Denim Première Vision Berlin put jeans at the forefront of FW24/25 fashion

From May 31 to June 1, Denim Première Vision (Denim PV) in Berlin showcased the work of denim professionals: expertise, FW24/25 trends, and environmental awareness came together to meet the demands of the fashion market.

On Wednesday, May 31, at 10 am, Denim Première Vision opened its doors. This time the show (which has already touched down in Paris, London, Milan, and Barcelona) took place at Arena Berlin, not far from the East Side Gallery.

The event brings together “the denim communities” - as the organizers call them. That is, 67 specialized exhibitors of which 50 percent make denim, 20 percent make clothing, 20 percent design accessories, and 10 percent work for recycling or supply the chemicals used to dye the fabric or act as service companies.

The Arena Berlin is a huge hall with industrial architecture, but is also artfully set up. The set design by Denim PV show manager Fabio Adami Dalla Val is in keeping with the cool Berlin spirit: “Berlin is a city full of energy, where people express themselves freely,” he told FashionUnited at a luncheon. The result: no partitions between booths, outdoor spaces on the banks of the Spree River, lots of entertainment, and a trends forum where the public can photograph the fabrics on display.

Selvedge's heritage is the focus of Denim Premiere Vision's educational program

The first booth, near the entrance, displays male silhouettes created by Italian designer Stefano Chiassai. They are the results of his book ‘Blue Coloring’. Mixed with other materials and enriched with special techniques, on the border between craftsmanship and new technologies, denim comes into its own here.

Further along, a workshop led by Alessio Berto invites visitors to make denim patterns. But not just any denim. We're talking about ‘Selvedge’ fabric - a “self-finished” edge of a piece of fabric that is tightly woven to prevent fraying or unraveling.

After taking over the old looms used to make Selvedge fabric in the 1950s, Japanese manufacturers have become experts in this high-quality know-how. One such company is Kurabo, which attended Première Vision Berlin. The purpose of the workshop is to show that after the Italians, such as exhibitor Berto, now the Turks, through Sharabati Denim, are also positioning themselves in this fabric process valued by purists.

Turkey, Pakistan, Brazil, Bangladesh, and China account for most of the denim industry, and Denim PV aims to represent the streetwear, casualwear, sportswear, and premium luxury markets. However, the selection made by the show's director focuses on the ability of the represented manufacturers to be “innovative and creative, and take a sustainable and traceable approach to their suppliers”.

‘Adaptability’: the denim trend for FW24/25 in the context of sustainability

In keeping with the sustainable goal, the staging of the trends forum, created in collaboration with Rikkert Pauuw, is made of recycled wood waste. The three proposed trends for the fall winter of 2024-2025 are: ‘Adaptable, Digital Interference, and High Contrast’.

The Adaptability theme focuses on traditional products that have stood the test of time. It includes the famous Selvedge fabric, as well as all-cotton denim - meaning there is no stretch in it. The return to these stiffer fabrics is explained by the fact that any material containing elastane, even a small percentage, cannot be recycled. Manufacturers are therefore looking for flexibility through naturally stretchable polyesters, such as the way the fibers are woven, or bio-based polyesters such as Lycra T400. Viscose fabrics are also being exhibited in this trend.

‘Digital interference’: acid dye, plant inspiration, and recycling

In line with a search for ‘rough edges’ in denim, the ‘Digital Inteference’ trend is a sign of the meeting of the real and digital worlds. Visually, this translates into irregular fabrics, including features such as curls and microwashes to create textural effects, tears or scuffs, and mixes between knitwear and denim or acid dye effects (speckled).

For FW24/25, green hues inspired by the world of minerals and plants are taking over from summer 2023. “We say goodbye to the yellow, dirty side and welcome colors inspired by moss, decomposing matter, and dusty greens,” Lorenza Martello, head of Denim PV trends, explained.

But what stands out most is the vintage nostalgia that goes hand in hand with the recycling/upcycling trend in denim. So far, this seems to be the positioning most in line with fashion's ecological responsibility. The Denim PV show illustrates this with the ‘Therapy Recycling’ educational sewing workshop. There is also a small Vintage Market, where designers can find inspiration.

‘High contrast’: when denim gets refined to become premium

“High Contrast” stands for 3D resin, laser effects (reminiscent of lace), grooves, flocked, naïve or narrative motifs, lurex threads and much more. Because even denim does not escape the desire typical of the fashion world to innovate and attract attention.

This jacquard fabric (pictured), inspired by the Baroque period (pictured), embodies a glamorous Y2K aesthetic (2000s). The manufacturer, Outside by Fabritex of Prato (Tuscany), has 24 jacquard looms. Its remarkable technical skills allow it to meet the demands of luxury brands such as Balmain and Louis Vuitton.

Since the general idea was to make denim attractive, it is no surprise that the Pink Party, organized on the first night on the floating pool in front of the Arena, gave rise to a fashion show initiated by Berlin's AMD Academy of Fashion and Design. The silhouettes, exhibited during the show and representative of the textile offerings of the exhibitors, follow a manifesto drawn up by the organizers “to create a collection with a focus on transparency, sustainability, collaboration, and creativity”.

More than 1,250 visitors attended Denim Première Vision Berlin this year - mainly from Germany, but also from Europe, Turkey, and the US.

This article was originally written on FashionUnited.DE before being translated and edited to English.