Hope is Blooming!

Apparently hope is blooming again because the energy and positive attitude I felt at the CurveNY lingerie show this past week at the Javits Center in NYC was palpable. Walking around the Spring 2009 fair, there was a clear change in mood from the exhibition last February. This show felt like an evolution. After a long winter of hunkering down, there appears to be a focus on brighter days ahead. Perhaps the entrepreneurial spirit is back.

It brings to mind the confident vision of Henri Matisse, who when musing about his work once said,

 “There are always flowers for those who want to see them”

Besides the obvious increase in traffic, I had the opportunity to walk the show with my colleague, Jenny Kell, the Design Director for  Concepts Paris  and review some very exciting new products. We were encouraged by, not only the established sources with whom we all are familiar, but also a stable of newer talent planting seeds at this show.
The list of exhibitors and the products we loved has provided me with a broad gallery of ideas but the list is just too long to include in a single piece.

Concepts Paris’ trend seminar, aptly titled “Signs of Change” drew a large audience of interest from retailers, designers and vendors, all seeking inspiration to nurture creativity and growth in the coming seasons. I sensed a sprouting optimism. Although caution is still a necessary outlook, imagination and enthusiasm are clearly flourishing again.