One of the biggest designs trends at this week’s Showtime upholstery textiles market was the idea of abstraction. This concept was applied broadly to styles and motifs, yet it had the greatest impact on geometric icons. Why? Because geometry has been popular for so long that designs had lost their excitement. Abstraction changes all that, with patterns that leave ho-hum behind in favor of never-before-seen looks and combinations.
One of the keys to this abstract approach was changing up directions. This approach looked especially right for motifs like diamonds, triangles and chevrons, but was also applied to dots and lines. In every case, it resulted in a more-complicated design than the market is currently accustomed to.
Another abstract technique came from fractured or shattered figures.
Geometrics that felt cut up and reassembled offered a variation on the fractured/shattered theme.
Some geometrics felt incomplete, a technique found in a number of lattice designs, while other patterns have overlapping elements, or icons that are pushed right up against each other, creating a pattern that feels both organized and chaotic at the same time. Adding shibori textures to these abstractions layers trend on trend.
Layouts alluding to reverberation, and geometrics filled in with another pattern were also effective in creating an abstract point of view.
With so many types and varieties of abstract geometrics to chose from, it is easy to see how this design direction will be invigorated over the next two years.