Cultural Context Thoughts

Perhaps the most difficult context to assess and keep up with, cultural trends can be dramatic changes that happen in a minuscule amount of time (that you have to be quick to notice), or subtle changes that happen gradually and can be easily overlooked. The following depicts what we feel are the top cultural trends and influences in the present that will continue to have an effect on the future. This information is not conclusive, but rather trends our research have led us to that we would like to follow more closely.

Dominating Factors:

* Celebrity style (i.e. Alexa Chung, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Nicole Richie, etc.)
* Changes in the music industry (i.e. who has the power--consumers over record companies)
* Movie trends (i.e. more hopeful outlook)
* Fashion week
* Immigration/globalization/blending of cultures
* Desire for instant gratification and convenience
* Rock overpowering R&B
* "Digitalization"

Hidden Factors:

* Changes in art
* TV style (i.e. Mad Men, Gossip Girl, etc.)
* First Lady style
* Celebrities over models on magazine covers and as face of clothing companies
* Growing celebrity involvement in social movements
* Charity clothing companies (i.e. RED, To Write Love on Her Arms, etc.)
* Fashion bloggers
* Rise of DIY and updating/re-constructing clothing
* Growing popularity of vintage clothing and thrift stores
*Gender blurring (i.e. Women might be let into Navy, songs like "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry, etc.)

At the end of 2008 the Seattle Post-Intelligencer predicted the top cultural trends to expect in 2009. Professional trendspotters forecasted many trends, here are a few we felt were the most important and in alignment with our research:

Trend: Detoxing
Spotters: Anna D'Agrosa and Paige Newman, the Zandl Group
Newman and D'Agrosa see an aversion to "toxic spending" -- living above one's means and buying things one doesn't really need or want.

"Lately, several people have even mentioned that the recession almost seems like a blessing because they are now forced to readjust their values and make different choices," said Newman.

Even those who are OK financially are choosing to place more value on substantive things and focus on personal relationships that are not based on buying.

Trend: Credit crunch couture/DIY and upcycling
Spotters: Jeremy Gutsche, chief trend hunter, TrendHunter.com; Rita Nakouzi, director, Promostyl, North America
Inexpensive designs are getting a lot more attention, says Gutsche.

Designers such as Vivienne Westwood, who made a splash in her spring/summer 2009 collection by emphasizing fashion statements that work on a limited budget, including necklaces made out of safety pins and shawls from tablecloths, are going in that direction.

The credit crunch also is also adding fuel to more folks doing it themselves, said Gutsche. A troubled job market and the need for extra cash will motivate hobbyists to transition their love for their craft into a cottage industry.

That dovetails with "upcycling," reusing an item so that it doesn't become waste. The term comes from "Cradle to Cradle" authors William McDonough and Michael Braungart.

"There would be no waste if we upcycle everything that we've used," Nakouzi said.

Last year, Etsy.com, a site where people buy and sell handmade things, challenged users to create an upcycled object to sell on the site, she said.

Nakouzi said to look for things like a chair cushion made out of old neckties, and more restaurants and hotels using reclaimed materials.

Trend: Distraction as entertainment
Spotter: Ann Mack, director of trendspotting, JWT
Content creators are layering a multitude of media into entertainment for simultaneous consumption and engagement, Mack said.

For example, "LittleBigPlanet" users are gamers, social networkers and content creators, "The Hills' " "Backchannel" social networking site is where fans can gather to talk about the show as its happening on TV, and author Stephenie Meyer has a playlist that readers can listen to while they're reading the "Twilight" series, she said.

"People are almost in an entertainment bubble of sorts," said Mack.

Trend: The Dowdy Look
Spotter: David Wolfe, trend forecaster, The Doneger Group
It's going to be trendy to dress dowdy, Wolfe said, with faded colors and melancholy looks providing almost a backlash to the flashy, celebrity driven, sexy style that has been dominant for the past decade, he said.

"In a funny way, I think it is a successor to grunge," he said. "I think it's going to be much more sophisticated and really kind of poetic and pretty."

That's not to say people are going to shop at Goodwill and thrift shops. People will go to high-priced designers to look like they're not spending a lot of money, he said.

But looking lavish will seem emotionally wrong, he said.

Trend: Let the Good Times Roll
Spotter: The Trends Research Institute's Top Trends of 2009
During the Great Depression, arts and entertainment flourished, according to founder and director Gerald Celente.

When times are down, people want to lift their spirits, said Celente, adding that Americans have been working more and playing less.

He predicts that while angry music will be part of the new tunes, there will be a reincarnation of upbeat and swinging sounds. There also will be more dance halls, particularly for the young, single, under-40, cabin-feverish crowd.

"The last thing they are going to do is cocooning," he said. "They're going to want to go out and play and laugh it up and dance like they did during the Great Depression."

Source: New trends spotted on the horizon

Trend Hunter posted an interesting video at the end of 2008 on what their research showed as the top 20 cultural trends to watch in 2009:

Trends via TrendHunter.com.

Source: Trend Hunter