ICFF 2010 has come and gone and it was quite a show. Gradon and I went down on Saturday and managed to do the show and five parties in under ten hours. We saw the good and not so good. I think it’s important to highlight the contrasts between this year’s show and the last. Gone were the dour faces and downtrodden spirits of 2009. This year was all about optimism. Last year, the idea was survival. It was about weathering the storm by getting back to basics in silhouette, functionality, and safe color choices. Not the case this year.
This year, there was an abundance of color. Highly saturated and bright pieces littered the Javits Center like pieces of candy. Some subtle and some not so subtle but refreshing nonetheless.
In addition to punches of color, there was a huge emphasis on natural materials such as wood and stone.
This year saw the return of decoration. There were a great number of pieces that relied on exaggerated ornamentation and less on form and functionality. At times, it felt as though designers were overcompensating for the paired-down approach of last year by adding decoration to their designs. Not all decoration is bad, but it is important to practice restraint.
Remember, less can still be more.
