Material Directions: AW 2022/23

April 07, 2022

Pastorale

Sometimes a story comes along that is unashamedly surface skimming, a celebration of ephemeral pleasures and distractions. Pastorale is one such story, escapist, fantastical and romantic.

This story is unapologetically feminine and romantic with little connection to reality. Bucolic motifs have an undercurrent of fairy tales and life is seen through a Disney filter. Both contemporary design and heritage craft come together with whimsical touches that reflect this escapist direction.

Pastorale was first published in MIX Magazine issue 62, and the following material and surface directions explored in more detail in our AW 2022/23 Global CMF Forecast.

Porcelain

Unapologetically pretty, there is a reappraisal of classic porcelain design and decoration. The influence of Chinese blue and white pottery is revisited in traditional European hand-painted designs, as seen in &klevering Amsterdam’s Tulip Pyramid vessel.

Haus of Lucy’s 21^st century porcelain figurines see classical compositions depicting displays of life during lockdown.

Miniature porcelain flowers and faux pearls adorn dainty jewellery by fashion brand Shrimps.

Pattern Focus

Painterly Strokes

Creative expression meets classical references in this naïve direction. Imagery is illustrative with animated painterly marks as seen in Léa Zana vases embellished with stylised florals.

Grounded Sky

Paired traditionally with other pastels, a sophisticated combination option for clean sky blues is the foliage greens and neutrals that you’d find in nature. Here, the heavy shaded green of Nettle and desaturated Willow allow the full-bodied blue of Clear Day to come to the fore as a colour for grown-ups. This is perfectly expressed in NYNNE’s SS 2021 collection.

Work with Material and Colour?

Building on the design directions first published in MIX Magazine, our bi-annual Global CMF Forecast features concepts and colour and material palettes illustrated with more than 250 fully credited images.

Both publications are included in Colour Hive membership. Members can access our forecasts including the Trend Influences, Global CMF Forecast and Design Impressions for AW 2022/23 and the full forecast for AW 2023/24 is out now.

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