Surface and Materials in depth

How surfaces and materials work in partnership with colour to create new design outcomes is integral to our forecasting.

Each season we contextualise our published design directions with the Trend Influences report and develop them further with our in-depth colour, material and finish (CMF) forecast.

Our latest forecast for AW 2022/23 features the trend influences and diverse CMF directions for the Coast, Pastorale, Home and Belief stories.

Trend Influences

In this report

We give context for the directions with insight into the underlying drivers of customer preferences and behaviours.

These are the big picture influences from culture, technology, the environment, politics and economics, and they form the foundation of our design and colour directions.

These influences in turn shape customer demands and expectations, and inform their colour, material and finish choices.

In this forecast, we outline the complex and often contradictory responses to the pandemic driven by a collective experience during the past eighteen months. From community and rural escapism, to more habitual responses of remote working and holistic wellbeing.

Global CMF Forecast

In this forecast

To start your conversation on product development and range building, each colour palette is expanded into balanced colour proportions and combinations across two, three and four colourways.

Each design direction is carefully explored in material, pattern, colour and finish focused sections for inspiration, design, product development and styling.

In the story Home, where prevailing themes of protectionism, connectivity and remote working are of note, we feature refined projects that reflect a shift from outer to inner worlds, and outcomes for print and pattern are subtle, comforting and haptic.

Taking design directions successfully from concept to realisation owes much to good storytelling. Through colour, material and finish we aim to bring you a compelling narrative, one that not only inspires, but also makes sense.

One aspect of Home CMF is the sleek sophistication found in hard materials with opalescent finishes in transitioning colours.

Our palettes are informed by an in depth understanding of how and why colour families evolve.

For each season we identify the macro colour directions for the season with important colour groups and families.

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Work with material and colour?

For MIX Magazine, design and colour forecasts two years ahead of the season, our digital archive, Trend Influences, in depth Global CMF forecasts and more, become a Colour Hive member.

Trend Influences is an overview of the global drivers and market signals from our AW 2022/23 design directions.

The Global CMF forecast features 100+ pages and over 250 fully credited images from directional designers and creators.

The standards for all colours are referenced to the closest Pantone, NCS, RAL, plus RGB, CMYK, LAB and HEX breakdowns, and are supplied digitally.