The world of fashion, interiors and gifts moves quickly.
Christmas 2014 saw everything adorned with owls, and the following year the same products were swiftly plastered with moustache logos. More recent fads have included the flamingo and the pineapple, but this summer has been all about the cactus.
I’ve seen cactus-shaped pool inflatables, cactus-shaped emery boards, my daughter has a cactus-emblazoned t-shirt, and at a trade show I visited last week I saw a coffee mug stand and some neon lights in the same familiar shape. In achingly hip Dalston there is even a shop devoted to the desert plant (named ‘Prick’ of course).
Someone, somewhere seems to decide on this year’s fad and the merry-go-round starts over again. Apparently the first to jump on board are the ‘Early Adopters’ (i.e. the cool people), and once the mainstream (or ‘Late Majority’) are into the trend, the Early Adopters drop it like a stone and go off in search of the Next Big Thing. When I find out what that is I’ll let you know (and if you could return the favour I’d be very grateful as I’m not exactly living on the cutting edge myself), but in the meantime I’ll make sure I’ve got one or two cactus-related products in the Snowbunting store, and I’ll nip down the garden centre and buy one to feature in my product images.
In the meantime, may I offer you a word of advice as you begin your Christmas shopping? Owls are no longer trendy, moustaches are passe, and any variation on the Keep Calm & Carry On poster will only elicit a forced smile and a very insincere thank you note.