Flower Trends Evolve for 2017

The outside world scuttles with clogged traffic as preoccupied pedestrians dart from one place to another while communicating with their devices. Due to this exact hustle and bustle mentality, IFD Trend Forecaster, Michael J. Skaff

AIFD, AAF, and PFCI, believes that people want to bring the serenity back to their homes like they did in 18th Century Victorian England.

According to Skaff, “Everything is moving so quickly outside of the home, and people want to use their homes as a sort of retreat.” The design of these havens slightly differs depending on homeowners’ personalities, but Skaff has teamed up with other members of the Color Marketing Group to anticipate where the world of colors plays into the construction of the ultimate oasis.

Skaff and his colleagues believe that the color, pattern, and texture aspects of 2017 trends have drastically changed from the previous year. When asked about the colors in particular, Skaff stated, “Colors are more grey and muted, or shall I say, the common colors are more complex (composed of multiple layers) due to what is happening in the world economically, politically, and socially.”

The desire to instill tranquility within the home is especially omnipresent given the current unrest infiltrating many countries and their citizens around the globe. Skaff, who is a member of the Professional Floral Commentator Institution, states that the current political statuses of the United States and various countries in Europe, Asia, and South Africa have led trend forecasters to notice a decline in color vibrancy and vitality within the natural elements surrounding those colors.

As this transformation in consumer preference transpires, Skaff notes that as a people, “we’re in kind of a retro-50s kind of perspective that transcends into the 70s as well.” By including a variety of more complex colors along with a mix of modernity with antiquity, Skaff believes this combination showcases people's desire to be cultured and well-travelled.

For Skaff, consumers want to run with the idea of high-culture and adorn their houses with artifacts they come across so that their houses appear to be sanctuaries of personality and contrasts. They also want to create a natural theme in their homes so that the entire “retreat” concept is fully achieved in every aspect. Skaff believes that homeowners will incorporate the cultures of different countries, France in particular. This trend has found itself a popular concept in previous years, but is taking on a more complex look as colors drift toward the more dimmed appearance.

When researching the reasoning behind trends taking such a turn and deviating from the vibrant colors IFD revealed in 2016, Skaff looked to his memberships in many prestigious floral and design associations for inspiration. Through these memberships and attendance to numerous symposiums and trade shows, Skaff came across the more complex color palette and adjusted it so that the trends IFD will reveal as 2017 approaches will reflect it.

These trends will showcase the consumers’ personalities and the way they have strived for something unique. This uniqueness has been led by the millennial generation who is the “driving force in what consumers will be buying in the future,” as stated by Skaff. IFD’s trend researcher had this passion in mind as he selected the trends for the company’s upcoming reveal. Because consumers are searching for their own personalities in the products they purchase, Skaff wanted IFD’s trends to reflect this desire as well as the color trends inspired by the world’s economic, social, and political status.

Skaff’s inspiration and findings can be found on IFD’s Flower Trend Forecast website on Saturday, October 1 when the big reveal is made. IFD and Skaff will also be discussing the upcoming trends at the Society of American Florist (SAF) convention taking place on September 21-24 in Maui, Hawaii’s Ritz-Carlton.

View: Flower Trends Forecast 2016