Note | green design conference in NYC

This looks like an interesting conference (NYC May 19)… I will try to attend and post some notes here for those of you that cannot make it.

It’s billed as: “two conversations on the greening of architecture and design and the future of sustainable materials” and being hosted by materials group Material ConneXion and trend forecaster Li Edelkoort.

I learned about the event on Dezeen (one of my favorite design blogs and probably the best-looking blog on the planet).

Just the right amount of fashion

Consumer confidence in the US is the lowest it’s been in 17 years, with the exception of the Iraq War in ‘03. Translation: consumers (aka people) are skittish as hell.

So, if you’re a brand or retailer striving for seasonal “product rightness”, do you reign in the fashion and retreat to basics? Or instead try to stand out from the crowd with bold design?

Some players - small and big - weigh in on the matter (excerpts from WWD this week):

“When the economy is bad, you have to do something even more interesting. Customers need an emotional reason to shop. Basics are not the answer.” - Trina Turk

“The fabrics have to be innovative and inspiring to warrant the high price tag. We have to inspire people to go shopping, especially now.” - Erin Fetherston