Gift Spring Gift Fair magazine, September 2013 | Page 16

A Year of
Style and Substance
M

ichelle Hespe caught up with Leatrice (Lee) Eiseman at the 2013 International
Home + Housewares Show in Chicago to get the lowdown on style and
substance in the world in of color, for 2014 and beyond.

There is a mantra that Leatrice Eiseman, global guru of color and Executive Director of the
Pantone Color Institute, thinks retailers should live by: ‘A product unseen is a product not sold.’
At this year’s International Home + Housewares Show, hundreds of people gathered to
hear Eiseman speak about Style and Substance, and the new Pantone color palettes
for 2014. Her message was an extension of that mantra – how retailers can use color to
ensure their products grab and hold a person’s attention, and thus not be the ones left
sitting around, unsold.

Homewares trends
brought to you by
the International
Housewares
Association
Pantone Style and
Substance, 2014
color predictions
Review | Michelle Hespe
Imagery compliments of GIA

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Lee Eiseman always wears a telltale sign – usually an obvious one – as to the color of
the year, before she announces it during her seminar. This year, as she stepped on to the
stage at the Show, before an expectant crowd, the clue was covering her legs – in the
form of emerald green tights. And on her upper chest, on the background of a smart
black dress, she was wearing a red and emerald green tapestry neckpiece.
Eiseman began by speaking of the fact that these days, in an era of technology and
information overload, everyone is saturated with so much information about color and
style. “It’s important to make sure your sources are good,” she started out. “It drives me
crazy to see a lot of incorrect information out there about color trends and even color
theories.” Her message was clear - use caution when it comes to seeking information on
how to use color well in your business.
Eiseman then went on to explain that although there are a lot of new trends in the 2014
palettes, there are also some familiar themes recurring. “You need to listen to the public,
and there are some things they want to stay,” she said wisely. Things, for instance, such
as the attachment that many customers have to the ‘preppy’ kind of vintage style that
can often be seen in top-end boutiques and retail stores – a bit of old meets new. It’s
true, everywhere you look, you can find a touch of vintage today – whether it’s in a
fashion shoot in a magazine, a hotel lobby, or on the floor display of a retail store.
With a rapt audience before her, Eiseman then explained the nine 2014 Pantone color
palettes that people will see appearing in and on the folds, corners, shapes and designs
of new products. When considering these palettes, Eiseman kept reminding listeners
of two important things: the need to have a global perspective – to look far and wide
for inspiration, and also, that it is about helping customers to form an attachment with