The saviour for final design-led Christmas items as well as an inspiring show to pick up trends and attend insightful talks, Top Drawer A/W kicks off this Sunday (September 8) and runs until Tuesday (10 September) at London’s Olympia.
Among the greeting card companies who will be part of the exhibitor line-up are Art Angels, ArtPress, Ohh Deer, East End Prints, James Ellis, English Graphics, Poet and Painter and Ruth Jackson. To see a selection of new launches see PG Sept.
Another popular feature of the show will be RetailFest which sees a host of great speakers. These include activist and entrepreneur Meg Matthews, designer and model Melissa Odabash and Emily Coxhead, creator of The Happy News (https://www.pgbuzz.net/the-happy-news-emily-coxhead-on-corrie-set-and-zoe-balls-radio-2-show/).
Adding extra interest for visitors, Top Drawer has teamed up with global insight agency, Flamingo, who identified four key trends ahead of the A/W19 edition of the show, drawn from its analysis of the larger cultural shifts that are driving trends more broadly.
Visitors to the show (September 8-10 at Olympia London) can enjoy interpretations of these trends, as leading retailers and lifestyle publications —including Selfridges, Oliver Bonas, Heal’s and Sheerluxe—bring them to life at Top Drawer’s Trends Café.
The four trends that will be interpreted at Top Drawer are:
Grounded Rituals: A natural autumnal, earthy, tactile vibe that is tied to nature and wellbeing. These everyday items are elevated through the craft of honest materials, simplicity and uniqueness. The paired back palette enhances the quiet rituals of this restorative environment.
Introspection: Soft winter pales and warm neutrals create meditative and conceptual clean palettes, grounded in natural materials. The trend features mixed textures, introspective muted colours and calm tonal blocking.
Modern Vestige: Classic shapes are given contemporary looks through juxtapositions of emerging tech with heritage craft: from 3D printing to etched surfaces. Hard materials are given delicate detailing that speaks to a future archaeology of treasured items. Rich textures and luxe gleaming metals add sumptuous elements to rough and irregular black surfaces of unearthed pasts.
Soft Assembly: Imperfect shapes that are soft and rounded feature alongside a blue based autumnal palette. There is a ‘playful’ and ‘reassuring’ retro modern feel with pop bright tones in smooth finishes and graphic prints.
Top: The tagline of Top Drawer A/W is Out of the Ordinary.
