Trends from Li Edelkoort

I am at the International Mohair Summit in Graaf Reinet
The summit was opened by Mayor Sizwe Mngwevu
Brilliant - Li Edelkoort
I could not keep up (hugely disadvantaged by my non journalistic skills) but herewith the words and thoughts I took out from it. Forgive me for misinterpretation and leaving things out but I am sure you will use your creative talent to create the big picture. I just put the words down – make up your own mind… it is always the best way to go.

We are the world, We are family
Trends do not move as quickly as we pretend they do.
We are moving to want to be like 2, coupled, share due, pair, not influenced by sex, we look for the other in us and us in the other. People at work – do business together as pairs.
The sum of two people are more than two. There is a small baby boom. Dogs took the place of babies – doggie clothes, food, doggie stores, but now it is changing babies are coming back.
The fathers are in charge of babies. Men are taking care of the education of the children.
New man – slim, romantic, more romantic merchandise more in tune with the female genes.
Men and animals bond big-time globally it modifies their behavior.

Natural products are important

New bond between grand parents and children – less distance that in the olden days. Six pockets kids. Grand parents + grand parents + parents makes six pockets to give and pay for.
Disney World are making space for the grand parents and the grand children visiting together.
Internet – grand children teach grand parents – grand parents pay.
Economic unity between grand parents and grand children.

New kids want the combination between new and old and they know how to mix it with flair.
The family has became the family of choice, family of adoption, family of different culture, family of friends – this will make a difference in the world.

We do not want things the same, we like things to be different. We need the group, the group merchandising is making a come back but with the difference that each piece has something that is different. A Set of chairs – all the same design but all made slightly differently.
New Group – Entering a new phase – the individual will become group, people become the corporation. The individual is giving everything of their best to the group. Everyone does what they can do best.
Pyramid of power is becoming horizontal a person will give themselves to the success of the group. All different, abstract group, group that does not look like a group. This means that we can also make clothes like that - One design but slight differences.
Individualism that we have seen coming to the fore in the past 20 years will become not so important – more competition from groups, others, tendency to family.
We need to bring the designer to the animal with lots of businesses in between to contribute to the end product – we need to know how do you make the players become a family. Bridge the designer to the source. New way of doing business.
Winter Fashion.
Monolog – winter season
Monotones - Grey graceful. Perfect backdrop for accessories
Monocoloured - functional, denim blue denim. Denim becoming modern again .

Monobasic - Beauty of industrial design. Balanced shape.
Monometallics - rivets, nails and buttons will be the detail, metal finishes important
Self-reliance and allure. Russian blue, cat suits,
Monobody - Fitted fabrics discreet damask body hugging, focus on the essential
Monospace. Vehicles absorbing humans.
Robotic – surreal sense of style.
Monotype - Graphic play used with abundance. Play with texture and design.
Silk luxury, Bold brush strokes, Shades of browns. Enormous panel patterns
Monostyle - Black like a moonlight night
Monoculture - In the time of crisis we need to concentrate on what we do best. And forget of the rest.

All business crosses over in good times. Consumers gets confused. People think they can do everything, the airline is doing the catering, then they open hotels, then start a clothing brand, a perfume etc.. Nobody specializes.

Mono music is making a come back, great interest in the concentrated and specialized source. Monoculture are the cultures of the world that depend on one animal as their source. Cultures breed animals for fiber. Pure color of the animal product will be important.
Monography. Story of the farm. Environment will play a much bigger role - rural and farm will come together, scarves and blankets are huge, brick colour. Building society (bricks) – optimistic colors. Grey is the future quest for dialog balance doing two things together, half tones importance period of nuance and osmosis. Obhama black and white (mixed culture) he is getting grey so he is a perfect new age person –
There is a big revival of cardigans.
Business suit coming back to express our seriousness of business
Monobasics
Interest in industrial design – after a crisis people feel guilty – they go mat, on metals, dull. Embellishments will be oxidized – fancy yes but not bling. Consumer will not feel guilty.
The day things get better it will pick up sooner than the past. Metal will be more heavy
Monocracy - Hair fabrications trying to avoid the use of fur. Mohair
Monobody - Female body – honor the body with the corset. Leave the rich of the century see electronic futuristic things futuristic fashions newly colored iridescent
Monotype - Continue to make fantasy but be more graphic. Silk road is still big source of inspiration.
Monospaces - Bleeding color, beautiful
Monostyle - Black is always there – all ok.
Monolithic - Set the clock back on track finally getting us into the 21st century.
Farm will come to the urban city.

In the mood for mohair.
Animal fiber.
How does it blend, take colour easily, how human it is although it is animal.
Fashion want to take flight again. It has been strangled by everything fearful. We want to move into a new direction.
Hairy and fuzzy is in.
Silk has always been big
From big city to small city.
We are asking the following:
Who are we
What do we want
How can we use our roots to go into the future
How can we talk to the other people
How can we reach a general quest for identity.

Mohair
Natural and alive
From an animal our biggest allies
Authentic
Generous
Comforting
Instinctive
Sustainable
Versatile
Hedonistic – private pleasure
Expressive
Artistic

LB