I will begin this blog with a post about what to expect of 2015 concerning the way we dress, the way we decorate our homes and the way we love (and make love)!
FASHION:
When it comes to fashion, the past decade has showed us what is being called “democratic fashion”. Democratic fashion is not as political as it sounds, but is still about having a democratic approach to the way fashion is produced and consumed. Today fashion is being democratic because of:
- The internet, which means that everyone with a computer and an internet connection has access to the latest fashiontrends. You can now be updated through Instagram, fashionblogs, online webshops or online fashion-magazines.
- We can get this access 24-7 if we are carrying a smartphone or tablet.
- Today it has also become much cheaper to be fashionable, because of high-street fashion, such as H&M, Zara, Topshop and ASOS.
- And last but not least; The big fashion brands has started to use “everyday people” a lot more, when it comes to creating relevant design, which can be seen in the way fashionbloggers are implemented in the designprocess.
This democratic way of producing and consuming fashion has, of course, changed a lot in the world of fashion -and these changes will be increased in the years to come. One of the main areas this democratization has influenced, is our understanding of what´s “new” and the value of “new”. Many years ago it wasn´t everyone that had access to the information about what was new. Today we can all get it, which means it is no longer something exclusive or something for a small group of innovators (the people who creates the trends). And you can no longer stand out just by wearing something new, because is has already been shown to thousands of other fashion-consumers. So what do the fashion-consumer do to stand out, if it isn´t possible just by wearing new items? They do two things: They try to be more creative in their way of styling the different fashion items and they balance their way of dressing, so it gets as close as possible to what is being perceived as “ugly” by the mainstream group.
From www.sketch42blog.com
By dressing creative, it gets more difficult for other consumer groups to copy the look, and by dressing close to ugly, it isn´t everyone that dares to copy the look. So in 2015 focus will be a lot more on the unique styling of fashion -and how to stand out in a way, which makes other confused about whether or not it is fashion.
INTERIOR:
Our way of decorating our homes will also change dramatically in 2015. People are tired of the idea about the “perfect home” and have realized that it is more important to spend time with family and friends, rather on choosing matching fabrics for the livingroom. It is important to state though, that people will still use time on decorating their homes, they just don´t wan´t to send the message about it….
The way we can and will see unperfect decorated homes is through a more relaxed approach towards mess. Books, clothes and plants are no longer organized beautyfully, but is lying randomly in the home. People will be inspired of decorating their homes in a “Selby” way (www.theselby.com) and they will play a lot more with mixing up different types of interior.
From www.theselby.com
It is no longer important to chose which kind of interior style you like and then be loyal to the style. Now you can mix it all up and instead get an inspiring and personal home. So if you are into danish design from the 50s and 60s is, it becomes even more interesting if you dare to combine it with a leather couch from the 80s or 90s ! The style is definitely eclectic and is pushed to the max.
And why do we want to style our homes like this mess? Of course because of the earlier mentioned message about spending your time on what is really important, but also because you show the world that you have the balls to decorate your home exactly as you wish (even though you are still inspired of others…). You now decorate in a way most would people would call weird, but you are aware of what is really going on; you are creating your own personal universe of favorite interior design.
LOVE & SEX
And now to the naughty part. How will we love and make love in 2015?
Our traditional way of understanding love and relationships will open up in 2015. People are now ready for a more nuanced view on love. This trend and development is influenced by a holistic and spiritual way of living and can already be seen in groups of people who appreciate yoga, eat natural and are openminded towards alternative ways of living. This is said very “black and white”, and there is of course many people who is already practicing this new way of love, without doing yoga and eating green stuff.
The trend is basically about how to open up for love, and “the fact” that there is love enough for everybody. So if you are in a traditional relationship, there is a possibility to open up towards other people, without harming your primary relationship. This sounds provocative for most people, and will possibly lead to feelings of jealousy and unsecurity -but the idea behind this way of living can be compared with the love you have to your children. No matter how many children you have, you will love them all! The people who are living like this do not all have a perfect relationship, but they like the idea about setting each other free and they question why we have to live by some very strict rules instead of realizing that we can never own another human being.
From www.scienceofrelationships.com
As some people want to “let go” concerning their lovelife, some people will also be attracted of “letting go” in their sexual life. This development is a response to the highly controlled society we live in today. We are responsible for our own happiness and we constantly have to make sure that everything is working out for us 24-7, and not only in our physical life, but also on our online life through the social media. We have become very aware of ourselves; how we show who we are, both in text and through photos. This creates a desire to let go and get wild, without thinking about it. Just to be natural, be you without the extra reflective layer that is constantly lying in your consciousness.
How you can see this trend, is amongst others through the way people search, perform and consume sex. If we take the first one; how people search for sex, you will see that it is now “ok” to search for looks (Tinder, Grindr), for money (Sugardating) or for cheating (VictoriaMilan). People have become very purposive when it comes to the search for new sexual adventures, maybe because it is now possible to be specific about your needs. So people are now more open about fulfilling their needs and it is no longer weird if your friend tells you, he has been to a swinger club.
If we take a look at how people in the sex and porn-industry perform sex, there has definitely been a change during the last 40 years. The actors today are very aware of their performance, and often seem to pay more attention on how they look in front of the camera instead of looking like they actually enjoy what they are doing. If you look at a porn-movie from the 70s or 80s, you will notice that they are more present in the sexual act and doesn’t seem to pay attention to the way they look -not in same extend as can be seen today. This ability to be present and to enjoy the moment you are in is very difficult for most people today. This is because we have the extra reflective layer (how can this situation be showed on the social media) and because of the high level of control (I have to get the kids delivered before 8, so that I can get to work before…etc.). The interesting thing is, that porn-movies from the 70s and 80s are very popular on sites such as redtube and youporn. Maybe because people actually had the ability to have sex in a more intuitive and present way -like animals!…
The need and demand for more natural and intuitive sex can also be seen through the huge amount of articles about how the pubic hair(not so charming term) is coming back! If we take a look at the symbolic meaning of the hair we wear “downstairs”, we will see that the designed and shaved hair symbolizes a controlled body. On the other way around, the unshaved and hairy genitals symbolizes the uncontrolled, mysterious and more animal-like behavior.
So my predictions is that we will definitely see a more relaxed feeling and behavior when it comes to love and making love in the years to come.
I hope you enjoyed my predictions for 2015. If you want to receive my thoughts, ideas and theories about fashion and consumer-behavoir, then sign up for my newsletter right here:
[wysija_form id=”4″]