Embellished with a Pantone color swatch and number, these mugs are tailor-made for design-minded individuals who like their daily cup of joe with a dose of style.
Trend Watch
More than Gifts
At the New York International Gift Fair this August, old trends appeared in new ways and hot-off-the-market items made their debut. We asked local design store owners to give us the dish.

New York International Gift Fair

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
August 16–21, 2008 

Seen at John Derian’s booth at NYIGF: Derian’s field bench covered in Belgian linen—part of a new furniture collection for Cisco Brothers.
Kay Collection melamine chargers by Kay Wolfersperger for Working Class Studio, a division of Savannah College of Art and Design exhibiting new student work at NYIGF.
The reversible felt bun bowl, by Etcetera Media, is part of the Boston design studio’s felt home goods product line.

A considerable selection of new merchandise, strategically categorized among nine product divisions, lured 36,000 attendees to the summer edition of the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF). Participants in the show’s 155th semi-annual edition included buyers from all 50 states and more than 75 countries, as well as 2,900-plus exhibitors, 400 of which were first-time participants.

Regular attendees John and Frances Smersh, owners of Click! Design That Fits (2210 California Ave. S.W., 206-328-9252), liked the show’s  new Studio division. “I noticed some fresh faces,” John says. “The show organizers are definitely expanding,” adds Frances, who remarked on the greater number of vendors and more international buyers.

One of their favorite show discoveries was Pantone-themed coffee mugs. Each mug is decorated with a large color swatch and the corresponding Pantone reference name and number. “I walked by the booth and cracked up,” Frances recalls. “I immediately thought of so many people who would appreciate these mugs—there are at least 10 graphic designers in my life. And they live and die by that color chart! It’s a great inside joke that needs no explanation,” she says.

The Smershes also noted a proliferation of products in felt and cardboard. Felted items included a stylish wine rack, sculptural bowls and colorful holiday ornaments. Cardboard furnishings included slotted shelving that could be painted, decorated and ultimately recycled. Another point of interest was the booth of Working Class Studio, with the latest designs from students at Savannah College of Art and Design. “We currently carry some of the studio’s melamine plates and we’ll be bringing more in,” Frances says.

Proprietor Liberty Hanson of Liberty 123 (123 Park Lane, Kirkland, 425-822-1232) noticed more industrial influences at the show this year. “I think it’s part of an overall trend: home décor becoming a little less serious,” she says. In Hanson’s view, the occasional industrial accent injects a point of interest and fun. She also mentions an abundance of weathered oak and lighter woods as well as zinc tabletops and unexpected pieces such as a pigeon basket transformed into a portable table with a glass top. In many booths, it was about “bringing in the old in a new light,” she says.

For Ted Kennedy Watson of Watson Kennedy (1022 First Ave., 206-652-8350), NYIGF is part of a month-long visit to Manhattan and surrounding towns. “This is one of the very best shows in the world in terms of new product from fabulous companies, its great layout and, of course, the fact that it’s in New York,” Watson says. At the top of the shop owner’s list of exciting new introductions was a cool line of furniture from New York–based designer John Derian. “When I’m in New York, I always make sure to visit both of John’s stores. They are such a great laboratory for his products; I like to see how his designs are presented in his shops,” Watson says.

Watson also noted a greater emphasis on vintage products. Some of the “vintage” products are truly aged, while Watson says that many were given a patina to look aged. Pendants that Watson will be carrying are based on authentic vintage designs called “trouble lights,” typically a lightbulb inside a cage originally used in work situations. “I think these are really cool,” Watson says.

He also reports that nature themes are still playing a big role, including graphic prints and fabulous rich browns and deep greens. “I found some really great nasturtium leaf–shaped plates and platters and will have those in soon,” he says. Other items that he ordered at the show include printer’s blocks reproduced into frames and other great pieces—fabulous barware, ice buckets and other cocktail-related accoutrements. “It’s so fun to mix up great cocktails at home,” Watson says.