Pro Design Denmark: fashion and technology
Creative director Rasmussen: "the retro style is still all the rage" "The retro style is still all the rage! The time has come for something new. It will be interesting to see what that is. We are focusing on functionality and accessible luxury in models with marked edges: retro revisited with new shapes". Allan Rasmussen, creative director of Pro Design Denmark, took stock of the situation during Mido 2012. "Fashion" – he explained – "is going through a very diversified moment and it's difficult to define a global trend. But over the past 5 years some have had a big influence: one of them is the wave of retro! This trend will influence next season, but not in the same way as before. Another important factor will be the influence of sports apparel in terms of materials, shapes and colors. The minimalist trend was very popular for a couple of seasons and we will see it again in the spring/summer 2012 season, but with a more marked play of colors". Let's talk about shapes and colors. "Shapes – Rasmussen commented - will still be retro inspired. In Scandinavia they have been VERY big, both wide and very deep. In ss12 they will still be deep, but will move towards narrower shapes. In UK the shapes used to be VERY small, but they will become deeper – thus the two trends will meet! In the more sporty department, we'll see classic fronts paired with temples that mirrors motion and speed." Colors "are retro": "Clean, classic Scandinavian frames in contrast with the colorful and almost unconventional frames of southern Europe; they will tend to converge at a certain point. But the influence of sporty lines will be clearly visible in the color combinations! Blue and white, and red and orange. Optical design in Scandinavia has always been, and still is, distinguished by a minimalist trend, but discreet, classic colors like black, brown, gray and navy blue will be joined by our color combinations that are more dynamic and fun. For spring/summer 2012 we propose burgundy and different shades of blue. Purple will still be a strong color in our collection and for next season we have created really spectacular models in purple. A color that has been popular for some years is pale pink and it will be a mini trend in the spring/summer 2012 season". Pro Design has had a decidedly positive year. "Yes. For ProDesign 2011 was a really great year – we know the recession was still influencing the industry, but we did not really feel the impact in 2011. We actually increased our turnover by 14%! For 2012 and we have a lot of new launches and collaborations lined up, so it looks like it is going to be another busy year for ProDesign!". What are your expectations for this edition of Mido? "We need to be at MIDO! It's a must! We always see all our customers and distributors at MIDO and wouldn't be able to do without it! Now more than ever, our collection is right for the audacious people of southern Europe; with our new partners in Italy we are convinced that we can achieve the same success that we are now having in France. Last year we increased our billings by 10% in France and in Spain we were voted the company with the most innovative frames of the year". What will your key proposals be? "We also use MIDO to launch our spring collection in Europe, and this year we've got a lot of new frames to present to our clients! In 2011 we had some bestsellers that really went through the roof! We've tried to look at these popular models in a new light and tried to further develop the idea behind the design. On the other hand, our design team have been focusing on new technical hinge solutions and found new ways of adding colors to our titanium frames – so really our spring 2012 collection is a balance of fashion and technology". One key word for 2012? "Opportunity".
