CHRISTMAS TREND FORECAST

In 2012 I was interviewed by Gina Munsey of the Oaxacaborn blog about christmas trends and concluded that:

"the next big thing will be a warmer retro palette with influences from the seventies: deep green, navy, orange, yellow, brown and brass"

In 2017 TrendStefan, declared the christmas colour of the year to be brown. In 2018 he declared it to be green, and press images everywhere have navy couches with mustard colour accent pillows this fall. Not to mention that brass has been the IT-metal of the past 8 years by now. The orange I was expecting to see was replaced by many shades of rust and pinks, as orange was relegated to October as the imported holiday Halloween has increased in popularity.

I believe these trends have peaked by now and that the novelty of that colour sheme has worn thin.

The cabin aestethic with its ubiquitous reindeers and plaid patterns have evolved into a fairytale genre with elves and toadstools joining small gnomes. You can see it most blatantly at IKEA this year. Plenty of toadstools, hedgehogs, badgers, squirrels, roses and acorns, all of which are certainly gone by the beginning of November in Scandinavian nature and have few references to christmas, but plenty to fairy tales.

This move from wintry forests and lodges to lush hedges and bushes is parallel to the shift from rustic to bourgeoisie. Holidays at castles and opulent apartments from the early 1900s are the new style references. Plants on pedestals, sugared fruit platters, velvet and silk ribbon, Elsa Beskow, Beatrix Potter, William Morris, candlesticks, tied bouquets and floral centrepieces. In Sweden perhaps a revival for discontinued china such as God Jul by Rorstrand. We might even see a return of the potpourri. The coming years I expect to see plenty of table settings with a mix of thrift shop and flea market items mixed with inherited and modern pieces. The table linen will be spotlighted as the element that tie it all together.

The counterpart to that classic christmas is the modern minimalistic holiday with a pared back rather monochrome and neutral palette. Richness in textures with sheepskin, handmade pottery, decorations made from straw, enamel, linen fabric, checkered fabrics, frayed and salvaged edges, small potted indoor trees, and of course votives and hurricanes en masse. Style references are Shaker furniture and food items such as grains, seeds, notes, porridge, beets, black kale and farm style breads and a general romanticism about "simpler times". Quilts and candle making will trend again, and rolled beeswax candles will return as a fragrant staple at christmas markets.