Classic Blue, the Colour of the year 2020, says PANTONE

Classic Blue will the red-hot colour for 2020, according to the US colour institute  PANTONE, as they reckon that this colour represents a dependable and stable foundation to move forward to a new era.  

Pantone Color of the Year 2020 - Classic Blue Mood board  from Covet House. 
Instilling calm, confidence, and connection, this enduring blue hue highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era. Suggestive of the sky at dusk, the reassuring qualities of the thought-provoking PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue highlight our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era.

It is said that Classic Blue brings calmness, confidence and connection, which is probably when the world needs now at a time when many global economies are shrouded in uncertainties and political unrest.
‘We are living in a time that requires trust and faith. It is this kind of constancy and confidence that is expressed by Pantone 19-405 Classic Blue, a solid and dependable blue hue we can always rely on.' said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute.

Coffee Mug from COPENHAGEN DESIGN, a Danish design company that develops products under the license of PANTONE made for the creative professionals, who already work with the PANTONE colour system and made for those who just loves to see the world more colourful. 
COPENHAGEN DESIGN will exhibit at Top Drawer London Januasry 12 - 14 2020.

As a versatile and popular colour, Blue is widely regarded as soothing as well as strong and regal even, and can easily be paired with a wide range of colours, from pink and red to all spectrum of green and yellow.  

According to Covet House, the different hues of blue, like the colours of the ocean, are the new black, this season. The more mix of blues incorporated in the design, the better, from the navy blue, the denim and colbat blue to the ocean and peacock. The options for the design are endless.

Annie Sloan's take on Living Coral

Pantone’s announcing Living Coral as the new colour of 2019 signals images in my mind of exotic places with warm sunshine.

It is no doubt an uplifting and happy colour, giving a feeling of hope and optimism.

Living Coral is already making waves in the interior design world, that can add cheerful notes and personality to homes.








According to paint expert and colour guru Annie Sloan,  Living Coral is a vibrant, almost neon coral, rare throughout the history of colour, because a shade this strong would have been expensive to make.

Annie Sloan:  Chalk Paint Coral Mix Using Tilton And Emperor's Silk.
Image from Annie Sloan.

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Annie Sloan says, “To me, it (Living Coral) conjures up the flavours of India and Morocco, of spices and sunsets.” 

“Create your own coral by mixing two Chalk Paint™ colours together. (As shown above) Three parts of Tilton, a mustard yellow, with one part Emperor’s Silk, a pure bright red, reflects that energy you can see in Pantone’s colour.”

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint™ Sunset Squares On Panelled Wall, featuring Antoinette, Barcelona Orange, Emperor's Silk Radiator features Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan in Antoinette. Daybed covered in Antoinette Linen Union Panels in Chalk Paint™;  Table top and floorboards in Chalk Paint™ Scandinavian Pink. Table legs in Chalk Paint™ Honfleur.  Image from Annie Sloan.

Annie adds: "Pack a punch by playing with blocks of colour, Josef Albers-style.  A sunset-inspired palette of Chalk Paint™ in Antoinette, Barcelona Orange, Emperor’s Silk and an Antoinette and Barcelona Orange mix will create a lively look that’s perfect for summer schemes.

Annie Sloan giving a demonstration with her Chalk Paint™ at a recent TopDrawer  London trade event.
Photo © Lucia Carpio 2019

"Once the walls are saturated with juicy colour, move onto floors, radiators, side table, trays - because of it’s unique formulation Chalk Paint™ can be applied to any surface without prepping, sanding or priming, while a coat of wax or lacquer will keep your furniture looking fresh into Autumn and beyond."

British Artists turn their talent to gift products and home ware

The rich colours of a painting caught my attention in the Spotted section of Top Drawer trade fair in London earlier this month:  an alluring tiger resting in a jungle of tropical green.

Equally beguiling are illustrations of colourful birds looking back at me.  These are limited edition hand-drawn prints and are available as greeting cards. 

Surrey-based British artist Marianne Glass informed that her exotic designs are not just for stationery but also home accessories, digitally printed on fabrics in the UK that are made into cushion covers.  

Her paintings, which she said are the starting points for her collection of designs, are sold as original art. 

Inspired mostly by the natural world around her, Marianne explained that she was born in the Solomon Islands and was brought up in Hong Kong and the UK.  

With a fine arts degree, Marianne said growing up influenced by different cultures has helped her develop her designs and started her business only a year ago.

The original paintings are sold on her website, along with prints of various bird head designs.

Marianne also produces Alphabet Animal Prints are available in A4 and A3 sizes for framing. These hand-drawn prints are black and white so will go with any interior colour theme.  They are also available as A6 greeting cards.

Marianne is also available for commissioned work and contact details are on her website.

In contrast, artist Kate Thorburn’s designs are delicate and elegantly hand-drawn blue and white botanical flora and fauna, and butterflies and bees.  These demonstrate the artist’s passion for nature, and along with vintage-inspired patterns are illustrated on ceramics produced in Stoke-on-Trent. 

The Yorkshire-based surface pattern designer said she started her brand of ceramics - What Kate Loves - in 2014.  As a keen traveller around the country, Kate’s designs are created originally from sketches inspired from photographs taken, mood boards, nature and illustrated guides. 

The new collection of ceramics in Wild Garden Sketches are both decorative and functional, and Kate is pround that they are British-made. 

“The history of the ceramic industry is really important to me.  I want to keep the tradition of this craft alive by producing timeless and beautiful things of the highest quality from Stoke-on-Trent,” said Kate.

The products and contact details are available on the What Kate Loves website. 

Pom-Poms and all things colourful are all the craze!

Pom-poms, tassles  and colour are great ways to liven up our lives. 

The appeal of puffy, fluffy pom-poms continues to fascinate us as it has been for hundreds of years.

According to historians, these playful puff balls have a colourful history of pomp and circumstance, decorating national costumes and traditional attires, from clergymen's caps to cheerleaders' socks.

Tsarouhi shoes with giant pom-poms are part of the Greek
guards (Evzones) national uniforms.
Photos taken in Athens by Lucia Carpio for
My Fashion Connect Global.

Even today, in Greece, guards known as Evzones on duty at national monuments and government buildings wear the Tsarouhi shoes with giant pom-poms as part of their traditional uniform.














At the Top Drawer trade fair held at London - Kensington Olympia earlier this week, fluffy Pom-poms were spotted on many new products.

At Brand Native, the British brand founded and owned by Colombian-born Claudia Correa-Bell, pom-poms decoarded sandals with colourful woven straps, and the hand-crafted Mochita bags by indigenous Colombian Wayuu artisans of Guajira.  Claudia said she  is dedicated to supporting these native communities by paying the artisans fair prices You can read about the full story by clicking HERE.

Meanwhile, the Bohemia design company showcased a range of  products decorated with pom-poms such as these Moroccan market baskets shownj below, which are perfect for today's "No More Plastic Bags" lifestyle.  There are also garlands featuring rows of carefully spaced pom-poms which are good as room dividers and as window decorations.

Along with pom-poms, there are colourful tassels adorning wall-hanging  as well as pocket mirrors of varying sizes which are eye-catching and fun.

The Bohemia creative team are based in Edinburgh with a design studio and warehouse near the Port of Leith and a boutique on the south side of the city.   Apparently, the Scottish capital is a hotbed of bohemians and eccentrics, writers, artists, philosophers, poets, photographers, and home to the Edinburgh Festival, the largest arts festival in the world. From that base, the design team travel widely and work in partnership with skillful artisans around the globe, from sourcing leather babouche slippers in Morocco to colourful pouffes and traditional hand-block printed fabrics fro India is the source of our traditional hand block printed fabrics, as well as cotton hammam towels, scarfs and semi-precious stone jewellery from Turkey.

Product shots taken at Top Drawer, London Kensington Olympia (held 17 - 19 January) by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect Global.

Designers put their magical touch on hand-crafted jewellery.

Nature and animals are popular themes for many jewellery designers.  Here are a few featured at the new Jewellery and Accessories floor showcased at the Top Drawer London  fair last week at its new home at Kensington Olympia.

While admiring designer Amanda Coleman’s delicate handmade jewellery, I experienced an "Into the Woods" fairy-tale moment as her jewellery are whimsical and can take us into a magical world of playful scenes.

Amanda said she takes inspiration for her designs from her love of the natural world, all things miniature and the peculiarities of everyday life.

Equally pretty are Amanda Coleman's jewellery stands from which her magical jewellery are hung.  The stands are perfect complements to her jewellery.

Carved from birch plywood, as well as veneered mdf, cherry and walnut, each stand - which can be in the shape of a Big C featuring a woodland scene or in the shape of a Moose - and features an array of holes and hooks from which jewellery can be hung and displayed and these stands can be bought separately.  Perfect for the girl who has everything.

The hand-finished and hand-decorated jewellery from Mar Moo by Amanda Cope of Wiltshire are miniature works of art.  Amanda uses sterling silver, wood paper and clay for an array of necklaces, pendants, earrings and bracelets.

Each one - in the shape of a bird, dog or cat - is hand decorated so no two are exactly the same but are very similar.  Perfect for animal lovers.

Among its efforts to promote the new jewellery floor, Top Drawer London showcased two designers who were awarded as the fair's Fashion First “rising stars”.

Designer Clara Francis who taught herself the ancient craft of bead weaving, demonstrated her own unique style of bead-work at her stand .

Her designs are inspired by flora, fauna and a dose of pop culture thrown into the mix.  Among my favourites are her butterfly and star-themed designs.

This was the first time Clara had taken part in a trade fair having started her label over 10 years ago.
Using an average of 600 glass beads – ranging from 1.3 mm to 2.5 mm in diameter, Clara has created jewellery and accessories for wide ranging clients including Harvey Nichols and the Victoria and Albert Museum, and her designs have been worn by a number of red-carpet celebrities, including Alexa Chung, Victoria Beckham and Kirsten Dunst. 

Hard at work in her stand at Top Drawer, Clara was making a special bridal tiara for retailer Browns Brides.  “I have a delivery deadline to make and so I thought why not do them during the fair while trying to keep on schedule.”

“The bridal range started after my wedding a year ago.  I made for myself a star headwear which inspired me to develop more bridal designs, ” she said.

Designer Urvi Vora, a London College of Fashion graduate, started her unique Trousseau brand of bold and colourful jeweller.

Her stand at Top Drawer was a treasure trove of statement pieces.

Though London based, Urvi's one-of-a-kind pieces featuring ethnic influences are hand-made in India.  She uses semi-precious stones in various shapes and sizes, set in gold plated metal.

All photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.

Scoop London announces two shows per season. Top Drawer London reports success with new venue and format.

The format of fashion industry trade fairs as we know it is being challenged today as many in the industry are now examining how the growing number of exhibition around the world are competing for both exhibitors and quality attendees.   
The way trade shows operate and their formats have become hot topics in recent weeks due to the cancellation of the Bread & Butter January 2015 fair after 13 years which caught many by surprise.  An interesting article recently reported by The Ethical Fashion Source Intelligence:- Trends in Tradeshows: It’sTime For An Evolution - offers insights into the changing trade show landscape. 
The general consensus in the industry is that fair organisers cannot take past successes for granted and their fairs need to evolve to meet the needs of all parties concerned in order to maintain the relevance of their shows for both exhibitors and trade attendees.That is why it was great to learn two London-based fairs see the importance to evolve according to the needs of the industry and traders.

For one, Scoop London has just announced that from this summer onwards there will be not one but two SCOOP shows taking place each season at the Saatchi Gallery.  That means four shows a year. The changes will take effect next season.

This timetable allows for pre-collections at the beginning of the season and another to coincide with London Fashion Week.  

According to SCOOP founder and managing director Karen Radley, the first show, Scoop International, will be held on August 2-4 this year as previously announced and will have a similar profile to the existing show by featuring primarily international contemporary collections. The second show of the season, Scoop London, will feature international designer collections, first and second lines and collections from emerging British designers.  It will run during London Fashion Week at the Saatchi Gallery, on September 20-22 this year.

In a recent interview, Ms Radley said the two-show solution has been devised to cater for overseas labels and their production agendas as well as the high-end collections and young British designers.  No doubt other trade fair and event organisers will be keeping a close watch on this new development. 

This season, Scoop will be held soley at the Saatchi Gallery from February 1-3, rather than the two venues it has previously been held at for the past three seasons.

Colourful clutch by Aspiga. Clothes by Rosalyn Hind.
Photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.

Meanwhile, Top Drawer London has reported a phenomenal success for its recent edition held last week thanks to a face-lift that met with industry approval.  Organisers at Clarion Events said a major reason for positive feedbacks from exhibitors and the industry was due to the new Fashion & Accessories Floor created this season, and the move to a new venue - Kensington Olympia.

Shopping bag by Ceannis Living Accessories.
Clothes by Ines Arconada Vazquez.

Occupying the first floor gallery, the Fashion & Accessories floor provided exhibitors a new platform to showcase their collections.  There were more than 300 fashion & accessories brands making up 1/3 of the Top Drawer Exhibition.  Also Clarion had seen a 10% increase in ‘fashion’ related brands, with many using the exhibition to launch collections and new product lines.

Rubber band jewellery by Delight London.
Clothes by Rosalyn Hind.

Michelle Prah Top Drawer Fashion & Accessories Director said: “We wanted to launch fashion of Top Drawer as it's own entity:  to give it its own dedicated platform within the show, to achieve this we've invested heavily in a focused marketing campaign to attract fashion buyers from the UK and Europe.

Direct feedback from exhibitors reveal the “high quality” flow of buyers has been constant over all three days of the exhibition, she said, and has seen a significant increase in international buyers, with orders being written and placed on exhibitor stands. Clarion report “excellent” numbers of Fashion & Accessories exhibitors booking on site to stand again, at the September show.

Ms Prah adds, “As I have known most of these fashion exhibitors for nearly 5 years, I know they will always give me their honest feedback on how a show has performed...for it to be working so well for them in terms of new contacts, amount of orders and interest from overseas makes me feel extremely proud of what has been achieved.”

Jewellery by Tempest Design.
Photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.

In addition to the new location and Fashion & Accessories platform Top Drawer London added an extra ‘style’ element to the exhibition with the introduction of the Fashion & Accessories catwalk shows produced by Cult of Fashion.