Ambiente (the spring edition) and Tendence (fall) are held in February and August each year, respectively. The fair is truly international in character, with both buyers and sellers coming from all over the world. It has achieved global recognition as the meeting point for the consumer goods industry. All the important names are represented in Frankfurt – from internationally famous brands to exclusive designer labels.
For many years now, the Philippines has participated in both editions of the fair under the auspices of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the Department of Trade and Industry’s export promotions agency. A large number of Filipino exporters are Frankfurt "veterans" – credit their success in the highly-competitive global arena to their Frankfurt exposure.
The presence of the Philippines in the fair is necessary to sell its products and project a positive country image. But it is also an opportunity to gather trends for the coming seasons to help Philippine exporters prepare for future shows here and abroad.
Last Aug. 24 to 28, the Philippines was once again in Frankfurt with a strong participation. The contingent was composed of nine gifts and houseware exporters: A Greeting Card Company; Aspec Corp.; Astorga Handloom Crafts; Evolve Designs; Gallery Crafts Inc.; Isla Filipina International Inc.; Papelan Paper Products; Papuri Crafts, Inc.; and Silay Export, Inc. Tony Gonzales, the acknowledged "Paper Man" in designer/artist circles, curated the Philippine display for the second time.
The Frankfurt Fair has basically three main presentation areas: Tavola & Cucina (inspiration for the table and kitchen); Prasent & Carat (gifts and jewelry ideas); and Domus & Gallery (the world of interior design). Within the areas, there are a total of 13 specialist fairs.
Tavola & Cucina is devoted specifically to the art of cooking and tableware. Products for the kitchen and set table are increasingly becoming a way of expressing individuality and personal lifestyle. Coffee, tea, wine, wellness and cooking, plus the focal themes of Italian and Asian cuisine, were the determining features at the Tavola & Cucina theme world at Tendence. Specialties are in vogue, and people are prepared to pay, whatever it takes.
Cooking is still trendy with young and old, men and women alike and, as a result, household utensils are also in demand. They have to be of top quality or at least give the appearance of being so. Most top quality products maintain their functional, high-grade design, with stainless steel as the material most commonly used. Male and female cooks want practical, functional equipment to facilitate their world; sharp knives, multi-blenders and electric citrus presses are all must-have items.
The event which demands all this equipment is weekend entertaining (lunch, dinner, barbecue). Whether indoors or outdoors, one vintage starter seems to be making a comeback – soup, accompanied by a plethora of plates, dishes and bowls. Individual accessories also play a major role, with aprons for the creative cook as important as high-class wine carafes, candles and table decorations.
The fashion themes of retro/streamlined and North Africa are crystallizing out of the overall trends. Colors are becoming lighter and more pastel in tone, totally in keeping with the American retro/streamlined color world of the ’40s and ’50s. In addition, the ornamentation and color world of the mosque is establishing itself with dark red and earthly colors, including lilac and orange. The country-house style, with its natural shades and nature-based motifs, can still be found, with the popularity of traditional white for plates, cups and bowls continuing, in defiance of all the trends.
Metalware and cutlery are mainly functional in design with a satin finish. Metalware, with a lighter, more lifestyle-friendly and alu-satin finish, still has an edge over stainless steel.
As far as ceramics are concerned, Mediterranean style and a flirtation with the ’70s dominate in both graphic and design terms. This is converted in the form of terra-cotta pots with a traditional patina, perfect for indoor use as well. Special elements: oversized pieces and the color white.
The captivating feature of the glass objects on display is color. Here, the colors are more pastel in tone, with the colors of winter brown and grey, supplemented by trendy mauve, pale blue, lilac and pink. Large floor vases continue to be in fashion. Glassware features mutually complementary geometric and organic structures. Scandinavian design and a casual style assert themselves even more strongly in drinking glasses. Why not keep it simple for a change and use one glass for a variety of occasions?
Prasent & Carat displays all the latest developments from the world of jewelry and gifts, with an unparalleled breadth and depth of product range.
A growing trend which has become apparent is that different living areas are now enhancing one another and merging into one. Wellness, for example, is forsaking the bathroom and bedroom and spreading into other living areas, as room fragrances, for example. The work station is now no longer exclusively to be found at the office but in the domestic environment as well, in the form of a home office. Conversely, home cooking at work, featuring the microwave for example, is on the increase and the work desk is adorned with personal accessories. In other words, individuality is shifting more clearly into focus and this is also affecting the manufacturing, retailing and consumption of giftware and craft products.
Small, humorous objects continue to make the running. On offer were highly original, mobile-phone holders designed in the shape of winged hearts or furry coats made from handcrafted felt. And you’ll never have to look for your reading glasses again, thanks to a wall-mounted nose which finally provides a fixed location for your specs. Finally, you can send a stroke-attractor to the international destination of your choice, thanks to an innovative fur-fabric postcard.
A favorite place for decorations and gift articles is still the home, both indoors and out. An iron tree, which can be used either as a wall decoration or standard lamp, produces magical, optical effects in the apartment or garden with burning nightlight at the end of its branches. There’s also a especially designed upright, stainless steel container, which would look decorative in any setting. It can hold fresh kitchen herbs, which can look just as attractive as an expensive bouquet of flowers.
For children and grown-up kids alike, there’s a series of lovable, individually numbered factory-produced dolls, each supplied with its own certificate which can either be collected or played with. As far as dolls’ house furniture is concerned, the country house and art nouveau styles are still the style directions of the moment. The magical word of Harry Potter sends its greetings: textiles, stationery articles, figures made of fun fur or synthetic resin, calendars, cups, biscuit tins and magnetic pin boards are the big trend theme. And last but not the least, music is "in": Musical frogs made of wood emit a long, dawn-out "croak" when you stroke their pitted back with a stick.
What are the jewelry trends at the Tendence show?
One thing is clear: All jewelry artists share the desire to experiment. Above all, this fact is revealed by those designers who are succumbing more and more frequently to the appeal of combining different materials in their jewelry pieces.
In terms of the use of form, filigree and often three-dimensional creations that flatter the body stand out. As ever, individuality and uniqueness are the creators’ keywords. Big colorful stones and crystals are in fashion, as are bizarre corals and precious pearls.
In addition to designer jewelry, trade visitors also discovered high-quality industrial jewelry including pearls and precious stones, contemporary fashion jewelry, as well as silver pieces. The Forum Arts & Crafts Specialist Fair showed artistic works using textiles, glass, porcelain, wood, and metal.
Play is allowed even when it comes to jewelry. And it’s not only form that is often played around with; chains, rings and watches can themselves all become playthings. And why not for a start sharpen the interplay between what’s his and what’s hers? What she loves might be just right for him. In other words, at the 2001 Tendence fair, jewelry for men is definitely "in."
The Domus & Gallery section featured furniture and interior decor divided into style trends for every taste. Bel Etage is the exhibition for refined country house living and the traditional lifestyle. The Loft area displays design-oriented furniture and living accessories. And at Gallery, there are pictures, frames, and related items.
For Windows in the Galleria, four European designers – Christian Tortu, Thomas Boog, Petra Strickstrock, and K.ro – were invited to put their ideas in products, decorations and trends into an artistic framework. Four different outlooks with a common perspective: communicating information in a whimsical and mood-making way.
With Eden, world-famous French florist Christian Tortu presents his vision of Paradise in modern form – what our world could be if it were plant-based. The life-giving elements of earth, air, and water are symbolized by potatoes, orchids and water plants. Everything exudes the aura of tranquil, ethnic colors, far removed from the bustle and artificiality of the real world.
Red is the exciting trend color on exhibit. Paris-based designer Thomas Boog, a trained shoemaker originally from Switzerland, designed the shop window as a projection surface for shadow games and interaction.
In View, Petra Strickstrock, a student from Mainz, presents objects handmade from braided metal and openwork ceramic: transparency as a spatial element.
Secret. Experience. Travel. Nature. Four variations of modern life defined by the stylist K.ro (Caroline Rosse) from Marseilles: time for the private self to be found alongside a yearning for adventure; modern nomadic ways supplement sensuous sedentariness.