West Elm Goes Local

West Elm goes local with help from Dallas-based artisans

As part of its growing Local initiative, Brooklyn-based West Elm is stocking its shelves with crafted goods from Texas-based artists and makers. "The idea is to give small businesses the opportunity to have retail space in our stores," says West Elm public relations manager Dru Ortega.

"It gives our customers the opportunity to discover new products."

The items represent all corners of Texas. From Dallas are Lilco, a design and letterpress studio with Texas-inspired notecards and tea towels, and Tiny Fawn, whimsical animal prints from artist Darrah Gooden.

Austin-based artisans include illustrator Leah Duncan, who created abstract prints inspired by Texas flora, and Son of a Sailor, handmade geometric jewelry and accessories. The Texas-shaped wall hangings made of 100 percent reclaimed materials from Austin-based Hemlock & Heather have been such a hit that the products are featured as part of the Best of Local assortment on the West Elm website.

From El Paso comes Desert Beauty Soaps & Lotions, a maker of all natural hot and cold processed soaps, and Creative Kids, a nonprofit, community-based art agency that works with disadvantaged youth to create art pieces that are turned into pillows and prints. Marfa Brands creates all-natural soap bars from the beloved West Texas town.

In addition to partnering with local artisans to produce handcrafted collections, West Elm also offers a large number of rugs produced in fair trade-certified factories in India, Nepal, and Vietnam and sofas made in the U.S. Working with Fair Trade USA, the chain plans to certify 20 percent of its product assortment is made by fair trade standards by 2017, and 40 percent by 2019.

"Everything we do is designed to make an impact," Ortega says. "It's really a global effort."

West Elm's Best of Local collection features companies like Austin-based Hemlock and Heather, which makes Texas-shaped wall hangings from 100 percent reclaimed materials.

Hemlock and Heather Texas Reclaimed Wood at West Elm

Photo courtesy of West Elm

West Elm's Best of Local collection features companies like Austin-based Hemlock and Heather, which makes Texas-shaped wall hangings from 100 percent reclaimed materials.

nature inspiration texas

2016 Food Trends

Whole Foods Market loves wine in a can and more hot food trends for 2016

Photo courtesy of James Kicinski-McCoy, Bleubird

Let us toast Whole Foods Market's forecast of hot food trends for 2016.

While we've barely begun to reflect on 2015, Whole Foods Market is already thinking about 2016. The grocery chain's product team has pinpointed 10 top food trends to watch in 2016, from fermented foods to wine in a can.

Here are the hot trends for 2016:

Uncommon meat and seafood. Offbeat and lesser-known meat and seafood options are moving from restaurants into the American kitchen. The trend results from a number of factors including concerns over waste and an increase in butchery. New cuts include sirloin top, pork T-bone chop, and Denver steaks. Unfamiliar seafoods include paiche and blue catfish.

Wine in a can. With wine drinkers getting younger and less hidebound, winemakers are offering wine in an aluminum can. One of the first to do it was Francis Ford Coppola's sparkling Sofia, joined more recently by Infinite Monkey Theorem and Presto Sparkling. Single-serve aluminum cans are not only convenient, they're more sustainable.

Plant-based everything. Plants are playing a meatier role in a surprising number of products, not just vegan and vegetarian items, from quinoa protein in hair care products to vitamin-rich veggies in frozen dessert pops.

Fermented foods and probiotics. Fermented foods are recommended for good intestinal health, be it kombucha, yogurt, kimchi, gochujang, and pickled things such as chiogga beet kraut.

Non-GMO. The non-GMO movement continues to grow, even extending to verifying that the food fed to animals (or what Whole Foods delicately calls the "animal protein category") is also non-GMO.

Grass-fed 2.0. Currently common in dairy items such as milk, eggs, yogurt, butter, and cheese, grass-fed is expanding into packaged meat snacks and even protein powders.

Dehydrated foods. Last year, it was kale chips. In 2016, it'll be dehydrated broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and parsnip chips, plus salmon, bison, and chicken jerkies.

Heirloom ingredients. Going beyond the commonly known heirloom tomato, heirloom ingredients are popping up in packaged goods such as popcorn, chocolate made with heirloom cocoa, and even candy such as Seely's Mint Patties made with heirloom peppermint.

Alternative flours. The wheat-haters and gluten-phobes have plenty to choose from with flours made from legumes, ancient grains, teff, amaranth, and nuts. Chickpea flour is a quick riser, while other legume flours are showing up in bean-based pastas and other packaged goods.

Old World flavors. In this case, Whole Foods describes Old World as flavors from Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia, as well as Middle Eastern ingredients.

Predictions came from Whole Foods Market's team that spots trends for the grocer's stores and sources items across the retailer’s cheese, grocery, meat, seafood, prepared foods, produce, and personal care departments.

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