2018 has begun in style. January is a huge deal within the independent business world, with the majority of the large trade shows happening over these short dreary few weeks. You will no doubt have seen over on most brands Instagram, tagging themselves in at these events and wondering what it's all about.
So I have put together a little emerging trend report from the shows I have been able to attend, based purely on my opinion. This year I have made it to Top Drawer London and Playtime Paris. But my goodness there are so many more to go to, and it is great fun. It is wonderful to see so many independent brands under one roof. See it as a general theme of things I think you'll be seeing everywhere, especially for the little people in your life...as they clearly get the most wardrobe and interior decor change out of the whole family anyway.
#1 Bananas.
I will bet my bottom dollar that you will be feeling a bit banana'd (is that a word) out by the end of 2018. Fruit and tropics has been a huge emerging trend since we all started loving palm trees and pineapples, I think we are evolving through the fruit world! What naturally comes after cactus and tropical fruit..obviously bananas! Banana leaves are particularly beautiful and impactive, and I think we will be seeing a lot of these types of indoor plants still making waves throughout the year. Expect Pinterest to be full of them!
At both Top Drawer London and Playtime Paris I couldn't move for Banana inspiration, cushions and beautiful interior details to sustainable banana plant plates. In particular at Playtime there were a lot of fun illustrated graphic and prints featuring fruit. So I would expect to see that in independent and I am sure large retail stores soon.
To protect the stores future collections I was not able to, and would not snap their new ranges - so I have put together a mood board, to give you an idea of the colours and styling that might fit. Expect an array of yellows and ochres to feature in clothing, and interiors. Considering the whole Banana tree as a base point for colour and we would be about on point, from the leaves to the banana itself - from green, to ripe, to so dark its only good for baking.
If you're decorating a nursery I'd strongly recommend a beautiful house plant. Bringing the outside in and connecting back with the world seems the order of the day, so go big. Let's go Bananas I say.
A brand that stand out for this :
Ferm Living, I am sure most of you have heard of Ferm Living (if you haven't you probably have brought from them without realising) The new collections and kids interior products are wonderful, and feature a whole heap of Bananas. Or a bunch - whichever. (https://www.fermliving.com)
#2 Nostalgia.
This has to be my favourite trend, I think the love for nostalgia and "retro" has been making it's way back slowly and implicatively for a few years now. But I think 2018 it will be big. I would have said it's likely for example, would have felt a little too daring not too long ago to buy a rust velvet sofa, (very much more the parents era) but I would say now it feels far less scary - and you're possibly looking at your grey sofa wondering if you can cover it and questioning why there isn't and a dark wall behind it with gold accessories, and of course a large house plant next to it. I hear you.
Colour is the hero of this for me, at Top Drawer and Playtime the depth of colour on the stands was great. We are not talking primary colour, we are talking about rich and clever colours that challenge what we've been used to for a long time now. The 70's had a revival last year in my opinion, and many others on the high street - I'd say you might have dared to buy some flares and some heavy hand embroidery...and I think it will keep going and seems to have filtered it's way into other trends and styles, and in particular colour.
The original Claude & Co collection had big focus around nostalgia, especially with knitted stripes and rich colours and I tried to challenge what the term unisex and gender neutral meant. For me - this didn't mean Monochrome..which I think will have seen it's day for a little while. Within the new collection, due early this year, I have tried to strengthen that message through the graphics and colour choices and very simple print, which I am excited about. It was nice to see that backed up at the trade shows through other brands, especially within interiors.
I'd expect natural materials to be big this year, one of our favourite brands Olli Ella and their cleverly designed products will fit this so well. Luggy baskets are forever described as Nostalgic, and I love that. It would not surprise me for a grandparent (or great grandparent) to say they used to have something like that. I think we are all craving something other than modern technology, wooden toys and natural techniques I think will be important. Which makes me very happy.
Keep an eye out for terrazzo too. You seriously won't be able to move for it within a few weeks. Think kitchen floors, think accessories, think kids plates..it's everywhere and frankly I love it. Pick up all your marble and move it over, terrazzo is here. Ferm Living did a brilliant job of introducing it last year as a wallpaper and as a print, take a look there for some starting points.
Plus, anyone who knows me knows how much I love Wes Anderson, and it seems we aren't the only ones - every trade show felt very influenced by that in terms of colours and style...so If you haven't seen any of his films I would encourage that. Start with Moonrise Kingdom, that's my favourite.
Two BRANDS that stand out for this :
Scribble and Daub : for the ultimate nostaglic and beautiful hand finished stationery, who I hope we might be able to bring onto Claude & Co soon.
(www.scribbleanddaub.bigcartel.com)
Camomile London : These guys have always been a favourite of mine, a family run business and with extremely clever interior decor products - if you are thinking of how to decorate the nursery, I'd head that way for some beautiful spot on colours.
#3 Woman.
You do not need me to tell you about this, but this one is interesting for me. There is no doubt at all, in any way, that being a pro woman and activist in style is very trendy right now (in my humble opinion). You can pretty much guarantee a lot of likes on any post about being pro woman and respecting women - which don't get me wrong, inspires me greatly but I hope it isn't a fad, I hope it is a little more deep rooted than that. It would be nice to be the norm, I am sure we will get there. I label this trend as "woman" but maybe it should be more about being human and realising what an impact everyone has. It's great really.
Slogan graphics have been big for years, and it feels being positive is the general theme that continues, with a bit of tongue in cheek thrown in for good luck. At the trade shows it felt very strong as a message, a wall describing the word "girl" and challenging stereotypes featured at Playtime Paris...which I found very interesting and especially how many people were photographing it. Being a woman and a mother is clearly making waves but you do not need me to tell you that.
I can't help but wonder if there is a link between the Pantone colour of the year Ultra Violet 18-3838 and this trend (if you do not know Pantone go and take a look). It isn't a huge leap that it is not only the colour of Willy Wonka but also a big part of the suffragettes movement, as well as a symbol of many mindfulness practises which all interlink well within this trend.
It was a natural progression that I felt strongly about for Claude & Co to be gender neutral, girls and boys can dress how they want to. It has brought free reign to slogans, and people's acceptance of colour, which I love. Being a woman is great, 2018 is clearly a year for change, Claude Said So....and so did Oprah.
We have seen so so much love for the Little People Big Dreams collection on the website, these books take real women in history and their inspirational story and make it understandable and exciting for little one's to read, boys and girls alike. Watch out this year for some new additions to the collection.
That rounds up my feelings on what could be coming for us in 2018. What an exciting year ahead it will be. Excited to see what that means for Claude & Co, for bananas, for nostalgia, for women, for men, and for little individuals...