The Strategic Choice of Color and Theme in Artists' Work;
Use Your Inspiration To Inspire Your Customer To Buy
Little did I know when I photographed this unique sunset tonight that it contained key colors from the Pantone Fashion Color Report for Fall 2010!
You need not look any further than your back yard to find out where these pundits get their inspiration. The Top Ten colors expected to be in this season are;
* Endive - Pantene 13-0632
* Golden Glow - Pantone 5-1050
* Living Coral - Pantone 16-1546
* Lipstick Red - Pantone 19-1764
* Purple Orchid - Pantone 18-3027
* Chocolate Truffle - Pantone 19-1526
* Lagoon - Pantone 16-5418
* Woodbine - Pantone 18-0538
* Oyster Gray - Pantone 14-1107
* Rose Dust - Pantone 14-1307
Images and colors reminiscent of autumn leaves like these beads create a mood of contentment.
In addion to nature, color trends are also influenced by what's going on sociologically; In a time when the future is unsure and the economy is strained, buyers are likely to be looking for security, sustainability, making old methods new or reinterpreting retro styles. At the same time they will be looking for items in colors that evoke feelings of comfort and make them feel nurtured.
Give your items personal and sentimental value!
Rich antique golds, coppers, bronzes, metallic oranges, ambers, silvers, and iris colors that remind us of celebration, warmth, love, and abundance represent more than the object made with them and give the potential buyer a virtual "hug" in a form they can carry around with them through whatever hardships may come into their lives. They are little pieces of sunshine your customer invests in to squirrel away for a rainy day.
"Warm fuzzies" like these should be right at home with Fall and Winter shoppers if these predictions are correct;
The Lenzing Textile & Color Trends Autumn/Winter 2010/11; a system of 5 color schemes created for fabrics:
* Puritan; Elegant but weightless and meant for everyday wear
* Reflection; Light-changing fabrics, optical illusion, and other special effects
* Rugged; Merging the duality of urban and nature
* Exotic; Color, artistic with meticulous drawings and textures
* Identikit; Newest, high-tech material derived from building and military industries
These materials coming out on the market are not only important for the textile artist and clothing designer to be aware of but for jewelry designers/makers as well so that such accessories can be worn with clothing that buyers will be wearing this Fall and Winter.
The same eco trend paralleled in fabrics is present in jewelry, as well as Boho and Hippie Chic styles. Flirty dangley chain earrings, crystal with posh-looking metalized finishes, and floral shapes are in. Mixing less expensive materials such as wood, shell, and glass with more expensive ones such as semi-precious gemstones and beads is predicted to be hot. Also, lovely hand-forged metalwork is likely to be valued in lieu of bling.
Texture is predicted to be valued over big, bold color. Bracelets with one large charm, and oversized hearts are expected to come back into style. Interesting chains, cords, and ribbons will also gain popularity.
How Are These Trends Decided and Who's The Judge?
According to an article written by By Hedda Schupak, Senior Editor, and Nancy Pier Sindt, Contributing Editor of The Jeweler's Circular Keystone Newsletter, all these forecasts are decided 2 years in advance, and much like juried art shows what's hot and what's not is decided by small groups who meet and compare samples that they like. The fashion and accessories industries then follow that lead for fear or making a mistake and promoting the wrong color/styles. In otherwords, it appears that the market is less customer-driven than customers are product-driven to develop a taste for certain particular attributes.
Even so, one has to wonder where these small committees get their likes and dislikes. It is one of those chicken-or-the-egg type questions that is not so easily answered, and in the age of the internet where artists' work is so easily viewed by the masses there is no way of knowing when these elements of design first seeped into the collective unconscious (subconscious). This is exciting in some respects, because it means that any one of us at one time or another might have (or have had) an impact on what people like and want.
Read the Pantone Fall 2010 Fashion Report here;
Lenzing Textile and Color Trends Autumn/Winter 2010/11
Cousin Innovative JewelryComponents, Programs, and Accessories
http://www.cousin.com/index.php/component/content/article/34
Jeweler's Circular Keystone
