Reconnect 2011/2012 - the Making of the Heimtextil Trend Show

Many thousand hours of work will have come to an end when the eagerly awaited Reconnect 2011/2012 Trend Show opens at Heimtextil 2011. “This time, visitors will be able to experience the trends at first hand“, reveals style expert Kate Franklin from The Future Laboratory, London, who developed the concept for next season’s Trend Book and Trend Show. Her colleague Caroline Till adds: “Visitors will be able to see, feel, smell and hear the Trends in four pavilions of totally different construction.”

First of all, it takes the creative input of countless people to design something which is ultimately wonderful and inspiring to look at in Forum 0. After developing the Trend Book and presenting the architectural concept for the Frankfurt Show in August, the project team from The Future Laboratory immediately set to work.

Heimtextil Trend Coordinator Heike Dietz, who with her colleague Stephanie Lotz follows the Reconnect 2011/2012 show every step of the way, explains: “Since then, we have been in constant communication with architects, the trade, building-services technicians and The Future Laboratory. “At the end of the day, we have to comply with a host of different fire, evacuation and material-quality regulations.”

Also, back in early September, the trend ladies requested samples of innovative fabrics from all the companies exhibiting at Heimtextil and are now busy, examining, categorising and labelling the 8,000 or so fabric samples received, assisted by a team of external helpers. Experience has show that, during this preparatory phase, the London trend agency will make up to five trips to select products.

Finally, in the weeks before Heimtextil, more and more helpers from the European design world will be taken on board, in addition to technicians. Together they will build, paint, cut, stitch, stick, craft or research coordinating utensils. The creatives always execute the agency’s specifications with dedication and imagination, be it crochet-encircled light sculptures or ingenious test tubes from the flea market. Does this level of spontaneous creativity already say something about the impression the show will make? The trend coordinators know it does: “The show will definitely have a British accent. It will be bold, purist and extremely inspiring”.

Has this made you curious to find out more about Heimtextil Trends? If so, you will find more information on the Trend website or why not subscribe to the new Trend newsletter right now.