WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A STYLE SPOTTER AT HIGH POINT MARKET

   

Have you ever wanted to be a Style Spotter at High Point Market?   I have been a Style Spotter for the past three High Point Markets so I can attest to the hard work it takes to be a good style spotter.  It might look easy when we are pinning products to the Pinterest boards ,but I can promise you, a lot of hard work went into curating those important trends.

Current High Point Style Spotter Panel April 2014

So what exactly does a style spotter do and who are these style spotters?  Each year the High Point Market choses a panel of industry professionals to shop the market and pin their favorite picks of top trends found at market on the High Point Style Spotter Pinterest board.  Typically, the members of the High Point Style Spotter panel are designers, design bloggers, magazine editors and celebrity designers who have a strong social media presence and a finger on the pulse of what's happening in the furniture industry.   They look for emerging trends and spotlight what will be hot for the year in home decor as far as color, product and trends go.

I was the only designer ever chosen to receive a coveted spot on the panel through a contest sponsored by Olioboard.  Luckily, I won a spot on the next market's panel through the votes my pins received thanks to all of you.  

This year the Style Spotters are not competing in a contest.  They will simply work together to curate a wonderful selection of  the newest trends and hottest products shown at the April Market.  If you want to try your hand at Style Spotting you must do your homework, it isn't as simple as it seems.

Here are some pointers for preparing for style spotting:

1) Print Materials - Prior to market start looking through magazines, newspapers and online for new colors, products and possible trends.  Editors usually get new products, trends pitched to them so they see the new things first.

2) The Fashion Runway, is typically a great indication of what might be happening next in Home Decor when it comes to fabrics, patterns and popular color palettes.

3) Pantone Color of the Year - Check out the Pantone colors of the season, these will always give clues to popular emerging color palettes

4) European Markets - If you have the opportunity to shop the European markets they are often ahead of the trend curve so what you see there is often seen in our markets a little later.

5) Large Industry Companies - Reach out to your favorite companies, and ask them what they are projecting for the  season's latest trends.  The larger companies have specialist who do market research to discover the upcoming trends, so they aren't investing millions of dollars into something that isn't going to be the latest and greatest.

6) Intuition - Often, if I see a color palette in wallpaper or fabrics I like, it's because it is something new that is coming.  I always trust my instincts when it comes to my reaction to new products, colors and fabrics.

7) Follow the High Point Style Spotters -  Make sure you sign up to follow the High Point Market's Style Spotters this April Market.  This is one of the best panels yet! They will take all the work out of the process for you!

Do you have any other ways to discover clues 

to emerging trends?

Click Here to See The List of Fabulous

April 2014 High Point Market Style Spotters!

If you are a Design Industry Professional who would like to be considered as a style spotter Here's the link to apply but wait til next fall since the current style spotters serve for 2014!

If you are interested in Style Spotting on your own for April Market look for my upcoming post next week on how to spot trends while Shopping as High Point April 2014 Market.

Make sure to follow the High Point Style Spotters on instagram and Pinterest.  Of course I also want you to follow Lisa Mende Design, as I will be posting trends I spot while shopping for clients.  If you don't currently follow High Point Market on instagram click here to stay up on trends and event happenings during the market in real time.

Click Here to Follow my High Point Market April 2014 Pinterest Board to see my favorite trends, products and fun finds during the High Point April 2014 Market week.  It's going to be fun, fun, fun!!  If you are a design professional, don't miss market, it's a must!!! Don't miss out!!!