Autumn Fair (4th – 7th September, NEC, Birmingham) has partnered with leading global futures agency TrendBible, to provide visitors to the show with an exclusive preview of the key Home and Lifestyle and Gifting trends for 2023. On Monday 5th September at 11am at the Inspiring Retail Stage you can join TrendBible’s Trend Editor Wendy Lowe for Gifting Trends for 2023, where she will provide vital insight into the key trends impacting consumers and key opportunities which will elevate retailers’ celebration, occasion, and gift ranges to new levels.
Lowe says; “Reaching the highest version of self provides new opportunities to elevate celebrations and gifting to new levels. Consumers seek out escapist ways to connect with nature and the universe, channelling energy and spirituality in all aspects of life. A core focus on making celebrations more sustainable will continue to drive design innovation.”
Returning to the Inspiring Retail Stage at 11am Tuesday 6th September, Wendy will uncover the consumer behaviours and lifestyle choices set to underpin product within the Home and Lifestyle Trends 2023 session. Lowe says: “The demand for a better reality for all underpins life at home in 2023, blending ethics with environmentalism to create an allclusive approach where everyone is empowered. Self-expression is a key cornerstone of this cultural shift, as society interrogates stereotypes, taboos, and amplifies under-represented voices and this begins to influence how we express ourselves at home.
“Amidst a major societal transformation of challenging the status quo, environmental intersectionalism gains momentum. Homemakers now demand holistic solutions that satisfy their desire for a fresh aesthetic whilst protecting the planet. Brands need to place ethical and circular thinking at the core of their processes to stay relevant. Offering products and services that help to create a world worth living in needs to be integral. Expect more consumers to opt for businesses that honestly contribute to tackling the climate crisis and issues resulting from the socio-economic gap we face as a global community.”
Offering a sneak preview, two key 2023 Home and Lifestyle Trends include Future Eden and Modern Renaissance:
Future Eden
Driving the Trend: Building back better / Ultra-localism / Democratising nature / Remote working.
The pandemic has fuelled alternative living models that enable shorter or fewer commutes for many, and more time for the things we enjoy, alongside greener, more walkable neighbourhoods. Worries of a lasting urban exodus are pushing authorities to address long-festering problems so city centres need to work hard to entice people back now that it’s no longer always necessary for work.
The global lockdowns highlighted how many people, particularly in urban areas, are missing out on green space. There is now a need to democratise nature and reframe eco narratives from wholesome and rural, to accessible to all. Nature-friendly initiatives are already being explored by authorities that are looking at how cities can be better for people and nature alike. Paris is removing half of its 140,000 on-street car parking spaces, replacing concrete with gardens to make the city greener and more human-centred.
In a post-pandemic world, where working from home continues to be at least part of the equation, there will be a want and need to get more from local areas. The 15-minute city project envisions a future for neighbourhoods that would assure all necessary amenities exist a short walk from peoples’ front doors. The project recommends developing cities in smaller modules, with essential services concentrated around community hubs.
Within the home, householders bring the outside in, to create little Edens of their own. Favour the essentials and eliminate the superfluous, as functionality and durability drive design direction.
Outdoor terrain inspires textiles and surface pattern design. Moss-like patterns, faux grass textures and alpine hay composites provide a visual connection to nature, with the latter also granting a haptic and olfactive experience.
Modern Renaissance
Driving the trend: Cultural reawakening / Rebirth of culture / New beginnings / Humanist values / Skinclusivity
Consumers are seeking ways to reinvent and rejuvenate themselves, having been deprived of new beginnings so much in recent years, due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Starved of art and culture, and driven by the dramatic shift in work, life and relationship dynamics, householders will rediscover a curiosity for the topics of art, history, beauty and identity.
A cultural reawakening emerges, representative of the bloom that follows a fallow period. The spirit and design style of the Renaissance cascade through visual language and product design, where classic forms find a new audience and a still-life aesthetic emerges.
Such dramatic social changes inspire a mindset shift where personal identity is scrutinised and evaluated. A new wave of artists and muses become interesting to this curious consumer. Beauty is redefined for the modern age as a new appetite for more varied definitions drives a movement for skinclusivity.
About Wendy Lowe, Trend Editor, TrendBible
Wendy works on the Home & Interiors division of the Trend Subscription Platform, responsible for researching and analysing trends across the design industry and creating actionable and insightful reports to help keep clients ahead of future trends. Wendy has worked as a trend forecaster and editor across multiple industries including Fashion, Baby and Kids, Home and Interiors and Lifestyle. She has a keen eye for lifestyle and market shifts, and a passion for colour, textiles and pattern. Wendy regularly contributes to TrendBible’s publishing and seminar programs, addressing a broad range of audiences about trends in home and family life.
