MACRO TRENDS

SPRING/SUMMER 2016

As the past takes on new relevance and time becomes

non-linear, the terms future and progress are interpreted
in different ways. The old and new form unlikely partnerships
as fresh interpretations of masterpieces clear the way for a subtle
return to romance and opulence. The timelines are being removed
from history, and we see a pairing of the digital and the crafted,
museums becoming experiences, and archiving developing into
a creative form of expression.

S/S 16 MACRO TRENDS

PAST
MODERN

PAST MODERN

HIGH/LOW

As deep history meets contemporary design, current culture and classical art and thinking are overlaid in new, non-judgmental ways. The past feels less exclusive and elitist
as more recent events are wrapped in older histories, and ancient ideas are updated in split seconds.

PAST MODERN

REWORKS
OF ART

If we think of history in a non-linear way, the old and new can collide in ways that reinterpret traditional artistic conventions, in turn creating disobedient masterworks and
contemporary artefacts. This act of historical augmentation creates additional layers that review and revitalise the past.

PAST MODERN

LIVING
ARCHIVE

Curators are increasingly tailoring the presentation and storage of artworks and artefacts to the viewer by reimagining and repackaging them, digitally and physically, in
ways that make them more accessible to all. Anything can be archived innovatively, from traditional patterns and building materials to DNA.

PAST MODERN

MUSEUM OF
THE FUTURE

The creation of artworks that embody the concept of timeshifts is linked to a multi-layered approach to museums, and this encapsulates the display of both ancient and
modern ideas. These pieces incorporate global and cultural influences in digital and hand-crafted forms.

PAST MODERN

NEW
OPULENCE

We see a return to decorative and luxurious design that updates romance with a provocative yet contemplative edge. Although the mood is ornamental, the fresh
and artistic mix of periods and cultures is thoughtful, delightful and illuminating.

PAST MODERN

DESIGN
ICONS

As design is increasingly exhibited in similar ways to artworks and relics, it takes on the same influences in terms of timelines and distortion. As such, a focus on context,
process and ritual, including the exhibition space and manufacturing process, helps to create refined, quasi-religious objects.

KEY
TAKEAWAYS
Removing the timelines from history allows for ingenious mixes of the
digital and the crafted
Tradition and pop culture combine to attract new audiences
Effective user experience and personalisation are crucial for engaging
clients whether it be in design, in museums or in stores
Thoughtful and innovative archiving preserves and promotes a wealth
of data and creativity
Opulence makes a comeback as romance and ornamentation are
repackaged with a contemporary edge

PAST
MODERN

RESEARCH & REFERENCE

THE CLOTHWORKERS CENTRE

IN THE MAKING

The V&A Museums new appointment-only study

room in London provides visitors with a modern,
custom-made environment for accessing the
museums textiles and fashion archive.

This show at Londons Design Museum focused

on disrupting the assembly line and looking
at unfinished mass-produced products, such
as beverage cans and lightbulbs.

vam.ac.uk

LILICOPTRE
Joana Vasconcelos overlays the excess of 18thcentury Versailles with modern-day technology
to create an opulent helicopter, covered
in rhinestones and feathers, thats fit for
Marie Antoinette.
io9.com

designmuseum.org

ANYWHERE, ANYWHERE OUT OF

THE WORLD
Visitor experience is central to this exhibition
of Philippe Parrenos work at the Palais de Tokyo,
using sound, objects, light and film to guide the
viewer on a journey through
his back catalogue.
www.palaisdetokyo.com

LINCOLN 3D SCANS

NEVERLAND SPACE

Oliver Larics 3D renderings of artefacts from

the Lincoln Museum in England transcend the
importance of materials and age, translating
history into high-resolution data files.

Neverland Space is an online-only platform

beyond the confines of a conventional gallery.
Here, artists can shape unique experiences of
internet art for each visitor.

lincoln3dscans.co.uk

www.neverlandspace.com

PAST
MODERN

RESEARCH & REFERENCE

CARPET EQUALIZER

ALGORITHMIC FLOWERS

Artist Faig Ahmed distorts history by morphing

it with contemporary culture in this instance,
taking a traditional Azerbaijani rug and
reshaping it into the familiar digital landscape of
a graphic equaliser.

The leaves and petals of Daniel Browns 3D

flowers based on exhibits at Dundees DArcy
Thompson Zoology Museum grow according
to algorithms based on their surroundings.

Rudolf Stigel

RATH & DOODEHEEFVER

The interior of Venices Palazzo Grassi museum

was transformed for this artists self-curated
exhibition, in which he covered every interior
surface with antique rug-style carpeting.
palazzograssi.it

Lernert & Sanders installation at the Milan

Furniture Fair 2014 was inspired by the
wallpaper archive of Rath & Doodeheefver.
Patterns became distorted as layers were
stripped away over time.

DNA VENDING MACHINE

THE HUMAN PRINTER

Labelling DNA samples with a portrait of its

human donor, Gabriel Barcia-Colombos
installation explores how history can be
packaged and displayed, highlighting our
increasing access to biotechnology.

Man replaces machine in this twist on the

printing process. Hand-made CMYK printouts
mimic those made by computers, but with subtle
differences in colour and tone.

faigahmed.com

gabebc.com

danielbrowns.com

hetnieuweinstituut.nl

thehumanprinter.org

PAST
MODERN

CULTURAL CONTEXT

PICASSO BABY

ONCE UPON A TIME IN SHAOLIN

Based on a performance piece by Marina

Abramovi, this film features Jay Z rapping for
six hours in a New York gallery full of celebrities,
merging high art with pop culture.

The new Wu Tang Clan album, of which only

one copy exists, will be toured in festivals and
art galleries before being sold as a piece of
unique, handcrafted contemporary art.

youtube.com

scluzay.com

23ANDME

ARCHIVES WALLPAPER COLLECTION

This service matches your chromosomes to

populations around the world, repackaging the
idea of ancestry as useable data.

Belgian art and designer duo Studio Job used

their archive to produce rolls of patterned
wallpaper, harking back to a time when
decorative wallpapers were treated as art in
their own right.

23andme.com

dezeen.com

NAPKIN COLLAR

SUN JUN

Design agency Studio Droogs napkin collar

reworks an Elizabethan fashion statement,
the ruff, into a stripped-back table decoration,
updating historic looks with a modern
minimalism.

Mixing traditional Chinese references with highfashion imagery, photographer Sun Jun creates
editorials with a quiet, painterly quality that
makes historical rituals seem timeless.

studio.droog.com

sunjunphoto.com

S/S 16

PAST MODERN

MACRO TRENDS

SEASONAL
EVOLUTION

Old and new form unexpected partnerships

as fresh interpretations of ancient
masterpieces take on an air of romance
and opulence. We see the pairing of
contemporary and crafted, museums
becoming experiences, and archiving
evolving into a creative form of expression.

A/W 15/16

DATA DIVINATION
BACKGROUND
Each season, the macro trends
provide a progression of the
previous seasons themes.
We have seen the change from
History 2.0 to Data Divination as
creativity becomes a powerful tool
for analysing statistics. Past Modern
overlays the digital and the classical
by repackaging art and artefacts
for new audiences by removing
their timelines and introducing pop
culture references.

In Data Divination, we look at how the

future will be driven by data yet powered
by intuition. New digital analytics systems
allow us to process statistics and predict
outcomes, and there is a growing move
towards more instinctive means of knowledge-gathering.
View report

S/S 15

HISTORY 2.0
History 2.0 reconsiders the past and
creates new products for imagined worlds
and futures that may once have seemed
impossible from bringing back historically
extinct creatures such as dodos to building
floating hotels in the desert.
View report

MACRO TRENDS

SPRING/SUMMER 2016

The story of our world is both natural and manmade and as

we come to terms with the effect were having on our planet,
we are taking a more active role in finding solutions. The global
community is gathering to help avoid the loss of ancient cultures
and the Earth as we know it. As our survival instincts kick in,
sport becomes more extreme, we explore alternative design
solutions to basic needs, and new city concepts focus on shifts in
geography and populations.

S/S 16 MACRO TRENDS

ECO
ACTIVE

ECO ACTIVE

LOST
EARTH

The depletion of natural resources is becoming evident, and these problems are bringing about changes on a planetary scale: not only are we endangering the environment, but also ancient cultures. The race is on to preserve societies and regions at risk and to uphold the power of nature and place.

ECO ACTIVE

RAW
POWER

A new emphasis on global teamwork and community spirit is reflected in international sporting events, and this is spearheading a positive movement to help halt the onset
of eco-disasters. At the same time, harsher ecological conditions are inspiring more extreme disciplines, events and equipment.

ECO ACTIVE

BRUTE
NATURE

Another reaction to the dystopian possibilities of life after ecocide sees the materials we use take on a tougher aspect. Rough coatings and rugged substances, including
rubber, wood, oil and lava, form the basis of product design that feels raw, yet refined.

ECO ACTIVE

SURVIVAL
SOLUTIONS

As basic resources such as fuel and water become scarce, we look to creative solutions that rely on a less destructive relationship between nature and technology. Beyond
conservation and recycling, answers come from unexpected areas including algae water pouches and fruit batteries.

ECO ACTIVE

REDEFINING
GEOGRAPHY

There are longer-term answers to the ecological problems of the near-future. These touch upon the possibilities of reshaping land to aid climate control, the rehabilitation of
abandoned urban architecture, and the building of mobile cities that help regenerate the desert.

KEY
TAKEAWAYS
Preserving and building long-term relationships with endangered
cultures and ecosystems becomes a priority
Extreme and cross-cultural sports become a focal point in the year of
the Brazil Olympic Games
Earthy, textured and layered mixes of materials are essential from
raw to refined, man-made to natural
Ecology and humanity gain new-found respect through more
considerate manufacturing processes
Creative ways of working with found materials and existing objects
show respect for the scarcity of resources

ECO
ACTIVE

RESEARCH & REFERENCE

Terraforming

Before They Pass

Based around an interactive sandpit,

this installation at The Museum of Future
Government Services in Dubai makes it
possible to create and modify new terrain and
explore how it affects the weather.

This project by photographer Jimmy Nelson

aims to make an ethnographic record of tribal
cultures by documenting their time-honoured
traditions and rituals before they are lost forever.

vvurbancodes.tumblr.com

beforethey.com

Ooho!

Hyperobjects

Ooho! is a sustainable alternative to plastic

water bottles with an edible form of algae for
an outer skin. Its inspired by the process of
spherification, which can be re-created at home
with a basic recipe.

Philosopher Timothy Morton uses hyperobjects

to describe things that are so huge, in terms
of their impact on the world, that they defy
traditional categorisation global warming being
a prescient example.

designacademy.nl

upress.umn.edu

Gullah

Lost Human Genetic

Archive

The US Gullah community, descended from

enslaved Africans and based in South Carolina
and Georgia, has a rich cultural heritage thats
reflected in its creole language a mix of
African and English.
youtube.com

For this exhibition series, the latest of which

is showing at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris,
Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto has created
a post-human futureworld that allows us to look
back at the history of our species.
palaisdetokyo.com

ECO
ACTIVE

RESEARCH & REFERENCE

Growing batteries

The Green Machine

Bio-engineer Angela Belchers work focuses on

manipulating viruses so they can be useful to
humans, creating nano-structures that form the
basis of clean batteries, fuels and solar cells.

This answer to the problem of desertification

proposes the creation of moving cities that
crawl across the desert, irrigating and fertilising
the land as well as providing housing within.

ted.com

Da Natura Fossilium Clock

Design studio Formafantasma explores the link
between landscapes and cultural heritage by
producing objects from local materials in this
case, clocks created in Sicily using lava from
Mount Etna.
formafantasma.com

stephanemalka.com

Dystopian Brutalist
Outerwear
Inspired by an imagined future brought about by
the downfall of the economy and society, Martijn
van Strien has designed a collection of protective
garments cut from a single tarpaulin that proves to
be both functional and resource-aware.
martijnvanstrien.com

The Garden Bridge

Melting Porte Alegre

Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, this public

garden and pedestrian crossing is set to provide
a green oasis in London that will also encourage
more walking in the city.

Brazilian photographer Julio Canto Chollets

warped, hazy pictures were created to reflect
the extreme temperatures experienced during
a heatwave in the city of Porto Alegre.

gardenbridgetrust.org

behance.net

CULTURAL CONTEXT

ECO
ACTIVE

Brazilian Olympic Games 2016

The SMOG project

Rio de Janeiro has been criticised for its poor

ecological record, so with the arrival of the
Olympics in 2016, the city is working on a
sustainable management plan to help offset the
impact of its infrastructure.

Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde, in

collaboration with the Mayor of Beijing, is
developing vacuum cleaner-like technology to
help rid an urban park of pollution.

Tough Mudder

Swamp pop

This high-energy, stamina-testing endurance

challenge invites participants to tackle mud-pits
and run over large fire obstacles across 10- to
12-mile courses.
toughmudder.co.uk

Rooted in New Orleans R&B and country and

western music, swamp pop is a genre strongly
associated with Louisiana and has a distinct
sound that reflects the cultural and ecological
make-up of the region.

NEW SOUTH CHINA MALL

The Drinkable Book

The second-largest shopping mall in the world,

in the city of Dongguan, has been virtually
empty since it opened in 2005. The lack of
visitors to the dead mall forced shop-owners to
abandon the complex.

Water is Life has helped develop a book

with pages that can be used as filters to turn
contaminated water into pure drinking water.
The book can also be used to teach safe-water
values for people in need.

rio2016.com

vagabondjourney.com

studioroosegaarde.net

en.wikipedia.org

waterislife.com

S/S 16

ECO-ACTIVE

MACRO TRENDS

SEASONAL
EVOLUTION

We take a more active role in preserving

ancient cultures, raw materials and the
Earth itself. As our survival instincts kick
in, we look to alternative design ideas and
new city concepts to help deal with shifts in
geography and population.

A/W 15/16

SOCIAL SUPERHEROES
BACKGROUND
Each season, the macro trends
provide a progression of the
previous seasons themes. We
have seen the transition from BioDynamic to Social Superheroes as
the focus shifts from biological to
political systems. Scale increases
again this season as Eco-Active
explores how society as a whole
can solve the problems caused by
our ecological impact on the Earth.

Designers are using creativity as a force for

good, addressing issues such as privacy,
sustainability and product lifecycle. An environmentally ethical approach reaffirms the
urgent need to create responsible solutions
for consumer goods.
View report

S/S 15

BIO-DYNAMIC
Bio-Dynamic sees the way that we understand form, structures and even our own
bodies completely revolutionised. It inspires
us to create bacteria-friendly products and
systems based on the fluid intelligence of
the most basic life forms microbes.
View report

MACRO TRENDS

SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Playful and emotional themes carry intellectual weight in a new

cultural climate: frilly decoration can be subversive, and intuition
influences design that embraces soft power and a creative mix
of the senses. This is driven by a more comprehensive approach
to identity and the modern rebranding of feminism, making for an
all-inclusive world view no longer constrained by gender, sexuality
or ethnicity.

S/S 16 MACRO TRENDS

SOFT
POP

SOFT POP

VISUALIZING
EQUALITY

A new form of feminism is having an impact on masculinity as men aim to recapture their gentle sides. This highlights the importance of trans thinking by focusing on soft
power for all. Gender-free assertiveness sees rules and definitions cast aside in favour of an intelligent, open-minded world.

SOFT POP

DARING
DECORATION

Sweet decoration and frilly design go beyond the obvious and ironic, taking on an intellectual significance. The subtle introduction of fetish-style materials is rebellious and
funny, as well as promoting the rejection of stereotypes via visual activism.

SOFT POP

PLAYFUL
LEARNING

Cuteness has a practical use for education, translating teenage iconography such as the emoji into soft teaching tools that make sensitivity available to all. Immersive
gaming and emotional computing are pivotal here, encouraging learning that reinforces positive, all-inclusive messages.

SOFT POP

KALEIDOSCOPE
HUMANS

Blurring applies to colour and race as well as sexuality and culture, with sharp definitions becoming more obsolete when interpreting how people look and feel. We can no
longer define identity in simple terms, and instead see it as a rich kaleidoscope of personal data and feelings.

SOFT POP

EMOTIONAL
MACHINES

Visualising emotion and embedding touch into technology add sentiment into design, thereby inspiring products for all of the senses. The use of comfort as a functional
requirement is essential to this, creating objects that are sensitive and fun.

SOFT POP

TACTILE
NEUTRALITY

The links between sensation and feeling carry over into a subversive form of minimalism, combining texture with reductive shapes and bleached-out colour. There is a
sense of romantic fuzziness, emphasised by the de-saturated shades, that ties in with the importance of pairing playfulness with tenderness.

KEY
TAKEAWAYS
There is an increased open-mindedness towards gender, race and
sexual ambiguity
Soft power, which is open to instinct, emotion and all other human
senses, is gaining ground in all areas, including technology
Softness and comfort are central considerations throughout the
design world
Decoration and playfulness become serious concepts for making
design more approachable
In contrast to this, decoration can take on cartoon aspects that are
simplified, contemporary and fun

SOFT
POP

RESEARCH & REFERENCE

ILLUMINATI GIRL GANG

Alternative-literature author Gabby Bess
founded Illuminati Girl Gang magazine as a
means of female expression, supporting a new
generation of feminist writers, photographers,
illustrators and other creatives.
illuminatigirlgang.com

SO PAULO ART BIENNIAL

2014
The So Paulo Art Biennial 2014, taking place
in September, has been nicknamed the
trans-biennial, as this years main themes
are based on transgression, transcendence
and trans-sexuality.
biennialfoundation.org

MISS

ATHI-PATRA RUGA

Providing a context for femininity in architecture

typically a male-dominated profession
is the goal of MISS, a platform introducing
a design dialogue on gender roles via events
and publishing.

Cultural identity is central to this South African

artists work, in which he uses performance,
video and costume to conjure up a dreamlike
Utopia where humans are hybrids and divisions
are unimportant.

SARAH CAIN

ADDICTED PRODUCTS

miss-mag.com

Mixed-media artist Sarah Cain pursues her

feminist stance through shows including the
comically named Burning Bush, a solo exhibition
at New York Citys Galerie Lelong exploring
mysticism, purity and love.
galerielelong.com

athipatraruga.blogspot.co.uk/

This graduation project by Simone Rebaudengo

and design and research team Haque focuses
on the emotional wellbeing of household
toasters, enabling them to communicate online
with their owners when they feel underused.
addictedproducts.com

SOFT
POP

RESEARCH & REFERENCE

EMOJI DICK

HALO

As part of a crowd-sourced and -funded project

utilising Amazons on-demand workforce,
Herman Melvilles novel about a legendary
whale hunt has been translated in its entirety
using emoji icons.

This media-art installation, featuring a wall

of LED rings, is an interactive space where
developers can create tangible light, colour
and audio content using their regular
coding platforms.

emojidick.com

tangibleinteraction.com

WE EXIST

CACTUNES

The latest music video for Canadian band

Arcade Fire blurs the boundaries between
male and female roles as its main character
embarks on a journey of gender exploration
and discovery.

Created to show plants as hypersensitive

objects that are capable of communicating,
Cactunes was exhibited at the Milan Furniture
Fair 2014 and featured cacti that hummed
when touched.

THE AVERAGE AMERICAN

GENDER SWAP

With the population of the US becoming

increasingly multiracial, traditional notions
of black and white are becoming obsolete.
Photographer Martin Schoellers digitally altered
portraits show how average Americans could
look in 2050.

Gender Swap allows its subjects to experience

physically what its like to be a member of the
opposite sex. To do so it uses Machine to be
Another, a system of embodiment experience
wherein people can feel like they inhabit a
different body.

youtube.com

nationalgeographic.com

disegnodaily.com

themachinetobeanother.org

CULTURAL CONTEXT

SOFT
POP

GIRLS

OLLY

HBOs Girls, written and directed by Lena

Dunham, depicts a realistic view of the lives of
four young women in New York City.
hbo.com

Olly is a small computer device that gently

releases bursts of scent into the air to inform of
the receipt of emails and messages, plus other
important notifications.

STROMAE

CONCHITA WURST

Belgian pop musician Stromae creates catchy

tracks with subliminal messages. The singer
subverts gender stereotypes in his latest
music video, Tous Les Mmes, by becoming
half-female.
stromae.net

The 2014 Eurovision Song Contest winner,

Conchita Wurst (the alter ego of Austria-born
Tom Neuwirth), has become a symbol of
tolerance, equality and artistic freedom after
performing at the event with a beard and
wearing a dress.

BEYONCS VISUAL ALBUM

BUBBLEBERRIES

Beyoncs self-titled visual album features

promotional videos for every track. Through its
lyrics and visuals, she touches upon themes
such as female empowerment and the notion of
beauty in popular culture.

Waitrose is now selling the bubblegum-flavoured

bubbleberry a pale, rounder version of the
strawberry that was popular in 19th century
before falling out of favour and largely
being forgotten.

beyonce.com

ollyfactory.com

eurovision.tv

waitrose.presscentre.com

S/S 16

SOFT POP

MACRO TRENDS

SEASONAL
EVOLUTION

An inclusive approach to identity makes

for a worldview no longer constrained
by gender, sexuality or ethnicity. Frilly
decoration can be subversive in this new
cultural climate as playful products embrace
a creative mix of the senses.

A/W 15/16

EVERYDAY UTOPIAS
BACKGROUND
Each season, the macro trends
provide a progression of the
previous seasons themes. We have
seen the change from Focus to
Everyday Utopias as emotion and
connectivity inspire a contemplative
plan for enriching everyday life.
This season, the emphasis on touch
and sentiment continues with Soft
Pop as a future based on equality,
playfulness and feeling emerges.

As designers exalt the ordinary objects and

elements of modern life, we find pockets
of paradise in the everyday: from pauses
in the humdrum routine of work to more
mindful experiences in our daily lives.
View report

S/S 15

FOCUS
In Focus, the material world comes
into sharp focus as a reaction to virtual
living. Technology becomes a means
of connecting to our surroundings, with
objects encouraging contemplation,
emotional response and connecting us to a
specific environment.
View report

MACRO TRENDS

SPRING/SUMMER 2016

The strange beauty of the deep sea reminds us of the wonders of the
universe and the fantastical possibilities of going beyond its limits.
Science takes on a cinematic quality in this preserved world where
an unscripted drama is played out by weird creatures, bio-mimicry
and morphing substances. Rare and contrasting materials take on an
otherworldly importance, often in suspended and floating states.
The atmosphere is ephemeral, refined and darkly compelling.

S/S 16 MACRO TRENDS

DEEP
SUMMER

DEEP SUMMER

THE
MULTIVERSE

With the awareness of other worlds running parallel to our own, there also comes the possibility of other dimensions and alternative perspectives. This in turn inspires us to
think beyond the known boundaries of the deep sea and deep space, and to explore science-fiction and noir-inspired design.

DEEP SUMMER

THE
MULTIVERSE

Cosmologists now believe that gravitational waves triggered by the Big Bang created the perfect conditions for the formation of additional universes to our own giving rise
to the concept of the multiverse.

DEEP SUMMER

SUBMERGED

Existing within preserved worlds where the drama of nature becomes a filmic experience, deep-sea creatures have a supernatural quality. An emphasis on instinct and
wonder over scientific analysis helps to highlight the awesome power and splendour of evolution and the unknown mysteries of the deep.

DEEP SUMMER

WEIRD
NATURE

A shift in scale takes us from astral thinking to diving into the microcosm of the natural world. This reflects how beauty can be found in unexpected places from rare animal
markings to exaggerated plant forms. In this ephemeral world, berries become jewel-like and creatures inspire amorphous shapes.

DEEP SUMMER

TOXIC
LIGHT

Light takes on a chemical significance with a bright, noxious quality. In the deep oceans and dark of night, organisms emit a synthetic, alien glow. This eerie bioluminescence can be mimicked via the use of acid-bright colours and mutating shades.

DEEP SUMMER

ALIEN
HYBRIDS

The many and varied treatments that place flora and fauna in new contexts or suspended states serve to magnify natures extraterrestrial side. This otherworldly look is
achieved through crystallising, encapsulating and splicing techniques.

KEY
TAKEAWAYS
Inspiration comes from the unexplored and imaginary, such as the deep
sea and deep space
Cinematic backgrounds are vital for showcasing the bright, otherworldly
colours, materials and shapes of this trend
Equally essential is the introduction of light effects and bioluminescent
technology to design
Pattern, colour and texture are showcased in fresh ways, with watery,
submerged and weightless aspects focused upon
By looking at nature in detail, we become aware of strange new
technical and organic surface possibilities

DEEP
SUMMER

RESEARCH & REFERENCE

UNDER THE SKIN

Jonathan Glazers 2014 film, following an
alien on the hunt for men to lure into a strange
submerged trap, used an extraterrestrial to
explore humankinds darker impulses.
undertheskinmovie.com

LEOPOLD AND RUDOLPH

BLASCHKA
Guido Mocaficos photos capture the brilliance
of Leopold and Rudolph Blaschkas 19th-century
glass replicas of weird sea creatures.
guidomocafico.com

RECOLLECTION

SANDRA KENNEL

French artist Pierre Huyghe created a theatrelike aquarium, entitled Recollection, for the
Frieze Art Fair in 2011. Here, sea creatures
became actors, playing out the unscripted
drama of nature in this enclosed world.

Flesh and fluid are constant themes of this

Zurich-based photographers work. Her visceral
images, which often explore sunken artificial
worlds, play on the concept of purity.

RU XIAO FAN

IRIS VAN HERPEN

Xiao Fans paintings emphasise the menacing

beauty and unworldly appearance of magnified
flower parts, hinting at the artists dark yet
humorous take on pleasure and obsession.

For her Biopiracy collection, the Dutch womenswear

designer suspended vacuum-packed models over
the catwalk, introducing an alien, embryonic edge to
couture-like dress design.

friezefoundation.org

adamgallery.com

sandrakennel.com

irisvanherpen.com

DEEP
SUMMER

RESEARCH & REFERENCE

PEUGEOT DESIGN LAB

MOMENTUM

Peugeots debut lab project, featuring a knife

made from a metorite and 3D printed metal,
highlighted the otherworldliness of man-made
objects fused with natural materials.

Consisting of 12 custom-made pendulums

that create light and sound as they swing, this
immersive installation by United Visual Artists is
a deeply strange and introspective space.

cardesignnews.com

barbican.org.uk

DAAN ROOSEGAARDE

NORDWESTHAUS

Inspired by deep-sea jellyfish, this Dutch designer

explores the possibility of using biomimicry
to solve everyday problems, such as growing
bioluminescent trees to replace street lights.
dezeen.com

Curved concrete patterns are encased in a

glass shell at this new building in the Austrian
port of Fussach. When lit from within, its
amorphous aquatic appearance stands at odds
with the hard-edged nature of its materials.

THE MULTIVERSE

ORA

Cosmologists now believe that when the Big

Bang occurred, the process that created our
universe may have been repeated. This opens
up the possibility that parallel universes could,
theoretically, exist.

Filmed without light using innovative thermalimaging 3D technology, filmmaker Philippe

Baylaucqs Ora portrays a submerged, solarised
world where the human body takes on an
outlandish presence.

nationalgeographic.com

baumschlager-eberle.com

emptykingdom.com

CULTURAL CONTEXT

DEEP
SUMMER

OKI-NI BUBBLES

IM AQUARIUS BY METRONOMY

In this series of images produced for online

menswear store Oki-ni, art director Andrew
Stellitano and photographer Sam Hofman
capture the flowing abnormality of the deep sea
using large iridescent bubbles.

Compiling the top 300 festivals around the world,

this site was set up to champion the need for realtime human interaction in the digital age, but it
also underscores the contemporary importance of
escapism and journeys in to the unknown.

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
S/S 14 CAMPAIGN VIDEO

THE WATER DISCUS HOTEL, DUBAI

astarism.co.uk

This short film is directed by Steven Klein and

stars Kate Moss. The model, looking like a
visitor from another dimension, walks the dark
streets of London lit by an unnatural glow.
youtube.com

fest300.com

Currently under construction, these hotels

each with two levels above and below the sea
will make it possible for guests to experience life
and luxury underwater.
deep-ocean-technology.com

SHEEZUS BY LILY ALLEN

LICK ME IM DELICIOUS

This video, with its saturated colours and

synthetic highlights, sees the influence
of bioluminescence used in a youthful,
commercial context.

By synthesising the luminescent protein that

makes jellyfish glow in the depths of the ocean,
Wales edible inventor Charlie Harry Francis
has created a glow-in-the-dark ice-cream that
lights up when licked

youtube.com

lickmeimdelicious.com

S/S 16

DEEP SUMMER

MACRO TRENDS

SEASONAL
EVOLUTION

The deep sea reminds us of the universes

wonders and the possibilities of going
beyond its limits. Science takes on
a cinematic quality in this weird world
of bio-mimicry and morphing substances
where otherworldly organics feel ephemeral
and darkly compelling.

A/W 15/16

DATA DIVINATION

BACKGROUND
Each season, the macro trends
provide a progression of the
previous seasons themes. We have
seen the change from Bio-Dynamic
to Data Divination as the importance
of physical structures gives way to
an emphasis on mind power. This
season, Deep Summer looks to the
awe-inspiring nature of the organic
world, with its intuitiveness and
drama being of particular interest.

In Data Divination, we look at how the

future will be driven by data yet powered
by intuition. New digital analytics systems
allow us to process statistics and predict
outcomes, and there is a growing move
towards more instinctive means of
knowledge-gathering.
View report

S/S 15

BIO-DYNAMIC
Bio-Dynamic sees the way that we
understand form, structures and even our
own bodies completely revolutionised.
It inspires us to create bacteria-friendly
products and systems based on the fluid
intelligence of the most basic life forms
microbes.
View report