Nature-inspired shades of green and blue always attract attention in outdoor assortments. That said, not all green and blue hues are on-trend. Some of them are core colors. This designation doesn’t take anything away from the basic shades. Instead, it clarifies that they can be counted on day-in, … [Read more...]
MADE/Slow at Showcase Ireland
Showcase was founded by the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland 42 years ago. Today, it is among The Trend Curve's favorite trade fairs. Why? Because most of the products found at this annual Dublin-based event are designed and made by Irish crafters, so the quality is high. Even better, these are … [Read more...]
Lessons Learned from Halloween 2017
Those who create retail assortments rarely get a full view of what happens to products they develop and select at the fateful point of purchase. Which items really made cash registers ring? Which in-store displays actually swayed customers to buy? Not knowing the answers to these questions can feel … [Read more...]
Get Ready for More Purple
Ultra Violet may be Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2018, but a quick glance around the Showtime textiles market in December revealed that Ultra Violet is not the only purple trending for next year. From amethyst to royal and from lavender to plum, purples made surface designs look fresh. Seen in … [Read more...]
Light + Building 2018
The Light + Building exhibit is the leading world trade fair for Lighting and Building Services technology and the Spring 2018 edition of it is sure to become a hotspot for design. Running from March 18th through the 23rd, this Fair will be focused upon various styles, which incorporate the latest … [Read more...]
Retail Reconnaissance: Merci Paris
Although the majority of my time is spent looking far into the future, a portion of it is always spent at retail looking at what's happening in the here and now. I believe that retail reconnaissance is absolutely vital to the business of trend. It provides a real-world view of how color, shape, … [Read more...]
Memphis Revival
Embed from Getty Images With this year’s centenary celebration of Ettore Sottsass’s birth, exhibitions and books focused on this artist’s work have made his design sensibility a topic of conversation yet again. At the forefront of recollection is Memphis. This short-lived design movement was … [Read more...]
The Best Orange for 2019
Orange is a color that can get noticed fast when it's intense and bright. But going forward, it will get noticed in tamer personalities as a trend statement. That's because a preference for clay colors—solid and plain or filled with texture—is emerging. Some of the best new clay tones are … [Read more...]
Color Notes from Cersaie 2018
Cersaie is the international tile and bath exposition held annually in Bologna, Italy. Editorial Correspondent Elaine Markoutsas was there. She offered these insights about on-trend color. At this year’s Cersaie tile fair, metallics continued to shimmer like jewelry. Warm-and-burnished gold and … [Read more...]
A Few Color Notes From NYNow
Color is always evolving. Here are Editorial Correspondent Hermine Mariaux’s observations about how that was happening at NYNow: Blue A complete range of watery blues ruled, often with neutrals of all shades and nuances as a comforting backdrop Brown Brown was pushing forward, especially … [Read more...]