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Rise S/S 20

Rise S/S 20 Rise S/S 20 Rise follows a diverse and progressive generation with a confidence that clever design can reshape the world for the better. Products, clothing and spaces reframe creative expression as a means to communicate personal beliefs, incite social action and affect change.

An evolution of Burst A/W 19/20, Rise explores how user-centric design empowers consumers to become more engaged members of society. The rainbow palette of S/S 20 Colour & Materials Direction Land of Plenty informs a refreshed appreciation of the urban world, transforming waste and information into creative fuel.

Journey S/S 20

Journey S/S 20 Journey S/S 20 Journey rejuvenates crafts to help consumers connect with personal histories and cultural heritage, nourishing emotional bonds with belongings and intimate interactions with tech.

Informed by our S/S 20 Colour Spectrum trends Hands of Time and Botanical Modernism, technology and nature become allies in a quest for preservation, while ideas around crafting new materials from post-consumer waste are evolved from Essence A/W 19/20.

Arouse S/S 20

Arouse S/S 20 Arouse S/S 20 Introspective yet expressive, Arouse instils an appetite for sensorial encounters and thrilling entertainment. Responsive environments and products powered by activated materials propel ergonomics and hospitality design into the next decade.

We advance Captivate’s A/W 19/20 focus on inspiring analogue experiences, and home in on Colour & Material Direction Augmented Space’s regained perspective on what it is to be a human, living on Earth. Arouse offers consumers a new lens through which to see the world.

3 Innovations in 3D Printing for Architecture

3 Innovations in 3D Printing for Architecture 3D Printing For Architecture The symbiosis of technology and craft is triggering a surge in progressive uses for additive manufacturing. Here we round up three concepts in which the capabilities of 3D printing are being pioneered to realise new possibilities in architecture.

Colour & Materials

Architecture & Spaces

Colour S/S 20

Colour S/S 20 Colour S/S 20 Evolving from our Spring/Summer 20/20 Colour Spectrum and Materials Focus, we examine the key hues for our S/S 20 Product Design Directions – Rise, Journey and Arouse.

Colour & Materials

Design Directions S/S 20

Design Directions S/S 20 Design Directions S/S 20 Dissecting developing innovations and breakthrough ideas across furniture, packaging, transport, home accessories and spatial design, we reveal three distinct creative directions to inform commercial product development in Spring/Summer 2020.

Restyling Suburbia

Restyling Suburbia Restyling Suburbia Long seen as bland and boring, American suburbia is transforming. Millennials are flooding in, prompting developers to meet demand for urban-like advantages (think walkability, food halls, co-working spaces, farmers’ markets) and wellness amenities. As suburbs morph to match modern lifestyles, they’re becoming dynamic alternatives to city living – even incubators of innovation.

Consumer Lifestyle

Consumer Attitudes

Harth: Rental Furniture Platform Shaking up Luxury Retail

Harth: Rental Furniture Platform Shaking up Luxury Retail Rental Furniture: The New Luxury Spurred by a lack of resources and real estate, consumers are choosing to ditch home ownership in favour of subscription access to shared housing, communal offices, pooled transport and hired goods. Harth is a luxury rental service for designer homeware that’s shaking up retail to cater to transient, 21st-century lifestyles.

Inflated Floor Mat Boosts Employee Health & Productivity

Inflated Floor Mat Boosts Employee Health & Productivity Mat Boosts Employee Productivity Increasing work hours and growing public concern over wellbeing are driving individuals and businesses to invest in improved office ergonomics. UK designer Joonyeon Jo explores the potential of tactility within this environment to improve both user health and productivity.

Architecture & Spaces

Hotels & Art: Beyond the Painting

Hotels & Art: Beyond the Painting Hotels & Art: Beyond the Painting Hotels are increasingly turning to art as a key element of their guest experience – from immersive art spaces and installations to art as a form of protest. We explore how hotels around the world are taking art off the walls and placing it centre stage to create a stimulating guest experience.

Food, Beverage & Hospitality

Retail City Guide: NYC, August 2018

Retail City Guide: NYC, August 2018 Retail City Guide: NYC, August 2018 This August, New York's retail openings push aside midsummer malaise with shops that exude a holiday atmosphere, boutiques showcasing sophisticated footwear and clothing stores that promote sustainability. Meanwhile, Casper launches a spa with bookable nap nooks and MoMA steps up for summer with a trio of must-see exhibitions.

Retail City Guides

Retail City Guide: London, August 2018

Retail City Guide: London, August 2018 Retail City Guide: London, Aug 2018 This August, a wave of fresh retail concepts attracts millennial in-store traffic with personalisation and experience-focused strategies, while Westfield London shopping mall welcomes the biggest Japanese marketplace in Europe. Meanwhile, exhibition highlights include a journey into the life of South African political icon Nelson Mandela.

Retail City Guides

Soft Sell: The New Retail

Soft Sell: The New Retail Soft Sell: The New Retail Physical retail has to undergo a dramatic transformation to maintain its relevance in the digital age. Forward-thinking retailers are selling softly, emphasising the experience rather than pushing for the sale. Here’s how it can work.

Does London’s Coal Drops Yard Redefine Mall Culture?

Does London’s Coal Drops Yard Redefine Mall Culture? Coal Drops Yard: The Modern Mall? London shopping development Coal Drops Yard, which opens in late October and is located just north of King’s Cross station, seeks to recalibrate what a modern mall can be. It’s an ambitious collective of 60 retailers combining artisanal and progressive brands with iconic names that aim to define the zeitgeist and apply new soft-sell retail strategies.

Material Direction: Reframing Wood

Material Direction: Reframing Wood Material Direction: Reframing Wood The natural nuance, character and sensory properties of timber make it the perfect partner to the emerging needs of consumers today. We explore the ways in which mass timber constructions, wood-derived products emerging from the lab and improved processing techniques are opening the material up to new and exciting applications.

Colour & Materials

CMF Industry View: Kitchens

CMF Industry View: Kitchens CMF Industry View: Kitchens As the role of the kitchen adapts to contemporary habits and fluid lifestyles, design options are becoming more refined and inviting. We round up the key aesthetic qualities and colour, material and finish (CMF) trends emerging across the sector, with inspirational projects from Boffi, Scic and Caesarstone.

Colour & Materials

FutureFest 2018: Tech for a Human-First Tomorrow

FutureFest 2018: Tech for a Human-First Tomorrow FutureFest 2018 As we near the close of the decade, now is the time to assess how the allure of new technologies compares to their reality. The overarching theme of FutureFest (London, July 6-7), the festival powered by British innovation foundation Nesta, was ‘human-first’ thinking. Over the course of two days, bright minds explored how to ensure that technology functions to the optimum benefit of consumers’ needs.

Does Harvey Nichols Know What Luxury Fashion Consumers Want?

Does Harvey Nichols Know What Luxury Fashion Consumers Want? Harvey Nichols’ Boutique Approach Department stores are facing a challenging time. To maintain its allure among other intriguing ventures, British retailer Harvey Nichols has refurbished its womenswear department to cater to modern luxury consumers.

Simple Design Tweaks Give Plugs New Commercial Potential

Simple Design Tweaks Give Plugs New Commercial Potential Design Tweaks for Commercial Impact As new technology emerges, designers are reconsidering everyday household items – creating innovative updates that offer improved functionality and respond to shifting consumer habits. Here, we explore two projects that illustrate how a simple design tweak to a conventional electrical plug can have an impact on practicality and user experience.

MatchesFashion’s Hybrid Luxury London Space

MatchesFashion’s Hybrid Luxury London Space New Retail: Luxury Meets Events A pioneering multifunctional luxury townhouse, 5 Carlos Place, is being opened by fashion e-commerce company MatchesFashion in the heart of upscale Mayfair in London this September. Here’s a preview of what will make it special.

Decoded Future, London: Creative Innovation Summit

Decoded Future, London: Creative Innovation Summit Decoded Future, London 2018 The first Decoded Future Summit – staged at London's Tobacco Dock on June 26 – brought Decoded and Stylus together for a groundbreaking event exploring innovation in lifestyle, fashion, luxury, beauty and wellness.

Digital Commerce

Retail City Guide: NYC, July 2018

Retail City Guide: NYC, July 2018 Retail City Guide: NYC, July 2018 For July, our monthly round-up of New York's retail and hospitality scene spotlights summer-ready pop-up shops, furniture showrooms that exude home comforts, and adventure-centric additions to city parks. Exhibits focus on single-artist retrospectives, ranging from a celebration of the late photographer Bill Cunningham to a survey of Giacometti's distinctive sculptures.

Retail City Guides

Retail City Guide: London, July 2018

Retail City Guide: London, July 2018 Retail City Guide: London, July '18 The Stylus round-up of the latest retail and hospitality openings includes a sustainability-focused flagship by Stella McCartney, a club-style workspace by Ministry of Sound and an Italian gelateria. Exhibitions include a pattern design retrospective by London-based designer Orla Kiely and a temporary Serpentine Pavilion by Mexican architect Frida Escobedo.

Retail City Guides

Art Basel & Design Miami/Basel 2018

Art Basel & Design Miami/Basel 2018 Art Basel & Design Miami/Basel 2018 Fresh designs and impactful installations took centre stage for the 2018 editions of Art Basel and Design Miami/Basel. Stylus selects highlights and trends from the busiest week in the art-world diary.

Colour & Materials

Arts & Pop Culture

Hyundai Flagship Reimagines the Car Dealership

Hyundai Flagship Reimagines the Car Dealership Hyundai's Car Gallery Hyundai is redefining the prime purpose of the traditional dealership from sales venue to exclusive backdrop for brand storytelling, acknowledging shifts in consumer behaviour towards researching online and visiting stores for assurance and experiences.

Welcoming Workplace Trends: NeoCon 2018

Welcoming Workplace Trends: NeoCon 2018 NeoCon Chicago 2018 NeoCon is North America’s premier event for contract furnishings. This year, brands unveiled savvy solutions to key challenges in contemporary office design: demand for more quiet and private spaces, desire for casual and comfortable environments, and more ambitious sustainability goals.

Unmasking Engagement

Unmasking Engagement Unmasking Engagement Stylus distils the most promising beauty engagement strategies from Asia, including educational live-streaming, selfie playgrounds and beautified gaming activations, with learnings for brands targeting Asia or looking to adapt ideas for the Western hemisphere.

Tiny Off-Grid Holiday Homes Tap Micro-Living Trend

Tiny Off-Grid Holiday Homes Tap Micro-Living Trend Tiny Homes Tap Micro-Living Trend A rising number of consumers are banding together in essentialist communities, with the shared desire for a more intentional, minimalist way of living. New York start-up Klein is set to appeal to these consumers with its affordable, self-powered micro-cabins that can be erected in remote locations within weeks.

Consumer Lifestyle

Consumer Attitudes

LA Retail Update: Summer 2018 Openings

LA Retail Update: Summer 2018 Openings LA Retail Update: Summer 2018 From cult independent brand flagships to streetwear outposts, 2018 brings an energetic mix of retail concepts to LA. We select the highlights.

Sustainability Turns Smart: Manufacturing a Clean Future

Sustainability Turns Smart: Manufacturing a Clean Future Sustainability Turns Smart Intelligent solutions are changing sustainability as we know it, creating new commercial opportunities and a landscape where waste pioneers will rise to the top. Powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence, robots are upgrading recycling processes, while big offenders such as diapers and coffee cups are receiving a complete overhaul. The most revolutionary cradle-to-cradle practices are the ones that can reverse manufacturing, proving that the circular economy is here.

Retro Reboot: Nostalgia's Role in Hospitality & Travel

Retro Reboot: Nostalgia's Role in Hospitality & Travel Retro Reboot Nostalgia can create deeper connections between consumers and the spaces and activities they participate in whilst travelling. Hospitality brands are looking back to the heydays of travel to inspire interior design and marketing campaigns, tapping into memories to revitalise iconic destinations that have fallen out of fashion.

Food, Beverage & Hospitality

Kanye West to Develop Low-Income Housing

Kanye West to Develop Low-Income Housing Kanye West's Low-Income Housing Expanding beyond his fashion label to enter the world of architecture, US musical artist Kanye West has announced Yeezy Home, a new creative branch of his brand that’s promising to develop affordable housing.

Architecture & Spaces

New Design Concepts Play with Natural Light

New Design Concepts Play with Natural Light Concepts Play with Natural Light Consumers are feeling a greater disconnect from natural environments as the world becomes increasingly urbanised. As an antidote to the lack of natural light in urban spaces, designers are finding innovative ways to enhance or artificially replicate daylight in our homes and built environments. Here are three exciting examples.

Colour & Materials

Materials Focus S/S 2020

Materials Focus S/S 2020 Materials Focus S/S 2020 The most influential materials innovations from across the creative and technology sectors are presented in our S/S 2020 Materials Focus. This season's themes are Land of Plenty, Botanical Modernism, Augmented Space and Hands of Time.

Colour & Materials

Materials Focus S/S 2020

Land of Plenty: Materials

Land of Plenty: Materials Land of Plenty: Materials Land of Plenty is an uplifting and youthful direction that brings joy to everyday environments through energising bright colours and inviting tactility.

Soft and squidgy surfaces cushion the hard edges of modern technology and give warmth to interiors and communal spaces designed to encourage social interaction and unleash creativity. Kitsch materials reminiscent of childhood are stacked and layered in eclectic formations, creating a maximalist aesthetic that speaks of nostalgia, youth and material abundance.

Through dreamlike visual filters, flora and fauna become obscured into surreal and otherworldly projections. Chromatic and shiny finishes give products a digital quality that challenges our perception of reality.

For colour directions relating to this theme, see Land of Plenty: Colour from our Colour Spectrum S/S 20.

Colour & Materials

Materials Focus S/S 2020

Botanical Modernism: Materials

Botanical Modernism: Materials Botanical Modernism: Materials The positive impact of plants and natural materials on our physical and psychological wellbeing comes together with the stripped-back simplicity and utopic clarity of the digital realm. Designers are inspired to integrate botanical features into our surroundings so that future spaces will nourish our bodies and minds as they evolve and mature.

Minimal interiors and clean, graphic lines are layered with the subtle tactility of botanical flecks and fibres. Wild and unruly natural materials are manipulated into controlled, engineered forms which are tailored to our built environment and products. Raw tactility is brought to surfaces using gestural pattern and machine-made imperfection, and cast materials such as concrete, clay and jesmonite are warmed with pigments and matt finishes that are inviting to touch.

For colour directions relating to this theme, see Botanical Modernism: Colour from our Colour Spectrum S/S 20.

Colour & Materials

Materials Focus S/S 2020

Augmented Space: Materials

Augmented Space: Materials Augmented Space: Materials The 50th anniversary of the first manned moon landing incites us to take stock of how far technology has brought us in the last half a century and explore new material resources on our planet and beyond.

By looking out beyond our planet, we regain perspective on what it is to be a human, living on Earth. A woke generation of designers and scientists optimise material usage and give familiar materials unusual properties. In our built environment, digital interfaces are overlaid onto inert surfaces, and patterns which trigger augmented reality are incorporated.

As sensors and microprocessors become smaller and technology evolves to become emotional and unobtrusive, intriguing and tactile materials define future devices. Dramatic textural contrast between high-shine and rough-hewn finishes imbue products with an elemental feel and produce awe-inspiring illusions.

For colour directions relating to this theme, see Augmented Space: Colour from our Colour Spectrum S/S 20.

Colour & Materials

Materials Focus S/S 2020

Hands of Time: Materials

Hands of Time: Materials Hands of Time: Materials Artists are reviving traditional craft and repurposed materials as a means to explore identity and memory. Cultural heritage and skills from a broad and global audience come together in a rich and resourceful aesthetic that celebrates human diversity and the histories that make us unique.

Honest materials and sustainable manufacturing processes reflect a consciousness of our natural environment and the need to preserve what already exists. Discarded plastic waste and raw materials such as straw and wicker are handworked into modern constructions, while heritage textiles are interwoven in contemporary ways. Age-old character and original features from historical architecture are preserved and updated in a considerate manner.

For colour directions relating to this theme, see Hands of Time: Colour from our Colour Spectrum S/S 20.

Colour & Materials

Materials Focus S/S 2020

Overview: Materials Focus

Overview: Materials Focus Overview: Materials Focus The most influential materials innovations from across the creative and technology sectors are presented in our S/S 2020 Materials Focus. This season's themes are Land of Plenty, Botanical Modernism, Augmented Space and Hands of Time.

We highlight the essential and inspirational projects influencing materials development and design aesthetics, and provide actionable insights for cross-industry application. Our Materials Focus is closely aligned with the Colour Spectrum S/S 2020, so that each theme has a practical yet progressive colour palette.

Alongside these four directions, we also provide a Materials Focus Evolution, which highlights three key material innovations that will have a strong resonance across the design industries for S/S 2020. Here, we track important advances and analyse how they are impacting structure, finish, texture and material composites.

Colour & Materials

Materials Focus S/S 2020

Retail City Guide: NYC, June 2018

Retail City Guide: NYC, June 2018 Retail City Guide: NYC, June '18 In June, New York City preps for summer with playful brand flagships prizing personalisation, escapist drinking destinations that exude a holiday atmosphere, and stimulating exhibits probing everything from the history of internet video to fashion's Catholic imagination. We share the don't-miss destinations.

Retail City Guides

Retail City Guide: London, June 2018

Retail City Guide: London, June 2018 Retail City Guide: London, June '18 This June, London's retail scene welcomes a co-working beauty hangout, Harrods' discovery-centred wine rooms, and a residential-style flagship by The Shop at Bluebird. Art highlights include the opening of the Royal Academy of Arts' extension by architect David Chipperfield, and a showcase of Frida Kahlo's personal belongings at the V&A.

Retail City Guides

Letter from the Editor: Edition 005

Letter from the Editor: Edition 005 Letter from the Editor: Edition 005

Beyond anticipation for the millennium, 2020 is the milestone year that has always denoted ‘tomorrow’s world’. Now, our global colour specialists have forecast the trends that will land in real life for this once-futuristic year.

Consumer Attitudes

Christmas 2019 Design Directions

Christmas 2019 Design Directions Christmas 2019 Design Directions Our Christmas 2019 Design Directions present the emerging visual trends to inspire product, packaging and spatial designs geared to the festive season. Legacy offers an update on family traditions, Magnify adopts a microscopic perspective of the natural world and Reset reinvigorates mindsets with a technicolour palette.

Christmas 2019 Design Direction Legacy

Christmas 2019 Design Direction Legacy Christmas 2019: Legacy Representing the past and the present, Legacy serves up a montage of traditions and rituals both old and new. Bold brights are paired with greyscale tones and patinated gold, while an eclectic material mix tells of personal histories for the festive season.

Christmas 2019 Design Direction Magnify

Christmas 2019 Design Direction Magnify Christmas 2019: Magnify Inspired by organic structures and processes, Magnify appreciates the architecture of nature, as if observed through a microscope. Materials that change and improve with age inform a palette of luxe metallics, while otherworldly accents find the alien in the natural.

Christmas 2019 Design Directions Reset

Christmas 2019 Design Directions Reset Christmas 2019: Reset At the darkest time of year, Reset stands out as a technicolour haven, reinvigorating mindsets by saturating spaces in colour and light. In a refreshed take on Christmas, low- and high-value materials are layered up for a playful effect and a joyous spirit.

Christmas 2019 Design Directions: Colour

Christmas 2019 Design Directions: Colour Christmas 2019: Colour Evolving from our Autumn/Winter 2019-20 Colour Spectrum, these palettes underpin the aesthetic of our Christmas 2019 Design Directions – Legacy, Magnify and Reset.

Colour & Materials

Thrill of Exploration: The Shop at Bluebird’s Flagship

Thrill of Exploration: The Shop at Bluebird’s Flagship Wonder Reigns: Discovery-Led Retail British luxury concept store The Shop at Bluebird has opened a hybrid retail emporium based around the idea of exploration in London's buzzing Covent Garden district.

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