October 2016 / Fusionaries of 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.

We have been observing a number of processes in which different styles, ideas, and designs combine together to form something novel. This evolution in the design world is producing intriguing results and plays with conventions. Time periods and styles converge; aesthetics are maximalist, eclectic, plus full of fantasy and eccentricity. Cultural identities and global cultures come into question. Handmade and digital both reign. See Pantone colors for 2017 & 2018. Get inspired with the October 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 173 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 October Observations

Paris — As we see it now, many styles, ideas, and designs are combining together to form new directions. The world is in constant flux and change. We witness the growing recurrence of disruptive design, artificial intelligence, and algorithms in mainstream creations. And on another hand we note how craftsmanship and quality are held in high regard with smaller production runs and less processing in manufacturing. Handmade and digital procedures play together.

Maison&Objet: House of Games

Paris — In Paris at Maison&Objet this September Vincent Grégoire from Agence NellyRodi headed up the Observatory’s vision for the 2016/2017 season under the theme of House of Games. Drama, sensuality, roleplaying, medleys, and juxtapositions that are baroque, as well as dandy, represent switching off and sharing in a heavily digital world. Come on in and play the game.

Creative Africa Goes Global

Philadelphia — This is a review of the ‘Vlisco: African Fashion on a Global Stage’ exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on through January 2017. Vlisco is an influential Dutch textile company dating back to the 1800s, a brand known in West and Central African fashion in addition to being a design inspiration around the globe. The brand is known for its bright and bold patterns. In this feature see bold textiles designs, learn the process of wax printing, and the importance of naming the fabrics.

Epic Customer Experience

Brussels — Epic is slang for the awesome and the cool, the amazing and the sweet. Perhaps also for the epic fail, the badass, the crazy and the “pwn”. But most of all epic is about a fantastic experience and a good story. The epic is playful, it has a sense of humor and it is an important part of customer experience. Now let’s put things straight: customer experience is what makes the difference between winning and losing. This trend story include three Pantone palettes.

The English rose and Scottish thistle become one on this double-faced fabric. Poetic and beautiful!

Emma Mitchell: A Fusionary

Carlisle — By injecting contemporary values and patterns into her hand-made designs, Emma Mitchell honors the authenticity of the printing practice; while demonstrating her creative vision and innovativeness. “Fantasy Fusion” is not a collection to just be seen, but to be read about, understood and celebrated as a fusion of cultural identities, personal interests, and organic aesthetics.

Classic, Pure, & Transformed in 2017-18

Worldwide — Three fashion-driven Pantone color palettes direct textile collections for the A/W 17-18 season. On one hand there is a classic, signature style that can stand the test of time and on the other hand, at the opposite side of the spectrum is the idea of disruptive design and constant change, an evolution of sorts with the element of surprise and fun. In the midst of all of this is a search for purity.

Environmental, Bright, & Cultured in 2018

Worldwide — New seasons are coming up and design development is in the planning stages. What colors are on-trend for Spring/Summer 2018? Environmental friendliness, small production runs, pastels matched with brights, geometrical shapes, and global cultures influence two years out. These three Pantone color stories will inspire you for new creations, helping you to maintain a competitive position in the marketplace.

Quotes of Inspiration

Worldwide — There is no doubt about it, current world affairs and personal troubles can too easily bring one down. Thankfully there is a large number of designers and companies selling a plethora of products with positive expressions decorating the surfaces. Such text on products ranging from housewares to fashion accessories is very popular for gifts and personal statements for the body and the home. Here are just a few to cheer us all up!

NEWSLETTER #561 - Ambiente Trend Preview

Frankfurt — This week’s newsletter is a special avant premiere of the trends that will be presented next February in Frankfurt at the very large consumer goods show (4400 exhibitors!) known as Ambiente. For the coming seasons Ambiente trends will be “sustainably inspiring” according to Annetta Palmisano from the bora.herke.palmisano, the studio that envisions the directions.

NEWSLETTER #562 - Office Trends 2017/18

Frankfurt — Now it is time to be a design nerd! In this week’s newsletter we take a look at the office as a changing environment (flexible work stations, individual group and conference areas, quiet areas and space to withdraw) as well as the Paperworld trend preview for the 2017/18 season. Paperworld has been looking at the shifts and shared some statistics with us from the study “Working Spaces 2025”.

NEWSLETTER #563 - Christmas Trends 2017/18

Frankfurt — In this week’s newsletter we embrace the change in season and look to the trends that will be presented next year at Christmasworld. For 2017/18 bora.herke.palmisano have created four style scenarios to bring moments of cheer and happiness to festive decoration: joy, tradition, nature, modernity, which can be seen at Christmasworld in Frankfurt, Germany in January 2017.

NEWSLETTER #564 - Lighthearted Designs

Worldwide — It has been a full, eye-opening, inspiring, jaw-dropping week in Eindhoven for Dutch Design Week. For this week’s newsletter we are keeping it lighthearted, featuring products and recent designs that add a smile to day to day activities. We all know that sometimes “cheerful” can really turn a day around. Subscribers can check the happy-go-lucky creations out within.