Very much near-forecasting, in this episode we preview the year ahead, considering how the key events from politics, sports and entertainment will impact consumers and brands. WGSN’s editorial director Bethan Ryder speaks to Joe McDonnell, director of Insight, as he discusses 2024’s major events in relation to consumer behaviour. Discover how elections affect consumer confidence. Why it's a year of sport and how that will continue to fuel the outdoor boom. Plus, why consumers in a cost-of-living crisis will still invest in fun. We’ll also review the major film release planned for 2024, so with that in mind sit back, grab your popcorn, and enjoy.

In this episode, editorial director Bethan Ryder is joined by colleagues Raeesa Brey, Cassandra Gagnon, and Natacia Lim to reveal three of WGSN’s cities to watch in 2024. From coastal concrete jungles to hyper-connected tech hubs preserving traditional cultures, here’s our pick of the cities now rising to meet the changing demands of urban living. We forecast our clients' buzziest destinations for creativity and innovation in 2024, but also reflect on how the newness and excitement impact natives of the different cities.

Will the robots take over? How will brands tackle sustainability? And what will become our favourite tipple in 2024? Tune in to get the answers as we discover just some of the trends WGSN is forecasting for the coming year. Join Carla Buzasi, CEO of WGSN and the host of this end-of-the-year episode with her fellow WGSN guests Andrea Bell, VP of Consumer Insights, and Lisa White, Director of Strategic Forecasting and Creative Direction. And if you’re listening to this from the comfort of a heated blanket on your chair... find out how we called it in 2022. Happy 2024 to you all!

Are you swapping your panettone for Christmas pudding? Toasting Lunar New Year with a Teatail? Or livening up your Hanukkah sufganiyot with Mexican guava flavours? If not, this episode might encourage you to dip into these new trends.As the year draws to a close, we tickle your tastebuds and take a look at how annual festive food and drink traditions are changing with new twists and emerging trends. Our Editorial Director at WGSN Bethan Ryder, aka Head Chef, leads this chat, with sous chefs Director of Food & Drink Jen Creevy and Strategist Millie Diamond adding insight and anecdotes to this festive platter.We reveal the exciting things happening in seasonal flavours and talk about what will be on our tables while feasting with family and friends. Whether you’re indulging in Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Lunar New Year, there’s something here for everyone. Not to mention a few tips on how to set a beautiful festive table overflowing with maximalist shareables.Appetite whet? Press play for all things taste and flavour.

Are you swapping your panettone for Christmas pudding? Toasting Lunar New Year with a Teatail? Or livening up your Hanukkah sufganiyot with Mexican guava flavours? If not, this episode might encourage you to dip into these new trends.As the year draws to a close, we tickle your tastebuds and take a look at how annual festive food and drink traditions are changing with new twists and emerging trends. Our Editorial Director at WGSN Bethan Ryder, aka Head Chef, leads this chat, with sous chefs Director of Food & Drink Jen Creevy and Strategist Millie Diamond adding insight and anecdotes to this festive platter.We reveal the exciting things happening in seasonal flavours and talk about what will be on our tables while feasting with family and friends. Whether you’re indulging in Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Lunar New Year, there’s something here for everyone. Not to mention a few tips on how to set a beautiful festive table overflowing with maximalist shareables.Appetite whet? Press play for all things taste and flavour.

Join us for a rifle through the underwear drawer of fashion, as we examine this often contentious category, which historically has been very polarised. Intimates and Lingeries is often a category split between the fun - read sexy - and the functional and never the twain shall meet. But the smalls category has come on in leaps and bounds and in this episode we chart the shift towards inclusiveness, review the latest trends and look ahead to the future. Exploring the finer details of the intimates and lingerie market is our special guest host Francesca Muston, VP of WGSN Fashion with colleagues Lorna Hall, Director of Fashion and Sofia Martellini, Senior Strategist Fashion.  We broach topics like leak-proof wear, reflect on seminal cultural underwear moments and how the pandemic redefined comfort for bras and consider the progress yet to be made on inclusivity in the male underwear category. Plus, expect to hear about how internet-breaking Kim Kardashian (Skims) and Rihanna (Savage x Fenty) have been pivotal in recent shifts in this category. So pull on your big girl pants and tune in…

Plump, swivel seats that offer massage functionality and bed-down flat, wraparound screens, lighting that boosts circadian rhythms and reduces stress and scentscaping possibilities… Lounge or spa? Neither actually. This could be the car interior of the future if CASE innovations (tune in to discover what that is) continue to evolve, helping to push boundaries in car manufacturing and design. In this episode of Create Tomorrow, we explore the future of electric vehicles from a tech and design perspective. More specifically, how automated driving will impact the car interior – with EVs likely to evolve into a ‘lounge on wheels’. WGSN Editorial Director Bethan Ryder leads this conversation with Carol Aquino, Head of Consumer Tech, and Angela Ringo, Senior Trend Forecaster and Editor on the Interiors team. Bethan finds out how automakers are embracing innovative ideas that bring supreme comfort and relaxation to the car interior, integrating wellness, while also including state-of-the-art screen technology.  Are you sitting comfortably, because the EV design journey has only just begun...

How do brands speak to us as we age? Does the language used encourage us to buy from them or steer clear? Food for thought on this conversation around age beauty and brands.Director of Editorial at WGSN Bethan Ryder speaks about the age-agnostic shift we are seeing in beauty products. Age-agnostic is essentially a move away from skin resilience claims – serving the need, not the number – and a shift from ‘age appropriate’ makeup.To help flesh out this idea, Bethan speaks to Cassandra Napoli, Senior Strategist on Insight, and Pia Fisher, Beauty Strategist. Cassandra and Pia give insight and examples of the ways brands are pivoting on the language used in relation to beauty products for older consumers.Bethan dispells the claim that youth is the pinnacle of beauty, citing pop culture references of where ageing is celebrated, in the form of Madonna and Pamela Anderson.The team explore the idea of ageing well and embracing your age amid the backdrop of an AI renaissance. Examples of the latter include Hollywood actors being de-aged, and influencers ‘hacking’ their biological age by using social media filters.Cassandra shares tips on the language brands should be adopting, the importance of online communities and the power of visibility – how seeing ourselves in campaigns makes us more inclined to engage with brands

In this episode, WGSN Interiors strategists discuss the key trends in Holiday decor, from tablescaping to gift wrapping. Host Bethan Ryder, Editorial Director at WGSN, speaks to Bonnie Pierre-Davis and Cassandra Gagnon about how consumers are approaching gifting for the Holiday season, interior trend aesthetics and ways we can gift wrap with a focus on sustainability. We find out what trends and drivers are emerging in seasonal decor from the WGSN Interiors team’s visit to the International Trade Fair for Seasonal and Festive Decorations, Christmasworld and Atlanta market. We also find out why there is a shift away from traditional gifting to a rise in the conscious crafting movement, where people are making and designing their own as gifts. It wouldn’t be a WGSN podcast without projections for next year, so Bonnie and Cassandra also share what they see carrying through to 2024.

In this episode, WGSN Creative Director Lisa White and acclaimed climate fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson discuss biodiversity, sustainability incentives and regulations, and whether AI is impacting human creativity. Kim Stanley Robinson has been writing for over 40 years and has published more than 20 books, focusing on near and far futures. He talked with Lisa as part of WGSN’s recent Trends Days – a biannual brainstorming event exploring future forecasts – where they discussed the future of the biosphere, nature and human nature, plus how speculative fiction can and should play a role in the worlds of business and industry.    Stan’s work incorporates so much of what we value at WGSN, in particular our STEPIC methodology, which focuses on insights into Society, Technology, the Environment, Politics, Industry and Creativity. Through his rigorous research and storytelling skills, he gives readers a seat in the future to better understand how our actions today can and will impact the outcomes of tomorrow.

Exploring Inclusive Design with Lekker Architects at Singapore Design WeekFrom ceramics that conduct electricity to visions of the inclusive urban environments of tomorrow, in this episode, we preview Singapore Design Week (SDW) which runs until October 1. Dawn Lim, executive director of DesignSingapore Council, talks about this festival of creativity which focuses on the future of sustainability, tech and care for our society – topics we are constantly dissecting at WGSN. We also catch up with the duo behind Lekker Architects, Ong Ker-Shing and Dr Joshua Comaroff, who are curating a project for SDW called FI&LD, which is inspired by a sports field and promotes the concept of inclusivity through play. The duo are pioneers in the field of inclusive design, and won Singapore’s annual President’s Design Award this year for their IKEA-inspired book, Hack Care: Tips and Tricks for a Dementia-Friendly Home. 

In our final episode of mini-episodes reporting from the London Design Festival, an annual event that takes over the UK capital every September, we visit Material Matters on London’s Southbank. Now in its second year, the fair has sprung from a podcast of the same name and occupies the atmospheric Bargehouse at the Oxo Tower. On until September 23, across five floors, it houses over 40 brands, designers, makers, manufacturers and organisations who all celebrate the importance of materials in bringing us closer to a circular economy. We speak to the journalist and podcaster behind the fair, Grant Gibson, and also hear about new material innovations and techniques from the likes of leading UK design duo Pearson Lloyd, East London-based contemporary crafter Gareth Neal and Danish textile artist Tanja Kirst. In our next episode, we jump from the London Design Festival to Singapore Design Week.

In episode two of our series of mini-episodes reporting from the London Design Festival, an annual event that takes over the UK capital every September, we visit some of the exhibitions on show in the west side of town at Brompton Design District. Curator of the area, design writer and consultant Jane Withers explains the theme Conviviality – The Art of Living Together and shares some of her highlights. We catch up with east London-based designer and woodworker Rio Kobayashi and hear about his colourful debut solo show, Manus Manum Lavat which includes furniture pieces revinvented and reborn through colour, artisanship and marquetry.  Also in this episode you will hear from design duo Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos Caballero who return to Cromwell Place for the first time since 2017 and have shifted their focus from fashion to home. Phase 2 consists of rugs created in Nepal, lacquered tables made in the UK, upholstery exhibited on vintage sofas, embroidered velvets and also a range of gender-inclusive clothing, we hear about their inspirations for the collection, from malachite to design longevity.   In our next episode, we head to Material Matters on London’s Southbank ⁠⁠ – keep your eyes peeled for the next drop.

As the London Design Festival kicks off, we take Create Tomorrow on the road for a series of mini-episodes reporting on the various events, installations and exhibitions that pop up across the UK capital every September. Tune in to hear our host Bethan Ryder, Editorial Director at WGSN, catch up with some of the curators, designers and studios contributing to this colourful and inspiring event. The series kicks off with a visit to Spirit of Place at Strand Aldwych as we speak with contemporary designer Simone Brewster⁠ about her vivid cork sculptures decorating this newly pedestrianised space. Next, we hop over to Shoreditch to look around Mycelium Unearthed, a compact exhibition of organic designs staged by Osmose Studio⁠, a UK-based regenerative and planet-centric design firm specialising in biodesign and mycelium materials. Aurélie Fontan, CEO & Creative Director of Osmose Studio, takes us on a tour of the various exhibits.  In our next episode, we head west to the Brompton Design District⁠ – keep your eyes peeled for the next drop.

Does AI pose an existential threat to designers? In this episode of Create Tomorrow, Director of WGSN Consumer Tech Lisa Yong discusses how AI is impacting the creative design process, and what it might mean for the future of creativity. Joining Lisa are Reiko Morrison, WGSN’s Head of CMF, and Matt Zara, WGSN Consumer Tech Strategist. The team cover the many facets of generative AI, from ignorance surrounding the technology and how many aspects of our lives it already permeates, to the rise of deep fakes and wider ethical and sustainability concerns. More positively, they forecast how AI might function as a superpower for designers, taking care of the mundane tasks and freeing them to focus on the more creative aspects of their roles. Plus, they discuss what AI means for brands and how they can be more responsible with their use of AI, as well as the potential risks involved. 

How can microorganisms such as algae, fungi and slime mould be used to create a better future? In this episode of Create Tomorrow WGSN Editorial Director Bethan Ryder examines the future of biodesign. Her guests are Marco Poletto and Claudia Pasquero, architects, academics and co-founders of ecoLogicStudio, who talk about how we might create a better future by learning from non-human species and microorganisms.Marco and Claudia are co-authors of Deep Green: Biodesign in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, which investigates the potential of nature-based technology for shaping the evolution of contemporary architecture and design. Partners in both work and life, Marco and Claudia met at the Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy while studying engineering, before attending London’s Architectural Association. They founded their studio in 2005, and have since built a unique portfolio of work that explores how we can create a better future by learning from non-human species and microorganisms – algae, slime mould, fungi – from a domestic to an urban scale.Marco and Claudia discuss BioBombola, a domestic algae garden; their innovative AirBubble playground focusing on cleaner air for kids; PhotoSynthetica, a building cladding system that uses the power of algae to convert CO2 city pollutants into biomass; and how biodesign can work with artificial intelligence to influence the future.

Is the low or no alcohol movement a passing fad or a new lifestyle choice that’s here to stay? WGSN discussed a more mindful approach to drinking alcohol back in November 2022. In this episode, we delve further into the low and no alcohol drinking movement, discover why it’s popular with Gen Z and discuss its global expansion. Plus we offer a taster of the interesting and diverse ingredients being used to enhance the flavours. Joining WGSN Editorial Director Bethan Ryder to talk low and no alcohol is Jen Creevy, Director of Food & Drink, alongside strategists from her team, Rachel Tan and Millie Diamond. Tune in to find out about this growing billion-dollar drinks sector and how the sober-curious movement taps into the increasing importance of wellness, inclusivity and personal choice. Find out why low and no alcohol is expanding its influence beyond evenings to breakfast and brunch with drinks featuring flavour notes of marmalade and toast – and even into social sports with new brands like Racquet Rosé. It’s time to raise a toast to low and no alcohol, swap ‘damp’ for ‘dry’ and get your name down for the ‘sober party’.

At WGSN, our mission is to stay ahead of the curve for our clients. In this episode of Create Tomorrow, we explore the coastal cities making strides in retail, hospitality and culture. Our City by City team share insights on must-visit destinations in Asia, South America and Europe for fresh and inspirational experiences – all featured in our latest Coastal Guide. Globetrotting across continents, we pinpoint the most exciting spaces, places, designers and brands that offer escape and inspiration in equal measure. Our on-the-ground experts share the most noteworthy markets, must-try drinks and emerging brands from the Coastal Guide. And if you're tempted by the digital nomad lifestyle, we share the best locations to call home... join us on our coastal trip.

Could wood be the key to building more sustainable cities? In this episode of Create Tomorrow, architect Andrew Waugh and WGSN’s Editorial Director Bethan Ryder explore the power of engineered timber and how it might help us to build a better future for people and the planet. Andrew Waugh is co-founder with Anthony Thistleton of British architecture practice Waugh Thistleton, which has completed a total of 30 projects built with cross-laminated timber (CLT) in the UK and France. CLT is a super-strong construction material made from layers of kiln-dried dimensional lumber, which are oriented at right angles to one another and then glued to form structural panels. The conversation looks at how low-carbon cities could be built from CLT; the financial and wellness benefits of timber buildings and biophilia as opposed to concrete ‘cast caves’; the need for more diversity in architecture; and how AI will impact the industry. Plus, we hear the story of Waugh Thistleton’s first timber build in south London back in 2003. Andrew and Bethan wrap up by talking about the need for more diversity within the architecture profession and a winning suggestion for the UK’s Houses of Parliament.

Jeans and a T-shirt? Cowboy boots or wellies? When it comes to festival wear are you more practical or performative? In this episode of Create Tomorrow, we find out what fashion trends are dominating the current and future landscape of festival fashion.WGSN has been tracking festival fashion across the globe for years now, delivering unique insights on emerging styles and aesthetics, product trends and evolving consumer attitudes – particularly among younger cohorts.With festival season upon us, and the TikTok hashtag #FestivalFashion approaching one billion views, we reflect on the diverse evolution of festival outfits – from ever-shifting youth culture to the rising influence of global stadium tours.In this episode, host Kraggy (Graham Krag), Prints & Graphics Strategist on WGSN Fashion, is joined by Youth Fashion Strategists Mia Jacobs and Jaeyeon Park to discuss what this truly means for brands – and why the industry should pay particularly close attention to this year’s festival season.Mia and Jaeyeon also talk about nostalgic tech and the impact stadium tour fashion is having. World tours – from the likes of Beyoncé, Harry Styles and Taylor Swift – have opened up opportunities for retailers because of their long duration, giving brands more time to market tour merchandise.In this episode, we chart the top festival trends we’ve been tracking, and predict the impact this will have on brands in the future.Learn more about WGSN forecasts here.

In this episode, Bethan Ryder, Editorial Director at WGSN is joined by guests Simon Mitchell, co-founder of architectural studio Sybarite, and Laura Saunter, Senior Strategist at WGSN. Together, Bethan and guests explore the landscape of luxury retail, from the return of the mega flagship in the post-pandemic era to how luxury brands are meeting the needs of the most discerning consumers by delivering memorable in-store experiences. Simon and Laura bring valuable insights on designing luxury retail spaces around the world, how China is leading the way, the influence of sustainability on the design process, and the evolving relationship between consumers and brands within the physical retail environment. Find out why retail design is theatre. Why stores and malls need to deliver delight and joy. And how luxury brands are becoming cultural curators. Hear from Simon Mitchell, co-founder of luxury retail design specialists Sybarite, on how a Katharine Hamnett store inspired him to follow a design career back in the 80s and how working with Marni taught him how you could push the boundaries of retail design.

Welcome back to Create Tomorrow. On this week’s episode Claire Lancaster, WGSN head of Food & Drink and Katherine Schub, Forecaster and Strategist on our Food and Drink team join Bethan to discuss snacking culture. Consumers are snacking more than ever, whether for comfort, for their health or for convenience. In this episode, host director of Editorial at WGSN and her expert guests explore consumers’ evolving snacking tastes plus the pioneering brands on the market right now. Bethan, Claire and Katherine find out why snacking has cult appeal, how brands are collaborating with creators to release limited edition snacks and how this is impacting the food and drink landscape. Listen to hear Katherine and Claire’s favourite snack, we don’t get to hear Bethan’s because well… listen to find out why.

Vollebak is a British fashion brand focusing on designing clothes that will see us through extreme environments, war and space exploration. Co-founder of the clothing company Steve Tidball joins host editorial director Bethan Ryder and WGSN head of activewear Yvonne Kostiak to discuss the future of clothing for the next century, innovations in the activewear market and why Vollebak doesn’t produce seasonal collections like most clothing brands. Steve talks about Vollebak's inception, the brand's  journey into the future and of course the Jason Bourne-esque pants designed to last 100 years.

This is the concluding episode of our Milan Design Week Special series in which we’ve explored some of the key trends and brought you insights and interviews from the 2023 edition, which takes place across the city and also at Fiera Milano exhibition centre located just outside the city. Bethan Ryder, WGSN Executive Editorial Director is joined by Director of Interiors Lisa White and Head of Interiors Gemma Riberti as we explore materials, a trend that had a strong focus at this year’s Milan Design Week. Tune in to hear about creative material contrasts, recycled glass, a biodegradable hemp chair and an innovation that might help us to detect dangerous UV rays in the future.

This is the third in our series of episodes in which we bring you some of the key trends, insights and interviews from Milan Design Week 2023. The annual Milan Design Week is considered the world’s biggest event dedicated to design which takes place at Fiera Milano exhibition centre located just outside the city, plus across the city as Fuorisalone in showrooms, palazzos and other venues. Bethan Ryder, WGSN Executive Editorial Director is joined by Director of Interiors Lisa White and Head of Interiors Gemma Riberti as we explore our sustainability trend. In this episode we focus on an interview with Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, co-founders of Formafantasma, the research-driven design studio who are leading the conversion on sustainability and design not just from a materials perspective but also a human one. And also catch up with Dutch designer Maarten Baas, who created a private jet of recycled denim for his collaboration with G-Star RAW.

This is the second in our series of episodes in which we bring you some of the key trends, insights and interviews from Milan Design Week 2023. The annual Milan Design Week is considered the world’s biggest event dedicated to design which takes place at Fiera Milano exhibition centre located just outside the city, plus across the city as Fuorisalone in showrooms, palazzos and other venues. Bethan Ryder, WGSN Executive Editorial Director is joined by Director of Interiors Lisa White and Head of Interiors Gemma Riberti as we explore our outdoor lifestyles trend. We focus on an interview with Marie Kristine Schmidt, chief brand officer at the Danish company Gubi, speaking as we toured their installation at the iconic Bagna Misteriosa in Milan.

Over the next four episodes our Interiors experts will be bringing you key trends, insights and interviews from this year’s Milan Design Week. Subscribers can find a suite of six trend analysis reports covering all the trends you need to know from this year’s event, in this short series of podcasts we’ll cover four of those trends.  The annual Milan Design Week is considered the world’s biggest event dedicated to design which takes place at Fiera Milano exhibition centre located just outside the city, plus across the city as Fuorisalone in showrooms, palazzos and other venues. Expect to hear from innovators, disruptors and designers from Formafantasma and Danish company Gubi’s chief brand officer Marie Kristine Schmidt to German designer Markus Benesch and the makers of a compostable hemp chair.  In this episode, Bethan Ryder, WGSN Executive Editorial Director is joined by Director of Interiors Lisa White and Head of Interiors Gemma Riberti to discuss our first trend, the overall sense of optimism at the festival, it's the first time in four years it returned to its April slot and the joy was palpable.

Redefining masculinity, men’s make-up has grown in popularity, driven by celebrity pioneers like Pharrell Williams and Brad Pitt launching brands and K-pop idols openly wearing and experimenting with make-up.In this episode Sienna Piccioni, Head of WGSN Beauty, Senior Strategist on Fashion, Nick Paget and Jaeyeon Park, Youth Fashion Strategist based in Seoul, South Korea share the need-to-know brands and strategies for catering to this new cohort.Host Bethan Ryder chairs a conversation covering male makeup stigmas, its history, the language brands are adopting to capitalise on this rising trend and how dating apps and the pandemic have encouraged the normalisation of male makeup.

Biotechnology company Modern Synthesis have developed a biomaterial from bacterial fermentation that can be used to create a low-carbon alternative to traditional clothing fabrics.Modern Synthesis founder Jen Keane explains her process to this week’s host Helen Palmer, head of materials at WGSN and Lucila Saldana, Footwear & Accessories Editor at WGSN.The biomaterial was developed in the company’s London lab and in this episode of Create Tomorrow Jen Keane talks about the development, stigmas around synthetic biology and GMO materials and about fabric innovations of the future.

This week WGSN Editorial Director Bethan Ryder is joined by Reiko Morrison WGSN's Head of CMF and Benjamin Hubert, founder of the London-based industrial design agency Layer Design. Layer recently launched a monograph, published by Phaidon, during the London Design Festival which coincided with an exhibition which ran as part of the inaugural Material Matters fair. The book covers the various stages of Benjamin Hubert’s career and the many products he’s designed for the likes of Bang  & Olufsen, Vitra, Moroso, Cappellini, Muuto and more.  Hubert had a design career in his sights while still at school and initially wanted to design cars, but went into product design instead and has designed a huge range of products from lighting to tech, and it’s tech in particular where Layer Design excels at creating incredibly tactile products though a combination of materials.  The three discuss how they see the future of Consumer tech evolving with less screens and a rich sense of materiality and haptic happiness.

Following the pandemic many professionals around the world are still combining remote and office working. What’s more it’s looking good for productivity. PepsiCo research found that when given more flexibility, and when given a hybrid option, they see an in 15% increase in productivity and 31% less absenteeism. So what does this more fluid, flexible working future mean for people, brands and businesses? That’s what we explore in this episode; from the tech we are likely to demand and adopt, to the type of environments and interior spaces required to tempt us back into the workplace for those meaningful collaborative moments. Will holograms serve to bring us closer to remote-working colleagues? Will biophilic design keep us feeling nurtured and build company loyalty? And what’s the great reset? Tune in to find out what the future holds for the workplace and where the product design opportunities might lie for brands and businesses. 

The DNA of an Yves Béhar project is pushing design and technology boundaries to forge new territories often light years ahead of the mainstream. From sustainable shoe packaging for Puma, to Samsung's "The Frame" TV, his studio, fuseproject which he founded in 1999, explores the nexus between design and technology with a strong focus on sustainability and always with an optimistic, punk meets freewheeling west coast attitude.

Over the past year it's felt like stalemate. In our Groundhog Day existence, rarely has fashion seemed so pragmatic. We've seen sweatpants, puffer coats, wellies and walking boots selling out across the globe, while heels, tailored workwear and dresses are gathering dust.  So what does emerging from the lockdown mean for fashion from a product perspective? How do categories from workwear and partywear evolve and what happens next to loungewear?

WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi speaks to CEO and Co-Founder of beauty company Deciem, Nicola Kilner. Carla and Nicola discuss, the impact of seemingly endless Zoom calls on consumers' beauty decisions, the reasons behind creating a social activist manager role within the business and offering a simplified, uniform product range to a global consumer among many other things.

Retail is once more in a state of flux. The pandemic led to huge shifts in consumer behaviour in 2020 and this is set to continue into 2021. In the US alone 11,000 stores closed and 40 major retailers went bankrupt last year. Online spending also reached new heights accounting for 27.3% of global overall retail sales, growing by a third over the course of the year.  Retailers need to adapt to a future where digitally facilitated shopping trips are the norm.

At WGSN we have been discussing the growing rental markets for fashion as well as furniture and interiors for a number of years now, this has accelerated in recent years due to the increasing consumer demand for sustainable and flexible lifestyles. Henrietta Thompson co-founded Harth in 2018, and became a pioneer of the furniture rental market in the UK. In the last six months Harth has seen a 50% increase in rental requests and a 60% increase in stock listed by private lenders.

January tends to be the time of year when many of us pull our gym kit out of the back of our cupboards and generally set goals to become the best versions of ourselves. The wellness sector is worth $4.5 trillion per year and has been growing at 6.4% annually, twice the rate of global economic growth.  Petah Marian is joined by experts from across WGSN to discuss how wellness is undergoing something of a detox to become more democratic, and why we need to start thinking about it as "wellbeing".

In a special episode WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi and Senior Strategist for WGSN Insight Petah Marian unite to take a look at some of the  10 key trends in consumer behaviour and product development for 2021 and beyond. The trends reveal the future direction for business strategy, product and experience design for the fashion, beauty, lifestyle, interiors, food and drink industries.

In our final episode of the year the tables are turned as David Davies, Ascential's Chief Content Officer quizzes WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi on her high and lowlights of the year. They discuss the innovations Carla was most proud of and what kept her and the wider WGSN team going through the past 12 months.

The holiday season this year is going to be an incredibly complex one. People are dealing with restrictions on movement and gathering while still looking to find moments of joy and connection after an incredibly difficult year. It goes without saying that the holiday season this year will be fundamentally different and companies hoping to win in this season will be required to adapt their conventional thinking.

Cities are locations which take up and outsized space in our imaginations. They are places that ambitious and creative young people aspire to go to in order to succeed and find their place in the world. Perceptions about cities in the wake of the pandemic have changed. The forecasts that deemphasize a physical presence in city offices are creating space for new visions of the city to emerge, ones that build towards a more humane sustainable and equitable future.

This week WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi is joined by Andrea Bell, WGSN's Director of Insight. Over the course of the conversation they discuss the impact of the pandemic on consumer behaviour, both this year and into the future, what that means for brands and businesses and how the design industry has to change as a consequence.

One of the places where we have seen some of the largest shifts over the past year has been in the home. Once a place where we might have just slept, it's now the centre of our worlds, becoming a place where we live, educate, eat, work and if we're lucky, have a little bit of time left to play. While attitudes to space are changing, so too are the lifestyles around that space. This week Petah Marian is joined by the Lifestyle and Interiors team ahead of the product's new launch on November 2nd.

This week WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi is joined by Director of Beauty Jenni Middleton. The pair discuss the immediate impact that the beauty industry has seen from the pandemic, from the impact of masks on makeup to at home salon treatments and much more.

The global shutdowns earlier this year and continued restrictions on movement have plunged much of the world into recession. As we operate through a difficult landscape for businesses, consumer behaviour is changing rapidly. Even for those that remain financially stable, the broader economic environment is making people feel more concerned about their financial circumstances. In this episode we explore what this will mean for brands and businesses moving through this period.

This week, WGSN MD Carla Buzasi is joined by Director of WGSN Food and Drink Kara Nielsen. The pair discuss how the global pandemic has influenced not only what we eat, but how we think about food and drink as well. Carla and Kara also divulge some of their lockdown discoveries.

Prior to the pandemic, we were facing an intimacy recession. Coronavirus has accelerated this shift even further, with lockdowns putting physical distance between us, and as people start to come back out into the world, there is a fear of contamination or transmission. In this episode, we explore what the fear of touch looks like for consumers, and what it will mean for the beauty and retail industries. How can we remain safely apart while also finding ways of maintaining an emotional connection?

This week, WGSN MD Carla Buzasi is joined by Director of Lifestyle and Interiors and leader of the Creative Forecast team, Lisa White. The pair discuss the acceleration of consumer trends for the interiors category, such as buying less but better, the importance of combining eCommerce with bricks and mortar showrooms, plant power, and the restorative effects of colour in your home.

Localism was emerging as a key trend before the pandemic, featuring in the Future Consumer 2022 Forecast, the Retail Forecast and the Shopper Forecast as well. It's a shift which has only accelerated through the pandemic period as lockdowns meant that we got to know our neighbours and shop from local stores as we weren't as able to travel. This episode we explore how the localism trend is emerging around the world and how different markets are at different stages of recovery from the lockdown.

WGSN Managing Director Carla Buzasi is joined by Amiyra Perkins who as well as being one of the directors of WGSN's Mindset consulting business, also leads the Equality Vision team within the business. In an honest and personal exchange the pair speak about the Black Lives Matter movement and why, in the year of the pandemic, it is forcing us all to reassess how we think about diversity and inclusion and more importantly, what we're going to do about it.

The events of the past six months have created a tremendous amount of anxiety, however, we are now seeing an opportunity to refocus on the positive experiences that we have had during lockdown and can continue to do so when we emerge from this crisis. While this is not to make light of the devastating and tragic losses that many of us are experiencing right now, this break from life as normal is providing an opportunity for us to create a better, more optimistic future for our businesses and consumers.

In light of the protests and demonstrations against police brutality and social injustice that we have seen across America and around the world this week, we are taking the opportunity to highlight an episode of a podcast published by our sister brand Cannes Lions. Last week their host Simon Cook had a frank and open conversation with Endeavor CMO Bozoma Saint John, which had such a clear and powerful message about racial inclusion and diversity, that we wanted to share that with you today.

How we eat has changed tremendously over the first half of this year, as enforced lockdowns have led to increased food stockpiling and most of the world eating all of their meals at home. This is leading to new attitudes towards food. Today we explore the shifts that are taking place in the food & drink sector and and what will be the winning strategies for success in a post-coronavirus world.

This episode explores what the shift to the home will mean for broader design trends in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. As people continue to spend more time at home, businesses will have to create a sense of the stability and security to convince them to come back out into the world. The WGSN team dives into some of the key strategies that businesses will need to adopt to tap into the home consumer.

Our topic this episode is the future of the beauty industry in a post-COVID-19 world. Despite the quickly-shifting landscape, the beauty industry will play a big role as we begin on the road to recovery.  It is an industry that is likely to have increasing resonance as it evolves to meet a changing consumer and support their wellness needs in a very anxious and uncertain time.