Nature- the mother of all inspiration.

Close-up of garden-themed embroidery on a dress from Bambah.

The Nature theme as inspiration for fashion, home and lifestyle products has been popular for some time now, so it comes as welcome news when leading colour authority Pantone announced in early December that Greenery is the Colour of the Year 2017.  It is a natural (mind the pun) development since the botanical theme came onto the scene last year and will continue to play a key role in 2017.

Vibrant colours for floral jacquards and brocades for AW17 as presented at Premiere Vision, Paris, September 2016.

Photo © Lucia Carpio

Enchanting garden-themed fabrics for SS17 as seen at Premiere Vision, Paris, February 2016.
Photo © Lucia Carpio

All things floral and botanical were shown in a myriad of fabric bases at the prestigious Premiere Vision textile trade fairs in Paris in February and September this year.

Eden silk scarf by designers Shan Jiang and Ying Wu at Pig Chicken Cow of London. 

Dream girl silk scarf from Cleo Ferin Mercury for SS16.

And throughout the year, botanical prints have been a driving force in interior design.

Terrarium-printed floor cushion from Hothouse.

And then, the notion of incorporating the outdoors and plant life into interior design has become a key driver.

Tom Dixon's Tank vases also available at Heal's.
Photo © Lucia Carpio

Lantern Terrariums from Oliver Bonas.

All things Green - Colour of the year 2017

It's official.  Green is the colour of the year 2017.

The Hotel Monopol at Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, oozes with old world charm.
Its inner courtyard off the reception is an oasis of calming greenery, filled with palm trees, hanging green ferns, evergreens, and tropical creepers that climb up to the glass roof  and 
surrounded on all sides by hand-carved wooden verandahs.  
Photo © Lucia Carpio, December 2016.

Colour institute Pantone has named green as the colour of the year 2017.  To be exact, the word they have used is Greenery, a colour inspired by nature, hope and fresh beginnings and described by Pantone as a "tangy yellow-green" often seen in foliage.

Considering the state of world affairs today, one also hopes the colour brings a sense of optimism.
Known on Pantone's colour chart as 15-0343 Greenery, which has been described as "a tangy yellow-green that speaks to our need to explore, experiment, and reinvent, the colour authority Pantone also says the colour is "illustrative of flourishing foliage; the fertile attributes of Greenery signals one to take a deep breath, oxygenate, and reinvigorate."

In an interview with the New York Times, executive director of the Pantone Leatrice Eiseman said it is a colour of hopefulness and of our connection to nature; a choice made in response to a "stressful and tense world".

UK retail sales to grow 2.5% this December

With the current bout of railway strikes and the just announced post office strikes, one can understand why many of us Brits are shying away from the Christmas high street rush.

A luxury home festive scene set by this plush Claude Armchair in Prussian Blue and matching
 Georgette Footstool In Prussian Blue, both available at Made.com

New research from market intelligence agency Mintel reveals that as many as one in five (20%) Brits are expected to shop online more for this Christmas, rising to 24% of men and 28% of 16-24 year olds. The top three reasons why Brits shopped online for gifts last year were to get cheaper prices (55%), to avoid the crowds (49%) and to shop when it suited them (49%).

According to the new research, Mintel estimates that total UK retail sales will reach £42.2 billion, a growth of 2.5% this December.

Richard Perks, Director of Retail Research at Mintel, said: “When it comes to Christmas shopping, it is increasingly artificial to make a distinction between online and in-store as the two increasingly are working together to suit shoppers’ needs. We are seeing pure players recognise the advantages to having a physical offering, signified by Amazon and Zalando’s interest in moving to the high street. At the same time, a number of high street retailers now price match against online retailers, trying to fight back against the continued belief among shoppers that it's cheaper to buy online.”

Overall, 93% of Brits bought gifts for Christmas 2015. 86% bought gifts in-store and 76% purchased online. Just under one in ten (8%) Brits bought all of their Christmas gifts online, compared to one in five (18%) who bought all of their Christmas gifts in-store.

Richard adds.“The economic background for consumers continues to be favourable. Real incomes are rising and unemployment is falling. There are some worrying signs though. Consumer credit has risen back to record levels and the housing market has weakened a little but overall, the prospects for Christmas remain good.”

Jode Pankhurst among new designs to feature at Heal's come SS 2017

Watch out for beautiful porcelain decorative works by designer Jode Pankhurst, who will be launching an exclusive collection at Heal's in their Tottenham Court Road flagship in April 2017.

Jode will be one of the new and emerging designers on Heal's Discovers programme.

An illustrator who makes bold, graphic and playful pieces of homeware and also have a collection of wearable ceramic jewellery, Jode decorates her wares free-hand, as demonstrated here at a preview of her range of lovely bottles, plant holders, holding vessels of various designs.

Jode originally homed her craft in Edinborough, and she has now moved to London to continue her craft.

All photos  © Lucia Carpio.

Mighty Clutch-bags with built-in chargers keep the party going.

You've got the knock-out dress and the sexy heels for the party.  Now all you need is the Mighty Purse because when you’re dancing the night away, the last thing on your mind will be to run out of juice.

Fusing fashion with technology, the Mighty Purse charges a mobile phone on the go without compromising on style - perfect for the festive party season. All available on cuckooland.com

Australian designer brand Handbag Butler has launched a new range of Phone-charging Clutch Purses that can keep smart devices charged up so you can snap all those selfies, tag everyone on Instagram, and safely call a taxi home at the end of the night!

Tribal Stud Mighty Purse.

Handbag Butler's Mighty Purse is made from quality goat leather, with a built-in 4000mAh rechargeable battery capable of bringing your Micro USB Smartphones, iPhones or Apple Lightning device back to life for two full charges on the go.

Designed with a removable wrist strap, each purse  measures 23 cm x 15 cm and has enough room for money, cards, keys, phone and lipstick with two compartments, credit card sleeves and an internal zipped pocket.

New for AW16 are on-trend metallic designs, including the Black & Gold Star print and the equally stunning geometric stud designs. New colours - Coral, Teal & Rose Gold - are also on offer.

All available on cuckooland.com