Textination Newsline

Adolescents who sleep for longer – and from an earlier bedtime – than their peers tend to have improved brain function and perform better at cognitive tests, researchers from the UK and China have shown.

But the study of adolescents in the US also showed that even those with better sleeping habits were not reaching the amount of sleep recommended for their age group.

Sleep plays an important role in helping our bodies function. It is thought that while we are asleep, toxins that have built up in our brains are cleared out, and brain connections are consolidated and pruned, enhancing memory, learning, and problem-solving skills. Sleep has also been shown to boost our immune systems and improve our mental health.

During adolescence, our sleep patterns change. We tend to start going to bed later and sleeping less, which affects our body clocks. All of this coincides with a period of important development in our brain function and cognitive development. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says that the ideal amount of sleep during this period is between eight- and 10-hours’ sleep.

Professor Barbara Sahakian from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge said: “Regularly getting a good night’s sleep is important in helping us function properly, but while we know a lot about sleep in adulthood and later life, we know surprisingly little about sleep in adolescence, even though this is a crucial time in our development. How long do young people sleep for, for example, and what impact does this have on their brain function and cognitive performance?”

Studies looking at how much sleep adolescents get usually rely on self-reporting, which can be inaccurate. To get around this, a team led by researchers at Fudan University, Shanghai, and the University of Cambridge turned to data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States.

As part of the ABCD Study, more than 3,200 adolescents aged 11-12 years old had been given FitBits, allowing the researchers to look at objective data on their sleep patterns and to compare it against brain scans and results from cognitive tests. The team double-checked their results against two additional groups of 13-14 years old, totalling around 1,190 participants. The results are published in Cell Reports.

The team found that the adolescents could be divided broadly into one of three groups:

• Group One, accounting for around 39% of participants, slept an average (mean) of 7 hours 10 mins. They tended to go to bed and fall asleep the latest and wake up the earliest.
• Group Two, accounting for 24% of participants, slept an average of 7 hours 21 mins. They had average levels across all sleep characteristics.
• Group Three, accounting for 37% of participants, slept an average of 7 hours 25 mins. They tended to go to bed and fall asleep the earliest and had lower heart rates during sleep.

Although the researchers found no significant differences in school achievement between the groups, when it came to cognitive tests looking at aspects such as vocabulary, reading, problem solving and focus, Group Three performed better than Group Two, which in turn performed better than Group One.

Group Three also had the largest brain volume and best brain functions, with Group One the smallest volume and poorest brain functions.

Professor Sahakian said: “Even though the differences in the amount of sleep that each group got was relatively small, at just over a quarter-of-an-hour between the best and worst sleepers, we could still see differences in brain structure and activity and in how well they did at tasks. This drives home to us just how important it is to have a good night’s sleep at this important time in life.”

First author Dr Qing Ma from Fudan University said: “Although our study can’t answer conclusively whether young people have better brain function and perform better at tests because they sleep better, there are a number of studies that would support this idea. For example, research has shown the benefits of sleep on memory, especially on memory consolidation, which is important for learning.”

The researchers also assessed the participants’ heart rates, finding that Group Three had the lowest heart rates across the sleep states and Group One the highest. Lower heart rates are usually a sign of better health, whereas higher rates often accompany poor sleep quality like restless sleep, frequent awakenings and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Because the ABCD Study is a longitudinal study – that is, one that follows its participants over time – the team was able to show that the differences in sleep patterns, brain structure and function, and cognitive performance, tended be present two years before and two years after the snapshot that they looked at.

Senior author Dr Wei Cheng from Fudan University added: “Given the importance of sleep, we now need to look at why some children go to bed later and sleep less than others. Is it because of playing videogames or smartphones, for example, or is it just that their body clocks do not tell them it’s time to sleep until later?”

The research was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Postdoctoral Foundation of China and Shanghai Postdoctoral Excellence Program. The ABCD Study is supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Stylish sensors to wear 
With sensors that measure health parameters and can be worn on the body, we do let technology get very close to us. A collaboration between Empa and designer Laura Deschl, sponsored by the Textile and Design Alliance (TaDA) of Eastern Switzerland, shows that medical monitoring of respiratory activity, for example, can also be very stylish – as a shirt.
 
With sensors that measure health parameters and can be worn on the body, we do let technology get very close to us. A collaboration between Empa and designer Laura Deschl, sponsored by the Textile and Design Alliance (TaDA) of Eastern Switzerland, shows that medical monitoring of respiratory activity, for example, can also be very stylish – as a shirt.

The desire for a healthy lifestyle has triggered a trend towards self-tracking. Vital signs should be available at all times, for example to consistently measure training effects. At the same time, among the continuously growing group of people over 65, the desire to maintain performance into old age is stronger than ever. Preventive, health-maintaining measures must be monitored if they are to achieve the desired results. The search for measurement systems that reliably determine the corresponding health parameters is in full swing. In addition to the leisure sector, medicine needs suitable and reliable measurement systems that enable efficient and effective care for an increasing number of people in hospital and at home. After all, the increase in lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular problems or respiratory diseases is putting a strain on the healthcare system.

Researchers led by Simon Annaheim from Empa's Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles laboratory in St. Gallen are therefore developing sensors for monitoring health status, for example for a diagnostic belt based on flexible sensors with electrically conductive or light-conducting fibers. However, other, less technical properties can be decisive for the acceptance of continuous medical monitoring by patients. For example, the sensors must be comfortable to wear and easy to handle – and ideally also look good.

This aspect is addressed by a cooperation between the Textile and Design Alliance, or TaDA for short, in eastern Switzerland and Empa. The project showed how textile sensors can be integrated into garments. In addition to technical reliability and a high level of comfort, another focus was on the design of the garments. The interdisciplinary TaDA designer Laura Deschl worked electrically conductive fibers into a shirt that change their resistance depending on how much they are stretched. This allows the shirt to monitor how much the subjects' chest and abdomen rise and fall while they breathe, allowing conclusions to be drawn about breathing activity. Continuous monitoring of respiratory activity is of particular interest for patients during the recovery phase after surgery and for patients who are being treated with painkillers. Such a shirt could also be helpful for patients with breathing problems such as sleep apnea or asthma. Moreover, Deschl embroidered electrically conductive fibers from Empa into the shirt, which are needed to connect to the measuring device and were visually integrated into the shirt's design pattern.

The Textile and Design Alliance is a pilot program of the cultural promotion of the cantons of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, St.Gallen and Thurgau to promote cooperation between creative artists from all over the world and the textile industry. Through international calls for proposals, cultural workers from all disciplines are invited to spend three months working in the textile industry in eastern Switzerland. The TaDA network comprises 13 cooperation partners – textile companies, cultural, research and educational institutions – and thus offers the creative artists direct access to highly specialized know-how and technical means of production in order to work, research and experiment on their textile projects on site. This artistic creativity is in turn made available to the partners as innovative potential.

Sleep myths, corona fatigue and sustainable hotel room concepts of tomorrow: to coincide with the Day of Sleep on 21 June 2022, the Heimtextil Conference "Sleep & More" will begin and provide bed retailers and hospitality decision-makers with answers to the megatrend of "healthy sleep" over three days in Hall 3.0. Numerous key-
notes will highlight the latest findings in sleep research as well as important issues concerning the green future of the hotel bed.

The Day of Sleep on 21 June marks the start of the conference, which will take place on the first three days of this year's Heimtextil Summer Special. As a national day of action in Germany, the Day of Sleep was launched in 2000 on the initiative of the "Tag des Schlafes e.V." association and annually raises awareness of the importance of sleep and its impact on quality of life.
               
Keynotes at the Heimtextil Conference „Sleep & More“

• Markus Kamps, sleep consultant and founder of "Schlafkampagne," with insights into sleep myths and important help on the corona sleep effect
• Dr. Hans-Günther Wees from the German Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine with the latest research findings
• Carsten Schmid from Brainlit with insights into the importance of biocentric lighting
• Jens Speil of MyCircul with the latest approaches to the use of tracking gadgets
• Sleep consultant Eva Bovet of Betten Raab and managing director Thaela Schlosser of Feder & Bettenfachgeschäft on the successful use of podcasts
• Bed expert Jens Rosenbaum with impulses on the sustainability potential of the hotel bed and green solutions from associations and industry for hotel rooms
• Expert Julia von Klitzing from the Hotel Competence Center with reflections on the hospitality industry from the perspective of Generation Z

On Wednesday, visitors can look forward to a panel highlight: sleep consultant Eva Bovet from Betten Raab, Managing Director Thaela Schlosser from Feder & Bettenfachgeschäft and Markus Kamps will discuss how both bedding specialists and retailers can successfully use podcasts to tap into new target groups and win customers through accessible audio content formats. These and other keynotes will make the Heimtextil Conference 'Sleep & More' the place to go for representatives of the bedding trade, who can expect a top-class programme of lectures, discussion rounds and product presentations.
 
Sleep & More: New format builds a bridge to hospitality and sustainability
In addition to consulting and product offers for bed retailers, the new concept format "Sleep & More" also provides valuable orientation for hospitality decision-makers and highlights hospitality trends, especially from the perspective of sustainability: How can mattresses be part of the circular economy? And what will the sustainable hotel room of the future look like? Hospitality and sustainability experts pool the collective knowledge of the industry and provide visitors with inspiration and impulses for their future actions.
Bed expert Jens Rosenbaum from Swissfeel Germany, for example, will bridge the gap to the hotel industry in two keynotes and show how the sustainability potential of the hotel bed can be used and how associations and industry are working on solutions for a green future of the hotel room. Hotel industry expert Julia von Klitzing from the Hotel Competence Centre will look at the hospitality industry from the perspective of Generation Z and provide important insights into how the target group of tomorrow envisions their stay in hotels.    

A complete overview of these and numerous other speakers can be found here from April 2022.
What helps us sleep well and what is important for hotel beds to ensure that guests sleep well - we have put together to you the latest studies, recommendations and podcasts on the megatopic of healthy sleep. Sleep well! And join us now in looking forward to Heimtextil and a host of new products revolving around the mega-topic of healthy sleep.

Interview with Wolfgang Müller, Head of Sales & Service at Mayer & Cie. GmbH & Co. KG

At least Europe seems to be able to breathe a sigh of relief after weeks of lockdown during the corona pandemic. The textile industry, an industry that has lived globalisation for so many years, is facing the challenge of maintaining its place in the new normal and building on its previous performance as quickly as possible.

Textination talked to three company representatives along the textile chain about personal and operational experiences.

Wolfgang Müller, Head of Sales & Service at Mayer & Cie. GmbH & Co. KG will start the three-part series. The world market leader for circular knitting machines, founded in 1905 in Albstadt / Baden-Württemberg, employs around 400 people worldwide and today offers an international network of more than 80 sales and service representatives.

How have you felt about the corona era to date - as a company and personally?
What would you on no account want to go through again and what might you even consider maintaining on a daily basis?
The corona era is a challenge without a blueprint. Because it is not an economic crisis as previously understood we have no tried and tested solutions with which to react to the situation. Nevertheless, and this is my personal opinion, there is never only a downside even though the pandemic situation has, of course, had the worst conceivable effect on our order intake.
A positive aspect is that we are forced to deal with issues we would otherwise have put off until the future. Web meetings and virtual trade fairs instead of travelling half way round the world. We can use the time gained to optimise our processes.
When the lockdown began I personally had more time for myself and a few hours more sleep than otherwise. But that positive side effect is already history.    
          
What has the pandemic meant for your company so far?
Let me go back a little further. The trade dispute between the United States and China and many other, smaller local conflicts led to the textile machinery market having faced an understandably most reluctant client base since 2018. After this rather lengthy lean period we noted from the beginning of 2020 a growing inclination to invest once more. Of course, corona abruptly interrupted that trend. So the pandemic hit us at a time when the industry was recovering. We now have a steady order intake once more, but at a lower level than we need if we are to fully utilise our production capacity. So after the summer holidays we will switch to short-time working until the situation is back to normal.
 
What adjustments or innovations to your product portfolio have you felt obliged by the pandemic to undertake?
Contact and travel bans have not only shown us how useful video conferences are; they have also demonstrated most vividly how important digital solutions are – and that we need to work on them intensively. Prior to the corona outbreak, we invested a great deal of time and knowledge in this area so that we were able to unveil knitlink at the 2019 ITMA 2019.
A Web shop for spare parts and our new service approach are both based on knitlink. Using a ticket system that we are developing from our CRM system along with digital measures in service support we can assist our customers faster and at less expense than previously. In addition, our customers will in future be able to record and analyse the production data of their Mayer circular knitting machines.

What are your views on global supply chains in the future, and will you be drawing consequences for your procurement policy?
We as suppliers noticed at the outset of the corona crisis in March that the desire for short supply chains on the part of clothing manufacturers was leading to more orders from countries closer to Europe. Now that the situation is hopefully starting to ease off, this trend is still apparent.
As for our own supply chain, throughout the entire lockdown phase we have had gratifyingly few problems and no downtimes whatever.
 
How do you rate the importance of partnerships within the industry in the future?
Does Covid-19 have the potential to promote the creation of new cooperation arrangements in the industry? Or have they already taken shape?
Cooperation arrangements can be a great enrichment. For over a year and a half we have been collaborating with a design studio in Amsterdam. Our partner Byborre not only develops designs of its own; it also supports sportswear and clothing manufacturers step by step in developing their textiles.
The customer uses his own partners and suppliers while Byborre supplies the machinery and parameters needed to manufacture the desired fabrics.
Byborre could be described as a kind of “translator,” interpreting between us, the machine manufacturers, and those who use the fabrics that are made on our machines.
We as engineers know of course what our machines are capable of accomplishing. Jointly with Byborre we coax new designs and uses out of these capabilities.
Apart from that we cooperate in various bodies such as the VDMA’s Marketing and Trade Fair Committee.
These, however, are not cooperation arrangements arising from or as a consequence of Covid-19. We have no such cooperation to report.

What initiatives or approaches for your industry would you welcome for the near future?
A positive mention must be made of offers by the state government to assist with digitisation projects that we must all take forward.
A strengthening of regional production would also be desirable. That said, even I cannot imagine how that could be achieved other than for high-quality or niche products.

What would you like to see as part of the German textile industry?
Do you feel that the status of the German textile industry has changed as a result of the pandemic, especially in respect of public procurement?
Although “textile” is part of our description as textile machinery manufacturers, our actual home is in the second part of the name – in mechanical engineering. Its status in Germany is, as is known, very high.
That of the textile industry is, from my external vantage point, unchanged. At the beginning of April, when face masks were desperately sought, there were many good intentions, but German firms that offered to manufacture them were refused long-term assurances by the government.
So naturally nobody invested in the idea and everything will probably remain as it is, with the price reigning supreme and competition continuing unabated.

Until now the big issues have been globalisation, sustainability / climate change / environmental protection, digitisation, the labour market situation and so on.
Where do they stand now and how must we rate them against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic?
The overriding issue right now is Covid-19, and everything else is subordinated to it. At the same time it functions like a magnifying glass. Take precarious jobs, for example. The high rates of infection in abattoirs have meant that they can no longer be ignored. Covid-19 has also created facts in respect of environmental protection. Next to nobody is flying, people are working from home and doing less shopping. That leads to lower emissions. The ailing global economy is a blessing for the planet. Germany too is likely to be on climate target for 2020; without corona we would have failed to do so. As for globalisation, it is at least marking time as regional production fills part of the bill.
How long that will continue to be the case remains to be seen, of course, but it is clear that we can be extremely flexible if we need to be.
 
What lessons are to be learnt in respect of these targets for the post-corona era?
There is unlikely to be a “post-corona era” inasmuch as we will no longer get rid of the virus. We must learn to cope with it.
The virus or rather the restrictions it has imposed on us have forced us to be creative. We must deal with existing processes differently – both in private life and professionally. By that I mean such everyday activities as shopping as well as Web meetings and working at home, which was not previously a widespread option at our company. They have certainly made us more efficient.
Another realisation applies to us as an SME just as it does to politics. We have an opportunity to master the crisis and maybe even gain in strength and size from it. But only because we have invested sensibly when times were good and above all managed our business soundly and solidly.

This interview was conducted by Ines Chucholowius, CEO Textination GmbH

• The industry kicks off the new year with a dynamic start

imm cologne drew to a close on 19 January 2020, with positive overall results. More than 128,000 visitors (including estimates for the last day of the trade fair) attended the event to find inspiration from the industry. Going against the trend for other industry trade fairs held early in the year, imm cologne achieved an increase in visitors compared to the most recent similar edition of the event (2018: 125,000 visitors).

As in previous years, imm cologne also had a very strong international profile. Of the 82,000 trade visitors (2018: 80,704) around 50 per cent came from outside Germany. Despite the concentration visible in the German wholesale and retail trade, the event recorded a small rise in domestic trade visitors, again bucking the trend in recent years. “With these results, imm cologne not only underscores its prominent position in the global business; the increase in planners, architects and contract furnishers from Germany further emphasises its importance for the German market,” said Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse. The Managing Director of the Association of the German Furniture Industry, Jan Kurth, also gave the event a highly positive verdict: “For the exhibitors, imm cologne was a commercially successful trade fair that allowed the industry to make an excellent start to the 2020 furniture year. Cologne has once again demonstrated its significance as a platform for contacts and inspiration but also as an ordering fair. Together with all those involved, we will continue to strengthen the importance of this key event in a transforming market environment.”
 
The eight most important living trends of imm cologne 2020
How we live is important to us. An ever increasing number of people are considering how they can live and reside more sustainably, where they will live, with whom they will live, how their apartment should look so they can feel at home there and what the furnishings of their homes say about them. The international interiors show imm cologne is a mirror image of current interiors trends and demonstrates the inventiveness of furniture makers.

Interior design is currently becoming increasingly cosy, and the theme of comfort appears to be dominating not only private living space, but also property and hospitality areas. Following the bathroom, the entrance area is now also being discovered as an object of design. The wish for a good interior design appears to become all the more important, the more one wishes to or is forced to limit oneself to a few, high-quality furnishing elements. This is because, conscious limitation toa little is one of the trends characterising contemporary interior design.

Like in fashion, the pendulum seems to be moving from "more and more and cheaper and cheaper" toward a relative orientation to quality. In the process, there seem to be two stylistically and qualitatively differentiating main directions: while the interiors culture characterised by the design scene continues to prefer a reduced, simpler language of form with natural expression and materials, more glamour is called for in more traditional and in fashionable interiors worlds: it should be refined, be originally expressive and possess classic charm.

Yes, living is becoming more important. This is also an increasingly decisive factor for how life is organised, with concepts like co-working and co-living, the patchwork house or urban gardens. More thought is also being given to the things we bond ourselves with, and we tend to look twice before a decision is made in favour of a good piece. An orientation to quality does not necessarily exclude the search for bargains. While one person might research prices, the other researches the previous life of the item of furniture, including the origin of the materials, recycling capability and general harmlessness with regard to nature, climate and social standards. All agree that we want to live better: more comfortably, more stylishly, using space more effectively, more colourfully, smarter and more sustainably.

More natural living   
An ever increasing number of people are seriously attempting to change their consumer behaviour in order to initiate a trend turnaround toward a sustainable society. Consumer decisions with regard to mobility, mobile phone or nutrition, just as much as for furniture, are being increasingly evaluated under the aspect of climate neutrality. The story behind the product, the storytelling, is thus becoming more important all the time. This means that natural materials and solid wood are preferred in the home, not only for reasons of cosiness, but also with an eye to ecological considerations. Supporting decorative items, such as plants, untreated fabrics and indoor greenhouses are becoming important furnishing elements for home design and are also conceived of as statements. Furniture of high design quality also holds the promise of sustainability.

Wood and natural materials, but also lightweight design and recycling materials are being used everywhere where they are functional, meaning also for products that are usually manufactured from other materials. Bamboo is being tried out as an alternative to wood, just as much as plastic-reinforced paper as a leather-like upholstery fabric. Wickerwork of rattan, willow or bamboo brings a winter garden feeling into the house. The longing for natural living is keeping the trend toward Scandinavian design alive. It is after all associated with a near-natural, uncomplicated and original, rustic lifestyle, which is expressed in the traditionally simple design cultivated in the 20th century.

Greener living
We increasingly want to be close to nature: no new apartments are being built without balconies; apartments and houses with access to gardens or patios are in high demand, especially in urban areas. These touchpoints with nature are now also becoming an integral part of our homes, with patios taking on the role of a second living room. In the wake of the "Indoor – Outdoor" trend, weatherproof outdoor furniture now not only looks like it comes from the living room, it is also used there! Elegant materials and high-tech textiles also make it possible for them to be used indoors. An aesthetic difference is hardly recognisable in the upper price segment and, in the case of the new indoor/outdoor furniture, the comfort of use is also increasingly comparable. In the case of outdoor colours, the colour grey seems to have passed its zenith. White positioned itself as the base colour for outdoor furniture at the spoga-gafa trade fair in Cologne.

The furniture that suits this trend in some cases resembles that from the trend of more natural living: bamboo and wickerwork furniture is popular, but wicker armchairs of high-tech materials and more fashionable accents are also opportune. Plants are found as accessories not only in pots, but also on wallpaper. Green can be found in all shades.
 
Smarter Living  
Can we use an app to grow herbs? Can computers nurture plants to improve air quality? Does the climate have an impact on building services? Does a smart control system switch off the lights and the coffee machine when you leave the house? Smart applications are becoming ever more diverse, reliable and easy to use and can be tailored increasingly precisely to the specific needs of residents. As a result, smart technologies are increasingly playing a key role in architecture. Whether computer-controlled optimisation of indoor air quality, the innovative control and operation of shower toilets or the anticipatory and energy-optimised regulating of room temperature, smart technology is being increasingly integrated into the way we live.

Lamps that serve as Bluetooth loudspeakers; night tables with cordless mobile phone charging stations; cabinets that provide mood lighting; mirror cabinets with multimedia function, tables that adjust to our ideal amount of movement and sofas that note the individual favourite seating position; lights that help us fall asleep and beds that nudge us gently into another position when we snore. Technology is becoming an integral, ideally inconspicuous element of furniture.

More efficient living
Rising rents and smaller homes will continue to drive the demand for space-saving furniture. The first wave of the trend toward tidiness and renunciation aesthetics has already reached us from the USA and Asia. Renouncing consumption and restricting ourselves to the essential things in life are strategies for creating order in the home. And more and more people are finding this approach extremely beneficial. Order is trendy, so anything else is once again “uncool”. Quality over quantity could therefore be the perfect home furnishing philosophy for many people, especially as it is also consistent with the desire for natural living.
          
A trend for some time now has been small and compact sofas and armchairs with a design often oriented to classic typologies. Even more sought after in future will be affordable system furniture and compact individual items, which are scalable (adaptable to different room dimensions), variable (pull-out technology, etc.) and versatile. Life on a second level is also becoming trendy; the high sleeper is making a comeback. In view of the wide range of applications for such furniture systems, from the mini-apartment to the loft, suppliers are, however, attaching great importance to modern aesthetics in an urban living style that goes far beyond any teenager’s bedroom atmosphere.

Living more comfortably
We are worth it! Comfort is written in capital letters in every home (no matter how small), especially in the bedroom. However, investments are also being made in the bathroom and seating furniture. Comfort also involves several standards of building services; keywords here include the heated car seat, heated or cooled rooms. Compact, design-oriented seating, such as two-seater sofas or armchairs, is the trend in the upper product segment. Here, special attention is paid to ergonomics. Console table, wall rest tables or small shelves not only assure a sense of order in everyday life, but are instead an integral element of interior design.
          
And the favourite place for a comfortable hammock is found not only in the garden. It began with stools, and now bench seats, with and without backrests, have also been given soft upholstery to add a comfortable highlight to the kitchen and dining area. For sofas, the trend is toward a platform raised off the floor, which lifts the cushions to a higher level, as well as toward individualisation and adjustability. Integrated occasional tables are a theme.

Living without limits
The requirements of living are currently changing quite rapidly. More sophisticated singles apartments with a scarce offering of space and a lifestyle that also seeks freedom from conventions when it comes to furnishings are reinforcing the trend toward generously dimensioned one-room apartments with a loft feeling. These are complemented by one or two work rooms or bedrooms as needed. The flowing into one another of the rooms leads to a need for multifunctional furniture that marks living areas or delimits them from one another. Kitchen and living merge, the bathroom remains separate, if also, at least in the high price range, "en suite" and a little bit bigger. Instead of separate rooms, modern apartments present an open spatial structure, and compartmentalised apartments in old buildings are "aired out" through the removal of wall elements. Winter gardens and converted attics open up bright spaces, and generously dimensioned window fronts, ideally opening without thresholds, also optically expand the space outwards.

With the exception of built-in cabinets, single items of furniture are called for. Consistent collections and walls of cabinets in the living room encumber the feeling of freedom too much; mix & match is better suited. However, the single items of furniture must be combinable to this purpose. Finding the right balance in the design, autonomous, but not extroverted, pleasing but not boring, is the art of this furniture with classic qualities. Multifunctional furniture like tables that function convincingly as a workplace and dining area, freestanding sofas, cabinets that function as storage space and wall elements, room partitions that enable functions on both sides (like integrating the pivoting monitor that can be used from both sides), mobile furniture for indoors and outdoors; these are the heroes of living without limits.

Colourful living
Among the colour trends in interior design, brown is surely the one with the strongest impact, because it can be used both neutrally and in an avant garde fashion. On the whole, shades of brown are responsible for cosiness and are therefore currently very popular. While things are very harmonious in the range from greige through taupe to moor oak, the combination of, for example, nougat brown with other, mostly reserved colours (meaning not used in neon or pastel) ranging from orange to turquoise is also quite bold. However, whether with green, pink, purple or brown, colour brings glamour into the apartment. Dark wood shades, reminiscent of Art Deco or Danish modernity, with gold, brass or other metallic accents on sumptuous rugs stand for pure luxury. While the overall interior design trend is toward dark colours, from dark greens and blues to black, the minimalist interiors style remains loyal to the lighter and more natural shades. Avant-gardists pledge themselves to the Bauhaus tradition with primary colours colourfully combined with a white base colour. However, the interiors scene as a whole is becoming more colourful through the intensive use of colour schemes. Monochromaticity is also being increasingly abandoned in favour of patterns.

Decorative living
After clothing, living is today the number one means of expression. We are not only what we wear, but how we live. This makes every decorative element a statement. The basis for any eyecatcher is a space to make an impact. Tidy optics and decorative elements thus don't need to contradict one another. Lifestyle and the decorative are staged, on the wall elements, in the textiles, on the floor … or also behind (illuminated) glass. Each element and each item of furniture is simultaneously a decorative element. Which is why single products are preferred over homogeneous interior design with the furniture of a collection. Lights adjust to any furnishing style and are increasingly used as an optical highlight of the space. Designer lights are now what the folding table on rollers was in the 1970s.
     
Both mirrors and pictures are readily used as design elements: the classic here is the circular mirror in all versions; here the mirrors are often used graphically (thus pronouncedly two dimensionally) and bring depth to the room. As cement or Metro tiles, tiles transform from tepid floor coverings to the cool highlight at the kitchen bar, in special sections of the wall or in the entrance area. On the walls, it is wallpaper with small and large-format patterns that turn a room into a veritable work of art. On the floor, rugs with geometrical patterns, floral elements or graphic fancies provide accents, here too as a single product again. Oval shapes are especially pronounced, and, among furniture items, the sideboard is by far the most decorative: not only as a presentation surface, but also as a type.

For the 50th edition of Heimtextil (7-10 January 2020), the international trade fair for home and contract textiles will once again sparkle with the world’s largest product range for textile interiors and its unique presentation of the hottest trends. Around 3000 international exhibitors will present their innovations in Frankfurt.

More than 250 companies will be presenting sustainably produced textiles at Heimtextil. The Green Directory, a separate exhibitor index focusing on the theme of sustainability that will be published by Heimtextil for the tenth time in 2020, lists these companies and their product innovations. The number of companies included in the directory has increased considerably and is higher than ever before. Progressive, sustainably produced materials can also be seen in the new Future Materials Library, part of the Trend Space. Here, visitors can explore the nature and production method of innovative materials. The focus is on recycled fabrics and cultivated – so-called living – textiles, among other things. The Green Village in hall 12.0 also functions as a hub for all questions relating to green issues. Seal providers and certifiers are among those introducing themselves here and offering companies their support in acting more sustainably. The United Nations will also present its Sustainable Development Goals here for the first time.

Trend Space: the furnishing trends of the future
The programme highlight for those interested in design is the Trend Space in hall 3.0. In this trend and inspiration area, visitors and exhibitors alike can look forward to a wealth of material innovations, colour trends and new designs. Sustainability is a top priority here too: thanks to targeted selection of materials, material requirements can be reduced and the environmental footprint kept to a minimum. On an area of around 2000 square metres, designers thus create a forum comprising primarily of textiles and materials that can be reused after the event. The overarching theme is “Where I belong”, which invites visitors to take an inspiring journey of discovery thanks to its numerous interactive elements. An accompanying programme of talks and guided tours give far-reaching insights into new design projects. The Trend Space has been designed by Stijlinstituut Amsterdam.

Expanded area for printers and processing machines
At its upcoming edition, Heimtextil will present an extended range of machines for the textile industry and expand the product segment “Textile Technologies”. The background to this is that the digital revolution is currently leading to fundamental changes in the manufacture and processing of home textiles. Heimtextil will present the opportunities offered by technological change in the industry and, under the new name “Textile Technologies”, will present the latest product developments in hall 3.0, from digital printing machines, software and corresponding accessories to machines for textile processing. The trade fair will also offer its own lecture programme with experts from industry and research for the first time.

Further growth in furniture and decorative fabrics
In the “Decorative & Furniture Fabrics” segment in particular, Heimtextil is experiencing unstoppable growth. At the upcoming fair, 40 new exhibitors will be joining and adding new perspectives to the already very large selection of furniture and decorative fabrics as well as leather and imitation leather. Over 400 international producers will present their new collections in halls 4 and 6. European top producers in particular are strongly represented. Another new aspect is that for the first time Heimtextil will be identifying around 250 weavers of furniture and decorative fabrics, curtains and bed linen fabrics with their own logo at stands and in the catalogue – for the better orientation of visitors. This innovation applies to both hall 4 and hall 8.0.

Design Dialog highlights trends for the furnishing industry
Representatives from the furniture industry will find hall 4 an attractive place thanks the expanded product range and information offered by the Design Dialog. Heimtextil will be providing information on the latest design trends for the furniture industry in the Lecture Area of hall 4.2 on the Wednesday of the trade fair between midday and 1.30 pm. Those present will include Christiane Müller from Studio Müller Van Tol, Anne Marie Commandeur from Stijlinstituut Amsterdam, representing the Heimtextil Trend Council, and product and furniture designer Werner Aisslinger. Susanne Tamborini-Liebenberg, editor-in-chief of md- Magazin, will chair the event.

Interior.Architecture.Hospitality by Heimtextil
Heimtextil offers new business segments and sales opportunities for contract furnishers. Around 370 exhibitors will provide solutions for the contract sector aimed specifically at interior designers, architects and hospitality experts. Selected suppliers will present their wares at the Interior.Architecture.Hospitality EXPO. The product offer will be supported by a new materials library, the Interior.Architecture.Hospitality LIBRARY. It will present a selection of exhibitor products with functional characteristics such as flame-retardant, sound-insulating, abrasionresistant and water-repellent. Numerous information offers, such as expert presentations and guided tours of the trade fair, complete the programme.

Hall 8.0: Hotspot for the latest interior collections
Curtains, decorative and furniture fabrics, drapery and curtain hardware, sun protection systems, carpets and tools for textile processing will be presented in Hall 8.0 under the title "Window & Interior Decoration". In addition, Heimtextil bundles all participating textiles editeurs and optimally integrates them into the product range for interior decorators and retailers. Around 50 international editeurs present their collections for the coming season.

Showcase: design classics from the past 50 years
Suppliers of pillows, blankets and plaids as well as table and kitchen linen will be exhibiting in Hall 9.0 under the title "Beautiful Living" – together with lifestyle-oriented accessories. Heimtextil thus creates a starting point full of brands for high-quality retailers. On the occasion of the 50th Heimtextil edition, the fair stages design classics from the past 50 years. On this showcase area the fair invites to a journey through five decades of Heimtextil history. Four designed tell about the colors, shapes, furniture and design objects of the past decades. The showcase will be complemented by a café, which will be realized in cooperation with Schöner Wohnen, Europe's largest interior design magazine.

Sleep: new findings and product solutions
Heimtextil puts the sleep theme prominently on the agenda: with the product segment Smart Bedding, the trade fair offers new insights into healthy sleep in hall 11.0 and presents concrete product solutions. Mattresses, bedding, sleep systems and associated technology can be viewed here, as well as duvets and pillows. 140 major players in the industry will bring the theme of sleep to life. There will also be some exciting start-ups that will cause a sensation with smart market innovations. More in depth-information is offered in presentation area “Sleep! The Future Forum”. Here, in the foyer of hall 11.0, visitors can look forward to discussions with sleep experts. These include professional athletes such as Olympic luge champion Susi Erdmann, sleep coach Nick Littlehales and scientists from Berlin’s Charité, the Fraunhofer Institute and the German Sleep Research Society. Speakers from Ikea, Hästens and Auping will talk about progressive sleep topics. The lecture programme covers the top themes of digital, sport, hospitality, sustainability and interior design. In this way, Heimtextil presents the latest findings from sleep research and showcases the latest developments in industry and trade.

• Sales of Kitchens and Beds is outperforming
• E-commerce puts pressure on the Sector

Paris (GTAI) - Furniture sales in France rose sharply in 2017 for the third year in a row, although the record level of 2011 has not yet been reached. This is reported by the association FNAEM in its annual balance sheet and refers to the close connection with the booming housing market. This also should push the furniture sector in 2018.

After growth rates of 2.4 and 2.3 percent in 2015 and 2016 the French furniture market has again achieved a stable growth of 2 percent in 2017. According to the FNAEM Federation (Federation française du negoce de la ameublement et de equipement de la maison), the market developments are closely linked to the housing and real estate markets. According to the association, every third furniture purchase was made by a household that has moved within the last 24 months.
 
In 2017 16 percent more homes were built in France compared to the previous year. By the end of October 2017, the real estate market also had also registered 16 percent more transactions. The FFB (Federation française du batiment) expects a strong total construction activity again but with a slight decline of 2.5 per cent in the construction of new housing in 2018.

The development of the overall economy and the political environment also have a strong influence on the furniture market. For example, the presidential elections and the change of government in France led to an initial uncertainty among consumers and delays in the awarding of public contracts. Sales of furniture initially developed weakly in the first half of 2017, but then all the more dynamically.

Source: IPEA (Institut de prospective et d'etudes de l'ameublement)

Most strongly grew the kitchens segment in 2017, whereas in recent years in particular bedroom furniture led the sales. Kitchens are particularly benefiting from the improving housing market and a continuing trend in French households to pay more attention to kitchen equipment.

Fitted kitchens gain market share
According to an analysis by the market research company IPEA (Institut de prospective et d'étes de l'ameublement), only 60 percent of households in France have fitted kitchens, much less than in other Western European countries (Germany: around 80 percent). This difference promises good growth rates for this segment for years to come.
According to the market researchers, the gap between the well-running segment of sofas and armchairs over benches is increasing in favor of upholstered furniture. Above all, folding sofas, which are always offered cheaper, continue to make competition to banks.

Other home furniture such as tables, chairs or chests, which continue to make the majority of the market, were, according to the FNAEM association, unable to make up much ground in retailing compared to kitchens and beds in 2017. Also, in 2018, according to the association's expectations, there will be no signs of recovery. According to FNAEM at most the online trade should continue to grow in the home furniture segment.
The sales of garden furniture benefited from warm weather periods in spring 207, which extended the sales season. According to IPEA bathroom furniture could not fully benefit from the upturn in the housing market in 2017. The business often depends on the hardware stores, which often promote low-cost products. Installers would have sold less bathroom furniture in favor of heating systems.
 
Good sales forecasts for beds
The bedroom segment, the leader in growth in recent years, has developed less strongly in 2017. IPEA attributes this to a tougher competition with more price promotions. Lower prices had slowed the sales despite good volumes. The buyers continue to ask for larger beds sizes with a width of 160 cm.

According to a study by the market research firm Xerfi, the bedding segment is expected to grow steadily by 3.3 percent per year until 2019, supported by the housing market and higher disposable income. French consumers would also exchange their mattresses now more often. According to the trade Frenchmen buy a new mattress every 14 year, whereas this happens in the US every eight years. The association of the mattress industry calls 13,5 for Germany.

Retailers operate multichannel strategy
However, the competition in the bed and mattress market is growing, above all due to the success of e-commerce. Online mattress suppliers such as Casper from the USA (with production in Germany), Tediber and Ilobed from France or Simba and Eve Sleep from the UK have launched massive advertising campaigns in France. According to estimations of the providers, they now have reached a market share of about 5 to 6 percent in the mattress segment.

The stationary trade with furniture stores like Ikea, Conforama or But and the bed specialists Maison de la literie, Compagnie du lit or Litrimarche defend themselves against the pure on-line offerors. All major retailers now operate a multichannel strategy, meaning that they try not only to sell in their furniture stores but also via their own online channels. At the same time the shops are upgraded by events, more advice or more frequently changing exhibitions.

Leading in France are the large furniture stores Ikea, Conforama and But. Market leader Ikea claims a market share of 19.4 percent in 2017. Conforama and But did not publish any shares for 2017 but came to 16.1 and 13.4 percent respectively in 2016. According to estimates by IPEA, online commerce accounts for a total market share of around 12 percent. Half of this is accounted for by pure online providers and internet sales by conventional, previously purely stationary, providers.

Ikea aims for a 10 percent online share in France. Conforama claims to already generate 10 percent of its sales via the Internet. However, the company also offers entertainment and household electronics. Of the online furniture purchases, 82 percent are still being picked up at the stores. Conforma wants to do justice to this with additional furniture markets in the low-price segment. At the same time, other sales rooms should be created in which new furnishing ideas will be presented.

Source: IPEA

Conforama joined the French online pioneer Showroomprive.com in 2017 as an investor, hoping to gain expertise in online marketing. Due to the impending bankruptcy of the South African parent company Steinhoff Conforama sold its shares in early 2018 to the supermarket chain Carrefour.

However, the company intends to take advantage of the increased customer interest in the bedding segment with a new high-end store chain under the brand "Il etait une nuit" and is buying additionally more smaller bed houses. The chain But was for a long time for sale until it was taken over in mid-2016 by the third largest furniture retailer Lutz from Austria together with financial investors.

• Matchmaking at the trade fair: exhibitors and visitors highlight the quality of business contacts made
• Celebrity guests and star designers go on a textile tour of discovery
   

Inspiring, touch-focused and close to the industry: Heimtextil finished last Friday after four successful trade fair days in Frankfurt am Main. In spite of the snow, ice and storms, particularly on the first and last days of the trade fair, almost 70,000 trade visitors (2016: 68,277) from across the world attended the leading trade fair for home and contract textiles and were won over by quality and variety of the exhibited products as well as the trends of the new season. Growth was driven primarily by Brazil, China, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Russia, the USA and United Arab Emirates. A total of 2963 exhibitors from 67 countries (2016: 2864) presented their new textile products and designs across 20 halls and appeared to be highly satisfied by the orders they received and business contacts they made. Detlef Braun, CEO of Messe Frankfurt, highlighted the positives following the end of the trade fair: “The figures speak for themselves: Heimtextil grew

once again in 2017 in terms of its visitor and exhibitor numbers. But it’s no longer about quantity and hasn’t been for a long time. I am especially pleased about the high quality of the products exhibited as well as the intensity of discussions between purchasers and exhibitors. Frankfurt is the international meeting place and beating textile heart of the interiors industry.”
Also positive: overall, visitors consider the sector’s economy to be in a better place even than last year. Visitors from Germany in particular consider the situation to be good (40 per cent).
“We returned to Heimtextil at the right time: over the past few days, we have been successful in positioning our new profile and new product orientation”, says Andreas Klenk, CEO Saum & Viebahn. “The feedback from our visitors was thoroughly positive and we were able to acquire both export and domestic contacts. We will be leaving this Heimtextil with a good feeling and look forward to returning next year.”

Textile design: the eye feels too

It is not just the feel of a material that determines its appeal – something that was also obvious at Heimtextil with the great interest shown in textile design. The colourful fabrics and varied designs by well-known designers and young talent were very popular and attracted a lot of attention: “For me as a designer, Heimtextil is extremely interesting, in particular because I can see myself designing bed linen, pillows and other home textiles in future in addition to wallpaper”, says star designer Michael Michalsky, who presented his new wallpaper collection at the trade fair.
“At the world’s leading trade fair, competitors are present in great numbers. Here, I can experience marketing of products at close quarters and get direct feedback on my own new products.” And it was not just designers that showed great interest in the globally unique design offer at Heimtextil. Exhibiting companies also used the creative hotspot to acquire new designs for their upcoming collections.

Eva Padberg, Harald Glööckler and Michael Michalsky

The enthusiasm for beautiful and high-quality textiles not only brings trade visitors together, but also numerous celebrity guests. At the opening of Heimtextil, top model Eva Padberg talked with Detlef Braun about the trends of the coming season, the interest of end consumers in sustainability and

the common ground between fashion and interior design. She then used the opportunity to take a tour of the Theme Park trend area and the trade fair.
A meeting point for stars continued to be the Marburger Tapetenfabrik on the first day of the trade fair: Harald Glööckler presented his new collection “Glööckler Imperial” which bore the unmistakeable signature of the designer with its usual luxurious style. Musical accompaniment and a good atmosphere was provided by singer

Dynelle Rhodes from the Weather Girls as well as Frankfurt radio presenter and DJ Felix Moese. Designer Michael Michalsky also presented his new collection of wallpapers in person in cooperation with A.S. Création.

Trend towards more materiality

An end to bare walls and cold floors: home textiles are celebrating their comeback in private homes. Curtains, carpets and decorative cushions are decorating people’s own four walls and lending them a personal note. “We can also confirm the trend towards more materiality. In addition to our new wallpaper products, we have seen an increased interest from visitors in our new fabric collections”, says Andreas Zimmermann, CEO Zimmer + Rohde. This trend is boosting orders at Heimtextil: “The quality of visitors was very high: we met very high-quality, good international purchasers and excellent potential new customers. We are therefore very satisfied with our attendance at Heimtextil.”

Sleepinmg as a lifestyle

After nutrition and fitness, sleeping will be the next big lifestyle theme. This was also proven by the numerous innovations seen in the bed segment. Mediflow from Hamburg, for example, presented an improved version of its water pillow capable of full adjustments for firmness and supportive effect. Robert Kocher, European CEO of Mediflow: “This year, we had lots of new customers at our stand who had heard about us and wanted to know more about our products or even ordered them directly. Visitors primarily came from the Middle East, China, the eastern European region and Scandinavia. We also enjoyed intense discussions with American and German customers. This is also the great strength of Heimtextil. You’ve can shake hands with the world here. It is not just about sales, but also communication and establishing relationships or simply getting direct feedback on our products”. At the sleep campaign stand, visitors and exhibitors alike were able to inform themselves about

the four things that can influence sleep. Heimtextil will continue to focus on the topic of sleeping over the coming years.

The next Heimtextil, international trade fair for home and contract textiles, will take place from 9-12 January 2018 in Frankfurt am Main.

• Functional travel wear for travelling, outdoor adventures and everyday use -meeting the new demanding requirements of travelers in the digital age

The tourist industry is suffering in many traditional destination countries. Yet outdoor companies say that sales of luggage, accessories and travel wear remains unaffected. Independent tourism is thriving. Good news for outdoor manufacturers - as functional clothing offers more crossover potential than any other sector. OutDoor 2016 in Friedrichshafen - the leading international trade show - will be providing an overview of the latest trends and innovations for the travellers of tomorrow from July 13 to 16, 2016.

The German Travel Association (DRV) has reported the impact of geopolitical factors on the tourism industry. For example, summer bookings are down by 40 per cent in Turkey compared to the previous year. Other European travel associations are reporting similar lower-than-usual booking levels for Egypt and Tunisia. However, the outdoor industry appears unaffected. "We‘ve not seen any impact on our market,? says Columbia (Portland, US). "People continue to travel lots, although given the current political situation they are choosing different destinations.? Lonely Planet, the independent traveller’s bible, currently recommends visiting the following countries: Botswana, Japan, Poland, Palau, Latvia, Australia, Uruguay, US, Greenland and Fiji. Not exactly classical, low-cost family destinations, but still potential paradises for outdoor and adventure travel.

Thomas Groeger, country manager Fjällräven Germany is also confident, "More and more people are looking for alternatives to the conventional beach holiday. Outdoor- and sport-related travel is particularly popular.? Gerold Ringsdorf, product trainer Jack Wolfskin sees "interrail travellers and globetrotters? as "important founders of the outdoor movement.” Travel garment manufacturer ExOfficio (Seattle, US) agrees, pointing to a survey where 42 per cent of Europeans describe themselves as adventure travellers. Package tourism might still dominate the market, but it continues to be frowned upon. In contrast, independent travel is seen as an attractive, if complicated option for the masses.

The Future institute “Zukunftsinstitut” (Frankfurt/ Vienna) observes a new phenomenon which it calls the "normtrotter”: vacationer looking for a personalized experience and personalized service, but who still want their bookings arranged in advance. And from America, there’s a newly-coined expression to describe more affluent backpacking for normal travellers: flashpacking. The term refers to traditional backpacking only with flash, or style, i.e. adventure travellers who desire style and comfort. Travelers in this growing segment prefer to sleep in their own hotel room, hire a car instead of using overcrowded coaches and plan ahead using modern communication devices rather than going with the flow and improvising.

"Backpacking used to be the exception, something for adventurers only. Nowadays, it‘s a common way of travelling,“ comments Thomas Groeger. Young people in particular prefer to travel in a simpler manner. "The gap year - young people wanting to work and travel abroad - is a definite trend,“ adds Gerold Ringsdorf.

Modern travel equipment is designed to meet people’s requirements regarding performance and security. Backpacks and bags have anti-theft slashproof straps to stop bag slashers and RFID-blocking pockets to keep personal information and data safe. Travel apparel is often made of insect-repelling fabrics or has UV protection suitable for tropical sun, plus moisture management and odour control. In addition, today‘s travel wear is lightweight, easy-care and takes up little space in your backpack.

Modern travel wear also offers significant crossover potential for outdoor and everyday use. UV protection and protection against mosquitoes or ticks is also useful in central and northern Europe. "Of course urban outdoor, outdoor lifestyle and travel wear styles often look pretty similar,? says Wolfgang Jahn, sales manager Europe Royal Robbins, while Oliver Robens, sales director Europe Craghoppers adds, "it’s possible to look good both in the jungle and about town.? However, real travel apparel sets itself apart through its functional characteristics and extra details. And this is exactly why specialist providers have been so successful over the years.

To find out which new trends and products innovations will be shaping the industry in 2017, visit the international OutDoor trade show in Friedrichshafen. OutDoor 2016 is open to industry visitors only from Wednesday, July 13 to Saturday, July 16 (Wednesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). For more information, please visit: www.outdoor-show.com.