20. RETURN TO THE KITCHEN (Economy / Family / Food) - Fuelled by the credit
crunch and food as a fashionable hobby, we¹ll see a return to the kitchen,
especially for the celebrated meals.
19. DIY & THE RISE OF THE COTTAGE INDUSTRY (Economy) Internet communities
like Etsy and Craftster were already sparking interest in DIY projects,
fashion and crafts. A troubled job market and the need for extra cash will
spark many hobbiests to transition their love for craft into cottage
industry.
18. UGLY BEAUTY (Advertising) From Vivienne Westwood¹s use real gypsies as
models to Yohji Yamamoto seniors on the catwalk, expect to see an abolition
of traditional beauty as people return to what seems real.
17. HOLLYWOOD VIRAL (Media) 50 Cent¹s multi-million member community, Will
Ferrel¹s success with Funny or Die and Paris Hilton¹s fake presidential
candidacy are all examples of Hollywood stars leveraging their brands for
instant online success. Expect the stars to rock the blogosphere and 2009
YouTube charts.
16. SHOCKVERTISING 2.0 (Internet Culture) Shockvertising isn¹t a new tool,
but the blogosphere and youtube in combination have created the world¹s
first truly viral platform. From Dead arms in butcher shops for a Dexter
promotion to bathroom blood dispensers in Clue you can expect credit
crunched ad teams to further push the limits in 2009 and beyond.
15. GEEK PRIDE (Tech) RSS Nerd tattoos, Keyboard Jewelry, Nintendo Wall
Decals and Pac Man Cufflinks are just a few examples of our techified
culture opening the door to geek pride. It¹s not 1990 anymore. The
internet has become pervasive and geek culture is cool.
14. AGELESS INSPIRATION (Medical) 60 today is not the same as 60 a
generation ago. From boomers in fashion to boomers on youtube, a youthful
generation 60 year olds is approaching retirement. As this generation
proves its youth, we are seeing emphasis across all Œolder¹ age groups.
From Daira Tores, the 41 year old Olympian, to 80 year old Buhbbe Scher on
YouTube, pop culture is now fascinated with age.
13. URBAN GARDENING (Living / Eco) Fake and real gardens are springing up
outside traditional yards. From indoor urban spice gardens to living
furniture, our green obsessed society is finding eco outlets for city
dwellers.
12. PHYSICAL CUSTOMIZATION (Product) From designing your own shoes (Steve
Madden) to custom dresses online (StyleShake), consumer personalization is
entering the physical world. New technologies and a desire to express
personality are fueling this innovation.
11. VIRTUAL TOURISM (Travel) In a credit crunched economy, families cut
their travel budget. At the same time, we continue to see an evolution in
online 3D technology. As these two factors combine, we get VT.
10. STYLE OVER TRADITION (Fashion) - Even the most conventional product
categories, like watches, are changing shape. Luxury items used to be a
static, with only a few brands and classic designs representing status.
However, modern design and cutting-edge technology are evolving style far
beyond the status quo.
9. HUMANIZATION OF PETS (Pets) - Wet suits for dogs, pet tanning beds,
kitten rentals, doorbells for dogs, and pet spas are just a few examples of
the rise in animal humanization. Expect empty nest boomer to further
accelerate this trend.
8. FAUX ROCKSTAR (Pop Culture) - Games like Guitar Hero and Rockband are
spawning a new era of pop culture. Band geek couture, guitars for girls and
real bands with plastic guitars are just a few rockin¹ examples.
7. PREFABULOUS (Architecture) - From recycled shipping containers to
cardboard, instant homes are made from a diverse range of materials. Some
are built as temporary post-disaster shelters, others as aesthetic
masterpieces.
6. 1960 CULTURE (Fashion / Pop Culture) - From gadgetry to fashion, the
world continues to have a fascination with retro. This year, everything
1960s is hot again. Cult shows like ŒMad Men¹ continue to fuel fascination
for this decade.
5. BRAG MATERIALISM (Luxury) From a $2 Billion home to $3 Million
Bugattis, Brag Materialism takes luxury to a new level. In short, simple
luxuries like flat screen TVs can be Œbought¹ by just about anyone. Since
opulence has been made available to the masses, truly affluent buyers are
seeking extreme wealth exhibitionism.
4. POLITICAL REMIXING (Politics) Obama and Sarah Palin brought politics
into pop culture. But post election boredom will drive the internet to
create their own drama with ongoing political parody, including presidential
beatboxing and viral videos.
3. SMALLCHITECTURE (Interior Design / Economy) - As people move into
metropolitan cores, and architects are forced to build upward, people are
needing to adapt to smaller living spaces. To ease the transition of
shifting to more compact home environments, architects and designers are
innovating interior layouts as well as creating adaptable furnishing.
2. REMAKING HISTORY BETTER (Media) From recreating famous photoshoots to
Horror Movies remade, the revival of retro is making its way into the media.
Instead of creating from scratch, artists and designers are looking at
successes of the past and adding a modern twist.
1. CREDIT CRUNCH COUTURE (Economy / Fashion) From DIY jewelry to home-made
shoes, the rediscovery of individual clothing is being fuelled by our
troubled economy. Interest in DIY is even sparking top designers like
Hermes, with their DIY status bags and Vivienne Westwood who showcased a
collection of clothing made from towels, curtains and scrap material.