In the last five years, consumers have been able to find new home décor, tabletop accessories and foods in the Baton Rouge market within just eight months of their being introduced at the trendy fashion houses in Manhattan or posh boutiques in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Trends now take just a little more than half a year to move inland from the coasts, said J Schwanke, floral designer and trendwatcher for the Dallas Market Center.

Trends in fashion that used to take three years to reach the heartland are finding an informed and receptive customer market in place by the time the new products are shipped to their shops and stores, Schwanke said while leading a walking tour to point out new products and upcoming trends during the Total Holiday & Home Expo, Gift Market and Gourmet Foods Show at the Dallas Market Center in January.

Driving trends today, he said, is entertainment. However, he added, there are other forces affecting the home décor industry in early 2009 — number one being the economy.

“We’re not into throw-away decorating right now,” he said. “The economy is changing the way we look at our surroundings. Consumers are embracing the “green” ideal and wanting to recycle their furniture, tabletop accessories, wall décor, etc., by mixing their current pieces with a few new items to update their spaces.”

Designer Rawlins Gilliland, who worked as a Neiman-Marcus buyer before starting his own retail consulting firm, identified two trends, value and comfort, that reflect what he’s seeing in consumer purchasing.

Customers are conscious of preserving home value, Gilliland said. A purchase will be evaluated by the criteria: “Is it home investment worthy? Does it have heirloom potential? Does it appear handmade, rustic, old, vintage … in other words valuable?”

Gilliland said buyers should also have “things that say feel good, pamper yourself and focus on hope, prayer and spirituality.”

Colors and patterns are softer and more tied into nature, Schwanke noted. “In” colors for 2009 include taupe, mushroom, green, blue, purple, white and black, and the Pantone 2009 color of the year is mimosa, a bright yellow the color of the orange juice and champagne cocktail known as the mimosa. The new yellow is a happy yellow, vibrant and radiant. According to color experts, mimosa expresses hope and reassurance.

Other trends Schwanke spotted at the Dallas Market include:

• Metallic finishes in gold, platinum and copper in tabletop accessories.
• Argyle, silhouette and etched patterns on everything from pumpkins and ribbons to china and linens.
• Diorama blocks and boxes placed on mantels, tables and sideboards were exhibited in several showrooms.
• Script writing in candlesticks, linens, on containers and more. Script writing, which appears to be handwritten, Schwanke said, is considered nostalgic.
• Chandelier-style mobiles.
• Mass-produced handcrafted items such as crocheted tree skirts, pompom placemats, burlap mantel scarves and knitted polar bears and penguins.
• Nativity sets with Mary holding the baby Jesus instead of just looking at the baby in a manger and Three Kings arrangements for tables, mantels, sideboards and outdoors.

On Gilliland’s walking tour focusing on high-margin products that sell, he pointed out:

• Ornate measuring spoons and monogrammed wine bottle stoppers in the Ganz showroom;
• Brew Jeans, beer can holders made from old jeans, in the TGA Tim Gaskin Marketing space;
• Terrariums, crocheted lamp shades and mobiles at Leon Goetz;
• Wire bowls at Jim Marvin; and
• Leaf-shaped chargers and tabletop wine bottle racks at Global Views.

Meredith Hite, marketing director for the Dallas Market Center, the world’s largest wholesale merchandise resource center, said the January Home Market offered more than 25,000 lines of gift products, decorative accessories, lighting, floral, gourmet, furniture, toys and seasonal items to retailers. Hite said the market’s president, Bill Winsor, was pleased with the turnout of buyers for the market.

The Dallas Market Center includes more than 5 million square feet of display showrooms and annually attracts 200,000 retail buyers from 50 states and 84 countries to the showrooms and market programs.

Hite said the recipient of “The Next Big Thing” product search was announced at the January market. Winning was a spill-resistant martini glass with a curved rim. The glass from “SIPATINIZ” was created by Renee Williams, who said she noticed the martini was frequently the drink of choice at social and business events. She loved the sophistication of a martini glass but hated the spills; so she designed a glass that she could enjoy and share with others. Her story is on http://www.sipatiniz.com.

As winner of “The Next Big Thing,” Williams was awarded a prize package worth more than $10,000, including exhibit space at the market and consultation with industry experts regarding branding, public relations, merchandising and more. The market will host the next contest during its Total Home & Gift Market in June. For information on the contest, see http://www.dallasmarketcenter.com.

[Thanks: http://www.2theadvocate.com]