Messe Frankfurt’s Paperworld trade fair offers great variety and inspiration for paper, office supplies, and the stationery sector every year. The three trends identified these categories for 2014-15 are all about taking a break from the rush of everyday life to focus on our surroundings and make sure they are setting the tone for moments of reflection and discovery.
The next Paperworld fair will take place in Frankfurt, Germany January 25 – 18, 2014.
Gentle Time-Out
Paperworld’s Gentle Time-Out palette offers tranquil hues ranging from the palest pink, yellow, and blue to mid-tone grays and tan. Large florals are simply hinted at via shadowy grays or pieced white flower petals. Everyday objects, such as hand towels, glassware and decanters are shown in such understated neutral tones as to blend in with the calming setting of a spacious master bedroom and private bath. Clearly a retreat from the demands of a nonstop workaday schedule, this palette offers an ethereal sense of calm and comfort.
Fabulous Delight
Paperworld’s second trend, Fabulous Delight, offers a small island of exotic colors to stimulate joie de vivre, amidst the grinding pace of today’s frenetic activities and non-stop communications. These brights are much milder than neons, but certainly bold enough to be enlivening. They include turquoise, red, and blue, and are softened by an anchoring dark purple, basic white, and a mid-tone, as well as a pale, pink. Equally suited to such day-brightening essentials as satchels, wall art and pens, this palette easily moves to the cheeriest gift-wrap paper and decorative ribbons.
College Refinement
Although quality and sustainability are present throughout Paperworld’s three trends and palettes, these characteristics are most evident in their College Refinement trend. This confident palette expertly balances bold deep yellows, reds, blues, and copper with black and saturated shades of gray and tan. Medium-sized plaids and small checks are emphasized, along with variegated yarn. Accessories have a tailored contemporary look for on-the-go academic and work schedules.