Apr 15, 2009

Tendence 2009: Personal Shopper 2009 is confirmed

When you see VIPs and celebrities, who are stylistically confident and have a feel for the latest trends, personal shoppers have generally had a hand in it. Using a targeted selection of fashions and accessories, personal shoppers make sure that outfits cleverly reflect the latest trends but also that the personal style of the wearer is clearly identifiable. Messe Frankfurt has been applying this concept to consumer goods since 2006. Studio Doshi / Levien from London and Studio Polka from Vienna have been recruited as personal shoppers for Tendence (July 3 – 7, 2009). “What’s special about personal shoppers is the mix of individuality and integration – both displays clearly bear the hallmarks of the designer in question but are also representative of the Tendence product portfolio as a whole”, said Nicolette Naumann, Vice President of Messe Frankfurt.

During the run-up to the fair, the two design teams go “shopping” at Tendence exhibitors for a selection of new products and longsellers, which they feature in two displays in the Foyer of Halls 5.1/6. The two displays represent two different consumer types with different buying behaviour and product preferences, so the benefits for trade visitors are two-fold. Not only do these shows provide a direct insight into the product world of the customer profile in question but are also a source of inspiration, a trend spot and a valuable ordering and purchasing tool for the trade.

Studio Doshi / Levien, London
Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien are graduates of the Royal College of Art in London. In 2000, the couple set up the Doshi / Levien design studio in London and since then have been making a name for themselves on the international design scene with product and furniture design. The style of Nipa Doshi, who was born in India, is heavily influenced by her roots and is characterised by a mix of crafts, design and cultural identity. Scot Jonathan Levien gets most of his ideas from industrial production. These, at first glance, very different approaches make up the profile of the Doshi / Levien Studio. The end result is an impressive synthesis of technology, industrial design and crafts. Customers of the London studio include Intel, Nokia and Tefal. The work of the Doshi / Levien Studios has been shown in numerous exhibitions around the world, for example at the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York, the Franz Meyer Museum in Mexico City, at the British Council Exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Experimenta Design Biennale in Lisbon.

Studio Polka, Vienna
Studio Polka was founded in 2004 by two product designers, Marie Rahm and Monica Singer. The Viennese design label uses everyday phenomena as the basis for their creative work. The stimulus for the two designers comes from discovering the extraordinary in the ordinary. Companies such as Herend, Innermost, Laufen and Wittmann are impressed by this approach and have integrated Polka creations into their product portfolios. Products by Marie Rahm and Monica Singer have been part of exhibitions and product shows all over Europe, at the Brachfeld Gallery in Paris, the Aram Gallery in London, at the Vienna Designweeks and other events. Their international design career was launched at Ambiente four years ago. In 2005, Marie Rahm and Monica Singer took part in Talents, Messe Frankfurt’s sponsorship programme for young designers.

Tendence – Internationale Frankfurter Herbstmesse
Tendence is the most important consumer-goods event and most significant design platform for the second half of the year. Three trade fairs Living, Giving and Collectione Preview Spring + Summer are held under the Tendence umbrella. Living is the lifestyle-orientated platform for living, furnishing and design. Giving reflects every facet of the world of giving. Collectione is the central premier event for new spring and summer products for the season ahead and is aimed at decision-makers from the medium and high-volume market segment. Tendence is complemented by the Passage product segment, at which overseas exhibitors present their new products from the home accessories, gift, dining and kitchen segments.