Trend Flash is exclusively for members of The Trend Curve™ subscriber family with immediate updates from major markets and trade shows around the globe. Julie Smith Vincenti, Editorial Correspondent for The Trend Curve, is in Chicago for the International Home & Housewares Show. Her top trends are below. Read the next issue of The Trend Curve for more details.
Hot in Chicago:
COLOR
– Small appliances reached for sunny, summery hues
– Green and green/blue signatured many sustainable products
– White/green, red prevailed in gadgets; as did spots of blue
– Yellow emerged in enamel cookware and matte finishes
– Ornate gold-leaf and vintage powder blue updated Christmas designs
– So did pink/red/green combinations
MATERIALS AND MORE
– Melamine had stand-out status for both surface design and functionality
– Silicone’s translucent qualities underscored storage applications
– New-to-market soda makers received designer treatment
– Playful shapes and laser-engraved wood drove cutting-board introductions
– Space-saving gadgets performed multiple tasks
– Wine solutions were everywhere
THEMES AND IDEAS
– Indoor/outdoor entertaining solutions dominated decorative categories
– Prep-to-table bowls followed in the footsteps of stove-to-table cookware
– Restaurant to residential: spot placements of sous-vide appliances
– Eggs were highlighted as a specialty-cooking category
– Post-peak cupcakes inspired individual-treats bakeware and appliances
– Looking ahead: tortilla presses