Fresh to Follow: Market Impressions
Five Celia Moh Scholarship recipients were selected as part of our Fresh to Follow program for Fall Market. While some of these students have attended High Point Market a time or two before, it was a first time experience for a few of them. Discover their market highlights, favorite products, and learn additional insights from these rising stars!
What were your top highlights from High Point Market with regard to product, collections, etc. that you saw?
“One of the best highlights from Fall Market was seeing the trend of rattan in both indoor and outdoor furniture. It is something that is slowly coming back as a trend and it is interesting to see how different companies are producing new ways to use the material. The second highlight was the viewing of various collections at Christopher Guy. Each collection was unique in terms of form and thought, yet all seemed to fit into the Christopher Guy aesthetic.” – Addie Gantt
“My top highlights were being able to see more of the high end furniture, such as Artistica Home. I also really enjoyed seeing Christopher Guy’s marvelous showroom and receiving a tour from the designer himself! Being able to wander amongst so many inspirational designs and meet talented folk in the industry is always a pleasure.” – Annina Fremgen
What were your thoughts about High Point Market overall? Were you surprised by anything you saw or experienced?
“While High Point Market is usually packed with more traditional furniture, this year I noticed more showrooms and galleries get away from that. Perhaps I didn't look hard enough in previous years, but hopefully this starts a transition into more contemporary pieces.” – Ryan Decker
“Overall, my experience at High Point Market exceeded expectations. Something that surprises me is how companies continue to outdo themselves by changing the experience that customers have in each showroom from one market to the next. It makes me look forward to see what changes will have been made by Spring 2019 High Point Market.” – Addie Gantt
“There’s always something new to see and there’s bound to be something that inspires. I definitely saw a lot of surprising materials used in table tops, like snakeskin!” – Annina Fremgen
“I really enjoyed going to the High Point Market. Since it was my first time, it was great getting to see the industry leaders and what makes their companies so successful. I was really surprised to see the mix of both mass produced furniture and handmade furniture. Both have their place in the market. I was also surprised by the huge amount of furniture present at the High Point Market!” – Cole Dignard
From a consumer standpoint, what products did you see that made an impression on you and why?
“As a consumer, though my student budget says otherwise, I really appreciated the contemporary takes on traditional furniture, be it through finish updates or rethinking the forms to match a modern consumer because traditional furniture still has a place in the industry and the fresh takes on something familiar can appeal to nostalgia.” – Annina Fremgen
“Furniture I'd buy and furniture that inspires me tend to be two wildly different categories. When consumption comes into play, I stop looking at expression or artfulness and start looking at comfort and price tag.” – Ryan Decker