Fiona O’Keefe is a second year weave student at Central Saint Martins, University of The Arts London. This is the account of her first visit to Premiere Vision.
Sporting the all-important lanyard and armed with a free guide, Première Vision was at first, and at the very least, overwhelming. Attending the trade fair as part of a class trip, we had been given various tips and tricks to aid our maiden voyage, but negotiating the maze of elevated, opaque stands was something that can only be experienced first hand.
Thanks to an immediate coffee-break and an avid perusal of the surprisingly helpful maps, the day at Première Vision looked somewhat more surmountable. The exhibition halls were vast, but the forums that were scattered throughout each were accessible and offered students a hands-on opportunity to get a feel for what was at the fair.
The biggest forum, situated in Hall 6 Fabrics, boasted a miscellany of mainly-woven samples that were assorted into different trends. Placed side by side, ’Bathrobe’ and ‘Spongey Languor’ attracted much attention as hands reached in from all angles to clutch at the cushiony samples.
Italian mill Mantero Seta had a take on this trend which stood out from their cotton, lilac and chartreuse counterparts. The silk alternative they offered in a blush pink with playful flashes of primary colour created a squashy but sophisticated newness. The feeling here was simultaneously soft and lively.
 It was the vivacity in colour, mood and texture that recurred within another trend titled ‘Teeming’, which visibly proved popular among those who came across it. Clusters of colour dotted in and around graphic shapes cropped up on samples from both Ratti and Malhia Kent who used jacquard weaving to produce busy, illustrative patterns.
This energy extended as far as their stands and at Malhia Kent getting past their front desk was akin to gaining entry at an exclusive night club or fashion show. Large, scribbly and dazzling samples in shades of neon green and glittering gold had been tossed artfully over the walls of the stand, and the constant groups of hopefuls milling around it generated a definite buzz.
