MOOD (Meet only Original Designs), the annual international trade fair for producers of upholstery, window and wall coverings, was held in Brussels, September 11-13, 2012.
This year Mood hosted some 230 companies who welcomed 7,000 visitors, according to the organizers. This number of visitors marked a slight drop compared to last year, but the majority of the exhibitors agreed the quality of these people was considerably higher than in 2011.
One of the majör driving forces of the fair was Turkey’s participation with a strong representation. More than one fifth of total exhibitors ıvere from Turkey because Turkey was the biggest national exhibiting country at Mood this year with 48 companies. Led by Uludağ Textile Exporters’ Association (UTIB), Turkish companies shovvcased a wide range of original design products.
The trends were on display for the first time as usual. The colors and designs of the next season were launched at the Discovery Zone in Hail 7. UTIB’s professional booth shoıvcased the best samples of the Turkish home textile trends. Value added Turkish fabrics and curtains have been a focus of attention for those who were there for original designs. Turkish contract textiles were also between the fingers of many professionals. Mood has always seen a sharp increase in the participation list of Turkey in this important fair during last ten years. Being so much selective the Mood team selects many Turkish companies to qualify for Mood and there ar e many more who are expected to come to Brussels in the future.
Niek De Prest, Art Director and Trend Coach of Mood interprets the inspiration book of Mood with the word “Fluxus” which was exploring three inspiring future scenarios: Transition, Prorsum and Eccentrics.
The transit zone was marked by the abundance of styles. Looking into the future and the past overlap and meet each other. Transition is woolly, soft colored and searchîng. Hipsters play a huge role in mis scene. They are focused on durability and use goods economically.
Their food is preferably organic and they cherish a fancy for materials with a story. Their natural interiors are reminiscent of the hippies of old. They are searching for a ne w balance between nature and humanity but are also willingly inspired by high tech. Honest materials, unconstrained natural style, a personal approach and optimistic use of colors are at its heart. The soft palette of Transition is ‘on the move’. it floats right past you. Natural and effortless as new clouds. it flirts with nature; it transports you to a new place. Or maybe it keeps waiting patiently. The colors are out in front, but also bring up the rear. Playing with the light that softens them, like a misty transition in space.
Green and blue are the base colors; they do not only support the relationship with nature, but also with the entire palette. Bleached orange, soft purple, and pink or milk white and white…
Combined with natural linen hues or with a shadow of gray, the pastels are brought into another dimension.
The second scenario was ‘Prorsum’. The literal meaning of Prorsum is: ‘onwards, straightforward, without ceremony’. Something like a ‘go get attitude’. Prorsum leaves very little room for doubts. This style originates from the acceptance of society as it is, including the aggression, the climate change and the protest we are confronted with on a daily basis. in Prorsum this is ali seen as a source of inspiration. Hard colors and a direct visual language are the essence of this urban style that is presented with great sense of humor and even satire, in het female form Prorsum is tempered with pink, blue and yellovv.
This scene will alvvays have a sense of masculinity nonetheless. Prorsum means a powerful, direct and urban palette.
In this theme everything revolves around expression. Prorsum is a statement, a life style that asks for a daring effect of the combined colors and risky hues. When used independently, the colors appear more aggressively and solitary. They do not let themselves be influenced by what surrounds them. When confronted with another color it seems they enter into a duel. The clean black is omnipresent but is generally accompanied by a burning orange of clever blue. Stiff yellovv and pink run through this palette like cement and to reconsolidate and temper the aggression somewhat.
Eccentrics, the third scenario is inspired by hyper individualism and the sublimation of the eccentric life style. Eccentric people catch the imagination of people today more than ever. Style icons like Oscar Wilde, Vivienne Westwood, Björk or iris Apfel (93 years of age!) keep a grip on our mind.
They break through the dullness and feed the mediocrity with new stories. Somewhere deep down we ali want to be a little eccentric, even if our great examples are bipolar, narcisstic, arrogant or even moderately talented. Eccentrics is a scene that transcends generations and which has been designed and purified to the last detail. Everything is made, up to the smallest detail. Wealth everywhere, but not for everybody, this is the spirit of a somewhat lush color palette. These deep round colors provide everything with a royal sophisticated elegance. Everything is put on a throne. Gold, silver, copper and black are statements that exude power, but also intrusively push from the background. in this palette red gets an unseen depth and is shrouded in a dark mist. Purple on the contrary attains its full glory by staying honest and natural. Turquoise is both deep and intense and combined with gold it’s a winner in this rich palette. White is a newcomer that lifts the palette into a new world.
