BRANDING & design (Fashion magazine)

W O R L D W I D E

A

P U B L I C A T I O N

F R O M

T H E

N I L O R N

G R O U P

D E S I G N

N o .

2

M A G A Z I N E

/

2 0 1 0

THE COLORIFIC ISSUE: Cronicle: The Falcon Crest Trend / Interview: Robert Meijer / Farrow & Ball: Walls Of Beauty And Distinction / Product Development / Colour Communication / Five Fabulous Hotels

© ACE HOTEL

23

16

38

10

20

30

Contents Branding &Design 2010 / 2 3

CONTENTS

4

FOREWORD

6

CRONICLE: THE FALCON CREST TREND

10

INTERVIEW: ROBERT MEIJER

12

FOCUS: KNOCK ON WOOD

16

FARROW & BALL: WALLS OF DISTINCTION AND BEAUTY

20

FOCUS: PANTONE INSPIRED DESIGN

22

WE LIKE

23

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

30

FOCUS: PIXELMANIA

32

COLOUR COMMUNICATION

38

FIVE FABULOUS HOTELS

COVER ILLUSTRATION: Rikke Jørgensen / Woo Agentur. PAPER: Body: Cocoon Offset 160 gsm, Cover: Cocoon Offset 250 gsm. Printed at Kredahl Grafiska AB, Borås, Sweden.

Spring Two Thousand and ElEvEn · For yderligere information 7030 2828 · www.parttwo.com

3

© ACE HOTEL

23

16

38

10

20

30

Contents Branding &Design 2010 / 2 3

CONTENTS

4

FOREWORD

6

CRONICLE: THE FALCON CREST TREND

10

INTERVIEW: ROBERT MEIJER

12

FOCUS: KNOCK ON WOOD

16

FARROW & BALL: WALLS OF DISTINCTION AND BEAUTY

20

FOCUS: PANTONE INSPIRED DESIGN

22

WE LIKE

23

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

30

FOCUS: PIXELMANIA

32

COLOUR COMMUNICATION

38

FIVE FABULOUS HOTELS

COVER ILLUSTRATION: Rikke Jørgensen / Woo Agentur. PAPER: Body: Cocoon Offset 160 gsm, Cover: Cocoon Offset 250 gsm. Printed at Kredahl Grafiska AB, Borås, Sweden.

Spring Two Thousand and ElEvEn · For yderligere information 7030 2828 · www.parttwo.com

3

FOREWORD

Hello Colour Professionals, Colour inspiration

HEADQUARTERS

THE NILORN GROUP Alingsåsvägen 6 Box 499 503 13 Borås, SWEDEN Tel. +46 33 700 88 88 Fax +46 33 700 88 19 info@nilorn.com www.nilorn.com

Welcome

Colour matching

Dear Reader, We are proud to present the second issue of Branding & Design Magazine 2010.

Following the ever-accelerating tempo of the fashion industry is totally fascinating, Òev eryone wants to have the right product at the right timeÓ. T he brands that will emerge as the eventual winners will be the ones which are sensitive to the needs of the market, and are fastest to respond with design, sourcing and production.

We also see companies at all levels putting massive resources into brand building and distinguishing marketing.

As usual, this issue contains a mix of articles, interviews and a close look at current trends and phenomena. If you tend to get a bit lost in discussions about colours and colour systems, we can recommend the article on colour communication.

We also take a look at some of the new collections coming out of our product development, and we hope that they will give you a few ideas in the vast array of opportunities that branding offers.

Happy reading!

Claes af Wetterstedt CEO

SUBSIDIARIES & PARTNERS NILÖRN AB Alingsåsvägen 6 Box 499 503 13 Borås SWEDEN Tel. +46 33 700 88 00 Fax +46 33 700 88 48 info@nilorn.com

NILORN EAST ASIA LTD Unit 1701, 17/F, Westley Square 48 Hoi Yuen Road, Kwun Tong Kowloon HONG KONG Tel. +852 2 371 2218 Fax +852 2 371 2629 info@hk.nilorn.com

NILORN DENMARK A/S Vestergade 48, 5000 Odense C, DENMARK Tel. +45 70 23 16 23 Fax +45 66 13 48 31 info@dk.nilorn.com

NILORN INDIA PVT. LTD Plot no. 9c, Sector – 3 Parwanoo – 173220 (HP) INDIA Tel. +91 1792 235232 Fax +91 1792 233176 info@in.nilorn.com

NILORN BELGIUM NV Nilorn Belgium NV Brusselsesteenweg 525 9090 Melle BELGIUM info@be.nilorn.com

NILORN PORTUGAL LDA Rua D. Afonso Henriques Terronhas 4585 - 640 Recarei PORTUGAL Tel. +351 22 411 95 80 Fax +351 22 411 95 99 info@pt.nilorn.com

NILORN GERMANY GMBH Postfach 110 + 120 Blücherstraße 72 - 74 58332 Schwelm GERMANY Tel. +49 2336 403-0 Fax +49 2336 403-20 info@de.nilorn.com NILORN UK LTD. Acre Park Dalton Lane, Keighley West Yorkshire ENGLAND BD21 4JH Tel. +44 1535 673 500 Fax +44 1535 673 519 info@uk.nilorn.com

The Nilorn Group is an international company, established in 1977, focused on adding value to brands using branding and design in the form of labels, packaging and accessories. Customers principally represent the fashion and ready-to-wear industry. The Nilorn Group offers complete, creative and tailored concepts in branding, design, product development and logistic solutions. Satisfied customers are our principal asset, and it is therefore important to establish, maintain and enhance customer relations through first-class service. The Nilorn Group is one of the leading European players, with turnover of over SEK 300 m. The Group operates through its own companies in Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Hong Kong, China, India and Turkey. In addition, there are partner companies in Switzerland, India, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Romania and China.

4

Colour research

Biking Red Pantone 19-1650TCX

Green Moss Pantone 17-0636TCX

Turtledove Pantone 12-5202TCX

Red Ochre Pantone 18-1442TCX

Burnt Olive Pantone 18-0521TCX

Turkish Coffee Pantone 19-0812TCX

Colour communication

NILORN TURKEY Nilorn Etiket San. Ve Tic. Ltd Sti Ataturk Mahallesi Marmara Sanayi Sitesi. B-27 Ikitelli, Istanbul 346 70 TURKEY Tel. +90 212 4720513 Fax. +90 212 4720521 info@tr.nilorn.com NILORN BANGLADESH LTD House 38, Road 63 Gulshan-02 Dhaka 1212 BANGLADESH

We support your colour needs!

NILORN CHINA No 238 Cheng Jia Qiao Road, Shanghai, CHINA

info@colourhouse.se

+46 (0)31-124455

FOREWORD

Hello Colour Professionals, Colour inspiration

HEADQUARTERS

THE NILORN GROUP Alingsåsvägen 6 Box 499 503 13 Borås, SWEDEN Tel. +46 33 700 88 88 Fax +46 33 700 88 19 info@nilorn.com www.nilorn.com

Welcome

Colour matching

Dear Reader, We are proud to present the second issue of Branding & Design Magazine 2010.

Following the ever-accelerating tempo of the fashion industry is totally fascinating, Òev eryone wants to have the right product at the right timeÓ. T he brands that will emerge as the eventual winners will be the ones which are sensitive to the needs of the market, and are fastest to respond with design, sourcing and production.

We also see companies at all levels putting massive resources into brand building and distinguishing marketing.

As usual, this issue contains a mix of articles, interviews and a close look at current trends and phenomena. If you tend to get a bit lost in discussions about colours and colour systems, we can recommend the article on colour communication.

We also take a look at some of the new collections coming out of our product development, and we hope that they will give you a few ideas in the vast array of opportunities that branding offers.

Happy reading!

Claes af Wetterstedt CEO

SUBSIDIARIES & PARTNERS NILÖRN AB Alingsåsvägen 6 Box 499 503 13 Borås SWEDEN Tel. +46 33 700 88 00 Fax +46 33 700 88 48 info@nilorn.com

NILORN EAST ASIA LTD Unit 1701, 17/F, Westley Square 48 Hoi Yuen Road, Kwun Tong Kowloon HONG KONG Tel. +852 2 371 2218 Fax +852 2 371 2629 info@hk.nilorn.com

NILORN DENMARK A/S Vestergade 48, 5000 Odense C, DENMARK Tel. +45 70 23 16 23 Fax +45 66 13 48 31 info@dk.nilorn.com

NILORN INDIA PVT. LTD Plot no. 9c, Sector – 3 Parwanoo – 173220 (HP) INDIA Tel. +91 1792 235232 Fax +91 1792 233176 info@in.nilorn.com

NILORN BELGIUM NV Nilorn Belgium NV Brusselsesteenweg 525 9090 Melle BELGIUM info@be.nilorn.com

NILORN PORTUGAL LDA Rua D. Afonso Henriques Terronhas 4585 - 640 Recarei PORTUGAL Tel. +351 22 411 95 80 Fax +351 22 411 95 99 info@pt.nilorn.com

NILORN GERMANY GMBH Postfach 110 + 120 Blücherstraße 72 - 74 58332 Schwelm GERMANY Tel. +49 2336 403-0 Fax +49 2336 403-20 info@de.nilorn.com NILORN UK LTD. Acre Park Dalton Lane, Keighley West Yorkshire ENGLAND BD21 4JH Tel. +44 1535 673 500 Fax +44 1535 673 519 info@uk.nilorn.com

The Nilorn Group is an international company, established in 1977, focused on adding value to brands using branding and design in the form of labels, packaging and accessories. Customers principally represent the fashion and ready-to-wear industry. The Nilorn Group offers complete, creative and tailored concepts in branding, design, product development and logistic solutions. Satisfied customers are our principal asset, and it is therefore important to establish, maintain and enhance customer relations through first-class service. The Nilorn Group is one of the leading European players, with turnover of over SEK 300 m. The Group operates through its own companies in Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Hong Kong, China, India and Turkey. In addition, there are partner companies in Switzerland, India, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Romania and China.

4

Colour research

Biking Red Pantone 19-1650TCX

Green Moss Pantone 17-0636TCX

Turtledove Pantone 12-5202TCX

Red Ochre Pantone 18-1442TCX

Burnt Olive Pantone 18-0521TCX

Turkish Coffee Pantone 19-0812TCX

Colour communication

NILORN TURKEY Nilorn Etiket San. Ve Tic. Ltd Sti Ataturk Mahallesi Marmara Sanayi Sitesi. B-27 Ikitelli, Istanbul 346 70 TURKEY Tel. +90 212 4720513 Fax. +90 212 4720521 info@tr.nilorn.com NILORN BANGLADESH LTD House 38, Road 63 Gulshan-02 Dhaka 1212 BANGLADESH

We support your colour needs!

NILORN CHINA No 238 Cheng Jia Qiao Road, Shanghai, CHINA

info@colourhouse.se

+46 (0)31-124455

CRONICLE

After a couple of years of the housewife ideal, carefully knotted retro ties and home-made cakes, we are looking forward to something new, exciting and innovative with no backward glances. The main trend over the next few years will be about looking to the future, being daring with a hint of madness. To achieve this, we need a tool that will move

The Richard Chai store is a temporary retail installation

us forward. The best way to describe

created by Snarkitecture in collaboration with designer

this new, crazy look of the future is

Richard Chai.

Photo by David Smith.

the Falcon Crest Trend.

unexpected mad and GENUINE Text: STEFAN NILSSON Trend spotter Trendgruppen

2011

is the year we will abandon nostalgia and propriety. The 1980s will provide us with inspiration, but this is really not for nostalgic reasons but because we need help to leap forward - a lever.

Falcon Crest? Why this particular TV soap? Well, it could just as well have been Dallas or Dynasty, but the 1980s soaps were something special. It was all about dreams and madness. Soaps have their own trends. At present, we are watching TV programmes were we examine ourselves. In Sweden, there are soaps about camping, dating farmers or various combinations of housewives. The same has happened in almost all other countries, and it is all about examining and analysing ourselves. In the 1990s and the Naughties, we watched series such as Friends and Sex and the City, which depicted city life as we would like it to be. We watched the programmes and wanted to be successful with successful friends and, at the same time, drink in a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Obviously, a fantasy of modern city life.

The TV series of the 1980s, with their shoulder pads, pool boys and ranches was entertainment, pure and simple. The characters cheated, lied and flirted with complete abandon. And we loved it.

When we watched an episode of Dallas, it never entered our minds that this could be part of our own lives. The TV programme was an exciting dream. And now itÕ s back. We are no longer interested in roots and realism, we want to be entertained and diverted, and perhaps even a bit disturbed. We long for the phenomenon represented by Falcon Crest and Dynasty. We want to be shocked by sex and to wear fantastic shoulder pads. IsnÕ t the iPad a modern-day equivalent of the giant mobile phones people carried back then?

Just as in the 1980s, we want to be noticed. We want clothes, outfits and fashion which make us stand out. We wave goodbye to the brown, the grey and the proper. Fashion shows for the coming 6

season feature strong colours, animal prints and garments made for a life on stage.

Falcon Crest and Dallas are also full of surprises. A vineyard which was blown up could mean anything.

Or discovering Bobby in the shower after a handful of seasonsÉ.

Surprise is the new black. We want the crazy surprises of Falcon Crest. The London chef Nuno Mendes has started the Loft Project, where the Michelin-starred chef enjoys dinner at home with various guest chefs from all over the world. Did I mention that it is his own home weÕ re talking about? ThatÕ s the key.

Unexpected, mad and genuine. The city of WarsawÕ s new tourist attraction is a life-sized plastic palm by the artist Joanna Rajkowska. ItÕ s about being smart and creative. When the fashion designer Richard Chai wanted to do something different, he invited the architects from Snarkitechture to create a pop-up shop in downtown New York. Since anything in New York is expensive, Chai and the architects decided on a total building budget of no more than USD 5,000.

The result was a shop made completely out of Styrofoam, out of which the architect had cut shelves for clothes and light fittings. Entering the shop is like walking into a giant glacial cavern. Certainly one of the autumnÕ s biggest talking points. Smart and attractive Ð an d surprising.

2011 will be a way for all of us to test the water in this madness. There are no complete answers and anything is possible. It may be as easy as inviting each other to back-to-front dinners, where the meal starts with the dessert. Or it may be the robots in Trafalgar Square, as we saw in September of 2010, bus

”Just as in the 1980s, we want to be noticed. We want clothes, outfits and fashion which make us stand out.

We wave goodbye to the brown, the grey and the proper.”

Bobby Ewing played by actor Patrick Duffy.

7

CRONICLE

After a couple of years of the housewife ideal, carefully knotted retro ties and home-made cakes, we are looking forward to something new, exciting and innovative with no backward glances. The main trend over the next few years will be about looking to the future, being daring with a hint of madness. To achieve this, we need a tool that will move

The Richard Chai store is a temporary retail installation

us forward. The best way to describe

created by Snarkitecture in collaboration with designer

this new, crazy look of the future is

Richard Chai.

Photo by David Smith.

the Falcon Crest Trend.

unexpected mad and GENUINE Text: STEFAN NILSSON Trend spotter Trendgruppen

2011

is the year we will abandon nostalgia and propriety. The 1980s will provide us with inspiration, but this is really not for nostalgic reasons but because we need help to leap forward - a lever.

Falcon Crest? Why this particular TV soap? Well, it could just as well have been Dallas or Dynasty, but the 1980s soaps were something special. It was all about dreams and madness. Soaps have their own trends. At present, we are watching TV programmes were we examine ourselves. In Sweden, there are soaps about camping, dating farmers or various combinations of housewives. The same has happened in almost all other countries, and it is all about examining and analysing ourselves. In the 1990s and the Naughties, we watched series such as Friends and Sex and the City, which depicted city life as we would like it to be. We watched the programmes and wanted to be successful with successful friends and, at the same time, drink in a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Obviously, a fantasy of modern city life.

The TV series of the 1980s, with their shoulder pads, pool boys and ranches was entertainment, pure and simple. The characters cheated, lied and flirted with complete abandon. And we loved it.

When we watched an episode of Dallas, it never entered our minds that this could be part of our own lives. The TV programme was an exciting dream. And now itÕ s back. We are no longer interested in roots and realism, we want to be entertained and diverted, and perhaps even a bit disturbed. We long for the phenomenon represented by Falcon Crest and Dynasty. We want to be shocked by sex and to wear fantastic shoulder pads. IsnÕ t the iPad a modern-day equivalent of the giant mobile phones people carried back then?

Just as in the 1980s, we want to be noticed. We want clothes, outfits and fashion which make us stand out. We wave goodbye to the brown, the grey and the proper. Fashion shows for the coming 6

season feature strong colours, animal prints and garments made for a life on stage.

Falcon Crest and Dallas are also full of surprises. A vineyard which was blown up could mean anything.

Or discovering Bobby in the shower after a handful of seasonsÉ.

Surprise is the new black. We want the crazy surprises of Falcon Crest. The London chef Nuno Mendes has started the Loft Project, where the Michelin-starred chef enjoys dinner at home with various guest chefs from all over the world. Did I mention that it is his own home weÕ re talking about? ThatÕ s the key.

Unexpected, mad and genuine. The city of WarsawÕ s new tourist attraction is a life-sized plastic palm by the artist Joanna Rajkowska. ItÕ s about being smart and creative. When the fashion designer Richard Chai wanted to do something different, he invited the architects from Snarkitechture to create a pop-up shop in downtown New York. Since anything in New York is expensive, Chai and the architects decided on a total building budget of no more than USD 5,000.

The result was a shop made completely out of Styrofoam, out of which the architect had cut shelves for clothes and light fittings. Entering the shop is like walking into a giant glacial cavern. Certainly one of the autumnÕ s biggest talking points. Smart and attractive Ð an d surprising.

2011 will be a way for all of us to test the water in this madness. There are no complete answers and anything is possible. It may be as easy as inviting each other to back-to-front dinners, where the meal starts with the dessert. Or it may be the robots in Trafalgar Square, as we saw in September of 2010, bus

”Just as in the 1980s, we want to be noticed. We want clothes, outfits and fashion which make us stand out.

We wave goodbye to the brown, the grey and the proper.”

Bobby Ewing played by actor Patrick Duffy.

7

CRONICLE

RIGHT: A Jetpack man takes to the skies of London in Trafalgar Square to celebrate the launch of the game Halo: Reach.

BELOW: Lady Gaga wears her controversial meat dress, as she arrives in the Press Room after winning eight 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.

shelters furnished by IKEA or wallpaper which can vestite magazine which features the latest fashion. receive your SMS. It is difficult, but then, that’s the In autumn 2010, the actor James Franco dressed in challenge. womenÕ s clothes and was hailed as the hottest actor Another significant part of the Falcon Crest trend is in Hollywood. By letting himself be photographed as sex. Just like Madonna shocked us in that era, we are an attractive transvestite, he raised his status as an now being provoked by Lady Gaga. Trend-setter Voindependent actor, i.e. he did not bow to the forces of gue has already played with attractive fashion shots commercialism. of the sexy madonna, just like Madonna did in her And the fashion world has picked up on this. The time. Jean-Paul Gaultier has also launched underwear Swedish company Acne has even launched its very for the street - underwear as outerwear. own transvestite collection. That may sound strange, Sexual undertones and provocation is finding a foosince there really is no such thing as transvestite clothold among the trendy set as well. thes. If someone wants to dress as Marc Jacobs surprised us all when cloa woman, they buy womenÕ s clo he launched his new fragrance, thes.... But now a shop near you Bang, with an advert showing him colwill be featuring a transvestite col lying completely naked on alumilection. Crazy....just as crazy as we nium foil with a bottle of perfume expect 2011 to be. between his legs. He found inspiSo, to check out the trends for ration for the advert during a wor2011, get a DVD boxed set of Falcon kout at the gym. Fragrance? Gym? Crest and watch a few episodes.

Naked guy on aluminium foil?

Find inspiration in the colours, Something happened somewhere, the sequins and shoulder pads, and it certainly got us all going. but mostly in the madness of the But it doesnÕ t end there. This characters. Dare to be different. trend is not only about the sexuIn 2011, we will be looking to the alised Madonna and the naked man future. We want to find new forms – it is also about flirting with sexufuand ways to live, but to find the fu Falcon Crest DVD Box Set. ality, just as during the Falcon Crest ture, we need the madness of the era. This time, the word is transvestism. It is cool for 1980s as a reference. So hold on tightly Ð itÕ s now itÕ s celebrities to let themselves be depicted as members happening. When you look back to the start of the seof the opposite sex. Celebrities compete to get on cond decade of the second Millennium, you will say the cover of magazines like Candy, a specialist transthat this was a time when anything was possible.

8

www.vaude.com

CRONICLE

RIGHT: A Jetpack man takes to the skies of London in Trafalgar Square to celebrate the launch of the game Halo: Reach.

BELOW: Lady Gaga wears her controversial meat dress, as she arrives in the Press Room after winning eight 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.

shelters furnished by IKEA or wallpaper which can vestite magazine which features the latest fashion. receive your SMS. It is difficult, but then, that’s the In autumn 2010, the actor James Franco dressed in challenge. womenÕ s clothes and was hailed as the hottest actor Another significant part of the Falcon Crest trend is in Hollywood. By letting himself be photographed as sex. Just like Madonna shocked us in that era, we are an attractive transvestite, he raised his status as an now being provoked by Lady Gaga. Trend-setter Voindependent actor, i.e. he did not bow to the forces of gue has already played with attractive fashion shots commercialism. of the sexy madonna, just like Madonna did in her And the fashion world has picked up on this. The time. Jean-Paul Gaultier has also launched underwear Swedish company Acne has even launched its very for the street - underwear as outerwear. own transvestite collection. That may sound strange, Sexual undertones and provocation is finding a foosince there really is no such thing as transvestite clothold among the trendy set as well. thes. If someone wants to dress as Marc Jacobs surprised us all when a woman, they buy womenÕ s clohe launched his new fragrance, thes.... But now a shop near you Bang, with an advert showing him will be featuring a transvestite collying completely naked on alumilection. Crazy....just as crazy as we nium foil with a bottle of perfume expect 2011 to be. between his legs. He found inspiSo, to check out the trends for ration for the advert during a wor2011, get a DVD boxed set of Falcon kout at the gym. Fragrance? Gym? Crest and watch a few episodes.

Naked guy on aluminium foil?

Find inspiration in the colours, Something happened somewhere, the sequins and shoulder pads, and it certainly got us all going. but mostly in the madness of the But it doesnÕ t end there. This characters. Dare to be different. trend is not only about the sexuIn 2011, we will be looking to the alised Madonna and the naked man future. We want to find new forms – it is also about flirting with sexuand ways to live, but to find the fuFalcon Crest DVD Box Set. ality, just as during the Falcon Crest ture, we need the madness of the era. This time, the word is transvestism. It is cool for 1980s as a reference. So hold on tightly Ð itÕ s now itÕ s celebrities to let themselves be depicted as members happening. When you look back to the start of the seof the opposite sex. Celebrities compete to get on cond decade of the second Millennium, you will say the cover of magazines like Candy, a specialist transthat this was a time when anything was possible.

8

www.vaude.com

INTERVIEW

LIFE IS extraordinary!

Robert Meijer, 46, a happily married man and father of 5, a physiotherapist by training, held various positions at board level for WE Europe as Sales Director and HR Director. RobertÕ s main interest has always been focused on retail and fashion. As such he successfully managed commercial activities for Marlies Dekkers and Street One. Text: Bart Van Trimpont

R

obert Meijer joined Waalwear Men BV in April 2010 as acting Commercial Director. During this period he took important decisions and made significant progress regarding Van GilsÕ repositioning and brand strategy, the first results of which can be seen.

In July 2010 Robert Meijer was appointed CEO of Waalwear Men and Setpoint in Breda and soon found out that the company needed to be re-energized to become successful again.

The brand bible and brand strategy were under development and, in agreement with the owner of the company, Robert Meijer decided almost immediately on a complete review of the brand identity. A first step in this direction was to have architect Robin Sluijzer redesign the companyÕ s showroom and exhibition booth. In less than three weeks a completely new look was created. The showroom and booth suggest a modern and masculine atmosphere, not at all the classic dark wood that you see everywhere these days. The result is a contemporary look that inspires luxury without becoming arrogant. The new booth was successfully tested at shows around Europe, notably Pitti Uomo, Bread and Butter, and the Modefabriek. Van Gils strongly believes in the future of

10

11

New Formal. Look around in day-to-day life, at the office, on the streets, more and more men are wearing new and elegant combinations which correspond to New Formal. Combining denim with formal jackets is no longer exceptional. Even in shirts you can see this trend. Van Gils offers just that different touch or accent such as contrasting details and colours, or higher collars that have to be worn without a tie, but still allow you to attend any business meeting or elegant event in style.

In presenting New Formal, Van Gils is anticipating what is happening around us in the world, but at the same time it also adheres to the tailored product heritage of the brand, which has continually been at the forefront of New Formal.

Van Gils is an iconic brand, known for its sophisticated tailored products and will continue to be cherished by the brand, as it has always been the stronghold. The look and feel of Van Gils can best be described as surprisingly confident.

When asked about the typical Van Gils man, Robert Meijer quotes Michael Kors: Everyone is 35 today Brad Pitt is 40. Kurt Russell is 53. Jude Law is 31.

And I think they are all 35.

INTERVIEW

LIFE IS extraordinary!

Robert Meijer, 46, a happily married man and father of 5, a physiotherapist by training, held various positions at board level for WE Europe as Sales Director and HR Director. RobertÕ s main interest has always been focused on retail and fashion. As such he successfully managed commercial activities for Marlies Dekkers and Street One. Text: Bart Van Trimpont

R

obert Meijer joined Waalwear Men BV in April 2010 as acting Commercial Director. During this period he took important decisions and made significant progress regarding Van GilsÕ repositioning and brand strategy, the first results of which can be seen.

In July 2010 Robert Meijer was appointed CEO of Waalwear Men and Setpoint in Breda and soon found out that the company needed to be re-energized to become successful again.

The brand bible and brand strategy were under development and, in agreement with the owner of the company, Robert Meijer decided almost immediately on a complete review of the brand identity. A first step in this direction was to have architect Robin Sluijzer redesign the companyÕ s showroom and exhibition booth. In less than three weeks a completely new look was created. The showroom and booth suggest a modern and masculine atmosphere, not at all the classic dark wood that you see everywhere these days. The result is a contemporary look that inspires luxury without becoming arrogant. The new booth was successfully tested at shows around Europe, notably Pitti Uomo, Bread and Butter, and the Modefabriek. Van Gils strongly believes in the future of

10

11

New Formal. Look around in day-to-day life, at the office, on the streets, more and more men are wearing new and elegant combinations which correspond to New Formal. Combining denim with formal jackets is no longer exceptional. Even in shirts you can see this trend. Van Gils offers just that different touch or accent such as contrasting details and colours, or higher collars that have to be worn without a tie, but still allow you to attend any business meeting or elegant event in style.

In presenting New Formal, Van Gils is anticipating what is happening around us in the world, but at the same time it also adheres to the tailored product heritage of the brand, which has continually been at the forefront of New Formal.

Van Gils is an iconic brand, known for its sophisticated tailored products and will continue to be cherished by the brand, as it has always been the stronghold. The look and feel of Van Gils can best be described as surprisingly confident.

When asked about the typical Van Gils man, Robert Meijer quotes Michael Kors: Everyone is 35 today Brad Pitt is 40. Kurt Russell is 53. Jude Law is 31.

And I think they are all 35.

INTERVIEW

Heritage, style, design, craftsmanship, details, innovation and inspiring communication.

ÓT he younger guy is wearing tailored pieces to look sophisticated.

And the older guy is going for a more casual piece to feel younger.

It all comes together and the world is 35.Ó

The younger guy is wearing tailored pieces to look sophisticated. And the older guy is going for a more casual piece to feel younger. It all comes together and the world is 35.

Van Gils suits the more seasoned man, the mature man who lives his life courageously with curiosity and optimism. He is confident but will not take himself too seriously. Above all he feels 35.

This leads to the new brand motto ÒN o Stitch No StoryÓ which is a fantastic theme and will support all future Van Gils campaigns.

With Òp leased to meet youÓ Van Gils re-energised the brand, taking up its heritage and reintroducing it in order to regain its former success. Van GilsÕ business goal is clear: to be recognised as one of the top three European leaders in menÕ s formal wear within 5 years.

As already stated, Van Gils has a definite heritage, a true story going back a long way. But at the same time Van Gils has always delivered quality, great detailing and an edge in product and communication.

Van Gils also shows a clear vision on life, in a provocative kind of way: ÒL ife is extraordinary!Ó Today Robert Meijer is the CEO and as such he distinctly brands the company, in which he believes that all employees are committed to the brand and actu-

ally breathe the brand. On the one hand you can see ÒS etpointÓ with a number of branded private labels (Obvious, Van Kollem, Pointer) but on the other hand the focus will mainly be on Van Gils as a brand.

Robert Meijer confirms that the company has efficiently addressed the recent financial downturn. Obviously it is not possible to predict the future. In the last five years it was apparent that the multi-brand company, where everyone worked hard with the best of intentions and also some success, was driven merely by opportunities rather than follo-wing a clear strategy. Today the com-pany has a single-minded brand focus and streamlined organisation in which planning is a key word.

Branding, a highly fashionable word today, is of the utmost importance to Robert Meijer. It means that you breathe the brand, that you take particular care in expressing the brand in all senses, and always in line with previously agreed brand values.

Consistency is a key word in branding which needs to 12

be pursued from the general design features through the smallest details such as letter heading, envelopes etc., right up to the labelling. As Robert Meijer clearly illustrates, the latter has to be consistent and live up to customer expectations in every detail.

As the main supplier, with expertise in adding value to brands in the world of labels, packaging and accessories, Nilorn sees a distinct evolution within the labelling used by Van Gils. Robert Meijer explains that nowadays first the brand book is compiled with all content and values intrinsic to the brand. Each and everyone of the steps taken in the process must always be in line with the brand book.

NilornÕ s interpretation of the branding needed by Van Gils is extremely important as it must add value to the brand, correspond to the brand values and confirm that the customer has bought the right garment.

The re-energised Van Gils brand is certain to give the modern man the assurance he is leading his life with surprising confidence, always in style, but never too serious.

Van Gils was founded in The Netherlands in 1948 by H.C. Van Gils. After World War II Van Gils was the first to be given tailor’s vouchers by the government to buy materials. For a long time, Van Gils has compassionately set out to make clothing for the people in the village. Van Gils restored the community by caringly producing free clothing and providing jobs.

Van Gils has a long tradition in tailoring with a surprising sense of style The portfolio of Waalwear Men comprises brands such as Van Gils and Van Kollem. Waalwear Men BV and Setpoint are based in Breda, The Netherlands, and are part of Logo International, which is also the holding company of Waalwear Kids, We Europe and O’ Neill.

13

INTERVIEW

Heritage, style, design, craftsmanship, details, innovation and inspiring communication.

ÓT he younger guy is wearing tailored pieces to look sophisticated.

And the older guy is going for a more casual piece to feel younger.

It all comes together and the world is 35.Ó

The younger guy is wearing tailored pieces to look sophisticated. And the older guy is going for a more casual piece to feel younger. It all comes together and the world is 35.

Van Gils suits the more seasoned man, the mature man who lives his life courageously with curiosity and optimism. He is confident but will not take himself too seriously. Above all he feels 35.

This leads to the new brand motto ÒN o Stitch No StoryÓ which is a fantastic theme and will support all future Van Gils campaigns.

With Òp leased to meet youÓ Van Gils re-energised the brand, taking up its heritage and reintroducing it in order to regain its former success. Van GilsÕ business goal is clear: to be recognised as one of the top three European leaders in menÕ s formal wear within 5 years.

As already stated, Van Gils has a definite heritage, a true story going back a long way. But at the same time Van Gils has always delivered quality, great detailing and an edge in product and communication.

Van Gils also shows a clear vision on life, in a provocative kind of way: ÒL ife is extraordinary!Ó Today Robert Meijer is the CEO and as such he distinctly brands the company, in which he believes that all employees are committed to the brand and actu-

ally breathe the brand. On the one hand you can see ÒS etpointÓ with a number of branded private labels (Obvious, Van Kollem, Pointer) but on the other hand the focus will mainly be on Van Gils as a brand.

Robert Meijer confirms that the company has efficiently addressed the recent financial downturn. Obviously it is not possible to predict the future. In the last five years it was apparent that the multi-brand company, where everyone worked hard with the best of intentions and also some success, was driven merely by opportunities rather than following a clear strategy. Today the company has a single-minded brand focus and streamlined organisation in which planning is a key word.

Branding, a highly fashionable word today, is of the utmost importance to Robert Meijer. It means that you breathe the brand, that you take particular care in expressing the brand in all senses, and always in line with previously agreed brand values.

Consistency is a key word in branding which needs to 12

be pursued from the general design features through the smallest details such as letter heading, envelopes etc., right up to the labelling. As Robert Meijer clearly illustrates, the latter has to be consistent and live up to customer expectations in every detail.

As the main supplier, with expertise in adding value to brands in the world of labels, packaging and accessories, Nilorn sees a distinct evolution within the labelling used by Van Gils. Robert Meijer explains that nowadays first the brand book is compiled with all content and values intrinsic to the brand. Each and everyone of the steps taken in the process must always be in line with the brand book.

NilornÕ s interpretation of the branding needed by Van Gils is extremely important as it must add value to the brand, correspond to the brand values and confirm that the customer has bought the right garment.

The re-energised Van Gils brand is certain to give the modern man the assurance he is leading his life with surprising confidence, always in style, but never too serious.

Van Gils was founded in The Netherlands in 1948 by H.C. Van Gils. After World War II Van Gils was the first to be given tailor’s vouchers by the government to buy materials. For a long time, Van Gils has compassionately set out to make clothing for the people in the village. Van Gils restored the community by caringly producing free clothing and providing jobs.

Van Gils has a long tradition in tailoring with a surprising sense of style The portfolio of Waalwear Men comprises brands such as Van Gils and Van Kollem. Waalwear Men BV and Setpoint are based in Breda, The Netherlands, and are part of Logo International, which is also the holding company of Waalwear Kids, We Europe and O’ Neill.

13

FOCUS

1

2

Unpainted wood is maintaining its popularity.

The big trend now is to use it in combination with a modern and futuristic design idiom.

3

1. FLOAT LIGHT. The Float Pendant, a collaboration between Benjamin Hubert and Scandinavian lighting manufacturer & Tradition, is hand turned from a large recycled block of agglomerate cork.

2. LAVERNE STOOL in teak, each individual is unique. www.ilva.dk.

3. TAGUAíBA ARMCHAIR. By Carlos Motta.

4

www.espasso.com

5

4. THE DOTS COAT HOOKS.

By Tveit&Tornøe for Muuto. www.muuto.com 5. HExAD. For Benchmark & Rocket Gallery.

By the London-based Japanese designer Tomoko Azumi. www.tnadesignstudio.co.uk.

6. VITóRIA DINING TABLE by Carlos Motta,

www.espasso.com.

6

14

FOCUS

1

2

Unpainted wood is maintaining its popularity.

The big trend now is to use it in combination with a modern and futuristic design idiom.

3

1. FLOAT LIGHT. The Float Pendant, a collaboration between Benjamin Hubert and Scandinavian lighting manufacturer & Tradition, is hand turned from a large recycled block of agglomerate cork.

2. LAVERNE STOOL in teak, each individual is unique. www.ilva.dk.

3. TAGUAíBA ARMCHAIR. By Carlos Motta.

4

www.espasso.com

5

4. THE DOTS COAT HOOKS.

By Tveit&Tornøe for Muuto. www.muuto.com 5. HExAD. For Benchmark & Rocket Gallery.

By the London-based Japanese designer Tomoko Azumi. www.tnadesignstudio.co.uk.

6. VITóRIA DINING TABLE by Carlos Motta,

www.espasso.com.

6

14

FARROW & BALL

FARROW & BALL

Opposite page: Wallpaper: 5-Over Stripe BP 634 is priced €80 per 10 m roll.

WALLS OF DISTINCTION AND BEAUTY Ask an interior designer or a person interested in interiors to name a paint manufacturer. The answer is very likely to be Farrow & Ball. Their paints have been made according to the same tradition for the past seven decades, but are more up-to-date than ever. Small-scale production and natural and environmentally friendly ingredients are factors that appeal to the discerning consumers of today.

This page: Wall: Cook’s Blue® No.237 Estate Emulsion.

Wallpaper: Vermicelli BP 1513 is priced €110 per 10 m roll.

W

ith a unique colour palette and unsurpassed depth, Farrow & Ball have gained a worldwide reputation for their high-quality paints and wallpapers. The paint range comprises 132 carefully selected colours, most of which originate in historic settings, chosen by the leading interior designers of times gone by. The number of colours may sound like a limitation, but the collection contains paints that are just as well suited to the walls of an 18th century manor as to a minimalist New York loft. To further enhance feelings and create the right atmosphere, there are a dozen finishes to choose from. Farrow & BallÕ s best-known product is the extremely matt and deep emulsion known as Estate Emulsion.

Hardly anything has changed since the company made its first batch of paint. The paint is made using traditional methods and traditional ingredients, without any synthetic pigments and binders.

Text: Henrik Lindén

16

17

In comparison with many standard paints, more pigment is added and less filler is used. The result is a quality paint with unique colour characteristics. Rigid quality control is an important part of the chain of production and ensures that the paint in the tin matches the sample card. All the paints are waterbased and environmentally friendly.

The opening chapter in the history of Farrow & Ball was written in 1946 in the English county of Dorset, when the chemists John Farrow and Richard Ball established a small-scale paint factory. After a modest start, the reputation of the duoÕ s excellent paints spread, contributing to them winning contracts to supply paint to the Admiralty and the War Office.

SAFEGUARDING OLD TRADITIONS

For paint manufacturers, like many other industries, the post-war period brought modernisation and updated production techniques. But when many of them abandoned the traditional methods and ingre-

FARROW & BALL

FARROW & BALL

Opposite page: Wallpaper: 5-Over Stripe BP 634 is priced €80 per 10 m roll.

WALLS OF DISTINCTION AND BEAUTY Ask an interior designer or a person interested in interiors to name a paint manufacturer. The answer is very likely to be Farrow & Ball. Their paints have been made according to the same tradition for the past seven decades, but are more up-to-date than ever. Small-scale production and natural and environmentally friendly ingredients are factors that appeal to the discerning consumers of today.

This page: Wall: Cook’s Blue® No.237 Estate Emulsion.

Wallpaper: Vermicelli BP 1513 is priced €110 per 10 m roll.

W

ith a unique colour palette and unsurpassed depth, Farrow & Ball have gained a worldwide reputation for their high-quality paints and wallpapers. The paint range comprises 132 carefully selected colours, most of which originate in historic settings, chosen by the leading interior designers of times gone by. The number of colours may sound like a limitation, but the collection contains paints that are just as well suited to the walls of an 18th century manor as to a minimalist New York loft. To further enhance feelings and create the right atmosphere, there are a dozen finishes to choose from. Farrow & BallÕ s best-known product is the extremely matt and deep emulsion known as Estate Emulsion.

Hardly anything has changed since the company made its first batch of paint. The paint is made using traditional methods and traditional ingredients, without any synthetic pigments and binders.

Text: Henrik Lindén

16

17

In comparison with many standard paints, more pigment is added and less filler is used. The result is a quality paint with unique colour characteristics. Rigid quality control is an important part of the chain of production and ensures that the paint in the tin matches the sample card. All the paints are waterbased and environmentally friendly.

The opening chapter in the history of Farrow & Ball was written in 1946 in the English county of Dorset, when the chemists John Farrow and Richard Ball established a small-scale paint factory. After a modest start, the reputation of the duoÕ s excellent paints spread, contributing to them winning contracts to supply paint to the Admiralty and the War Office.

SAFEGUARDING OLD TRADITIONS

For paint manufacturers, like many other industries, the post-war period brought modernisation and updated production techniques. But when many of them abandoned the traditional methods and ingre-

Photo: Mathia s Mart

FARROW & BALL Opposite page: Wallpaper: Rosslyn BP 1922 is priced €122 per 10m roll.

dients, Farrow & Ball stuck to their original recipe Ð a process that was more complicated and demanded the best raw materials, but with a result that a faithful band of customers appreciated.

When interest in renovating and preserving older buildings grew in the early nineties, this re-ignited Farrow & Ball. A great need in the market was met with colours that were timeless and had historical attachments.

In the mid-nineties Farrow & Ball expanded their range to include a new, unique product Ð wallpapers are screen-printed with the companyÕ s own waterbased paints. The ground colour is applied with a brush, and patterns are applied in several layers, in some cases using block printing. The result is a wallpaper with a vibrant and elegant surface and one that is easy to clean. Today there are 34 different patterns to choose from and 900 colourways. A pure craft product made to order at the factory in Dorset by a small team of craftspeople.

insen / mfofo.s e

Paint: Babouche® No.223 Estate Emulsion Wallpaper: Melrose BP 1428 is priced €110 per 10m roll.

Wall: Down Pipe No.26 Estate Emulsion.

This page: Floor: Slipper Satin® No.2004 Floor Paint Estate Emulsion is priced €65 for 2.5L and €109 for 5L. Floor Paint is priced €39 for 750ml, €99 for 2.5L and €169 for 5L.

Hello, Simo n Davies and Tomas Cederlund, interior desi gners famili ar from televisi on and own ers of the interi or design st ore London W8 in Stockho lm, Sweden.

Wallpaper: Melrose BP 1420 is priced €110 per 10m roll.

1. Why have you chosen to work with Farrow & Ball’s collection?

– The paints have fantastic depth and are of fantastic quality, the collection only contains 132 colours but still meets every need. In addition, they are water-based and completely ecofriendly.

2. Which colours someone likes is an extremely personal and subjective matter. How do you go about helping your customers to choose paints for their homes and workplaces?

– Everyone has a favourite colour, but rarely dares to use it. We put a lot of effort into persuading people to dare. It is also important that all the rooms in a home in some way harmonise and hang together, which we help the customer to achieve.

At workplaces it’s a little different, because the colours have to appeal to far more people. But different colours create different moods and affect our senses differently. So people choose a colour depending on the type of workplace. Green, for example, is very calming and is therefore often used in prisons.

In 1996 Farrow & Ball opened their first showroom in London, and the company has since established showrooms in such places as Paris, New York, Los Angeles and Milan. In these showrooms it is possible to explore inspiring settings and obtain advice on colours and finishes from professional colour consultants.

Today Farrow & Ball remains independent and continues to produce paints and wallpapers from the same little town in Dorset. Paints that create a sense of harmony and timelessness in all types of settings.

Which is your favourite?

18

3. What characteristics should a good paint have?

– Environmentally friendly – Deep – Easy to work – It should be available in various finishes for different purposes in all colours.

19

Photo: Mathia s Mart

FARROW & BALL Opposite page: Wallpaper: Rosslyn BP 1922 is priced €122 per 10m roll.

dients, Farrow & Ball stuck to their original recipe Ð a process that was more complicated and demanded the best raw materials, but with a result that a faithful band of customers appreciated.

When interest in renovating and preserving older buildings grew in the early nineties, this re-ignited Farrow & Ball. A great need in the market was met with colours that were timeless and had historical attachments.

In the mid-nineties Farrow & Ball expanded their range to include a new, unique product Ð wallpapers are screen-printed with the companyÕ s own waterbased paints. The ground colour is applied with a brush, and patterns are applied in several layers, in some cases using block printing. The result is a wallpaper with a vibrant and elegant surface and one that is easy to clean. Today there are 34 different patterns to choose from and 900 colourways. A pure craft product made to order at the factory in Dorset by a small team of craftspeople.

insen / mfofo.s e

Paint: Babouche® No.223 Estate Emulsion Wallpaper: Melrose BP 1428 is priced €110 per 10m roll.

Wall: Down Pipe No.26 Estate Emulsion.

This page: Floor: Slipper Satin® No.2004 Floor Paint Estate Emulsion is priced €65 for 2.5L and €109 for 5L. Floor Paint is priced €39 for 750ml, €99 for 2.5L and €169 for 5L.

Hello, Simo n Davies and Tomas Cederlund, interior desi gners famili ar from televisi on and own ers of the interi or design st ore London W8 in Stockho lm, Sweden.

Wallpaper: Melrose BP 1420 is priced €110 per 10m roll.

1. Why have you chosen to work with Farrow & Ball’s collection?

– The paints have fantastic depth and are of fantastic quality, the collection only contains 132 colours but still meets every need. In addition, they are water-based and completely ecofriendly.

2. Which colours someone likes is an extremely personal and subjective matter. How do you go about helping your customers to choose paints for their homes and workplaces?

– Everyone has a favourite colour, but rarely dares to use it. We put a lot of effort into persuading people to dare. It is also important that all the rooms in a home in some way harmonise and hang together, which we help the customer to achieve.

At workplaces it’s a little different, because the colours have to appeal to far more people. But different colours create different moods and affect our senses differently. So people choose a colour depending on the type of workplace. Green, for example, is very calming and is therefore often used in prisons.

In 1996 Farrow & Ball opened their first showroom in London, and the company has since established showrooms in such places as Paris, New York, Los Angeles and Milan. In these showrooms it is possible to explore inspiring settings and obtain advice on colours and finishes from professional colour consultants.

Today Farrow & Ball remains independent and continues to produce paints and wallpapers from the same little town in Dorset. Paints that create a sense of harmony and timelessness in all types of settings.

Which is your favourite?

18

3. What characteristics should a good paint have?

– Environmentally friendly – Deep – Easy to work – It should be available in various finishes for different purposes in all colours.

19

PANTONE

1.

2.

8.

PANTONE inspired DESIGN

3.

4.

1.PANTONE MUG, www.amazon.com.

2. PANTONE CUFFLINKS, with the iconic Pantone

chip design, are made from stainless steel for durability, and feature coloured enamel in seasonal Pantone colours. www.pantone.com.

3. METAL BOx with lid. www.ilva.se.

4. ExPRESS YOUR INNER SHOPPER with the new PANTONE Visa Platinum Rewards Card.

5. SEAVEES + PANTONE. For the first time in their 45-year history and through an exclusive agreement, Pantone has allowed an external design team into their hallowed archives. SeaVees cofounders Steven Tiller and Derek Galkin selected seven vintage colours from the original Pantone colour guide. The palette, chosen from the only authentic guide known to exist, epitomizes the cool, casual style of California in 1963. www.seavees.com.

6. SO FAR, RUBITONE is only a concept by Ignacio Pilotto. We are keeping our fingers crossed that this product will make it into production.

7. THE PANTONE HOTEL in Brussels showcases the colour of emotion with a distinctive hue on each guest floor. From vivid to subdued, for business or leisure, this unique boutique hotel perfectly suits your savvy palette and colourful imagination.

8. FLIGHT STOOL. The Barber Osgerby for Pantone collection is a limited edition based on the Pantone �chip�. The collection is made in bentwood and consists of 8 different colour sets with 6 different gradations of colour in each set for a total of 48 one of a kind Pantone colours.

5.

20

6.

7.

Trade Mart/Fashion Gardens

Atomiumlaan 1 Pb 8

1020 Brussels Belgium

Tel +32 2 478 05 84

PANTONE

1.

2.

8.

PANTONE inspired DESIGN

3.

4.

1.PANTONE MUG, www.amazon.com.

2. PANTONE CUFFLINKS, with the iconic Pantone

chip design, are made from stainless steel for durability, and feature coloured enamel in seasonal Pantone colours. www.pantone.com.

3. METAL BOx with lid. www.ilva.se.

4. ExPRESS YOUR INNER SHOPPER with the new PANTONE Visa Platinum Rewards Card.

5. SEAVEES + PANTONE. For the first time in their 45-year history and through an exclusive agreement, Pantone has allowed an external design team into their hallowed archives. SeaVees cofounders Steven Tiller and Derek Galkin selected seven vintage colours from the original Pantone colour guide. The palette, chosen from the only authentic guide known to exist, epitomizes the cool, casual style of California in 1963. www.seavees.com.

6. SO FAR, RUBITONE is only a concept by Ignacio Pilotto. We are keeping our fingers crossed that this product will make it into production.

7. THE PANTONE HOTEL in Brussels showcases the colour of emotion with a distinctive hue on each guest floor. From vivid to subdued, for business or leisure, this unique boutique hotel perfectly suits your savvy palette and colourful imagination.

8. FLIGHT STOOL. The Barber Osgerby for Pantone collection is a limited edition based on the Pantone �chip�. The collection is made in bentwood and consists of 8 different colour sets with 6 different gradations of colour in each set for a total of 48 one of a kind Pantone colours.

5.

20

6.

7.

Trade Mart/Fashion Gardens

Atomiumlaan 1 Pb 8

1020 Brussels Belgium

Tel +32 2 478 05 84

WE LIKE...

Husmus

Husmus is designed to fit under any kitchen sink. It’s shipped as a flatpack for self-assembly, and is made of recycled Polypropylene. And this attractive storage solution is ideal for keeping your Lego in – it’s what we do! www.muungano.com.

Apollo

Apollo Designed by Dutch designer Romy Kuhne editor for the Belgian lighting company, Dark, ”The Apollo is a hanging lamp made from faceted triangular pieces of metal held together by screws and bolts. www.dark.be.

Doll Pram

Doll’s Pram By Dennis Ingemansson for Playsam. Playsam’s new doll’s pram is a nostalgic, classic design – a perfect baptism gift. In the new Playsam colours of blue and pink. www.playsam.com.

NILORN Product DEVELOPMENT

F / W 2010-2

The Nilorn Group’s internal product activity is an important part of its business. We work continuously to refine design solutions and find new materials and production techniques. The whole process chain is fine-tuned during the course of the process, from design and the purchasing department to production and logistics.

We analyse trends, gather inspiration and information and then create visual platforms for the products. Concepts, as we call them, are the meeting between

VP4 Table lamp

the product, practical solutions and design. The concepts are brought together in

By Verner Panton. Panton received numerous awards for his designs, including the International Design Award. www.einrichten-design.de.

DUSTY DIAMONDS

Design by Anna Elzer Oscarson www.aeo-studio.com.

22

a collection folder that acts as an ideas bank for our customers and cooperating partners. A service that is greatly appreciated.

23

WE LIKE...

Husmus

Husmus is designed to fit under any kitchen sink. It’s shipped as a flatpack for self-assembly, and is made of recycled Polypropylene. And this attractive storage solution is ideal for keeping your Lego in – it’s what we do! www.muungano.com.

Apollo

Apollo Designed by Dutch designer Romy Kuhne editor for the Belgian lighting company, Dark, ”The Apollo is a hanging lamp made from faceted triangular pieces of metal held together by screws and bolts. www.dark.be.

Doll Pram

Doll’s Pram By Dennis Ingemansson for Playsam. Playsam’s new doll’s pram is a nostalgic, classic design – a perfect baptism gift. In the new Playsam colours of blue and pink. www.playsam.com.

NILORN Product DEVELOPMENT

F / W 2010-2

The Nilorn Group’s internal product activity is an important part of its business. We work continuously to refine design solutions and find new materials and production techniques. The whole process chain is fine-tuned during the course of the process, from design and the purchasing department to production and logistics.

We analyse trends, gather inspiration and information and then create visual platforms for the products. Concepts, as we call them, are the meeting between

VP4 Table lamp

the product, practical solutions and design. The concepts are brought together in

By Verner Panton. Panton received numerous awards for his designs, including the International Design Award. www.einrichten-design.de.

DUSTY DIAMONDS

Design by Anna Elzer Oscarson www.aeo-studio.com.

22

a collection folder that acts as an ideas bank for our customers and cooperating partners. A service that is greatly appreciated.

23

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

BENJAMINA

Women, aged 20-45, who perceive everyday beauty. Their homes are as stunningly decorated and well-matched as their clothing.

The label offers a selection of cardigans, dresses, skirts and accessories with gorgeously handcrafted details.

INSPIRATION

That romantic feeling of bygone times, a bit scraped and worn around the edges. The muted shades and patterns transport the imagination to a manor where fabulous furniture, wallpaper and oil paintings are interspersed with ruffles and rustling satin fabrics.

24

25

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

BENJAMINA

Women, aged 20-45, who perceive everyday beauty. Their homes are as stunningly decorated and well-matched as their clothing.

The label offers a selection of cardigans, dresses, skirts and accessories with gorgeously handcrafted details.

INSPIRATION

That romantic feeling of bygone times, a bit scraped and worn around the edges. The muted shades and patterns transport the imagination to a manor where fabulous furniture, wallpaper and oil paintings are interspersed with ruffles and rustling satin fabrics.

24

25

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

QANIK SWIM Swimwear for the young, athletic woman who loves challenges and gives 100%.

Designer swimsuits reflecting a refreshingly modern and chic approach to swimwear.

INSPIRATION

Frozen waterscapes inspire this collection. Snow, ice and cold are the source of this crisp colour palette. The mood is set by the aurora and light from the lovely Ice Hotel in JukkasjĹ r vi, Sweden.

This swimwear packaging has a plastic interior which you can later use for wet bathing suits or as a toiletry bag. The transparent bottom shows the colour and pattern of the garment.

26

27

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

QANIK SWIM Swimwear for the young, athletic woman who loves challenges and gives 100%.

Designer swimsuits reflecting a refreshingly modern and chic approach to swimwear.

INSPIRATION

Frozen waterscapes inspire this collection. Snow, ice and cold are the source of this crisp colour palette. The mood is set by the aurora and light from the lovely Ice Hotel in JukkasjĹ r vi, Sweden.

This swimwear packaging has a plastic interior which you can later use for wet bathing suits or as a toiletry bag. The transparent bottom shows the colour and pattern of the garment.

26

27

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

SKI OR DIE

Event staff clothing makes staff members easy to identify at events.

Clearly, visible branded jackets, sweatshirts and other staff clothing guarantee that the event will run smoothly.

INSPIRATION

Functional details and graphics pumped with adrenaline characterise the aesthetics of extreme skiing and snowboarding. Combined with a clear identity, these factors create a platform for a cohesive concept.

28

29

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

SKI OR DIE

Event staff clothing makes staff members easy to identify at events.

Clearly, visible branded jackets, sweatshirts and other staff clothing guarantee that the event will run smoothly.

INSPIRATION

Functional details and graphics pumped with adrenaline characterise the aesthetics of extreme skiing and snowboarding. Combined with a clear identity, these factors create a platform for a cohesive concept.

28

29

FOCUS

PIXELMANIA

5.

At a time when high-resolution image technology is breaking new records on a daily basis, many designers find themselves inspired by old videogames and lowresolution computer graphics. The abstract minimalist pixel art is reflected in architecture, advertising films and textile patterns. Here are some of our favourites.

1.

7.

6.

1. PRISMA ENGINEERING’S head office in the

4. THE GINO DOG FIGURINE is made of 135

Austrian town of Graz has a pixelated facade.

The exterior is designed by Splitterwerk, and consists of squares in ten shades of grey which, along with the square windows, blend into a single graphic unit.

crystal cubes all glued by hand. Available in one size and four colours: clear, blue, green and black. Designed by Harry Allen. www.gaiagino.com.

8.

5. THE PERLER BEAD is a Swedish invention.

2. WALL AND CEILING LAMP from Kundalini.

2.

More lamps next to the others create custom screens. The idea is to “pixel” entire walls with a striking and incisive effect. www.kundalini.it.

3. NEO ROCOCO by Smånsk Design Studio

6. MICHEL DUCAROY’S comfortable Togo sofa for Ligne Roset. Shanghai fabric designed by Cristian Zuzunaga.

Photo: Mikolai Berg

Photo: Maria Macri

of Sweden is a furniture collection inspired by pixelated diagrams of Rococo furniture. www.smansk.com.

Until now, working with perler beads has been regarded as a popular nursery and school activity. But now street artists and creative adults have also spotted the potential of this art form.

7. THE DOOR to this hanging unit is adorned by a series of parallel holes, recreating the effect of squared paper. Pixel Quaderno, designed by Alessio Bassan, is just one of the many textures available for the Privacy units. www.capodopera.it.

2.

8. THE PIxELATED FABRIC by Cristian Zuzunaga

really makes this sofa an eye catcher.

Sofa designed by Patricia urquiola for Moroso.

9. MOSAIC SWEDEN is Sweden’s first specialist mosaics brand. The company aims to provide an exciting alternative for architects, builders and designers in search of something special. The picture shows a wall mosaic signed by the artist duo Solklippa and Skogh.

3.

9.

4.

30

31

FOCUS

PIXELMANIA

5.

At a time when high-resolution image technology is breaking new records on a daily basis, many designers find themselves inspired by old videogames and lowresolution computer graphics. The abstract minimalist pixel art is reflected in architecture, advertising films and textile patterns. Here are some of our favourites.

1.

7.

6.

1. PRISMA ENGINEERING’S head office in the

4. THE GINO DOG FIGURINE is made of 135

Austrian town of Graz has a pixelated facade.

The exterior is designed by Splitterwerk, and consists of squares in ten shades of grey which, along with the square windows, blend into a single graphic unit.

crystal cubes all glued by hand. Available in one size and four colours: clear, blue, green and black. Designed by Harry Allen. www.gaiagino.com.

8.

5. THE PERLER BEAD is a Swedish invention.

2. WALL AND CEILING LAMP from Kundalini.

2.

More lamps next to the others create custom screens. The idea is to “pixel” entire walls with a striking and incisive effect. www.kundalini.it.

3. NEO ROCOCO by Smånsk Design Studio

6. MICHEL DUCAROY’S comfortable Togo sofa for Ligne Roset. Shanghai fabric designed by Cristian Zuzunaga.

Photo: Mikolai Berg

Photo: Maria Macri

of Sweden is a furniture collection inspired by pixelated diagrams of Rococo furniture. www.smansk.com.

Until now, working with perler beads has been regarded as a popular nursery and school activity. But now street artists and creative adults have also spotted the potential of this art form.

7. THE DOOR to this hanging unit is adorned by a series of parallel holes, recreating the effect of squared paper. Pixel Quaderno, designed by Alessio Bassan, is just one of the many textures available for the Privacy units. www.capodopera.it.

2.

8. THE PIxELATED FABRIC by Cristian Zuzunaga

really makes this sofa an eye catcher.

Sofa designed by Patricia urquiola for Moroso.

9. MOSAIC SWEDEN is Sweden’s first specialist mosaics brand. The company aims to provide an exciting alternative for architects, builders and designers in search of something special. The picture shows a wall mosaic signed by the artist duo Solklippa and Skogh.

3.

9.

4.

30

31

COLOUR COMMUNICATION

COLOUR COMMUNICATION

Do you love colours? Most people enjoy colours, either in products or simply in nature. Colours are an important part of our lives and give us so much joy and fascination every day. In our everyday speech, Ò I feel blueÓ , Ò red as a tomatoÓ or Ò I live in the green house down the streetÓ Ð we often boost the story-telling by describing colour or the feeling of colour. Colour is a rather complex phenomenon, especially in psychology. This is the story behind colour communication and why it can be so hard to understand each other!

Colour codes and communication Ð piece of cake!?

Text: LOUISE KLARSTEN CEO ColourHouse Sweden

I

n the old days, we used descriptions like Òt omato redÓ. Well in production this is not precise enough anymore. For several reasons.

First, our eyes can capture up to 10 million colours. But no production unit can manage that, it would be a never ending production line, which would be totally hopeless in the fashion industry because of lead time and costs. Secondly, tomatoes do not have the same red colour everywhere for natural reasons. As well as that, we are not sure if we capture the same idea of red evenly, as our eyes are individual, and our colour perception varies. Humidity makes a difference, and the quality of light is different in different parts of the world. Industrialisation, however, brought a need to simplify colour in design, production, quality control for an end-result which controls the colour in reproduction. Goethe tried to see all the colours through the prism, remember?

And the artist, Munsell, around the turn of the last century got fed up with buying different colour shades every time he went to the art-shop for more paint.

He started to describe colour in three dimensions too.

And then this is where the world started, in the early days of colour communication systems in the 50s and 60s, to formulate the standard of colours, to describe 32

try to improve digital colour communication on desktop, on a mobile phone, on a tabletÉ on a TV-set with internet connectionsÉ And on digital screens, all the old-world knowledge of how colour is created, is turned upside down, because on a screen, colour is created by colour, saturation and light, which is the opposite to physical colour where you add black pigments. This is one of the main reasons why we have so much trouble working on screen, looking perhaps at a t-shirt design and changing colours on the screen, to make up our minds Òt his looks like a nice rangeÓ.

Then the journey starts. Can I print out the colours on my printer to match the screen. The answer is actually no. On screen we have so many more possibilities (larger colour space) but with a CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and key black) we can only achieve a limited range of visual colours. Green, in particular, is especially hard to manage in CMYK. It is, of course, possible to use Solid colour swatches. In a Pantone Plus (former PMS) solid colour 262C, got example, you have a better chance to compare to the screen.

But you cannot print it out yourself, you need a printer to hand mix that colour for you and print out. It is OK with 1 or 2 colours, but it is not normal practice to print in original solid PMS colours to achieve full colour. So what you do is compare visually. It might be the case that you have a textile colour swatch, Pantone TCX (cotton) solid woven colour swatch. That will show you the right colour, but it is also very important to look at real colour, since we donÕ t yet wear digital clothes. In other words, do not make your final colour choice on a screen. By all means use cad for the everyday preliminary work, but when it comes to a final decision on colour, use a solid colour system

that matches your needs. And whatever choice of colours you finally make, perhaps a from a colour card of 45 colours, you order swatches for your production partners, so that they can control production using the visual sample.

DIGITAL COMMUNICATION

Digital colour communication has evolved in parallel with visual colour communication. As mentioned above, we all do our work on screen these days. But we would also like to pull colours out of a product into the digital world. We can measure a sample, get the reflection curve (digital) in a format such as QTX or CXF, and then the computer shows the colour digitally on our screen. This curve is useful in the dying process, with the necessary support of a physical sample to enable a final decision to be made to accept or reject a colour by eye.

There are many occasions where it is helpful to work with the colours in digital format. For instance, you have a photo of a nice printed dress and would love to extract the colours of that print. This can be done today with rather simple and effective tools, known as spectrophotometers. In production, those are advanced and expensive units, but for everyday work there are products such as like Color Munki and Capsure, that read colour from a surface, including uneven knitted surfaces, or from an uploaded digital photo in the newest 2010 versions. Then you can pull out, for example, the Pantone numbers in that print, and continue to work with that colour range. Quick and easy!

However, the digital and the human do not always agree on colours. There is another important

colour in a three dimension: colour family, saturation of colour and level of added black. This led to the development and launch of a number of colour systems on the global market over the past 30 years, in all kind of industries. There is the German RAL, the Swedish NCS, the American Pantone, the American Munsell and the Japanese Scotdic. A realistic maximum is around 2,000 colours, which is also the number of colours many of the systems handle and offer as standard. They are all based on different materials, and were originally aimed at a specific business and product need, for graphics, paint, textiles, plastics and metallics and so on. Even today, people choose a system to match the product they are working with, but also influenced by the tradition and custom of their region, business or country. There is, however, a pressing need for global colour language in todayÕ s fast production lines. Visual colour communication guides and books are available in many industries and are used daily by product designers, production units, dyers, graphic designers, printers, weavers and so on. It is not only the products themselves that need colour and quality control, so also do the graphics in labels, packaging and communication. The whole world of online shopping has forced the industry to

Concentrated work to choose colours from Color Archive, d.cipher fm

33

COLOUR COMMUNICATION

COLOUR COMMUNICATION

Do you love colours? Most people enjoy colours, either in products or simply in nature. Colours are an important part of our lives and give us so much joy and fascination every day. In our everyday speech, Ò I feel blueÓ , Ò red as a tomatoÓ or Ò I live in the green house down the streetÓ Ð we often boost the story-telling by describing colour or the feeling of colour. Colour is a rather complex phenomenon, especially in psychology. This is the story behind colour communication and why it can be so hard to understand each other!

Colour codes and communication Ð piece of cake!?

Text: LOUISE KLARSTEN CEO ColourHouse Sweden

I

n the old days, we used descriptions like Òt omato redÓ. Well in production this is not precise enough anymore. For several reasons.

First, our eyes can capture up to 10 million colours. But no production unit can manage that, it would be a never ending production line, which would be totally hopeless in the fashion industry because of lead time and costs. Secondly, tomatoes do not have the same red colour everywhere for natural reasons. As well as that, we are not sure if we capture the same idea of red evenly, as our eyes are individual, and our colour perception varies. Humidity makes a difference, and the quality of light is different in different parts of the world. Industrialisation, however, brought a need to simplify colour in design, production, quality control for an end-result which controls the colour in reproduction. Goethe tried to see all the colours through the prism, remember?

And the artist, Munsell, around the turn of the last century got fed up with buying different colour shades every time he went to the art-shop for more paint.

He started to describe colour in three dimensions too.

And then this is where the world started, in the early days of colour communication systems in the 50s and 60s, to formulate the standard of colours, to describe 32

try to improve digital colour communication on desktop, on a mobile phone, on a tabletÉ on a TV-set with internet connectionsÉ And on digital screens, all the old-world knowledge of how colour is created, is turned upside down, because on a screen, colour is created by colour, saturation and light, which is the opposite to physical colour where you add black pigments. This is one of the main reasons why we have so much trouble working on screen, looking perhaps at a t-shirt design and changing colours on the screen, to make up our minds Òt his looks like a nice rangeÓ.

Then the journey starts. Can I print out the colours on my printer to match the screen. The answer is actually no. On screen we have so many more possibilities (larger colour space) but with a CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and key black) we can only achieve a limited range of visual colours. Green, in particular, is especially hard to manage in CMYK. It is, of course, possible to use Solid colour swatches. In a Pantone Plus (former PMS) solid colour 262C, got example, you have a better chance to compare to the screen.

But you cannot print it out yourself, you need a printer to hand mix that colour for you and print out. It is OK with 1 or 2 colours, but it is not normal practice to print in original solid PMS colours to achieve full colour. So what you do is compare visually. It might be the case that you have a textile colour swatch, Pantone TCX (cotton) solid woven colour swatch. That will show you the right colour, but it is also very important to look at real colour, since we donÕ t yet wear digital clothes. In other words, do not make your final colour choice on a screen. By all means use cad for the everyday preliminary work, but when it comes to a final decision on colour, use a solid colour system

that matches your needs. And whatever choice of colours you finally make, perhaps a from a colour card of 45 colours, you order swatches for your production partners, so that they can control production using the visual sample.

DIGITAL COMMUNICATION

Digital colour communication has evolved in parallel with visual colour communication. As mentioned above, we all do our work on screen these days. But we would also like to pull colours out of a product into the digital world. We can measure a sample, get the reflection curve (digital) in a format such as QTX or CXF, and then the computer shows the colour digitally on our screen. This curve is useful in the dying process, with the necessary support of a physical sample to enable a final decision to be made to accept or reject a colour by eye.

There are many occasions where it is helpful to work with the colours in digital format. For instance, you have a photo of a nice printed dress and would love to extract the colours of that print. This can be done today with rather simple and effective tools, known as spectrophotometers. In production, those are advanced and expensive units, but for everyday work there are products such as like Color Munki and Capsure, that read colour from a surface, including uneven knitted surfaces, or from an uploaded digital photo in the newest 2010 versions. Then you can pull out, for example, the Pantone numbers in that print, and continue to work with that colour range. Quick and easy!

However, the digital and the human do not always agree on colours. There is another important

colour in a three dimension: colour family, saturation of colour and level of added black. This led to the development and launch of a number of colour systems on the global market over the past 30 years, in all kind of industries. There is the German RAL, the Swedish NCS, the American Pantone, the American Munsell and the Japanese Scotdic. A realistic maximum is around 2,000 colours, which is also the number of colours many of the systems handle and offer as standard. They are all based on different materials, and were originally aimed at a specific business and product need, for graphics, paint, textiles, plastics and metallics and so on. Even today, people choose a system to match the product they are working with, but also influenced by the tradition and custom of their region, business or country. There is, however, a pressing need for global colour language in todayÕ s fast production lines. Visual colour communication guides and books are available in many industries and are used daily by product designers, production units, dyers, graphic designers, printers, weavers and so on. It is not only the products themselves that need colour and quality control, so also do the graphics in labels, packaging and communication. The whole world of online shopping has forced the industry to

Concentrated work to choose colours from Color Archive, d.cipher fm

33

COLOUR COMMUNICATION

COLOUR COMMUNICATION

Cecilia Starke matching a+a colour range with Pantone Plus.

industrial fact called deviation. You do not want too high a deviation factor in production (between dye lots). A bestselling blue range of shirts should always Òl ook the sameÓ in colour. Well they are not same, but close enough. The deviation between dye lots is often set at acceptable 1.0 level in fashion. However, this is not always necessary, because the technical device might read a larger deviation, when our eyes see absolutely no difference. Bright yellow is one example where the eye might need a 2.5 difference between dye lots to recognise the difference. In other areas of colour, our human eye is very sensitive, as with the greys and khakis! To set a standard for production, the balance between the technical reflection curve and the human perception is a newer, more realistic way of handling colour deviation in production.

Colours influence each other. When you look at colours, do not allow other colours to contaminate your view! Our brain has is very good at remembering colours when they are together in a format. One single colour is hard to remember. However, it is also true that a red colour next to a blue fools the eye and the colours contaminate each other. This is why you

should always evaluate colours one by one, without the disturbing influence of other colour reflections.

That might lead to the wrong decision. However, sometimes we take advantage of this memory-effect, it can be both necessary and attractive to show colours in a colour range together. We remember them as a general impression. Some artists were true masters of colours and used this effect to make their paintings memorable and beautiful.

COLOUR SYSTEMS AND CODES

This is a jungle - not easy to understand or follow.

Establishing differences by explaining which colour space each colour system is working in might make it easier to understand. LetÕ s start with the graphic colours. You work in different ways with graphic colour; one way is in original colour, where you need to choose a Solid colour. For instance, just about every logo in the world has a Pantone solid colour number. ÒV olvo blueÓ is one of the standard Pantone solid colours. That enables them to reproduce the colour in production and in new physical signs around the world. You see the same Volvo blue where ever you 34

go. ItÕ s very clever branding to stick to one colour logo, as so many other global brands do. OK, so if you want to produce brochures, what system do you use?

You need to communicate CMYK, the 4-colour printing codes. This is how most printed material, such as magazines and brochures are produced, as it is cheap, fast and easy. Also our printers at work normally print CMYK only. So back again to a t-shirt range designed on my screen: the printer can only show the colours existing in the limited colour space offered

by CMYK. The solid colours have a much greater colour space. So you have to be careful which Pantone code you use for which purpose. CMYK-code is normally not good for products, but is fine for 4-colourprinting. And vice-versa. There is CMYKOG-printing (hexachrome or 6-colour printing). With the addition of Orange and Green, you can achieve a much greater colour space in production. And this is great, apart from the cost of the CMYKOG printing which is, unfortunately, still rare and expensive.

Smart help is available from Bridge type products. If I have a solid Pantone Plus code, how would it appear in a brochure? Use the Bridge to simulate the Solid colours and how they appear in CMYK. In some areas, you can see that it is pointless to even suggest a print like that. Then you choose another colour which might use the mix of colour in a different way to achieve something more acceptable to the eye. ItÕ s demoralising to design a new shoe, in a lovely bright green, choose it to be on the front cover of the brochure and then, Oh no! Ð it looks like a pale pastel. That particular green was just not achievable in CMYK, and so you either print Solid colour (more expensive) or simply choose another colour.

ing a colour 6-8 times, both lead time and cost would suffer badly. By working with true cotton swatches in the supply chain, you can avoid misunderstandings and ensure that the colour originally designed is also what is, in fact, reaching the stores on time. That is where the profitable business starts!

DESIGN TRENDS AND COLOUR ARCHIVES

International design agencies around the world often choose to show colours in their trend books in a real textile material such as cotton. They often code the closest possible match to global systems like Pantone ie. ItÕ s essential that you always check coding made by somebody else. You might not share their opinion of how the codes are set, so always check for yourself before passing a code on (or, even better, use the original swatch instead). Some of the advanced trend agencies offer their own colour archives to their customers, who can buy and use their original swatches (often in cotton) in their design work and sometimes also in their production lines. Their codes are often only understood by the users of the particular trend service, but they can pass on physical colour swatches, so it does work. Why colour archives are used as main or complementary colour systems is, of course, because we like more colours, and we might have fallen in love with special colours that your favourite design agency developed for you! And you might want to find unique colours that bring something rare and special to your collection. Design agencies with colour archive services include ie Carlin International Paris, D.cipher fm Color Archive London and A+A Designstudio Milan.

TExTILE COMMUNICATION

In textiles, there is a serious need to communicate colours using real textile samples. We do not want to Òi magineÓ a colour from a paper chip, when it will become a red coat in wool. No, the eye is very sensitive, and would like to see the colour in as natural and realistic way as possible. To have one colour system per all textile materials is just not possible. Since cotton is one of the most difficult fibres to dye, this is the most popular material for colour communication Òi f you can achieve it in cotton, it will be no problem with other materialsÓ. For that reason, both the Pantone Textile system for fashion and home© and the Scotdic color system© both have cotton as their master material. To design, play with and choose from colour ranges in cotton is a pleasure. But the important factor is to work in true material swatches throughout the design, production and quality-control processes as well as in sales, to achieve acceptable colours rapidly and effectively. We do not want to waste time re-dye-

Comparing Pantone Solid colour and CMYK colour with the Bridge.

35

COLOUR COMMUNICATION

COLOUR COMMUNICATION

Cecilia Starke matching a+a colour range with Pantone Plus.

industrial fact called deviation. You do not want too high a deviation factor in production (between dye lots). A bestselling blue range of shirts should always Òl ook the sameÓ in colour. Well they are not same, but close enough. The deviation between dye lots is often set at acceptable 1.0 level in fashion. However, this is not always necessary, because the technical device might read a larger deviation, when our eyes see absolutely no difference. Bright yellow is one example where the eye might need a 2.5 difference between dye lots to recognise the difference. In other areas of colour, our human eye is very sensitive, as with the greys and khakis! To set a standard for production, the balance between the technical reflection curve and the human perception is a newer, more realistic way of handling colour deviation in production.

Colours influence each other. When you look at colours, do not allow other colours to contaminate your view! Our brain has is very good at remembering colours when they are together in a format. One single colour is hard to remember. However, it is also true that a red colour next to a blue fools the eye and the colours contaminate each other. This is why you

should always evaluate colours one by one, without the disturbing influence of other colour reflections.

That might lead to the wrong decision. However, sometimes we take advantage of this memory-effect, it can be both necessary and attractive to show colours in a colour range together. We remember them as a general impression. Some artists were true masters of colours and used this effect to make their paintings memorable and beautiful.

COLOUR SYSTEMS AND CODES

This is a jungle - not easy to understand or follow.

Establishing differences by explaining which colour space each colour system is working in might make it easier to understand. LetÕ s start with the graphic colours. You work in different ways with graphic colour; one way is in original colour, where you need to choose a Solid colour. For instance, just about every logo in the world has a Pantone solid colour number. ÒV olvo blueÓ is one of the standard Pantone solid colours. That enables them to reproduce the colour in production and in new physical signs around the world. You see the same Volvo blue where ever you 34

go. ItÕ s very clever branding to stick to one colour logo, as so many other global brands do. OK, so if you want to produce brochures, what system do you use?

You need to communicate CMYK, the 4-colour printing codes. This is how most printed material, such as magazines and brochures are produced, as it is cheap, fast and easy. Also our printers at work normally print CMYK only. So back again to a t-shirt range designed on my screen: the printer can only show the colours existing in the limited colour space offered

by CMYK. The solid colours have a much greater colour space. So you have to be careful which Pantone code you use for which purpose. CMYK-code is normally not good for products, but is fine for 4-colourprinting. And vice-versa. There is CMYKOG-printing (hexachrome or 6-colour printing). With the addition of Orange and Green, you can achieve a much greater colour space in production. And this is great, apart from the cost of the CMYKOG printing which is, unfortunately, still rare and expensive.

Smart help is available from Bridge type products. If I have a solid Pantone Plus code, how would it appear in a brochure? Use the Bridge to simulate the Solid colours and how they appear in CMYK. In some areas, you can see that it is pointless to even suggest a print like that. Then you choose another colour which might use the mix of colour in a different way to achieve something more acceptable to the eye. ItÕ s demoralising to design a new shoe, in a lovely bright green, choose it to be on the front cover of the brochure and then, Oh no! Ð it looks like a pale pastel. That particular green was just not achievable in CMYK, and so you either print Solid colour (more expensive) or simply choose another colour.

ing a colour 6-8 times, both lead time and cost would suffer badly. By working with true cotton swatches in the supply chain, you can avoid misunderstandings and ensure that the colour originally designed is also what is, in fact, reaching the stores on time. That is where the profitable business starts!

DESIGN TRENDS AND COLOUR ARCHIVES

International design agencies around the world often choose to show colours in their trend books in a real textile material such as cotton. They often code the closest possible match to global systems like Pantone ie. ItÕ s essential that you always check coding made by somebody else. You might not share their opinion of how the codes are set, so always check for yourself before passing a code on (or, even better, use the original swatch instead). Some of the advanced trend agencies offer their own colour archives to their customers, who can buy and use their original swatches (often in cotton) in their design work and sometimes also in their production lines. Their codes are often only understood by the users of the particular trend service, but they can pass on physical colour swatches, so it does work. Why colour archives are used as main or complementary colour systems is, of course, because we like more colours, and we might have fallen in love with special colours that your favourite design agency developed for you! And you might want to find unique colours that bring something rare and special to your collection. Design agencies with colour archive services include ie Carlin International Paris, D.cipher fm Color Archive London and A+A Designstudio Milan.

TExTILE COMMUNICATION

In textiles, there is a serious need to communicate colours using real textile samples. We do not want to Òi magineÓ a colour from a paper chip, when it will become a red coat in wool. No, the eye is very sensitive, and would like to see the colour in as natural and realistic way as possible. To have one colour system per all textile materials is just not possible. Since cotton is one of the most difficult fibres to dye, this is the most popular material for colour communication Òi f you can achieve it in cotton, it will be no problem with other materialsÓ. For that reason, both the Pantone Textile system for fashion and home© and the Scotdic color system© both have cotton as their master material. To design, play with and choose from colour ranges in cotton is a pleasure. But the important factor is to work in true material swatches throughout the design, production and quality-control processes as well as in sales, to achieve acceptable colours rapidly and effectively. We do not want to waste time re-dye-

Comparing Pantone Solid colour and CMYK colour with the Bridge.

35

COLOUR COMMUNICATION CODES AND NAMES

Coming back to tomato red. From experience, we can give some useful and easily-applied advice to anyone people working in colour. ColourHouse has worked with colour communication since 1981 Ð initially with the fashion industry, and now on all levels of colour communication from design to production and sales, covering pretty much all kinds of products and services where colour is a meaningful argument.

We have learned the hard way how difficult it is for creative people to remember and write colour codes (numbers) but how easy it is for them to remember names, such as Òc eladon blueÓ, Ò canary yellowÓ, Òd usk greyÓ. Somehow that gives a poetic impression, and the story is easier to remember by name. So our strong advice, when you are working with colour communication, if you can, is to use both a numerical code (19-0000TCX) and a name (black). That means that both the technical people (who remembers numerical values) and artistic types (who remember names) both understand the colour and can react if the Òt omato redÓ t urns out blue!

COLOUR IS THE REFLECTION OF LIGHT when it hits a surface, passes through your eyes and is interpreted at the back of your head where the sight-centre in your brain is located. This means in practice that the light conditions under which you watch the colour are crucial its perception in the brain. If you have a red ski-jacket, what impression does the brain have in daylight as against night? Well at night, there is no colour, it is just a dark shade. This is why it is so difficult to describe a crime scene from night vision if the lighting is poor! How do we overcome this problem? Well in some cases we don’t. But of course, when we look at professional retail for instance, they know very well how to re-create a kind of standard neutral light, always the same all year around: this is called store-light, and it enables you to make a safe colour choice when you shop. In fact, we try to study different light-sources, where there are standards to guide us to neutralise the local light conditions. You may use a Lightbox to check how a colour reacts under different light conditions: daylight (often D65 = 6500 kelvin) / store light (often TL84 = 4100 kelvin) / home light 2700 kelvin) and UV-light (to detect optical brighteners).

OK, so I check my yellow sample t-shirt in a light box, but then what? Then we have something which the industry describes as Metamerism. This phenomenon occurs when, for instance, our yellow t-shirt looks different when I check it under the different light sources. Is that good? Well, of course it is not good to have a t-shirt which acts like a chameleon, with a different shade in different light source. Avoiding metamerism is vital, and the dyers and manufacturers work hard to avoid it.

In same cases it is critical, particularly in the grey/khaki type of colours. Since they are a mix of more or less all other colours, they tend to be affected by the light source. In one light source the khaki t-shirt could look green, in another it might look grey or brown. This means returns to stores because customers are not satisfied, and we do not want to have unhappy consumers, so metameric colours are best avoided.

FACTS CODELIST OF COLOUR SYSTEMS TExTILE SYSTEMS:

19-0000TCX Pantone textile for fashion and home, cotton (1925 dyed colours on weave).

19-0000TPX Pantone textile for fashion and home, paper (1925 solid printed colours) Compatible systems cotton and paper version.

C-054013 Scotdic Cotton System (2300 dyed colours on weave) P-054013 Scotdic Polyester System (2450 dyed colours on weave) Non compatible systems cotton and polyester version.

SOLID GRAPHIC SYSTEMS:

286 C Pantone Plus, formula guide, Solid coated print on paper (glossy appearance) 244 new*.

286 U Pantone Plus, formula guide, Solid uncoated print on paper (matte appearance) 224 new*.

10126 C Pantone Plus, premium metallics, Solid coated metallic print on paper, 300 new*.

9341C Pantone Plus, pastels and neons, Solid coated print on paper, 42 new (glossy appear)*.

9341U Pantone Plus, pastels and neons, Solid uncoated print on paper, 42 new (matte appear)* * amount of new colours launched June 2010.

CMYK PANTONE PLUS SERIES

(4 colour printing Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key-black).

P-41-1-C CMYK (former process guide), coated 4-colour-print on paper (glossy appear).

P-41-1-U CMYK (former process guide), uncoated 4-colour-print on paper (matte appear).

PLASTIC SYSTEMS:

Q100-3-1 Pantone Plastic Opaque system (plastic chips).

T355-2-2 Pantone Plastic Transparente system (plastic chips).

36

COLOUR COMMUNICATION CODES AND NAMES

Coming back to tomato red. From experience, we can give some useful and easily-applied advice to anyone people working in colour. ColourHouse has worked with colour communication since 1981 Ð initially with the fashion industry, and now on all levels of colour communication from design to production and sales, covering pretty much all kinds of products and services where colour is a meaningful argument.

We have learned the hard way how difficult it is for creative people to remember and write colour codes (numbers) but how easy it is for them to remember names, such as Òc eladon blueÓ, Ò canary yellowÓ, Òd usk greyÓ. Somehow that gives a poetic impression, and the story is easier to remember by name. So our strong advice, when you are working with colour communication, if you can, is to use both a numerical code (19-0000TCX) and a name (black). That means that both the technical people (who remembers numerical values) and artistic types (who remember names) both understand the colour and can react if the Òt omato redÓ t urns out blue!

COLOUR IS THE REFLECTION OF LIGHT when it hits a surface, passes through your eyes and is interpreted at the back of your head where the sight-centre in your brain is located. This means in practice that the light conditions under which you watch the colour are crucial its perception in the brain. If you have a red ski-jacket, what impression does the brain have in daylight as against night? Well at night, there is no colour, it is just a dark shade. This is why it is so difficult to describe a crime scene from night vision if the lighting is poor! How do we overcome this problem? Well in some cases we don’t. But of course, when we look at professional retail for instance, they know very well how to re-create a kind of standard neutral light, always the same all year around: this is called store-light, and it enables you to make a safe colour choice when you shop. In fact, we try to study different light-sources, where there are standards to guide us to neutralise the local light conditions. You may use a Lightbox to check how a colour reacts under different light conditions: daylight (often D65 = 6500 kelvin) / store light (often TL84 = 4100 kelvin) / home light 2700 kelvin) and UV-light (to detect optical brighteners).

OK, so I check my yellow sample t-shirt in a light box, but then what? Then we have something which the industry describes as Metamerism. This phenomenon occurs when, for instance, our yellow t-shirt looks different when I check it under the different light sources. Is that good? Well, of course it is not good to have a t-shirt which acts like a chameleon, with a different shade in different light source. Avoiding metamerism is vital, and the dyers and manufacturers work hard to avoid it.

In same cases it is critical, particularly in the grey/khaki type of colours. Since they are a mix of more or less all other colours, they tend to be affected by the light source. In one light source the khaki t-shirt could look green, in another it might look grey or brown. This means returns to stores because customers are not satisfied, and we do not want to have unhappy consumers, so metameric colours are best avoided.

FACTS CODELIST OF COLOUR SYSTEMS TExTILE SYSTEMS:

19-0000TCX Pantone textile for fashion and home, cotton (1925 dyed colours on weave).

19-0000TPX Pantone textile for fashion and home, paper (1925 solid printed colours) Compatible systems cotton and paper version.

C-054013 Scotdic Cotton System (2300 dyed colours on weave) P-054013 Scotdic Polyester System (2450 dyed colours on weave) Non compatible systems cotton and polyester version.

SOLID GRAPHIC SYSTEMS:

286 C Pantone Plus, formula guide, Solid coated print on paper (glossy appearance) 244 new*.

286 U Pantone Plus, formula guide, Solid uncoated print on paper (matte appearance) 224 new*.

10126 C Pantone Plus, premium metallics, Solid coated metallic print on paper, 300 new*.

9341C Pantone Plus, pastels and neons, Solid coated print on paper, 42 new (glossy appear)*.

9341U Pantone Plus, pastels and neons, Solid uncoated print on paper, 42 new (matte appear)* * amount of new colours launched June 2010.

CMYK PANTONE PLUS SERIES

(4 colour printing Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key-black).

P-41-1-C CMYK (former process guide), coated 4-colour-print on paper (glossy appear).

P-41-1-U CMYK (former process guide), uncoated 4-colour-print on paper (matte appear).

PLASTIC SYSTEMS:

Q100-3-1 Pantone Plastic Opaque system (plastic chips).

T355-2-2 Pantone Plastic Transparente system (plastic chips).

36

HOTELS 2. THE STANDARD, DOWNTOWN LA

550 South Flower at 6th Street Los Angeles, CA 90071 USA The Rooftop Bar, bejewelled with a heated swimming pool, a red Astroturf sundeck, and vibrating waterbed pods (not to mention a bar and dance floor with nightly DJs), is one of Los Angeles’ most coveted nightlife hotspots.

3. WANDERLUST

No.2 Dickson Road 209494 Singapore Singapore Combining a sense of artistic whimsy with cutting-edge design, the new Wanderlust in Singapore’s Little India was created with adventurous travelers in mind. Hotel owner Loh Lik Peng, a local hero after the success of his New Majestic Hotel, gave four different design firms each a floor to create their own interpretation of contemporary style and comfort.

2

3

FIVE fabuluous HOTELS

5

1 © ACE HOTEL

© ACE HOTE

1. ACE HOTEL

L

20W 29th Street New York City, NY 10001 TEL: 212.679.2222 General Information / Reservations: enquire.nyc@acehotel.com

4

4. THE HOTEL

5. THE SCARLET

Sempacher Strasse 14 6002 Lucerne Switzerland

Tredragon Road Mawgan Porth Cornwall TR8 4DQ United Kingdom

The Hotel Lucerne is located in a magnificent park setting in the heart of the city.

It is Lucerne’s luxury boutique hotel that celebrates simplicity and spirituality as much as it does elegance, refinement and timeless design. The Hotel describes a new way of communicating with people and makes its own statement about tomorrow’s world.

Ace Hotel reinvents the urban hotel for the people who make cities interesting. We crave experience more than hospitality clichés. We are curious about the historic buildings we inhabit, and let them guide us to someplace both fresh and familiar. Our sensibility is democratic and inclusive. We appeal to a broad spectrum of travelers directly, without reducing everything to the lowest common denominator. Ace is built around collaborations and friendships with local designers, artists, and independent businesses. www.acehotel.com

A stunning seaside escape perched atop the cliffs of Cornwall, the Scarlet Hotel features a thoughtful philosophy, bold architecture, and a breathtaking location.

The Standard, Wanderlust, The Hotel and The Scarlet are members of Design Hotels™.

Bookings through www.designhotels.com or via the appropriate toll-free number.

1

38

39

HOTELS 2. THE STANDARD, DOWNTOWN LA

550 South Flower at 6th Street Los Angeles, CA 90071 USA The Rooftop Bar, bejewelled with a heated swimming pool, a red Astroturf sundeck, and vibrating waterbed pods (not to mention a bar and dance floor with nightly DJs), is one of Los Angeles’ most coveted nightlife hotspots.

3. WANDERLUST

No.2 Dickson Road 209494 Singapore Singapore Combining a sense of artistic whimsy with cutting-edge design, the new Wanderlust in Singapore’s Little India was created with adventurous travelers in mind. Hotel owner Loh Lik Peng, a local hero after the success of his New Majestic Hotel, gave four different design firms each a floor to create their own interpretation of contemporary style and comfort.

2

3

FIVE fabuluous HOTELS

5

1 © ACE HOTEL

© ACE HOTE

1. ACE HOTEL

L

20W 29th Street New York City, NY 10001 TEL: 212.679.2222 General Information / Reservations: enquire.nyc@acehotel.com

4

4. THE HOTEL

5. THE SCARLET

Sempacher Strasse 14 6002 Lucerne Switzerland

Tredragon Road Mawgan Porth Cornwall TR8 4DQ United Kingdom

The Hotel Lucerne is located in a magnificent park setting in the heart of the city.

It is Lucerne’s luxury boutique hotel that celebrates simplicity and spirituality as much as it does elegance, refinement and timeless design. The Hotel describes a new way of communicating with people and makes its own statement about tomorrow’s world.

Ace Hotel reinvents the urban hotel for the people who make cities interesting. We crave experience more than hospitality clichés. We are curious about the historic buildings we inhabit, and let them guide us to someplace both fresh and familiar. Our sensibility is democratic and inclusive. We appeal to a broad spectrum of travelers directly, without reducing everything to the lowest common denominator. Ace is built around collaborations and friendships with local designers, artists, and independent businesses. www.acehotel.com

A stunning seaside escape perched atop the cliffs of Cornwall, the Scarlet Hotel features a thoughtful philosophy, bold architecture, and a breathtaking location.

The Standard, Wanderlust, The Hotel and The Scarlet are members of Design Hotels™.

Bookings through www.designhotels.com or via the appropriate toll-free number.

1

38

39