2022 trends – according to Trendstefan
Today, the 11th edition of Stora Trenddagen took place, the annual event where Sweden's leading trend hunter Stefan "Trendstefan" Nilsson shares the upcoming year's most intriguing trends within lifestyle, design and behavior. We had a chat with Stefan afterwards for a condensed version of his trendspotting for 2022!
Anti-consumption: Second hand, vintage and repair
We have been talking about this for a long time but it’s only now we have figures and statistics that confirm the trend: we no longer want to buy new things, we are done shopping for new products. This was recently confirmed in a McKinsey study, and there is even a new word that captures the essence of anti-consumption, degrowth; a term Stefan predicts will be used extensively during the year. With this said, we are still eager to consume, but primarily in the form of vintage and second hand. New for 2022 is also that repairing will be incredibly important – wear and tear is out of style while repairing is hot. Here, we see an enormous entrepreneurial spirit and curiosity, and there are great opportunities for companies to develop their offer. The fashion industry is at the forefront and examples include H&M with their own sewing studios and the British brand TOAST, which have invited designers to repair consumers' broken clothes.
💡Tip: We want to buy recycled goods or repair the ones we have. The fashion industry has jumped on the trend, now it's time for other industries to catch up. Can your brand offer recycling or repairs in any form?
Experiences: The temporary and momentary
So, we will not consume (new things) in 2022 – what will we do instead? The answer is that we’ll spend all our time and money on experiences. And above all, experiences in the art sphere will be in focus: we will see exhibitions, go to museums, hang out in galleries and visit sculpture parks. In 2022, we want to take photos of ourselves with a piece of art, not a newly purchased garment. New for this year is that the most hyped artists make temporary art experiences – experiences that will not remain for, say, a month. We want to be at the place where it happens and this is what we want to share in our social media, mainly because the temporary affects us since it’s here and now. A recent example of this was seen this autumn when the Arc de Triomphe in Paris was dressed in cloth for a couple of weeks. The temporary experiences will also be found in other contexts, such as in food and flower arrangements.
💡Tip: Dare to move away from product focus and think experiences instead. How, where and with whom does your target group want to experience your brand?
Mavericks: Embody the dangerous
The temporary trend above is a response to the proper, safe, beige, toned down and serious that we encountered during the pandemic. We’re now entering a period where we want to reach a higher energy level – if 2021 was homely, proper and safe, 2022 will be mischievous, challenging, and yes, a bit dangerous. After serious times, we need to experience joy! And if it’s uncomfortable or weird it’s right. This trend needs people to embody it, something Stefan calls Mavericks. A "kinder" type of Maverick is found in Pippi Longstocking who goes her own way, sleeps with her feet on the pillow and ignores rules and norms, while a slightly more “dangerous" version can be seen in, for example, Måneskin who won the Eurovision Song Contest last year. Scantily clad, a bit dangerous and a sense of uncertainty laying over them (did they do drugs in the green room or not?), Måneskin embodies a Maverick in 2022. A good example where a brand jumped on this trend is seen in Basquiat for Tiffany, where clutter and punk meets luxury and flair.
💡Tip: Take a look at the profiles you’re working with and find your brand’s Maverick. Dare to choose the dangerous – someone who dares to break norms can also take you forward!
Also! The color of the year is orange 🧡 and the plant of the year is peperomia, Stefan predicts.