Market Report: Frankfurt

Tendence, Messe Frankfurt's summer show, may not be as busy or as big as its winter counterpart Ambiente, but there were plenty of buyers on hand at the August 25–29 show. And those that were there, were there to buy.

Some 3,200 exhibitors came to the fair, and Messe Frankfurt expected about 86,000 visitors. Many vendors said that this is a much quieter show, and not as international as Ambiente, but they're pleased with the traffic.

“The spring fair is more important,” said Nicola Harrison of Glove Blanket. Still, she's pleased with the number of visitors to her booth.

Harriet Cave of Innermost said, “It's a good show. Ambiente is better because it's bigger, but this one is good as well. Traffic has been very good.”

There were plenty of great products at Tendence — the European shows never disappoint when it comes to design. Duo Design featured an interesting oil light: made of stainless steel, the skinny stick (only as thick as a birthday candle) is placed inside a glass with oil and continues to burn as long as you keep adding oil.

The Glove Blanket was also getting quite a bit of attention. Gone are the days when you had to stick your arm out from underneath the blanket to change the channel or pick up your mug of cocoa. This blanket features a glove (fingerless, like a mitten) that you can put your hand through to save the warmth. Glove Blanket comes in a number of neutral colors, such as brown, orange and ecru.

The Young & Trendy section of the show featured lots of bright colors and kitchy items. As Europeans are a bit more daring than Americans, we found some interesting takes on traditional statuary. Religious statues came in a variety of bright colors, and collection of velvet busts, also in bright colors, depicted famous secular statues. There was a pink Venus de Milo with bunny ears, and a red David with devil horns.

However, traditional looks remain important to buyers, and many vendors throughout the Country Home section featured crystal and beaded chandeliers, printed fabrics, and (this time around) rich colors — something that we expect to see in America next year as well. Deep purples, full reds, and black and white were seen throughout the section. Villa Collection Denmark featured lots of black and beige accessories that were accented with metallics.

Pott Spot is a new vendor that featured a line of stick-on pictures for toilet seat covers in a variety of styles — some humorous, some more sophisticated featuring black and white pictures of landscapes and landmarks.

Lighting also continues to play an important role in home accents. Manufacturers featured extensive selections of chandleiers, lamps, as well as candleholders.

>> For the complete Frankfurt Market Report, visit www.giftsanddec.com and click on “Direct From Market.”