March 2008 / Insights to Color & Trends


Trendease covers over 100 design events a year; currently 26,000+ images in an excess of 950 reports keep 129 countries in the know! We are proud to be the exclusive sponsor of the Home Textiles Today TiAs (Textile Industry Awards). Vote now!

This month Trendease presents a plethora of palettes with Pantone references for both home and fashion up to 2010. Seize the moment to learn the latest materials, buzzwords and catch phrases; be amazed at the newest technologies and innovations to enter the market. See detailed coverage of the inaugural trend forums at Ambiente as well as forecasts presented at Première Vision Pluriel. Understand how the cross fertilization of trends may affect your product category. See what retailers are looking at for 2008, what product developers are cooking up for S/S 09, and what is in store for A/W 09-10. Get inspired with the March edition!

Upcoming Trendease Market Edge PowWows:
- April 25th: Topic to be announced;
Ifa Paris Shanghai - Shanghai, China
- June 16th: Gain a Competitive Advantage by Understanding &
Utilizing Trends; Keynote, IGI Congress 2008 - Algarve, Portugal

REPORTING TO INSPIRE,
Jennifer Castoldi,
Chief Creative Director

Download our new tri-fold brochure as a PDF file here.

Features and Articles

Amoureux In Love

Jennifer's March Musings

Paris — One of the most frequently asked questions in the trend business is “What colors are trendy?” The dominant topic of this month’s issue of Trendease is color. The team has been to a never-ending stream of trade events around the globe and has talked to experts in the field to bring you this in-depth review of palettes for both home and fashion. In addition, readers will witness the rise of eco-consciousness, and see a follow up on trends in soft and hardlines.

The Clean & Pure trend vignette

Clean & Pure

Frankfurt — This year marked the inauguration of the trend forum for the largest consumer fair in the world, Ambiente. The Messe Frankfurt has commissioned none other than the best to create the trendy themes discovered this year: Clean & Pure, Decorative & Reduced, Playful & Intensive, and Natural & Innovative. These four themes help guide buyers in the direction of what will be hot to purchase for 2008. This gallery, complete with inspirational collage and Pantone colors, is bound to prove hot at retail.

Decorative & Reduced

Frankfurt — The Messe Frankfurt has hired one of today’s hottest style agencies to create the trendy themes discovered this year at Ambiente: Clean & Pure, Decorative & Reduced, Playful & Intensive, and Natural & Innovative. Decorative elements take on a new luxurious style when given a contemporary interpretation; elegant and modern, luxurious and chic, unique and exclusive in Decorative & Reduced. Read the description, view the images, and note the Pantone story.

Playful & Intensive

Frankfurt — Playful & Intensive is part of the new trend forum launched last month at Ambiente. Sensitive color progressions or monochrome color environments highlight the extrovert and the crucial elements using the intense palette found here. The trend, however, is more playful and experimental than aggressive. The lines make the objects oversized but also light, brave but with a sense of humor.

Natural & Innovative

Frankfurt — Seamlessly blending the natural and the artificial, Natural & Innovative shows us the intelligence behind manmade materials and forms. The opposition between the outside and inside worlds is erased: walls become openings to the jungle, and patterns on objects recall animals. See this Ambiente trend come to life. Pantone references are presented by the style agency bora.herke.

Trendy Trim & Embellishments

Paris — Mod’Amont is a heaven for accoutrements and an inspirational resource for professionals within the fashion and design industries. In this feature see 10 color stories and trend descriptions along with the latest fashions, packaging, and trims for Spring / Summer 2009. Although geared towards fashion, any market working with decorative accents and trim from buttons, buckles, zippers, rhinestones, ruffles, ribbons, and everything in between should take this into consideration.

Off-Kilter

Worldwide — Once again Trendease is happy to share with our readers projections for the home and apparel, Autumn / Winter 2009-10 markets as forecasted by Cotton Incorporated. Presented here are the inspirational colors and words from the Off-Kilter trend. See how the macabre and dreadful come alive to entice and enchant. This color story is complemented with the closest available Pantone color references.

Enrichment

Worldwide — Once again Trendease is happy to share with our readers projections for the home and apparel, Autumn / Winter 2009-10 markets as forecasted by Cotton Incorporated. Presented here are the inspirational colors and words from the Enrichment trend, where passive consumption is left behind in favor of a more sensual and involved experience. This color story is complemented with the closest available Pantone color references.

Response

Worldwide — Once again Trendease is happy to share with our readers projections for the home and apparel, Autumn / Winter 2009-10 markets as forecasted by Cotton Incorporated. Presented here are the inspirational colors and words from the Response trend, a place where we can hear the echo of the ideas on the future union of manmade and natural. This color story is complemented with the closest available Pantone color references.

Propriety

Worldwide — Once again Trendease is happy to share with our readers projections for the home and apparel, Autumn / Winter 2009-10 markets as forecasted by Cotton Incorporated. Going against the grain in a culture of superficiality, the Propriety trend is presented here along with inspirational colors and words. This color story is complemented with the closest available Pantone color references.

Native

Worldwide — Once again Trendease is happy to share with our readers projections for the home and apparel, Autumn / Winter 2009-10 markets as forecasted by Cotton Incorporated. Presented here are the inspirational colors and words from the Native trend. Here begins the search of finding common ground between our culture and that of our neighbors This color story is complemented with the closest available Pantone color references.

Umbra

Worldwide — The Lenzing Group, a world leader in the manufacture of sustainable manmade cellulose fibers, used primarily in the home and fashion textile industries, has envisioned this trend direction for Autumn / Winter 2009-10. Umbra is the feeling of a slightly hesitant moment, the shift of light between day and night, the suspended flash between past and future – likewise the color range as presented here with Pantone references.

Flair

Worldwide — The Lenzing Group, a world leader in the manufacture of sustainable manmade cellulose fibers, used primarily in the home and fashion textile industries, has envisioned this trend direction for Autumn / Winter 2009-10. The materials applied in Flair – classics re-viewed and sophisticated moderns – only the most excellent – will add to the resourceful feeling. Within find a Pantone color story to match.

Hybrid

Worldwide — The Lenzing Group, a world leader in the manufacture of sustainable manmade cellulose fibers, used primarily in the home and fashion textile industries, has envisioned this trend direction for Autumn / Winter 2009-10. Effects are mixed and dissolved and re-arranged in new surprising constellations within the Hybrid trend. Subscribers are welcome to the mélange of feminine hues found within this color story containing Pantone references.

Melodrama

Worldwide — The Lenzing Group, a world leader in the manufacture of sustainable manmade cellulose fibers, used primarily in the home and fashion textile industries, has envisioned this trend direction for Autumn / Winter 2009-10. Melodrama is the gentle contrast in the beauty of nature where the color span is as dramatic as the nature itself. The gallery is accentuated with a Pantone color story.

Oxygenated

Worldwide — The Lenzing Group, a world leader in the manufacture of sustainable manmade cellulose fibers, used primarily in the home and fashion textile industries, has envisioned this trend direction for Autumn / Winter 2009-10. Oxygenated is never compromising quality and demand for wellbeing, and is heavily engulfed in the future innovations of materials. This trend is posted with corresponding Pantone color references.

Alexander Lervik's lights at PUSH nightclub

What is Light Now?

Stockholm — Any wise business man or woman knows, to remain competitive one must think ahead and forever reinvent oneself to insure market leadership and relevance. The new Nomad concept is a roaming FutureDesignDays where leading-edge conferences, exhibitions, and networking take to the open road. At Light Now, part of Nomad, some of the people who are pushing forward developments in lighting design could be found. Follow the light to this platform of knowledge.

New Talent: Encouraging the Greenhouse Effect

Stockholm — At this year’s Greenhouse, the new talent took budding trends to a new height as they tackled sustainability, design as art, nature indoors, and multi-functionality. The use of contemporary colors and materials was at the forefront ensuring that these trends were executed in confident style. Don’t be fooled: this group has poured their hearts into their pieces. One label read, “made of porcelain, blood, sweat, and tears” – a reminder of the hard work it takes to bring a design to fruition. Perhaps this is one Greenhouse Effect that needs to be encouraged.

EcoChic: Fibers are the Future

Paris — This season at Expofil, innovations for Autumn / Winter 2009-10 were on show, and the focus was all about eco-ness and well-being. In the textile business, fibers come first. Fibers and yarns are produced, at minimum, a season to a year prior to the production of fabric. Therefore it is intriguing to see the developments taking place within the world of these fibrous materials, as they will help pave the way to the future.

NEWSLETTER #212

Worldwide — Bring a little happiness to your life. Take a journey to the end of the rainbow in this week’s gallery covering a span of product categories in over 50 images. Art influences, new materials emerge, and bedding ensembles, furniture, lighting, towels, decorative accessories, upholstery catch the eye. Subscribers can see the hot color palettes in action as well as catch up on the latest tidbits involving society and design.

Inspired by the Emerald Temple

NEWSLETTER #213

Bangkok — At Trendease we have been tracking the growth of internationally and culturally influenced designs resulting from increased travel, the economics of information, and globalization. This week’s gallery is chock full of colorful inspiration originating in the motifs of Thai temples. Subscribers can view a collection of brilliant ancient motifs and see current textiles and furnishings that have taken inspiration from these beauties.

NEWSLETTER #214

Worldwide — This week’s gallery is mood lifting with its warm hues and sunny delights. Aromatized bedding, fun and functional housewares, lighting with natural design appeal, the latest in textiles and upholstery, and window treatments to brighten any room will have subscribers on top of their game when they review this newsletter with hot images and eye-opening stats on the Chinese market.

NEWSLETTER #215

Multiple European Cities — Once men of the cloth were adorned in this color; it now proliferates throughout the design world. Subscribers are welcome to see 33 product images on how this popular color ranges in its hue within textiles, bedding, upholstery, bath, flooring, lighting, tabletop, furniture and fashion from this season up to the end of 2009. Also catch up on the latest tidbits on design strategy, new marketing opportunities, and China’s Me generation.