In 2020, Formex celebrates 60 years as the most important meeting place in the Nordic countries for interior design. During the fair in January, stylist Cecilia Tivar created a unique exhibition with porcelain that displayed every decade's typical style.

1960s Space and Woodstock

During the prosperous age of the 1960s, the many children borned during the war years became an economic power, eager to consume. Trends are increasingly controlled from Paris and from the streets in London. A colorful and cheerfully patterned style is emerging on Carnaby Street and from England comes the Beatles and Rolling Stones. The technical progress seems unlimited. Russia and the United States play first-man-on-the-moon and designs are inspired by space. The 1960s also belong to the hippies who are revolutionizing the view of drugs and sex. The flower children are involved in peace and environmental issues  and also to start the debate absout gender equality. By allowing the hair to grow and dress in falred jeans, jesus sandals, shoulder bags and necklaces, the flower power generation erases old gender roles. 1969 Peace, love and understanding are manifested with Woodstock.

BERSÅ by Stig Lindberg for Gustavsberg. Bacchus Antique
Figures by Lisa Larsson for Gustavsberg. Bacchus Antique.
Glass Ruben by Signe Persson Melin for Kosta. A La Carte Antique
Cutlery Fuga by Tias Eckhoff for Gense
Wallpaper Boråstapeter / Wall Vision


1970s ABBA and progg

During the 1970s, the unlimited future faith and prosperity growth that characterized the 60s are dampened. Unemployment, the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, the environmental debate and the energy crisis are working together to make many more engaged than ever, while others resign altogether. Trends are born on the street and everything is allowed and style icon is Ali MacGraw in Love Story. The combination of lifestyle and music is not new, but during the 70s several youth cultures are born which will give echoes and the punks become a new tourist attraction in London. ABBA combs victory in Brighton 1974 with the help of satin clothing and plateau shoes. The blue trousers start the decade as a leisure garment and end as a lifestyle and the prog becomes fashion and the fashion becomes progg. Palestine shawls, messages t-shirts, beak boots and Mah Jong clothes signal political affiliation to some, while others see it as any fashion.

COQ by Stig Lindberg for Gustavsberg.
Ruska by Ulla Procopé for Arabia
Tea cups Bengt Berglund for Gustavsberg. Modern Magnus.
Glass Ultima Thule by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala
Cutlery Farmer Classic. Gense

1980s Yuppienalle and gym

Individualism grows, now everyone creates their own fashion. Madonna and Lena Philipsson are trendsetters. Leisure is devoted to work-out and bodybuilding and a well-trained body becomes the highest fashion and Jennifer Beals in Flashdance is a style icon. During the 1980s, the stock markets also thrived with Porsche, Rolex and a five-kilo cellphone, and Power dressing became a concept for career women. The color explosion that permeates the period fails at the end of the decade and the interest in Japanese and Japanese design inspires even the Nobel service.

Espresso cup by Keith Haring for Konitz. Modern Magnus
Teapot Cube by Rolf Sinnemark for Rörstrand. påfemtevåningen.com
Vas Nefertiti by Matteo Thun for Memphis Milano. påfemtevåningen.com
Coffee cup Nippon by Masato Yamamoto for Gustavsberg. Modern Magnus
Vas Shiva by Ettore Sottsass for BD Barcelona, Plan One.
Tea cup by Annika Johansson for Rörstrand. Modern Magnus
Bowl of Rolf Sinnemark for Rörstrand. påfemtevåningen.com
Teapot by Rolf Sinnemark for Rörstrand. påfemtevåningen.com
Chair Camilla by John Kandell for Source Demo.

1990s Stretchad minimalism

At the beginning of the 1990s, the retail sector is still suffering from the economic downturn of the 1980s. Colorless eco-fashion is predicted a bright future but fails quickly. As a sign of the bad times, the grunge evolved from anti-lifestyle to lifestyle in the early 90's. Nirvana's Curt Cobain and his wife Courtney Love show the way and checkered flannel shirts and broken jeans are mixed with floral dresses. Before the mid-1990s, minimalism had a breakthrough and also affected the color image. Black is the new black every season. The title The Decade's Fashion Icon is shared by Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and Jennifer Aniston whose discreet style reflects the classy minimalism. As counterpart, Baywatch-Pamela and Victoria Silvstedt show that too much is never enough when it comes to breast and hydrogen superoxide. Together with soap operas, branded bags and flip-flops, bimbon follows us into the new millennium.

Icarus by Gianni Versace for Rosenthal.
Glass and cutlery from the same series.
Fabric Zoffany Frank & Cordinata.
Jewelery Judit's Second Hand
Chair Louis Ghost by Philippe Starck, Cartel.
Nobel service by Karin Björqvist for Gustavsberg / Rörstrand.

Noble glass by Gunnar Cyrén for Orrefors.
Noble cloth and napkin by Ingrid Dessau for Klässbols.
Nobel cutlery by Gunnar Cyrén for Gense.

2000s Maximalism and vintage

The fears were great for New Year's Eve 1999, everything from computers to refrigerators was expected to have a technical breakdown at the turn of the millennium, but champagne is flowing like never before. Everyday life is filled with relatiy shows and a headache over which mobile operator or free school to choose. Everything and everyone is available around the clock and the information flow is unlimited through cable television, internet and free newspapers. In terms of style, anti-minimalism and the brand become more important than the product. The most chic is Carrie in Sex and the City. Gucci, Versace and Louis Vuitton receive the highest style points and limited series of designs become collectors' items. Design and home decor are as important as a lifestyle marker as IT garments. And furnishings are traded both at Myrorna or at the fine furniture store.

Pottery by Potter Stefan Andersson
Pears by Frank Larsen, The Artisans
Seed capsule by Pia Ulfendahl, the Craftsmen.
Cloth Axlings Linen.

2010s Sustainability and climate anxiety

Now the craft is back in focus and we want to know more about the items we choose to place in our homes. Who and how it has been produced becomes more important. Another direction is that it is becoming common with Colabs and popular chains that H&M and IKEA choose to collaborate with exclusive designers and offer smaller collections available at reasonable prices.
 
Porcelain, glass and wood cutlery Merci, a collaboration with the lifestyle shop of the same name in Paris, Serax.
Napkin, Axlings Linen.

The 2020s The future of the future

We can only say today how the 2020s table setting will be described afterwards. What we can see is that sustainability and craftsmanship are still strongly in focus.

The porcelain *, Grace glass, Zoë cutlery, by Ann Demeulemeester for Serax.
Table tablets Afro Art
Coffee cups in paper Cecilia Levy, the Artisans.
Book by George Perec.