Annual archive | In Your Head

Skilled work is replacing the throwaway culture

April 19, 2005 | By Shannon Kelly

Expertise, passion and specialist skills are celebrated and creativity goes hand-in-hand with technical shrewdness. Within the workplace, consultants and external resources are brought together for their skills on individual projects- like a film production. Concept: combine the best talent and disseminate after the film or project wraps.

Examples within consumer culture include in increased reliance on independent programmers in the tech industry, increasing numbers of senior designers leaving agencies, and marketing professionals/project managers contracted by fortune 500 companies to fulfill specialized roles. This also saves the hiring company from paying out health insurance and stock options on short-term projects.

Star designers are lending their skills and names in the mass retailers, licensing, and hotel industries on a project basis: Isaac Mizarhi, Liz Lange, Cynthia Rowley are all designing items for Target, Todd Oldham also at Target & Lay-z-boy; Hotels: Philippe Starck for Ian Schrager & Morgan Hotel Group; Licensing: Versace; and the latest Tom Ford brand for Estee Lauder & Marcolin Group.

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retail

trend projections

fashion

baby

Artisan Trends

February 17, 2005 | By Shannon Kelly

Products with a hand-finished look will become the new luxury and take precedence over our current disposable attitude to product.

Key elements include:

Emphasis is on artisan techniques, fabrication, production and construction (Project Alabama)
Modern-day craftsmanship in a contemporary context (felting, glass blowing, silver smithing)
Hand-worked pieces epitomize discreet modern luxury
Unique items and one of a kind objects become must-haves that seduce consumers into a purchase
"LTO" (limited time offerings) and smart-buys (1-100 pieces) allow retailers to sell through inventory and ask for premium pricing (think of signed numbered articles: 21/150 like in art)
Use of natural materials: wood, leather and stone
Precision and painstaking detail inspired by intricate pencil drawings and paintings
Patterns screen printed onto glass and plastics, laser-cut inlays into veneers
Organic and soft geometric patterns are important
Hand-applied and personalized all-over placement designs
Lifestyle: finding the “perfect” work/life balance. The new luxury is a quest for the ideal
Prada “epicenter” stores: a the contemplative environment of a museum with retail
Colors: golden sycamore, deep mahogany red, teak shades, limestone, and walnut for its richness and depth.

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Visit to Chop't

February 13, 2005 | By Shannon Kelly

Places we dig: A creative salad company in Manhattan is elevating quick casual dining. Choose from two salad/sandwich options, over 60+ fresh ingredients and 28 dressings to create the dish of your dreams or pick a chef-designed alternative. All ingredients are then chopped with a double-bladed mezzaluna knife and served with flat bread. We were impressed with the on-trend & customizable approach to the bustling lunchtime scene.

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Innovative serveware for bread and butter in London

February 8, 2005 | By Shannon Kelly

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Missoni Home at Barneys

January 30, 2005 | By Shannon Kelly

Patterns and new colors in high end serveware.

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art house trend

January 25, 2005 | By Shannon Kelly

The Synergy between art and fashion is effecting advertising and marketing. Examples include hi-low-fi style found in Barney’s, Urban Outfitters, Orbitz campaigns.

Key themes include:

References to classic and contemporary art and film
Artist as an influencer- the use of celebrities and rock stars in window displays
Celebrity fashion stylists or creative directors (i.e. Vogue features Stella McCartney)
Designer/Artist link- Tracey Emin/ Vivienne Westwood, Phillip Stark, Todd Oldham, Lenny Kravitz
Cities of the 60’s- Paris, London, SF, NYC
Berlin- fast growing and changing. Proxcimity between of E. and W. Europe. Influential art and film scene
Words to describe: Pleasure, Rock n Roll, All Star, Creative, Male Energy
The color blue, which is embraced by Artists, designers, corporate companies, and countries (blue depicts emotional values, calm, water, tranquility)