Increasingly we are finding that macro trends are focused on our collective concerns and anxieties. There’s a danger with trend forecasting that these themes start to feel tired, instead then, we must interpret the new ways in which designers and creatives are expressing these concerns. In this issue, story development and evolution are key, there is also an unwavering prescience here, clearly visible in both our design stories, Cloister and Web (AW 2021/22).
If one clear response to existential threat is hedonism, the other is a deep dive into spirituality. Cloister is about making each moment count, celebrating time and the freedom of impermanence over acquisition and status.
An invisible chain of connections and interconnections interweaves our collective experiences, influencing world events, the way we interreact and muddying the perception of what is real and fake. Web explores the growing awareness of cause and effect that looks set to feed fresh global disquiet.
In addition to the trend drivers that give context to our forecast, design editorial and interviews, this issue also features special focus on 2020’s spring shows as well as a brand new series, Colour Icons. Our Colour Now section takes a look at the early adopters of our AW 2020/21 stories Dome and Gorge.
