Those of us in the business of being creative have a sort of love-hate relationship with trends. The artist in us wants to ignore them completely, but the business person in us usually realizes that staying on trend is important to the survival of our business. By being observant, and simply by going out of the studio and living life, designers encounter and internalize trends. Sometimes there is a deliberate attention to a trend when designing a new product, but for the most part, successful designers are trendsetters, not followers. This means that sometimes our designs hit the market a little early and sit around for a season or two.
Mindy Gayer, owner of Cotton Design Studio, a lovely stationery boutique in Laguna Beach, California, says “trends can be interpreted and so many ways, and found through numerous sources … in the observation of window displays, home décor, clothing design, event and wedding design, magazine spreads, branding efforts, the use of color. It’s truly everywhere, and the best part about it is that everyone interprets trends in their own, unique way … so it has the potential to be translated in fresh, new ways each and every time.” And, of course, blogs are fantastic for keeping up with trends (thanks, Grace!!!).
photo: Mindy, of Cotton Idea Studio, thinks yellow and citrus tones will continue to be important colors this year, and she hopes that greys, “from lighter cement shades to deep charcoal,” are here to stay.
Alan and Jennifer of Night Owl Paper Goods (half) joke that “we hear owls will be big!” They also name the green movement as a big trend, as did almost everyone else I asked. Jennifer Price of Jennifer Price Studio (Jen is a merchant vendor in SoLo) says “I’ve been selling my idea of ‘green’ living through my repurposed furniture and accessories for ten years now, but I think the concept of conscious buying and ‘upcycling’ is bigger than ever now and the trend will continue for years to come.”
photo: Jennifer Price Studio (inside SoLo). Jen loves the “mix of hard, cold metals with soft, warm organic materials to give homes a balance of elements.”
Joan and Vanessa (Green Paper Company) agree that eco-friendliness is important in today’s world, and agree with Michael and Douglas from Cursive that they do not include eco-consciousness in the trend category.
As Michael says, “we believe it should not be viewed as a trend but as a staple and fact. Trends come and go and hopefully we won’t let this one go!”
photo: Eco-friendly 100% recycled tote bags, made from recycled cotton and recycled plastic soda bottles. Top: Night Owl Paper Goods ; Middle row: JOY by Mel Lim; Bottom row: delphine.
