Trends Vol. 14
Trends in tough times
Amid global crises, depth and substance are losing momentum. Issues such as conscious consumption, equality, and environmental activism are taking a back seat. Instead, a healthy realism is increasingly coming to the fore. Contemporary design respects the complexity of the world: There isn’t just black and white — but countless shades in between. Styles are breaking down, flowing into one another, and coming together to form entirely new paradigms. In Trendbook Vol. 14, we showcase subtle trends from fashion, social media, and high-tech.
Ready for inspiration?
Book your free presentation now. Experience the latest design trends from KURZ – profound, forward-looking and with substance. Discover how social trends, cultural movements and technological innovations are translated into visionary surface designs – with a design standard that goes far beyond aesthetics.
Shades of Armour – Resilience is the new weapon
- A longing for safe spaces in a crisis-ridden world.
- Inner strength as a protective shield: Resilience becomes a secret weapon.
- Quiet rather than loud: Subtle design with protective materials.
One piece of terrible news follows another. The world is teetering on the brink — or so it seems. Growing frustration, dwindling hope. Many people are withdrawing and bracing themselves for whatever may come.
Shades of Armour reflects this pause: A longing for protection, spirituality, and safe spaces. Not as an escape from reality, but to build deep resilience against threats of all kinds. Within this, the goal of a better world remains palpable — in quiet, sensual designs with muted colors and robust materials.
#SuitOfProtection #TheImpossibilityOfAvoidingReality #RobustLuxury
Average Hero – Normal is fine for me
- No more superlatives: The ordinary becomes extraordinary.
- Everyday life takes center stage. Without exaggeration.
- Deliberately imperfect design: Honest, authentic, simple.
Bigger, better, more expensive? No. More normal! Why look for the next superlative when the world is already turned upside down? Paradox: The crazier life gets, the more fascinating simplicity seems to us.
Average Hero celebrates authenticity — in the form of down-to-earth designs that still stand out. Spontaneously combined, casually put together: Extraordinary everyday culture with bold colors and simple materials. A deliberate counterpoint to sleek, high-gloss looks. Here, imperfection is the appeal and opens the door to new ideas.
#NormalityWithoutNorm #InMundaneWeTrust #StandardSeatsPreferred
Antitheses – New narratives for different perspectives
- Contrasts as a constructive, creative force.
- Contradictions are not avoided, but used as stylistic devices.
- The goal: To create new perspectives and spark change.
Younger generations are no longer looking for simple answers. They question everything — including themselves. Enduring contradictions and ambivalence is only possible with the courage to embrace almost absurd exaggeration: Order that creates unrest. Otherness that belongs. Beauty that repels. From sharp contrasts, the Antitheses trend emerges as a form of expression.
This design language unites opposites — stone and bamboo, warm and cold, light and heavy. Contrasting colors, styles, and functions come together. The result: Disruptive design as a clear call for change.
#Controversies #CreateTheChange #DisciplinesShallMerge
Sportify – Let the game do the talking!
- Sport as a way of life — and an inspiration for fashion and design.
- Always on the move: Playful shapes, a light aesthetic.
- Form follows fantasy: Sports flow creatively into designs.
Sports are a way of life that influences society as a whole through team spirit, fairness, and diversity — especially in fashion and design. What athletes, players, and coaches exemplify today will be referenced on the runway tomorrow.
At the same time, increasingly exotic sports such as figure skating, synchronized swimming, and sport shooting are coming to the forefront. Their aesthetic is reflected in graphic streaks of light, mesh layers, and exaggerated lines — playful, almost like in a comic book. We call this design trend Sportify: A style as versatile and imaginative as the world of sports.
#SportIsAFeeling #BeautyOfMovement #HumansUnited
From Trend to Visionary Design
We draw inspiration from everything that moves people: From striking contrasts to the extraordinary in the everyday, and the aesthetics of sports. KURZ’s Visionary Design Team develops unique designs for the world of tomorrow based on the latest trends.
