The wait will soon be over. From Friday 12 February, the Ambiente Blog team will start on a five-day exploration of the global Ambiente fair in Frankfurt. Everything is in flux: trends and designs are no exception. We’re looking forward to inspirational style highlights, Italian moments and the blues and pastels that are so in vogue. We’ll be tracking what’s on the way in, what’s staying in and what’s getting even better. The Blog team is gearing up for a cosmic extravaganza with a focus on trends and lifestyles, astonishing developments and talents on top form. This reflects the way we live: free, optimistic, with an eye to true value.
Immerse yourself in worlds of style
The four themed worlds that Frankfurt trend bureau bora.herke.palmisano have identified for Ambiente 2016 really emphasise guaranteed satisfaction. Their very names read like a manifesto for beauty and truth, for a life of style and inspiration. The ‘Artisanal Gardening’ theme is about merging indoors and out, about bringing nature into our homes – we expect a lot of plants and natural materials. In the world of ‘Functional Simplicity’ we’ll be looking at minimalist design and networked household appliances. The Kitchen Trends area (Halls 1.1 and 1.2) should house some particularly special items, since the kitchen has always been highly prized as a workshop for creating great food as well an important status symbol. Retro and futuristic: do they really go together? The ‘Futuristic Couture’ world says they do, and will present innovative processes that enable completely different design. The perennial desire for high-quality craftwork is clear and there’s a lot made of wood. In contrast, the world of ‘Composing Freedom’ really blows its own trumpet. We’ll see if street style can chime with the loud 80s feel and colours which are back in fashion.
Sweet Italy
Benvenuto: welcome! Italy is the fifth partner country at Ambiente. We’re confident we’ll discover plenty of interesting creations from this past and present master of design. In a country where cottage industries grow into big haute couture companies like Fendi and Gucci, and where even the pasta comes in some 200 different shapes, designers create a groundbreaking aesthetic. One star in Italy’s firmament is Paola Navone from Milan, who will host the Ambiente special presentation ‘Dolce Vita’ in Hall 4.1. Her colleague Giulio Iacchetti will show us how to combine beach atmosphere with 1920s Art Deco at the ‘Rimini Rimini’ café he’s designed for Hall 8.0. Why not go for a bit of holiday-based nostalgia? Deckchairs will be available.
Some like it gourmet
About that dolce vita … you can almost taste it! At Ambiente you might develop a passion for strawberry liqueur with grappa, hazelnut mustard, fine pesto, or perhaps fragrant tea or even a melt-in-the-mouth chocolate creation. Find all this, and much more at the Ambiente Gourmet Shop which premieres in Hall 1. Exhibitors aim to show how much potential lies in unconventional taste combinations and traditional, almost forgotten production techniques. Our favourite gourmet example is cold brew coffee, currently a big hit in the USA and soon to catch on here.
‘Talents & Next’
We’re also looking forward to the ‘Talents & Next’ showcase at Ambiente when newcomers and young designers will be presenting their ideas in a dedicated area. Some already have experience on the market. Last year we were astonished how at ‘Talents & Next’ great themes were transformed into new, high-class forms.
Ethical Style
Once again at Ambiente, sustainability is key. The revamped Ethical Style Guide provides an even more effective way to find environment and resource-friendly exhibitors. German design specialist Koziol is featured, originally from the Odenwald in Hesse, as is Spanish glassmaker ‘La Mediterranea’ which works exclusively with recycled glass. And of course Upcycling is included, a perennial favourite – with a touch of catwalk glamour. Can you really add sparkle to used sails, old army fabrics and ringpulls? Watch this space.
And finally …
Here at the Blog, we’ll be in our element at Ambiente. We love packaging up news for our readers: from strong statement colours to styling tips, cutting-edge trends and all the best ideas from top international designers. We’ll be asking creative people about their lives, homes and work, taking great pictures, and so much more. Let’s get the show started!
