July 2011 / Designs As Crafts & Vice Versa


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.

This July we have oodles of inspiring international creativity to get your blood pumping from the showrooms at Designer’s Days in Paris to the fresh talent at New Designers in London, with a trip to Australia to visit with this month’s Designer Spotlight, and an intriguing look at the [re]inventor Benjamin Rollins Caldwell in the US. Also get a feel for the Autumn/Winter 2012-13 leather trend directions, see printmaking at its finest, and be sure not to let the furniture illusions within fool you. Get inspired with the July edition!

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REPORTING TO INSPIRE,
Jennifer Castoldi,
Chief Creative Director

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Features and Articles

Scary Monkies display

Jennifer's July Jargon

Spartanburg — Design as crafts, and the reverse, is the reoccurring theme we see in this issue, as well as beyond its electronic pages. And the more you think about it the more absorbing it becomes, is design being influenced by crafts, are crafts becoming more design oriented, or is it a mixture of the two? Food for thought. As you read and click through this issue you will come across a piece on Benjamin Rollins Caldwell, but what about the home behind the artist? The humble abode of Mister BRC himself can be explored within.

Dolly: Carmenes Sofas & Ramírez i Carrillo (Zoocreative) Project introduced with Françoise Hoffmann for Saint-Etienne

A Design/Craft Meeting of Minds

Paris — In its store, Merci hosted a “conversation” between designers and craftsmen, hoping to encourage partnerships between people looking to turn prototypes into products and design companies looking for new ideas. Find the results of the “conversations” between the designers and craftsmen here. What do you think about influencing the craft industry into the practice of design?

Masters of Illusions

Multiple European Cities — For hundreds of years artists have been employing the deceiving technique of trompe l'oeil. It is still alive and well in cities such as Milan, Stockholm, and Paris. Marble carpets from Tai Ping, knotted lighting from Baxter, the illusion of two lamps in one and woven metalwork seating at Ligne Roset continue the trend into other product categories. From the wall to the floor, upholstery to lighting, tricks on the eye are playing a new game with an old hand of cards.

Afropolitan Printing

London — Join the Trendease Team as it witnesses an evening at the Victor and Albert Museum dedicated to celebrating the African culture. This particular Friday Late at the V&A we visit with Emamoke Ukeleghe, a textile designer participating in the museum’s theme: Afropolitans. ‘Afropolitans’ are global tastemakers whose sensibilities are rooted in their African identities. The goal of this workshop is to portray how Africans living across the continent (and beyond) view themselves and their visual heritage through printmaking.

Get Carried Away

Leather Trend Preview 2012/13

Worldwide — The international trade show for cutting-edge leather/fur trends and materials, Le Cuir à Paris, unveiled a sneak peak of its trends to be presented to the trade September 20-22, 2011. The Autumn-Winter 2012/13 directions reflect various movements into today’s society from burlesque fun, girlie boys, exceeding our limits, to home-grown vegetables.

Designer Spotlight: Barbara Marshall

Melbourne — Our very own Jennifer Castoldi describes Barbara as a “character”. They have known each other over the years and both sit on the trend concertation board for MoOD. And we must admit, Barbara has got personality! Certainly a woman full of interesting conversation, she is on top of her game.

Textile Typo by David Petraz

New Talent: Made in Design

Paris — In this year’s Sharing Secrets exhibition, Made in Design focuses on the new and emerging French designers. It collaborates with Oxyo in one collection and has a collection of exclusive projects in another. Whether it is showcasing pieces elaborating simplicity and construction, or home designs meant for everyday life, they all have a spark to them that cannot be ignored.

Pockets Rug detail

EcoChic: Junk, Furniture, or Art?

Spartanburg — The Trendease Team hopes that this gallery makes you think about how the objects around you are created. Benjamin Rollins Caldwell asks us to appreciate things that go overlooked or are tossed aside like junk. His designs are more than just cool things to look at, they are representations that reveal what we may see every day, but not truly admire. Caldwell’s company, BRC Designs opens your eyes to your surroundings in a way that is exceptionally original!

Katherine Staples

Sneak Peak: August Edition

Leicester — New Designers asks, “Would you like to discover the next Tom Dixon, Vivienne Westwood or James Dyson?” Yes! We are continuously looking for inspiration, fresh ideas and exciting innovative work from young designers bursting with talent and energy; all of that can be found at New Designers. The event, held each summer at the Business Design Centre in London, brings together over 3,500 graduates from across all major creative disciplines—it is a smorgasbord for scouts searching for the latest and greatest!

NEWSLETTER #364 - The Art of Conversation

Paris — This week’s gallery will wrap up our coverage on the year’s Designer’s Days in Paris, where the theme of this edition was ‘Conversations’. Naturally we see many seating creations encouraging a tête-à-tête. Lighting and intricate mosaics also caught our attention, as well as the conversation starter seen at Lafayette Maison: a 3D printed kissing contraption. Subscribers can start their own internal dialogues here within.

Mutation(s) 2012/13

NEWSLETTER #365 - Intertextile Trend Preview

Shanghai — Today’s newsletter is a sneak peak of the 2012/13 trends that will be presented at next month’s Intertextile in Shanghai, the sister event to Heimtextil. Under the umbrella theme of Mutation(s) you will notice a very strong reoccurring mention of nature in each of the subthemes. Subscribers can see the four directions and their Pantone color stories, as well as read up on the material and prints specifications here within.

NEWSLETTER #366 - Color Directions

Worldwide — This newsletter’s product photo gallery is all about a hot “color” that can be found in bedding, fashion, tabletop, furniture, wallcoverings, window coverings, floor coverings, and upholstery. From Heimtextil to Maison&Objet to showrooms and lesser-known, yet “in” events, subscribers can be in the know now here. Also read up on the latest design tidbits.

NEWSLETTER #367 - Sweet Child of Mine

Worldwide — Explore this gallery of children’s styles from a collection of international design events including Heimtextil, Domotex, Maision&Objet, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, Milan Design Week, and recent showroom visits and product submissions. Subscribers can view furniture, fabrics, wallcoverings, bedding, rugs and more within!