Thursday, November 12, 2015

BORDEAUX: The Art of Living | By Fashion Trendsetter

Last October, Fashion Trendsetter and Trendsetter Interiors Teams had an amazing business trip to Bordeaux. Senay GOKCEN and Mutti PORTO share their travel notes about this beautiful city in southwestern France.

Senay GOKCEN | Editor-in-Chief | Fashion Trendsetter
Mutti PORTO | Editor-at-Large | Fashion Trendsetter

Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River and you can view this beautiful river while landing at the Bordeaux Airport.

Since our team members are working on various areas – from fashion to automotive design, from architecture to the fresh food industry; we travel as much as we can to gain more inspiration from different cultures of cities and countries.

Grand Hommes, Bordeaux.

Last October, taking the advantages of our business trip, we planned a quick city tour and started our route by visiting the chic Grand Hommes, Quinconces District at the center of Bordeaux.




You know you're in France when you see Galeries Lafayette Stores.

There were so many ‘the best of the best’ French fashion brands’ stores, luscious French patisseries, artisan chocolatiers, bistro cafés and charcuteries in and around these locations. But when you’re travelling with pregnant team members you experience the ‘aha’ moment of “Houston we have a problem!” The reality of hanging meats and sausages from the ceilings don’t make any sense of inspiration when someone in your team is having ‘morning sickness’; but shops that sell quality artisan chocolates, melted not only our hearts but kept us going from one meeting to another.




It’s hard to tell which brand’s collection is the nicest this season, because it’s French Fashion, how could them look bad any way? We fell in love with Anne Fontaine’s Fall 2015 Collection at Galeries Lafayette, with its beautiful white blouses paired with black trousers and accessorized with gold metals. These are truly must-haves of the season. Swarovski's sparkling ‘Stardust Collection’ and Hermés’ store displays were our favorite ones with their bold and bright color palettes.


Hermès' ‘Fall 2015 Accessories Collection’.

For the day two, we spent our whole spare time at the Rue Sainte-Catherine, which is the main shopping street in Bordeaux. The weather was fine and we had great time while walking through this 1.2 km long pedestrian street and enjoyed spotting the interesting trends on the window displays.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE at FASHION TRENDSETTER

All images copyright by Senay GOKCEN & Mutti PORTO. All rights reserved.

Friday, October 23, 2015

Avenues Mall, Silicon Oasis: A New Landmark in Dubai

LuLu Group International has appointed Design International and Eng. Adnan Saffarini as the Architects of Avenues Mall, Silicon Oasis - the Group's new flagship mall in Dubai. 

Avenues Mall, Silicon Oasis - Photo © 2015 Design International

Avenues Mall, Silicon Oasis will become the new gate to the 7.2 square kilometers 'Dubai Silicon Oasis', a smart city with world class facilities that is home to over 700 high tech companies, institutes, hotels, business parks and large residential communities, located right off Emirates Road and Al Ain Road in one of the fastest growing parts of Dubai.


Avenues Mall, Silicon Oasis - Photo © 2015 Design International

The master mind of Dubai Silicon Oasis is Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, a company established in 2004 and wholly owned by the Government of Dubai. It will be the first smart city of Dubai, providing both living and working integrated communities at the very lowest energy consumption per capita, located just 12 minutes' drive from Downtown Dubai and 15 minutes' drive to Dubai International Airport.


Avenues Mall, Silicon Oasis - Photo © 2015 Design International

Mr Yusuff Ali M.A., Managing Director of LuLu Group International, owner of one of the fastest growing retail real estate corporations in the Middle East and Davide Padoa, Architect and CEO of Design International, one of the most innovative architectural firms with offices worldwide, together with Engineer Adnan Saffarini have presented the iconic Avenues Mall, Silicon Oasis project to Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Vice-Chairman and CEO of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority.


Avenues Mall, Silicon Oasis, Main Entrance - Photo © 2015 Design International

Arch. Davide Padoa said: "All of the parties involved in this project share the same values: the development of the community, as well as the desire to be at the forefront of style, technology and sustainable innovation, which is what Dubai Silicon Oasis stands out for".


Avenues Mall, Silicon Oasis, The Hanging Garden - Photo © 2015 Design International

The revolutionary design of Avenues Mall, Silicon Oasis is composed by five gigantic shape-alike pebbles. Inspired by ancient Arabian movements across the desert, Design International wanted to offer both a strong architectural statement and an imposing gate into an oasis of calm and tranquility in the otherwise hectic pace of modern suburban Dubai. 

Inside, the mall features nature at its most exquisite values, with five plazas that resemble the five elements of an oasis: The Cave, The Canyon, The Forest, The Lagoon and The Mirage.


Avenues Mall, Silicon Oasis, The Canyon - Photo © 2015 Design International

The mall also has separate zones; Entertainment, Urban Fashion, Luxury, Kids and Sports, Leisure with Cinema, FEC, over 45 restaurants and of course a flagship LuLu Hypermarket and LuLu Department Store. The retail offering will be on two levels, with a total GLA of 72,621m2, a GFA of 104,036m2 and 3600 car park spaces over 2 basement levels.

Mr Padoa continued, ‘Every project has its own story; each is unique. Avenues Mall Silicon Oasis has five dimensions. On top of the conventional three, it will have a fifth façade on its roof, accessible by the public, and it is a mall that works with your senses: it will set a new trend in food and beverage with integrated cooking classes, food events and gourmet clusters that will work benefiting from LuLu's Hypermarket food-chain. The project will feature also the first Imax theatre, as well as one of the largest fitness and wellness centers in the Emirates'.

About Design International
Design International is an innovative architectural practice with vast experience on a global scale. Regarded as one of the industry's leaders in retail architecture, the firm's unique and diverse designs have seen the practice win many awards, as well as having a strong presence worldwide.

Originally founded in Toronto, Canada, in 1965, Design International is now an established practice with headquarters in London, and further offices in Milan, Jakarta and Shanghai. Today, Design International works across 7 integrated divisions: Architecture, Masterplanning, Interior Design, Lighting Design, Landscape Design, Branding & Signage, and Leasing.

For more information on Design International please visit www.designinternational.com

The desire to create and deliver something that is truly iconic and custom-made, whilst respecting its surroundings, is a common goal shared by the firm's team of architects and designers. The team strives to bring culture and individuality into their designs, in order to produce something truly exceptional. The spaces are designed with the end-users in mind, and whilst the location is important, the firm focuses on the 'Emotion', the 'Experience' and the 'Engagement' of the future users.

Design International's design philosophy is deep rooted in the belief that every design has its own individual story; these bespoke spaces are created with the aim to trigger a unique experience for guests. The success lies in the ability to create an experience that is personal to each and every individual.

The firm is able to apply local knowledge and understanding to their international portfolio, as well as break down various cultural and language barriers, and this is down to the multi-national workforce, who come from nearly every corner of the globe.

About Davide Padoa
Davide Padoa acquired notoriety while in Indonesia when he designed for Dharmala Bank and PSP Group the tallest skyscraper in Jakarta at the age of 25. In 1998 he moved to London where he joined Design International, a London-based architecture firm with offices worldwide. Davide was appointed Managing Director in 2002 and Chief Executive Officer in 2006, retaining a hands-on approach for designing large scale retail projects spread across more than 30 countries.

Under Davide's leadership, Design International has grown into a globally-recognised practice. Davide, married to an Indonesian sculptress and with two daughters, is completely devoted to his family.

All visual material is copyrighted © 2015 Design International

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Benjamin Moore Color Trends 2016

Benjamin Moore Names “Simply White” Its 2016 Color of the Year


Color Leader Reveals Color Trends 2016, Highlighting White as a Timeless and Versatile Design Statement


Benjamin Moore, North America’s favorite paint, color and coatings brand, today announced its highly anticipated 2016 Color of the Year – Simply White OC-117. The company also unveiled Color Trends 2016, a corresponding palette of 23 colors to illustrate how white works within the color spectrum.


“The color white is transcendent, powerful and polarizing – it is either taken for granted or obsessed over,” said Ellen O’Neill, Benjamin Moore Creative Director. “White is not just a design trend, it is a design essential. The popularity of white, the necessity of white, the mystique of white is quantifiable in our industry. Of the top ten best-selling Benjamin Moore colors, variants of white occupy five spots. It was inevitable that we would ultimately recognize white as our Color of the Year.”

The Benjamin Moore Color Studio forecasts color trends after a year of research attending major industry shows around the world, while also taking cues from standouts in architecture, fashion, textiles, home furnishings and the arts. White transcends style, and is seen in traditional, transitional and modern interiors. The color also presents attractive exterior looks for the home, from colonial to contemporary and virtually everything in between.



The Color Studio arrived at Simply White OC-117 after careful review of the company’s more than 250 white selections. According to the Color Studio, it was the most neutral, level and constant in the various light sources used in today’s design environments.

The 23 colors of the Color Trends 2016 palette include the following:
















































About Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore Color of the Year & Color Trends 2016 can only be achieved with Benjamin Moore paints. Offering residential paints for any project, the Benjamin Moore portfolio includes Aura®, Aura® Bath & Spa, Regal® Select, Natura® ben®, ADVANCE®, ARBORCOAT® and Aura Grand Entrance®. All 3,500 Benjamin Moore colors are available in pint samples at local retailers along with Color Trends 2016 curated palette cards. Benjamin Moore products are exclusively found at the more than 5,000 Benjamin Moore independently owned paint and decorating retailers across the U.S. and Canada.

To learn more about the Benjamin Moore Color of the Year and Color Trends 2016 palette, or to find the closest Benjamin Moore retailer, visit www.benjaminmoore.com.

For more information, search #ColorTrends2016 on social media channels including:
Facebook – Benjamin Moore Paints
Twitter – @Benjamin_Moore
Pinterest – Benjamin Moore
Instagram – @benjaminmoore 
YouTube – BenjaminMoorePaints.

Founded in 1883, Benjamin Moore is North America’s favorite paint, color and coatings brand. A leading manufacturer of premium quality residential and commercial coatings, Benjamin Moore maintains a relentless commitment to innovation and sustainable manufacturing practices. The portfolio spans the brand’s flagship paint lines including Aura®, Regal® Select, ben® as well as the most environmentally friendly premium paint in the marketplace today, Natura®. Benjamin Moore is renowned for its expansive color portfolio, offering consumers and designers more than 3,500 colors. Benjamin Moore paints are available exclusively from its more than 5,000 locally owned and operated paint and decorating retailers.

For more information please visit Benjamin Moore – www.benjaminmoore.com.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Heimtextil Forecasts New Furnishing Trends with 'Well-being 4.0' the Overarching Theme


◊ WGSN Group Presents Trends for 2016/2017
◊ 'Theme Park' Moves to a New Location with a Large, Stand-alone Platform in Hall 6.0


'Well-being 4.0' is the key trend at the next Heimtextil trade fair (12 to 15 January 2016). In a discussion broadcasted live worldwide on 8 September 2015, managers of the trade fair revealed the new furnishing trends for 2016/2017. Lisa Douet of the WGSN Group sat on the podium at 25 Hours Hotel in Frankfurt. This Group from the US is spearheading the design of the 'Theme Park' this year. Anne Marie Commandeur from Stijlinstituut Amsterdam, Mayouri Sengchanh from Exalis/Carlin International and Felix Diener were other members of the Heimtextil trend forum at the conference. They were on hand to predict the interior design trends in textiles for the coming season.


New design themes will be defined by an integrated approach which restores a people-centred design focus with a stronger appeal to the senses. 'Well-being 4.0' is all about textile furnishing that exudes an aura of relaxation and calm. Everything will be geared towards offering a better life and greater well-being. At the same time, technology and science intertwined with textiles play a key role. The number 4.0 echoes 'industry 4.0' and stands for smart, digital and customised solutions. Or in a nutshell, the idea is to trigger positive feelings and responses to stimuli at the touch of a button.
'We need to find ways of connecting what's natural with what's artificial,' comments Lisa Douet during the conference, underlining one of the core challenges.
'In addition to respecting technology, we have to ensure that natural materials and handcrafted products have a place on the design shelf of the future too.'
Both the new trend book, presented during the conference, and the 'Theme Park' at the fair offer diverse pioneering projects in this respect. The trend predictions are also examined in more detail on a newly designed website.

Background information and project presentations are already available on:
www.heimtextil-theme-park.com


Heimtexil Theme Park 'well-being 4.0' - Trends 2016/2017 - an Overview of the Themes


Protect: good for us

This trend predicts a clean aesthetic, or crisp, understated design. It goes hand in hand with a versatile range of wellness products and detox programmes. As a valuable and rare commodity, silence takes centre stage. It becomes an antidote to a world where we're constantly connected and increasingly feel the desire to switch off and do ourselves some good. The trend is all about protecting our physical, but above all our psychological needs.

Energise: digital dreams

People use technology to boost their feelings of well-being. The borders between being online and offline are becoming blurred. And the digital world is encroaching on our physical world. In this process, light is becoming a new way of creating intangible shapes and highlighting dynamic contours. The colour spectrum pulsates between strong and weak contrasts. At the same time, bright and virtually fluorescent colours vibrate in comparison with darker electric-blue shades. This high-energy trend livens up the aesthetic with intensive brilliance and gloss, kaleidoscopic patterns and humorous, athletic designs.

Nourish: sensory design

Urban and natural landscapes converge and spawn a new, sustainable world. The focus is on making areas green. The colour palette celebrates the beauty of greens, as well as dark browns and greys, in harmony with elements such as the soil and stone. Natural materials are coupled with pioneering design. Handcrafted products play a special part in the process by accentuating the beauty of the source.

Enrich: appealing to all the senses

The focus is placed on opulent and highly decorative elements which blend cultural references with the past and future. Ornamental ensembles and shimmering, classy materials are eye-catching. Superb, rich colours like plum and crimson abound with metallic gold, brass and bronze elements. A hint of the Orient is blended with iconic patterns which reinterpret classicism with splendour to perfection.

All images courtesy of Heimtextil - Source WGSN


Three Sections in One Volume

The new trend book comprises three sections. The first is a book portraying four trend themes based on materials, designs and colours. The second is a colour palette which looks at the range of the new on-trend colours and can be used as a tool to work with. Finally there's an editorial which illustrates the predominant 'well-being 4.0' trend. The editorial looks at the use of plants to appeal to the senses, places the spotlight on valuable minerals and therapeutic textiles and defines which colours constitute a feeling of well-being.


New Location for the 'Theme Park'

As the world's biggest trade fair for home and contract textiles, Heimtextil plays a special role as an indicator of trends and metric of first-class, well-designed textiles with innovative functionality. Which is why Messe Frankfurt got the Heimtextil trend underway back in 1991 and has consistently expanded it ever since. Every year a trend forum with an international line-up uncovers the most important trends. It gives product developers, creative teams, furnishing businesses and designers valuable advice and reliable trend forecasts. For Heimtextil 2016, the trade fair's managers are continuing the 'Theme Park' concept, developed the previous year for Heimtextil. This platform is moving for the first time to hall 6.0 where it has plenty of space and can stand alone as a showcase. Its concept development and implementation, the accompanying book and the new website are the responsibility of the WGSN Group from the US.


For information from Messe Frankfurt on global textile fairs visit:
www.texpertise-network.com

About WGSN Group
WGSN is a global foresight business. Our experts provide deep insight and analysis of consumer, fashion and design trends. We inspire our clients to plan and trade their range with unparalleled confidence and accuracy. Together, we Create Tomorrow.

WGSN is the World's Global Style Network, comprising of market-leading products including WGSN, WGSN Lifestyle & Interiors, WGSN INstock, WGSN StyleTrial, and WGSN Mindset bespoke consultancy services.

For more information, please visit www.wgsn.com

About Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is one of the world's leading trade fair organisers, generating around €554 million in sales and employing 2,130 people. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 29 subsidiaries and 57 international Sales Partners, allowing it to serve its customers on location in more than 160 countries. Messe Frankfurt events take place at more than 30 locations around the globe. In 2014, Messe Frankfurt organised a total of 121 trade fairs, of which more than half took place outside Germany.


Comprising an area of 592,127 square metres, Messe Frankfurt's exhibition grounds are home to ten exhibition halls. The company also operates two congress centres.The historic Festhalle, one of the most popular venues in Germany, plays host to events of all kinds. Messe Frankfurt is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent.

Further information on the company can be found at:
http://m-es.se/Fj86

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

3M Further Amplifies Design with Announcement of New 3M Design Center

3M, the global innovation company long recognized for diversified technology and collaboration, announced the development of the 3M Design Center, an incubator for progressive ideation and the creative heartbeat at 3M. 


Underscoring the 3M Design mission that revolves around collaborative creativity, the new facility will be the central hub for design professionals with multi-disciplinary expertise, driving competitive advantage, customer experience and positive global impact.


Rendering: 3M Design Center Exterior (Photo: MSR Design)


"This important initiative will elevate design and propel dynamic opportunity to enhance everything from branding solutions to product innovation to sustainability and social impact," says Eric Quint, Chief Design Officer at 3M, who is at the helm of this design transformation. 
"Design Thinking is about unlocking future value in partnership with research & development and marketing. Our collective goal will be to deliver transformative value for 3M, its partners and customers."

Located at 3M headquarters in St. Paul, MN, the 3M Design Center will stimulate creativity as an open, multi-level studio environment, four times the size of the current design space. The interior architecture will incorporate use of 3M solutions and technologies throughout, as well as energy efficient systems and recycled materials demonstrating that sustainable, smart design supports a better future. 

Flexible spaces - including a fast prototyping lab, materials library, brand labs and an interactive area known as the "Design Hive" - will foster spontaneous connections and ignite cross-functional collaboration among partners, thought leaders, customers and colleagues at 3M headquarters, connected to 3M Design studios around the globe.
Rendering: Interactive area, known as the "Design Hive" at the 3M Design Center (Photo: MSR Design)

As 3M continues to apply science in imaginative ways around the world, design helps translate insights into useful solutions, bringing meaningful experiences to life every day. 


Quint adds, "With our diverse product portfolio, Design represents a critical and strategic platform to define and differentiate 3M, bridging our strong legacy of innovation with creativity toward the future, uniting purpose with partnership."

3M Design applies integrated, creative thinking to identify future customer needs that innovate industries. Ranging from digital applications in the dental business to the migration of safety materials and technologies into the fashion world, 3M products cast a global footprint with design as a catalyst for change. The new Design Center will provide a timely complement to such initiatives, enriching innovation and enhancing new business opportunity.

Development of the new 3M Design Center builds upon recent momentum that is driving design forward at 3M, evident in the elevation of design leadership and governance, which yields business value and impact on a global scale. 

The award-winning design team continues to receive international recognition for design excellence. In 2014, 3M Design received more than 25 awards across multiple creative disciplines, and recently, two 3M products received Red Dot "Best of The Best" design awards for product design among nearly 5,000 entries. The ceremony took place at a gala event attended by international media, design experts and manufacturers in Essen, Germany. Later this week, 3M Design will be presented with a Top Winner International Design Excellence Award (IDEA) by the Industrial Designers Society of America.

About 3M Design

3M Design is the creative engine driving design for brand and innovation at 3M. As a global team of diverse talent that creates meaningful and consistent brand experiences, we stimulate collaborative creativity to translate insights into solutions that inspire and positively impact our customers, our employees, and our world. 3M is a global innovation company with $32 billion in sales, employing 90,000 people worldwide with operations in more than 70 countries. 

For more information about 3M Design, visit www.3M.com/design or follow @3MDesign on Twitter.