This week is the New York Tabletop Market. This is to the trade only and held in various buildings on lower Fifth Avenue and on Madison Avenue near Madison Square Park. Today was the third “official” day of the show, which runs through tomorrow.
I have been going to this show for years…. too many to count! And yes, it has certainly changed.There was a time when I could spend two full days and have them packed with appointments with both existing and new customers. And we would walk the floors of each building, taking note of the new trends, seeing friends, just kind of wallowing in design…heaven!
It still holds true: I come away feeling rejuvinated and re-energized in the design world. But what is different is the traffic… The halls are almost empty. Some showrooms at 7W were dark. I didn’t see anyone I knew other than the few appointments I had. So what is going on here? Well, first and foremost, I think, is the internet. Yes, all budgets have been cut and buyers no longer have the money to travel far. So the shows have become somewhat regional. But it is the efficiency of the internet that has changed this showroom/buyer relationship. One customer said to me today that no buyer will commit to a purchase based solely on a catalog picture: it has to be seen on the computer screen to somehow have “legitimacy”. Now, of course, an “in person” look at the new products is ideal: but that is what the reps are for. And if a rep will come to you, then why should you spend the time and money to come to a show? I know, I know, one response to that is that you need to come for the same reason I go: to be re-energized in the design world. But not everyone feels that need.
So, on to what I saw today. Here is the lobby at 7W with four vignettes.
The “menu” below each visual tells which showroom carries which item.
Wit & Whimsey:
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Cottage Industry
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Archetypes
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Mixed Media
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There was a lot of green:
Green mixed with animal skin:
some black & white animal stripes as seen in “Home Fashion” magazine:
more black & white; note the turquoise!
and then, there was blue:
How about this inverted Christmas tree, from Kurt Adler, in the lobby?
and the best part for last! Lots and lots of great magazines, all for the taking:
great, great train reading on the way home!
To close I will leave you with these trends, found today in one of the trade magazines, from a home decor and interior design trend forecasting service, Fashion Snoops. I just tried logging on to their site and was very disappointed that the “visitor’s section”, their preview page for those who don’t have an account, is geared only to fashion. And yet, in the trade magazine, they are said to ” be used by hundreds of leading brands around the globe in the markets of lifestyle and home, accessories, apparel, consumer goods, media and more.” Their HOME division is a “dedicated service to the home decor and interior market.” So, the website doesn’t really tell us much.
But take a look at these pages that were shown today, and keep them in mind as the year progresses, and let’s see if these trends come to be!
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