Heimtextil trade fair for home and contract textiles, that will take place in Frankfurt from 8 – 11 January 2014, has given a head start to its exhibitors, designers, furnishers and decorators. Representing  the Trend Table, the London based agency FranklinTill provided the first insight into future trends of the new furnishing season with the presentation of the new Heimtextil Trend Book.

“FranklinTill and all other trend experts involved presented the global industry with an excellent source of information and inspiration for product development. The new Heimtextil Trend Book provides manufacturers of textiles, designers, furnishers and interior decorators with a useful overview of trendsetting developments in the field of design,” said Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt.

Progress and renewal

The trend forecast is structured into two major categories – ‘Progress!’ and ‘Revive!’ Each of them is subdivided into two themes: ‘Generate Collision!’ and ‘Engineer Nature!’, and ‘Exalt Purity!’ and ‘Rejuvenate Craft!’, respectively. Among other themes, the Trend Book includes current avant-garde projects from the interior design, architecture, fashion, lifestyle, design and arts sectors as well as from the sciences and technology.

“In summary, the design landscape of the future will be divided into two opposing, innovative powers – one is the desire to look forward and propagate tech-savvy advancements as our opportunity to survive in these times of fast living; the other is the relevance of the look backward and the renewal of past traditions in our quest for authenticity,” explained Till.

Progress! Generate Collision!

To accommodate the demand for unique, individualised products, designers increasingly experiment with novel materials and technologies. Computer algorithms and similar technologies facilitate the mass production of customised items because, for example, panels of fabric can be printed digitally without the design having to be repeated.

Similarly, playful printing and marking techniques enable uncontrolled artistic expression. Colours are swiped over or drawn, dabbed or splattered on surfaces. Designers experiment with ways to allow production processes to determine the look and texture of the final product.

Progress! Engineer Nature!

New textile techniques intertwine living systems with and biological and texture technologies copied from nature to form novel fabrics. Designers are beginning to rethink the consequences of modifying their former lifestyles.

Where the design sector turns biology into a new medium for creativity, scientists leverage the complexity of living systems using technical processes. We are experiencing a design trend that explores the concept of creating natural works using artificial means and which allows itself to be inspired by the interaction of science and design.

Revive! Exalt Purity!

As a response to mass production, the interest in natural materials that have their imperfections has been increasing with the result being primitive yet modern aesthetics.

Designers focus on the humble, the pure, the unadorned. Pristine, untreated materials are used, and resource-saving production processes and the longevity of products define the main criteria. Animism, essentialism, minimalism and reductionism prove to be the decisive trends.

Revive! Rejuvenate Craft!

Designers work with recycled materials, conjuring up the concept of an improvised lifestyle as a counterpoint to our technology dominated society. Uniformity is replaced by the collage look to stage the unexpected and evoke alluring visual tension.

Using the language of traditional craft techniques such as embroidery, weaving or knitting, designers tell stories about their lives. The revival of craftsmanship gives rise to a wealth of textures.

www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com