sands the trend forecaster consulting llccontemporary details which make them relevant, yet grounded...

The Trend Forecaster

Volume 14, No.1 Winter, 2008

SandSConsulting

LLC

P.O. BOx 39

DORSET, VT

05251

InSIDE ThIS ISSuE:

Designs...... page 2

Trends...... page 3

Colors...... pages 4-5

Demographics...... page 6

Trends...... page 7

Environment...... page 8

SensualityIndividualityToleranceResponsibility

Four words Pam Graves of Home Fashion magazine mentioned are increasingly impacting interior design trends.

u Sensuality is the excitement you feel when a product speaks to you; it’s that “ohmygod it’s perfect” moment.

u Individuality is when consumers feel the freedom of expres-sion to purchase for their individual style. As Graves says, “People are definitely in search of what makes THEM happy.”

u Tolerance is accepting and appreciating the individual style of others.

u Responsibility is exhibited in the growing responsibility for the environment by individuals and manufacturers alike. Mango wood furniture from sustainable forests, organic cotton bedding, and bamboo fiber towels and sleepwear are being offered by both major and independent retailers.

These four words transcend, yet integrate today’s trends which are multiple, paral-lel, and intersecting. Modern, yet timeless. Functional, with a sense of chic. Clean and mini-mal. Feminine and decorative.

Jill Sands, CMG

Designs – October 2007Timeless, yet Timely. Modernity and Tradition in balance. Juxtapose Ba-roque style with 21st Century and it works!

Everyone wants a Simple Life with warmth and comfort. Combining pieces of the old with refinements of the new gives a home depth of character. Classic and Classy!

Design au courant is a blend, recombination, and intermingling of elements from today and the past.

u Designs are taken from antiquity. Simplified and abstracted, re-sized and re-colored they are given new functions for today’s lifestyles.

u Motifs are inspired by nature, i.e., ivory, coral, shells, water, wood, leaves

u Architectural elements merge history and style creating the unexpected, giving a home individuality.

We see this evidenced by the following examples:

u Over-scaled Chinese chrysanthemum duvet cover in chocolate and ivory

u Toile, with a relaxed simplicity of design and style - Vietri - http://vietri.com/dsp_product.cfm?id=FAS-6126

u Indian crewel in free-form designs

u Intricate grillwork and grid patterns on rugs and pillows

u “Wicker” furniture made from stainless steel wire

Look for close attention to feminine, sensory details.

u Dressmaker - tucking, beading, knotting, etc.

u Texture - flocks, lace, embroidery, crochet, crewel, knit

u Smooth and supple are sensual textures.

u Baroque era influences - Brocade, damask, lace, velvet, embroidery, shimmer, and burnished metallics

The Trend Forecaster Winter, 2008


Trends – October 2007Occurring in trends this season . . .

u The Green movement is more than just a color. It has moved from a trend to a lifestyle, encompassing all demographics and areas of manufacturing, marketing, and merchandising.

u France and things French are back in vogue with their wonderfully intui-tive sense of style.

Today’s influences are exhibited in the following design trends:

u Classic American offers tradi-tional motifs presented with clean, contemporary details which make them relevant, yet grounded in history.

u Ethnic Chic blends multiple cultures with florals, arabesques, architectural lattice details, natural fibers, and burnished metals. A

sophisticated cultural mélange of Moroccan, Ottoman, Indian, and Chinese.

u High Country is connected to nature with color and clean forms. It is so-phisticated, yet relaxed and rustic. High tech materials shape classic lodge icons.

u Urban Oriental offers organic, lush curves from nature, in abstract motifs, presented in modern simplicity with natural hues.

u Indo Chic blends French, Indian, and Indonesian in-fluences dating back to the 17th century. High-contrast colors and abstracted florals inject the antiqued with an updated look. Fabrics in hand-block prints, Ikats, Batiks, paisley, and resists in exaggerated scales take on a contemporary look.

Continued on page 7

The Trend Forecaster

Colors – October 2007There’s a coming trend shift away from Green. In Color Marketing Group’s 2007 colors there are 9 greens. In CMG’s 2009-10 color directions, the number of greens drops to 4. Trending up are blues, grays, neutrals, and brown hues, especially indigo and a grayed brown.

Rustic design colorations move upscale with grayed browns, moss, indigo, and terra cotta. Casual doesn’t have to be dressed-down; it can be highly sophisticated. Indigo, solid in fashion this season, is trending into home décor as fashion and lifestyle continue to merge. Asia’s palette is becoming more traditional, but with the 2008 Olympics in China we’ll a bit of red and yellow next year.

Consumers and manufacturers are taking liberty with colors, their combinations, and where they are being used. Taupes and mineral tones, accented with bright Lily Pulitzer colors can be used throughout the home. If it works for you, then it’s OK. I’ve seen Backgammon boards in bright pink and grass green, zebra skin in brown and green, and cowhide in lime green and black.

What is the “new black?”

u “Black is the new black” paired with grays and red.

u “Brown is the new black” used in concert with camel, paprika, and cream.

u “Indigo is the new black” combined with khaki, spice tones, true greens, and wine reds.

Colors are influenced by health and the environment . . . red wine, chocolate, honey, sky blue, and leaf green. We are embracing all things natural.

Color Combinations:

u Black and white recalls the glamour days of Hollywood . . . elegant, sleek, and dramatic with splashes of red or turquoise. At home with Urban Oriental.

u Black and gold is seen in Classic American, Ethnic Chic, and a warmer Urban Oriental.

u Indigo and Khaki are at home with High Country, Classic American, Ethnic Chic, and Indo Chic.

u Spice Tones blend with all of the “new blacks” . . . indigo, black and brown. They fit comfortably with all design trends.

GREENS

u Greens in true hues of meadows and herbs are incoming. Also seen are some grayed moss greens.

MEADOW PISTACHIO

BROWNS

u Browns in all hues of chocolate and coffee. Mixed with grays they take on mineral hues and become more urbane.

MELON RUSSET CURRY

Pantone 4705C Pantone 4655C Pantone 730C

Pantone 356C Pantone 7493C

Winter, 2008

BLUES

u Blues are seen in Indigo, Persian, and sky blue. Turquoise is integral with Moroccan and Ottoman cultures. (Turquoise is from the French word “turqois” which means Turkish.)

ORANGES

u Orange is toned down in terra cotta, rust, spice, and curry

INDIGO TURQUOISE SKYE

REDS

u Reds are earthy in shades of red wine and berry hues.

CLARET CORAL EARTHY

MELON RUSSET CURRY

YELLOWS

u Yellow is warm in butter, gold, honey, and sandstone

BUTTER GOLD MUSTARD

PURPLES

u Purple is going plum and periwinkle.

BUTTER GOLD

NEUTRALS

u The New Metallics are the New Neu-trals. Metallics are strong in all areas of home décor and fashion. Bronze and antiqued bronze becomes the link with Black, Brown, and Indigo and allows them to be used in combination with each other. Deep brown with gold me-tallic overtones is a neutral. Also seen are pewter, charcoal, and pale gold.

BRONZE PEWTER CHARCOAL





Pantone 2716C Pantone 436C



Demographics – October 2007Boomers and Echo Boomers

Aging Boomers and their $7.1 billion buying power are entering retirement. This 55 plus age group will still be the fastest growing demographic between now and 2015 at which time their buying power will plunge. Apparel will take the first hit, followed by home goods and consumables. Unaffected cat-egories will be office supplies, shoes, book stores, and discount department stores.

Replacing these Boomers are Echo Boomers, 25 and younger, also known as the Digital Generation.

Both demographics will re-define the specialty retailer based on WHO it serves instead of WHAT it sells. It will be all about niche marketing. Driven by the needs of aging Boomers, maturing Echo Boomers and a growing Latino population, niche retailing will require more specialized retailers, more lim-ited editions, private brands, and manufacturer exclusives. Strategies that build life long relationships with customers will be the key to success.

The Chinese Consumer

u China will soon be the number one English speaking nation in the world.

u The 25% of Chinese with the highest IQ is more than the entire population of North America.

u They have more honor students than we have kids

u Young, working Chinese women spend 1/4 of their annual income on cos-metics and hairdressing.

u Young, working Chinese women spend nearly 1/3 of their annual income on clothes and accessories.

u China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile phone provider, added 5.6 million new customers in July 2007, for a total of 338 million mobile phone sub-scribers.

Other Interesting Statistics:

u 1 of 8 couples that married in 2006 met on line.

u The number of text messages sent each day exceeds the number of peo-ple on the planet.

u Who’s buying green? Primarily women between the ages of 25 and 70. (according to Meredith Schwartz of Gifts and Dec)


What trends loom in our future? I have two predictions . . .

1. Retro 1967-1972. Boomers were growing up in this period and Echo-Boomers grew up under their influence. “Summer of Love 1967,” an exhibit at the Whitney Museum in New York, revisits the explosion of art and cul-ture brought on by the anti-war, anti-establishment movement. (A 1968 poster read, “No more war. Haven’t we learned from our past?”) The 60s was a period of revolt for Individualism, also giving birth to the Ecological movement. The art images used on album covers and posters (block prints and mandala designs) were of Asian and Indian influence which we are see-ing re-visited today.

I’m seeing a lot of vintage fashions from this era, both in high-end depart-ment and independent stores . . . A-line and trapeze dresses, lolli-pop sized buttons, long flowing skirts, and platform-wedge sandals, plus Pucci and Marimekko prints.

2. Asian will morph into a British design trend. The 2008 Olympics will keep China in the forefront for the next year, but several influences are be-hind this British prediction:

u London is hosting the 2012 Olympics.

u Chinese exports to England in the 18th century are beginning to re-surface: Chinoiserie, blue willowware, architectural details, i.e., Chinese Chippendale.

u The London-scene, trend-setting during the 1960’s movement, will meld the British and late 1960’s trend directions.

Within this trend-flow there will be strong Indian influences since British and Indian cultures shared a history. I’m beginning to see a redux of William Morris designs, updated in scale and colors.

Trends continued from page 3

What is the “Green Movement”?The Green Movement is grass-roots. Consumers are looking for a “Green Story” in the products they purchase. Who’s buying green? Primarily women 25 and 70 (Meredith Schwartz, Gifts & Dec). To quote Victor Hugo, “An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not the idea whose time has come.”

SSI converts post-industrial waste into new products:

u Levi’s denim scrap – Extract the indigo dye and sell it back to Levi’s. Reweave the fibers for home and fashion.

u Nike leather scrap – Remove the chromium. Hydro-bond the leather into varying length fibers for fashion, home, etc.

u Vinyl billboards - being remade into vinyl wallpaper.

Other manufacturing initiatives being taken:

u Experimentation with soy yarns

u Carpet manufacturers breaking down used carpet, extracting the dyes and latex, selling them to the paint industry, then reusing the fibers for new carpet.

u Clariant Masterbatches, an Italian company, is using biodegradable pigments (chlorophyll, saffron, and corn) to color glass and plastics.

u Italian consumers return detergent containers to be refilled (think propane gas tanks).


Sands Consulting, LLC is not responsible for direct or indirect damages resulting from the use of the proprietary information contained herein.

Where Trends Come From… Trends come from all around us. Most people recognize their origins in hindsight. It’s the trend forecasters who have to look ahead in making predictions. And, we hope that we are most of the time correct! Or at least go-ing in a correct direction. Currently there’s a ground-swell of hype surrounding next sum-mer’s Beijing Olympics and what is becoming

its emblematic symbol, the National Stadium . . . the one designed by a Swiss architectural firm that looks like a Bird’s Nest. It is an incredibly, creatively unique design and will be the featured landmark of the games hosting not only the opening and closing ceremo-nies, but numerous events. I don’t believe anyone will survive the summer without being aware of this distinctive structure.

I predict that the design of this building will be the inspiration of much product design in the next two years. It could be developed as a textile design, in baskets, as outdoor furni-ture webbing, as a rug design, in table top. The applications are endless. It will be fun for us all to observe the future of the Bird’s Nest.

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