Trends 2014/2015

TRENDS 2014 / 2015

Between the future and the past
This year's trends show two dominant sources of inspiration in the world of design – fascination with progress and attempts to revive tradition. In our rapidly changing world, science and technology set direction for development and innovation. Yet, a look into the past reminds us about the strength and beauty of cultural heritage.

ETHNO-ENTHUSIAST

The development of this trend has been inspired by the Slow Movement, which is all about the praise of slowness and return to traditions, including traditional crafts: embroidery, lace, weaving and knitting. It seems that in a world dominated by technology, manual work has become a luxury and a form of therapy. Thus, designers reach to folklore from all around the world for inspiration. They use patterns and decorative motifs, objects and textiles to tell stories filled with emotions and cultural connotations.

Patterns and textures:

Designs are inspired by recycled materials and resemble patchwork, tapestry, jigsaw puzzles or ornamental stripes found on folk art rugs woven from remains of different materials. The revival of craft brings a wealth of textures imitating handicraft techniques. Textures of fabrics become unpredictable, like collages with decorative motifs that appear and disappear. The canvas of woven materials is often visible and imperfections are a symbol of manual work.

Colours:

Ethnic art brings freedom in the use of colour.The colour palette consists of dark browns, shades of green, muted blue, cheerful yellow and orange, accompanied by natural colours of wool and linen.

ENGINEER OF NATURE

Nature is the best designer. It is the source of solutions that bring us closer to a greener, more sustainable world. The use of cellulose bacteria, microorganisms and living membranes allows for creating fully biological, "living" fabrics of the future. These experimental explorations inspire designers to reach for patterns, colours and textures found in the macro- and micro-world of nature.

Patterns and textures:
Patterns and textures are inspired by the flora and include photorealistic prints of lush tropical greenery, vines, transgenic plants and motifs from old botanical illustrations in kaleidoscopic compositions. In this trend, nature processed with photographic techniques takes on an odd appearance and displays disturbing new colours, like black leaves and fruit. Textures vary from smooth, glistening, printed fabrics to those inspired by organic structures, resembling moss or a colony of lichens on a stone. Diverse as the world of nature, the fabrics may be light as a spider’s web or heavy and rough.

Colours:
The palette consists of several shades of green: from pastel green through fluorescent green of grass sprouting in the spring to rotten green. The palette also includes ginger and violet-brown, which represent different stages of plant development.

MODERN ASCETIC
This trend is a response to anonymous, mechanical mass production and over-stylized and full of artifice world. The appeal to the aesthetics of minimalism, self-restraint and spirituality. In search of authenticity simple, modest forms of objects and fabrics from natural fibres dominate here. They remain extremely elegant and noble, but only their original colours, imperfections and severity are retained.

Patterns and textures:
The main inspiration is the world of animals - colouration and structure of bird feathers, leather and animal hair texture, surface of a shell, colours of butterflies' and moths' wings, but also disturbing with their rapacity motives of animal claws, bones and teeth. They are complemented by all sorts of stripes, zigzags, herringbone, corrugating.

Colours:
Two monochromatic colour palettes. The dominant palette of black and white expresses strong visual information. The use of contrast signals uncompromising nature and strength. Smoother and timeless palette of browns - from white and beige to dark brown, full of shades of stone, natural linen, wool, leather, string and bones. Revival is brought by sea - turquoise colour, metallic glossy as the colour in feathers of birds.