s Trend Briefing covering "7 Consumer Trends To Run With In 2014" Growing numbers of consumers can no longer escape an awareness of the damage done by their consumption: to the planet, society, or themselves. But a mixture of indulgence, addiction and conditioning mean that most can’t substantially change their consumption habits. The result? A never-ending guilt spiral. Which creates exciting opportunities for brands that combine tackling this guilt spiral with consumers’ endless status seeking (still the driving force behind all consumer behavior). Indeed, GUILT-FREE STATUS will be the ultimate indulgence in 2014. Known by all. Visibly guilt-free. Warning: this trend is NOT about GUILTWASHING. Tesla Guilt-free status symbol goes global The Tesla Model S sedan luxury electric vehicle began shipping to Norway, Switzerland and the Netherlands in August 2013, with right hand drive models scheduled for March 2014. Nudie Old jeans become limited edition rugs Liberty United Firearm jewelry fights gun violence (BBMG, GlobeScan and SustainAbility, October 2013)
Ecouterre | Eco-fashion, green design, sustainable style International Trend Interpretation Agency | Our-trends | Societal-trends Babyboomers are the biggest, wealthiest and most dominant generation. They are still very active, especially when compared to the generations before them. Kids start moving out, careers and working hours are toned down and self exploration is high. They have time, money and the network to optimally profit from their new free time. Boomers also spend a lot of time and effort in trying to stay healthy, by eating the right products and keeping up maintenance. This generation has always been able to adjust their lives the way they wanted to, and now they are trying to get their death aligned.
Blog | Pattern People | Surface Design + Inspiration Interiors | Pillow Talk It seems like these days the throw pillow craze has reached new heights. No longer are we looking for our couch decorations just to blend in and stay still, we have begun to ask our couch art to positively pulse with creativity. And that’s where artists like Tyler Spangler step in. His collection of vibrant and color flooded art prints are available as throw pillows on Society 6, in case your couch is looking a bit plain. – Julie Rose Color | Iridescent Melt Dominique Gaucher | Federico Kenis | Veronique Branquinho Sparkle and shine. Pattern Report | Big Cat Love Leopard prints cover every surface of these looks for summer 2014. - bekah hilleson Art | Shattered View via here. Photos of sunsets take on a new life when reflected through broken mirror in this series, Broken Mirror/Evening Sky by photographer Bing Wright. -Claudia Brown Profile | Amelia Graham Where do you look for inspiration? Architecture, art, science, and nature. Any design tips you’d like to share?
A beginner's guide to fashion trend forecasting with Geraldine Wharry - Inspired by... blog I recently interviewed fashion forecaster Geraldine Wharry who has worked with and for major brands including trend forecaster WGSN. I asked her about the art of trend forecasting, and what's next for 2013/14. Tell us a little bit about yourself…I've been a fashion designer for 13 years and have always had a strong eye for trends so I naturally evolved into trend forecasting when I moved to London after living in Los Angeles and New York. I was born, raised and studied fashion in Paris but my mother's a New Yorker and my father is British. Can you give us a summary of how trend forecasting works? Whilst gathering facts, at the root of it is also a personal intuition and an eye for what's next, that can't be taught or necessarily explained. That's also what defines the difference between short-term forecasting and long-term forecasting which are key in the business. What are the big trends for autumn winter 2013/14? Modern comfort: we focus here on the new relevance of protection.
Five graphs that explain the EU 2030 energy and climate deal | Environment David Cameron joins other EU leaders on Thursday to decide a new set of energy and climate targets for Europe for the first time in half a decade. On the table are three new targets for 2030. The big one is a binding goal of getting Europe’s emissions down 40% on 1990 levels, a cut that international observers and environmentalists say is unambitious. Here’s the chart that explains why – the pink line is what the bloc’s 28 countries are already on track for, and the green is where emissions should end up with the target: The UK is happy with a 40% carbon cut. Next up is energy savings. For 2030, a target for improving energy efficiency by 27% is the most likely option to get approved, again without being binding for countries – something the UK has reportedly lobbied for. The third target is for share of energy from renewable sources, such as wind and solar. Finally, here’s one last graph on why the EU is setting all these targets.
Trends Section by The Trend Boutique 2012-13 Autumn Winter Trend Reports FREE CONTENT - Trend reports for the current season covering our 'Fragility', 'Sharp' 'Radical' and 'Remote' themes predicted 18 months ago. 2013 Spring Summer Trend Reports SUBSCRIPTION ONLY - Trend direction for the season including our directional themes 'Nouveau Riche', 'Repair', 'Converge' and 'Carnival' 2013-14 Autumn Winter Trend Reports SUBSCRIPTION ONLY - Insight into the latest trends for the season covering our themes of 'Reflection', 'Dark Clash', 'Honest' and 'Tomorrow'. 2014 Spring Summer Trend Reports SUBSCRIPTION ONLY - Early direction for the season highlighting the latest trends 'Sacred', 'Heart+Mind', 'Fraternity' and Lux-craft. Archive Trend Reports FREE CONTENT - Take a look at some of our previous trend reports & directions predicted in the past that still provide some great reference points for now & the future. Recent Articles Spring Summer 2014 Fashion Trend Report - Sacred on 10/9/13 Autumn Winter 2014-15 Colour Direction on 7/9/13
This Machine Lets You Recycle Plastic Bottles Into Clothes at Home Wish sorting your plastic empties was more…glamorous? Hungarian designer Kovács Apor imagines a future where we routinely transform plastic bottles into clothes, right in the comfort of our homes. “PETE,”, one of six finalists in this year’s Electrolux Design Lab is a wall-mounted household appliance that Apor conceived as a way to reduce plastic waste. “It was sad to think that when the Danube recedes, the land is going to be filled with [polyethylene] bottles,” Apor writes in his proposal. Although Apor describes the PETE as little more than a “special trash bin,” he also anticipates it as a tool for fostering creativity. RELATED | Are At-Home 3D-Clothing Printers the Future of Fashion? “The consumer only has to choose the required clothing type, color, and cutting, while the machine gives the amount of PET bottles needed for the fabrication and turns the bottles into polyester and prints the garments,” he explains. + Electrolux Design Lab 2014
CxC - Childfree by Choice — Faith Popcorn's BrainReserve Redefining Tomorrow’s Family The nuclear family is detonating “As American as Mom and apple pie,” the saying used to go. But now, a societal tsunami is underway, changing the way we see motherhood and questioning its primacy in the fabric of our culture. The U.S. birthrate has plunged to unprecedented lows: In the 1970s, 1 in 10 American women were childless. Childlessness is soaring across all racial and ethnic groups, with women as young as 15 knowing that kids will not be a factor in their future. “I don’t want children, never have. In America, the 2 million women who are bypassing babies are an ever more vocal group, with books, blogs, Facebook pages, and even drinking games: Swallow a shot every time someone says, “It’s different when they’re your own!” Millennial-focused media is just beginning to recognize this emerging mindset. Celebrities are popularizing and glamorizing this path, too. I don’t have time to raise a child - Chelsea Handler It's so much more work to have children.