Two weeks ago, I was guest-blogger at http://lifestylereligion.dk/
This is the post:
IS THE HYPE OF TRENDS A FAD?
MONDAY17.06.1315:20
Itseems one of the major trends today, is the obsession with, well, trends. Trend forecasters predict our next mania years in advance, while professionals from fashion editors to designers and opinion leaders around the world declare complete devotion to a handful of prevailing tendencies each new season. Are these trends superficial whims with no actual impact on important societal matters or are they rooted somewhere beyond fashion fads?
The term “trend” is intangible and a matter of subjective interpretation, but is defined in good-old Oxford English as: Trend [trɛnd] (noun) 1. a general direction or course of development.
If Oxford’s definition is universal, there is a good chance the following concepts are familiar to you: Sinners & Saints. Neo Modernism. Urban Farming. Blue Lagoon. Kitchen Cool. According to the Swedish trend expert Stefan Nilsson, who was in Denmark a few weeks ago to talk about trends, at least one of these abovementioned constellations of words are the mega-trends shaping your life right now.
Trends are new and engaging and create dynamics. However, 2013 is a time of change. Not in terms of new major trends, but the perception and durability of the trend concept. Before the recession, each season was clearly defined by a sting of new it-trends, replacing the contrasting crazes of the last. Now consciousness and responsibility seems like the new black, and trends are left to evolve across seasons and years. It is impossible to say whether the trend of letting trends last is an effect of the recession, or if they have arisen to bring us through the tough time and into a new phase.
The last couple of years, we have been constantly reminded of tight budgets, national debts and a Euro-crisis that exclude us from big spending. As a result, we see immaterial values rise in popularity. Year 2013 is an including year welcoming humor, warmth and skirts in every lengths. It is also a year, where we are realizing how important the transfer of knowledge is. We share everything in various media and channels and hereby enhancing the togetherness between our family, friends and jobs. We are excited to use our hands, bake bread or knit a shirt and thrive in the offline moments of pure craftsmanship, only to Instagram the fruits of the labor mere seconds after we are done.
The insta-mania surely is a hype, but it is directly linked to the concept of deeper trends: By posting photos on Instagram people have a chance to frame themselves the way they find favorable, just as following a mega-trend creates an illusion of being a certain character. For instance, the major trend Urban Farming is all about being ecological and natural while living in the city. City-dwellers migrate in droves to the New York City Farmers’ Market and fill their recycled cotton shopping nets with organic rye seed and potato plants to grow in their 16th floor windowsill. Urban farmers signal a significant mental energy and human empathy. Literally, being in touch with the earth and roots is an indication of caring for the environment, human rights and a greater good. The trend of going back-to-basics, so to say, may have risen in an attempt to actively safe something on the planet when the economy is in free-fall. Hence, earth colors, fair trade and organic cotton may very well be in vogue, but it is fair to say the fashion is more than a superficial statement.
Reflecting another aspect of the recession is the mega-trend: Sinners & Saints. It is loosely shackled to the lascivious pop culture universe of a certain Mr. Gray. However, the plethora of leather, lace and fetish symbols challenging traditional conventions is more than just a rebellious out lash created by lustful designers and desperate housewives. Brands need to sell, which can be a challenge during a recession. To attract customers they enhance their sex appeal to make people invest in their products. The brands create an illusion of being strong and solid in unstable times. Others climb the stairway to heaven and emphasize their genuine history and humane kindness. Celebrities embrace the saint-trend by bringing family members along on the red carpet instead of dates. They signal valuation of lasting bonds over passing flings.
So, is the obsession with trends a fleeting phenomenon? The answer would be no. Trends are much more than prediction and dictation in the world of design and fashion. Neo modernismplayfully flirts with the original shapes and colors, and bring positivity into The Great Depression anno 2013, whereas Blue Lagoon broadens our horizons and enthralls us with exotic patterns and tastes from the rising economies such as Brazil, Russia, India and China. Trends are images of underlying societal developments guiding us through changing times, as well as they may work as catalysts for new transitions. The forecasting of trends inspires industries as well as lifestyles and has a greater impact on little everyday private actions than we might just think.
And as for the durability of Stefan’s five megatrends? Word is they will last throughout the recession.
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