Part I—The Sleek Side of the '70s

As one year draws to a close and we look forward to the next, let's reflect on the style trends that blossomed in 2019 and forecast which are likely to live on in 2020. Here's some of our predictions. This is a three-part story, with more to come…

Our first design divination is culled from the 1970s—an era associated with a number of vintage designs that have of late come back into style in a big way, like the Togo and Soriana Sofas for instance. But within this already established trend, we see new momentum gathering around a subset of the decade, one that has a particularly hard-edged, technical sleekness. Think metal and leather and minimalist silhouettes.

Case in point: Italian designer Giancarlo Piretti’s Plia Folding Chair for Castelli (designed in 1968 but popular through the 1970s). Featuring a chrome-finished, foldable frame and molded plastic or caned seat, this half-a-century-old design classic is drawing renewed interest, probably because it’s so cooly understated; as functional as it is fabulous.

Other vintage ’70s-era designs that appear to be experiencing a renaissance include the leather, steel, and glass pieces from Pieff  and Strässle , alongside furniture produced by Kill International, which has had a steady collectorship for some time but looks to be attracting new fans.