March 2012 / Embracing Frenetic Creativity


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.

Another month of inspiration is at our fingertips! From a selection of Pantone color stories forecasting through 2014 to a myriad of material developments, it is plain to see that the industry is not standing still. Consumer goods, furniture, home fashion accessories, and the minute details that make them stick out from the pack reveal themselves here. Discoveries from Ambiente, Expofil, Première Vision, Le Cuir à Paris, Indigo, ModAmont are just some of the gems influencing what you will find within. Get inspired with the March edition!

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REPORTING TO INSPIRE,
Jennifer Castoldi,
Chief Creative Director

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Features and Articles

Reworking of the Hardoy Chair

Jennifer's March Musings

Paris — Greetings wonderful readers! This month it is clear that the spotlight is on know-how, innovation, and technical expertise. In addition to this knowledge, color plays an integral role up to 2014. If color is lacking, surface interest and material combinations make up for it. But for the most part color is very much present. From leather to cotton and accessories to furniture the hues are robust. You can discover this within the March issue. That and so much more!

Ambiente: Electric Romance

Frankfurt — The studio of bora.herke.palmisano share directions for the season: Leather and leather-like materials combined creatively with robust wood varieties such as oak and driftwood, natural fibers such as raffia, wool, linen but also tulle, lace, pearls and enamel; paper materials and recycled plastic. See many images within supporting the direction as well as a Panton color story.

Ambiente: Dark Attitude

Frankfurt — The Dark Attitude direction for consumer goods embraces self-confidence. Midnight hues, dark woods, lacquer work, and fine polishes are just some of the characteristics seen in the well-merchandised vignettes presented at Ambiente. Images are accompanied by a Pantone color story and description of the aesthetic for the coming seasons.

Ambiente: Light Innocence

Frankfurt — It is like walking into a cloud filled with home fashion accessories and housewares! Light Innocence is weightless and airy. It is no surprise to find paper, thin porcelain, fragile glass, soft knits, and ethereal delights in this display. Enter this dream where oodles of product images are combined with a Pantone color story to boot!

Ambiente: Radiant Modernity

Frankfurt — Radiant Modernity reeks of vigor and optimism. Color is vibrant and graphic patterns have striking effects. Technical textiles and fresh plastics combine with metals and leather to create unique wow-factor combinations. In addition to a large selection of product and lifestyle images, a Pantone color palette will keep design directions on track.

Cotton A/W 2013-14: Discovery

Worldwide — Once again Trendease is happy to share with our readers projections for the home and apparel, Autumn / Winter 2013-14 markets as forecasted by Cotton Incorporated. Five directional stories, Discovery, Raw, Rebound, Hypnotic, and Drifter, are presented in this edition of Trendease.

Cotton A/W 2013-14: Raw

Worldwide — With Raw, whether through architecture, fashion, or people, Cotton Inc. re-examines raw materials, fabrics and even the human body unprocessed and bare. Their finished depiction is an honest combination of contrasting elements: vulnerability and strength, elegance and approachability.

Cotton A/W 2013-14: Rebound

Worldwide — Retro-digital inspired patterns in cotton sweater knits are just one of the stylistic elements of the 90’s hip-hop culture, music, fashion, and art scene that act as a lesson in optimism in Rebound. Colorful and bursting with life, this direction will leave you hopeful and in wonder of its color story with Pantone references.

Cotton A/W 2013-14: Hypnotic

Worldwide — This dark and methodic Pantone color story that has a mesmerizing effect. Inspired by the dark practices of voodoo, black magic, and hypnosis this Hypnotic design direction evokes an altered state of reality. Cotton fabrics take on an air of chainmail and armor through finishing and quilt effects.

Cotton A/W 2013-14: Drifter

Worldwide — The Drifter is “a vibrant marriage of nomadic spirit and the untamed beauty of nature. Soft peach intermixes with electric bursts of orange and lime. Feverish reddened brights ignite a sense of wanderlust, while timeless green and earthen brown entice us back to nature. A picture captured, a lifestyle celebrated, and freedom relished in one glance at this passionate color story.” Note the Pantone color references within.

Electroluminescent Trim to Street Graffiti

Worldwide — ModAmont’s “inspirations” forecast the season trimming trends through a selection of key themes, textures, materials, finishings, and color moods. In addition to a review of the show, subscribers can find eight directions for these ‘bells and whistles’ in 2013, each including a color story, influencing factors, and samples for your perusing pleasure.

NEWSLETTER #390 - Trimmings & Contract Jobs

Frankfurt — Before we dash off to Asia, we would like to reiterate the point made in Newsletter #386 about the mounting attention to the contract market in design. We were looking at Heimtextil, Interiors UK, MoOD, and The Sleep Event. From local shows like Furniture Fair Brussels and Textirama’s new joint event “ContRact”, focusing on the Benelux region, to giant international events like Ambiente, there is no ignoring the contract business. See for yourself in this newsletter!

NEWSLETTER #391 - Facebook = Free Features

Worldwide — While touching upon technology, the Trendease Team and I would like to welcome you to our new Facebook page. Any new “likes” we receive between now and the end of the month will receive a special bonus for joining our community: access to a free feature from Trendease.com! Once you “like” the page, message us with your email address and stand by. Already a subscriber? We’ve got something special for you too; shoot us a note.

Students experiment with eco-material creation

NEWSLETTER #392 - Eco Inspirations

London — Although geared mainly towards the construction and contract markets, Ecobuild had some design gems on the show floor and three days of back-to-back enlightening seminars and conferences; we particularly enjoyed the ones on design, architecture, and sustainability—these were beyond forward-thinking and very thought-provoking. In this week’s gallery subscribers can see some highlights from the event.

NEWSLETTER #393 - The Feel-Good Factor

Bangkok — Having experienced all three events, it is no surprise that eco-style has become the main focus at the 3rd T-Style exhibit. The project is supervised by internationally-renowned designer Toshiyuki Kita, who selects Thai furniture and accessories that he believes to have potential for export. Kita is devoted to collaborating with developing local industries and traditional crafts, two points that the global market is keen to support these days.