Blog / Christmas 2021 trends: Grace and nature

Grace and naturality are the key Christmas 2021 trends. Although glitter, opulence, and spice will always evoke the holiday season, new types of messages are capturing consumers’ attention. The cross-category trend for the natural and sustainable, in particular, gives Christmas 2021 trends a novel twist.

Let’s explore the themes and inspiring ideas for your new products.

Colours: Natural

Natural pigments and hues are appealing to consumers cross-category. Colours such as pearly grey, mustard, ochre, sienna, cream, and teal are soft and elegant. Grey was selected by Pantone as one of the colours of 2021. Familiar and reassuring in its understated elegance, grey conveys the new kind of comfort that now includes aspects of hygiene, cleanliness, safety, and security.

Such colours convey naturality and a graceful elegance, and they can be used in your product or packaging.

Inspiring ideas:

  • Mother-of-pearl grey
  • Soft beige
  • Jade green
  • Seashell pink
  • Tiffany & Love for Her and for Him. This bright citrusy perfume has feminine and masculine versions, both based on a woody note of blue sequoia. The bottle is elegantly understated in the sheer version of the signature Tiffany blue colour.

Materials: Eclectic

A mix of natural and industrial elements with offcuts and contrasting textures adds a new thrilling dimension to the Christmas launches. Transparent materials are sought after, since they give an elegant presentation.

While warm gold is the metal of choice for Christmas finishes, this season, molten silver and its bright, reflective qualities are used for product styling.

Inspiring ideas:

  • Tom Ford Soleil Neige is a jasmine and musk fragrance laced with vanilla. The packaging is white and luminous, with silver decoration.
  • Tom Ford Noir Anthracite is a pepper-inflected mossy fragrance. The packaging is in the shades of grey.
  • NARS Audacious is a composition of white frangipani, incense, tiaré flower, and sandalwood in a striking geometric packaging.

Art and artisans

Organic, handmade, asymmetrical–and highly creative. The Art Deco movement and its Art Nouveau predecessor are among the key inspirations for Christmas 2021 gifting and styling. The lavish gilded materials and extraordinary angles and lines of the two overlapping design movements translate into beauty with a focus on gift packaging and illustrativeinspiration.

Inspiring ideas:

  • French indie fragrance brand Diptyque Limited Edition 2020 Paris en Fleur candle is acelebration of roses and the French capital, and features packaging designed by French illustrator Pierre Marie. The Art Nouveau-inspired design is a celebration of colour and lines, with roses wrapped around metallised foliage.

Packaging: Sustainable

When it comes to packaging, consumers are still attracted by sustainable options. Compostable materials and recyclable paper retain their appeal. Also, the texture and transparency of natural paper plays well into the grace and naturality aspect of the Christmas 2021 trends.

Inspiring ideas:

  • Refillable packaging
  • Recyclable textured paper
  • Candle jars that be used as containers after the candle is finished

Next, why not try our Inspired Brief based on the grace and naturality theme–or create your own!