Laure, in your opinion, what is the foremost design/deco trend for spring/summer?

We will see major creations within ethnic influences for summer 2010 that will reexamine, from every angle, the fundamentals of this style. We sense a need to break the codes of this ethnic approach, to escape esthetic clichés: the Asian or African style total-look is out!! Looking around us, we see that everything is a crossing and mixture of genres, which allows us to establish new ethnic codes in terms of shape, patterns and even materials…


Catherine, why is this trend happening now?

For the past few years, globalization has promoted new interactions among men, whether economic, technological or based on information. Due to change in this phenomenon, we now witness the coming of new universality: cultures merge. It is the coming of global awareness. Good proof of this is increase in ethnics, fair trade and philanthropic marketing: 89% of the French, 86% of Americans and 81% of the British believe that companies should lean toward something other than pure profit. That said, as a reaction to globalization, local identities are becoming more assertive: between modernity and tradition, new creative perspectives are growing. Ethnic becomes global, as if originating in one and the same culture. It will become easier to adapt our interiors thanks to this contemporary approach and to the fact that its style is less marked.

Laure, how will this trend be interpreted in terms of furniture or table arts?

It will happen via codes that we will mix and refine in their design: for example, ornaments and Asian shapes will merge with those of another continent. It could also be expressed by color alone: a traditional design can be revisited thanks to surprising color…different types of know-how can also be used on one and the same product.

What will be the star materials and colors? Have any designers
particularly impressed you?

In order to express this new ethnic attitude, colors have to be ultra bright…their symbolism will be used differently however; blue, red and yellow will be worked in very strong depths.
Many designers offer very new products along these lines: for example, the work of Patricia Urquiola, who designed a sofa with universal « crossstitch » décors for Moroso. Does this cross-stitching come from Eastern countries? or from Latin America? Furniture and porcelain by Jean Boggio for Franz reinterprets classic Chinese shapes in a Pop spirit, with ultra bright colors. Or there are also table arts by Richard Ginori that revisit Delft blue or crockery blue…in a reinterpretation of the patterns and their engineering!

Laure Malherbe, Interior stylist - Carlin International

Sources : Carlin International