Future begins in the past: Heimtextil Trends 25/26

On the path to groundbreaking innovations, nothing works without an in-depth research into history. This applies to achievements in technology, architecture and interior design, as well as in design itself: especially regarding new approaches to sustainability, circularity and resource efficiency, it is possible, indeed necessary, to learn from traditional practices, reinterpret them and translate them into the present.

The upcoming Heimtextil in January 2025 will take this realisation as its motto for the Trends that are popular with the audience. Under the title ‘Future Continuous’, the founding team of Alcova Milano will curate the Trends 25/26 for the first time and bring them to life for the visitors in the Trend Arena at Heimtextil in Hall 3.0. Anyone who regularly follows the design week in the Lombard metropolis of Milan knows that the initiators of the alternative design platform continually revisit the past by reactivating different historical and spectacular locations for their exhibition each year.

In January, visitors to Heimtextil in Frankfurt can experience the Trends 25/26 up close in an installation. It can already be revealed that deep digging into the archives has taken place to derive various Trends for today and tomorrow, demonstrating the central role of textiles in technological, cultural and ecological developments. After all, textiles carry memories, reflect identities and document social change. A look into their past allows for a deeper understanding of the status quo and revives forgotten practices.

Heimtextil Trends 25/26 take visitors on a journey through six inspiring interviews conducted with international designers, textile researchers and representatives from associations and institutions in their networks. These include Janis Jefferies, a pioneer of textile research, interior designer Ilse Crawford (StudioIlse) and Dirk Vantyghem, Director General of the European Apparel and Textile Confederation Euratex.

With the contributions of the experts, voices are given to the textile industries. Jefferies, for example, emphasises that spinning and weaving fibres were the first technology of humankind, forming the basis for architecture and mathematics. Other narratives highlight the rising importance of natural fibres such as hemp, jute, flax and nettle, or address the positive trend towards repairability, locality and transparency in supply chains. They weave together tradition and innovation, craftsmanship and modern technology – inviting visitors to explore new paths for the future of textiles

The Trend Arena promises to become a must-see for all those who want to be at the forefront of interior design. Expressed in a colour palette, you can look forward to hues ranging from Naturally Uneven Green to End of Petrol and Imperfect Pink – Alcova Milano has interpreted them both visually and verbally and invites you to take an informative guided tour.

On January 15, 2025, at 2.30 PM, Architonic Editor-in-Chief Simon Keane-Cowell will hold a live talk on the Texpertise Stage at Heimtextil in Hall 4.0. Joining him: Alcova and Patricia Urquiola.

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