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INSIGHT: March 2005
Whats New in 2005 |
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Written by Patricia Patrick
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What’s New in 2005?
Christmas is over. We have heard our last rendition of ‘Jingle Bells’ for a few months, swept the artificial snow and glitter from the corners of the window and put the grapevine reindeers back on top of the fridge. Even the frilly pink hearts from Valentine’s Day are packed in the basement for another year.
Our two biggest events of the year are over and the next one, Mother’s Day is way off.
So what now? Every year at this time I experience a need for something new. I suspect that I am not the only one. I’m looking for the next trend, a new idea, and the latest colour. Who is the newest designer to hit the show circuit and when is the next exciting presentation or workshop?
New Years doesn’t really start for me with the festivities of December 31st, but with the seasons change in early spring. I want to change everything in my home and my wardrobe and I want serious changes in my industry, too. Of course none of this is too realistic so I will settle for small things: a new picture or one or two photographs finally framed, some fabric in a new colour. But what about the industry, what’s happening, what’s new?
I think that we all know what the colour of the year will be. It arrived with force last spring and won’t fade for a while yet. Pink in every conceivable tone, from soft shell to intense fuchsia. Every clothing store featured pink with black, with lime green, even with orange. Very 1950s! Teenage girls went from gothic black to baby pink seemingly overnight and every bride chose pink for attendants dresses or even their own. Pink wedding flowers were the order of the day for last year’s entire bridal season. Very soft and pastel for the spring, strengthening to brighter and more vibrant shades through the summer, with the more red colour in the fall and towards Christmas – as would be expected.
The whole concept of pink was to be expected. We had been told for a couple of years now to expect red to be the next key colour to emerge. As a new colour hits the market it does overlap with the one before. As the blues receded and the reds became more popular we saw lots of purple/lavender colours. Pinks are popular now, but we need to prepare for the clearer reds and red-orange colours in a year or two.
Of course, we could get very tired, very quickly with just one colour. So usually the direct complimentary of the key colour becomes important too. In this case, green. As it is a cool colour and more restful it will be popular in home decor for the main items, with pink, pink/orange for the accent colours.
So pink is the colour of the year. What about design?
Bridal bouquets have been tight round posies for far too long now. They do not go with the elegant fluid lines of this year’s gowns and I will venture to suggest that they never really went with the gowns at any time. But they were easy to make, either as hand-tied or in bouquet holders, so why change? Does that make us designers or just followers? I for one desperately need a change even if Martha never did! It is time once again for bouquets that are soft and flowing with flower choices to compliment the style of gown, the character of the bride and the essence of the wedding. Is it a sophisticated and elegant affair, a pretty country wedding or an informal gathering of friends and family?
The wedding is but one aspect of our industry – what about the rest of our designing? Will we see change in design in the arrangement that goes to the hospital, to the store opening or, heaven forbid, to the funeral home? Yes, if we want it to happen, if we make it happen with some effort to sell something and make something different.
Over night it is hard to sell a complete reversal of what the consumer has come to expect of us, the round posy design, the one-sided symmetrical or the mache triangle. But we have an endless supply of cut flowers at our disposal today, from the common to the exotic, from the seasonal to the year-round favourites. We have foliages that we don’t even know the names of, twigs, branches, containers and glassware, unusual accessory items, copper wire in all colours, beads, etc. Surely there is something there to update, excite and stimulate both designer and consumer without scarring either.
Where does this leave us with the never ending question of ‘what’s new?’
Changes in this industry come at us hard and fast. We are losing many small flower shops in favour of bigger and better departments in grocery stores and eventually in places such as Wal-Mart. The existing small stores are losing their identity by being forced to become gift shops to survive. The wedding business is being lost to the large party planners or caterers who sub-contract to freelancers. All of which sounds very negative, but is in fact the future of most retail industries.
So, what is new is the idea that we must take charge and make some changes in attitude, in professionalism, in our skill level. We must sell the appropriate design for the occasion and not just one that is the easiest. We must constantly try new designs and new products.
And if we do all that, and do it in ‘pink’, we will have found just what is new.
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