May 2012 / Provocative Urbanism & Design


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.

Milan, New York, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Berlin… All of this influential design at your fingertips! Experience color like you never have before, witness how mathematics make magical fashions and light, get emotionally connected to items, and trust nature for Spring/Summer 2013. Understand how a textile can still be new after 45 years, ponder your preferred object, and just have plain old fun with all of these new discoveries! Furniture, lighting, textiles, tabletop, wall and floor coverings that will make you glad you came to Trendease.com. Get inspired with the May 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 within 170 countries/territories in the know! Are you reading Trendease.com?

Show us what you’ve got! For editorial consideration please email editorial@trendease.com with your latest original designs. Upcoming Trendease Market Edge PowWows and Trendease.TV scheduling can be found on the homepage.

REPORTING TO INSPIRE,
Jennifer Castoldi,
Chief Creative Director

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Features and Articles

Jennifer's May Marvels

Multiple European Cities — Expert in the field of cultural economics, Geert Hofstede asks, “Will there be one big world culture in 50 years from now?” While we will have many commonalities, if design is any indication, Jennifer’s opinion is that we will not be monocultural by then. In this very issue of Trendease we see the proud display of design differentiated by locale: Berlin, French-speaking Belgium, Japanese style with Italian manufacturing… There is much more to contemplate within, including a selection of images demonstrating a key design direction.

The Colors of UNESCO Sites

Milan/Oosternijkerk — As we can recall from our days in social studies class, there are seven continents in the world. But we never looked at the continents like this before! Thomas Eyck presents ‘Color-based on Nature’ by Irma Book, a graphic designer from Amsterdam. So what is so special about this collection, you may ask? This collection consists of a very unique book and a series of seven wallpaper designs. Learn and see more within.

Algorithms, Fashion & Design

Frankfurt/Milan — In 2010 "132 5. ISSEY MIYAKE" was launched. Deeply rooted in ecological materials and computer-generated imagery, this collection is based on mathematical algorithms that transform a 2D shape into a 3D dress, shirt, or jacket. Spiraling off of the success of the collection, this April the IN-EI ISSEY MIYAKE lamps were unveiled at the Light+Building fair in Frankfurt and during Milan Design Week. Both the exquisite fashions and lighting are examined here within.

Lasting Emotional Relationships with Objects

Milan — In Milan, for the 2012 fuorisalone, Cerruti Baleri presented an installation that morphed the Via Cavallotti showroom into an idyllic building split into four thematic interiors to show off the new collections, as well as products from their other synergic brands. The creative atelier is transformed by Maurizio Galante and Tal Lancman, the working office and canteen by Cerruti Baleri, and the apartment by Maison Martin Margiela. Come experience the spaces here in this gallery.

Trust Nature for Spring/Summer 2013

Worldwide — Approximately 85% of the world’s scutched flax fibers originate in Europe. Masters of Linen is a recognized group label which provides quality assurance and 100% European traceability at every step of the processing phases. The organization also continuously works on research and development with its members, releasing regular trend and directional reports to the trade. Enjoy this gallery of images featuring the Pantone color stories, mood boards, and the latest linen textile weaves and knits!

Todd Bracher: Hadr

Still New After 45 Years

Milan — In celebration of 45 years of Kvadrat’s first and most iconic textile Hallingdal 65, seven global curators were invited to select designers from seven international regions to create something special with the Danish fabric. The intriguing results of the collaborations were presented at the Jil Sander showroom in Milan during design week and can be seen here in this feature gallery.

Instant Storytelling

Milan/Berlin — Instant Stories made in Berlin, curated by Werner Aisslinger and Fabien Dumas and organized by DMY Berlin, have come to Milan. Eleven designers and studios experimented with form to bring a new conversation to their pieces via a unique narration: wooden case stages in the 4:3 proportion of digital images just waiting to be snapped. And that is exactly what we did!

Scarpette Teschio: like growing out of one's first baby shoes

Preferred Objects of Fusion

Milan — Showcased at Milan’s design museum La Triennale di Milano, this unique collection of 15 pieces of furniture was created following a workshop between young Fabrica designers and personnel of the Grand-Hornu Images cultural center in Belgium. The object creation followed after an intense week of exchanges and brainstorming sessions on the theme “Objet Préféré.”

Fun with Fashion

Milan — What would a trip to Milan be without checking out the latest fashions?! We certainly made tracks through the city over the course of design week. From the high-brow Via della Spiga and Corso Como to the up and coming in Ventura Lambrate, this gallery shows how the creative industries are having fun with fashion.

Innovation is a key focus for the 2012 edition of MoOD

NEWSLETTER #397 - Fluxus 2013/14

Brussels — The international think tank here has been reviewing the past, present, and future in terms of business strategies influenced by the current environments, as well as ways in which to encourage innovation and positive growth. It has been quite stimulating and timely, as this is a topic close to the 2013-2014 inspirations preview for MoOD – Meet only Original Design’s next edition. The theme is Fluxus where “Even change is changing.” Learn and see more here.

NEWSLETTER #398 - Surtex Preview

New York — Surtex, the trade show where art and design is bought, sold, and licensed kicks off this weekend. In this week’s gallery subscribers can get a preview of what can be discovered at the event, from Milou Ket’s trend boards to a very diverse range of artwork that may be found on tomorrow’s bedding, upholstery, ceramics, tabletop, children’s items, gift cards, and more.

NEWSLETTER #399 - Sketchy Designs

Worldwide — Clerkenwell Design Week exhibitors reinforced a design direction that has been on our radars and seen at Heimtextil, as well as Maison&Objet, created by companies from Australia, the Netherlands, the UK, Portugal, and beyond. What is this surface interest of which we write? The diverse application of this technique is further detailed and can be seen within this week’s newsletter.