Sunday 31 January 2016

Heimtex trends 4 - "Wellbeing 4.0 - Enrich"

The fourth and last Heimtex trend post is about the trend theme called "Enrich your soul". The key word here is opulence. And a lot of it!

Theme Park … Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera
Source - WGSN

Enrich is about "opulent me time", about indulgence and luxury. The source for this theme can be found in the society's trend to value oneself, to do oneself good, to feed one's senses to the max …  and this means to invest in one's surroundings, to buy quality products that will last a longtime.

Think classy, eye catching, shimmering materials. Lots of metallics, and highly decorative elements. For this theme, more is more!

Source - WGSN

Origin luxury wallcoverings … Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jean-Luc Valentin

Source - WGSN/Shutterstock

Theme Park … Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera


Colourwise rich tones are key: there's the red spectrum ranging from bronze orange to carmine red to plum. As well as the metallics: gold, brass, bronze. Blues and cool colours are rich too: deep dark blue, turquoise, dark rich greens …

Source - WGSN

Koninklijke Textielfabrieken J.A. Raymakers & Co B.V. … 
Quelle - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jean-Luc Valentin


Patterns come on strong! They are opulent, decorative and ornamental. Oriental influences are important. Based on cultural references designs play with classic patterns, sometimes staying close to the original, sometimes doing their own modern interpretations.

Origin luxury wallcoverings … Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Thomas Fedra

Beijing Jinboxiangqi Cloth Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Aico Home Textile Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Huachen Flocking Co., Ltd. Huatex International (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd., Linan Beibei Household Textile Co., Ltd., Suzhou T-land Textile Co., Ltd.
Tongxiang Yidong Textile Fabric Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Innovation Textile Co., Ltd. 
Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Thomas Fedra

M/s. Tal  … Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera

I love it :-) Lots of possibilities for pattern designers!

That's it – my little trend series is now complete. I hope you'll enjoy it!
To read about the general "Wellbeing" trend, the other 3 trend themes and some general info about Heimtex, just scroll down to my last posts.

On another note, voting for the Minted + West Elm Round 4 Art Challenge has started! If you'd like to vote for me, please find my entries on the "Voting now!" page. I hope you'll like them! Thank you so much!
Will tell you a bit more about some of my favourite entries next week …

Friday 29 January 2016

Heimtex trends 3 – "Wellbeing 4.0 – Nourish"

Here's my third trend post on the Heimtex trend "Wellbeing 4.0". Today's trend theme is called "Nourish your body" and is based on the human need for a natural environment.

Now this one definitely is a very "me" theme :-)


Theme Park … source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera


"Nourish" is derived from the growing interest in sustainable life, in protecting nature, in planting green spaces, in urban gardening: reclaiming abandoned areas to plant new life. It is the ecological vision of uniting city and country, man and nature.

Source - WGSN


Theme Park … source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera


Think sensory and nature oriented designs. A purist but earthy elegance, a quality feel, products that are handcrafted and/or using pioneering techniques. Transparency and natural materials are key.

Source - WGSN


Hermann Pichler GmbH + Co. KG … Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jochen Günther


Christian Fischbacher Co. AG
Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jochen Günther

Curt Bauer GmbH … Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jochen Günther

Sander GmbH & Co. KG … Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jochen Günther

 
Colours are all about plant life and the soil, and use the whole natural palette of greens, beiges, whites, browns and greys.

Source - WGSN


JAB JOSEF ANSTOETZ KG
Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jochen Günther



Patterns show mostly natural or nature inspired, abstracted motifs, like stone, wood textures or plant motifs.

Rioma S.A. … Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jean-Luc Valentin


Handmade and craft is getting more and more important. The source – the way things were made, the "story" – is as important as the final product.

Fiorete Group S.p.A. 
Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jean-Luc Valentin

Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera
 
I think that's a very good direction for all us independent designers, and especially for those who are designers/makers. It as well tells us how important it is to share our motivation/ our story and to show our work in progress!

The next and last theme is "Enrich" … coming up soon!
If you'd like to read about all themes, just scroll down! You'll find the "Protect" and "Energise" themes in my two previous posts.

Monday 25 January 2016

Heimtex trends 2 – "Wellbeing 4.0 – Energise"

The second theme under the main trend "Wellbeing 4.0" is called "Energise".
It is quite an opposing influence to the first "Protect" theme.
This time it's not "switch off", rather "switch on" – and energise your being!

Theme Park … Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera

















At the core this influence originates in using modern technology for wellbeing, for enhancing our  lifes. The offline and online worlds get more and more blurred. The internet gives us "digital dreams", offers inspiration abound and opens up larger worlds, providing us with new levels of energy.

Theme Park … Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera

Theme Park … Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera
 



Think high energy, brilliance, bold and loud designs.
A lively aesthetic, dynamic shapes and a good dose of humour too.
Colours play with contrasts, fluorescence and intense, electric shades.

Source - WGSN

Source - WGSN






Source - WGSN



























Light is used as a "material", so designs play with gloss, refractions and reflections.


Theme Park … Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera


Theme Park … Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera



Patterns are bold and vivacious, and sometimes kaleidoscopic.


Muller-Textiel BV …
Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jean-Luc Valentin


Abbas Nishaburi  …
Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jochen Günther

Kayoom GmbH  …
Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jean-Luc Valentin


From a personal view this theme is not sooo much my cup of tea … still I think accents in high colour and bold pattern can be gorgeous. If contrasted with neutrals I even like fluorescence. It really depends on the dose I guess! But ok, that's just me … there are certainly lots of people around who like it more bold! And if it really gets too much? Well ok, then switch off again ;-)

Novartiplast Italia S.p.A.  … 
Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jochen Günther


















Next post is about the "Nourish" trend theme.
To find out about the first theme "Protect", please just scroll down to my previous post.

Saturday 23 January 2016

Heimtex trends 1: "Wellbeing 4.0 – Protect"

As promised – though a bit later, sorry! – these are the 2016/ 2017 trends from Heimtex.

Rather than showing several different trend directions, this time a strong overall "umbrella" trend is predicted, called "Wellbeing 4.0"

Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera














 


It's all about a "better life": more relaxed, more calm, more comfortable, less cluttered, less complicated … well who wouldn't want that? The international trend table (let by the WGSN Group from the US) sees a design direction with a stronger appeal to the senses, bringing the human factor back into design.

Within this overall trend, there's 4 different themes: Protect, Energise, Nourish and Enrich.

The trend "theme park". Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera

The trend "theme park" was located in a big hall with lots of space around. All themes were displayed in different "circles". I felt they were like cocoons in itself. And though this theme park might not have been as spectacular as former presentations, I liked the concept of centering information within these cocoons – while at the same time they stayed open and accessable, like the 4 themes flowing into one another.
I as well loved the display/collections of textiles on little tables placed all over the hall, inviting the viewer to check out all kinds of combinations and touch the materials as well.

The trend "theme park". Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera

The trend "theme park". Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera

I'll show you the first trend theme here today (and then progress to the other ones post by post in the next days).

Source - WGSN/Shutterstock
 
So now … switch off! "Protect" your mind …
"Protect" is the antidote to our modern 24/7 life, to being online and available all the time, to being constantly connected, taking in information, acting and reacting. It's all about having quality "me time", about relaxing, detoxing and keeping your mind fresh, uncluttered and sane.

Think purity and silence. 
Quality materials, a clean aesthetic, cocoon shapes, sensorial and often understated designs. 
Colours are mainly light, or neutrals and black. 
Patterns are pared down and often textural, like 3D weaves or knits.


Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jean-Luc Valentin

Source - WGSN

Source - WGSN


Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera

Source - WGSN/Shutterstock

Source - Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera



"Protect" is based on a real psychological need and because of that I personally think it will be a strong design influence for quite some time.

So far for today …
if you'd like to have some general information on Heimtex and my visit there take a look at my last post (please scroll down a bit to get to the part about the fair).
And then it's the "Energise" trend theme next up!

Friday 15 January 2016

A busy start into 2016 – a Minted contest and the Heimtex fair

There's a lot happening already in the new year! I wish I could have a bit of a slow January. My instincts tell me it's time for hibernating, but no way ;-)

Ok, first there's a new Minted contest: the "Drawing and Sketching Art Challenge". It is all about drawings and sketches in any medium, but as well about watercolours, printing techniques, mixed media and collage. I loved the brief and submitted quite a lot!
Have thought a bit about how to handle the Minted contests further on. And have decided to add a "voting now!" page to my blog, so that hopefully I won't annoy everybody doing ALL my vote asking in my blogposts. From now on you'll find a full listing of my submissions to the current contests posted on the voting page. Then in my regular posts I will highlight only some of my fave art pieces. I'll be super thankful for everybody who takes the time to look through the voting page and to vote for me!!!

So here's my faves from the Drawing and Sketching challenge. Please click on the title of the image to vote if you like to …
"Lush Coast Kenmare Ireland"

First up a watercolour sketch done in Kenmare at the famous Ring of Kerry. It is one of my fave places ever … so beautiful, green and really lush like a garden.
The next drawing is about County Kerry in Ireland too: The "Lady of the Lakes" is based on my memories of visiting the beautiful Lakes of Killarney, and feeling one with nature. It was a bit like a déja vu, like coming home … I'll never forget that moment.

"Lady of the Lakes"




And here's one of my fave fashion drawings, done in pen and ink plus watercolour, concentrating on the elegant silhouette of the woman and the flowing lines of her ball dress.

"The Gown"

My little patterned fox from last year's inktober sketches is in too! I just love the softness and peaceful look of this little guy.

"The patterned Fox"

Finally here's two mixed media pieces. The first one is a collage of: a monotype printed directly from a tree slice, frottaged elements and a drawing in coloured pencil. It is part of two collages about the different qualities of time, this one about free flowing time.

"Rings of Time 1"


 And finally a collage for all sea lovers and adventurers … this is a digital collage of a watercolour ocean, handdrawn waves and clouds and the photographed boats made of sea glass and driftwood.

"Beyond Wind and Sea"

I hope you like them! And thank you for voting :-)


Then yesterday I have been visiting Heimtex fair in Frankfurt – one of the biggest fairs there is for home textiles. I met up with some lovely friends and colleagues, some with their own booths, and made some interesting new connections.

Copyright: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jochen Günther

The "Galleria" on the fair. Copyright: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jens Liebchen

It was pretty busy, though not too much. Nice for us visitors but for the designers offering their collections I wished it would have been even more …

The fair basically is divided into a trend section, the designer's hall with all textile + surface designers and studios, and then several manufacturer's halls with all kinds of different textile products for home and for objects like hotels, holiday resorts etc. There's bedding, carpets, pillows, curtains, kitchen textiles, wallpaper and many more, and a lot about the technical side of textile manufacturing too. Naturally, the designer's hall was our first point of interest, but we looked into the trend area too and followed a trend seminar by Milou Ket (recommended! Have a look at her website, it's worth it!) And then finally we had a closer look at the halls for wallpaper and curtains, both really interesting.

Novamur GmbH. Copyright: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Thomas Fedra

Ugépa S.A. Copyright: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Thomas Fedra
Alfred Apelt GmbH. Copyright: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jochen Günther

Elitis SAS. Copyright: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Thomas Fedra

I am hoping to publish a little review of the trend "theme park" at the beginning of next week. Unfortunately it's not allowed to take pictures on the fair, but I managed to source some nice pics from the fair company itself, meant for journalists. Oh well in a way blogging is journalism too! More next week, so stay tuned!