Reevaluating Trend Forecasting in 2020

Trend Union 2020 At A Glance

Together with her co-forecaster, Philip Fimmano, Li and her team work incredibly hard to gather and create words and imagery that portray the trends with a dimensional understanding, incredible beauty, and profound emotion. The presentation clicks by like an old-fashioned View-Master toy, each click revealing fantastical imagery with beautiful tones of color families.

Some images focus on the various materials used to create, such as imperfect yet idealized women (or men) in different fabric treatments. Textural images showcase stacks of natural wood and papers, handmade lace sewn into a structure beyond imagination, marvelous textiles—some made out of biodegradable paper—all gorgeous, astonishing 2D photos that feel 3D and serve as visual metaphors for what Li describes.

I apologize now, as I think I’ve just used up all my adjectives for the rest of the article, but suffice it to say, the optics are pure art. Just imagine Li’s mesmerizing voice providing commentary, and you get a sense of what it was like to participate in this year’s global trend forecasting webinar.

As Edelkoort says, “It is an odd time to forecast trends in the time of COVID. This seminar was prepared prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was based on paper. Of course, the first paper panic we had was toilet paper.”

“This is a time to re-contemplate life, take a breath and shift to ‘work to live’ from ‘live to work,’ downsize the spaces we live in ... and the things we use. So consumption should also be downsized. Build relationships to the brands we support. The clothes we live in ... they are there for us like a comforting friend. This will change our relationship to clothing and home goods in general. Rethinking means a growing tolerance. As we emerge from lockdown, we will feel everything new ... see things new again, taste things again. 2020 starved us.”

Li’s “blank page” example, the symbol of this year but an idea that came to her before COVID-19 overturned our lives, could be seen as a metaphor for fear of unknowns, or it could be embraced as the opportunity for a fresh start.

“The fear of the blank page, often imposing writer’s block and intimidating to artists, is now paralyzing a society that has to reinvent itself. That same fear is daunting to the garment industry that wants to get out of the doldrums. Fashion’s reluctance to reset the tone and rethink its purpose is palpable and needs to be eradicated. During and after the lockdown, humans need to transform their actions in the healing of multiple pains and finally decide to put people and planet first, winning against corporate gain and greed. What on earth should we do—what can we do—to shake off old habits and start a new chapter of moral behavior and creativity?”

While I don’t want to get overly political here, I realize we have built American society on capitalism, where everyone can start their own business, pursue any path toward prosperity, and make their life their own. I started my own business. It’s been the American Dream for centuries. I still believe that is possible. It is a wonderful freedom many countries do not experience. But I believe we can and should develop conscientious capitalism practices—a system where giving back, supporting our teams, and operating sustainably is not just an honorable thing, but also the norm. Edelkoort goes on:

“Imagine that we give in and take time to listen to the blank page, so we can relax and be inspired by its simplicity, nobility, and monochromatic whites, sampled from beautifully handcrafted papers. The blank page is designed to breathe; to create space for reflection and dialogue; to think about how each paper evokes other connections and relationships; how each page holds tangible energy; and how each interpretation can spin off a new brand or new basic [garment]. The idea is to slow down and ‘unnovate,’ just focusing on the know-how and beauty. With papers that are wise, and patient, crinkled, pleated and cut out, functional and conceptual, as well as romantic and festive (after all, we will want to get together when the pandemic is over and celebrate once again together). Ideas multiply but always maintain a gentle and human core, since empathy represents the survival of our species.”

The Future of Luxury 2025

Edelkoort also created a whole segment (that you must see) on the Future of Luxury 2025, and I will leave you with just a few of the trends I found inspiring, all of which she identified pre-pandemic but which still ring true.

THE ECONOMY OF HAPPINESS

Edelkoort touches on the idea that many of us are becoming mini farmers, whether in our yards, on our patios, or on a rooftop in the city. She discussed the shift to becoming “bio herbivores,” elevating and venerating plants as the ultimate renewable and healthy food source, one that can also be easily preserved through home canning. People have sharpened focus on the benefits of drinking water, rescuing local bee populations, listening to the sounds of nature and tapping into the root network—the “internet of trees”—in forests.
In unsteady times, we seek grounding experiences: standing barefoot on the earth to counter the tech all around us, a practice that is shown to bring down blood pressure and calm the body in just 20 to 25 minutes a day, and it’s a worldwide trend originating from a prescription of sorts in Japan. I love this idea and am planning now to go outdoors, even though it is winter here, to stand in my own yard for a few healthy mental minutes.

LOCAL LOCOMOTION

Our changing world has spurred us to rethink travel, turning to fast, ground-based modes of transportation, such as trains, that allow us the flexibility to use them as work spaces or gathering spaces and to truly observe the spaces that we travel through and not just pass above them. Even in 2019, before the pandemic, flight shaming had begun to take hold.

As for cars, we have entered into a time when almost every purchase, small or large, is subject to our highly customizable consumer culture. Whether across town or around the world, travel will continue to be made to measure—and made for pleasure, especially as we settle into a new normal.

Togetherness Principles

In person or over video calls, people are emancipating time together more and more. Men are becoming better, more attentive fathers, and as a culture we see more generations living together in houses that are designed to allow us the freedom to live that way.

CLOTHES IN COMMON

Current clothing trends balance the dichotomy of high-end quality with low style. Trending fashion is both ageless and design-driven, couture is in a courtship with streetwear, and fashion is now skewing masculine, yet romantic. Edelkoort notices that “the power suit is not about armor anymore,” and clothing in general is made better and in smaller quantities.

Slow Time

It’s a time of learning and of cultivating patience. The age of the amateur is upon us, with a renewed interest in domestic arts like baking and making, crafting our own couture, and celebrating the global yen for items that are made by humans and not manufactured by machines.

COLLECTION ICONS

As a culture, we are in love with objects, perhaps more than ever. But we have fewer of them now, sampling the simplicity of treasuring the things we have without a strong drive to acquire more and more. In our communities and among our belongings and daily activities, we are celebrating diversity: in the people we see, the foods we eat, the materials that surround us. Rather than trying to be all things for all people, a retail store may, for example, become focused on just one excellent thing, like only products from Japan. Store inventory and household collections are grouped into families of objects and colors.

SPIRITUAL ROOTS AND ANIMISM

We are all taking a longer view of our impact in the world, seeing our lives as being bound up in longevity, tied back to our ancestry, immortalized through narrative objects. There is an intermingling of the human experience and a spiritual element, a connection forged within our souls and at the very heart of our personal stories. In conjunction with the trends of slowing time, prizing togetherness, and consciously consuming, there is a general consensus that the more things we have, the less likely we are to form a relationship with those things.

Photo from A Labour of Love for purchase here.

NYTM : Generation 2020 for purchase here.

CLOSING THOUGHTS FROM TREND UNION 2020

I hope this article has been enough of a teaser to persuade you to take in one of Trend Union seminars. If you do, in addition to gaining valuable insights into forthcoming trends you’ll also receive a complimentary book to keep for yourself and consult in the future.

To keep up with what Li’s working on now, check out one of her next seminars. Her latest book, A Labour of Love is an inspirational visual guide that is currently available for purchase. She has also started what she is calling The World Hope Forum, an event to which all are invited. “At the heart of the exchange” she says, “themes such as the environment, industry, economy, architecture waste management diversity and society will all be addressed. The idea is to inspire each other collaborate and imagine a new path forward.” Follow along to find out more about this effort on Instagram and YouTube.

So here’s to a healthier, more responsible, more beautiful future. Luxury, fashion, and consumerism has a new way of life. And as my husband Jeff says “Perhaps the tired word lifestyle is not so old after all?”