I would like to zoom in on my previous column. Every textile éditeur launches a new collection every year, hoping that he has hit the nail on the head, hoping that his colour analysis is in line with the spirit of the time and that his vision of textile design strikes the right chord. But there’s more to it than that…
I believe that the world is becoming a bit more ‘textiley’, that people are longing for a feeling of warmth, for the cuddliness factor and the cosiness of woven fabrics. Partly due to the crisis, our tentacles are increasingly focused on tactility, our antennae want warmth and tranquillity.
Longing for what is tangible
The world is also becoming more digital, we stare at a screen for hours on end, and there is nothing wrong with that. It does however create an urge and a need for things around you. Once away from the screen, we all sometimes fall into a void and then we long for something tangible, fun and sensitive. It is no coincidence that cuddly toys are still very present with teenagers until their late teens.
This is also why textiles play such a big role in today’s society. In contemporary architecture, more textiles are brought into a space, people play with textile walls that divide up spaces, it is easier to replace a textile wall than a concrete wall. In this respect, Scandinavia is a master player. In Northern Europe, all textiles in living rooms are changed according to the seasons. In spring, the living room is freshened up with beautiful printed fabrics. In summer, new designs are added and when autumn comes, fabrics become thicker and warmer. Autumn is the season when wool and velvet come to the fore, and this is further complemented in winter. In this way, the living room gets a new look every year, just by changing all the textiles, clever isn’t it?
Fabrics in the living area
Working with fabrics in the living area of the house has the effect on the visitor of a personal touch and eye-catcher at the same time. Even if there are no drastic changes, on his next visit he will be surprised by the new look of the living room.
As a passionate fabric lover, I will take a closer look at what the future holds. I want to talk about the return of the textile sculpture. No, not that of the 1960s, but that of the sophisticated, contemporary and refined textile objects. Try and google the name Mercedes Vicente. Vicente is a Spanish artist who transforms textiles into graceful shells. She is not alone, also in the world of carpets you can see these becoming art objects. A good example is the series of carpets ‘Selce’ by Carpet Edition. Believe me, textiles have a much bigger impact today than they had a few years ago. A new fabric era is dawning.
Trends in colour and matter
Let’s talk about the upcoming trends in colour and matter now. Do you know the French painter Yves Klein? And have you ever heard of the Yves Klein blue? That blue is the ultramarine pigment and Klein worked (and transformed) all his art with it. There is, by the way, a whole chemical history involved, but explaining that would take us too far.
My point is that blue is back in our lifestyle, both in clothing and in interiors. I have to admit, however, that it is a colour for aficionados, not everyone is so ‘blue minded’. This colour is best combined with black, by the way.
Another newcomer is ‘Jade’, which is a natural soft green, with a very slight hint of grey. I think the green colour is also referring to the rebirth of the houseplant. The different kinds of green are mixed in the living space, it looks like an indoor garden embracing nature.
I hardly dare write it, but the long-lost colour beige is also back. Beige has found a new life and in 2022, it will be married to warm pink. You could call it a matching pair in the interior: if you see one, you see the other at the same time. It is warm, soft and inspiring. A touch of aqua green and warm grey here and there complete the feast.
The new design
A reflection of today’s design thinking can be seen in the purchases of the younger generation. Today’s youth no longer attaches importance to stylish interiors, but instead strives for tastefully arranged furniture objects that reflect their personality. This is the new design: individual taste prevails, whether it is the combination of grandma’s rocking chair with a piece of designer furniture bought at the flea market or something else, it doesn’t matter. People prefer the casual, personal look to pure design.
In such a lifestyle, textiles play a very big role, the ethnic aspect comes first. By this I mean that our craftsmen play a big role in this new scene. The warm aspect of home-made products and objects that you might be able to buy in your neighbourhood enriches your view of life today.
