By Laura Weatherburn

Communication through photographs and videos plays a dominant role in our lives, and as Geraldine shares in her ‘How to Research the Future’ course, “What is valued in a photograph is something that is constantly shifting”. As infants, we learn to understand visually long before developing the skills to speak, read or write.

Using fashion as a medium to discuss mental health is not a new phenomenon. At the beginning of 2000, Alexander McQueen, tied between addictions, mental disorders and anxiety, used his shows to translate his inner thoughts to the world. His suicide at the end of this decade rattled the industry. This dramatic event shed light on the necessity to talk about mental health in the field. However, we would need to wait until the mid-2010 to deeply tackle this issue and bring it to the mainstream.

In the first months of Donald Trump’s presidency, we examine on a micro and macro level the context in which an extreme narcissist has been able to rise to power.

We are living in “the Pivotal Age”, facing a fork in the road as a society. As the realest reality show in history unfolds, we look at how this catalyst moment has been in the making for several decades through economic policy, technological advancements, the Internet and social media. 

With long lasting choices to make, society faces a future pulled between Narcissism and Empathy. And a possible new world order. This affects our everyday lives and impacts our ability to create, innovate and ultimately the way we engage with products and brands.