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...]
Home Décor to Color
There are a lot of coloring books out there for both kids and adults. But how many of them focus on home décor as the subject? My email this morning included a message from furniture-maker Blu Dot. Attached was a coloring book, featuring some of their pieces, sent just for fun. Marketing … [Read more...]
SoCal Halloween
Since moving to Southern California from Minneapolis a few months ago, I have discovered that many elements of décor remain consistent across the miles, yet some things are different. Take Halloween decorating, for example. It turns out that kids here in SoCal love decorating their homes just as … [Read more...]
Top Trends: Licensing International Expo 2018
Themes noted among the 389 exhibitor booths on the floor of the 2018 edition of Licensing International Expo were as varied as the product that represented them. They included the continued growth of collectible toy brands as licensed properties, merchandise with a message, properties tied to … [Read more...]
Licensing International Expo 2017
For more than 35 years. Licensing Expo has connected the world’s most influential entertainment, character, fashion, art and corporate brand owners and agents with consumer goods manufacturers, licensees and retailers. At this year’s show, held in Las Vegas May 23 – 25, more than 16,000 licensing … [Read more...]
Toy Fair 2017 Trends
Trends at the recent New York International Toy Fair, February 18-21, 2017, were many and varied. The list included Shopkins-like characters depicting cute foods and other household items, lots of mini collectibles, Hatchimals-inspired egg-encased toys, sculptable “sand” and “foam” and so much … [Read more...]
The Bare Bones of Halloween 2017
Some Halloween icons never seem to die. Take skeletons, for instance; whether they’re on the move or just hanging around, their versatility knows no bounds! Autumn 2017 will, of course, be no exception to this. As fall décor drifts more heavily to the out-of-doors variety, Graveyard Shift—one … [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...]
The New Look of Red
Reds are getting a new look for 2017 and 2018. So says textile maker Sunbury Textile Mills. At the recent Showtime upholstery textiles market, this company revealed their forecast that future reds will trend toward their orange side. The Trend Curve agrees. Why? Because the foundation that … [Read more...]
The BTS Rush
Will you be ready for Back-to-School 2017? According to the Nation Retail Federation, Back-to-School(BTS)/Back-to-College (BTC) shopping will account for a whopping $75.8 Billion dollars at retail in 2016. And, while shoppers procrastinated on their BTS shopping last year, nearly 75% of them are … [Read more...]