IMM, Cologne 2015 - a Report

By Team IAnD

Info & Images: Courtesy Koelnmesse

IMM Cologne 2015

The magic of textiles; the vocabulary of form; an unfathomable basket of interior styling ideas, and a broad overview of international design trends... held audiences captive at the IMM, Cologne this January living up to its intent, “Create, Furnish, Live!”

Presenting insightful talks from renowned speakers across the globe, from all areas of interior design and generating several thought-provoking interludes, the latest session of IMM that concluded end January 2015, has yet again thrown beacons of light on what the consumer can expect in year 2015 in the trend realm of interiors, furniture and furnishings.

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Future trends in fabric, hygiene and design, how trends are predicted, how colours impact style and life, success stories and creative oeuvres and a whole lot more... have been explored, experimented with and concluded upon with industry insights and expert opinions from the ‘purists’ that be - interior designers, architects and design journalists!

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With the spotlight on “developments in international design” proficient speakers like, Therese Virserius, American editor-in-chief of Dwell, Amanda Dameron and Swedish designer BjörnDahlström, designers Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu from China and designers Poonam Choudhry and Kavita Chaudhary from India, drew international parallels between various design tenets and trends.

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The inside scoop on trends in furniture, colours, lighting and fashion was ably supported by Mayouri Sengchanh (Exalis) and Ursula Geismann (Association of the German Furniture Industry, VDM), colour designer Hildegard Kalthegener (NCS Colours), Hannes Bäuerle (Raumprobe), trend researcher Axel Venn (RAL) and interior designer Susanne Dötsch.

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The highlight of the IMM 2015 though was undoubtedly, interior designer Martina Lorbach’s unusual comparison between the fast-paced world of the fashion industry and the furniture sector by asking: "Was hat Mode mitMöbelnzutun? (What has fashion got to do with furniture?)"

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In a look-beyond-think-through-tell-all presentation, Martina brought to light everyday parallels that meet the eye in terms of products and furniture that surround us and the textiles, silhouettes and patterns that fashion clothing present to us. Aptly and simply nailing the mindset, she opined that “The boundaries between furniture and fashion are of little interest to consumers provided they like the product and it’s in line with the latest trends.” Nevertheless, a closer look at our surroundings will help us decipher how a certain bell skirt in a casual fashion statement finds a complement in a lampshade; or the upholstery of a deep-seat chair is patterned after the latest print in town... and so on.

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Reinstating that old cliché that interior design borrows heavily from fashion, she points out that links with fashion are most obviously apparent in covering fabrics and colour combinations,  but the fascinating bit comes through in details -  incisions in fabrics or the scale-like outer cladding of a house can be found as design principles in fashions too. Especially in the haute couture sector, she says, there are many current examples of trends featuring layered sequin trims and scaled fabrics and cuts. In a similar vein, she sees the combination of luxury and everyday, of high-end and mundane culture as one important principle that currently connects fashion and interior design.

Having said that, we invite you to read up much more on the outcome of IMM Cologne 2015 at http://www.imm-cologne.com/