Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend a trend talk all about Pitti Filati and the new Autumn Winter trends that are coming through for 2014/15. The talk was really interesting and I learnt a lot about colours to use and what yarns are going to be on trend and so I thought I would share the key things with you.

Firstly, one of the main messages that was coming through is that knitwear is now being used as an addition to evening wear. This meant more metallic yarns but in really good quality (not that itchy yarn I remember using before) and sophisticated shapes.

Another key item was the knitwear coat or jacket. Instead of using knitwear for just jumpers and cardigans, it is now becoming an outerwear piece as well.

My favourite trend that is coming through is the folk look but different to what we are used to. The look is now taking on a Russian feel which means amazing fair isles but in brighter colours such as rich reds and purples. I can’t wait to start coming up with new fair isles using this trend!

Punk is also having a huge influence on knitwear so there was a lot of mixed thickness yarns used together in stripes and baggy shapes for jumpers.

Vintage is also key to the season as many designers are looking at vintage knitwear for inspiration so if you spot a vintage store make sure you check it out and see if there are any ideas you can use for your designs.

The new season looks really exciting and I can’t wait to get started on it now !