Textination Newsline

For the house and home textiles industry, the question is what consequences the current living trends will have for their furnishing concepts in the future: Adaptive habitat and modular houses, cohousing, senior citizens' residences or villages, between long-stay apartments, which are experiencing great growth in the hotel sector, and tiny houses for private users, suppliers will develop new ideas.

Since 2018, Messe Karlsruhe has been organizing Europe's largest Tiny House Festival. The NEW HOUSING - Tiny House Festival underlines the great interest in the Tiny House living trend.

From 01 to 03 July 2022, around 7,000 Tiny House enthusiasts - significantly more than expected - came together at Messe Karlsruhe to experience the diversity and range of small, alternative forms of living. In a Tiny House village of 25 small houses on the open-air grounds of Messe Karlsruhe, they had the opportunity to network with each other and to find out and exchange information about living in the smallest of spaces from manufacturers, suppliers, self-builders, organizations and associations.

"The NEW HOUSING - Tiny House Festival pays outstanding attention to the trend towards sustainable living and thus has a forward-looking effect, especially here in Karlsruhe. As organizer of the festival and at the same time as initiator of the Tiny House Association, we bring the community together and set an example for smart developments in the topics of building and living," says Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Messe Karlsruhe.

Project manager Frank Thieme adds: "Tiny Houses create quality living space on small areas that are not suitable for classic residential development, for example because they are only available temporarily. Here, the festival serves the trend of sustainable use of land to create living space and drives the development towards lower resource consumption and the use of innovative building materials."

On the open-air grounds of Messe Karlsruhe, companies were there to answer questions and provide first-hand information. Exhibitors from all over Germany were present, including market leaders as well as carpentry shops and start-ups that have built up a second mainstay with the construction of Tiny Houses.

For the first time, companies from other European countries, including Latvia, Poland and Belgium, also presented themselves. A new element in 2022 was an information mile in the entrance area of the trade fair with a wide range of advisory services for future Tiny House residents as well as suppliers and outfitters.

There, regional Tiny House organizations and the Tiny House Association, among others, were there to answer questions and provide information about their work. Regina Schleyer, chairwoman of the board of the Tiny House Association, which structurally represents over 2,000 members in German-speaking countries, says: "The number of visitors is really overwhelming. The interest is very high, people are very open-minded and interested in the association. We succeeded in presenting what local offers are being developed in the associations nationwide. We are truly very satisfied with the fair, a complete success."

The visitors traveled to Karlsruhe from all over Germany and beyond its borders to find out about small alternative forms of living. They particularly appreciated the opportunity to meet the manufacturers in person and to visit the Tiny Houses on site.

The lecture program at the festival complemented the exhibition and offered insights into successful self-build stories, topics such as self-sufficiency, sustainability and finding a suitable site, as well as informative literature. Topic-relevant lectures with experts shared tips and tricks as well as experiences within the Tiny House community.

The next NEW HOUSING - Tiny House Festival will take place from June 30 to July 2, 2023 at Messe Karlsruhe.

With “Next Horizons”, Heimtextil is presenting its design forecast for the new season 2022/23 – analysed by international trend researchers and packed with valuable inspiration and inspiring content. The new trend themes take sustainability and resource conservation in the heart of their approach. The international trade fair for home and contract textiles takes place from 11 to 14 January 2022 in Frankfurt am Main.

Three international design agencies form the Heimtextil Trend Council. Together, they develop a well-founded global vision of the coming interior trends. Alongside the Heimtextil Trend Council, Heimtextil management has established a trend forecast for the coming season and presented it live via an online conference on 1 September 2021 from Frankfurt am Main. Trend Council members Anja Bisgaard Gaede from SPOTT trends & business, Anne Marie Commandeur from Stiljinstituut Amsterdam and Kate Franklin and Caroline Till from London studio FranklinTill shared their insights into the future of the industry. Designers, interior architects and decorators get inspired by the design forecast for the new season.

Next Horizons: long-term and circular mindset
The Next Horizons are not a fixed goal or a finish line – they are mindsets. These are made up of long-term thinking, accepting that the best way to impact the world is simply not to. Paradoxically, we have begun our transition to sustainability by addressing the problems within our manufactured system instead of transforming our approach to not create waste or imbalance. Transforming our nexus begins with accepting our economies are embedded within nature. The composition of design should be accessed, made and recirculated in tune with a long-term and circular mindset and simply not create waste. The Heimtextil Trends 22/23 “Deep Nature”, “Hyper Nature”, “Beyond Identity” and “Empowered Identity” explore these new mindsets for “Next Horizons”.

Heimtextil Trends in a new digital format
With “Next Horizons”, Heimtextil is breaking new ground and, for the first time, making trend information fully available in a digital format. The brand-new online platform of Heimtextil introduces the trends richly illustrated via colours, short films, bespoke imagery, key designer features and a soundtrack. The new online platform and all trend activities are directed by SPOTT trends & business from Denmark.

The Future Materials Library is now digital
Curated by Futures Agency FranklinTill, The Future Materials Library was launched in 2020 and is now available online at www.heimtextil-trends.com/future. This collection of exciting interior material innovations from around the world celebrates radical designers, innovative manufacturers and environmentally conscious producers who are helping to turn the current, linear system of production and consumption into a circular model.

Heimtextil Trends 22/23 – overview
Deep Nature – Rebalance by relearning
“Deep Nature” explores our ecosystem’s strategies: it’s our legacy and future all at once. We need to relearn and give into untamed texture, slow process, natural structures and living colours. “Deep Nature” is a long-term transformation and relearning process which gives us the ability to rebalance the natural world for a regenerative future. The colour scale for “Deep Nature” has a harmonious and soft expression used for untamed patternmaking. Mouldy, herbal tones and delicate tones of blue and rouge create a calm, tonal, and earthy approach.

Hyper Nature – Reconnect with nature via technology
“Hyper Nature” is about reconnecting to nature through technology. The theme is a digital facilitator of nature’s blueprint, fusing technology and nature for a protopia state and creating a better tomorrow step by step. Responsive materials, technical fibres, fluid patterns and microscopic structure describes materials and textiles for “Hyper Nature”. Bioscience brings inspiration to colours of both bright and lucid and blurred nuances of green and grey. Reflections and artificial light create new perceptions of nature-based colours. Coral, salmon and light raspberry are highlights.

Beyond Identity – Values more than physical attributes
“Beyond Identity” addresses the future with hopeful messages and soft and powerful defiance toward existing norms, leaving identity in flux. For the world of home interiors and textiles “Beyond Identity” works with recycled synthetic fabric, vintage silk and satin, natural-coloured textiles and new cellulose-based textiles. They are formed via the uncontrolled colouration process of a pastel-coloured look resembling the constant flux of identity. The colours scale for “Beyond Identity” features a range of pastels, complemented with a familiar grey and pale khaki as muted transferral colours.

Empowered Identity – Empower artisanship to sustain culture
“Empower Identity” is about creating sustainable cultural connections, renewing artisan sources of inspiration in a collaborative way. Empowering Identity encourages forming new connections between heritage cultures and future generations. Recycled and heritage textiles combined with textile craft techniques as tufting, embroidered appliqué and Cross-stitch are in focus in “Empower Identity”. Primary colours resemble their colour pigment origins to support the heritage expression of the theme. Sparks of coral and a greyed lilac accompany these primary tones. Multi-coloured usage is key.

• Preview of Heimtextil “Theme Park” with FranklinTill Studio, Stijlinstituut Amsterdam and Studio Felix Diener
• Four “Spaces” depict macro trends; five additional themes showcase the colours, materials and designs of the new season

Frankfurt am Main - Urbanisation is one of the key words of our time. More than half the world's population already lives in cities. In its “Theme Park” inspiration area, the upcoming Heimtextil (9-12 January 2018) will reveal how urban life is likely to impact the worlds of living and working in future. As part of the official “Theme Park” preview on 30 August 2017 in Frankfurt am Main, the London design studio FranklinTill gave an initial insight into the new trend concept. Under the title “The future is urban”, Kate Franklin and Caroline Till presented the new Heimtextil Trendbook. Together with Anne Marie Commandeur from the Stijlinstituut Amsterdam and Felix Diener from the Düsseldorf studio of the same name, they published their predictions for future interior design.

'FranklinTill and all the trend experts involved have managed to provide the international interior industry with a superb source of inspiration to use in their product developments. With the new Heimtextil Trendbook, textile manufacturers, designers, fitters and furnishers will get a valuable overview of trailblazing design developments', says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt. The “Theme Park” will also provide in-depth information about new design themes during the trade fair in January. The elaborately designed presentation in hall 6.0 will incorporate market-defining themes and present solutions for the textile interior of tomorrow. Those interested in trends can already get some answers to their furnishing questions of the future on www.heimtextil-theme-park.com.

The new book and the showcase at the trade fair will give a comprehensive idea of how rooms will be designed in the future. How will we live, work, shop and cohabit? Four so-called Spaces will provide a platform for upcoming lifestyle trends and present numerous pioneering projects and creative works.

The Flexible Space

This lifestyle trend shows solutions for big city dwellers who are increasingly living like modern nomads and in ever smaller flats. Designers, architects and planners tackle this challenge with a great deal of ingenuity and optimise the available space with convertible and adaptable design.

The Healthy Space

We've long known the far-reaching effect that the spaces in which we live, work, learn and relax can have on our well-being. Designers, architects and materials scientists are increasingly searching for innovative design that promotes our levels of health, satisfaction, attentiveness and productivity. From the integration of plants indoors to new directions in wellness, the healthy space is on the rise.      

The Re-Made Space

Another phenomenon of urbanisation is the rapid generation of waste. For the first time in history, the amount of waste produced in cities is growing faster than urbanisation itself. To conquer this huge mountain of waste, cities must understand that the future is to put waste on an equal footing with resources. This will make waste a starting point for new design.   

The Maker Space

The maker movement has triggered a revolution in the manufacture of interior design objects. It has the potential to fundamentally change production, particularly thanks to the democratisation of digital manufacturing technology. DIY instructions, open source and downloadable designs make it possible for everyone to develop their own personalised products wherever they might be. 

The trend experts have also worked on the development of an additional five themes that give an outlook on the trendy colours, materials and designs of the 2018/19 season.

Relax/Recharge

Colours are known to influence moods and feelings. In contrast to current views, blue has been shown to be stimulating and red calming. Relax/Recharge is a transformative design option that uses the power of colours to bring the energy balance of over-stimulated urban living worlds back into equilibrium. walls, floors and furniture are completely immersed in colour.  

Perfect Imperfection

Indigo, one of the oldest dyes in the world, is currently much in vogue among numerous current brands and designers. They are rediscovering indigo dyeing and accepting all of the foibles and the many colour gradations of this deep blue colour. Based on the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi (“accepting the imperfect”), materials and products bear the traces of the way they were made. Brush strokes and seams are made visible and welcomed as part of the poetic documentation of the creative process.

Soft Minimal

Urban living systems are multifunctional and can be adapted. Soft Minimal focuses on interior designs and products that appeal because of their functionality and are valued for a lifetime. Cosy materials – wool, felt, linen and bouclé yarn – give a minimalistic flat some warmth and personality. A reserved colour palette of muted pastel colours and neutral shades complemented by matt black ensures timeless elegance.

Adapt+Assemble

Freed of all excess frills, the designs appeal with geometric and interchangeable shapes and materials that are perfect for packing and transporting – travelling and moving made easy. The textile techniques used are simple and reliable. Industrial materials are reinterpreted and converted for home use. Bright primary colours ensure a playful appearance.

Urban Oasis

Designers transform interiors into green oases in order to use nature to achieve an increased sense of well-being. Green is regarded as the most relaxing colour for the eye. Lush green shades are used to refresh both body and soul. Dark forest and sage green are mixed with matt pink. Textures that imitate nature ensure a full, soft feel.

Beyond the “Theme Park” and Heimtextil trends for 2018/19, the trade fair will also focus on the theme “The future is urban”: with its new exhibition format “Interior.Architecture. Hospitality Expo”, Heimtextil will give answers to questions relating to sustainable urban design as well fire protection regulations and structural requirements. Selected suppliers will present their textile products and material solutions in the exclusive surroundings of the new Expo in hall 4.2. In this way, they can position themselves to specifically target interior designers, hoteliers and project planners.

• 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.