February 2011 / Future Returnity


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.

The quality of life and the quality of design are coming together. Disposable and temporary designs are being shunned by the consumer. Where does the importance lie? Find out in this month’s highlights from all of the major European trade shows and design happenings. Responsible consumption, old forms equipped with new functions, material experimentation, and the value of process are under the spotlight. Get inspired with this and more in the February edition!

We attend over 100 design events a year on your behalf to bring you trend insights and design movements to help you maintain cutting-edge knowledge of the lifestyle and design markets. Currently we keep readers in 9,032 cities within 162 countries/territories in the know! Are you reading Trendease.com?

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REPORTING TO INSPIRE,
Jennifer Castoldi,
Chief Creative Director

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Features and Articles

Jennifer's February Fables

Frankfurt — Wow! Where to begin after an insane amount of design events in just one month?!?!? The Trendease Team attended Heimtextil, Domotex, imm cologne, Pasagen, Paris Deco… Off, Maison&Objet, MeetMyProject, Prêt-à-Porter, Premiere Classe, Who’s Next, and Intirio this January. Well, the best way to tackle the onslaught of all of this information is to give you the pertinent highlights in addition to the trends each show presented. Starting with this gallery from Heimtextil…

Maison&Objet: Un-Plugged

Paris — The Observatory research team at Maison&Objet launched its new inspirations book for 2011/2012 titled INTENSITÉ. And under this theme follow three trends and their corresponding displays on the show floor: Un-Plugged, Haute Tension, Hypnotic. After the trend preview presented in December, the Trendease Team is pleased to bring you coverage hot off of the floor. See the first of the three directions here with Un-Plugged.

Maison&Objet: Haute Tension

Paris — “Design is blowing hot and cold, modulating between heavy and light, varying the intensity of light and colors, increasing the tactile effects of surprising materials.” Elizabeth Leriche begs you to explore the play of materials and form in this trend setting where sofas look like icebergs, tiles come from nature, bearskin rugs are made from synthetics, and sketches transform into furniture.

Maison&Objet: Hypnotic

Paris — As regular readers of Trendease will note, the angular trend continues and continues… Paper, plastic, wood, and ceramic all get molded into pointed forms eliciting design movements in 3-D and printed forms. Large-scale hounds tooth, M.C. Escher-like black and whites, and sensually-interlocking furniture multiply in this exposition.

imm cologne: Emotional Austerity

Cologne — Nature and process dominate here. The emotional connection is strong and the way something is made is just as important as how it looks and functions. Archaic forms are revisited and equipped with new purposes, utilizing mixed materials where old and new techniques combined.

imm cologne: Surprising Empathy

Cologne — Newness in production methods and material innovations reign. The architectural greys that dominate are illuminated with the ever-present vibrant yellow and orange, which have been seen across Europe at the various fall/winter exhibitions. A style that could be on the borderline of transmitting a cold feeling is given warmth with color and meaning.

imm cologne: Re-Balancing

Cologne — The individual can make a difference, whether s/he is a retail buyer, consumer, or anyone else along the product lifecycle. Localization is back in the spotlight. It is about quality over quantity. Responsible consumption and the adaptation to individual needs converge to form a compatible story towards sustainability.

imm cologne: Transforming Perspectives

Cologne — The buzz phrases for this movement may sound harsh–Nature as an Idea, Übermarketing, Stale Luxury, Ecostupidity–but the truth of the matter is there is truth within, and people who do not keep up with global shifts, and we’re talking more than just design trends, will be out-dated, misinformed, and as a result lose business. Be aware and proactive to stay ahead.

Domotex: Flooring Trends

Hannover — Domotex is a leading-edge showcase for trends in the international carpet and floor coverings sector. The event forecasts that the 2011/2012 season will be dominated by four key trends described as the Rustic Vintage Style, the Modern Romantic Scandinavian Style, the New Industrial Minimalism, and Global Spirit. Learn which materials, textures, colors, and patterns drive the market in the upcoming seasons.

Prêt à Porter: Matchwork

Paris — Three trends for Autumn-Winter 2011/2012 ready-to-wear were presented at the recent Prêt à Porter: Matchwork, Ligne Éditoriale, and Clan-à-Porter. Starting with the Matchwork direction and its Pantone color story, it is stated the “Matchwork addicts lack neither nerve nor taste.” See the rainbow of color and style here.

Prêt à Porter: Ligne Éditoriale

Paris — “The Ligne Éditoriale black is to be applied without discussion.” A single Pantone color reference for this story is found to be intriguing—what hue could possibly hold so much weight in A-W 2011/12? Gothic romanticism and anarchy play around with feathers, silk, leather and fur.

Prêt à Porter: Clan-à-Porter

Paris — “To be in or out… is what haunts specimens of Clan-à-Porter.” In this gallery find images of up-to-date fashions, a Pantone reference color story, and key buzzwords and phrases such as matrix, fetish, purity of lines, merging of creative energies, and managing distances while cultivating proximity.

From Ligne Éditoriale

NEWSLETTER #345 - New Additions

Multiple European Cities — Time flies when you are attending events and reviewing all of the fabulous, new discoveries. This week we walked the halls of Intirio in Gent, which boasted some of the foremost highlights from the major brands that were at Heimtextil, Domotex, and Maison&Objet—definitely a must-visit if you are in the Benelux region! And, as promised when the February edition was launched, more features have been added!

NEWSLETTER #346 - EcoChic: Heimtextil

Frankfurt — In a study commissioned by Messe Frankfurt, it is stated that the market for sustainable home textiles is developing faster than the overall market for home textiles worldwide. It also cites that in Europe, and North American, sales of such products amount to around € 400 million and are projected to increase at an annual rate of 10%. In this week’s gallery, subscribers can see the feel-good green products presented at Heimtextil.

NEWSLETTER #347 - Intirio Influences

Gent — In this week’s gallery have a new encounter with the directions of the classical Memento Mori and the contemporary Kiss, the inspirational themes presented in September at MoOD that were reborn in product form, rather than fabric samples, for Intirio, the professional fair for textiles and interior decoration in Benelux. Subscribers can see over 35 images from the trend display and get caught up on the latest tidbits!

Sealed Chair and Armchair are the result of R&D into an accessible and affordable mass production process

NEWSLETTER #348 - New Talent

Cologne — One of the greatest sources for novelty, innovation, and discovering shifting market directions is new talent. Students and designers fresh to the scene have some advantages—the students are required to research, understand, and experiment with the latest technologies, and being new kids on the block, tend to think outside of the box that industry sometimes finds itself stuck within. This week’s gallery showcases such unbridled creativity.