“Again this year, we invited trend scouts, product and material designers to formulate jointly the new furnishing trends with a clear emphasis on the future. The creative minds already met up in March for a two-day Trend Table session and jointly decided on the international statements for the season ahead“, explained Olaf Schmidt, Vice-President, Textile Fairs, Messe Frankfurt. Schmidt, who opened the preview of the new trends at the Frankfurt fair Tendence, thanked the Trend Table members for their creativity, expertise and vision, which year on year make Heimtextil Trend uniquely future-orientated and trendsetting.

Mayouri Sengchanh of Paris style agency Carlin International presented the latest trends for 2010/2011. This year, Mayouri Sengchanh is responsible for Trend Book concept development and design as well as for translating the trend statements for the trend show at next January’s Heimtextil. What is special about the latest Trend Book is the distinctive contextual hallmarks of the trends. For example, a new feature is “Marketing decoding”, which shows how to convert individual trend statements in the real world of business, thus making market integration more tangible. In addition, colour information is provided in a practical, pull-out folder together with inspiration for interior setting.

Before Mayouri Sengchanh presented the new trend UNI[RE]VERSE, she praised the productive, harmonious collaboration involving all six Trend Table members: “Trends like these would not have been possible were it not for the fantastic synergy provided by the trend agencies”. The Trend Table members created a trend universe of contrasts and controversies for the 2010/11 season. The four style directions: Futurustic, Temptation, Hypernature and Intuition focus on sustainable eco-luxury, tradition and modern, nature and innovation and spontaneous creativity. Something else that’s new is that all four trend directions for the new season are divided into three distinct themes – in the sense of providing a clear differentiation for market integration.

Futurustic features simplicity of high quality

Since 2005, when the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Reports were published and perhaps even before, the textile sector has concerned itself with the need to nurture and protect the earth’s resources. Since 2007, when the Ethical Fashionweek was staged, this has also been reflected in the trends. The Futurustic trend statement makes this connection and cleverly highlights aspects of authenticity and ecological considerations. Aesthetically, Futurustic concentrates on subtleties, fine weaves and the frothy and voluminous as well as on natural, earthy colours.

For example, Refined roots symbolises irregular structures like those in nature – a modern interpretation of “Back to the roots”. Lesstravagance describes that less is more and processes simple materials to a high qualitative standard. Here so called eco-luxury is apparent in the mix of plain, simple style variations and elementary forms of extravagance. The third theme, Infinite time, is a combination of raw materials and soft materials. The interior setting reflects timeless comfort with calming strength and a rustic confidence in the future.

Temptation creates a private sphere out of the traditional and modern

Temptation is designed to appeal to the senses in an age of technology, the Internet and public life. While people are becoming more and more networked, the desire for a private sphere is increasing and the quest for inner values growing. Timeless forms are fitted with amazing new developments and interpreted with classic forms. The private sphere we seek is clearly apparent in interior design in the form of a cocoon-like mini-living room. “Forbidden” colours such as absinthe and red wine are used.

One of the subthemes of Temptation is Intimate sphere, where the worn-out look is adopted for modern finishes. Irresistible staging takes pleasure in turning the relationship between old and new, genuine and copy on its head, creating a mysterious fantasy atmosphere. The rediscovered freedom of creativity is shown by contrasting materials like transparent, coloured plastic and classic borders and trimmings. Digital classics blurs the dividing line between the real and the virtual and features a journey twixt fantasy and the present. The classic is reinterpreted and makes use of timeless elements.

Hypernature transports the freshness  of nature to the big city

Here, fresh, urbane colours are combined with shades of smog. This brings a new strength and energy to city life and creates harmony involving sensuality and innovation. Hypernature builds on transparent materials with natural fabrics like soy and bamboo. Thanks to the use of tone-on-tone embroidery, Beneficial innovations gives somewhat modern, rational elements a hint of warmth and is sensual and ingenious as a result. In Organotech a touch of freshness makes the symbiosis with nature evident. Hybrid materials bring more poetry to the furnishings, creating shadow effects through the layering of fabrics and light. Layering reality transports a creation consisting of soft, bright, luminous structures, layers and delicate sensory illusions, the emphasis here being on bringing reality and poetry closer.

Intuition – an explosion of good humour and bright colours

Now creativity is repositioning itself after the current times of crisis. Bright, contemporary colours show spontaneous creativity – a variety of patterns from different cultures reflect the universal language. Intuitive geography amazes with its form and colour and combines plastic with sustainable materials. Freedom and spontaneity result in Impulsive creativity with strong colours and naive, pictorial designs – creating a dynamic architecture. Graphic fascination breathes life into functionality. Prints and surface coverings play with forms and bring good humour into the creative home. Magic simplicity is equally rich in contrast bringing a spontaneous optimism to interior design and facilitating an encounter between bright colours and neutral tones.

Heimtextil Trends 2010/11 were developed by members of the international Trend Table, who come from Japan, Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, Germany and, for the first time, Sweden.