INSIDE SOFTWEAR EXHIBITION IN MILAN

 

EMOTIONAL INSURANCE 

With society in such transitional flux, it comes to no surprise that people look towards anything that provides comfort and well-being, and today, that could include insurance. Insurance has historically been considered to be one of the least trusted industries within the United States economy. High premium prices combined with failure to pay claims have led many Americans to think of insurance companies as greedy and deceitful. 

Especially today, with the American society in constant conflict, people want to be able to turn to insurance for exactly what it is supposed to do—providing a sense of security and comfort. Lemonade is a New York City-based insurance company that does exactly this by designing a new set of values based on transparency, providing an entirely new experience for home and rentals insurance. It was founded just in 2016 with the intention of becoming “a social good for members of the community to take care of each other,” transforming the traditional model of insurance companies by integrating technology and transparency. 

This trending type of relationship between brands and customers, which is not necessarily based on spending more, is essential for new business models to gain the trust of the American people within society while continually building brand loyalty. With rising companies like Lemonade, consumers can feel comfort in the fact that they are being taken care of while also caring for others.

Lemonade is based online and in an app, truly playing to the consumers’ emotions by donating unclaimed premiums to a nonprofit of the customer’s choice at the end of the year through its Giveback initiative. By branding emotionally, companies can effectively meet the expectations of consumers, especially within the millennial age group. 

In markets under the age of 35, an element of “giving back” has become more and more important in the way consumers shop for any type of product. In a society consistently revolving around conflict, consumers want to feel as though they are doing good when they shop. Adding an element of charity might feel trendy in the world of business, but it is essential that all actions are carried out with authenticity to create true value and true connections. 

Brands which incorporate an element of charity are building a lifestyle that makes customers feel as though they are creating a meaningful impact when continually coming back to purchase their products and services. These types of lifestyle brands have been wildly successful within the fashion industry, so why not transition a similar type of branding to the insurance industry?

Chloe Sos & Abigail Bowen
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CATCH OF THE DAY 

What makes good design? Or rather, what makes design “good”? Aside from creating playful, innovative design that feasts on the senses, celebrates nature and thrives on bold colors, Icelandic design is taking steps in bringing positive change to society.

A recurring theme in this year’s DesignMarch in Reykjavik– the 10th anniversary of the festival – is social design. The international and local speakers at DesignTalks explored design’s power and potential to be a catalyst for social change, in several different aspects. 

One of the speakers is Icelandic designer Björn Steinar Blumenstein. He addresses the global problem of food waste and presented a very simple and ingenious solution to it. Through his project, Catch of the Day – which is exhibited during the festival  – the designer produces vodka from thrown-away fruits using a simple distilling machine that he made himself. 

“Food waste is a huge problem everywhere in the world. It’s bad for the environment, it’s a waste of resources and money, and still, we throw away 40% of all the food we produce,” Bjorn explains. The motivation for the project grew out of frustration, as the designer – who has been dumpster diving for years – sees perfectly fine food being thrown away by supermarkets and food importers. After finding out that anything with over 20% alcohol doesn’t require an expiry date, Björn was inspired to give food materials an endless storage time by virtue of never going bad.

At first, he approached professional companies, but found the process very bureaucratic and slow. “I just needed to kind of talk about this right now,” he shares. “So I designed and built a simple open-source distilling machine and shared it online for free, so that more people could join me on doing something about this.”

Anyone can build their own distilling machine using kitchen equipment and parts that can easily be bought in stores. Assemble using the free guide available on Bjorn’s website and just add fruit from your local dumpster. 

Angel Trinidad

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AI WEIWEI

As his personal circumstances move in constant flux, Ai Weiwei remains a cultural magnet. Renowned for his political activism and social media activity almost as much as for his social interventions, contemporary approach to the readymade, and knowledge of Chinese traditional crafts, Ai’s fame extends throughout and beyond the art world.

Drawn from TASCHEN’s limited Collector’s Edition, this monograph explores each of Ai’s career phases up until his release from Chinese custody. It features extensive visual material to trace Ai’s development from his early New York days right through to his recent practice. Focus moments include his international breakthrough in the early 2000s, his porcelain Sunflower Seeds at the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern, his response to the Sichuan earthquake of 2008, and his police detention in 2011. With behind-the-scenes studio pictures, production shots, and numerous statements derived from exclusive interviews with Ai, we gain privileged access to the artist’s process, influences, and importance.

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EVENTS

TREND SEMINARS
ENLIGHTENMENT / on healing society and fostering another fashion
A/W 19-20

COPENHAGEN 
April 24

NEW YORK 
May 22

STOCKHOLM
May 29

ANTWERP
May 30

AMSTERDAM
June 5

LONDON
June 6

BASEL
June 15

Details & Bookings

TALKING TEXTILES

TALKING TEXTILES #2 The wild and vibrant second issue of TALKING TEXTILES is organised around the culture of cloth. In this trend magazine, the mood is up and creativity is on the loose, celebrating the revival of textiles. This issue is filled with remarkable developments in textiles, art, clothes and interiors, from artisans and artists to mills, manufacturers, designers and innovators as well as talented graduates. With colour, textile and yarn forecasts by Li Edelkoort, a whirlwind of floating fibres, harvested yarns, tubular colours, woven fences and knitted architecture will fuel readers’ creative energy. €60 plus shipping & handling  Order here

MORE TRENDS 

TREND TABLET

Trendtablet explains how trends grow, evolve and flow, and helps us better understand and perceive how they interact in our daily lives. this tool accessed for free is open to comments and new ideas, please contribute and be part of our network .Enjoy!

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ANTI_FASHION 

This much-talked-about and thought-provoking manifesto by the world’s most respected trend forecaster covers the 10 main issues that indicate the fashion industry has reached breaking point. Edelkoort courageously confronts marketing and advertising, as well as challenging education, materials, manufacturing, retailing, designers, fashion shows, the press and consumers alike. This means that the economy of clothes will take over from the turnover of fashion. Therefore trend forecasting has changed as well, taking its leads from social change and finding creative ideas within lifestyle trends and consumer behavior. A break-through philosophy focusing on textiles, garment-making and the imminent revival of couture. It’s time to simply celebrate clothes! SHOP

 

BLOOM FAITH

Confronted with the adversary of human designed disasters and manmade political scandals paralyzing our planet and countries, people’s only recourse becomes faith, an almost forgotten principle. To have faith in the spirit of survival, to have faith in creative forces able to rebuild society, an intrinsic need to believe in the human race, especially in moments of bewildering despair. We need to trust our instincts to build a better future, full with genuine love towards ourselves and others, even those at fault. Being able to forgive, to understand, to comprehend, to taste the fear in others. To pledge an awareness of altruism, script a gospel of compassion. Desire needs to be embedded in empathy.

Recognizing their inspirations and yielding to innate creative urges, artists and designers will build up the needed confidence to create new matter, landscape other horizons, design decorative objects, weave unusual fibers, draw non-existent flowers, created with the deep conviction that aesthetic expressions will resonate with others and are able to heal and care for people. Faith grows from future generations, professing their reliance on inner strength, convinced to reroute society the way they see it; convivial, cooperative, concerting, concerned, a society where truth remains an important quality and flexible forms of constancy help to compose the rhythm of existence.

Lidewij Edelkoort. 
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