Trending lightly

Trends are pesky things. They come and go as they please, leaving behind a mixed bag of objects without much use.
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Detail from Lantern by Matali Crasset for Meta. According to the Future Laboratory, blending modern concepts with traditional high-quality manufacturing, materials and finishes are carefully chosen to emulate glamour without excess.
Bricks & Mortar chair by Sebastian Wrong and Richard Woods for Established&Sons. According to the Future Laboratory, designers and consumers alike are reminiscing about the sturdy and inventive toys of their youth. Scaled-up and modernised children’s toys become playful furniture for children and parents alike.
Mutant Attack series by Claudio Colucci. According to the Future Laboratory, materials and finishes are kept simple – retro plastics, rubber tiling, pale woods and plywood, laminates and powder-coated metals.
Cabbage Chair by Nendo. According to the Future Laboratory, masculine and muscular materials such as leather and metal create a notion of permanence, while tendrils of fabric create a feeling of disquiet.
Venus natural crystal chair – Tokujin Yoshioka. According to the Future Laboratory, technological advances and a scientific approach find their way into contemporary workshops, allowing artists and designers to explore materials as much as processes.
Coat chair by Fredrik Faerg for Material AB. According to the Future Laboratory, products take references from nonsensical poems and fantasy fiction, inspired by the likes of Lewis Carroll and the Brothers Grimm with unimaginable shapes and inconceivable structures.
BITE-SIZE. According to Coley Porter Bell, literature has succumbed to Twitterature, 75 of the greatest works of Western literature, each distilled to its absolute essence in a series of tweets.
BITE-SIZE. According to Coley Porter Bell, we are seeing brands use language, acronyms, symbols, icons and illography (a combination of illustration and typography) to cut through the visual noise and clutter.
BITE-SIZE. According to Coley Porter Bell, jelly and chocolate mousse treats in compact and convenient packaging suggest instant gratification that is small and guilt-free.
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Li Edelkoort
Li Edelkoort
Li Edelkoort is a trend forecaster, educator, curator and publisher of international repute.
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Trends are pesky things. They come and go as they please, leaving behind a mixed bag of objects without much use. Fashion, digital gadgets and even alternative lifestyles; these trends are born and die almost as quickly as bellbottoms, big hair and the tamagochi. But they make us feel better and for the most part, give us something to look forward to.

South African trend guru Dion Chang predicts the unrelenting rise of social media and while it’s not a bombshell, what it’s becoming is. Facebook: The Movie is said to be in production and a new genre of novel has emerged, Twitterature, points out Coley Porter Bell. Social media isn’t just on the rise; it’s dominating our lives. On the bright side, there’ll be fewer arguments since no one is physically interacting.

Top trend analyst Li Edelkoort says that fashion is all about the desire for fantasy in 2010 and the expression of the subconscious. So if you’re craving it, then wear it. Online website Trend Hunter has another name for it – “peacocking”. Express yourself by wearing outfits of bright neon colours to make you happier amid the recession.

Speaking about the recession, it seems a lack of money equates to trends. More people are starting to buy in bulk says Dwell senior editor Sarah Rich. Chang explains that the value of family time will gain popularity as people readdress what is important in their lives. Life swapping also tops the 2010 trends list as a way for people to continue their lifestyles without spending a fortune.

Going green isn’t what it was in 2009 and founder of web magazine Mocoloco, Harry Wakefield predicts that while people want to try to stay green, they’ll want to do it in a less-green way. With new materials and technologies on the market, the raw finishes and muted colours of green products will be replaced with a more polished result. Still green, just better looking.

The coming year is a trend bandwagon with endless choices. If you’re not interested then chances are you’re looking for the next-best thing, which according to Trend Hunter is in itself fast becoming the trendy thing to do. Put in those energy-saving light bulbs, buy that absurdly small laptop and get that exceedingly bright orange t-shirt you’ve been eyeing. Then again you could watch the wagon go by, a trend is a trend is a trend, right?