MarediModa have unveiled their SS19 trends ahead of the trade show, taking place on 7-9 at Palais des Festivals Cannes. Created by David Shah in collaboration with the Stijlinstituut Amsterdam, the six trends cover the swimwear, intimate apparel and athleisure markets, exploring the new without leaving the past.

An ad hoc, dynamic design process gives the freedom to pick, mix, colour and layer. Modular outfits combine and connect in new ways to morph from swimwear to sportswear, and fabrics are compact and functional, either plains or with surface or knit-in designs to represent construction materials. Prints are a nod to retro construction toys mashed with computer graphic patterns, laser cut holes, printed meshes and jacquard weaves, and colours include mid-tone brights, sturdy darks and hazy pastels. Styles are bold, sporty and graphic, with layers of modular pieces combined. Functionality is accentuated as zips, tapes and trims make flexibility a feature.

Take a holistic approach, considerate of the full process from ethical sourcing, integrity of design, production methods and disposal after use. Manmade fabrics are inspired by nature and mimic nature’s sophisticated aesthetics and intelligence, featuring smooth skin, fur or carapace surfaces. Prints are inspired by the forest with tonal palm leaves and feathers, a contemporary camouflage blends nature with the urban landscape, and the sea inspires with drops, reflections and water-made marks. Deep natural shades combine urban and natural environments, featuring dense pines and cedars, utilitarian khakis, browns and burnished terra tints, and silhouettes help nature by shaping the body using body-tuning cuts and tailoring.

Traditional folk craft skills can be blended with high-tech computer graphics for a global future that is refreshing and exciting. Cotton-touch fabrics contrast with skin-touch materials, and basic charmeuses sit alongside crochets, plissé, piqués and honeycomb effects. Prints are wildly innovative, colourful, fun and bold, re-using and repurposing waste art, fashion and trash and superimposing images that mix different regions and eras. Bright colours are used to collage and create happy harmonies, and silhouettes are girly and sexy. Think tiny bikinis and Brazilian swimsuits, asymmetrically cut suits and leggings, pretty bras and briefs that are intimatewear for swimwear.

Experimentation in intelligent, multi-disciplinary design and manufacturing leads to hyper-dynamic plissés, responsive and sensory materials, fabrics that protect you from paparazzi and warn you of air-born hazards. Smooth plains or micro-raised textures carry futuristic print designs. Multi-colour gradients, psychedelic and slightly intergalactic prints are featured, combining elements from the earth (liquids, graphic repeats, virtual camouflage) and space (rockets, planets, and constellations). Experimental garment manufacturing methods include 3D printed details and accessories, and fit is optimised using body-scanning technology.

Garments containing personalized health solutions and beauty boosting properties, fabrics that fit like a second skin or provide compression to improve performance, creating a barrier against urban stress and interacting with the body. Prints are minimalist: geometrics, grids, molecular patterns, and microscopic crystals influenced by computer mapping and graphs, with cuts and perforations to enhance aesthetics and provide ventilation. Shades of skin, silver and metal are combined with cold blues and icy pinks, while 3D data modelling and prototyping offer extreme comfort or graduated compression in intelligent layers. These are active, outerwear and intimate hybrids that feature performance tailoring and functional design, to aid as well as prevent.

Used garments and waste materials from the fashion industry are recycled and even more valuable as a result: the appreciation of the value of life includes the environment we live in. Fabrics take the lead and are intricately embellished, beaded, sequined, fringed, encrusted or ravishingly printed. Luxurious, yet, ironically, often reused or repurposed, they have a touch of couture. Prints are patched, often in exotic combinations, lace is everywhere and wallpaper ornamentation spice up glam silhouettes as well as sports gear. Colours are warm and rich in royal reds and blues, corals, gold, purples and deep burgundy red, and silhouettes range from corsetry-inspired classics to activewear innovation.