Waldo Nell

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

1. Kenzo 2. David McLeod 3. Julien Colombier

CONTEXT

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

PSYCHOTROPICAL EXPL ORES AN

ID EAL ISED NATURE OF THE FUTURE.
In 2018, we will seek out not just the natural,
but the super-natural, either through ecotropical paradises or manmade wonderlands.
Environments will become phygital hybrids
hyper-textured, hyper-exotic, and hypersensorial and our focus will shift towards
experiences, as well as innovative materials
and technologies that create feelings of
euphoria and soft psychedelia. This is
escapism at its best, as we seek out and
celebrate the more sensual side of the world
around us.

3
2

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

Summerland

KEY TAKEAWAYS
The concept of nature will branch out
to include manmade tropical
environments and virtual-reality
wonderlands

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

The experience economy will

continue to grow, driving a significant
increase in brand activations and
collaborations
Bioplastics come to the fore and
petrol-based plastics are recycled in
more alluring ways, as postconsumer materials will become not
just sustainable, but seductive

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

Neuropriming stimulating the brain

through pulses of energy will
transform the wearables market and
impact multiple areas, from medicine
to sports, education to interiors
Sensory stimulation will be a huge
growth area, as digital experiences
are enhanced to induce positive
feelings, and screens learn to touch
us back
'Phygital' will move from retail into
design, as the digital will increasingly
incorporate the physical, becoming
more lifelike and emotionally
compelling

"THE EXPRESSION 'VIRTUAL REALITY'

FOR ME IS A SIMULATION OF
A PHYSICAL PRESENCE IN THE
REAL WORLD SOMETHING
THAT THE USER CAN 'STEP INTO'
AND COULD EVEN FEEL, TOUCH

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

FROM THE REAL WORLD BUT I

WOULD LOVE TO PHYSICALLY VISIT IT.
ANNY WANG, VISUAL ARTIST AND DESIGNER

Anny Wang

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

AND HEAR... IT MIGHT NOT BE

NEURO
STIMULATION

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

Neuropriming devices could be a potential

gold mine for the wearables market as the
brain-training industry is expected to grow
to $6bn by 2020. Leaders in the neuropriming market include the
HaloSport headset, which according to the
company stimulates the brain's motor
cortex, improving the brains response to
physical training. Another example, Thync,
is a wearable device that, when partnered
with an accompanying app, professes to

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

calm or energise the brain. According

to one wearer, the device is a "wearable
technology whisky-on-the-rocks".
The future of neuropriming is also likely to
impact the interiors market. SUB3 by
Danish designer Henrik Vibskov is a
conceptual piece that explores how
physical items can redirect the mind. The
transparent shell pod features numerous
soft rubber stimulators designed to
surround users with a calming
environment, and thus, a calm mind.

1. Halo Sport 2. GamFratesi x Henrik Vibskov 3. Thync

C O N S UM ER

Can our brains rewire themselves to

alleviate the mental and physical
obstacles associated with our human
nature? The science of neuroplasticity
(defined as 'the brain's ability to
reorganise itself by forming new neural
connections throughout life') is a hotbutton issue; many believe our brains are
hardwired essentially a computer that
operates our limbs and bodily functions
but recent medical and technological
advances show that our brains are
capable of change. Neuropriming
(stimulating the brain through pulses of
energy) claims to increase neuroplasticity
and is a fast-rising tool for athletes and
scholars alike.

This data-to-skin exchange is set to

transform the apparel industry; as data is
successfully passed through the garment,
the wearer can feel a pulse, a soft
vibration, a jolt, creating a highly sensorial
second skin. These sensations can be
transferred to other wearers or
programmed to respond to other objects.

C O N S UM ER

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

SENSORY
SHARING

3
2

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

Eaglemens vest focuses on inclusive

design and one of its applications would
enable deaf and hearing-impaired people
to hear. An app downloaded onto a smart
device with a microphone will pick up
sounds and send them via bluetooth to the
vest. The vest will then 'translate' those
sounds into a series of vibrations that
reflect the different frequencies. The
wearer then 'feels' the words being
spoken through coded vibrations. Imagine
the communication possibilities for people
with speech and/or hearing impairments?

In the world of sports, tech company

Wearable Experiments wants fans to feel
what players feel during games through a
connected jersey. Using real-time sports
data, Bluetooth, and a connected app,
wearers of the jersey are able to feel
powerful stimulations of what the player is
feeling, including impact, heartbeat,
exhaustion, and adrenaline.
Shared sensory technology has the
potential to transform our daily means of
communication; language barriers could
fall to the wayside, retail workers could
sense what products shoppers are
discussing in-store, and people could feel
a hug from someone far away.

1. Wearable Experiments 2. VEST 3. Omer Arbel

"We're taking advantage of skin, this

incredible computational material, and
using it to pass on data," says David
Eagleman, neuroscientist and inventor of
VEST (versatile extra-sensory transducer).

BIOPLASTIC
FANTASTIC
PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

studio Crafting Plastics! has introduced a

business model where they have full
control of product lifecycle. The studio's
starch-based eyewear will not decay
when in use, but can be returned to the
manufacturer, composted and recycled
into a brand new product from the
same material.

Industry heavyweights such as Dupont

and Archer Daniels Midland are teaming
up and focusing their expertise on the
development of bioplastics and other
sustainable material solutions.
Innovations such as Clearpack F (a
bioplastic now approved in the EU for food
packaging) and a new fructose-based
plastic will pave the way for greater
experimentation in design, as they impact
less on
the environment.

In addition to the human-driven efforts

towards more sustainable materials,
nature is also developing its own
solutions. Scientists have observed that in
landfill sites, bacteria have evolved to
digest PET plastic in the same way that
our guts digest food. Science Magazine
reports that from 250 samples of soil and
sludge collected from a recycling yard for
plastic bottles, a bacterium was found that
could degrade a film of PET in six weeks
at a temperature of 30C. If bacteria can
be cultivated to recycle plastic, the future
of recycling could be completely
redefined.

Young designers are also recognising the

need for creative engagement with this
challenge, and we will be seeing a surge
of plastic-like materials made from natural
ingredients. Japanese design team AMAM
won the 2016 Lexus Design Award
at Milan Design Week with a bioplastic
derived from seaweed, and Berlin-based

1. Crafting Plastics! 2. Kosuke Araki x AMAM

C O N S UM ER

Seeking solutions to our plastic waste

problem is an ongoing area of research,
and as pressure mounts from consumers
and governments for more responsible
production, global material manufacturers
are responding by investing in
biodegradable alternatives to petrolbased plastics.

ACTIVE
EXPERIENCE
1

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

Spending on activation marketing in the

US is soaring, accounting for nearly 60%
of advertisers' budgets. It is projected to
top $595bn in 2016 and reach $740bn
by 2020.
Nike is a leader in this space and recently
combined the interiors world with the
active crowd during Milan Design Week
2016. In addition to shoes that reproduced
the sensation of running on grass, sand or
pine needles, the Nature of Motion
exhibition showcased installations
including Greg Lynns microclimate chair,
which heats and cools athletes in between
periods of exercise, and Sebastian
Wrongs furniture made from Nikes
Flyknit textiles.

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

anting to intersect the tech world with

W
an analogue product, American
Greetings, a 100 year-old paper greeting
card company, took over a storefront
during the tech-based SXSW festival. The
#Analog space featured do-it-yourself
printmaking, pop-up cards and lettering
lessons from staff artists. The most
popular digital/analogue combinations
included a selfie stitched with thread and
a colouring-book mural project that could
be shared online.
Keep in mind, not all brand activations
will directly increase sales, but they are
likely to drive social sentiment, which in a
world of digital distractions is priceless.

1. Sebastian Wrong x Nike 2. Kelsey Montague 3. Nike Lab

C O N S UM ER

How do brands compete in a world of

digital and physical advertisements? For
some the answer is simple: create your
own world and invite people to experience
it. While this marketing strategy is not
particularly new, the experience economy
(people valuing the experience of a thing
more than the thing itself) is driving an
increase in brand activations: bringing
brands to life via experiences.

C R EA T I V E

MAN-MADE
PARADISE

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

Architecture practice SPARK is also

mimicking the natural world to create new
man-made retreats, with a design
for beach pods in Singapore made from
recycled ocean trash, which look like
psychedelic multicoloured palm trees.
They will allow beach-lovers to camp out
under the stars, next to the sea, and as
well as being self-sustainable, they will
also offer an eco-friendly solution to the
ongoing issue of plastic ocean waste.
VR will open up a new world of man-made
escapes. The Reality Theatre by Allison
Crank, for example, is a virtual shopping
centre, which users can enter via an
Oculus Rift headset. It's a shopper's
psychedelic paradise, and a concept that

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

Summerland is a great example of what

we can expect. Scheduled to open in the
UK for winter 2016, this man-made
tropical paradise will allow Londoners to
escape the dark and dreary winter and
slip into a balmy hyperreal haven.

could revolutionise the retail space. As the

artist explains: "This is a vision of the next
shopping machine, a stage for
experiences of limitless possibilities."
Floral artist Rebecca Louise Law also
touches upon man-made paradise with
her work. On show at Bikini Berlin, she
has created a psychotropical garden of
suspended flowers, like a topsy-turvy
meadow. Taking the outside indoors, Law
hopes it will become a tranquil place to
experience nature, albeit one that has
been artificially reconstructed.

1. Rebecca Louise Law 2. Allison Crank 3. SPARK Architects

In 2018, design will look to build synthetic

sanctuaries, using man-made means to
recreate the feeling of paradise.

SENSORIAL
EUPHORIA

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

The Physlab series of animations by Anny

Wang and Tim Sderstrm also taps into
the concept of ASMR, presenting a series
of hypnotic, hyperreal environments that
evoke pleasurable sensations. It's pure
visual stimuli, eliciting a sense of tactility
and sensory satisfaction from the screen.
As explored in the book Digit Culture A
Fingerbook of Our Time, the virtual world
is starting to look a lot more lifelike,
as digital experiences begin to feel more
textured and physical. Going forward, we
can expect the screen 'to touch us back'.

Also working with the sensory is Dallasbased artist Dan Lam, who has created
sculptures with hypnotic textures, intense
tones and drippy forms. Each one has a

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

visual rhythm that evokes the tactile

experience that awaits. Teasing the
senses, they beg to be touched.
Rose Pilkington is another artist exploring
the potential of visual stimulation. Exciting
the senses, her work is pure eye candy.
The project is called Auroratone, and is
based on a psychedelic technique that
explores the psychological powers of
colour. She explains, "I wanted to assault
the senses of the viewer, impacting their
eyes with colour and form."

1. Rose Pilkington 2. Dan Lam 3.Wryfield Lab 4. Anny Wang

C R EA T I V E

Interest in sensory stimulation is growing,

as designers look to trigger euphoria or
alter states of mind through their work. The
video featured, for example, shows a kiwi
being cut in reverse, tapping into a
phenomenon called ASMR (a mild
euphoric response to visual or aural
stimuli that induces relaxation,
characterised by tingling on the neck,
scalp and back).

PHYGITAL
DESIGN

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

poses as an intelligent and emotional

entity." Incredibly realistic, it gives the
illusion of a solid object, and alludes to the
idea that the virtual truly exists.

A prime example is Frame Magazine,

which explored what a phygital world
could look and feel like at Milan Design
Week 2016 with its exhibition, What's the
Matter? One exhibit was Alice Dunseath's
short film, You Could Sunbathe in this
Storm a mesmerising series of
psychedelic pastel swirls and sci-fi corals,
pointing towards what the digital and
physical can make when they come
together. As Dunseath explains: "I use
real-world footage and manipulate the
imagery digitally to make films that are,
technically speaking, of and from the
physical world but look otherwordly, like
something you would never experience
with your
eyes alone."

The Colloidal Display project, produced by

an international team of researchers, also
blurs the boundary between the real and
the virtual, Minority Report-style. Here,
bubbles are turned into incredibly thin
screens, allowing images to float in mid
air. This creates a projected texture, a
controllable surface, and demonstrates
how design will become increasingly
immaterial in the future.

The Anima installation by Nick Verstand

also explores the space where digital
meets physical. Unveiled at SXSW, Anima
is a pulsating, flowing orb that reacts to the
presence of people around it. Verstand
says, "This three-dimensional sphere
3

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

1. Alice Dunseath 2. Nick Verstand 3. Colloidal Display

C R EA T I V E

Phygital a mix of physical and digital is

a term that has been used a lot in retail,
but now design is beginning to breathe
new life into it.

HYPER
EXOTICA
1

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

4
2

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

Products take on tropical influences in

both realistic and high-definition digital
ways, forging a new, hyper-exotic
design direction. Nature inspires
innovative three-dimensional shapes,
structures and textures for fashion and
product design, and materials and
textiles are reimagined in a slick,
opulent way, with heightened colour,
engineered constructions, and
computergenerated structures.

1. Jeremy Sharma 2. W Magazine 3. Delaney Allen 4. Wilfried Grootens 5. Elle Men Thailand

STYLE

PSYCHEDELIC
NATURE

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

6
5

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

1. Issey Miyake 2. Sarah Meyohas 3. Bompas & Parr 4. Seb Janiak 5. Numro China 6. Bompas & Parr

STYLE

Unusual plants, strange exotic florals

and rare creatures from the depths of the
jungle inspire unexpected hybrids of
colour, pattern and texture. Collages
both digital and hand-made create a
new, psychedelic take on camouflage.
Nature is reflected and abstracted in
new ways. Chameleon-like
thermochromic colour, which reacts to
heating or cooling, makes for adaptable
innovative coatings and tropical prints.

1. Martina Spetlova 2. David Edgar 3. Yoshio Kubo 4. Samara Scott

STYLE

PLASTIC
ISLAND

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

A synthetic paradise sees plastics

recycled in a more pragmatic and
optimistic way, with artificial colour and
simplified shapes adding a modern,
sporty twist to high-summer style. Ocean
waste and post-consumer materials are
creatively mixed and patched together to
create useful and decorative products,
using high-contrast graphic colours and
textures. Surfaces emulate the look of
the deep sea with glossy, gummy and
jelly-like textures and coatings.

1
4

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

HE MAIN
T
EVENT

MASS
INFLUENCERS

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

Debeaulieu Florist, Paris - This

year's Hyres International Festival
of Fashion & Photography
welcomed a florist for the first time
Paris-based Debeaulieu showing
that in the worlds of fashion and
design, flowers are power.

Avatar 2 - The fantasy drama is

IN THE ACTIVE ARENA

Obonjan Island, Croatia - This
festival, which lasts all summer, is a
sort of utopian escape a fantasy
getaway just off the coast of
Croatia, dedicated to the arts,
ecology and wellbeing. Think
summer camp for adults, in a
paradise setting.

Headstrong - Introducing
HeadStrong, the new workout class
from Equinox Gym that immerses
the senses and trains the brain the
same way you train your body.
Pushing you physically and
mentally, this is the future of fitness.

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

MOVIE
TIME

FOOD FOR
THOUGHT

back. Delve into the planet of

Pandora, and see this lush, tropical,
alien world come to life once again.
Scheduled for the screen in
December 2018.

MUSIC FOR
YOUR EARS

HE ONE
T
TO WATCH
Vision Summit - A two-day, crossindustry get-together with some of
the brightest minds in the spheres
of virtual reality and augmented
reality. For anyone interested in
developing VR/AR content, this is
the place to be.

The Slow Knife by Reid Willis Escape into a hyperreal version of

nature with this new music video,
which presents a unique universe
that teeters between the natural
and supernatural.

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

WHAT D OES PSYCHOTROPICAL MEAN FOR YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS?

A strong understanding of your brand's message is essential to tap into the

growth for experiential branding. Is your brand identity strong enough to
translate into a clear, memorable experience for your consumers?

Technology is expanding the ways we communicate beyond language and text,

by incorporating the senses. How can you speak to your consumers, and
reinforce a positive experience of your brand, by tapping into their senses?

As virtual reality becomes increasingly commercial, so will the concept of

escaping into manmade paradises and not just for those with a VR headset.
How can you transform your retail space into a synthetic sanctuary?

Anticipating the increasing importance of digital not just at retail, but

throughout your whole business infrastructure is essential, but the physical
remains equally important. Balancing these in a complementary way is key.
How will you create a successful phygital strategy?

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

Jane Boddy

THOUGHT STARTERS

1. David McLeod 2. Rebecca Louise Law

CREATIVE

RESEARCH
& REFERENCE

Summerland, London
Beach Hut by Spark
The Reality Theatre by Allison Crank
Garten by Rebecca Louise Law

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

Auroratone by Rose Pilkington

CONSUMER

[Un]Chopping Kiwi ASMR by Wryfield Lab

Current State of the Neurotechnology Market

Wall Pieces by Dan Lam

Halo Sport neuropriming technology

Physlab by Anny Wang and Tim Sderstrm

Thync

You Could Sunbathe in This Storm

SUB3 by Henrik Vibskov

by Alice Dunseath

David Eagleman: vibrating VEST

Anima by Nick Verstand

Wearable Experiments

Colloidal Display by Yoichi Ochiai,

Gemio wearable technology

Alexis Oyama and Keisuke Toyoshima

Nike at Milan Design Week

American Greetings at SXSW
Lexus Design Award

STYLE

Bacterium That Degrades PET

Robert Melee: Semi-Quasi-Bower Recreational

Bioplasitcs Magazine PLA World Conference

Botanical Sculpture by Azuma Makoto

Dupont Industrial Biosciences

Plastiquarium by David Edgar

Citrus Still Life by Delaney Allen
Memesis by Seb Janiak
Silks by Samara Scott
Thermochromic Flowers by Bompas & Parr

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

RELATED REPORTS
RISE OF
BACK

RESTORATIVE

TO NATURE

FITNESS

DIGITAL
PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

VACATIONS

TOP 10 INTERNET

THE VIRTUAL

CHROMA: THE POWER

ARTISTS

REALITY EXPERIENCE

OF COLOUR

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

PSYCHOTR OPI CAL S/ S 18

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

F U TU RE TRE N D S CRITICAL PATH S/S 18

THE VISION

Women' s C olour

MI D - MA Y

MI D - J U L Y

COLOUR

Ac c essor ies &

Footwear C or e C olour

MI D A U G U S T

E A RLY A U GU S T

L A TE J U L Y

Ac tive C olour Analy sis

L A TE - MA Y

Ac tive C olour
L A TE MA Y

FORECAST

Glob al C olour

Sur fac e & Mater ials

For ec ast

E A RLY J U N E

E A RLY J U N E

C olour Analy sis

E A RLY J U N E

C olour Evolution
E A RLY J U N E

Reg ional C olour C omp ar ison

MI D - J U N E

C olour b y Reg ion

MI D - J U N E

Beauty C olour C osmetic s

Men' s Textiles For ec ast

L A TE A U G U S T

Per for manc e Footwear

For ec ast: Textiles & Sur fac e
Women' s For ec ast
L ifesty le & I nter ior s For ec ast
L A TE J U L Y

Men' s For ec ast

MI D - J U L Y

Kid s' For ec ast

L A TE A U G U S T

Men' s Hair For ec ast

MI D TO L A TE S E P TE MB E R

Women' s Hair For ec ast

MI D TO L A TE S E P TE MB E R

Ac c essor ies For ec ast

MI D TO L A TE S E P TE MB E R

Footwear For ec ast

L A TE S E P TE MB E R TO E A R L Y O C TO B E R

J eweller y For ec ast

E A R L Y S E P TE MB E R

E A RLY J U LY

I ntimates For ec ast

Ac tive Textiles For ec ast

Knit & J er sey For ec ast

MI D - D E C E MB E R

E A R L Y S E P TE MB E R

L A TE J U L Y

Swimwear For ec ast

Kid s' Textiles For ec ast

Ac c essor ies & Footwear

L eather & Non-L eather

L A TE S E P TE MB E R

MI D - A U G U S T

L A TE S E P TE MB E R

Pr ints & Gr ap hic s

D esig n C ap sules

Big I d eas

E A RLY A U GU S T

L A TE J U L Y

E A R L Y S E P TE MB E R

KEY ITEMS

Ac tive Big I d eas

Ac c essor ies & Footwear

Solid Mater ials

Kid s' C olour

E A RLY J U LY

E A RLY A U GU S T

L A TE J U L Y

Pac k ag ing For ec ast

Men' s C olour

L A TE S E P TE MB E R

V isual Mer c hand ising

For ec ast

L A TE J U N E

Ac c essor ies & Footwear

Har d war e & D etails

MI D - D E C E MB E R

MI D A U G U S T

E A R L Y S E P TE MB E R

MI D - J U L Y

E A R L Y S E P TE MB E R

Ac tive For ec ast

Women' s Textiles For ec ast

L A TE A U G U S T

L ifesty le & I nter ior s C olour

Men' s D enim For ec ast

L A TE J U L Y TO L A TE S E P TE MB E R

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
E A R L Y TO L A TE S E P TE MB E R

Women' s D enim For ec ast

*Date ranges subject to change

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

SE ASO N AL D RO PS S/S 18
To help with S/S 18 planning, WGSNs four Vision trends are mapped across six
key retail drops. This will provide clear insight into which Vision trend will be most
relevant for which parts of the season, enabling effective planning for product
development across all seasonal ranges.

The WGSN seasonal recommendations are broken down into the following:
The season opens with Slow Futures, focusing on practical and functional product that
crosses over from winter into the Spring Transitional drop
Kinship has two drops: Spring which centres around lighter layers, and Mid-Spring &
Festival, which explores new festival essentials
Psychotropical also has two drops: Summer which targets both casual and resort, and
High-Summer, which focuses on beach looks, with an emphasis on print and pattern
Youth Tonic has an expressive urban attitude that works for the Summer Transitional drop,
as the season moves towards autumn

I SI ON
V
TRENDS

ETA I L
R
DROPS

SPRING TRANSITIONAL

Future Trends > S/S 18 > The Vision

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SPRING

MID-SPRING & FESTIVAL

SUMMER

HIGH SUMMER

SUMMER TRANSITIONAL