08 Jan SPRING/SUMMER 2020 | TECH AND COLOR TRENDS

While researching the Spring/Summer 2020 Color Analysis the CSI color and trend team were inspired by the rapid innovation and growth of technology and fashion. How technology is worn is a significant decision driver for big brands like Nike who is an industry leader in technology and sustainable trends. For example, recycled materials have been used in 71% of Nike’s footwear and apparel products, and the company plans to send zero waste from contracted footwear manufacturing to landfills by the fiscal year 2020. And, in November of 2018 Nike filed patents for smart garments such as a self-cleaning shoe, and a bodysuit that pairs with a smartphone to track your movements in real time. Other brands like Lululemon work with clothing manufacturers to blend technology into our everyday lives by adding silver nanoparticles that kill bacteria and fungi to prevent the unpleasant odors caused by daily activity, mainly workouts.

The discussion of fashion and technology is incomplete without mentioning 3D technology! Carbon is a technology company that is bringing 3D printing to manufactures and building partnerships with essential brands like Adidas. Two years ago Adidas released the Futurecraft 4D sneaker together with Carbon as the manufacturer today consumers can purchase a pair for about $300. This manufacturing innovation is quite possibly the dawn of 3D mass production for footwear.

What are the colors of the future? Where would we wear this new tech-fashion? If we look to Hollywood for an answer, the color palettes of the future are broken down into to parts, Dystopian and Utopian. Blade Runner 2049 is an aesthetically beautiful science fiction neo-noir film that employs colors to tell the story of a cyberpunk post-nuclear blackout vision of society. Washed military greens and browns work with hot desert reds to convey a message of destruction, mystery, and danger while blues and yellows surround the movies heroes to offer the audience hope of a better future.

In the science fiction movie Elysium, paradise is a city/space station hovering above Earth. Pristine whites, cool blues, and consistent neutrals tell the story of a bright society. Plush greens with pops of bright colors relay the goal of a sustainable future.

With a focus on innovative technology, people will want meaningful intimate connections and spending time indoors with those close to them will become intentional.  Trends are steadily moving toward a hybrid of technology and nature inside our homes. Plants will take center stage in home decor as the outside comes in. Smart home devices are wrapped in faux leather and warm wood. Exposed brick has become a signature of an organic artistic feature popular among creatives.

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