Research Themes

Landfill

In 2030 the environment in which consumers will live will be drastically different. By 2030, global greenhouse gas emissions must be cut in half (Wired, 2020), if this is not reached, the planet will buckle under the consequences of increased natural disasters and rising sea levels that will create unpredictable events and consequences posing the threat of great uncertainty to consumers in 2030, affecting everything in their lives.

Climate

(Figure 2) Furthermore, in 2030 landfill issues will affect consumers more locally and socially. Fashion waste is costing the global economy more than $400 billion every year, moreover, by 2030 there will be a household waste capacity deficit of 6 million tonnes (Clothes Aid) The throwaway culture that has arisen over the last few years due to a mixture of Fast Fashion and social media’s ‘wear once’ ideologies have had lasting impacts on the environment. Environmental changes will have a significant impact on consumer psychology and how they view their buying habits, implying that fast fashion will be depleted, and consumers will turn to luxury garments suggesting longevity for safety.

This research into the environment gives evidence to suggest consumers in 2030 will be more responsible and sustainable in future and will expect this from fashion. The main 2030 consumer will be Generation Z, said to be the most conscious generation a 2019 survey found that 47% had boycotted products and services from a brand that violated their personal values with protecting the environment topping the list. (Rosmarin, 2020) Implying that as the consumer shifts, values surrounding transparency and sustainability within fashion will become increasingly important for brands to uphold to connect to consumers.

Nostalgia

(Figure 3)

Sustainability

After addressing how consumers will change the way they interact with clothing in future I reflected further on nostalgia. A growing body of research positions nostalgia as a psychological resource that draws on the past informing a future-oriented emotional experience. Nostalgia gives a sense of calm and control in an uncontrollable landscape, suggesting in 2030 it will be a prevalent emotion.