Interfilière Insight brought together COLORO, Unitex, and designers from leading lingerie and sportswear brands to explore how color trends, innovative materials, and collaborative product development can transform industry insights into market-ready intimate apparel.

On May 29, Interfilière Insight partnered with Unitex Shanghai Innovation & R&D Center and COLORO to host an interactive workshop focused on color trends, material innovation, and product development. Designers and product developers from more than ten lingerie and activewear brands gathered to explore one essential question:

How do fashion trends become real products?

Unlike a traditional trend presentation, this event was designed as an immersive industry workshop. Rather than simply presenting forecasts, participants experienced the complete journey—from understanding color trends to selecting materials and developing product concepts through collaborative creation.

The workshop demonstrated that successful product development begins not with copying trends, but with translating them into meaningful consumer experiences.

Trends Are More Than Just Trending Colors

The event opened with remarks from May, Head of Interfilière China, who emphasized that the purpose of Interfilière Insight extends beyond sharing seasonal forecasts.

Its mission is to create stronger connections between trend research, material innovation, and product development, helping designers understand how market insights can be transformed into commercially successful products.

The keynote presentation, "AW27/28 Lingerie Color Trend Forecast," was delivered by Echo, Color R&D Director at COLORO.

Drawing on years of experience in international color forecasting and brand color strategy, Echo explained how changing consumer lifestyles and emotional expectations are reshaping future color directions.

Today's consumers no longer view color as purely aesthetic. Instead, color has become a powerful medium through which brands communicate values, build emotional resonance, and create memorable product identities.

According to COLORO's research, future color development will focus on three key dimensions:

• Emotional Value – Color becomes consumers' first emotional connection with a product.

• Long-Term Brand Identity – Building recognizable and lasting color assets rather than following short-lived trends.

• Self-Expression – Growing demand for personalized, emotionally driven color choices.

Based on these insights, COLORO introduced its Autumn/Winter 2027/28 color direction, highlighting several important palettes.

Healing-inspired purples, warm energetic yellows, futuristic blues, and nature-inspired greens each represent different consumer lifestyles and emotional needs.

Echo concluded with one important message:

"Trend colors are not the answer. They are a language that helps brands understand changing consumer expectations."

The real challenge is not replicating seasonal colors but interpreting the emotions behind them and transforming those insights into products that align with each brand's identity.

From Trends to Materials: Where Innovation Begins

If COLORO provides the language of trends, Unitex demonstrates how those trends become tangible products.

Chris, Head of the Unitex Shanghai Innovation & R&D Center, shared practical examples of collaborative product development under the theme:

"Trend Translation and Material Innovation."

According to Chris, the relationship between brands and suppliers has changed dramatically.

In the past, suppliers primarily offered existing materials.

Today, brands increasingly expect development partners to participate much earlier—during product planning, concept development, and innovation strategy.

Brands now describe needs using emotional language:

• lighter

• softer

• more supportive

• more comfortable

• more emotionally engaging

The responsibility of material developers is to convert these abstract expectations into technical solutions, including:

• yarn selection

• knitting structures

• fabric weight optimization

• finishing technologies

Materials are no longer viewed simply as components of a garment.

They have become one of the most important drivers of product experience.

From applying trend colors to creating tactile sensations and balancing comfort with performance, material innovation now serves as the bridge connecting trends with market-ready products.

Designers Put Trend Translation into Practice

The highlight of the afternoon was the hands-on Color × Material Workshop.

Participants were divided into five teams.

Each team received:

• one key trend color

• one product scenario

• a selection of innovative fabrics and materials

Within a limited timeframe, every team created a complete product mood board.

Unlike traditional mood board exercises that focus mainly on visual inspiration, this workshop emphasized product logic.

Designers were challenged to build complete product concepts by connecting:

• color

• material

• consumer needs

• wearing scenarios

• emotional experiences

The discussions were energetic and highly collaborative.

Some teams explored the idea of "Second Skin," examining the relationship between comfort and body awareness.

Others developed concepts around a "24-Hour Wardrobe," designing products suitable for work, home, travel, and leisure within a single garment.

Another team focused on "Soft Energy," exploring how functional products can simultaneously deliver emotional satisfaction and aesthetic appeal.

With physical material samples and COLORO color cards in hand, abstract trend concepts gradually evolved into tangible product ideas.

Each group then presented its final concept and explained the complete thinking process—from trend interpretation to product positioning.

Developing the Ability to Translate Trends

Looking back on the workshop, participants rarely discussed which color would become the next bestseller or which material was the most advanced.

Instead, one word repeatedly emerged throughout the afternoon:

Translation.

Trends never become products automatically.

Between forecasting and commercialization lies a complex process involving:

• trend research

• color planning

• material development

• product engineering

• design collaboration

Each stage requires professionals capable of translating information from one discipline into another.

This is precisely the role Interfilière Insight aims to strengthen.

The objective is not simply to predict what will be fashionable, but to help the industry transform emerging trends into meaningful products, better consumer experiences, and sustainable business value.

When color meets touch...

When trends meet materials...

When designers and suppliers collaborate at the same table...

Innovation naturally begins.

Next Stop: Interfilière Shanghai 2026

As an integral part of Interfilière Shanghai's year-round industry program, Interfilière Insight will continue connecting professionals through trend forecasting, material innovation, educational workshops, and industry dialogue.

The next major gathering will take place at Interfilière Shanghai 2026, held on October 13–14, 2026, at the Shanghai Exhibition Center.

Industry professionals will once again come together to explore the latest developments in:

• Fashion trends

• Innovative materials

• Product development

• Supply chain transformation

• Market opportunities

Because in the intimate apparel industry, trends are never valuable simply because they are seen.

Their true value lies in being understood, translated, and ultimately transformed into products that consumers genuinely love.