Next: A Vision of Our Lives in the Future. Marian Salzman
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after the dream has ended so he or she can make a record of the dream.
Robotic Lawn Mowers Mowing grass within a specified boundary and programmed to avoid obstacles such as bushes and children’s playthings, these time-savers will be an increasingly common sight in suburban backyards.
Digital Nutrition-Analysis Kiosks Plug in age, family medical history, lifestyle, etc. for printout of recommended vitamins, herbs, supplements, food choices, plus discount coupens.
Personal Appearance
Insta-makeovers Inspired by TV talk shows, makeovers will be an increasingly popular form of self-indulgence. Full-day sessions will incorporate hair redesign, makeup lessons, clothing consultation and a complete new outfit, teeth whitening and, as an option, makeup tattooing (permanent eyeliner, etc.) Longer stays at spa facilities will include such things as outpatient plastic surgery and etiquette courses.
Big as You Wanna Be The fat-acceptance movement is growing, and will only increase as baby boomers head into their fifties and sixties. One result will be better style options for larger women, as well as continued growth of such publications as Mode, designed to help women live healthfully and happily, regardless of size.
Functional Fashion Allowing for the ultimate personalization of the wardrobe, fabrics of tomorrow may include stress-relieving, massaging fabrics; fabrics that emit favourite and/or aromatherapeutic scents; and fabrics containing personalized, printed messages and wearer-created designs. Nanotechnology will allow fabrics to be embedded with tiny computers, sensors and micromachines; possible applications include cooling and heating systems, periodic self-cleaning and self-repair.
Embracing ‘the’ Look Twin movements towards customization and simplification will lead consumers to purchase a few essential (and perfectly suited) items of clothing rather than waste money on extensive wardrobes that take up precious storage space and rarely see the light of day.
Male Beauty An increasing number of all-male beauty salons (already common in Paris) will provide a variety of head-to-toe treatments.
Mindset
Big Brother in the Sky An anti-satellite backlash will grow as consumers and businesses grow more concerned about invasions of privacy.
Smart Stays Sexy Don’t be surprised to hear of a new unisex fragrance called Brainy or Intellect, or of orgasms grounded in mind fucking, with no physical contact, just the power of the mind to lead us beyond cybersex (i.e., mutual masturbation) into something more heady and esoteric. The elusive g-spot is above the shoulders.
Brains over Brawn An extension of the current trend of ‘geek chic’, modern-day heroes in popular culture will rely less on muscles than on brains – and computer know-how.
Global Gung-ho Small-world realities have made us more aware not only of each other’s fashions and preferences, but also of each other’s passions and plights. Accompanying this awareness – as already evinced by such worldwide organizations as Amnesty International and Greenpeace – will be a deepening sense that one can truly ‘think globally’ and ‘act globally’.
In today’s global society, consumers can’t help but be aware of cultural icons and influences from other nations. Countries are swapping products and fads in a cross-cultural frenzy. Who has graced the cover of America’s People magazine more times than any other? Diana, the late Princess of Wales. A year or so ago, the US club scene was in a frenzy over ‘foam parties’, a novel form of entertainment brought over from London via the island of Ibiza, Spain. America’s slacker grunge craze even gave way to a new UK invasion: Mod’s third wave, a movement marked by such British pop artists as Blur, Elastica, Oasis and Sleeper and by such American fashion designers as Anna Sui and Marc Jacobs.
To the dismay of many, trends and icons emanating from the US are also leaving their mark around the world. And the results can be incongruous, to say the least! What’s the biggest tourist attraction in Romania today? The painted monasteries of Bukovina? Dracula’s castle? Guess again. The biggest attraction is Southfork Ranch, a US$1 million replica of the homestead made famous by TV’s night-time soap opera Dallas. The centrepiece of the Hermes Vacation Park in the city of Slobozia, Southfork drew more than 2 million visitors in its first year of operation. Explaining the Texas-based TV show’s popularity in his country, owner Ilie Alexandrov told the St Petersburg Times (Florida), ‘[Dallas] was a bridge to the West for us. The average Romanian could only fantasize about such beautiful cars, a ranch, nice clothes. It was a kind of paradise.’
Trends emanating from the US (courtesy of MTV, global marketing efforts, the Internet and the like) range from hip-hop to snowboarding to gun culture. In addition to buying US$100 plastic replicas of guns, some Japanese have travelled to the US for ‘gun tours’, featuring opportunities to hold and shoot a variety of firearms. ‘It’s become a fad, a cool thing, to like guns,’ security company employee Michiko Nagashima told the Washington Post. ‘This is a bad import from the West.’
Another current rage among Japanese youth is chapatsu, or tea hair. Dyeing one’s hair brown is considered an act of individuality and rebellion, akin to American and European hippies growing their hair long during the sixties. Japanese schools have responded by banning dyed brown hair, and many major companies are refusing to hire brown-haired applicants.
Trend Filters
Though many of today’s trends start in the US and Western Europe, the way they are translated around the world varies considerably. Key to the evolution of trends are the ‘gatekeeping’ cities within each country, those places through which trends enter and are then spread throughout a nation.
In China, according to Mila M. Marquez of DY&R Guangzhou, trends start in the key urban centres of Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing. Typically, these trends are primarily brought about by an influx of Western influence – media penetration, tourists and so on. Marquez notes: ‘Guangzhou in the southern part of China is heavily influenced by Hong Kong because of its proximity. This is also the seat of the yearly China Trade Commodities Fair, so a lot of European, Japanese and American traders pass through. Most of the multinational companies have their marketing and manufacturing offices in Hong Kong, so the presence of expats dictates the fast development or evolution of people and culture. Going forwards, Hong Kong’s influence will continue to be evident in fashion, music and lifestyle. Beijing will remain the seat of politics, while Shanghai will be the fashion and lifestyle trendsetter and the centre of finance.’
Sachin Talwar, of Burson-Marsteller Roger Pereira Communications, Mumbai (formerly Bombay), tells us that trends in India also tend to originate in the US, but don’t spread throughout the country until they’ve been filtered through such gatekeeping cities as Bombay, New Delhi and Bangalore. ‘All three cities share several characteristics,’ notes Talwar. ‘They are relatively more Westernized, they are cosmopolitan, they host many more foreigners and foreign enterprises, Indians educated abroad are more likely to find jobs there, and these cities have better schools and colleges – particularly among those that teach through the medium of English.’
The role the English language plays in trend adoption is particularly evident in India. ‘The trendsetters in this country are not necessarily the rich,’ explains Talwar. ‘In fact, Bombay and New Delhi have vast numbers of the nouveau riche but they do not set trends. The trends are set by people the industry calls the “English medium types” (EMTs). Their schooling has been at elite schools – both day and boarding – that teach in English. Traditionally, the sons of professionals, executives and bureaucrats have been to these elite institutions of learning. They are not all wealthy, but most belong to the upper middle class. On the other hand,