Ambiente 2001
Geometric patterns prevailed in tabletop designs at the Frankfurt Fair. New introductions were limited.
By Quinn Halford -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 4/1/2001
Circles, stripes, swirls, polka dots, squares, and rectangles showed up in the design motifs of the new tableware introductions at Frankfurt's winter 2001 Ambiente show. The often brightly colored patterns were seen on high-end bone china and crystal, mid-range porcelain and glassware, and everyday product. Christian Lacroix plates sported polka dots taken from his haute couture designs, while the Yono pattern of Rosenthal's Studio Line featured a design of concentric circles, some of them in burnt orange ("a difficult color to fire," according to a spokesperson). The company's white, black, and clear Malassol vases were etched with free-form lines in contrasting colors. Kahla, a German porcelain manufacturer, presented a casual line with a bull's-eye pattern in blue and green pastels, grape, and neutral sand tones. Stars, squares, and stripes decorated Wedgwood's bone china Sumurai line, while the crockery maker's new black-and-white Contrasts glassware featured bands of black rectangles. Pieces of Royal Doulton Studio's Shore line featured the round forms of pebbles banding a plate or running across it or up the side of a coffee cup.
Sandblasted rings decorated Slowfox champagne glasses from Orrefors, while "gray cuts" (unpolished stripes cut into the crystal) were featured in vases from Stuart Crystal. British designer John Rocha etched geometric patterns into his line for Waterford Crystal.
Irregular Shapes
Equally prevalent were unadorned lines in neutral tones or whites that were noted for irregular shapes. Villeroy & Boch introduced its Metropolitan line to crowds of buyers. Metropolitan, which debuts in the U.S. this month, features the Wave, Palm, City Park, and City Life styles. The Wave dinner plate with undulating sides should appeal to the young, unconventional consumer. Palm featured leaf shapes, and City Park, with its raised leaf pattern, was oval-shaped. City Life was an all-white version of the putty-colored City Park. To complete the offering, V & B has added linens, wooden trays, and napkin rings to the line.
Royal Doulton described its Touch line, introduced last fall, as a "total tactile ergonomic range." Irregularly shaped pieces are designed to encourage the user to hold them in a more comfortable way. Notched bowls and plates invite the hand to grasp them, oil and vinegar holders nestle together, salt and pepper shakers lean on each other, and the coffee cup handle extends the height of the cup. A rippled texture on some pieces adds to the tactile experience. Introduced in "pure white" only, Royal Doulton added a hint of color-sand and sage-to Touch this year.
A New Direction
Signage in the Wedgwood showroom windows read "Glass," "Pewter," "Linen," "Cutlery," and "Leather." There wasn't a mention of bone china, porcelain, or earthenware. One window display was stacked with folded towels. It's a new focus for Wedgwood, as the company seeks to move beyond tableware and gift items to embrace practically the whole home decorating field. New introductions geared for the U.K. and Japanese markets include bed, bath, and table linens; cutlery; pewter accessories; and leather placemats, coasters, and picture frames. (The U.S. market won't see most of these lines in the foreseeable future.)
But the Wedgwood continues to employ the talents of noted designers to work their wonders with tableware. Last year, Nick Munro offered his take with a line of jasperware items. This year, designer Michael Sodeau chimed in with his contributions, which included a single-footed bowl. Last year, fashion designer Paul Costelloe debuted a 26-piece earthenware collection of large pasta bowls, oversized dinner plates, and serving platters in a neutral color palette of putty and clay. Originally intended only for the U.K., it has since been picked up by Dayton Hudson stores in the U.S.
Briefly Noted
Royal Worcester celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, and the company's designers have had a field day sifting through the archives to revive and reinterpret past classics. The Art Deco line was particularly appealing, with its strong colors and intricate designs. Gold is making a comeback, according to a number of bone china manufacturers, while others said that it is running "neck and neck" with platinum. Wedgwood is going the black-and-white route with its new Contrasts line. The Rosenthal Group will introduce its Thomas everyday line to the U.S.
Other Trends
Bright colors, leathers, embellishments, and animal prints (both real and fake) set the themes in other decorative accessories. Cushions made from all kinds of fabrics were embellished with embroidery, beads, sequins, tiny mirrors, and metal tassels. Hillo, a Danish manufacturer of very modern accessories in a range of bright colors, featured purple-dyed ostrich-skin lamp shades, glass vases wrapped in suede leather, and clear glass beads in a range of lamp shade configurations. Kayak, whose designer Detlef Klatt works with a mix of brights and pastels "like you see in fashion," offered a beautiful range of vases, bowls, and glass votive holders wrapped in handmade papers and fabrics.
Joop! Living, the home decorating line of the German fashion designer Joop, was a collection of bright colors, stripes, polka dots, and animal prints. The overall impression was '70s retro. "Joop's designs and colors come from the things he lives with," noted his public relations director, Robert Doerk. "He doesn't like anything black or gray." Take that, Calvin and Donna.
The 2001 Tendence show will take place August 24 to 28.
