The Trendy Millennial

21 year old Fashion student. NYC.

[thetrendymillennial]

Cannabis Goes HIGH End

If you look closely at the runways of today’s luxury designers, you’ll notice a certain leafed plant beautifully gracing pieces worn by the models. Cannabis motifs are slowly beginning to emerge in the luxury market as marijuana begins to become legalized in several states throughout the country. Medical marijuana is legal in 28 states (including Washington D.C.) and is fully legal in 8 states (including Washington D.C.). Overall support of legalization of marijuana has risen with Americans over the years, with 60% in support in 2016 as opposed to 36% in 2005.  The legal marijuana industry is already at $5.7 billion as of 2015, and is expected to surpass $22 billion in 2020. Entrepreneurs are taking notice and have started to capitalize on the growing industry. Tetra, is an e-commerce site that sells marijuana instruments such as rolling papers, pipes, and fog pins. Among their products are a $1,250 lighter and ashtray set and a $550 seed bowl. Beboe is an upscale marijuana brand based in California co-founded by former Yoox president, Clement Kwan. Launching in early 2017, they will sell low-dose marijuana products which include $25 pastilles with 5mg of THC/CBD and $60 pre-filled vaporizers with low doses of THC/CBD oil. Luxury wine and spirit companies should start think about investing into branded marijuana in the future being that global consumption of alcohol saw a 0.7% decrease in 2015, the first drop since 2001. Major luxury conglomerates like LVMH and Kering entering the marijuana industry can further change the perception of marijuana and further catapult it into upscale market.

(Source: Business of Fashion)

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Dropping Fresh Afrobeats

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the rise of Afrocentrism in the United States and how African culture was being embraced by African-Americans. Going further into the spread of African culture, brings me to the topic of Afrobeats. Afrobeats is a genre of music stemming from Nigeria and Ghana that is a mix of traditional African sounds with hip-hop and EDM. The genre gained popularity in Africa a few years ago and very recently has begun acquiring traction in the United States and London. This year, Nigerian singer Ayo Jay made a splash on US Top 40 radio with his song “Your Number” with over 12 million streams on Spotify and over 19 million views on YouTube. One of Africa’s biggest music stars is Wizkid who made a global impact this year on Drake’s mega-hit “One Dance” which was number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In June, RocNation hosted the One Africa Music Fest in Brooklyn, NY featuring Ayo Jay, Wizkid, and other popular African artists, Tiwa Savage, Davido, and Jidenna. This event was the first of its kind in the United States, which was a success considering there was with no help from any Western artists. I first took notice to Afrobeats this summer, from watching a young woman who dances on Instagram to Afrobeats. I then discovered videos on Youtube of people dancing to Afrobeats and fell in love with the music and dancing. I hope African artists find more international success and can find a way to make their mark on pop culture.

(Source: Buzzfeed, 2016)

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Luxe Streetwear 

10 years ago, if you wanted to find the latest streetwear gear, you would probably head straight to Soho or downtown Brooklyn. The last place you would ever think to find streetwear would be in a department store, but in 2016, that is all changing. Luxury department stores like Barneys and Bergdorf Goodman are beginning to carry streetwear brands alongside existing luxe brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton. Bergdorf has recently featured streetwear brand Kith with a limited edition capsule collection, which quickly sold out. The department store has also had a special launch event for the FentyxPuma clothing line back in September. London department store Harvey Nichols hosted a contemporary pop-up space featuring streetwear brands such as 424, Axel Arigato and This Is Not Clothing on their men’s floor. Retail value of department stores in the US only grew 1.4 percent in the last year, and reaching a millennial consumer base is what department stores are aiming for with streetwear. Over the past two years we’ve really seen the athleisure trend flourish and streetwear has some overlap into that trend as well. Many designer brands have taken notice and brought streetwear to a high fashion platform that it hasn’t been before. That’s why I think it is now acceptable to shop department stores for streetwear because it has become multidimensional. I personally have mixed feelings on streetwear becoming luxe because I feel that streetwear is more than just clothes, it’s a lifestyle and not everybody who wears it these days actually fit into that lifestyle.

(Source: Business of Fashion, 2016)

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Fast Fashion Designers

          Fast fashion is something that is not only impacting brands and retailers but designers themselves. Nowadays, we are seeing more changes in creative directors of designer brands than ever before. Today’s top designers rarely have tenures as long as Karl Lagerfeld, with 34+ years at Chanel, John Galliano with 15 years at Dior, and Marc Jacobs with 16 years at Louis Vuitton, just to name a few. When asked about the cause of this rapid change, Paolo de Cesare, chairman and CEO of Printemps said, “The new business model now requires a very different level of skill and talent compared to what it used to be — mastery over social media being one”. Many of today’s designers have established celebrity status through social media, and use it to personally connect with the consumer. I think the constant change in designers has something to do with how eager our generation is to change. Everything in today’s world changes so quickly, from fashion to technology, you name it. Also, many brands are trying to capture millennial consumers, and we tend to change jobs often, which is reflected in the ever-changing creative directors in fashion. I don’t know if this will be good for the industry in the future because it will be hard for a brand to stick to an aesthetic when there is constantly someone different who is changing it.  

(Source: WWD, 2016)

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Deck The Trains

One of the things I have noticed as a New Yorker for the past 3 years is the various advertisements on the shuttle train in the form of fully wrapped cars. This holiday season, Brooks Brothers Holiday Express has taken over the shuttle train with their signature tartan print, similar to their holiday packaging. The cars are designed to look like a holiday themed living room featuring Brooks Brothers merchandise. There is shelving with picture frames and ornaments alongside cozy sweaters and other men’s gift ideas. The train seats are “upholstered couches” decorated with accent pillows. The Brooks Brothers Holiday Express also advertises their affiliation with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Their shuttle advertising runs until the end of December. I saw this when I rode the shuttle a few weeks ago and it is one of the best ones I have seen. Although I knew the seats were hard, it gave me the illusion that it was a comfy couch. I always thought this idea was a very cool form of advertising. I would love to see the fully wrapped subway cars on more trains than just the shuttle. It would make me look forward to riding the train because of how visually appealing the cars look and because it brightens up the daily commute.

(Source: WWD, 2016)

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VR Theme Parks

It seems like virtual reality is still fresh, but it is constantly on the up & up, making its way into various industries. One of the most exciting industries is theme parks. In Utah, a virtual reality theme park called The Void opened last year. It uses a VR headset in conjunction with a backpack and haptic suit to track and guide users through the experience. The Void differs from older virtual reality concepts through the idea of “hyper-reality” which combines all of the senses into the virtual experience. The company plans to expand and create various smaller versions of the Utah park to include different themes and also use movie and video game concepts. The Void recently expanded to NYC in Times Square for a Ghostbusters themed experience called “Ghostbusters Dimension” in time for the most recent release of the franchise last summer. It was held at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum for a $20 fee and allowed users to virtually tour the Ghostbuster’s NYC headquarters before saving the city from a paranormal villain. At Six Flags in Maryland, VR headsets have been integrated into the existing Superman – Ride of Steel roller coaster. As riders ascend the first drop, they are virtually lifted by Lex Luthor and sent plunging to the ground at 68 degrees, but virtually feels like 90 degrees. Integrating VR into rollercoasters has shown to be beneficial to revive old rides that are starting to lose popularity. Six Flags Magic Mountain in California added VR headsets to The Revolution, built 40 years ago, which had positive results. Corporate Head of Design at Six Flags, Sam Rhodes said “Since we’ve added the virtual reality element to The Revolution, ridership has tripled”. Although I’m not too excited about VR or any of these scary advancements in technology, I think this idea is perfect. I feel that using VR in a controlled environment for specific entertainment purposes is a great idea and puts me more at ease than the idea of walking around outside with the headset on, oblivious to the world. I am really excited to see more roller coasters use VR since I’m a roller coaster enthusiast and I think it would add another element of adventure.

(Source: The Verge, 2016)

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Support Small Beauty

Over the past decade or two, companies like Estee Lauder, LVMH, and L’Oréal have dominated the beauty industry. Recently, there has been an uptrend of popular independent brands. Although it seems like there is no room for independent brands to thrive in the world of beauty, social media has been their secret weapon. Brands such as ColourPop (3.5 million Instagram followers), Morphe Brushes (3.5 Instagram million followers), and Dose of Colors (1.9 Instagram million followers) have made a noticeable impact largely in part to social media. These brands are targeting Millennial and Gen X consumers, who happen to be using social media the most. Another tactic popular with independent beauty brands is the use of celebrities and social media influencers. The influencers promote the brands on their social media accounts and use their products in YouTube tutorials, which is a key selling point. Larger beauty conglomerates like Estee Lauder and L’Oréal are taking notice of these smaller, independent brands and strategically purchasing them to stay ahead of the curve. Just a few days ago, Estee Lauder purchased Becca Cosmetics, famous for their “Champagne Pop” highlighters, made in collaboration with YouTube star Jaclyn Hill. Another platform that furthers the reach of independent beauty brands are beauty expos such as Generation Beauty and Beautycon. These expos are not the traditional “professionals-only” format; they are open to the public and aimed at a Millennial/Gen X audience to provide them with an experience with a variety of beauty brands. I predict the amount of independent beauty brands will continue to grow because of social media. Networks such as Instagram and Youtube are great platforms for smaller brands to reach a large audience and the world is only becoming more digital, so it makes sense.

(Source: Business of Fashion, 2016)

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The 21st Century Supermarket Experience

As time goes on, the way consumers’ shopping behaviors and preferences change, and the supermarket industry is evolving along with it. Everyone has to grocery shop whether they like it or not, and many supermarket chains are tapping into key retail trends to keep customers interested. With the rise of on-demand grocery delivery and e-commerce grocery, supermarket chains are coming up with creative ways to keep customers shopping through brick-and-mortar. Shoprite has upgraded one of their New Jersey stores to include a yoga studio with a fairly low price of $10 a month and a daycare center where parents can drop their kids of for up to two hours. Supermarket chain Kroger introduced a wine bar complete with leather sofas and a cigar section into one of their stores in addition to its existing vast wine collection. One of the most interesting concepts I have seen is a drive-thru grocery store called Swiss Farms in the Philadelphia area. It remind me of convenience stores like Wawa or Quick Chek but with the option of a drive thru. I would love to see other convenience stores and supermarkets pick up this concept because I think it would be very successful. It will be interesting to see how supermarkets like Whole Foods, who already provide an above average supermarket experience, will react to increasing competition from other supermarkets. We always see how apparel retailers innovate their brick-and-mortar to keep up with change, but never noticed that the supermarket industry was doing the same. As I move into adulthood, I hope to see more innovative supermarket trends being that I’ve always hated grocery shopping.

(Source: WGSN, 2016)

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No More Sweater Weather

Over the past few years, global warming has made very apparent impacts on the weather. Summers are scorching hot and Falls and Winters have become surprisingly warm. According to scientists, these effects are irreversible and will become more commonplace in the future. Because of these changes in climate, fashion retailers have experienced declines in sales during the Fall season. Manufacturers usually ship sweaters and coats during the late summer season, but now stocks are piling up because customers don’t feel the need to buy if the weather is still warm. In addition, today’s consumers are very sale-driven and are not likely to purchase merchandise until it is marked down. This would cause retailers to loss excessive amounts of money and cause them to re-strategize their seasonal efforts. Saint James, a retailer known for their wool sweaters, is choosing to offer sweaters designed with lighter fabrics that gives flexibility to be worn cross-seasonally. Some retailers and manufacturers are already starting to pay closer attention to weather changes to determine their assortments. Kat Rosati, brand manager at branding/marketing firm Apparel Booster stated that there are “smaller collections and more frequent releases where the products on the shelves at the retailers are more reflective of what is going on now.” This makes sense to do because even though seasons are getting warmer, the weather can still be unpredictable.  Also considering people don’t want to see down coats on display when it is 75 degrees outside. It will be interesting to see how more retailers respond to climate change and what the future holds in respect to seasons and fashion.

(Source: WWD.com, 2016)

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Too Much (Hot) Sauce

As many people may or may not have noticed over the past year or two, hot sauce is everywhere. Of course hot sauce has existed for a long time, but it was just another condiment until recently. According to National Public Radio, sales of hot sauce has been increasing, with sriracha being the most popular type. One theory of why hot sauce has become so popular is the rise of food trucks, with their variety of cultural cuisine, which made people feel more adventurous in trying new foods. The food industry has taken notice and kicked spicy foods into full gear. Heinz has released a sriracha flavored ketchup and there’s even spicy ice cream, called Bonfatto’s Spice Cream. In Brooklyn, there is a new retail store called Heatonist, selling only hot sauce. Their sauces are from several small brands that come in many different flavors. Hot sauce obsession has even impacted fashion. Streetwear brand The Hundreds has collaborated with hot sauce brand Tapatio for a special edition t-shirt that comes with a free bottle of hot sauce and exclusive spicy menu items from various restaurants in Los Angeles. In addition, you can find so many other examples of hot sauce inspired products such as several different sriracha cookbooks, phone cases, Beyoncé songs, and what I thought was really cool, a Taco Bell sauce packet flash drive. I have definitely noticed a sudden surge of the hot sauce trend last year. Prior to that I had never even heard of sriracha but now it’s everywhere. I am certainly enjoying this trend considering I love spicy foods, which my friends like to joke that I burned my taste buds away, but I think the thrill of spiciness is fun.

(Source: Fashion Snoops, 2016)

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The New Underground Experience

In 2016, we are living in an “experience economy” where consumers don’t want to be sold products alone, but complete experiences as well. From restaurants, retailers, social media, and so many other aspects of everyday life, people crave unique, memorable experiences. One of the latest instances of this trend is now impacting urban travel. According to City Metric, Beijing’s subway system provides service to approximately 3.4 billion people a year, Tokyo’s subway system transports about 3.2 billion per year, New York City’s subway system carries 1.8 billion people yearly, and London subway system, carries 1.3 billion. Many companies are using innovative strategies to capture consumers in these very busy locations.

The New Stand, is a twist on the average convenience store that promises “daily deals, amazing new products, new stories, new music and video.” They also offer discounts to members who shop through their mobile app. The New Stand is currently open in several NYC subway stations.

Turnstyle is a new NYC food hall located in the Columbus Circle subway station. Turnstyle features over 30 vendors, combining food and retail with a daily commute. The station alone has over 90,000 people pass through every day, which is a great location for commuters to sit and eat before or after a commute.

I think bringing retail into subway stations is a very cool idea. These metropolitan cities are full of many people and attract tourists from all over the world, so this concept brings another exciting element to the city.

(Source: Fashion Snoops, 2016)

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Eatertainment

It seems like these days, everyone is obsessed with pictures of food. Every time you go to a restaurant, you can guarantee there will be people taking pictures of their food and uploading it to their favorite social network. “Eatertainment” is the newest concept that bridges food and pop culture together. The restaurant industry has grown 8% in the last year and many restaurants want to capitalize on the “experience economy” by using pop-up themed restaurants. Since consumers crave experiences and have strong emotional connections with their pop culture favorites, this trend has huge potential to grow in the near future. An example of an eatertainment restaurant is Walter’s Coffee Roastery located in Brooklyn, NY based on the hit tv show Breaking Bad. There was also an Orange is the New Black themed pop up restaurant in Singapore, complete with orange jumpsuits and “jail food”. In Chicago, there is a Saved by The Bell themed restaurant and in New York and London, there was Central Perk to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the tv show Friends. The pop-up trend is not only gaining traction in retail, but in restaurants as well which seems like it resonates well with today’s consumer. I can definitely see things like this happen more often, especially to coincide with major events in pop culture. I love when companies invest in creating experiences for customers, because it creates memories that can be shared for a lifetime.

 Source: WGSN (2016)

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Afrocentrism on the Rise

Over the past few years, the cultural appreciation of African roots by Black Americans began to resurface and has started making an impact in mainstream culture. Some of the significant examples of this the rise of Black women “going natural”, by ceasing the act of chemically altering their hair, the increase of wearing traditional West African garments and prints in clothing and the use of the bold hashtags such as “#BlackGirlMagic” and “#MelaninOnFleek”. Last year, New Jersey teen, Kyemah McEntyre went viral on social media for her self-designed Ankara print prom dress, which kick started an Afrocentric trend during prom season. Not only has these prints gained popular in prom attire, but in fashion entirely. There has been a surge of designers and clothing boutiques carrying and specializing in dashikis and West African Ankara prints. The increase appreciation for African culture has also boosted the popularity of the annual Afropunk Festival held in Brooklyn, New York since 2005. The festival brings out the best of African inspired fashion that is now featured in many well-known fashion and trend publications. What caused this resurgence of African cultural appreciation was the viral epidemic of the injustices inflicted on Black Americans. We, as Black Americans, felt that society had little value for us and felt the need to take it upon ourselves to show appreciation for who we are and where we come from. Sociopolitical oppression has proven to be the reason for Black Americans to embrace their African roots, such as the Black Power movement in the 1970’s with the popularity of dashikis and afros. I hope that this increase of appreciation for African culture does not remain a trend, but something that permanently exists within the Black community.

(Source: Stylus, 2016)

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Stuck In The Past

It seems these days that us Millennials don’t want to grow up. “Kidult” is a term meaning adults who have childish interest, according to the Oxford Dictionary. This resonates largely with Millennials as we are being constantly bombarded with technology, that we look to childhood nostalgia as escapism. The growing Kidult trend has translated into adult coloring books, 90’s tv revivals, e.g. Fuller House, and 90’s food revivals, e.g. Surge.

NYC concept shop “Stories” whose niche consists of an ever-changing store theme/concept that makes customers feel like they are in a new store every month. Their latest store concept titled “Remember When” is a blast from the past, filled with 90’s Nickelodeon cartoons in an elementary school setting. There’s a traditional classroom section, gym section, and various tables representing different facets of school and 90’s nostalgia. The concept ends September 18, 2016.

Until recently, I thought I was the only young adult who didn’t want to let go of their childhood, until I realized that my entire generation felt the same way. I absolutely love seeing my favorite parts of my childhood coming back into relevance because it makes it somewhat acceptable for me to still be childish. ;)

(Source: WGSN, Fashion Snoops, 2016)

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Acne Curing Bacteria

Ever since I hit puberty, I’ve been plagued with the curse of acne. I’ve had it so long, I don’t even remember having clear skin. Fortunately, for people like me who have spent so much money on products that don’t seem to work, there’s a new innovation in skincare. Nerd skincare is one of a few cosmetic brands that has created a line using natural bacteria found in your body to regulate the production of acne breakouts. The brand states on its website,  “Our science uses your own biology to help your skin think differently, act differently and take care of itself,”. Studies show that although acne is more common in teens, more adults are receiving treatment for acne now than ever. I am very curious to see the growth of bacteria-based acne treatments and if it actually works, I definitely want to try it. 

(Source: Stylus, 2016)