handmade design - hand tagged for you

Pop-up exhibition at Maison & Objet

Four textile manufacturers from Laos will take part in the pop-up exhibition at... More

date: Dec 20, 2022

Four textile manufacturers from Laos will take part in the pop-up exhibition at... More

Zooming in & Zooming out

Buzzing with excitement Crafscurator travelled to Milan for Salone del Mobile 2... More

date: Aug 09, 2022

Buzzing with excitement Crafscurator travelled to Milan for Salone del Mobile 2... More

Three trends for the Twenties

Let’s face it, we can all use some optimism right now. We are happy to see inno... More

date: Mar 14, 2022

Let’s face it, we can all use some optimism right now. We are happy to see inno... More

South African craft and design brands

Discover the latest furniture, lighting, textiles, fashion accessories and home... More

date: Apr 02, 2021

Discover the latest furniture, lighting, textiles, fashion accessories and home... More

Lidewij Edelkoort trends a/w 20/21

After seeing Lidewij Edelkoort’s presentation on the importance of the colour b... More

date: Nov 07, 2019

After seeing Lidewij Edelkoort’s presentation on the importance of the colour b... More

Looking back on the NEXT19 Trade Exhibition

Late February, our largest trade exhibition to date took place. 40 South Africa... More

date: Apr 30, 2019

Late February, our largest trade exhibition to date took place. 40 South Africa... More

Embellished Textiles - 4 Highlights

‘There is future in folklore’ Lidewij Edelkoort states at the start of her tren... More

date: Feb 15, 2019

‘There is future in folklore’ Lidewij Edelkoort states at the start of her tren... More

Showcasing over 40 South African exporters

From February 28 to March 3, 2019, over 40 designers and manufacturers will pre... More

date: Jan 28, 2019

From February 28 to March 3, 2019, over 40 designers and manufacturers will pre... More

9 designer manufacturers exhibiting their new ranges

Wooden footstools with beautiful hand woven seats, stunning algae patterns digi... More

date: Aug 14, 2018

Wooden footstools with beautiful hand woven seats, stunning algae patterns digi... More

All wrapped up in handmade textiles

Is it climate change, consumer fatigue or have retailers finally gone mad becau... More

date: Jun 22, 2018

Is it climate change, consumer fatigue or have retailers finally gone mad becau... More

Sustainable Trailblazers, High-End Handmade and New Nostalgia

Visiting Milan Design Week is an excellent way to assess the ‘state’ of handmad... More

date: May 08, 2018

Visiting Milan Design Week is an excellent way to assess the ‘state’ of handmad... More

NEXT18 Trade Exhibition was a great success

33 designers and manufacturers from South Africa presented their new product ra... More

date: Mar 26, 2018

33 designers and manufacturers from South Africa presented their new product ra... More

Mongolian Exporters at EU Fairs

At Maison & Objet Paris, 4 Mongolian exporters will showcase their newly develo... More

date: Dec 20, 2017

At Maison & Objet Paris, 4 Mongolian exporters will showcase their newly develo... More

Export-ready product design from South Africa

33 leading designers and manufacturers from South Africa will take part in the ... More

date: Dec 18, 2017

33 leading designers and manufacturers from South Africa will take part in the ... More

Launching their new product collections

Intricate woodwork inspired by African nature, textile prints based on botanica... More

date: Aug 15, 2017

Intricate woodwork inspired by African nature, textile prints based on botanica... More

Trend presentation Lidewij Edelkoort

For Autumn/ Winter 2018/ 2019 Lidewij Edelkoort delivered a tight, compact pres... More

date: Jul 06, 2017

For Autumn/ Winter 2018/ 2019 Lidewij Edelkoort delivered a tight, compact pres... More

Next generation of entrepreneurs

After training and coaching a group of 29 small and medium businesses in South ... More

date: Jun 26, 2017

After training and coaching a group of 29 small and medium businesses in South ... More

From praying to playing

Craftscurator travelled to Milan and saw designers taking a playful approach to... More

date: Apr 18, 2017

Craftscurator travelled to Milan and saw designers taking a playful approach to... More

With a re-vamped website

I am so excited to launch my re-newed website! Can’t wait to show you all the n... More

date: Mar 14, 2017

I am so excited to launch my re-newed website! Can’t wait to show you all the n... More

At 2 leading trade shows

New products by 27 exporters from 10 countries attracted the attention of many ... More

date: Mar 07, 2017

New products by 27 exporters from 10 countries attracted the attention of many ... More

popping up at Ambiente 2017

27 new product ranges from 10 countries will be showcased in the foyer of hall ... More

date: Feb 01, 2017

27 new product ranges from 10 countries will be showcased in the foyer of hall ... More

6 exporters at Ambiente 2017

Whether it is metal wire, crispy paper, springbok hide, an old rice bag or a po... More

date: Feb 01, 2017

Whether it is metal wire, crispy paper, springbok hide, an old rice bag or a po... More

Mungo at M&O Paris

South African textile company Mungo will show their woven home textiles at trad... More

date: Jan 01, 2017

South African textile company Mungo will show their woven home textiles at trad... More

Pop-up Exhibition at Heimtextil 2017

The best handmade home textiles from global makers were selected by Craftscurat... More

date: Dec 30, 2016

The best handmade home textiles from global makers were selected by Craftscurat... More

10 exporters making their European debut

Scandi-inspired upholstery fabrics with a good dose of African chic, spherical ... More

date: Aug 09, 2016

Scandi-inspired upholstery fabrics with a good dose of African chic, spherical ... More

6 South African exporters at Ambiente

Springbok hide bags, feathered lamps, hand beaded clutches, metal wire furnitur... More

date: Feb 03, 2016

Springbok hide bags, feathered lamps, hand beaded clutches, metal wire furnitur... More

Mungo at M&O Paris

South African textile company Mungo will show their newest product ranges at tr... More

date: Jan 06, 2016

South African textile company Mungo will show their newest product ranges at tr... More

At Heimtextil, Maison & Objet and Ambiente

Highlighting a curated selection of the best craft and design products from glo... More

date: Jan 04, 2016

Highlighting a curated selection of the best craft and design products from glo... More

Handmade and precious

All eyes on textiles in the October 2015 issue of Elle Decoration NL. Craftscur... More

date: Nov 10, 2015

All eyes on textiles in the October 2015 issue of Elle Decoration NL. Craftscur... More

August 2015 issue

Craftscurator's Sustainable Style Column focuses on Middle Eastern crafts. Elle... More

date: Aug 21, 2015

Craftscurator's Sustainable Style Column focuses on Middle Eastern crafts. Elle... More

A great success

The curated exhibition SPHERE at 100% Design South Africa, showcasing products ... More

date: Aug 21, 2015

The curated exhibition SPHERE at 100% Design South Africa, showcasing products ... More

At trade show 100% Design and SARCDA Johannesburg

At 2 trade fairs in Johannesburg in August 2015, ´Development by Design´, a joi... More

date: Jul 27, 2015

At 2 trade fairs in Johannesburg in August 2015, ´Development by Design´, a joi... More

In South Africa

Small and medium businesses, from small workshops to design studios to medium s... More

date: May 08, 2015

Small and medium businesses, from small workshops to design studios to medium s... More

From experiment to tangible design

The last few years, new material development and visualizing craft and producti... More

date: May 07, 2015

The last few years, new material development and visualizing craft and producti... More

Craftscurator is now Columnist!

Elle Decoration, the Dutch edition, now has a 6 page section on handmade and su... More

date: Feb 09, 2015

Elle Decoration, the Dutch edition, now has a 6 page section on handmade and su... More

Vanities – From Abstinence to Opulence

A year ago Dutch dictonary publisher Van Dale chose the word 'selfie' as word o... More

date: Dec 14, 2014

A year ago Dutch dictonary publisher Van Dale chose the word 'selfie' as word o... More

for Elle Decoration NL

Sustainable design in 2014 is nothing like the bland, politically correct produ... More

date: Oct 07, 2014

Sustainable design in 2014 is nothing like the bland, politically correct produ... More

At Maison & Objet, Paris September 5 - 9, 2014

See new product ranges from 9 Indonesian exporters. Select from our materials l... More

date: Jul 15, 2014

See new product ranges from 9 Indonesian exporters. Select from our materials l... More

Focus on Sustainability

Craftscurator is happy to announce her contribution to Heimtextil's new website... More

date: Jul 14, 2014

Craftscurator is happy to announce her contribution to Heimtextil's new website... More

For HandEye Magazine

Irene made visits to designer and maker workshops in the Cape Town region, and ... More

date: May 27, 2014

Irene made visits to designer and maker workshops in the Cape Town region, and ... More

For hardware or textiles

Craftscurator Colour Cahiers 2015 feature the latest trends in colour applicati... More

date: May 04, 2014

Craftscurator Colour Cahiers 2015 feature the latest trends in colour applicati... More

In-depth product information

With 44 pages bursting with information on product design and developments in t... More

date: May 04, 2014

With 44 pages bursting with information on product design and developments in t... More

Full of information on materials and techniques

Early signs of new product trends can be found in the new materials and techniq... More

date: May 04, 2014

Early signs of new product trends can be found in the new materials and techniq... More

Sustainable and Handmade Design

Big and bold statements could not be found at this year's Salone del Mobile. Th... More

date: Apr 21, 2014

Big and bold statements could not be found at this year's Salone del Mobile. Th... More

For PantoneView

Craftscurator is proud to have published her first forecasting post on handmade... More

date: Mar 19, 2014

Craftscurator is proud to have published her first forecasting post on handmade... More

Design Indaba Expo 2014, Cape Town

Design Indaba is Africa's annual celebration of creativity. At the 3 day confer... More

date: Mar 17, 2014

Design Indaba is Africa's annual celebration of creativity. At the 3 day confer... More

Smaakmaker 2014

Volkskrant newspaper asked Craftscurator to pose with her favorite product for ... More

date: Jan 06, 2014

Volkskrant newspaper asked Craftscurator to pose with her favorite product for ... More

Lidewij Edelkoort's trend presentation 'Gathering'

An optimistic story for a new season, is what Lidewij Edelkoort told during her... More

date: Dec 10, 2013

An optimistic story for a new season, is what Lidewij Edelkoort told during her... More

Financial Times article

Craftscurator was interviewed on the role of crafts in Dutch Design. Irene shar... More

date: Oct 30, 2013

Craftscurator was interviewed on the role of crafts in Dutch Design. Irene shar... More

in Paris and London

At Maison & Objet Paris and London Design festival, Craftscurator has spotted t... More

date: Oct 16, 2013

At Maison & Objet Paris and London Design festival, Craftscurator has spotted t... More

Lidewij Edelkoort's plan B for winter 2014/ 2015

'Congratulations', Lidewij Edelkoort said at the start of her trend seminar, 'y... More

date: Jun 02, 2013

'Congratulations', Lidewij Edelkoort said at the start of her trend seminar, 'y... More

At Salone Milan

Craftscurator is happy to see a comeback of the refined, the decorated in desig... More

date: Apr 22, 2013

Craftscurator is happy to see a comeback of the refined, the decorated in desig... More

At Salone del Mobile

Back to basics; designers are looking for the core of a product. By experimenti... More

date: Apr 22, 2013

Back to basics; designers are looking for the core of a product. By experimenti... More

At Milan Design Week

Designers are taking recycling to a next level. Good to see they are exploring ... More

date: Apr 22, 2013

Designers are taking recycling to a next level. Good to see they are exploring ... More

Milan 2013 Updates

Craftscurator is proud to be a contributing writer for the world's leading blog... More

date: Apr 22, 2013

Craftscurator is proud to be a contributing writer for the world's leading blog... More

7 clichés about crafts unraveled

'Handmade is hip and happening' the magazine covers are screaming. Being a admi... More

date: Mar 19, 2013

'Handmade is hip and happening' the magazine covers are screaming. Being a admi... More

Made in Morocco

Remember how Craftscurator 'killed her darlings' and cut up her precious textil... More

date: Feb 22, 2013

Remember how Craftscurator 'killed her darlings' and cut up her precious textil... More

Lidewij Edelkoort’s Trends for Summer 2014

'Have nothing in your house that is not beautiful or useful'. With this quote b... More

date: Dec 15, 2012

'Have nothing in your house that is not beautiful or useful'. With this quote b... More

In Retrospect

Every year, Craftscurator looks back on trend presentations made. This 71 page ... More

date: Nov 06, 2012

Every year, Craftscurator looks back on trend presentations made. This 71 page ... More

Book Review

In her latest book, Adélia Borges explores what happens when craftsmen and desi... More

date: Oct 10, 2012

In her latest book, Adélia Borges explores what happens when craftsmen and desi... More

Lidewij Edelkoort on trends for winter 2013/ 2014

Dark, rich and intense; at first glance the presentation for winter 2013/2014 l... More

date: Jun 04, 2012

Dark, rich and intense; at first glance the presentation for winter 2013/2014 l... More

'Between Handicraft and Digicraft'

No glitzy products by superstar designers this year in Milan, but samples and p... More

date: May 13, 2012

No glitzy products by superstar designers this year in Milan, but samples and p... More

From South Africa

Using Africa's rich source of natural materials and techniques, a new generatio... More

date: Mar 22, 2012

Using Africa's rich source of natural materials and techniques, a new generatio... More

From South Africa

Designers from South Africa prove handmade can be inventive and contemporary, b... More

date: Mar 22, 2012

Designers from South Africa prove handmade can be inventive and contemporary, b... More

From South Africa

Quirky, colourful and creative; the crafts at the Design Indaba expo often are ... More

date: Mar 22, 2012

Quirky, colourful and creative; the crafts at the Design Indaba expo often are ... More

Trendupdate January 2012

Wildbreien, or guerilla knitting, is the latest addition to the Dutch dictionar... More

date: Jan 11, 2012

Wildbreien, or guerilla knitting, is the latest addition to the Dutch dictionar... More

Trends for spring/summer 2013

'Bliss, spiritual moments in everyday life' is the title of Lidewij Edelkoort's... More

date: Dec 14, 2011

'Bliss, spiritual moments in everyday life' is the title of Lidewij Edelkoort's... More

Product trends 10-11

As 2011 is nearly over, we are looking back on product trends for 2010 and 2011... More

date: Nov 10, 2011

As 2011 is nearly over, we are looking back on product trends for 2010 and 2011... More

Trendupdate October 2011

Global challenges are driving social, green and fair product innovation. We can... More

date: Oct 11, 2011

Global challenges are driving social, green and fair product innovation. We can... More

8 tips and tricks for importers

As an importer, you always keep an eye out for new and exciting products and pr... More

date: Sep 29, 2011

As an importer, you always keep an eye out for new and exciting products and pr... More

Trendupdate September 2011

In the European market, vintage finds, one-offs and handmade products are being... More

date: Sep 22, 2011

In the European market, vintage finds, one-offs and handmade products are being... More

Handmade in Milan

Do not touch, is a warning heard on many trade shows. None of that at the Salon... More

date: Jul 31, 2011

Do not touch, is a warning heard on many trade shows. None of that at the Salon... More