INVISTA Antron® carpet fibre discusses key influences and the driving forces behind the trends we see today with Anne Marie Commandeur of Stijlinstituut Amsterdam.
This year saw the publication of Antron’s highly informative Top 15 Trends & Colors 2019, giving insights into key annual colours and style direction that were spotted during Salone del Mobile.Milano and Fuorisalone design events. However, to provide wider understanding of how trends are created and how outside influences from social media and technology continue to be factors, Anne Marie Commandeur has given her perspective on subjects influencing design.
Anne Marie Commandeur, director of Stijlinstituut Amsterdam is an international analyst, forecaster, educator and lecturer and works with key companies to recognise the impact of trends on design and businesses. Her work with Antron has resulted in a continued commitment to providing progressive carpet fibres that satisfy both style and consumer demand for technologically advanced fibres.
Recognising trends is part of the analytical process but understanding social landscape, technology and consumer demand are key starting points. Looking at these influences on trends Anne Marie says:
“Taking onboard influencing elements such as social and moral trends is an important part of the development process and combined with a strong design results in a truly successful product. It is also important to be clear on the origin and ethos behind the product - a story of provenance, origin, resources, processes, technology, inspiration, morals and ethics, combined with its looks and performance gives a product a clear value or concept.“
With a particularly competitive market such as the carpet sector, the Milan show proved to further confirm its continued popularity within the domestic, commercial and contract sector. The influences such as pricing and aesthetics have and will be an ongoing concern but the growing demand for sustainability was a key area that Anne Marie identified:
“The product has to meet a myriad of consumer expectations and budgets while coping with busier and more complicated lives. The product should be strong, functional, durable, beautiful and desirable. To combine all these criteria is quite a challenge. We do believe though that soft floorings have some unique selling-points that match the consumer needs of today and tomorrow.”
The ‘Top15 Trends & Colors 2019’, is available for download from Antron’s website, www.antron.eu. Full transcript of the interview between Antron and Anne Marie Commandeur can be obtained upon request.
