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Arthur Douglas Thayer, Editorial Correspondent for The Trend Curve, is in Atlanta for the semi-annual rug market. He braved the icy weather to bring you the top-line trends below. For more complete coverage, read Doug’s piece in the February 2011 issue of The Trend Curve.
Atlanta trends:
COLOR
– Various levels of neutrals in one pattern were the key story
– Citrine became an exclamation point to these safe neutrals
– Purple kept going in Eggplant backgrounds and Lavender accents
– Multi-level Blues mixed with Beiges and Golds
– Rich, luminous Gold teamed with Gray
– Honeysuckle Rose was defined as the accent color
– Fun brights urged on in playful florals
TEXTURE/CONSTRUCTION
– Shag textures shot beyond retro
– Simple weaves were blown up using mega-sized yarns
– High/low effects had lots of play
– Finely constructed viscose, silk looks popped up with tufts of fluffy Olefin
– Menswear-weave textures were punched up as overall plains and subtle stripes
– Cardigan sweaters translated into coarse wool Soumak solids
– Wool in vegetal dyes remained standard-bearing fiber; rayon, viscose, bamboo replacing silk as its accent
– Hemp, aloe, linen, sisal fibers pressed for dominance in casual looks
PATTERN/CONCEPT
– The demand for modernity dictated a plethora of plain styles, perked up by texture
– Small, cropped and repetitive patterns took cues from apparel and home
– Traditional designs evolved further into neutrality
– Sophisticated Navajo ceramics continued to inspire motifs
– 1800’s Americana references kept popping up
– Squares, Greek keys and tile designs came with ethnic twists
– Tie-dye looks were real or simulated weave effects.
Here is the market’s recap video recently posted: