April 2005 / A Year to Celebrate!!!


It’s our birthday! Trendease had a VIP launch last April and came into the public eye May 6th. It has been an amazing year full of inspiration. This month we bring you full coverage of the Parisian shows that took place this March, including key color stories, materials, trims, moods, and products. Also, visit a shop unlike any other, get a peak at hot new talent, go Bollywood style, and don’t miss our hot new column EcoChic.

Email us for your trial account today! It’s our birthday and we want to give you a gift—one month free to every new subscriber who joins by May 6th!

Celebrate with us in the April edition,

Jennifer Castoldi,
Creative Director

Read Jennifer's article the March issue of LDB Interior Textiles.

Download a printable info packet on Trendease.

Features and Articles

Students were looking to find different applications of this popular Israeli game racket

Jennifer's April Antics '05

Paris — Don’t be a designosaur! Read the most innovative tidbits regarding the transformations in the textile industry today. What do oranges, bubble gum, flowers, paper, and seaweed have in common? Don’t be left in the dust. Discover the latest fast-breaking information here. And see images from Tel-Aviv’s design week.

A Shop Unlike Any Other

London — At the heart of Spitalfields, London rests a most unusual shop. Founded by Marianna Kennedy, it is her shop, showroom, and workshop where the past is used in a modern way. Enjoy this gallery of products designed by the artist, who has worked on commissions for greats such as Liv Tyler, and find out more about her philosophy and work.

Shifting Colors

Multiple European Cities — Following up on a recent color palette, we bring you a new gallery to show how the color mood has slightly shifted. This healing and soothing color palette creates an unwinding effect from the stressful, fast-beat life that most of today’s people lead. Soft and calming, the setting creates a relaxing atmosphere that helps restore energy for the following day.

The Asian Sensation

Multiple European Cities — In today’s world, overwhelmed by technology, people are looking to re-define themselves and their values. Globally, those who have lost the human touch are looking to the East to re-discover spirituality. Asia, with its preserved purity seems to provide the calm that our societies need. Many products are beginning to channel the Asian Sensation. On a quest for inspiration? Check out this gallery.

The World of "Re"

Paris — Texworld Paris is a trade fair for the latest trends in the world of garment textiles. The trends presented for the upcoming Spring/Summer’06 season are more conceptual. They embody the current trend of making one step backward in order to make a step forward and translate it to the fashion world. See images and buzzwords here.

A touch and feel library

The First Look at Première Vision

Paris — The Paris decorative fabrics trade fair Première Vision presents the trends for the upcoming Spring/Summer’06 season. Rather unanimous across all textiles, the techniques and patterns reflect current thought and philosophy trends. Learn what’s hot here.

Dressed to Impress

Paris — Atmosphère d’Hiver and Première Classe took place last month at one of the busiest Parisian spots: the Tuileries Gardens. The fashion and retail buyers were there from all over the world: out of 5,622 trade visitors, 62% were from abroad. Visit this gallery to find out what was hot on the Parisian scene.

Poétique Ballade

Paris — Soft and gentle, the Poétique Ballade trend is for those looking to find romance again. Find out which of the soothing colors are seducing this theme, what the typical products look like, and how to tame leather to make it ooze romanticism and spirituality.

Gipsyfolkmania

Paris — Gypsy mania is one of the trends for leather products by the Paris leather show “Le Cuir à Paris” for Summer’06. Click here for inspiration, a color story and product images that fall within this theme, which combines dreams of summer, flamenco exotics and an intellectual spirit.

Tropic Tropisme

Paris — What’s hot in this trend? Well, everything, since it is quite hot in itself: Tropic Tropisme for Summer’06! Find out more about the inspiration, colors, typical products, materials and patterns here.

Primitive Energy

Paris — This trend is more global; it rediscovers the world, its history and origins. This theme looks back at and draws inspiration from tribal art. Feel the spirit of Africa through this gallery. See a Pantone color story and learn about the characteristic fabrics and materials that fit into this trend.

Design by Katherine Pradeau

Embellish, Embellish, Embellish

Paris — Mod’Amont, the Paris fashion supplies and trimmings trade fair, hosted their 19th show this March, despite typical Parisian obstacles, such as a major transportation strike. The target of the Mod’Amont fair is broad, and there was representation from many spectrums of the trade: couture, prêt-a-porter, design, furnishing and even show-biz. Visit these next galleries to get the trim warp up.

Digital Colorama

Paris — This menswear trend reflects our current “digital life”. Discover the keywords, trim and materials that define this emerging trend in menswear. Find out which tones of the Digital Colorama are hot for Spring/Summer’06.

Harem

Paris — The ancient practice is today’s dream: a Harem trend for men for Spring/Summer’06. Sequins shift over to the masculine side. Find out which trim techniques and Pantone colors made it through the rigorous selection into this Harem.

Romance

Paris — Women will counter the Harem trend with Romance in Spring/Summer’06. Pantone colors, hot highlights, pertinent materials and specific finishings: click here to get the latest info on the Romance trend.

Wall Paper

Paris — The new things are the well forgotten oldies. We are going back to the 70’s with the women’s ready-to-wear Spring/Summer’06 Wallpaper trend. However, it is more than looking in the closet that has been locked up for ages. Here you can see the contemporary hot twist tweaking the items from this theme.

This shoe is a prototype of how to use the current trends in trim

Abyssinian

Paris — African trims, leather macramé and a lot of beads make the Abyssinian trend stand out. Stay on top of the trim styles! Find out what’s hot for Summer’ 06 with this Pantone color story. Be informed about the materials and components, highlights and finishings that distinguish the Abyssinian theme.

Princess Haiku

Paris — The old obsession with Princess Leia translates into the modern obsession with Princess Haiku. Discover the make up of this mischievous lingerie. Steal a peek at this gallery to see which are the sexy Pantone colors and hot trim and materials for Spring/Summer’06 lingerie.

Dolce Vita

Paris — Life is sweet when on vacation; beachwear for Spring/Summer’06 fully embodies the “Dolce Vita” motto. Find out what will make beachwear stand out in the up-coming season. Pantone colors, highlights and materials, it’s all one click away, in the “Dolce Vita” gallery.

Aeroperformance

Paris — Aeroperformance is a sportswear trend for Spring/Summer’06. Find out how to design the trendy outfits for this season. Decorated with laser cuts, the sportswear responds to consumer demand with specific materials, finishings and trim discussed here. Also get insight to the trendy colors from this Pantone color story.

Night Clubbing

Paris — Saturday Night Fever meets the contemporary teenage society resulting in the Night Club trend. Juniors today are a demanding, very trend conscious consumer body and failing to meet their aesthetic values is a doom to any product. Check out which Pantone colors will keep the youth cool in Spring/Summer’06.

Touched by Hindu Deities

Worldwide — Passion and art walk through life hand in hand. One of the most passionate and devoted contemporary artists, Baba Anand, promotes his native land within his work. His art is as original as he himself. Experience the Bollywood trend here through this artist’s work.

These biodegradable fork/spoons are made of mater-bi: a new plastic - made entirely of corn starch polymers

EcoChic: Contemporary Design Meets Sustainability

Worldwide — This is more than a passing trend: it is about designers and industry players actively engaging environmental issues through advances in materials and technology, and doing it with a sophisticated aesthetic vision; Trendease has created a word for this, EcoChic. Join Jacques and his new monthly Trendease column exploring these issues. This is an introduction to an ever-evolving world of thought.

Responsible Design: Ecuador

Ibarra — Design Latino is dedicated to sustainable design. Designing “sexy furniture with a social conscience”, Design Latino promotes talent, materials and labor from Ecuador. The line of chairs, called Valdivia, made of solid wood, banana leaf, natural straw and leather, pays homage to the old Valdivia culture of Ecuador.

Jeannette Schuler

New Talent: True Illusions

Aachen — This month our New Talent column brings you the work of Jeannette Schuler from Germany. Jeannette likes to tease and surprise customers with her work. This young designer has very innovative and creative ideas utilizing different techniques and patterns. Click on this gallery to experience Jeannette’s Illusions.

NEWSLETTER #66

Paris — This week’s gallery covers Expofil, a trade show focusing exclusively on yarns and textile fibers, where visitors included representatives of the textile, clothing and furnishings industry, haute couture and ready-to-wear brands, retail decision makers, freelance designers importers, the list goes on and on… Also read ths week's tidbits.

High tech bedding

NEWSLETTER #67

New York — With worldwide exclusivity WestPoint Stevens has a new competitive advantage-technology that makes bedding light up and sing, rugs that control lighting and sound, bath accessories that talk, and packaging that takes retailing to an entirely new level. We are talking about smart textiles and products leading to multiple sales on the retail level. See the innovative products here, and read this week's tidbits.

NEWSLETTER #68

Milan — This week’s gallery comes from our coverage during the International furniture fair in Milan, Salone Internazionale del Mobile. The May issue will be packed with more on this fair that temporarily takes over the entire city of Milan. Today’s gallery, featuring the new Ipe Cavalli designer line, encompasses the Grand Traveler trend and the unique use of coats of mail for interiors.

The "peacock" color palette is strong this season

NEWSLETTER #69

Paris — One of Paris’s largest and most well-known department stores, Galeries Lafayette, kicked off their Bollywood theme with dancers, famous singers, champagne, wine, appetizers, movies, and the who’s who of Paris. We were there and now you can feel like you were there too. Experience it in this extensive gallery of images along with this week's tidbits.