Functional and feminine - the big trends for Christmas 2011

Exotic, feminine, raw and functional are some themes that will be big trends for 2011 according to experts at the Christmasworld trade show from January 28- February 1 in Frankfurt, Germany.

Christmasworld is one of the biggest events of its kind and attracted approximately 976 international exhibitors and 30,000 guests in 2010. The event brings together exhibitors from around the world to display the latest products and trends for Christmas and other festive events throughout the year.  

This year the four overarching design themes, defined by style agency bora.herke, are :

Bountiful Scenery - exotic, extravagant and colorful
This trend is defined by bright bold colors from crimsons and deep Bordeaux reds to lemon green.  The design inspiration is draw from the continents of Africa, Asia and Europe - products are decorated with Asian flower patterns or ethnic African prints decorated with gemstones, sequins and satin ribbons.  

Delightful Garden - playful, feminine and sporty
Pastels, lemons, pale blues, salmon pinks and whites characterize this tone described as "1950's nostalgia in a modern setting." The "sporty" aspect of this trend comes in the form of checks and stripes in red and dark blues on ribbons, serviettes and other decorative items.

Elemental Force - powerful, raw, archaic
This trend is characterized by signs of use and/or aging. These signs of wear appear on natural materials such as stone or copper and on coarse fabrics. The trend is marked by colors of sea greens, navy blues, rusty red and stone greys.

Gentle Horizon - functional, simple and minimalist
This modern, purist theme is reinforced with colors of muted grey or shades of brown combined with striking pinks and yellows. This trend also plays with the contrasts between "rough" objects, such as tweed or cord, and smooth polished surfaces.

The latest trends in interior design,  décor and gifts will also be presented at the New York International Gift Fair  (January 29-February 3) and later in the year at the Hong Kong Houseware Fair  (April 20-23) and Interior Life Style Japan (June 1-3).