TECHNOSCAPISM - A TREND FORECAST Book by Keira Davitt-Bailey

T E C H OSCAPISM HNOSCAPISM OSCAPISM TECHPISM TECHNOSTECHNOSCAPISM SCAPISM TECHNOSTECHNOSCAPISM SCAPISM TECHISM TECHNOSM TECHNOSCAPTECHNOSCAPISM CHNOSCAPISM

creating a new way of living, surviving and experiencing through an innovative and immersive digitalised world.

a way to improve the fashion industry, whether these improvements be through reducing the need for physical clothing, as well as creating endless possibilities for consumers to experience fashion through a new and exciting approach. Introducing ‘Technoscapism – An Experience’.

After accumulating extensive research across a variety of industries, exploring the many possibilities of what potentially could become our future (our Life on Mars), my final and concluding concept has been created through an immersive and innovative trend - positioned within the digitalised and virtual world of fashion. The newly emerging sector of the digital fashion industry exposes us to endless possibilities and evolutions that we are likely to witness in our futures and our new Life on Mars. My concluding trend explores how these advancements in technology, virtual reality and the digitalisation of the industry can be used in a way to improve the fashion industry, whether these improvements be through reducing the need for physical clothing, as well as creating endless possibilities for consumers to experience fashion through a new and exciting approach. Introducing ‘Technoscapism – An Experience’.

The narrative and branding message behind ‘Technoscapism’ explores how brands and designers can use new advancements in technology, virtual reality and the digitalised world to create an effective and impactful solution and an individual response to correcting the damage that has been caused by the fashion industry due to its harmful and negative impact, environmentally (The Fabricant, 2021). The global rate of overconsumption and wastage has increased to a level that vastly exceeds the capacity for landfill and recycling procedures, illustrating the importance and severe need for businesses to innovatively create an individual response to combat this issue and try to adapt their own practices and methodologies to reduce this harm created, in order to bring about a substantial change our future.

It is arguable that brands and designers t are choosing to commit to using sustaina fabrics and processes to covey their respo to contributing to a more sustainable ture is no longer enough, as doing this d not eliminate the possibility of overconsu tion and wastage from continuing to occ Through innovative and immersive process my concluding trend, ‘Technoscapism’ provi an exciting, alternative approach explor how brands can individually and directly spond to these environmental concerns, i way that has the capability to remove need for physical clothing completely, fo cast having still significant issues w

It is arguable that brands and designers that are choosing to commit to using sustainable fabrics and processes to covey their response to contributing to a more sustainable future is no longer enough, as doing this does not eliminate the possibility of overconsumption and wastage from continuing to occur. Through innovative and immersive processes, my concluding trend, ‘Technoscapism’ provides an exciting, alternative approach exploring how brands can individually and directly respond to these environmental concerns, in a way that has the capability to remove the need for physical clothing completely, therefore eliminating the possibilities of our future forecast having still significant issues with overconsumption and wastage as we and the industry moves towards operating, experiencing and achieving through a virtual and digitalised world. ‘Technoscapism’ illustrates the possibilities of switching to a fully customisable, sustainable and resourceful space that looks to create a promising future for our life on Mars in response to limiting environmental issues to the largest extent possible, not only in the fashion industry, but within all industries globally.

FIGURE 1

potential outlook of how we could be living, surviving and experiencing our new lives upon our new life on Mars. The title of my trend forecast couding outcome of my trend prediction involves creating a concept of or The main focus, message and narrative behind ‘Technoscapism’ illustrates an effective fusion between the technological and digitalised world and combining this with a futuristic sense of escapism, as the trend provides a potential outlook of how we could be living, surviving and experiencing our new lives upon our new life on Mars. The title of my trend forecast coveys this combination of a futuristic and digitalised world, merging this with a unique way of exploring a virtual escape for brands and consumers. The final and concluding outcome of my trend prediction involves creating a concept of an app or a piece of innovate technology, where consumers can create a personalised profile, and this is where consumers will have their own unique space to create their own virtual clothing on their own personal avatar that can be visible through digital technology, social media channels and the aid of virtual reality. This personal profile can allow consumers to fully customise their clothing, shoes and accessories to create looks however they wish and however often they want to. ‘Technoscapism’ provides the ability to customise colours, lengths, sizes, add or remove layering, change details such as adding and removing pockets, hoods and adapting the suitability of clothing in order to fit in with consumer’s daily lives, circumstances, interests and the living conditions on Mars. This customisable clothing approach can cover each aspect of clothing, such as creating shorts for the summer months, to then editing these items to create longer trousers for the winter months – whilst still using virtual reality to maintain a fully digital and virtual space for consumers. Through using digital technology and virtual reality, the ‘Technoscapism’ app and brand creates a new experience for consumers to experience fashion, as now consumers have the ability to directly customise and create outfits and clothing directly for themselves, which can aid in eliminating the need for sample production of garments, travel of garments as well as eliminating the need for producing garments in different colours and sizes. ‘Technoscapism’ portrays the potential for substantial improvement in making bespoke and customisable clothing more accessible to consumers at a higher level of convenience to each individual, whilst also ensuring protection, safety and security for us on our new lives on Mars.

The main focus, message and narrative behind ‘Technoscapism’ illustrates an effective fusion between the technological and digitalised world and combining this with a futuristic sense

‘Technoscapism’ has the effective ability to make customisable clothing accessible to all whilst also providing greater benefits for the consumer, as well as businesses themselves who want to actively play their part in reducing their negative environmental impact. By eliminating the need for excessive sample production, colour production and size production, this can help businesses aid the narrative and message behind ‘Technoscapism’, as this trend prediction provides a potential answer and response to reducing the levels of overconsumption, wastage and excessive purchasing – allowing us to create a more sustainable and responsible way of living during our new life on Mars. This illustrates that consumers and businesses can adapt to digital and virtual methods of producing products and services, at little cost to the environment and little environmental further damage (Nast, 2021)– reducing the need for physical products completely, which is an effective response to these issues. By incorporating my trend into digital technology and social media channels, consumers will be able to share their outfits and clothing pieces virtually, such as through communicating their ideas and designs through the app as well as extending the message and brand narrative further through pre-existing social media channels – again, limiting the need completely for physical clothing pieces and excessive clothing consumption.

FIGURE 2

the importance of creating a sense of trust and security that our choices and processes during our life on Mars can solve these issues through incorpo

COLOUR

The colour and tones palette for the ‘Technoscapism’ concept trend is based around the connotations of digital technology and computer coding, which I believe links to blues, purples, pinks and grey tones. These digital tones and colours illustrates a sense of futurism and digital advancements, which is reflective of my prediction’s message that during our new life on Mars, we are likely to witness a change across all industries, as we collectively transition into living in a more digitalised and non-tangible world. One of the main colours in my colour palette is different tones of blue, as blue can represent a serene, relaxing and calming atmosphere – which is also a key element to my trend prediction. When transitioning to our life on Mars, it is important that we all feel protected, safe and calm in regards to our new surroundings and ways of living. Therefore, I chose blue to be one of my main features colours, as my trend ‘Technoscapism’ provides escapism of innovation, whilst also paying attention to our feelings and thoughts behind this unique journey to Mars. Both colours blue and purple are also reflective and symbolic of intelligence, trust and security.

COLOUR The concept of my trend is to create a substantial solution to significantly reduce the environmental issues of overconsumption and excessive purchasing that results in extortionate wastage globally, which portrays the importance of creating a sense of trust and security that our choices and processes during our life on Mars can solve these issues through incorporating more digitalisation and technologies into our industries. Also featured within my trend’s colour and tones palette are connotations of sustainable living and natural earth tones such as oranges, browns and greys to also incorporate and further extend the message of the meanings behind my trend prediction. Both digital tones and earth tones in combination allow for a futuristic feel to the trend, whilst also creating a sense of safety and protection for our uncertain and newly founded way of living in our futures.

COLOUR

The concept of my trend is to create a substantial solution to significantly reduce the environmental issues of overconsumption and excessive

are those ell as income, such rn between trend prefuture and be like in age demostainable, Our jourMars covating susthis with ital techy emerging ability to nding furs to come.

tainable, responsible and innovative way. Our journeyto creating our new life on Mars coveys the importance of incorporating sustainable practices and merging this with the latest and most useful digital technology advancements. These newly emerging demographics will also have the ability to carry their knowledge and understanding further forwards for new generations to come.

The targeted consumer for my trend is the latest side half of Generation Alpha, who are those born between 2010 and 2024, as well as incorporating future generations to come, such as Generation Beta who will be born between 2025 and 2039 (Carter, 2021), as my concept trend prediction is a prediction of the future and predicting what are lives will be like in years to come. For these targeted age demographics, issues surrounding sustainability and digital innovations are very likely to be vocal and these age demographics will grow up being educated surrounding the topic and are likely to be understanding of how important it is for consumers and businesses to operate in a sustainable, responsible and innovative way. Our journey to creating our new life on Mars coveys the importance of incorporating sustainable practices and merging this with the latest and most useful digital technology advancements. These newly emerging demographics will also have the ability to carry their knowledge and understanding further forwards for new generations to come. The market level that my trend prediction is targeted towards is the visionary market, as my concept is futuristc and creates a visual idea of how we could be living in the future, based off of our current actions and technological advancements.

FIGURE 3

from an environmental and sustainable point of view. By including a personal and fully customisable aspect of my technology trend, targeted consumers

FUTURISM FUTURISM

The outcome of my trend prediction aims to communicate an effective solution and answer to environmental, social, economic and cultural issues when designers and brands are trying to forecast future trends. My forecast prediction, ‘Technoscapism’, explores and visualises an effective solution to a variety of issues, not only from an environmental and sustainable point of view. By including a personal and fully customisable aspect of my technology trend, targeted consumers have the ability to create a platform that is solely reflective of everyone as individuals, and what each individual needs to survive and adapt to our new lives on Mars – no matter the social, economic and cultural situation. It is important to consider political, economic, social and environmental factors within the external environment at present when predicting a trend forecast, as notable moments or occurrences can have large impacts on the fashion industry and our fashion forecasts.

FUTURISM FUTURISM FUTURISM FUTURISM FUTURISM FUTURISM

Through creating a digital platform that is bespoke and unique to your own personal avatar, this allows consumers to still have the freedom to look and feel how they want to through sustainable and digital methods. By utilising social media channels and already successful forms of media such as Instagram and TikTok, consumers can have the ability to have access to my trend and participate in the experience of creating their own avatar, no matter their social or economic situation – which is an additional benefit of ‘Technoscapism’. This is because not only does the trend forecast explore solutions to correcting environmental issues, but it also looks to promote equality and freedom of personal expression on our life on Mars. The ability to customise your own personal avatar allows consumers to step away from creating a defined ‘uniform’ look of how we will survive and look on Mars, which is an additional key feature of my trend prediction showing that we as an industry can transition to become more sustainable, whilst eliminating physical clothing waste at the same time as promoting freedom to wear what you wish as we are all currently used to doing. This digital concept can allow consumers to maintain their identity as individuals, which can appeal to all market levels as the ability to still have freedom in what you wear can be accessible and usable by all consumers.

The outcome of my trend prediction aims to communicate an effective solution and answer to environmental, social, economic and cultural issues

FUTUR

FUTURISM

In conclusion, I believe that the concept of my digital-futurism trend prediction, ‘Technoscapism’ provides a unique and innovate approach and solution as to how we will survive and protect ourselves as we embark on our new journey on Mars. Targeting Generation Alpha and Generation Beta particularly, my trend prediction aims to educate and act upon our already existing knowledge of the importance and significance of acting now and innovating new ideas now so that we can take these ideas with us in our futures.

By creating and maximising the use of ever-changing technological advancements, such as virtual reality and artificial design, we can hope for a future fashion industry that can eliminate the need for physical clothing completely, therefore resulting in a significant decrease in the amount of global overconsumption, wastage and excessive clothing. We are already seeing current and relevant individual brand advancements within the digitalised world from digital fashion brands ‘Auroboros’ and ‘The Fabricant’, therefore due to the sudden increasing rise in incorporating technology and digital aid into our existing businesses, we can hope to create a promising future of creating a new way and experience of wearing and styling our clothing. Introducing ‘Technoscapism – An Experience’.

TREND OUTCOME

Sustainability — The Fabricant. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.thefabricant.com/sustainability Nast, C. (2021). Startup spotlight: How digital fashion brand Auroboros is breaking through. Retrieved from https://www.voguebusiness.com/companies/startup-spotlight-how-digital-fashion-brandauroboros-is-breaking-through Carter, C. (2021). The Complete Guide To Generation Alpha, The Children Of Millennials. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecarter/2016/12/21/the-complete-guide-to-generation-alpha-the-children-of-millennials/

Figure 1 https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcities%2F2018%2Fsep%2F21%2Fi-follow-a-different-person-every-day-using-strangers-to-explore-the-city&psig=AOvVaw25WbIaw-U7Z1uXwbAyQyxr&ust=1638822754650000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAwQjhxqFwoTCIiJ4NTAzfQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ Figure 2 www.auroboros.com Figure 3 https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpixabay.com%2Fillustrations%2Fhuman-avatar-technology-digital-5922362%2F&psig=AOvVaw3x283ZbcujCyuU67z0w0KO&ust=163882291291900 0&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAwQjhxqFwoTCNjKlZ_BzfQCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ

KEIRA DAVITT-BAILEY