FLORAL INSPIRATION FILLS HEIMTEXTIL WITH COLOUR

As in previous years, and 2016 will be no exception, there will be extensive participation in Heimtextil by Portuguese companies, with a total of 72 attending. This number reflects the importance of this event, which has become the leading international showcase and mandatory port of call for all companies in the home textiles sector.

In addition to the individual “made in Portugal” presences at the event, the major trends that will mark home textiles in 2016 will also be on show at the “The Portuguese Home Tex'Style” Trends Forum, illustrated by the products of 25 Portuguese brands under an initiative organised by the Associação Selectiva Moda. 

In this event, the Portuguese forum exhibits the concept “Dream Garden”, which serves as the backdrop for the 4 fashion themes for the 2016/17 season focusing on “4 characters”: The Introspective, The Spontaneous; The Exhibitionist; The Dramatic. “Dream Garden is the conceptual contention of the Portuguese Home Tex’Style 2016 Forum. In an unsafe world in crisis, people retain the ability to dream, focus on new balances that generate well-being, happiness is the challenge of yesterday, of today, of the future... Regardless of the strategies... There is nothing wrong with wanting to be happy! The poetic, minimal but sensory space will be characterised by dualistic games: two-dimensional versus three-dimensional; clear image versus blurred image; burst of colour versus an elementary chromatic approach; combinations of opaque/transparent or matt/glossy; organic floral/rational constructed”, explains Dolores Gouveia, the person in charge of projecting fashion trends and designing the forum.

Making his debut at the forum, António Salgado presents a “collection of a strong and unique nature, with timeless guidelines and notes ranging from bohemian eccentricity to colourful constructivism”. The products on display are divided into three themes. “Eclectic&Intense, luxurious decorative driven by the history of the arts&crafts, with a blend of East and West; Graphic&Playful, digital, faceted and 3D with patchwork spirit, and Minimal&Textured, contemporary craft, masculine structures, sophistication, the flat and the textured, the irregular and the organic, the geometric and the linear”, explains Ana Rêgo.

Also BomDia presents its main trends for 2016. “We will focus on items that match, functionality, comfort, but also innovation and differentiation, bearing in mind the excellent quality that is already the hallmark of our products. Avant-garde techniques will always be present, we can never forget the main characteristics of a bath towel, which are absorption and softness. If we can also add surprising and unexpected elements into the techniques, designs and colours, then we are on the right track”, explains Laura Carvalho, product director of the company. There are two main themes of this collection: “Back to basics”, inspired by nature, rustic textures and muted colours, and another inspired by the golden years of cinema, “Discreet Luxury”, with precise references, gloss and opulent yet elegant colours.

In addition to its own Valentini Bianco brand, the Portuguese Pereira&Freitas, also gives prominence to the Pierre Cardin line, for which it holds the licence. Bath towels, sheets, beach towels and a specific line for babies and children are among the products on display. “The main trends for 2016 are inspired by nature, featuring earth tones, which carry us away to Africa (ochre, mustard, brown) and the ocean, where blue and green predominate. In addition to these inspirations, we always like to focus on items inspired by Portugal that evoke the heritage of our ancestors, such as lace, which adds femininity, delicacy and a unique touch to each item”, reveals Manuela Pereira.

Diversity is the watchword of the Sampedro collection. “This year, as usual, the Sampedro collection covers various trends. This is inevitable due to the increasing range of brands and nationalities of our customers. In short, we have two main themes. One is more sober and minimalist and the other is more colourful and ethnic”, explains Margarida Machado, the company’s designer. One of the themes of the collection, more directed to those who appreciate the luxury of not living as a hostage to a lack of time, places great emphasis on natural raw materials such as tow, flax and cotton. “Here, the house is like an “Urban Chalet”, built in the city, but always in communion with nature; luxurious, simple and modern, where design and charm take the place of the traditional rustic”, she adds. Another is designed for practical, bohemian and cosmopolitan consumers who appreciate functional comfort, but do not neglect details, the minutiae. Prominence is given to floral patterns of various kinds, mini-motifs and varying stripes in dyed yarns. Cotton, linen and linen/cotton blends, lace and decorative stitches that resemble the crocheting and embroidery of our grandparents, and a range of warm and slightly faded tones modernise the traditional.

Natural fibres, such as linen, combinations of textures with contrasting fabric finishes (gloss/matte, voluminous/flat, rustic/soft), luxurious details and the exploration of various stone wash finishes are the main highlights of PiuBelle. “We will present two major concepts, explored in tandem, always in tune with the senses. One, a more organic and botanic concept, in tandem with a contrasting “Craft as Luxury”, featuring sheens and metallic finishes. Another softer and minimal (protective) concept, in tandem with a contrasting “Energise”, exploration and visual explosion”, explains Alexandra Silva, sales assistant of the company.

Heimtextil is the largest and most important fair of the home textiles sector. “Well-being 4.0” is the central theme of the next event. The last event was attended by 68 thousand professional visitors and 2,759 exhibitors from 68 countries. 

“The Portuguese Home Tex’Style” Trends Forum is an initiative promoted by the Associação Selectiva Moda co-financed by the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) under the POCI (Operational Competitiveness and Internationalisation Programme), Portugal 2020 and COMPETE 2020. The FROM PORTUGAL project consists of around 81 international initiatives that take place in the 2nd half of 2015 and 2016 covering the entire textile and fashion industry, spread across four continents, with a total investment of over 13 million euros.