July Pick of the Latest Consumer Trends
Logos, digital identity, disconnection, and dark entertainment
Luxury loses the logos
The Future. Taking cues from culture-making shows like Succession, the TikTok trend of “quiet luxury,” and the courtroom looks of Gwyenth Paltrow (lol), fashion is starting to ditch the ostentatious logo for something far more subtle. The new ‘logoless’ movement may not necessarily be a sign of style humility as much as a ‘let the material speak for itself’ flexing.
Silent flex
Are the days of spotlighting the luxury logo over?
Fashion wholesale platform Joor reported that North American sales for logo-heavy products have dropped 43% this year.
That’s a strong reason why major fashion houses have started to invest more in their logo-light brands, like LVMH with Loro Piana and Kering Bottega Veneta.
Zegna, a Succession-favorite, has also reported that sales last year were better than expected and look very strong this year.
And the finalists for the LVMH Prize, one of the top awards in fashion and a signal of coming trends, were much more focused on the materials than the logo.
In the words of Basile Khadiry, who co-founded the renowned French menswear review L’Étiquette, ‘A lot of people no longer feel the need to distinguish themselves with a logo to show what tribe they belong to. They’re ready to love clothes for other reasons: the quality, the style.’
So long, logo-hungry chasers.
CODED IDENTITY: Authentic self-expression in digital spaces
Gen Z is keen to explore every aspect of their identity, refusing to be defined by traditional gender norms and embracing self-expression. This isn’t just happening offline: a significant 76 per cent of metaverse users in the US, UK, and China express that their avatars better convey their unique individuality compared to the real world, as revealed by an early 2023 report by Wunderman Thompson. To meet this demand, digital avatars are becoming more expressive, infinitely diverse, and they’re amassing millions of users.
Advancements in generative AI and 3D technologies mean it's now possible to transfer emotions, behaviours and interactions onto digital counterparts. In April 2023, Adidas introduced dynamic NFTs, which adapt and evolve based on users' decisions and engagement. Microsoft Teams has been rolling out customizable 3D avatars with reaction features and just last week TikTok launched AI-powered avatars that can be switched up daily.
So What?
The question for your brand: how can you engage with younger consumers and facilitate dynamic self-expression in digital spaces?
While the ever-evolving tech world has helped to streamline our lives, it is also leading us to feel more disconnected than ever to our fellow humans. ‘The relentless focus on optimisation has actually optimised away our ability to be present, to be surprised, and to be available to each other’, Belgian-American psychotherapist Esther Perel said during her talk on ‘Artificial Intimacy’ at SXSW 2023. As reported by Wunderman Thompson, people are yearning for new ways to build community and emotional well-being, and savvy start-ups are responding to this need by facilitating enriching encounters with strangers.
So What?
In a bid to tackle the current human connection crisis, Peoplehood, a venture from the founders of SoulCycle, has created a communal space where the lost ritual of meaningful conversation can be revived during hour-long guided Gathers, where participants can share their stories with strangers. Portuguese app The Breakfast, meanwhile, aims to help people facilitate nourishing conversations with strangers by connecting users with interesting new people to meet over breakfast in a similar way to a dating app. The app is currently available in New York, Lisbon, Berlin, Kyiv and London and allows users to pick breakfast buddies that are either similar to them in character, or very different.
We’re increasingly turning to a few chills with our thrills, as the trend for dark entertainment is on the rise. According to Wunderman Thompson, millennials are turning to horror in order to have agency over their scares. The genre is enjoying a golden age in Hollywood through hits like Talk To Me, while games like folk-horror mystery Paper Bride are proving popular in China. The small screen is also having a heyday via dystopian shows like Apple TV’s Silo and HBO’s The Last of Us that delve into life’s darker side.
So What?
In our era of uncertainty, people are using horror as an adrenaline high and also as a safety valve, allowing for fear to be experienced from within a safe environment.
A scientist at Denmark’s Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University – yes, it really exists – is at the forefront of pioneering research on horror. Scrivner views recreational fear as ‘an off-ramp for anxiety’. The key is being able to control your environment during the experience, so you can dial down the source of fear if needed by turning the lights on during a film. For experience designers, participant well-being needs to be taken into account when creating terrifying content. ‘Exploring a darker side to curiosity can bring greater engagement. However, there should be accountability and responsibility to this,’ said Torquil McIntosh, founder of design studio Sybarite.