The forecasts and new directions announced as part of Heimtextil Trends 21/22 seem to represent the global status quo that we all face in the midst of the global crisis. As you may know, such events sometimes happen to be the driving force behind all change. In the textile industry, digitization and sustainability are currently top innovation themes. In the household textile industry, the current pandemic has made urgent needs even more critical, and everything indicates that there is only one direction of change.
Every year, a review of textile interior design presented four or five different trends that complemented each other but provided a vast array of choices. This year's edition leaves no doubt. When coming up with trends, designers follow the Material Manifesto, which urges them to save limited resources, look for new interpretations of the old, repair, recycle, and process in all possible ways. To put it bluntly, it calls for dealing with the overproduction of textiles, which is one of the most serious threats to the planet. All four trends presented proclaim the same ecologically defined thesis of conscious responsibility, differing only in their material interpretations.
Let us take a closer look at them:
- Repurpose – Reuse
Eco-awareness understood in this way seems to be an enduring tendency. Unlike the traditional design process that starts with an idea, repurposing begins with considering what can be made from what has already been designed, manufactured, and used, which in this case are already existing fabrics. This way of thinking about textile design gives the existing textiles a new purpose, and treasures what has already been made. Fabrics produced in this manner use the power of patterns, juxtaposing and interpreting them anew. As a result, we are faced with an endless sea of possibilities inherent in the juxtaposition of the old and new, colourful, and monochrome, heavy and light, geometric and floral, and finally the patterned and plain, which completes and calms the whole.
Materials:
jacquards
damask
geometric patterns combined with floral motifs
patchwork
linen
heavy cotton
embroidery
recycled synthetic fabrics
- Rewild – Renew
Rewilding in this case means thinking about textiles that have direct and literal contact with the human body, with the desire to return to the most primal sources and the possibilities they offer. It is about understanding the true wisdom of nature, undisturbed by human interference. This is a trend that restores faith in the possibility of renewal and real return to the roots of mankind’s contact with natural resources.
However, the rediscovery of natural resources and their use in a modern context must be accompanied by respect for laws and principles – providing sustainable and even regenerative solutions. Hence, the emphasis on laboratory work, research, sustainable development, organic plantations, departure from such processes as dyeing, bleaching etc. Understandably, this will result in a change of the colour palette, restoration of coarse, pure beauty, calm design, and return to very basic aesthetic values.
Materials:
natural fibres
cork, wooden fabrics
bio-renewable fibres
rustic surfaces
jute
linen
sisal
hemp
grass and hay
waste products from food production
- Reinforce – Strengthen
Reinforcing means making something stronger. It is a trend that grew out of the need to design and manufacture products with an extended “shelf life”. In the case of fabrics, this planned longevity will have a key impact on the colours of textiles, but also on their specific patterns, as they are naturally soft materials.
The focus on the elasticity and durability of fibres and the strength of materials – pointedly emphasized by the entire complex structure of weaves and knots – will determine visual changes in textures.
As for this kind of aesthetics, the minimalist simplicity is enhanced using constructivist, technical solutions. In the case of commercial solutions, this results in a completely new, almost brutalist fabric architecture.
Materials:
twill
bouclé
leather
polyester
silk
wool
felt
3D structures
heavy and thick fabrics
coated fabrics
knitted fabrics
- Revive – Reactivate
The Revive trend is an exploration of creativity in the world of textiles. The main focus is not the final result, but the creation itself, forming, building, making something new out of the old. It is important to learn and look for new ideas of how to repair things without following any particular rules. Repair, once a household practice perceived as a quick fix, is now seen as a creative method. The Revive trend focuses on a process, a modern approach to reuse, creative repair and experimentation with materials.
Materials:
paper
ribbon
string
plastic
sponge
transparent materials
synthetics
knitted fabric
openwork
Every year, the lifestyle industry representatives coming to Heimtextil ask: “What's new this season?”. New products are the main boost for the lifestyle industry. This started in the early 20th century, when shopping shifted from being necessity-driven to pleasure-driven, reflecting the willingness to adopt fashionable changes, and when consumer products ceased to be created “for ever”. It is clearly the time for another paradigm shift. Here comes a new look at the "new". Never before has the voice of global trends been so unambiguous and unanimous.
So, what is new this season? Nothing is new, but everything will be new.
