Archive for the 'Relief Efforts' Category

Keywords and Trends for 2008, Harbingers of 2009-10

Analyzying the Google data on Trendbites dashboard was an interesting exercise this morning. I wanted to know what was on people’s minds not just for the month but for the whole year and then their patterns throughout the year. Of course you have to take different things into consideration but let’s use some lists to cut to the chase.

Top Searched subjects for 2008 on the Trendbites blog:

1) Tattoos
2) Eco friendly water bottles.
3) Sarah Palin’s Wardrobe, designers and where can get it
4) Suzanis
5) Fretwork

Each one of these search terms can be elaborated upon because people used various terms to find info on these subject matters plus I would say that there were related items that fell into a sidebar of those topics, such as in fretwork also came Asian ornamintation….cloisone, champleve, etc., and they searched Benjamin Crutzfeldt’s name or his porcelain which is based on 18th century Chinese porcelain techniques but modernized.

As well several of these were either spiked by the news media, i.e., Palin’s wardrobe and this summer’s newsworthy research on the chemical in plastic water bottles being unsafe for people.

The very interesting one is that the tattoo subject is pretty consistent (throughout the year) as is fretwork, and suzanis…..a more recent though I expect timely for several reasons is the new Spring pattern for Pfaltzgraff’s dinnerware, Fruit Bounty. The Macys/Rwanda Project is also a big search item for December.

The remaining five of the top ten had to do more with star power, i.e., angelina jolie (who had more searches than Brad Pitt, fyi) but most of those searches came when they were getting ready to have their twins.

Then there was Heidi Klum’s red dress by John Galliano for the American Heart Association and Coke Sweepstakes promotion during the Oscars….again news timing.

And lots of searches for different industry color trends, a few in general trends for 2009-2010, BTS/BTC Dorm info searches, and finally named designer searches i.e., Oscar del la Renta, Dior, Moschino, Ralph Lauren and Nau (menswear for 2009 and the color of orange was searched specifically). I had a few for the timourous beasties wall paper and Scott Hill furnishings, the wallpaper or even furnishings from the movie Lucky #Slevin, and a few for the artists Damien Hirst and Richard Prince.

These searches can all be qualified by #1, I write about these items, #2, these are the things on people’s minds either professionally or because the news has spiked interest (TREND), or, and this one is special just because I went through the same thing, #3, very little otherwise is written about them such as Mumenshance the mime troupe from Switzerland. So they are one of the top five consistent trends but I know that that is a very special interest topic, not a trend per se.

Those top five as I listed them above are worth your consideration. My own bottom line is that if I wanted to make this a blog just about color trends and color per se in many industry categories, I would do very well with the blog….but hey all you out there I do write trends about color in depth and that info can be gotten in a much more specific manner, i.e., I use acutal pantone numbers by industry or even can create palettes!

Macys and the Rwanda Path to Peace Project.

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Do you believe in the laws of the universe? I do. While covering the runways for Spring 2009 in New York, London, Milan and Paris, African prints and tribal elements surfaced as a universal trend. At the same time, PBS aired the movie Casablanca while the United States declared Wall Street was crumbling. Casablanca is in northern Africa and of course you can’t discuss the movie without noting what elements of Moroccan culture are becoming mainstays in U.S. interior design and now fashion. That same week, Maryam Montague of MyMarrakesh blog embarked on a trip to Rwanda and came back with a personal story of Vestine’s plight during the horrors of Rwanda’s mass genocide. She took it upon herself to create a foundation to begin collecting money for the Rwandan victims. At exactly the same time, Macy’s sent me notice of their extended Rwanda Path to Peace Project into Shop for Now which updates the Rwanda offering for Winter 2008 as well as combining offerings from other countries such as Indonesia and Cambodia with the same mission in mind.

I blogged about Maryam’s site first for those who were interested in making a cash contribution (Maryam says they are just $700 short for Team Vestine, all of which goes to a group as a micro loan to help them set up their own business). I highly recommend visiting Maryam’s blog, My Marrakesh, to learn more about Team Vestine as Maryam continues to journal about her trip to the area.

At the same time, I couldn’t ignore the timing of Macy’s announcement, which meant to me, here’s another way we can help support the women and children of Rwanda–Macy’s Rwanda Path to Peace Project exclusively at Macys.com.

Here is Macy’s Official Statement:

In 1994 the Rwandan people suffered a horrific mass genocide losing almost 1 million people to murder over a course of 100 days. This genocide left many widows and orphans in its wake with little hope for a happy, stable future. Four years ago, Rwanda Path to Peace established a viable, sustainable export business that provides economic stability, and promotes an environment of peace to positively impact the future of Rwanda’s eight million citizens. The Rwanda Path to Peace project began to offer a means of income for Rwandan genocide survivors by selling exquisite, hand-woven baskets made from sisal, sweetgrass and other natural resources found in Rwanda exclusively on Macys.com. The graphic designs on the baskets are inspired by traditional Rwandan artwork and culture.

Some of what you can find exported from Rwanda:

rwandan-_scarlet-sun_-30cm-sisal-bowl_fae9-300-dpi.jpg Scarlet Sun Fruit Bowl, $40
Resembling the deep, red, warmth of the sun, Scarlet Sun captures this power found in the Rwandan skies.

Nova Fruit Bowl, $46 (black and white bowl top image)
The bold, geometric design of the Nova Fruit Bowl is inspired by the celestial and sometimes inexplicable events of our universe and is sure to make a statement anywhere in your home.

The success of this program has enabled macys.com to launch Shop for a Better World (www.macys.com/betterworld), a site that features one of a kind gifts, home décor items and life style accessories handmade by artisans in countries like Indonesia, Cambodia as well as Rwanda. The sales of the product featured on Shop for a Better World employs the women in these countries that continue to recover from some sort of disaster.

shop-for-a-better-world-image.jpgShop for a Better World is a vertically integrated program; all steps of production take place in the origin country using only raw materials sourced from the region. The program employs a large population of women who live in the rural countryside, allowing them to maintain their current residence and avoid the often costly and disruptive process of relocating to cities in search of work and allows them to provide for their families in terms of education, healthcare and many other necessities.

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Temple Serving Tray, $50. With a design aesthetic perfect for use in an Indonesian temple, the traditional hand carved and hand‐painted wood Temple Serving Tray can brighten any table.

Shop for a Better World is a partnership between Macy’s and Fair Winds Trading, which was founded by Willa Shalit, a social activist and entrepreneur who recognizes the great vitality, ambition and optimism in these areas of the world, which are emerging from the devastation of war and natural disasters. The program generates income and employment opportunities for the citizens of these countries, providing them with a platform to utilize their traditional skills and craftsmanship.

Focusing on trade not aid, Shop for a Better World seeks to make the greatest impact possible within a region. With a commitment to sustainable business as well as a belief in going deeply into a region with long-term commitment, Shop for a Better World creates a job market for artisans with an empowering opportunity to change their own lives. The initiative also offers employees with life skill training, such as rehabilitation, health and hygiene in addition to education on nutrition and financial management.

The site just went live and will be adding additional product through the holiday season.