February 2013 / The Spice of Life


Located throughout the world, the Trendease Team continues to deliver our subscribers around the globe must-know market information and inspiration straight to their computer screens.

A flavorless life would be very boring. The monotony of sameness would drive any creative mad. It goes against the very nature of our raison d'être. Luckily, what we uncovered during the winter trade show expeditions was anything but bland. Heimtextil, Domotex, imm cologne, Paris Deco Off, Maison&Objet, Who’s Next and Pret-a-Porter, as well as Interiors UK, were just some of the events we witnessed spicing it up. Fashion, interiors, furniture, floor coverings, textiles, wall treatments and decorative accessories whet our appetite; now it is time for us to share the main course with you. Get inspired with the February edition!

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REPORTING TO INSPIRE,
Jennifer Castoldi,
Chief Creative Director

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Features and Articles

Jennifer's February Fables

Birmingham — Some say that variety is the spice of life. We are in the business of creativity and inspiration. Bland is not an adjective that suits us. There are many classics that hold their place as the bread and butter of the business, but it is the constant change and addition of new ingredients, which act as the cherry on top of the cake. Evolution of lifestyles and consumer behavior lead to transforming interiors.

Maison&Objet: Nourritures Premières

Paris — Hungry for inspiration? Nourritures Premières (Primal Foods) explores the innate desire to go back to our roots and satisfy our hunger. The popularity of “new old” cuisine and local diets is more than just posturing by trendy urbanites or radical ecologists. Food connects us to our heritage, to our ancestors, to a simpler past.

Maison&Objet: Renaiscience

Paris — As Elton John once sang, it’s the circle of life. Nature is in a state of perpetual metamorphosis. In this melting pot of change, forms and materials draw their inspiration from the infinitely small oceanic microorganisms to the wild proliferation of giant cells, enlarged to the point of distortion through a laboratory microscope.

Maison&Objet: Pionnier

Paris — A new chapter has begun. The inevitable obsolescence of today’s products leaves us feeling weary. We prefer shiny and new instead of our old, durable possessions that stand the test of time. Today’s modern pioneers have a more holistic philosophy. They spend more time making things that work better and last longer.

The Historian shopping "theatre"

EcoChic: Heimtextil 13/14 Trends at Retail

Frankfurt — This gallery represents a triple whammy! Eco-friendly, trend-right, and merchandised for retail inspiration. “Be inspired” was located in an exclusive display area in Heimtextil and was based on three of the four trends presented in the Forum. Anne Marie Commandeur and her design studio Stijlinstituut Amsterdam were the visionaries behind the translation of the conceptual trends into retail application for textiles centered on sleeping, bathing, and eating.

Natural Living is Second Nature

Cologne — Award-winning Venetian designer Luca Nichetto was tapped to design this year’s Das Haus center stage exhibition at the imm cologne. Now in its second edition, Nichetto has the chance to reimagine the 180m2 public space and share his vision of a perfect living environment. Nichetto didn't set out to design a house that would necessarily revolutionize the way we live. Rather, he set out to create a temporary realization of how we might live in the future.

Carpet Scenes: Brynjar Sigurdarson for MID Robusta

Domotex: Flooring Deluxe

Hannover — The Floor Forum we have covered annually in the past at Domotex was missing from the trade show floor this year. In its place one could find the Concept Rooms of Flooring Deluxe, a new model for exhibitors to showcase their latest innovations and designs in unique installations in the center of the exhibition floor.

Trend: Modern

What's in Your Shop Window?

Frankfurt — This year marked the Deco Team’s 25th anniversary. Each year at Heimtextil the group stages trend vignettes in addition to a lecture series geared towards using textiles in interior decoration and how retailers can develop eye-catching window displays for their shops. This January the themes of the group were demonstrated in twelve ideas for the shop window and in-shop merchandising strategies, which can be seen here.

Entrance Hall 4

Feature Areas Aid Shoppers

Birmingham — Feature areas are one way exhibitions can show off the best of show. It is a great opportunity to merchandise exhibitors’ goods in a manner that reflects the end use or possible retail display options for the buyers attending the event, or to steer trade visitors to other areas within the halls. This January at the NEC in Birmingham, Interiors UK exercised that very strategy.

Trapped Mind

New Talent: Pieced Up Contrasts

Frankfurt — Poor or rich. Black and white. Traditional versus modern. Fantasy or reality. Sixteen students from the Frankfurt Academy for Fashion and Design had the opportunity to showcase the breathtaking beauty of contrasts at Heimtextil 2013. This year’s design challenge was to emphasize different perspectives of color, form, and texture using the materials provided by the exhibitors.

Trend: Clash (Award-winning lampshade by Santa Liepina, lowest, right)

NEWSLETTER #425 - 2013/2014 Trends

Birmingham — We look at what the students of the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design department predict for A/W 2013-14. Using the two directions developed by Global Color Research’s Mix Publications, ‘Flint’ and ‘Clash’, these new talents created designs for wall and floor coverings, as well as furniture that were unveiled at Interiors UK. See the trend boards, products, and merchandising here.

NEWSLETTER #426 - Surface Interest for 2014

Paris — They presented themes for 2014 at Indigo this week, the show where professionals go to unearth directions aiding in design of new products in terms of prints and embroideries, jacquards, proposals for mixtures of textile technologies, and suggestions for shapes, engineered motifs, and the like. Subscribers can get a feel for what was presented here within.

Part of the Wedding Dress Styling Challenge: Max Chaoul Couture

NEWSLETTER #427 - Fashion Futures

Paris — This week we show you highlights from the fashion world in Paris and the A/W 13-14 trends presented at Who’s Next by Nelly Rodi. Experimenting is a must this season! Authenticity meets high-tech for “urban farmers” and the traditional wedding dress gets a run for the money. Get the scoop and the details here!