Ksenia Leri is a Russian trend – bureau Trendsquire’s founder. We met her at Maison&Objet and asked how announced trends will be perceived in Russia.

– Hello, Ksenia! It’s so nice to see you at the Maison&Objet 2018!
Right now we are in the trends zone. This year it was decorated by Nelly Rodi trend -bureau and it’s called “Show Room”. Ksenia, tell us your impressions: what topics were announced, why is it called “Show room” and why is it the main subject of Maison&Objet?

– I am happy to see you too.

Nelly Rodi is quite a progressive agency. They work in life style direction as well as with stylistic Design Trends, so the name “Show room” was not chosen randomly, definitely.

Initially the idea was that in today’s e-commerce age, visual perception era, your product is almost absent, it doesn’t exist if it’s not presented good enough.

The audience will not notice the product, and will not buy it. So the name is actually very accurate. As well as the way of presentation through small stands with these colors is also very smart, very logical. I think there is nothing they could do better.

– What are the key subjects presented here?


– First of all, I would like to express my impressions. I am not a trend analyst. But I think these crazy, very bright color combinations, very sharp shapes, a lot of pop-art, kitsch are too much for interior. How can one live here?

– Good question. This space is decorated as a “Show room”, as exposition space and not a living place for people. That’s why everything is extreme here, on peak, so that we can feel the main colors, vibrations and trends very clear.

Of course, I think it is very difficult to live in such an interior, it influences your mind. And people in Russia prefer something humbler, things that last longer.

– Do you think Russian market is not ready for this yet?

– I didn’t say that. I think it has to be presented more carefully, and then those colors, those shapes and main directions in design, as well as in product design, have potential in Russia.

What we see here now are extracts, trends essence that decorators don’t have to implement in home interior literally. We have to be very careful and focus on segment, target audience we want to work with. As the latest contests have revealed, commercial interior in Russia is not that conservative.
If we speak about mass market, products, an average price segment, things work differently there.

What is the most interesting here? First of all, the lecture theme we saw behind.

It refers to a specific intellectual dominance, cultural heritage rethinking. This subject is large. In this case we can understand it through graphics. “Geometric Africa”. The masks presented behind – is a mirror-colored surface, inspired by Africa but in a very geometric way.
I like it a lot. And I think it has a huge potential.


– What about flasks, bugs, spiders? What is it about?

– Butterflies, bugs and spiders continue the subject about biology, botanic and environmental studies. It’s not in its natural habitat, but in laboratory conditions so we can see every line, every feature. A very scientific approach. “A cabinet of curiosities” is the right name. Let’s call it this way.


– What does it tell us about?

– We look at the nature through microscope to understand how everything is. We are not trying to find a beauty in it, we just want to see the little details.
That’s why the environment showed here is all about the presentation.

There are blocks, boxes, different showcases where they present, show the product.

– I think, showcases are the main idea here.

– Exactly. And the colors are very beautiful. I think you can understand the main colors of the year even without buying a new trend book. Fuchsia is a very bright color. We associate it with luxury, champagne, glitter, evanescence and playful life attitude. So I think everything is matching here.


– Last year there were herbs, herbal teas, a sort of herbarium. And now we have this.

– There are a lot of origins of these trends. For example, oriental engravings, where they traditionally feature herons, birds, dancing pandas, tigers, butterflies. There is a beauty in it, glitter and gloss. And we still look at the nature through the “cabinets of curiosity”, looking at little details.

– And now we have moved to another trend zone. Me and Ksenia liked it the most. The name is “Serial collector”.

– "Serial collector" is a great name because it refers to a serial killer and a serial collector.
The subject of collecting: flea markets where we pick little things, try to restore them, clean, wash, transform and set into new interior, - is very actual nowadays.

Concerning the composition and color combinations, everything is very strict: illustrations, graphics, the combination of grey, black and gold, it refers to the luxury, premium. I think this trend zone has a huge potential in Russia.

– So, expensive doesn’t mean ‘'luxury' anymore? But old things that belonged to somebody in the past, or we transformed or re-created an ornament. Is it ‘luxury’?

– Yes, you are right. Traditionally ‘luxury’ and premium were determined as the most expensive, for example, gold, furs, porcelain, - everything that was costly in a specific period of time.

But this stage is getting over. Now we are reaching a new stage of intangible luxury, where it defines through erudition, cultural wealth, ability to use different terms, styles so here we are talking about the merge of material and intangible luxury.

It’s very important subject for Russia because as we know well, intellectual superiority subject has a huge potential there.


– That’s why in textile: let’s find and old shawl in a box and rethink. Thank you!