Week 10: The Next Black.

In the film The Next Black, new technologies, sustainability concerns and wearable technology are addressed by the designers behind these ideas.

This to me addresses the trend Status Tests as people try to outdo each other with sustainability and high-tech items that even cross over to fashion. As people want to feel special, playing a part in sustainable fashion by participating in eco-friendly innovations makes them feel they play a part in saving the earth.

I'd like to highlight the part in The Next Black where sportswear brand Adidas created a wearable technology in the form of a shirt that detects your heartbeat. The creator stated that the football players they gave the shirt to would refuse to wear it because it was tight, or cut off the sleeves of the $500 shirt. It has to be tight to detect the heartbeat.

This makes me feel that perhaps this generation is not yet ready for wearable technology, or that technology has to progress further before we can learn to appreciate it. It is appalling how ungrateful consumers are, to destroy a $500 shirt with spectacular technology, simply because it is mildly uncomfortable! This consumer group, as they are football players, are within the age of 25-30 as footballers often retire at 30 because the game is too fast-paced. Thus, this places them in the millenial generation. Millenials undoubtedly are the "NOW" generation, wherein they want things, their way, anyway, anyhow, anywhere and any time. Failing to meet these requirements will lose you the attention of this market, even more so revenues.

It is not possible to change a generation. But we can adapt to their needs, and this is what trendforecasting is about.