There is something vaguely futuristic in the air. It is not necessarily in-your-face sleek, minimalist or avant-garde. In fact, it can almost sneak up on you because it is showing up in one item at a time, rather than in collections.
This futuristic perspective is revealed in high-tech polyurethane fabrics with a sheen-quality that seems to give off a metallic glow (chair at right is from Century Furniture). It can also be confirmed in lighting and decorative accessories that feature metal-mesh components, and can even be found in lunging forms that make outdoor cooking appliances look like space ships (outdoor cooking from Pyrolave).
While all of these items leave an impression of moving ahead in time, it is interesting to see a concurrent rise in retro elements that look backward instead. Specifically, robots that hearken back to a mid-century view of the future are making a modern-day stand.
Robots were first noticed at Maison & Objet in Paris, France last September. These whimsical icons showed up in a variety of products that will reach out to a 1960’s trend already in motion.
Note: For more about the sixties trend, read Feelin’ Groovy on page 4 of the The Trend Curve’s October issue. If you do not already subscribe to our top-rated industry newsletter, you can email Janice for a free sample issue or visit the Trend Store on our web site to order.
These are often blocky robots, not C-3PO-type droids. What makes them compelling is the unexpected circumstances in which they sometimes appear. Inserting robots in current-day vignettes (Sentou Edition), layering them in delicate embroidery over a traditional pattern (Altier R. Bernier) or showing them in an abstract collage (Edgar le Marcxhards D’Art) provides a surrealistic update and a fresh point of view that will help propel robots into the trend scene for the coming 3 years.