Trimspotting INSPIRE on our radar
Recently I fell in love with a Red. It’s on the orange side of red, not to be confused
with coral on the pink side. First, I bought a lipstick called Poppy, then I noticed that the color was pleasantly stalking me. I saw it on a man’s shirt, in a vintage car’s passing tail lights, and sliced as red pepper on my salad. Trimspotting, my term for an acute awareness of trimmings in the world, works the same way.
As designers and fabricators, you are already knowledgeable about trims, but as you study them more, they will stand out on clothing, furnishings, and window treatments. Once you notice that your dog’s leash and your kid’s shoelaces are woven trims too, it’s official: You are a trimspotter. One of the most rewarding things for me about social media is that every morning I wake up to people sharing images of trims—in décor, or fashion hashtagged #trimspotting with a note “Made me think of you.” Whether you are fabricating with solid or patterned fabrics, trimmings are a tool to support, unite, or play with the many diverse textiles in your work. Adding embellished details will set your designs apart, expressing your client’s style and your expertise.
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by Jana Platina Phipps
74 | wf-vision.com | May + June 2017