Crazy Creative
Trendupdate January 2012
Wildbreien, or guerilla knitting, is the latest addition to the Dutch dictionary. No wonder, there is a craze for creativity and experimentation going on in the market. Crisis or not, people are craving for excitement and experiences. Products that make you smile, wonder or pick up the knitting needles yourself. Craftscurator loves quirky and creative products from around the globe and reports on the craziest developments.
Beyond Reduse, Reuse, Recycle
Consumers have grown a bit tired of the mantra of the sustainability movement, and the products that were created using water bottles, old t-shirts and newspapers. Now a new trend is emerging; recycling gone crazy! Diederik Schneemann used old flip flops from Africa to create new and exciting products. These vases and lamps make for great showpieces.
Cuddly Designers
A peek inside a creative mind, or a peek inside a designer studio is what is many consumers love. Gone are the days of the superstar designer, now it is all about the quirky and cuddly designer. Bert Jan Pot made a series of masks, which started out as an experiment to make carpets.
Etsy Empire
While the stock markets worldwide plummeted in 2011, online community Etsy went skyhigh with a turnover of 1 billion dollar. That magic number, 1 billion, is also the number of page views per month (!). Etsy is crazy indeed, offering a wild mix of designer objects, vintage finds and homemade kitsch. Artist Inge Jacobsen embroidered the cover of Vogue magazine.
Knitting Bitches
All over the world, people are joining craft courses and clubs. DIY has gone wild; from a humble and handy skill to a way to express the artist within. Grannies are mobilized to make one more patchwork quilt. And if your grandmother is too busy with Facebook to stitch, Anthropologie offers a great ranges of quilted blankets and crochet throws.
Crazy Crafts
Designers are happily co-creating products with craftsmen around the globe. Often resulting in unexpected combinations of materials and techniques. Designer Stephen Burks worked with basket weavers in Senegal and craftsmen in the US, coming up with an eclectic range of stools, totem poles and lamps.
