Heimtextil’s beloved “Theme Park” exhibit may have retired, but the textile fair’s newly rebranded trend installation promises just as much inspiration. For the show’s 2019 edition, which takes place January 8 through 12 at Messe Frankfurt, the “Trend Space” in Hall 3.0 will offer an experiential glimpse into the latest market developments and expert-sourced trend forecasts.
Last February, fair organizers gathered its appointed Trend Council, comprising trend-spotting experts from international consultancies like London-based FranklinTill, Stijlinstituut Amsterdam, and Herning, Denmark–based Spott Trends & Business, to determine the leading motives driving modern consumption. “We’re all researching as individual consultancies to explore what we feel are the major consumer mindsets,” says Caroline Till, co-founder and director of FranklinTill, in the fair’s video announcement. “What are the social, cultural, political and economic factors influencing the way people are thinking and feeling—and also looking at what’s going on within the creative industries across the world.”
With their research flagging certain shared findings—like concerns over sustainability, emotional well-being and the rising rate of stressful lifestyles—the panel came to a theme consensus: “Toward Utopia.”
Our lifestyles are busy and complex in the developed world, and therefore we look to our homes, to our interior environments to create a sense of either escape or reconnection.” —Caroline Till“What we’re looking at ... is the role that design can play in creating our own sense of utopia,” says Till of the show's theme. “Our lifestyles are busy and complex in the developed world, and therefore we look to our homes, to our interior environments, to create a sense of either escape or reconnection.” Till says that escape and reconnection are the two elements linking the five design directions selected by the Trend Council: The crafted scenarios for future-living concepts include Memphis-inspired Pursue Play, visually quiet Seek Sanctuary, performance-driven Off-grid, tech-layered Escape Reality, and the opulent Embrace Indulgence.
Responsible for bringing these trends to life in the Trend Space is Stefan Weil, chief creative officer at Frankfurt-based architecture and design firm Atelier Markgraph. His main task? Designing an installation that will inspire. “I hope we give a kind of inspiration for the retailer—how to translate trends into a spectacular shop window, how to translate trends into the way they will present the products,” says Weil. “The point of sale is now growing into a kind of experience. Stores must inspire in a much more expressive way, and I think this is the future for retail.”
