Business

Clariant releases ColorForward® Interiors 2016: new materials appeal to broader fiber audience

1. Full color palette presented in PP, polyamide and polyester fibers

2. Trend-analysis and color-design tool continues to surprise and inspire designers, architects and manufacturers

3. 2016 guide focuses on looking for the unknown, instead of repeating what we know

Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, has released ColorForward® Interiors 2016, the third annual trend and color forecasting guide for the fiber and textile market. This year’s edition was expanded to reach a wider range of textile yarn and filament producers, including those serving the carpeting, upholstery, automotive, and interior decoration sectors. This unique creative tool from Clariant ColorWorks® defines four trends that can be expected to attract consumer attention in the next few years and creates a color palette that can help marketers tap into the emotions behind those cultural currents.

For the first time, the ColorForward Interiors portfolio includes not only pompons made of polypropylene (PP) and polyamide (PA) fibers, but also “wrap cards” with polyester fiber samples. The polyester fibers are produced as air-textured yarn (ATY), which is also commonly known by the old DuPont trademark, Taslan. ATY yarn is commonly used in the automotive industry and also in furniture upholstery and clothing. The pompons are made from bulk continuous filaments (BCF) to create a texture that is favored for carpeting made in Europe, the Middle East and North America. All fibers in ColorForward Interiors 2016 are dope dyed or spin dyed using Clariant masterbatches (color concentrates) to impart color to the yarn.

“Each year we have released ColorForward Interiors, we have received valuable feedback about how we can enhance the value for our customers,” explains Francis Baud, Global Head of Marketing – Fibers for Clariant Masterbatches. “By adding wrap cards with polyester yarn, we are now able to show our colors in a form that will be very familiar to a broad spectrum of fabric producers, designers and interior decorators. At the same time, we have retained the pompons, which are very popular in the carpet industry.”

ColorForward Interiors is derived from Clariant’s groundbreaking ColorForward program, now celebrating its 10-year anniversary. ColorForward springs from the minds and experience of color, design, marketing and polymer experts, representing multiple creative industries from all over the world. Each edition presents four global societal trends that can be expected to influence consumer behavior. The international team then selects different colors or color combinations that evoke an emotional response related to each trend. There are five colors representing each trend and they are reproduced in a total of 20 pompons. There are also four wrap cards, with each card holding fibers of all five colors of the four trend groups.

“Fabrics and carpeting are usually made up of fibers of many different colors,” says Alessandro Pozzati, Industrial Designer, ColorWorks Europe/IMEA, Merate, Italy. “The wrap cards show designers a visible combination of colors so it is possible to see how the different hues of each palette might work together. This same mix-and-match effect can be achieved by grouping the pompons.”

“The fiber and textiles market is very diverse,” points out ColorWorks designer, Judith van Vliet, “and there are ideas and colors in ColorForward Interiors to provide inspiration for any of the sectors. For instance, the new neutral shades in the Liquid Minds palette and the warm, soft colors of Love probably will appeal to automotive fabric designers who may not have considered these shades before. On the other hand, brighter colors with electric hints – like Don’t Touch My Jelly Shot! in Oh, My Go(l)d – can liven up sport goods. Really, there is something here for everyone.”