Together: Christmasworld and Paperworld Trends 2021/22 strike a chord with the times

Three joint trend statements show the coming themes, colours, materials, inspirations and styles that will accompany our new everyday life – whether in the home office or the office. They provide the international decor and stationery trade with valuable orientation for individual product combinations.

“At the moment, and especially when the lockdown phase in the stationary retail trade is over, the Christmasworld and Paperworld Trends have great potential for a restart”, says Julia Uherek, Group Show Director Consumer Goods Fairs, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH. That is why the trends will also be part of the programme of the Consumer Goods Digital Day on 20 April 2021. The Christmasworld and Paperworld Trends are an important source of inspiration for the trade. They offer concrete ordering assistance and helpful guidelines for a modern and, at the same time, sales-driving assortment design and product presentation. Trend scouts Claudia Herke, Cem Bora and Annetta Palmisano from the style agency stilbüro bora.herke.palmisano derive their forecasts from current trends in fashion, society and interior design and thus hit the nerve of the times.

Together is a powerful term at this moment in time and represents standing together in times of crisis. The pandemic has turned our world upside down. Physical distancing has caused people to come closer. Neighbours, friends and families are discovering each other in new ways and creating shared moments. Companies are restructuring. Working from home has become a necessity. As a consequence, more functionality is moving into the private sphere, but also more emotion into the working environment. “We are digitally networked and reachable at any time, but increasingly perceive it as a luxury to disconnect and be offline. We experience nature, which offers us a retreat and the peace and quiet to do so, as being threatened and worthy of protection. The concept of recycling and upcycling is thus gaining ever greater momentum. These are themes that we will increasingly be seeing in the product collections at Christmasworld and Paperworld”, says Annetta Palmisano, designer at the bora.herke.palmisano style agency, who is responsible for developing and designing the new Christmasworld and Paperworld Trends format on behalf of Messe Frankfurt.

Together heralds a new era for the Christmasworld and Paperworld trends

The product and style worlds relating to seasonal decorations, festive décor, commercial office supplies, paper for personal use, writing materials and school supplies are becoming ever more closely aligned with global consumer trends. Modern living and working concepts are increasingly blurring the classic boundaries. Sustainability and general mindfulness are increasingly seen as the central themes. They can be found equally in the design of living spaces and home offices, from your favourite café to contemporary office environments, from intimate retreats to the shared festive moments of the year. “The retail industry’s role is also evolving: in place of short-lived designs and vast collections, the emphasis is on creating an appropriate, credible and stimulating product mix. Innovative concept stores and creative retailers provide successful examples of this on every continent,” confirms designer Claudia Herke. Hip stores all over the world are providing a mix of offers: new and second hand merchandise, fashion, flowers, decoration, stationery, a café, well-being, work – everything is presented in a unified way. But only through a curated selection does it mirror a new, more mindful lifestyle that appeals to customers.

The logical consequence is three shared trend statements: “contemplative approach”, “heirloom feelings”, “spirited response”.

“contemplative approach” – nature as a source of inspiration: original, tactile and unpretentious

In this style world, the material takes pride of place in the design. Renewable materials such as cork, bark, jute, grass and wood determine the unpretentious look together with metal, marble and stone. The materials remain in their natural state, are roughly hewn, broken, woven or rudimentarily processed. The tactile feel is important. So in addition to the rustic surfaces, finely polished, hand-caressing finishes emphasize the beauty of nature. Old craftsmanship is being revived. With seasonal decorations, clay and ceramics with a rough, sandy appearance look genuine and natural. The forest provides an abundance of designs and motifs, including acorns, bark, leaves, nuts, cones and fruits.

Next trade fair dates

As part of the Consumer Goods Digital Day on 20 April 2021, Christmasworld and Paperworld Trends will be held as a digital presentation and provide concrete tips for implementation. Until then, downloads will be available on the fair websites and further information and contributions at www.conzoom.solutions.

• The Consumer Goods Digital Day will take place on 20 April 2021.
• The next Christmasworld will be held from 28 January to 1 February 2022. The next Paperworld and Creativeworld will be held from 29 January to 1 February 2022.