5 Clothing trends spotted at JATC Manchester

A total of 125 brands are showing at the second edition of trade show Just Around the Corner’s (JATC) Manchester-based event, which is running from August 2 to 3. Its layout sees each of its exhibitors placed in zones dedicated to their particular industry sector, including a new addition, The Edit, which focuses on brands that target mature female shoppers.

While clothing trends across each brand and collection varied and often clashed with one another for the upcoming spring/summer 2023 season, there were a number of consistent and distinct elements that could be spotted throughout the exhibitors. FashionUnited has outlined some of the notable trends at JATC Manchester below.

Fluorescent hues

Many brands played with colour for this season, mixing and matching various colour schemes into a dynamic range of prints and silhouettes. However, one particular colour trend stood out among them all; bold, fluorescent hues. The style was used mostly in blocked colours and contrasting tones throughout a number of collections. A popular colour prominent within the trend was that of hot pink, a tone that could fall in line with the ongoing rise of the ‘Barbiecore’ aesthetic, which has been linked to the upcoming ‘Barbie’ movie that has swept over social media the past month. It was womenswear that led the way for the fluorescent colour trend, yet the bright hues could also be spotted in a handful of accessory collections, including travel bags and socks.

Graphic tees

Many streetwear brands present at the trade show mixed up the basic tee with hard-hitting graphics, such as skulls or detailed animal prints. While Ed Hardy stuck to its signature bold designs in fresh new forms, other brands steered towards more simple prints or spruced up typography, while still aiming to present an eye-catching image. In contrast to the streetwear brands, a number of womenswear labels also took on the trend, instead opting for graphic tees with doodle-like prints or artsy brush-strokes, bringing a more ‘feminine’ twist to the look. Many menswear labels, on the other hand, translated the trend through catchy quotes and college-inspired formats for a selection of their tees.

Bold florals

Two defined floral styles were prominent throughout the womenswear brands; fluid, brushstroke prints and bold, graphic florals. It was the latter, however, that stood its ground with it featured in a wide variety of labels, cementing the style as a statement look for the upcoming season. This trend almost entirely relied on block colours, most often in bright tones. A common factor was the placement of the graphic florals on a solid coloured background, allowing the individual flower shapes to stand out. The design was particularly common among brands that targeted a more mature shopper, adding a bit of playfulness to their collections and complementing their consistent colour themes.

Organic neutrals

In contrast to the abundance of bold colour trends, many brands instead decided to primarily opt for neutrals for their entire collections. This was particularly notable among exhibitors in the ‘Sustainable’ zone of the event, which focused mostly on outerwear and outdoor lifestyle brands, and in the mature ladies wear zone, ‘The Edit’. In this section, brands taking on organic neutrals, such as earth tones, beiges and raw denim, brought a subtle yet unique offering that managed to make a mark among the collections that featured brighter colours. Many of these brands also focused on raw materials, experimental silhouettes and a refreshed sense of casualwear.

Geometric prints

Geometric prints were another part of womenswear that was easy to spot among a wide selection of collections. The prints varied from Aztec-like shapes to fluid ‘70s inspired styles to illusionary designs, each bringing a diverse variety to the print selection on offer. Much of these designs also utilised bold and contrasting colour schemes that complemented their collections as a whole and provided a bit of variety to single tone lines, tying them together. Despite drawing inspiration from commonly used geometric patterns, many prints that were on display offered up a modern refresh of the designs for either younger shoppers or an older age group.