Letters to Santa is a sweet, child-like Christmas theme that The Trend Curve highlighted last in our 2012 color-and-trend forecast, ‘Tis The Season. For 2022, it is making a comeback. In fact, at Christmasworld in Frankfurt and at the Atlanta Gift Market, this theme was just emerging (we posted … [Read more...]
Red or Green, Not Red and Green
When it comes to Christmas, conventional wisdom holds that the most salable color story is red and green. I’m here to tell you that while this may be absolutely true for core products—the bestsellers you repeat with success year-after-year—nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to … [Read more...]
Gingham? Check!
If you count yourself among gingham’s adoring fans, get ready to be wowed. A revival of these cheerful checks is emerging for tableware and décor that feel breezy and lighthearted. Assortments debuting at Dallas Market Center in June, and AmericasMart in July showed off a range of sizes, colors … [Read more...]
Yellow Wakes Up NeoCon 2016
Yellow was a dominant hue at this year’s NeoCon fair, held June 13-15 at Chicago’s The Merchandise Mart. Eclipsed only by blues, yellow varieties from Golden, Canary and Buttermilk varieties to orange-kissed and citron-like hues appeared on all surfaces, especially as an accent color in upholstery … [Read more...]
I’ve Got a Thing for Lambs
OK, I’ll admit it. With a last name like Lamb I’ve had a predisposition to loving these soft, wooly creatures all of my life—I’ve got a thing for lambs. But you don’t have to be one of my siblings or cousins to recognize that there are more lamb and sheep in the market now than there have ever … [Read more...]
Décor is Getting Bookish
Have you noticed that books keep popping up as décor devices? Just as news outlets like the New York Times confirm that print is far from dead, and GeekWire reports that sales of printed books rose 2.4% in 2014, "real" books are making a comeback. Now décor is starting to look a bit bookish, … [Read more...]
Blush Pink Rises in Atlanta
At the recent Atlanta market at Americasmart, warmed blush pinks were among the freshest and most-interesting color stories. They appeared in products for Christmas and everyday, and were found in the company of warm grays, off-whites, gold metallics and coral hues. Here are a few of the best … [Read more...]
Paper Gets Popular
Paper may seem to have limited potential, but it is still getting plenty of notice at markets and trade shows. That’s why—by late 2016—we believe that paper will be the newest must-have material. Paper is more versatile than you might imagine. It can be repurposed, recycled, shaped, cut and … [Read more...]
Asian Style in Atlanta
At the recent Rug Market at Americasmart in Atlanta, Asian inspiration continued to build. Editorial Correspondent Doug Thayer reports that this look was especially obvious in dragon motifs, both Japanese and Chinese that were fully colored reproductions of prints and tonal transitional … [Read more...]