Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60AFTER THE stresses of Christmas trading, the first trade fairs in January and February are a real pleasure. We get to see the fantastic new ranges manufacturers have invested time, money and energy into, so that we can achieve great sales. Trade fairs are a great barometer not just of trends, but also of the mood in the industry. Seeing our manufacturers feel positive enough to develop new products is always a good bellwether, and if the amount of new product seen so far is anything to go by, it should be a great trading year. In contrast many are worried that 2017 will be difficult for retailing, as the initial impact of Brexit starts to hit consumer confidence and therefore spending. Price increases passed onto consumers because of pound/dollar/euro exchange rates will only exacerbate this. Periods of uncertainty can have a positive impact on some sectors. In the last recession stationery benefited, as people wrote more letters and cards to stay in touch and ensure that occasions were celebrated even if money was tight. In tougher times humour becomes increasingly popular. Two Little Boys have launched a great selection of notebooks sold singly or in stylish metal tins with lines relating to their possible use which will definitely make you smile. The range also includes two Books of Mindlessness (shown here) which contain ‘stupid activities, pointless questionnaires and general silliness’ - an antidote to mindfulness. What this means is that products should offer good value for money in terms of quality and finish for the price charged, and consumers are likely to be looking for products that function well, not just look good. Whether we are suppliers or retailers, our customers expect us to do things even better than before, and will happily move their business to others if we let them down. The pressure is on! Consumers like a reason to buy products, so those with stories to tell are performing particularly well at the moment. Douglas the Boy Wonder is an eye-catching range from Little Dog Laughed, and the characterisation of Douglas (never Doug) the Fox Terrier with the red spotty scarf, enhances the appeal of the already-charming illustrations. The website tells Douglas’s story: the image is based on a real toy discovered in a little antique shop in deepest, darkest Norfolk. His fur is patchy, his stuffing is loose and his wheels are missing… Foiling and metallic finishes were very visible at the shows, taking the trend we saw last year to another level. A stand-out range comes from Leuchtturm1917, launched to celebrate their centenary. This eye- catching selection of metallic coloured notebooks, jot books, diaries and business-card cases in gold, silver and copper are stunning. I saw several luxurious-looking ranges using cream backgrounds with black and gold detailing: including classy stripe and spot combinations, and the elegant Wedgewood range from Portico Designs. While there weren’t many UK retailers at Paperworld this year, it’s clear that distributors who bring us stationery from Europe and beyond have been doing a great job selecting exciting new products for us to stock Storytelling, humour and foiling stand out for HENRI DAVIS at the first trade shows of 2017 in the UK. Lime Stationery & Art are stocking a wonderful range of Legami notebooks and diaries with typical understated Italian style and really interesting layouts. Magnetips, launched in 2016 and now distributed by Stone Marketing, are rich fine liners which contain two powerful magnets making them easy to store or keep together. Licensing continues to be a strong design source for stationery, with a TREND SPOTTING are appreciated (have you seen the recent emergence of chipboard as a design material?) The trends are unpretentious, but precise; products made with these trends in mind have an experienced, craft, workshop aesthetic. They have sober but poetic qualities. The colour palette moving into the AW2017 season is more natural and appreciates earthen colours more, especially dark shades of green. There is a desire for edited-down order, a deep need for comfort and a connection to nature. It’s perhaps austerity and optimism meeting through a mutual love of handmade and crafted. “For those designers and retailers wanting a more futuristic look and feel, our 2018 trend Urban Planet also plays very well for Stationery. It has a metallic colour palette with complimentary blues and greys. But it’s not the stereotypical future aesthetic you might imagine; instead it is a modest futuristic look, with a strong architectural dimension and takes us further into minimalism. The trend uses extremes of light and darkness reflecting the reality of a deserted lunar landscape. “And the biggest retail trend of all? Consumers of today no longer have an interest in simply buying ‘stuff’. They desire a complete and memorable experience. Retailers and manufacturers that provide consumers with what might be described as ‘Instagram moments’ will do very well over the next few years. Those that continue simply to display product for sale might soon find themselves facing very difficult times.”  diverse selection on offer; from Wild and Wolf’s colourful Polaroid range and Blueprint’s cute cat Pusheen to the sophisticated Alice Scott range from Portico Designs. We often read about the need to focus on letter writing by groups and individuals keen to encourage youngsters to write rather than use electronic devices. Quire have launched a really lovely range of traditional writing papers aimed at adults, but they also have 3D Paper Statues which will encourage children to write, too. Whatever category you were buying at the Spring Fair, you will not have escaped flamingos, unicorns and donuts: all popular last year and showing no hint of disappearing. I asked Phil Pond of Scarlet Opus, who will present a Trends Seminar at the London Stationery Show in April, what we can expect to see in the coming months. I have given him the last word - it makes fascinating reading. “In the coming summer months we’ll see the full emergence of the ‘Analogue Workshop’ trend we spoke of to the world of stationery last year. This is a perfect, if not the perfect design trend for stationery manufacturers and retailers. It translates perfectly into product and merchandising. And it evolves as we move into next autumn/winter to a trend that at Scarlet Opus we’re calling ‘Homeland’. Essentially, these two trend stories counteract the constantly connected, ever updating and accelerating pace of modern life. We reach out for what is grounded, going back to basics. The trend offers FOILING AND METALLIC FINISHES WEREVERYVISIBLE ATTHE SHOWS. RETAILERS AND MANUFACTURERSTHAT PROVIDE CONSUMERS WITH WHAT MIGHT BE DESCRIBED AS ‘INSTAGRAM MOMENTS’WILL DOVERY WELL. liberation from the digital world via a re-evaluation of low-tech, analogue and everyday. The beauty we see in the ordinary; a new appreciation and admiration of slowly acquired skills, a time for artisans and craftspeople. Doesn’t that sound like ‘all things stationery’? “Both of these trends (Analogue Workshop and Homeland) have a new retro look with a 1950s brutalist stylistic influence. Everyday materials SPRING//SUMMER 2017 57 56 SPRING//SUMMER 2017 STATIONERY BIZ Little Dog Laughed Leuchtturm1917 Legami Portico Designs Quire Magnetips from Stone Marketing Portico Designs Quire Two Little Boys