As the next decade sits waiting to be unwrapped, let’s fast forward to
the one after that to see what’s in store. According to Decoded Future New
York by Stylus it’s a world in which citizens will refuse air travel to be
eco-friendly, enjoy fluid relationships with multiple partners, and whose
geographical center will be Africa, where birth rates are not falling and
the population is young.
In 2035 Gen X (born 1965 -1980) will be entering midlife but unlike past
generations, there is no taboo around menopause and they don’t intend to
experience it in silence. MegsMenopause.com founded by music industry PR
Meg Mathews views it as the forgotten area for female empowerment. Gen Y
(1981-1996) also known as millennials will finally experience wealth
transferred from their parents leaving them looking for purpose-driven ways
to spend. Gen Z, the cohort in their late 20s and 30s, will be more
influential than ever, while Boomers will be working into their 70s. The
rise of the Centenarian represents a new adulthood of 1.5 million globally,
triple today’s number. To meet their needs Ikea in partnership with Swedish
firm Skansa is creating flatpack, affordable, environmentally friendly
wooden homes for seniors with a carbon footprint less than half that of a
standard building project. Gen Alpha (2010-2024) will be aged 11 and a new
generation waiting in the wings will already need christening.
Inclusivity outlook
According to the Brookings Institute, China’s 400 million millennials
will outearn American millennials by 2035. The majority of Americans under
40 will be black, Hispanic, Asian or multiracial. Unspun Jeans
represents the beginning of a democratizing of product which will lead to a
neo-bespoke marketplace as 3D body scanners will ensure perfectly fitting
apparel thus rendering our current system of sizing and labels obsolete.
Digital world
In 2035 Gen Alpha will be a spending superpower, familiar with a world
in which every surface is interactive. Today’s much discussed sense of
isolation among young people could be alleviated by robot companions such
as Lovot which exist solely to be loved, held, hugged. Meanwhile the older
consumer becomes bionic as powerful exoskeletons like Roam Elevate permit a
prolonged active and outdoorsy lifestyle. Spatial computing advanced
experiences such as Coral Reef by Magic Leap will fill our living spaces
and we’ll be free of screens and headsets as daily life will be activated
by voice, gaze and gesture. Style seekers feeling the pressure of buying
and returning statement designer pieces to maintain high standard Outfit Of
The Day Insta posts can opt for inexpensive one-of-a-kind digital looks and
bask in the likes, while face swapping technology will bring a realistic
fitting room experience to the home shopper.
Wraparound wellness
Considered the epicenter of opportunity for brands, innovations such as
fertility-tracking wearables, garments which align with our circadian
rhythms or eating habits, or with medicinal effects built in, will be
common. We will dress in air purifying textiles inside smog-eating
buildings. In this too, Ikea’s leading the way with its Gunrid curtain, a
textile that breaks down common indoor air pollutants such as odors and
formaldehyde.
Luxury perspectives
Being wrapped in nature like the Nendo office in Tokyo is the beginning
of what will represent the ultimate in lux as extreme naturescapes, whether
real or digital, become commonplace. Designers will produce mixed reality
collections, offering digital and tangible twin sets. However, conversely,
a craving for synthetic fabrics will emerge and vintage plastic garments
will be trending. China will have discarded its interest in Western luxury
names to support a healthy homegrown luxury industry, while the LVMH Fenty
partnership is a forerunner for the kinds of collaborations that will
flourish.
Fast-paced streamlined consumption
One company’s output is another company’s input and resilience and
self-sufficiency drive business.. According to the MacArthur Foundation,
nearly 200 businesses have signed the New Plastics Global Commitment pledge
to make 100 percent of their plastic reusable, recyclable or compostable by
2025. Fast forward to a decade later, zero impact or bio-contributing
packaging designed to be buried such as that developed by beauty brand
Haeckels will be the norm. The future scenario also includes robots and
drones delivering product refills, and smart packaging which sends alerts
as product runs low. Ownership is ever more streamlined and a lightweight
existence the epitome of cool. Your body becomes your wallet and with
retina scanning you literally pay with the blink of an eye.
Fashion editor Jackie Mallon is also an educator and author of Silk for
the Feed Dogs, a novel set in the international fashion industry.
Photos provided by Stylus
