Creativeworld Trends: Long live Handicraft

Community, personal exchange and conscious consumption have gained enormously in importance in the last two years. This has a particular impact on the DIY sector. The creative community has become even more important and exchange is no longer limited to the private sphere, but can be found in public places in the city. Thus, urban oases become places of encounter that are creatively designed in community projects. In addition to the community, conscious consumption provides for new craft developments. Ideas are developed to create something new out of what is already there, thus extending the life cycle of the products. This is how we meet our responsibility for the environment with creativity.

The stilbüro bora.herke.palmisano was commissioned by Messe Frankfurt to draw up the Creativeworld Trends 22+ and drew inspiration from these new influences: "The DIY trend is unbroken and is being driven further by conscious consumption. Recycling and upcycling are fuelling the industry whether in clothing, textiles, tableware or furniture," says Claudia Herke of style agency Bora.Herke.Palmisano. "Crafts play an important role here: weaving, crochet, embroidery, working with natural materials, braiding and much more show the return to old techniques that we are rediscovering in order to refine our found treasures. That's why we talk about Manual Movement at Creativeworld Trends 22+: the craft movement."

With the three trend worlds: "colour statement", "organic traces" and "lovely keeping", old favourite pieces are given a new lease of life, urban space becomes a canvas and nature is used to search for traces.

Colour statement: colour as a positive message

This trend is optimistic and exudes joie de vivre. Whether in the city, for large-scale installations that make our cities more colourful, or at home, by embellishing our homes with colourful accessories. Alongside bold colours like purple or orange, colourful patterns play a significant role. Checks can be seen everywhere, whether on fabrics, papers or porcelain. In addition, the Norwegian pattern is experiencing a renaissance. The fine jacquard patterns of Norwegian jumpers are inspiring the designs and can become colour-intensive, hand-knitted cuffs for vintage blousons. This is where the re-use idea comes into play. Visible Mending, the artful mending of broken things, is taking Trends 22+ to the next level. Last season, textiles were darned, now damaged clothing is repaired and decorated at the same time with colourful patterns, checks, stripes and real works of art. The plain, single-coloured leather shopper, for example, becomes unique with contrasting colour in bold checks.

The creative specialised trade offers fabrics, wool, textile spray and markers, ceramic pens for this trend and can also expand its assortment with haberdashery such as yarn, fabric scissors, pins or buttons.

Organic traces: Searching for traces in nature

The inspiration for "organic traces" lies in the abstract and the organic. Nature serves as a template for prints and designs, structures, textures and random surfaces. An infinite wealth of materials is right on our doorstep, so to speak. Roots, dry branches, grasses or twigs serve as brushes. They are bound, then briefly dipped in paint and leave abstract traces on paper, fabrics or ceramics. Coloured cord, jute or sisal can become woven accessories such as small coasters or doilies. This is where traditional craft techniques come into play, such as crochet, where baskets are crocheted from thick cord and ropes. The recycling or upcycling idea is also taken up. A worn pair of jeans becomes a new material by being completely cut up like yarn.

High-quality and handmade papers, blank greeting cards, cardboard, handmade paper, brushes and natural and stamping inks can be bought in the specialist shop, which are needed for the trail.

Lovely keepings: longevity as a sustainable alternative

After the uncertain times that Corona has brought, people long for nostalgic memories, longevity and rediscovering beloved things. This romantic mood dominates "lovely keepings". The new romanticism is underlined by floral patterns, blossoms or ornaments that are applied to existing textiles such as old tablecloths, bed linen, lace blouses or vintage dresses. This is where traditional embroidery techniques come into play, such as stitching over, mouse teeth, decorating edges, ruffles, borders, backstitches or small decorative stitches. For the home, crockery, porcelain and decorative items are revived, decorated and worked on. The little things that lie dormant in the cupboards are embellished. Handkerchiefs are embroidered over and turned into napkins, beads are threaded on or hair clips are decorated with a floral pattern.

The range on offer in specialist shops is large and could include porcelain paints, brushes, yarns, crochet and knitting needles and of course offer the appropriate specialist literature or instructions for the traditional embroidery techniques.