Trend Book
w
4 6 10 14 18 20 22
Introduction
NEUTROIS
Shareperience
Away from keyboard
Conclusion
Sourcelist
References
4
Introduction
The past weeks I have been doing a lot of research into several trends, mainly based on the following two cities: Amsterdam and Brussels. This gave me a broader insight into my trends and how they are adapted and interpreted differently. This trendbook serves as a base for future brands. But what exactly is a so called trend? According to the authors of the book Fashion Trends - Analysis and Forecasting, the word trend “refers to a general direction or movement”. It “mirrors changes in social, cultural, economical, and technical factors within a society” while “reflect[ing] in subcultural influences, the arts, music, architecture and consumer lifestyle”.*
My book consists out of three different chapters, covering three different trends. All of the examined trends have one big thing in common: Change. Especially right now, there a a lot of major shifts happening on many levels: the way we look at things, the way we communicate and also the way we consume fashion is and will have to change drastically in the future. One of the big changes we are seeing right now are the approach of sexuality and the way we communicate our bodies. My first chapter Neutrois gives an insight in this maxi trend. In my second chapter titled Shareperience, I am exploring the mind set of Generation Y and their definition of happiness by examining their values and the consequential changes in consumer behaviour. We are letting go of the idea that we have to own everything and make it ours. Instead we are opening our minds to sharing and borrowing, as well as seeing the value of experiences, rather than goods. My last chapter titled Away from Keyboard was inspired by young people turning their back on virtual world. There is a shift away from oversharing. People are now realising that by constantly presenting themselves in this second reality, they can’t properly connect with the people around them anymore.
All those trends, driven by a variety of social indicators, show that there is something big happening around us. As a brander, I want to participate and contribute to that change and try to approach things very openly without any boundaries in mind. Because even though we are all a little afraid of change, it is the only thing that brings us forward.
5
6
N eut roi s
7
N
eutrois , often associated with “neutral” or “null”gender, is a non-binary gender identity. As “Neutrois people may be of any sex and have any sexuality”*, it is associated with genderlessness and equality in its broadest sense. After the wild 60s and 70s, where nudeness and open sexuality was a norm, eventually we found ourselves back to being prude, acting shocked to a naked actor on a theatre stage. But that is changing once again. With Genderlessness being a trend by now, many other areas see a transformation of change: we are starting to communicate our bodies and sexual desires more freely. Especially stereotypes are broken, as we see more and more women walking on men fashion shows. With the LGBTQ community getting more accepted, people become more open towards talking about sexuality, as well as genderissues. Subjects which would have been strict taboo issues only a few years ago, can now be openly discussed. Humans are feeling more comfortable in their skin and are loosing the fear of showing off their bodies, as well as openly expressing their sexual desires. Even though reactions are still controversial, our minds have been opened a lot during the last couple of years. In times of total transparency through social media we will continue to broaden our horizon with the goal of sexual acceptance, elimination of stereotypes and equality for all.
8
Mixed gender toilets seen at AMFI Amsterdam.
Breaking the stereotype of the Black man in society. Nowadays it is getting more and more common to see men using makeup and expressing their sexuality more freely.
9
Men in clothes considered to be more feminine. A guest at the Vogue Party at club NYX in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam based brand NHTK is contributing to an open-minded and tolerant society towards age, size and gender.
10
S
hareperience “Men fancy that external goods are the cause of happiness [but] leisure of itself gives pleasure and happiness and enjoyment in life.”* Aristoteles already preached that through materialistic goods only, you will not be able to find happiness. And most Millennials share his point of view, according to Eventbrite. Generation Y defines happiness as “living a meaning full life, sharing and capturing memories earned through experiences that span the spectrum of life opportunities.”** They value experiences much more than materialistic goods. While the generation prior to them were more interested in buying a home and a car and their age, millennials have other priorities. A new study from Cornell University, New York has proves this mind set. They found out that new goods are only pleasing at first, but unlike learning a new skill or travelling, it is not rewarding over a longer time period. Furthermore they discovered that shared experiences between humans connect them more than shared materials do. Their high focus on experiences and the move away from materialism results in growth of an economy which no longer consumes goods, but events. The demand for those experiences is not only based on Millennials only, it is a trend we see also in other groups, even though in a smaller extent. According to Eventbrite, the share of consumers spending on life experiences has increased by 70% since 1987. This results in more and more businesses adapting as well as new ones entering the market to meet the demand on growing appetite for real life experiences. Millennials use of technology is different from older generations usage. As their relationship with technology gets stronger, so does their connection and willingness to share with strangers. We stream music and movies, rent someone elses apartment when going on holiday instead of booking a hotel and share cars with people we have never seen. Since we no longer feel the need to own everything, there is an enormous rise of the Sharing Economy. Staying noncommittal, sharing is a way to stay free and keeping the indipendence. Besides saving money as an individual, it also brings social as well as environmental benefits. Amsterdam has positioned itself as a leader of the Sharing Economy, being named the first Sharing City of Europe. Many different institutions, from start ups and coporates to the public library are working together in this joint initiative. While currently still in its infantry, this trend is experiencing vertical growth. According to a last year published PWC report, it is expected to generate up to $335b in profit in 2025. We come to realise that in terms of materialistic goods, less in long term really is more. We are going back to a more conscious way of consuming with different prioritues, and that shift in thinking is highly necessary due to our resources. It is time to start caring about sharing.
11
SH are perie nce
12
LENA - a library for clothing items in Amsterdam. For a monthly fee women get access to a basically infinite wardrobe. Customers don’t have to fully commit and buy anything, they are free to just take a piece they like whenever they get bored of it, instead of throwing it out like they would do it with their fast fashion items, they can simply swap it.
“Amsterdam’s international living room – humming with shoptalk, small talk and deep thoughts.” At Zoku internationals come by to interact, connect or just enjoy the cozy atmosphere.
13
Escape rooms being one of the trends in 2016, Amsterdam is now pushing this trend to its next level. The inner city becoming the escape room by using augmented reality technology, this can be a new way of working in a team and sharing experiences.
In 2016 the World’s first Virtual Reality cinema opened its doors. Transformed into Europe’s virtual reality capital, Amsterdam offers opportunities to share experiences virtually.
14
AFK
15
A
way from keyboard The title for my third trend ironically comes from the online world: AFK is an abbreviation, used in online chatting for the term “Away from keyboard” In todays society it only gets harder and harder to distinguish between the virtual and real world. Facebook accounts get privatized to such an extend that even though they are currently still registered on that platform, they technically only make use of the messenger and don’t share anything with their online friends anymore. There are several indicators behind this movement that includes much more than just logging off social media. It is about reconnecting with the world and people around us. After over consuming technology we now realise that there has to be a balance between the virtual world and the one we are physically in. Laura Guerrero, researcher of nonverbal and emotional communication at Arizona State University explains the importance of our basic human need for physical relationships: “We feel more connected to someone if they touch us.”*
With the growing awareness of the invasion of our privacy: “Gen Z-ers are more aware of their digital footprint, and don’t want to get photographed in compromising positions without their knowledge or permission.”** With the surveillance and data collection we are seriously reconsidering what to post. Because even if we intend to only share it with our friends, once it is out on the web you can not get it back and control who spreads or collects it. With every information about us being portrayed on the internet, what has happened to the mystery of the unknown about a person? It is now becoming more interesting again to not share every bite you take, but actually tell people about yourself in person. Or as Phoebe Philo was saying: “The nicest thing is when you don’t exist on Google. God, I would love to be that person!” The need for privacy, but also the realisation that we have the need to connect with each other through touch and feel, leads to many different changes. In this era of overexposure, we are craving a bit of anonymity. In the following spreads I will show examples how this new social behaviour is reflected in art as well as businesses. Its time to go AFK - away from keyboard, to seek meaningful and authentic connections and share stories by talking instead of only typing them.
16
NO PHOTOS PLEASE
DE SCHOOL
What has become a standard rule in the Berlin clubscene since the opening of Ostgut (now Berghain) in 2003, has also reached the first Amsterdam Club: the no photos policy in De School. Clubs with photography ban seem to attract so many people, since it is a place where they can be themselves and let go. It is also very interesting in direct terms of branding: If no photos exist, a place is surrounded by mystery. You can’t just scroll through someones Instagram to check out the place, you actually have to go there and see it yourself.
Facial Weaponization Suite protest against biometrical facial recognition. By making ‘collective masks’ faces cannot be detected by biometric facial recognition.
17
The Social Bench will lets you enjoy your online social life when seated alone, but the moment on a person sits next to you, your online life will be switched off completely. Time to connect with those around you, time to enjoy the pleasure of the real social life, offline.
18
Con clus ion
19
Throughout my research into three different maxi trends, which are taking a great impact on our society I realised that the market has to adapt to the customers demand very quickly, and brands have to think outside of the box to keep up and stay relevant. While there are already many brands out there that celebrate genderlessness and playful adore the new opportunities, fashion will have to face the change. When we think about equality, androgynous fashion comes to our minds, and I could also see a further approach like using sheer materials for both genders in a broad variety of garment styles. A concept store which combines fashion with tasteful sexual erotic art or accessories would be appealing for the lingerie segment, but even more interesting if contrasted with casual streetstyle to create the feeling of normality around the topic of body and sex. In the future people will spend less money on things, therefore own less and share more. This results in an economy which will adapt to the behaviour of mainly the Generation Y and the ones following. Experiences and sharing will be the main focus points. Future brands will have to focus more on high quality products and forget about selling an immense quantity of goods. If we want to thrive forward, we will also have to rethink and everyone, even big businesses, will have to learn to share. A possible solution could be including items for purchase in a collection, as well as developing a system, which allows the customer to borrow pieces without having to commit to buying them in exchange of a renting fee. Consumers want to engage with the brand itself but also likeminded other people/ customers. User generated content is a possible approach, as well as linking stores with other facilities such as a gym or a restaurant to combine the purchase of goods with any kind of non materialistic experience that could possibly lead to a positive memory. Technology is very in favour of the Sharing Economy and attributes positively to it, but the trend of real life experiences is increasing at the same time. While the online market will always be of great importance, people need to be able to escape it and engage with many things on a real life basis, which includes physical experiences. Even the best images still don’t deliver the same experience as actually touching a garment and trying it on in person. A concept store, with for example a prohibition of photography, will allow the customer to actively engage with what is in front of him. Experiences of the services will be on a more conscious level. In addition to that people will get encouraged to visit a store and check out the collection themselves, instead of only seeing someone elses experience by looking at images. Less information and buzz marketing sparks interest and the urge to find out more. We are heading towards more openness and more possibilities, with more freedom and less commitments.
2 0
Images page 8 - 9 - own photography, 2017 - AMFI Amsterdam - photography by Sekyii, assistance Lukas Schwering, 2016 Amsterdam - own photography, 2017- club NYX Amsterdam - own photography, 2017- NHTK Amsterdam page 12 -13 - own photography, 2017 - LENA Amsterdam - own photography 2017- Virtual Reality Cinema Amsterdam - ZOKU Amsterdam, http://livezoku.com/gallery/ - Segwaycitytours, http://www.segwaycitytoursamsterdam.com/images/AR-game/Team_12w800.jpg page 16-17 - own photography, 2017 - De School Amsterdam - own photography, 2017 - BOZAR Brussels - own photography, 2017 - Sonic Arts Amsterdam
21
Sou rces
2 2
Ref er enc es
2 3
Books - Kim, Fiorce & Kim, UK, 2011 Bloomsburry, Fashion Trends Analysis and Forecasting - Patrick Dixon, Profile Books; Main edition (10 May 2016), The Future of Almost Everything Quotations Page 4 * - Kim, Fiorce & Kim, UK, 2011 Bloomsburry, Fashion Trends Analysis and Forecasting, Page XIII Page 7 *- http://gender.wikia.com/wiki/Neutrois Page 10 * - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3032273/Want-lasting-happiness-Buyexperiences-NOT-things-bad-holidays-make-feel-fulfilled-long-run.html 2 ** - https://eventbrite-s3.s3.amazonaws.com/marketing/Millennials_Research/Gen_PR_Final.pdf Page 15 * - https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201303/the-power-touch ** - https://i-d.vice.com/en_gb/article/why-generation-z-are-deleting-their-social-mediaaccounts-and-going-offline
Museums Stedelijk Amsterdam Sonic Art Festival Bozar Brussels Videos Shareconomy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32NlrmJs5kw Airbnb: How the Sharing Economy is Redefining the Marketplace and Our Sense of Community: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGAKYeb86Oc Websites http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3032273/Want-lasting-happiness-Buy-experiences-NOT-things-bad-holidays-make-feel-fulfilled-long-run.html http://www.howcoolbrandsstayhot.com/2012/01/06/top-10-generation-y-trends-for-2012/ https://eventbrite-s3.s3.amazonaws.com/marketing/Millennials_Research/Gen_PR_Final. pdf http://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/aristotle/ http://www.shareable.net/blog/gen-y-and-the-sharing-economy http://www.huffingtonpost.com/meagan-johnson-and-larry-johnson/the-rise-of-the-gen-ysha_b_891413.html http://www.pwc.co.uk/issues/megatrends/collisions/sharingeconomy/the-sharing-economy-sizing-the-revenue-opportunity.html https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/04/anti-surveillance-clothing-facial-recognition-hyperface http://i-d.vice.com/nl/article/de-video-die-afrekent-met-het-stereotype-beeld-van-dezwarte-man?utm_source=idfbned
Lukas Schwering b1ei