Albini Group – member of Club Masters of Linen – interprets the best linen of the world for its Spring-Summer 2017 collections

The quality of European linen continues to be a protagonist at Milano Unica. In fact, Albini Group – for 140 years, the manufacturer of the most beautiful shirting fabrics of the world – chooses the best linen from Normandy for the Spring-Summer 2017 collections of its brands: Cotonificio Albini, Albini,donna, Thomas Mason, David & John Anderson and Albiate 1830.

Fabrics that are born from a delicate blue flower, cultivated in Normandy, where the suitable terrain, the favourable climatic conditions and the unique know-how of the linen farmers give life to the most precious linen of the world.

Linen, a European fibre good for the planet.

Perhaps not everyone is aware that:

– Linen is the only vegetable textile fibre native of Europe;

– Every year the cultivation of European linen can hold 250,000 tons of CO2;

– Linen is a fibre that is self-sustainable: in fact for the European linen, rainwater is sufficient = zero irrigation;

– Linen contributes to the sustenance of the economic and social fabric in rural areas. Its cultivation mobilizes skilled labour, 5 times more considerable than that of wheat cultivation;

– Linen is completely biodegradable = zero waste;

– Each element of the plant is useful and utilized: long fibres for fabric, short fibres for paper or felt, seeds and oils for panels, paints, linoleum, hemp wastes for gardening.

After the harvest in Normandy, the linen processing continues in Italy: in the Bergamo area, the ‘Linificio e Canapificio Nazionale’ turns the long fibres into precious yarns, which then become wonderful shirting fabrics in the plants of the Albini Group.

Albini Group is part of the CLUB MASTERS OF LINEN, born with the goal of becoming the hallmark for 100% European excellence and traceability of linen, from the plant, to the yarn to the fabric. The CLUB MASTERS OF LINEN is a group of European companies that seek to offer to their customers (both brands and final consumers) an instrument of differentiation with a high added value.

Linen inspired the design team of the Albini Group for Spring-Summer 2017 and is tinged with beautiful colours, from traditional and natural, to the hot spicy tones that recall the colourful atmosphere of Marrakech. The fancies range from plains, stripes, up to madras and prints. The shirting fabrics are presented with infinite aspects, textures and original hands, whether more compact or lighter and characterised by plays on transparency. The nature, composition and architecture of the fibres confer exceptional properties, confirming the linen as one of the protagonists of S/S collection: a raw material with a strong personality, which allows a wide range of stylistic experimentations to move, differentiate and qualify a fabric. A noble material, a symbol of the new way of being contemporary, eco-friendly and attentive to sustainable development.

For each collection of the Albini Group, a distinct interpretation of the same raw material: weights, colours and different inspirations for a summer shirt, elegant or casual, but always of high quality

Cotonificio Albini

In the classical part of Cotonificio Albini collection, linen meets the finest and the most prestigious yarns for an elegant and sophisticated proposal, presented in classic, intense and colonial colours, in a wide range of designs.

Innovative is the use of mélange on linen bases, creative the seersucker effects, that give more movement to a fabric owing to its non-flat and slub nature. On this lively and light base are developed plains, false-plains, micro houndstooth and basic patterning of small stripes and checks.

The linen is also woven into an intimate blend with high-quality cotton, thus obtaining a fabric with a soft handle that  is a pleasure to wear.

Sahara 2, the historic fabric of Cotonificio Albini in 100% linen, is a yarn dyed fabric with a bright look, presented for the Spring-Summer 2017 in a wide proposal: from plains to stripes and checks, sometimes also with small interventions of structures that give more life to the fabric.

In the sportive part of the collection, Sahara Délavé completes the proposal, combining the vivacity of the material with colours which over time transform and mix, assuming unusual and surprising gradations.

Albini, donna

The collection Albini, Donna enhances the value of linen with an exclusive proposal, that ranges from pure, intimate blends to blends, going from lighter weights to the most important ones.

Next to the classic and elegant white linen is offered a series of yarn dyed and piece dyed developed in summery colours, ranging from natural to spicy tones. In the woman collection, linen becomes even more precious thanks to the bases of superlight muslin and special finishing that lend the fabric a softer and feminine touch.

Next to 100% linen there are exclusive and special blends of linen/silk and linen/tencel, that give a smoother handle to the garment. Particularly innovative is stretch linen, combining the character of linen with the comfort of a fabric that adapts to shapes and movements. In the designs we can find 70’s prints, sophisticated patterns with white, blue and brown stripes, geometric graphics and floral patterns on striped background with matching or contrasting colours.

Thomas Mason

The British identity of the English brand of Albini Group is dressed in linen for Spring-Summer 2017. Thomas Mason linen , classic and sophisticated, is woven in the most prestigious titles.

Amber, one of the most appreciated fabrics of the last season, is made with a superfine yarn exclusive of the Albini Group, born from an intimate blend with cotton that makes it breathable and cool, with a soft and pleasant touch.

Linen is also enriched with designs and colours: from plains and classic white/blue stripes to colourful ones, in springy blue tones and pastel gradations.

To this classic proposal are added linen and linen blends more gutsy with sportive designs, and beautiful linen/jersey bases in spicy colours.

Albiate 1830

Linen is one of the central themes also for  the Albiate 1830 collection, both in the traditional part of yarn dyed, and in the denim proposal that this year is extremely innovative.

The collection is enriched with precious yarns in indigo linen, where armours, end-on -end effects and fil coupé give even more movement to the fabric.

Fancies range from tartan, to bold stripes, up to indigo dyed madras. Even floral and marine prints and creative jacquard find their space on linen bases. For Albiate 1830, linen is synonymous with sport, lightness and fantasy and it’s declined in white and blue tones expertly combined with brown and khaki.