Collection Spring / Summer 2025 – Trends in Embroidery and Textile Decoration (Text and Fotos: Reiner Knochel)

Keywords around the summer 2025 trends reflect what’s happening in our societey. They symbolize what we are yearning for and what we are concerned about. CRAFT is such a catchword and it is obvious, the more digital we live, the more we long for something „real“, something hand-made and individual. We appreciate and estimate traditional techniques and craftsmanship. NATURE is another important keyword. Our surroudings are virtual, we are permanently online on all kinds of social media channels and ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE is omnipresent. So it is only natural that we learn to love and cherish our nature again. Or at least we like combinations of natural and artificial materials… Lets look closer to these and other trend topics in this article.

. But before,we’ll take a glance to Pantone’s colour of the year 2024 – Peach Fuzz 13-1023. Pantone states: „Subtly sensual, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz is a heartfelt peach hue bringing a feeling of kindness and tenderness, communicating a message of caring and sharing, community and collaboration“.

Well, it’s true: just some matching fabrics, threads and accessories and there it is, this very special and cozy atmosphere…

Hand embroidery, pearls and seashells offer slight feelings of luxury, enhancing every garment or accessory.

Seashells, prepared to be sewn on to sustainable Olivenleder. Lara Steuer, Modefachschule Sigmaringen
Inspiration using pearls and fur on Olivenleder. Julia Rehm, Modefachschule Sigmaringen

Poly SPARKLE embroidery on velvet with hand-sewn pearls, Kim Härlen, Modefachschule Sigmaringen
Hand embroidered masterpiece using pearls, mother of pearl and fish scales by artist Emmanuelle Rapin

We are inspired by the huge variety of natural materials such as feathers, cotton, bark, cork…

Reiner in a walk-in work of art made of real goose quills. Installation „feather room“ by Judy Chicago, Haus der Kunst Munich, Exhibition „inside other spaces“, to be seen till 3rd March, 2024
Feathers and metallized iridescent and variegated METY effect threads

Gunold’s organic COTTY BIO cotton thread
Positive message, carved into a tree, seen in Munich’s „Englischer Garten“

Of course we cannot develop a spring/summer collection without using flowers. But this season we embroider imperfect and alienated, use more sophisticated graphics or embroider with technical thread s like glow-in-the dark or reflective.

Embroidered blossoms in fringe techniqe using holographic GLITTER and glow-in-the-dark GLOWY. Design: GS UK
Embroidered flowers using Cotty BIO and Poly SPARKLE. Design: GS UK

Bright and blazing red is one of the accent colours in summer 2025. The sample shows the colour using a functional fabric, pressed onto pearls to achieve a crincle look.

Reiner in the walk-in work of art „Spectral Passage“ by Aleksandra Kasuba, seen at Haus der Kunst Munich, Exhibition „inside other spaces“, to be seen till 3rd March, 2024
Pearls and functional fabric by Frizza Italy, pressed by the heat press to achieve a crincle look. Design: Julia Rehm, Modefachschule Sigmaringen

Pleats are celebrating a comeback in fashion – here embellished with transfer print and Gunold’s Glitter thread which melts when using it on the heat press…

Transfer print (Mäde! By Kasia Hanack) and GLITTER effect thread on plissé fabric by Viscotex Italy

We will talk a lot about linear structures when it comes to graphic implementations. This will be as important as an intense mix of materials and techniques. However, the focus won’t be on perfect results, quite the contrary: imperfect is the new perfect !

Glittery transfer film, embroidered with Gunold’s POLY thread. Design: Madita Lutz, Modefachschule Sigmaringen
Mix of screenprint and embroidery. Design: Sofie Glöckler, Texoversum Reutlingen University

Spacer fabric by Müller Textil, printed with shading effect and embroidered with Gunold’s natural viscose thread SULKY. Design: Irene Körting, Texoversum Reutlingen University
Functional fabric by Frizza Italy und Puffy left overs by Gunold, realized by Reiner Knochel and Jutta Erb, Modefachschule Sigmaringen

Hand drawings are used as embroidery templates and are digitized using fancy stitch ideas. Imperfection plays a key role also here !

Kim Härlen, Realisation: Jutta Erb, Modefachschule Sigmaringen

Just as playing with transparency is still en vogue we still keep on experimenting with reflexion. Not really to emphasize on security or visibility – it’s the effect that counts !

Gunold’s reflective thread CRY at daylight. Design: GS UK
Gunold’s reflective thread CRY, photographed with flash. Design: GS UK

The effect thread METY offers iridescent and opalescent mother of pearl effects to the fashion, inspired by beetles and seashells. Using this thread helps uniting important attributes like glamour and naturalness.

Iridescent shades from Gunold’s METY metallized effect thread. Design: GS UK
Iridescent shades from Gunold’s METY metallized effect thread. Design: GS UK

Free standing lace using PUFFY, wooly FILAINE and iridescet METY threads. Design: GS UK
Luxury hand embroidery using different effect threads, created by Modi Embroideries, India

There is always room for classic, elegantly designed animal and natural motifs. The smart use of digitizing effects allows playwing with struture and dimension, bringing depth and class to the designs.

Underwater world. Design: GS UK

Luxury hand embroidery using different effect threads, created by Modi Embroideries, India
Luxury hand embroidery by Modi Embroideries, India

Paper-Touch: paper and paper-like materials and structures are becoming more important. For technical use or for accessories, different paper qualities can even be embroidered !

Gunold’s reflective thread CRY on „paper heating system“ KOHPA^® therm. Embroidery: Irene Körting, Texoversum Reutlingen University
Variegated ombré dye SULKY thread on washable paper. Realisation: Reiner Knochel and Jutta Erb, Modefachschule Sigmaringen