are you expecting to be most popular with your womenswear buyers in 2019?
Neutrals are still big, but rather than Yeezy/army-inspired, they are more earthy, off-whites, white marls, etc. Then there is also the flipside to this with brightly coloured hoods and crews making a large comeback. Our new price-point sweat, the Supply Hood, for example, comes in colours like bright orange, gold, red, green and royal blue.
What are the current go-to womenswear fabrics, and which fabrics do you expect to increase in popularity over the coming months?
For us, organic cotton is definitely becoming more popular as availability and price are becoming more consumer-friendly. Recycled fabrics, although not perfect, will definitely be more requested in the industry as well, but they are very specialised and have a long way to go.
Do you perceive a growing emphasis on, and demand for, sustainable womenswear garments?
One hundred percent! I think this stems from political emphasis being placed on global warming. People are really wanting to do what they can to mitigate their footprint. Sustainable fashion is becoming more and more attainable for the average person as well and is no longer viewed as something few people can access. While we are still cultured to be proud when we get something for a bargain, we are now transitioning into being proud of making ethical/sustainable purchases instead.
Given one of the key concerns for decorators is to have a consistent supply of garments that they can offer from year to year, how does AS Colour manage to ensure its womenswear garments are both fashionable and long-lasting?
Women’s trends change at such a fast pace so this is always going to be a challenge, but fast fashion is not our brand at all. We design and produce premium apparel that we feel will stand the test of time. Everything is designed to be in our range for half a decade at least. They are classic pieces that we can see ourselves wearing for the next few years, if not a lifetime.
Sustainable fabrics are in demand, such as the organic cotton used in AS Colour‘s Mika dress
What do you think have been the most significant advances in womenswear and how do you see it developing?
We have always been a cotton-based company, but a lot of womenswear has always been synthetic-based and cheap. I like to think women are focusing more on quality and natural fabrics, but that could be a biased opinion…
What‘s the single best piece of marketing and/or sales advice you can give to Images readers to help them sell more AS Colour garments?
We simply have the best quality tees, the best fit, and according to the branders and printer manufacturers we work with, the best print surface in the industry.
