Heimtextil 2023: Emerging Trends & Insights from the Global Textile Industry

One of the largest international B2B trade fairs for home and contract textiles, Heimtextil is a show I never miss as a textile consultant. I attended the 2023 fair this year with two hats on: sourcing for my high-end clientele, and analyzing thousands of offerings for incoming design trends to help my subscribers do their best work. Heimtextil is an important event to spot emerging trends precisely because it is B2B. The new ideas, colors, and innovations shown here are often years ahead of hitting the market. This is a preview of our Heimtextil 2023 Special Report, with exclusive insights from the show halls that you won’t see anywhere else.

Lace: A Timeless Beauty and Symbol of Power

The first major installation in New York on lace in more than 40 years: Threads of Power: Lace from the Textilmuseum St. Gallen exhibit at the Bard Graduate Center (September 16, 2022 – January 1, 2023) captured the attention of textile enthusiasts everywhere. Exhibition curators Emma Cormack and Michele Majer answered all of our burning questions about lace, while contemporary lace artist Elena Kanagy-Loux, offered her personal take.

Anticipating Heimtextil 2023

I am excited to be returning to Heimtextil January 10-13 for the first time since 2020! Curious about the show? Here is a rundown of how I am planning to get the most out of the largest international trade fair for decorative textiles.

Change Underfoot: Interview with Jodie Fried of Armadillo Rugs

Charting new waters in ethical and sustainable rug design, Armadillo was a natural choice for our Made in India Report. Co-founder Jodie Fried tells The Textile Eye about her big career pivot, being the first Australian and American rug maker to achieve B Corp status, and what slow living means to her.

Design, Behind the scenes, TextilesRobyn WillsonNovember 15, 2022Interior Design, Textile Design, Home Textiles, Home Textile Trends, RugsComment

Happy Birthday, Faith Ringgold

Born on this day in 1930 in New York City, Ringgold created an impactful vision. For over 50 years, her art and activism have been at the vanguard of anti-racism and feminism.

2022-2023 Key Themes: Made in India—Home Textiles and Furnishings

From Indian design studios and European upholstery brands to large American fabric companies, find out how brands producing in India are impacting the interiors market this year and how collaboration is becoming the name of the game.

Happy Birthday, Zandra Rhodes

Zandra Rhodes, the daughter of a fitter for a Parisian fashion house, was born and raised in England. Her specialization was printed textile design while studying at the Royal College of Art in London. Traditional British manufacturers deemed her rule-breaking bold prints and colours to be unconventional. She opened a shop with her partner Sylvia Ayton, called Fulham Road Clothes and started making dresses from her own printed fabric designs.

Design, Exhibition/Museum, Textile Designer Birthday, TextilesSaana BakerSeptember 19, 2022Surface Design, Pattern Design, Punk, British, Fashion DesignComment

From The Textile Eye Archive - “YSL: Dreams of the Orient”

In the very first edition of The Textile Eye, we covered the 2018-2019 exhibition entitled Yves Saint Laurent: Dreams of the Orient at the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris, which I had the pleasure of seeing while in Paris for Maison et Objet and Paris Deco Off 2019.

The show brought together approximately fifty haute couture designs inspired by India, China and Japan. These pieces from the collection of the Museum were displayed in dialogue with Asian artworks borrowed from the Musée National des Arts Asiatiques - Guimet, and private collectors, creating a show rich in texture, color, and culture.

Textiles, Design, Exhibition/MuseumSaana BakerAugust 1, 2022Comment

Going with The Grain: Q&A with Lison de Caunes, the Grande Dame of Straw Marquetry

Report 13 cover star Lison de Caunes – granddaughter of Art Deco master André Groult – tells The Textile Eye about growing up in her acclaimed grandfather’s design studio, reviving straw marquetry savoir faire, and why the material is so popular for furniture and interiors today.

Joie de Vivre: Paris Trade Show Trends

Get a preview of all the best new insights and inspirations from Maison et Objet and Paris Deco Off, pulled from our exclusive trend book Report 13: Paris in Spring. The full 200 page report is a comprehensive resource, including seven visual themes, key colors in easy-to-use palettes complete with HEX references, Q&As with top practitioners of French savoir-faire and an inspiring look at the Yves Saint-Laurent exhibitions that took over the museums of Paris.

Happy birthday to Anna Maria Garthwaite!

The fantastic floral silks of a prolific English pattern designer.

Born on this day in 1688 in Hartston, Leicestershire to a reverend and his wife, Anna Maria Garthwaite became one of the most famous English designers of her time. The fine silk designs of Anna Maria Garthwaite–when I have been lucky enough to see them in museums like the Victoria & Albert Museum– give me so much pleasure in their balanced, delicate renderings of flora and masterful use of color.

Textile Designer BirthdayRobyn WillsonMarch 14, 2022Textile DesignComment