Off to Mart!

I've been absent from most social networking the last month and with good reason! In art licensing, this is the big, big crunch time for new art. The January shows include America'sMart Gift and Home Furnishings show starting this weekend and then right behind it is the CHA show, the third weekend in Jan. - whew! So much activity crammed into a very narrow time slot, which of course included a little thing called the "holidays"! 

I finished out my newest surface collection and am pretty excited about it. I named it "Piccadilly Lane" and it's making it's debut this week.

I also updated some previous work, changing out the colors and re-working the elements to reflect the current trends. Oh, and I have a new collection of inspirational images called the "Grace" collection. 

Speaking of trends- by now, most of you know that Pantone has named this year's color of the year turquoise. This comes as no surprise to anyone who works in the Design field. The direction towards this hue has been on my radar for quite some time. As a member of the Color Marketing Group, I have access to the world's color trends as they are shifting. There are clear patterns of movement sometimes that dictate what the next big color will be. Leatrice Eiesman, who named the color as "the color of the year" is also a member of the Color Marketing Group and is the authoritative voice of Pantone Institute, a company who provides the Design community with a colored matching system used for product development and printed materials. It's how Designers communicate with service providers. 

So, while walking the show this next week, my intent, as always, is trend research. I look at color, patterns, icons, shapes, lifestyle trends, packaging and typography in the areas of home furnishings, table top, gifts, jewelry, fashion and my favorite area, High Design. After each show, I come back to my studio and create a trend board based on the emerging patterns of styling. This is an important exercise for any Designer to do and I think at least twice yearly is best. Knowing what color is the new hot color is important, but understanding how it is used and combined with existing, carry-over hues is just as important. 

Be sure to check back next week as my ongoing Brenda Pinnick Color U series addresses the upcoming trends. If you're attending the CHA show in Anaheim later this month, be sure to come by the Sizzix stage on Sunday or Monday, from 2-3 pm where I'll be showing a special project made with my Sizzix dies and will also be promoting my BrendaPinnickColorU series with a special color trend hand-out! 

Now off to do a little shoe shopping...all this chatter about trade shows makes me want to go buy some really comfy new shoes. Maybe turquoise??? hmmmm. 

Comments

[Sue]

Happy New Year Brenda!!
I LOVE turquoise.

Wishing you the best with all of the markets!! I look forward to reading your trend reports.