AUGUST’S BIRTHSTONE: Peridot (pale green)
ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS: Leo is July 23 - August 23 and Virto (August 24 – September 23)
COLORS: On the rise: deep jewel tones, fluorescents, classic reds and kelly greens. Pantone’s color trend report for fall 2o11 includes quarry, cedar, and teal greens, nougat and coffee browns, orchid and phlox purples, bamboo mustard yellow, honeysuckle pink, and ember-glow coral.
BACK TO SCHOOL - Typical college go-ers move into the dorms/apartments mid to late August, while elementary through high schoolers are heading back during the first two weeks of September. Think college dorm room, organizational essentials, gadget and computer accessories, notebooks, writing utensils, cases, book bags, backpacks, satchels, lunch carriers, and fall fashion.
HALLOWEEN PREVIEW: It may seem early, but Halloween searches are on the rise. Particularly popular at this time is decor, party supplies, full costumes & accessories, pumpkin decorating ideas, and DIY kits. Get ahead of the game by listing your full Halloween line now.
PRESERVING THE SUMMER: Final summer vacations, outdoor activities, community events & fairs, open air soirees, summer fashion, and lighter, brighter colors. Emphasis on outdoor entertaining, hostess gifts, bath and beauty, outdoor lighting and savoring the last of summer nights.
HARVEST: Autumn decor, fall planting, preserving the summer garden’s bounty. Farm, rustic, and woodland motifs.
FASHION: Emphasis on intro to fall fashion. Think layers, outerwear accessories, boots, and autumn color palettes.
WEDDINGS: Autumn wedding options are in full swing. At the height of wedding season, think about how your line can offer or evoke both indoor/outdoor options for both the ceremony and after-party. Additional highlights on warm weather honeymooning.
OUTDOOR AND INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL: Think in terms of the beach, countryside, forest and mountains. Outdoor activities on the rise include music festivals, camping, biking, hiking, fun at the beach, fishing, and water sports.
COLLECTING: Summer months are an opportune time to take advantage of antiquing, collecting, flea markets, outdoor bazaars, and vintage renewal.
central merchandising will focus on Back to School, Intros to Autumn, Halloween!!! (those exclamation points are mine), Wedding Season, Preserving the Summer and Outddor Activities.
seasonality of the northern hemisphere = warm trending into cool
seasonality of the southern hemisphere = preparing for spring
Trending Topics:
Wizardry, magic, owls, and mysticism with the release of the final chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Vampires: They’re back on the radar with shows like HBO’s True Blood and fall’s approaching premiere of Twilight: Breaking Dawn.
Feather Hair Extensions
Icon: Amy Winehouse
The Smurfs & Smurfette comeback with their 2011 movie release (think authentic vintage souvenirs).
Sports: The US Open this month brings attention to athletes and tennis.
Fashion: Tribal and snakeskin patterns, feathers, menswear, blazers and jackets, gray basics, tailored pants, patterned leggings & opaque tights, oxfords, vintage boots.
The Local Artisanal Shop and the Speakeasy: The butcher, baker, ice cream shop, patisserie. Barware of mixology, nightlife, live music, and secret passwords.
Garden Preservation: Canning, jams, preserves, and stocks.
Vintage Designer: Authentic fashion, collectibles, bikes, and auto accessories.
Culinary Trends: Year of the homemade pie, whoopie pie, and macaron. DIY culinary kits are on the rise. Classic cocktails, home brewing, beer and wine accessories, herb infusions, garden to table.
Writable surfaces: Chalkboard and whiteboard.
Letters, Numbers, and Symbols: Large vintage signage letters, letterpress blocks, monogram housewares, and typewriter keys.
Personalization: Monograms, initials, text, numbers, zodiac, constellations, portraits, custom labels, stamps, fingerprints and family trees.
Natural History: Woodland forest themes and animals, namely birds, owls, squirrels, hedgehogs, chipmunks, bunnies, butterflies, feathers, nests, eggs, acorns, leaves, trees, branches, woodgrain, and natural colors.
Lockets, secret hiding places, skeleton keys, arrows, diamonds, paper cuts, silhouettes, fortune cookies, wishbones, constellations, fortune telling.
Large scale vintage and handmade paper maps, botanical and anatomy charts.
Upcycled lights, lamps, exposed bulbs, and chandeliers.
Gadget cases, docking stations and accessories.
Lions with Leo Zodiacs in focus.
All things steampunk.
Braided hair.
Wall decals.
Mermaids.
Peacocks.
EVENTS IN AUGUST:
August is known as National Golf Month and National Peach Month
July 21 – August 21: Paris Plage
August 3: Wacken Festival (Germany)
August 6: Chinese Valentine’s Day, also known as The Daughters Festival
August 7: Friendship Day
August 11: Ramadan begins
August 12 – 14: La route du rock in St Malot (French music festival)
August 15: L’Assomption de Marie aka Assumption, busy French vacation weekend
August 21: National Senior Citizens Day
August 26 & 27: Rock en Seine (French music festival)
August 27: Long Night of the Museums (Berlin, Germany)
August 27 & 28: Screenprinting Festival (Berlin, Germany – Etsy will be present)
August 29- Sept 11: US Tennis Open Tournament
*** Special tip: Tagging your Treasuries with a single word, or multiple word that is meant to be a multiple word, will help us find your lists. Tagging with multiple words that do not relate to one another might be detracting your list from being found.
Hello August!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you - thank you Stephanie for taking the time to ed-u-ma-cate all of us on the Augutst Trends! You're the best!!!!! (Those exclamation points are all mine too!) ;0)
ReplyDeleteI find these merchandising tips soooo helpful for treasury making as well as running my shops. Thanks so much Stephanie for doing this! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for putting this together Stephanie! Much appreciated! Off to make T's!
ReplyDelete