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Heimtextil 2020: Belonging in Sustainable Futures.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the international trade fair for home and contract textiles, starts the new decade off by creating a sustainability manifesto, and a focus on innovative design practices.

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All Images Courtesy of Heimtextil

The first trade fair of the year for its sector, Heimtextil is known for being a climate and trend barometer for the next year. In this case, it might even set the tone for the next decade. Where last year, the fair focused in on seeking Utopia through contemporary design, the direction of their 50th-anniversary edition works towards making sure that these possible futures will come to fruition. With over 3000 exhibitors displaying their wares and ideas, a special focus throughout its spaces are on the application of sustainability, a focus which is also reflected in the addition of its “Green Village” and a newmaterial manifesto developed by Heimtextil and the International Trend Council. The manifesto outlines how to manage resources when creating its important trend and inspiration area (the aptly Trend Space) and how to avoid using new materials, whenever possible, which will most probably otherwise end up as waste as the exhibition closes.

In a special throwback for its 50th anniversary, Heimtextil 2020 will highlight design classics and aesthetics of the last 50 years throughout the various exhibition halls. On what tributes to its longevity, Sabine Scharrer (Director Heimtextil) states that “As a design show, it constantly reinvents itself, continues to present state-of-the-art home trends as it has always done and makes the furnishing trends of tomorrow tangible.

Another interesting focus in this year’s fair is the Textile Technologies section, which pays attention to the digital revolution that is currently leading to fundamental innovative changes in the manufacture and (more) sustainable processing of home textiles. The trade fair will also offer its own lecture programme, Textile Technology Talks, with experts from industry and research for the first time. Furthermore, this year’s Trend Space, designed by Stijlinstituut Amsterdam, embodies the fair’s overarching themeWhere I belong”, which revolves around theincreasinglyfluid and multi-layers identities that we may inhabit locally, nationally, globally, as well as online and/or offline. To reveal these layers, four design studios (Bastiaan de Nennie, Raw Color, Envisions and Bart Hess) and two photographers (Jan Hoek and Stephen Tayo) were invited to identify the core of five sub-themes. Each creative was assigned a theme that matched their philosophy, practice and methodology, enabling them to bring a personal and authentic aspect to the stories. The fair’s five sub-themes are: Maximum Glam who’s extravagance and faux textures are inspired by the performative aesthetics on digital platforms; Pure Spiritual which addresses a return to organic materials; Active Urban which returns the focus to utilitarian, adaptable and functional man-made designs; Heritage Lux that addresses ornamental patterning and alluring surface enhancement inspired by historic methodologies; and Multi-Local, which unapologetically celebrates the globalising exchange of ideas and textiles through it’s countless crafted and decorated patterns.

See all this and more at Heimtextil 2020, held in Frankfurt am Main from January 7-10 2020.

Cover Photo: PURE SPIRITUAL – Resurrecting the Sublime by Christina Agapakis (Ginkgo Bioworks Inc.), Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg & Sissel Tolaas, with support from IFF Inc. Photography by Grace Chuang, Courtesy of Harvard University Herbaria © Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc., The herbarium of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.

The Heimtextil Trend Council (from left to right): Harm Rensink, Anne Marie Commandeur, Caroline Till, Grietje Schepers, Anja Bisgaard Gaede and Titia Dane. Photo: Pietro Sutera/Messe Frankfurt
Bart Hess for Heimtextil
Ville Fantome by Bodys Isek Kingelez © B.I. Kingelez. Photo by Maurice Aeschimann. Image courtesy of CAAC - The Pigozzi Collection.
MAXIMUM GLAM - Puff and Stuff by Christopher Schanck. Photo by Michelle and Chris Gerard, Image Courtesy of Friedman Benda
MULTI-LOCAL - Provacteur and pop star Charly Boy (née Charles Oputa) at his home in Abuja, Nigeria. Image by Stephen Tayo, Jan Hoek.
Working Girl Lounge Chair by David Irwin. Copyright Deadgood Trading Limited 2019.
Digital Print Technology (Mimaki)
PURE SPIRITUAL by Raw Color. (Tinctorial Textiles, Portfolio work)
MUTI-LOCAL - Lagos Futurism, Willyverse
ACTIVE URBAN - Envisions for Heimtextil, Art direction by Sanne Schuurman and Emma Wessel, Photography textiles by Ronald Smits, VR visuals by Roel Deden
HERITAGE LUX - Drift sofa by Fernando Mastrangelo. photography by Cary Whittier.
MAXIMUM GLAM - Greenshit by Guillermo Santomà. Photography by Jose Hevia Blach. Images Courtesy of Side Gallery.
HERITAGE LUX - The Chapel at The Jaffa Hotel by John Pawson, Photography by Amit Geron.
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