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TRENDBOOK
inside Chapter one // Less is more 6
Chapter two // bad bitch is back 12
Chapter three // gender irrelevance 18
intro Follow them or don’t, but they will never pass without touching you at least a little bit – Trends. For centuries trends have defined the era they were occurring in. Think of the 20’s: the typical flapper look. The 50’s: everybody immediately thinks of the shirtwaist dress. 80’s: color, fitness gear, craziness. Needless to say, that trends have always been around and have been influencing the way we live with the current, but also how we look back onto previous decades. The things we call trends mostly refer to either a certain way of dressing or a specific type of clothing item, but there is definitely more to it. A trend displays an explicit view on the world, our morals and values. This can be found not only in fashion, but in other areas of our culture, such as technology, architecture, interior design, even in our way of communicating. It can be said that a real trend is something that has developed over years and years and is big enough to change a whole era. With a closer look onto two different cities, Amsterdam (NL) and Antwerp (BEL), this Trendbook came into existence: To display and analyze certain movements in today’s society; To give an idea on where we as people of 2017 are heading to, what will be possible in the future, where do our values lay when thinking about improvement for ourselves, but also for future generations? What kind of movement do we live in right now and where are we going with it?
1
We have all noticed the latest obsession with geometric, white or gray colored, clean-cut interior that appears simple and neutral. May it be in hotels, stores or somebody’s apartment. Minimalism is what we call it. But what exactly does that even mean? Does stepping back from eccentric furniture or décor mean we suddenly are minimalistic? In a way – yes. Anything you could do more of, but decide not to, is an act of minimalism. And this can be found not only in the so obvious interior design, but in many other fields of society, as to be explored over the next pages. In a time where the terms “fast fashion”, “excessive consumerism” and “shopping addiction” are everything but uncommon there is a movement of people that want to step back from spending money on things that they think will make them happy, but don’t. Our society is constantly striving for more. More money, more possessions, more of basically everything, because we think owning more will bring us more happiness. The truth is, the pursuit of more will never come to an end, so complete happiness will never be reached. “I kept thinking about what I did not own, what was missing. … It’s not that I had more things than the average person, but that didn’t mean that I valued or liked everything I owned”, says Fumio Sasaki, a former passionate collector of books, CD’s and DVD’s from Tokyo. “I became a minimalist so I could let things I truly liked surface in my life” This specific lifestyle lays the foundation for desiring less while simultaneously being happier with less.
Less is more
Founded in Austria, these styling products are manufactured from the world to the world. “Less is More� combines functionality with simplicity, beauty with health and ethics with aesthetics, while only using natural ingredients, which are carefully selected for effectiveness, purity, optimal skin compatibility and environmental impact. The ingredients are obtained from renewable resources and are fully and rapidly biodegradable.
Things that are good for you are often plain. Plain often means boring. True Fruits’ philosophy is: Why does “healthy” stand in opposition to “cool”? Why not combine both by putting it in a glass bottle with a funny name on the back while focusing on the thing that matters most: what’s inside. The German juice company is owner managed and not a big corporation. And it doesn’t play tricks. No concentrates, no colorings, added sugars, stabilizers or other unnatural ingredients.
The concept is simple: A greener environment to stimulate peoples’ creativity and productivity while reducing stress. And all that without constantly having to think about watering these plants. The Pika Plant Jar is an airtight biotope. This means the handpicked plant recycles the water and air it has, adapting to stay healthy and grow – one of the original prototypes has been flourishing in the container for over 30 months. A good way to save some water and to stop letting plants die under our unfulfilled watch.
This coffee and tea store on a small hidden street in Antwerp takes a step into the direction of a no-waist-community. Having a wide range on tea, but an even bigger one on coffee from all over the world, this place only sells the product itself - no packaging. This means you have to bring along your own containers to purchase your product of desire. Something to get used to, but which pays off for the environment and ultimately for you.
2
Sex sells. Well, that’s been around for a time span that feels like forever, but lately it is noticeable that people in the industry become a little more than just daring. Weird erotic names for things that have nothing to do with eroticism, and pretty much every event has at least one dirty word in it. It is a scientifically proven fact that we memorize things better if we can make an emotional connection to it, and even better if it’s in an emotionally arousing context. This is important in a world that is more and more becoming packed full with visual data everywhere. In this overflow of images we put on a filter for what is important and what can be skipped. So by this technique one goal of a product is already achieved: To stay in the consumer’s memory. How does fashion react to that? Honestly, girls and women could not care less about bad reputation that might come from clothing. Pretty much everything that was considered “bitchy” or “cheap” years ago is now the go-to-style. “She stepped out of the apartment she kept for her weekends, dressed in her sluttiest outfit. She had on four-inch stiletto heels, fishnet stockings, a black bustier with white polka dots, denim cutoff shorts, and a leopard jacket”, says the first paragraph of Anthony Genualdi’s book “Killer Betty”, published just a little while back. In times of rising feminism and important issues like equality, sustainability and anti-racism, we are headed towards a society that has its values on what is on the inside. That counts for what’s behind a product/brand, but also, what is behind the façade of a person, under their clothing. What message is under all that use of dirty words in an event name? - We step away from the idea to judge a book by its cover.
BAD BITCH
Fishnet stockings have always been brought into connection with sexworkers. But it seems like society is overcoming this morally blind dichotomy. No single clothing item can be classy or slutty on its own merits. It is more about who wears them and with what kind of intentions. Many offices now allow fishnet stockings after a ban in 2008, saying they would distract male co-workers, which is definitely a positive development for an item that a short time ago was considered “slutty�.
I S B A C K You are only nude if you are to be looked at. But are you really nude, if there is a thin see-through fabric covering your body? “Free the nipple�. A global message demanding change with its focus on gender equality, empowerment and freedom of all. Why should a male nipple be treated differently than a female one? On purpose or not, but every seethrough shirt and every bra-free day is a step into a more open-minded society of equals.
“The only real party in Amsterdam for transvestites. No hassle, no fuss, Just cheap drinks with small hits by DJ Marcel Barlag and full of Amsterdam atmosphere. With only just enjoyable transvestites. Gozerwijfie is the place where your student loans are worth to be spent. Each edition is namely a crazily good offer you can’t find anywhere else in town.”
365 days a year a different party – That’s Sexyland in Amsterdam Noord. At first the name will make you think of a strip club, but taking a closer look, the place reveals to have another type of “exciting” concept. Sexyland is an event area with a different owner every single day, for every day of the year. There are no restrictions, the owner of the day can do whatever he/she wants. Therefore, the offer ranges from “How to write a love letter”-workshops, over food festivals to chess matches. And you have to admit, that wide range of activities does indeed sound kind of sexy.
3
For a long time women have fought for equality concerning rights and aspects such as equal pay. Under Trump’s misogynic campaign and now lead of presidency, acts such as a womens’ march is not a rarity. That is all well and good, there is nothing to say against fairness, but nobody ever really thinks about the facet of emotional equality. Emotions are part of who we are and how we deal with what happens in our lives; Emotions are natural and inevitable, but not all of us are “allowed” to express them. Have you ever seen a man burst into tears or talk about what really hurts him? This is a major problem in our society. Personally speaking, I think the role of being the holder of power is both a privilege but also a damnation for men. Our psyche is so important to our general well-being, yet nobody really cares about the taboo of men showing certain emotions or act a certain way. The documentary “The mask you live in” provides a clear insight into boys’ and young mens’ coping strategy these days. “They really buy into a culture that doesn’t value what we feminized. If we’re a culture that doesn’t value caring, doesn’t value relationships, doesn’t value empathy you are going to have boys and girls, men and women go crazy. We’ve constructed an idea of masculinity that doesn’t give young boys a way to feel secure in their masculinity, so we make them go prove it all the time.” – Dr. Niobe Way, psychologist and educator Lately changes to that stigma can be witnessed, in art, film, but most importantly in the people themselves. If you take a closer look, you can see that men are daring to take the step towards a more equalized way of acting and looking onto themselves and other males.
With her project “What real men cry like” the 20-yearold Dutch photographer Maud Fernhout wants to show thoughts and feelings of her generation’s people, a generation where crying is still an emotion to be suppressed by men. In her opinion, showing emotion and leveling with the people around you shows strength and personality, not weakness.
This sign was spotted in a small cafÊ in Antwerp. The owner said he got the idea through a visit in New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art a few years back and wanted to improve his business to a more open-minded one. All gender restrooms are spaces in which people of all gender identities and expressions, so also those who do not conform to traditional binary male and female designations are accepted gladly with the aim to make everybody feel welcome.
Gender irrelevance
Within their peer group culture, each boy and each young man is posturing based on how the other males are posturing. After a certain age, positive physical contact is not expedient, so what they end up missing is what they each really want, which is basically closeness. Watching friend groups interact, it can be seen that this intimacy is more and more becoming normal. Males should be able to be warm and loving to one another without immediately being called “gay�.
The streets also offer prove of a more open way of thinking towards gender irrelevance, especially in creative cities such as Amsterdam with a high percentage of millennials. When asked, why he wears nailpolish, this young man answered: “It just makes me happy, I guess. These days it becomes acceptable for men to get their eyebrows done and put on make-up, so why not paint my nails a funky color?�
alltogther . . . … this makes me come to the following conclusion: The three discussed Trends “Less is More”, “Bad Bitch is Back” and “Gender Irrelevance” seem to all have a different approach when looking at them for the first time. Digging deeper into the background and idea behind it, one will realize that they are all driven by the same factors: not just tolerance, but acceptance and integrity and most importantly, moving towards an open-minded society. The first chapter about minimalism shows how people have come to the realization more is not always better and more will not make you long-term happy. They have accepted that the way they lived before does not do themselves nor the environment any good. Further on, the second chapter talks about how things that were considered disreputable not long ago now are being integrated into society and our everyday life and that they don’t make us as uncomfortable as they once might have. It also shows how the inside cannot be judged by the outside. The last unit deals with the fact that gender is just a made-up idea of division in the human species to appoint certain rules to a specific group of people and that we are slowly but steady overcoming the stigmas that come along with this, again, through acceptance and integrity. As all of these trends are very essential and relevant in these times, brands are forced to react to it in a way that will sustain their identity, but that will also respond to the needs of society and its values.
The Future Taking society’s evolution in the near, but also far future into account when talking about trends, brands and their development is important to create something essential and long-lasting. In a time where everything seems to happen at a high speed level, this is crucial to ensure success, over a long period of time, in terms of profit, but most importantly in terms of delivering the values a brand stands for to a community that can identify with them. Thinking of an enriching future for everybody is only logical, if we also take sustainability to a higher level of sobriety along the way, because there is only so much our planet can endure. This aspect does not seem that important to a big part of society, because they have other battles to fight, such as money issues, judgement or inequitable treatment. Only if people are at a state of a peaceful mind they will also truthfully consider sustainability in their everyday life. We are definitely taking steps into the right direction, as this Trend Book shows in a few examples. Clothing has always been an instrument of self expression, therefore, minimalism that is required for a healthier relationship with our planet and its resources might not have to be simple, but brands will have to think about how to combine quality with something that lets people show what they stand for, in consideration of sustainability. I do believe that in this process we will have to and eventually will take a step back from fast fashion and consumerism, moving towards the idea of minimalism that values quality over quantity.
Where all this came from images in order they appear page 1 NSS Magazine, (2017). Marni SS17 Campaign. Available at: http://www.nssmag.com/en/ fashion/9805/marni-ss17/image:86089 (accessed: 27/02/2017) page 4/5 Crunchy Lipstick, (2015). Gisele Bundchen By Zee Nunes For Vogue Brazil May 2015. Available at: http://crunchylipstick.blogspot.nl/2015/05/gisele-bundchen-by-zee-nunes-forvogue.html (accessed: 27/02/2017) page 6/7 own image page 8/9 Zole, (2014). Review: Less is more, Mallowsmooth shampoo & cajeput pure balance conditioner. Available at: http://zolea.be/review-less-is-more/ (accessed: 20/02/2017) own image page 10/11 both own images page 12/13 own image page 14/15 both own images page 16/17 Facebook, (2017). Gozerwifjie. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/ events/591092761086888/ (accessed: 16/02/2017) own image page 18/19 Nobody Has To Know, (year unknown). The Office Collection. Available at: https://www. nobodyhastoknow.com/collections/office (accessed: 16/02/2017) page 20/21 Maud Fernhout, (2016). What Real Men Cry Like. Available at: http://www.maudfernhout. com/what-real-men-cry-like (accessed: 24/02/2017) own image
page 22/23 both own images page 24/25 Nid Tokyo (2017). Stylings. Available at: http://nid-tokyo.com (accessed: 26/02/2017) page 28 NSS Magazine, (2017). Marni SS17 Campaign. Available at: http://www.nssmag.com/en/ fashion/9805/marni-ss17/image:86088 (accessed: 27/02/2017)
References in Text in order they appears Page 6/7 Lim, M. (2016). Less is More as Japanese Minimalist Movement Grows. Available at: http:// www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-minimalism-idUSKCN0Z50VP (accessed: 16/02/2017) Mueller, S. (2016). Minimalist Lifestyle: Why Less is More. Available at: http://www. planetofsuccess.com/blog/2016/minimalist-lifestyle-less/ (accessed: 15/02/2017) Page 8/9 Less Is More, (year unknown). About. Available at: https://www.lessismore.at/dt/about.html/ (accessed: 20/02/2017) True Fruits, (year unknown). About. Available at: http://www.true-fruits.com (accessed: 15/02/2017) Page 10/11 Pika Plant, (year unknown). About. Available at: https://pikaplant.com (accessed: 23/02/2017) Page 12/13 Immisch, G. (2002). Sex Sells? Eine theorethische Diskussion eines alten Mythos. MĂźnchen: FGM Genualldi, A. (2006). Killer Betty. DĂźsseldorf: Booklocker Page 16/17 Facebook, (2017). Gozerwifjie. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/ events/591092761086888/ (accessed: 16/02/2017) Page 18/19 Lybio, (2016). The Mask You Live In Transcript. Available at: http://lybio.net/tag/the-maskyou-live-in-quotes/ (accessed: 15/02/2017) Page 20/21 Maud Fernhout, (2016). What Real Men Cry Like. Available at: http://www.maudfernhout. com/what-real-men-cry-like (accessed: 24/02/2017)