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Wrapping Up Christmasworld

More than 30,000 visitors flocked to Christmasworld in late January to
scope out the latest products and discover the top trends for the year
ahead

More than 30,000 visitors flocked to Christmasworld in late January to scope out the latest products and discover the top trends for the year ahead

Prepare for a shake-up in the holiday colour palette. Items like the ones in this pastel Window Wonderland display will capture consumers’ imaginations. Advertisement

Delegates representing 112 countries descended on Frankfurt, Germany, from Jan. 25 to 29, exploring five large halls brimming with products for major holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Christmas, special occasions like weddings and birthdays, plus seasonal décor to take retailers right through the 2013 holiday season. With a whopping 946 exhibitors displaying their goods, there was plenty to see on the show floor.

Here are some takeaways from Canadian Garden Centre & Nursery’s time at the trade fair.

Top looks for 2013
Products boasting a natural look and feel were out in force at Christmasworld. From pinecone planters and stone containers to Christmas trees done up with foliage and flowers, Mother Nature is positioned to be a driving force in the marketplace this year.

Metallic finish containers, like these selections from Edelman, lend a modern feel to a space.

When it comes to textures, everything is fair game. Smooth, sleek finishes stood alongside ribbed, pebbled and other intricately patterned textures. Fluffy feathers in a rainbow of colours and thin twigs (in both natural hues and in shades not found in nature) also have a place, adding flair to accessorize containers and seasonal installations.

Speaking of colours, prepare for a shake up in traditional colour palettes this year. Think Santa Claus in a pastel pink suit and sunshine yellow reindeer pulling the sleigh. Traditional seasonal staples are being presented in non-traditional colours this year. This gives retailers a great opportunity to sell adventurous consumers on new items to complement the old standby decorations they haul out of storage year after year.

Items that sparkle and shine were also in the spotlight throughout the show. Metallic containers were scene-stealers in many displays.

Containers with a matte finish on the outside and a bright pop of metallic colour on the inside starred in a number of booth installations and featured prominently in the Christmasworld Trends showcase. Vases and containers were also in on the act, getting glammed up with high gloss glazes and finishes. Glittered and lit accent items put the finishing touch on many displays.

Style spotting
Get ready for styles that are sophisticated, extravagant, traditional, natural and imaginative, Annetta Palmisano advised delegates at the Christmasworld Trend Show talk, offered twice-daily during the fair.

Trees like this one at the Kaemungk booth were dressed up for the holidays with flowers and foliage for decoration.

Palmisano highlighted four worlds that bring the trends to life and introduced her audience to the cast of characters those trends appeal to, from the modern male urbanite to the stylish and contemporary mom.

“People have a desire to have a distinctive look and style,” Palmisano said. Each trend is designed to deliver exactly that across four very different tastes.

The four main trends Palmisano pointed to for 2013-14 were:

• Precious Jungle, which combines the diversity of plants and animals with cool greens, rich blues and browns, and gold accents to add a touch of warmth to the palette. Metallic touches and glass beads also lend opulence and extravagance to the look.
• Fantasy Forest, blending classic Christmas colours with a non-traditional splash of turquoise to create a new look for the holidays. This trend pulls in natural materials like wood and branches, then paints them for a splash of vibrant colour. Patterned glass and silver and chrome finishes bring a contemporary feel to this trend. Roses, anemones and feathery asparagus ferns complete the look.
• Glowing Desert, which uses contrasting colours to bring a scene to life. Bright oranges, warm tans and browns and a rich, deep purple form the building blocks of this palette. The trend plays with texture too, using sand and items that appear to have been torn open or dried up, giving the impression that the objects themselves have been in the desert. Metallic finishes and glossy glazes give the impression of heat shimmering in the desert and dress up the look. Grasses, pincushions and protea add a floral touch to this trend.
• Gracious Coast, pulling in pastel purples, yellows, greens and oranges to contrast against dark grey and sleek black. This trend also includes copper touches reminiscent of the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as elements borrowed from the 1950s. This trend spotlights transparent glass pieces and softly tinted items that pull in hints of colour and add a feminine touch. Flowers such as crocuses, tulips, lilacs and lilies all have a home in this trend.

The 2013-14 trend report was commissioned by Christmasworld organizer Messe Frankfurt and prepared by stilbüro bora.herke.palmisano.
 
A ‘Window Wonderland’
Offering a wealth of inspiration, the Window Wonderland displays created by The Netherlands’ 2dezign style team featured fresh and permanent flowers arrayed around decorations, lighting and motorized features to capture the attention of even the busiest holiday shopper.

Each display played up at least one of the trends on display elsewhere at the show, inspiring ideas for displays consumers can’t help but notice.

Christmasworld was held at the Messe Frankfurt fair grounds in Frankfurt, Germany.