FUTURISM 2018
Caroline Mannon Trend Forecasting 2017
Futurism. Abstraction. Timelessness. Three words that dictate the direction in which design is moving. Distinguishing between virtual life and reality is now virtually impossible because technology is vital part of life. As this fusion of man and machine continues, trends in fashion, technology, and lifestyle evolve along with it. Innovations in textiles, the creation of new materials, and imaginative color palettes constitute trends in design for 2018. In the face of total fusion between man and machine, consumers start to yearn for the simplicity of the past before the digital world overcomes realtiy. Hints of nostalgia and sentimentality exist to fufill the void left by technology. Reflecting on the past is comforting and helps us find comfort in change. The tension bewtween past and present will be most evident in the home as consumers seek to use it as a haven from a technology-driven world.
color The colors of the season evoke images of technology and and machines. Vivid reds, blues, and greens flow like streams of data moving at hyperspeed. They are counteracted by neutrals like black, ivory, and grey. Muted brown, mauve, and yellow are nostalgic and serve as reminders of the past. Together the colors of the season seamlessly blend the past and the future to create a contemporary palette that flows through every aspect of life.
midnight blue
ocean blue
tech teal
ivory
onyx black
video green
classic red
acid green
schocking red
air grey
crimson
muted mauve
egg yellow
muddy tan
fashion
materiality New technologies and shift from runway designer textiles are consumers thanks to
chromat aw17
innovations in fabric will to ready-to-wear. Unique now more accessible to innovations in technology.
Chromat collaborated with Klymit, an outdoors company, to make inflatable garments specifically designed to be comfortable and durable, but most importantly--wearable.
Companies like Nike, Chromat, and matériO are leading innovators in using and creating innovative textiles.
Nike Tech Pack fabric
The Nike Tech Pack collection features fabric that is mapped to the body to provide impeccable fit and zonal ventilation and warmth.
matériO
matériO sample
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matériO is a worldwide materials company that seeks out innovative materials and catalogues them in a subscrption-only library. Members can browse the matériO library to find inspiration for their projects. The company works only with strange, bizarre, and innovative materials, such as Vantablack--a unique black pigment, created for British-Indian artist Anish Kapoor, that absorbs up to 99.965% of light.
“Intense colors seem to be a natural application of our intense lifestyles and thought processes these days.” images via Harper’s Bazaar
“M et alli cs we kn ow a re c lassi c. But t h ey have really m oved over i nto neut rals.� -L eatr i c e E i s man, Pan ton e
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Vivid reds, greens, and blues will dominate color palettes and act as contrast points to black and neutrals. Metallics will be seen as the new neutrals and pair well with other bold and textured fabrics. Patterns and textures will enhance the intensity of bright colors.
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texture Texture and volume will dominate textiles. Tactile fabrics create intrigue and new shapes that have never been seen before. Fabric texture will become part of the sensory experience while wearing clothes, allowing the consumer to feel an intimate connection with the garment. By creating this close relationship, consumers will feel more closely connected to the clothes they are wearing creating a better sense of personalization of fashion.
technology The emergence of driverless cars and automated machines have already the gap between human and
other selfnarrowed machine.
This trend in technology has impacted the relationship that humans have with machines by taking away power from the user and putting the device in control. As consumers of technology, urgency with
become design intense
habituated to this evolution trends relfect a sense of colors and frenetic lines.
Electric streams
reds of
cut data
through and flowing at
intersect like hyper-speed.
Grid-like patterns mimic complex circuit boards and racing cars. There will be a seamless connection bewtween humans and technology seen through the interaction of color and shapes.
lifestyle Workaholic culture lends itself to complete convergence of human and machine. Consumers rely on their devices entirely, and this trend will begin to emerge in design as well. Lifestyle products will adapt to facilitate the constant use of technology to create a seamless blend between device and experience. Cool blues and greens bring serenity to a stressful schedule while stark black and white act as constrast hues. The juxtaposition between the shades allow the user to differentiate work space from living space.
Sleek Sleekcurves curvesnested nestedinto intothe thewall wall provide provide aa secluded secluded environment environment suitable suitable for for work work or or relaxation. relaxation.
“ P H Y G I TA L- - a s t h e d i g i t a l will increasingly incorporate the physical, will surround deisgn to make it more lifelike and emotionally compelling� - -W G S N
2018
grainy pixelated static
nostalgia As we become overwhelmed by the digital world, consumers seek out a more relaxed equivalent and return to their past. Much like how an adult takes solace in a forgotten childhood toy or how a scent brings up memories of years past, consumers recall the past to forget their busy present. As society continues to progress, it is also in a constant relationship with the past. Retro influences will reappear with a sense of nostalgia. Grainy film photographs, fuzzy television screens, and pixelated graphics evoke retro manifestations of technology. The nostaligic feelings the future creating between the past
will be in play with a new relationship and the present.
Colors will reflect the past and future in combinations of muted neutrals and warm tones juxtaposed with bright reds and vivid yellows. Faded shades overlapped with bright pigments play well together in the home to evoke a warm and comfortable feeling.