Forecasting future design trends is a delicate art. The future can be fickle, so forecasts can end up being anywhere from spot-on to way off base. Still, the desire to be ahead of the design curve is strong enough for industry professionals to try forecasting while others eagerly wait to follow through.
Last year, six international design agencies came together in Frankfurt am main, Frankfurt, Germany, for the Heimtextil trend table. The outcome: the Heimtextil trend prediction 2009-2010 “Expect the Unexpected.”
The trend table has come up with six themes originating from the complexity of the world in general and the plethora of different trends in particular. One of its members, Anne Marie Commandeur from the stijlinstitut Amsterdam, a team of multidisciplinary designers in the Netherlands, describes Trends 2009-2010: “Our aim is to deliver with our trend forecast more than merely a trend overview. Our aim is to provide inspiration, whilst stimulating imagination and innovation through insights into new developments, initiatives and closer links to the different markets.”
SIX TO WATCH

Here are the trends with a brief explanation of each:

ILLUSIONIST—High technologies for featherweight padding, layering and folding create an illusion of mass and bulk. Play a game of hide-and-seek behind delicately woven draperies and move around freely in layer upon layer of breezy mille-feuilles and soft, structured folds for a natural human beauty. A sculptured volume.

TIME TRAVELER—Only the finest treasures of the past are kept and covered in patina or shiny new coatings, embellished or embroidered, to set the stage for our reclaimed cultural heritage. Cherishing decorative art from deco to nouveau and embracing intricate detailing for the ultimate luxury.

FORTUNE TELLER—The all-seeing eye tells of fortune and fame found in chaos and eccentricity. In a world where all cultures collide and yesterday spills into tomorrow, the vagabond, bohemian and free spirit rule. Eco and ethnic folks break all the rules and create a rainbow of new ethics and traditions.

ALCHEMIST—Continuously intrigued by the sharp edges and seductive shimmer of metals and stones, extra dimensions are added to all new shapes around. In every angle, facet and curve, sculptural aspects rely on architectural influences. Playing a mathematical game with optical illusions builds a solid, but surreal construction.

WITCHCRAFT—The mystical aspects of nature are re-explored for acts of mimicry in man-made animal skin, hair, fur and feathers. Organic surfaces like moss-cover and tree bark inspire to create natural textures with eroded, weathered and frozen qualities. Combined with vintage and recycled fabrics in hybrids of nature, craft and technology.

ENCHANTED—A fantasy world of plastic, bubble and pop comes to life through a fascinating and playful concoction of art, science and technology, going far beyond the range of normal human imagination. A comic chaos where all the rules are cast aside and bad taste no longer exists.