At the April Las Vegas Market, the latest directions for kids’ products looked fresh and fabulous. COLOR Kids are always drawn to bright colors. In Las Vegas, however, bright color stories were delivered in more nuanced ways. In some cases, color application included watercolor, gradient or … [Read more...]
Cool Christmas
Anyone who attended my Holiday-season webinars in the past two last years may remember that I emphasized the rise of green for Christmas. The big winner in this color family was mid-tone eucalyptus, a shade that has now been fully embraced. Fast forward to 2021, and the market is ready for the … [Read more...]
Anticipating 2021-22 Seasonal Trends
In our year-and-a-half of quarantine and isolation so far, we 've had plenty of time to think about the people we have been separated from, and the traditions we once shared with them. To say that we now long for these touchpoints is an understatement. Whether 2021 is the year we return to … [Read more...]
Why Trends Mean Even More to Christmas in a Covid-19 World
There is a lot riding on Christmas every year. For 2020 and into 2022, however, there has never been more at stake. Why is that? To begin with, consumers are planning to reign in their spending. A July 15 Coresight Research survey revealed that 48% of consumers intend to spend less on the Holidays … [Read more...]
Holiday Trends Q&A
A week or so ago, Tom Mirabile of Springboard Futures and I were interviewed about fourth-quarter seasonal trends. The venue was a webinar hosted by Lenise Willis, Editor in Chief of Gifts & Decorative Accessories magazine. The timing was perfect. My fourth-quarter seasonal forecast, The … [Read more...]
Anticipating a Boost for Navy
Color studies done in the early 1940’s, and repeated many times since, confirm that blue is North America's favorite color family. And why not? Blue has high appeal for both men and women. Another interesting fact is that the degree of preference for blue is high from the start. It increases a bit … [Read more...]
Interview Topic: Seasonal Trends
On Thursday April 23, consumer trend analyst Tom Mirabile of Springboard Futures and I will be interviewed by Gifts & Decorative Accessories’ Editor in Chief, Lenise Willis. In the webinar, “New Seasonal Realities for a Post-COVID World,” our conversation will focus on how today’s health crisis … [Read more...]
Halloween, Harvest and Christmas Will Still Come
Are fourth-quarter celebrations at risk, given the current Coronavirus crisis? That’s a question I’ve been hearing for the past several weeks. It was top-of-mind as I prepared The Return to Happy Holidays™, my seasonal color and trend forecast for Halloween, Harvest and Christmas assortments. If … [Read more...]
From Gray to Brown: A Brief Trend History
In a conversation last week, a colleague asked whether I recommend gray for upcoming trend assortments. My answer was no. I realize that lots of people still love gray. If you are one of them, you have plenty of company. That said, the rate of preference for gray is solidly in decline, causing … [Read more...]
What’s Next for Trend?
In the past couple of weeks, several people have asked me how I think trend will change in a COVID-19 world. This is an important question, given the vital role that trend plays in assortments. To begin with, I believe that the language used to communicate about products softens. Already, … [Read more...]