Heimtextil is held annually in January each year in the largest exhibition hall in Europe, Messe Frankfurt, Germany.  The scale of the event is so impressive that any plans you may have to mix and mingle outside the event and do some sightseeing in Frankfurt during those four exciting days are most probably going to prove futile.  There are 12 halls, each a standalone building of at least a couple of floors with hundreds of textile exhibitors to discover.  The space is so grand that there is internal bus transportation to take visitors from one hall to another.

Just as that of any other industry trade fair, the schedule of Heimtextil was heavily disrupted during the pandemic.  There was a summer special edition in June 2022, but the full comeback of the January Heimtextil was this year, 2023. 

“Heimtextil made a powerful return to January and set all the signs for success as a barometer for the trade fair business year – with an outstanding degree of internationalisation of 129 participating nations,” said in an official statement Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt. 

Heimtextil officially disclosed there were 44,000 buyers and 2,400 exhibitors who took advantage of the opportunity to participate in the global market for home textiles and to gain a bundled overview of global textile innovations – from fibers, yarns, upholstery and decorative fabrics, functional textiles, outdoor fabrics, artificial leather and wallpapers to bed and bathroom textiles, mattresses, sleep systems, curtains and decorative cushions. 

While we were inspired and challenged with all of the splendor of the home textile industry in one place, on reflection, there are three key takeaways that resonate with our ODAYA Home core mission and values that were enlightened and strengthened during our visit to the event.

Lifestyle Colours and Designs

Colour is one of the most powerful tools to bring harmony within our living environment, but also between us and that environment.  It is widely known that colour has a capacity to influence human emotions and behaviour and this understanding is one of the reasons why our ODAYA Home collections feature sheet colours in 11 different tones.

Soft tones and earthly colours instantly bring comfort and relaxation. In a calm environment people are more likely to slow down, to consider their surroundings, to be supportive and nurturing to those around them.  We were not surprised to see that consideration for one another and our environment was one of the key themes of Heimtextil 2023.  It is one of our ODAYA core values, too, and for that we have the Luxury Lattice (picture below) and Forget Me Not collections presented in calming, earthly beige tones.

By contrast, there are those of us who may need our daily dose of energy.  When our lifestyle is active and unpredictable, when we actively create and drive change, rich, deep, luxurious tones of colour mixed in provocative combinations may be more in tune with our inner selves.  Heimtextil 2023 had many installations that served as a fresh burst of energy through their generous colour scheme and patterns that reflected life in all its glory.  Some of our ODAYA Home artisanal bedlinen collections have such rich, contrasting tones, e.g. the Sapphire Snow and the Midnight Hues (picture below) colour variations of the Forget Me Not bedlinen collection.  We will continue to challenge  subdued tones and experiment with bold colours with the collections to come.

Tranquility in the Bedroom

Whatever colour scheme we choose for our most intimate home spaces, tranquility in the bedroom is about achieving relaxation and a sense of belonging and there is so much that textile contributes to these.  Fine fabrics, tender to the skin, exquisite patterns to delight the eye. 

Egyptian cotton continues to lead the high end of the industry, surpassing other cotton types in popularity and perceived comfort for consumers.  Did you know that Egyptian cotton is the only type of cotton that becomes softer with wishing? The more you sleep in it, the better it feels. Cotton Egypt Association was present at the event to highlight the benefits of Egyptian cotton, but also to ensure fair trade, marketing and authentic licensing of this world-renowned resource.

Textile as Art

As we like to highlight, humankind created plant-based textile as a form of self-expression and status, art, not an immediate necessity.  Heimtextil 2023 provided space for some of the world’s leading textile artists to share not only their installations, but also to elaborate on the key messages behind them. Bold recreations of traditional textile uses in modernity and luxurious fabrics for previously unforeseen purposes all resonate powerfully with ODAYA Home.  We are intent to showcase how a traditional item, such as bedlinen, could be reinvigorated through outstanding design and exquisite fabrics, all uniquely handcrafted by textile artisans to fill the home space with more than utility items.

Beyond the materials and themes, we were inspired by all of the meaningful exchanges with other industry professionals and the prospect of many partnerships and collaborations which are already underway.  There will be good progress as a result of teamwork and a common vision for the fundamentals.  On our ODAYA Home side we pledge to contribute to the textile industry and further to all of our networks and customers by focusing on high value added and a sustainable, honest and nurturing way of doing business.  And yes, as Heimtextil put it boldly, to “WOW your senses.”