Welcome to our last edition of the Not-So-Weekly edit for 2021! Dip into into our latest research, from therapeutic self healing garments, high-tech meat alternatives, Burberry’s first immersive fashion retail experience to the possibilities of dream-hacking.

Catch you again in 2022 and in the meantime, make sure to recharge after a year packed with changes along the way.

Thank you for your continued interest in our fashion futures and macro trend work. We look forward to sharing more with you in the year ahead and send you good vibes, from our London studio, our team to wherever you are in the world!

FASHION | Following the devasting news of the passing of Virgil Abloh’s death, Dezeen have rounded up the top 10 projects that illustrate the designer’s versatility and ‘boundary-pushing approach’ in his work, from the iconic Air Jordan 1 for Nike to the IKEA receipt rug following his work with the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, and the interiors with OMA. "We can use our architecture brain and do many things, not just what we're supposed to do.” – Virgil Abloh. RIP, we will miss you and lost a genius.

HEALTH | Social and Artistic Researcher, Laura Deschl, has developed ‘The Healing Imprint’, a therapeutic garment that is made to help heal trauma by combining knitted acupressure and yoga-based practice for emotional healing. Her work explores the complex social issues around the field of psychiatry and healing, questioning the systems regarding mental health. The garments embrace well-being, science, and medicine to destigmatize the ‘realm of mental health and the traces of trauma left on the body.’ It also highlights the greater need and the rise of fashion with a healing and wellbeing component.

FOOD| What is the future of food? ‘High-tech meat replacements are sold as the world is changing, but all they do is taste better’. Over the past few years, we have seen a new range of proteins rising. They are set to be the ‘plant-based revolution’ from brands such as Meat 2.0, the Impossible and the Beyond. Companies are obsessed with trying to perfectly recreate the ‘taste, texture and colour’ of animal flesh. These fake meat companies have evidently expanded from ‘supermarkets to Silicone Valley’ and are venturing in capital money, transforming themselves into tech giants in the process.

SCIENCE | A group of researchers have discovered a woman buried with a silver diadem in the Bronze Age in Spain and have virtually reconstructed the face using facial recognition technology, showing her with ‘a serene expression’ and huge hoop earrings. The process highlights the ability for archaeologists to ‘rebuild and estimate’ missing skeleton portions with the highest accuracy, allowing them to preserve the original without damage.

OUTERWEAR | New York based designer, Chelsea Claridge, fuses ‘future-focused thinking’ into her modern collection, consisting of transformable and trans-seasonal pieces for a forward sustainable outerwear, very much in line with what we have called ‘multi functional’ fashion. The brand, Caalo, are driven by innovative values of ‘thoughtful design, innovative fabrics and sustainability’ and crafted to be worn for multiple seasons and functionalities with longevity in mind. The garments are manufactured on a small scale for the highest quality, utilising recycled fabrics from Italy, Japan, and Korea.

ARCHITECTURE | British fashion brand Burberry has installed its first immersive experience in Jeju Island Korea. The sculptural and reflective landscape aims to blur the lines between nature and technology. The structure strongly resembles the contour lines from the ‘topography of the Sanbangsan Island’, taking on the naturalistic inspiration from the surroundings. Inside, the architectural sculpture hosts Burberry’s pop-up outerwear pieces ranging from puffer jackets to the British label’s signature trench coat. The space features an immersive art installation as well.

AI | The Institute Digital Fashion have announced their new digital AR activation launching at the same moment as the Fashion Awards, on the 29th of November 2021. IoDF are bringing an immersive digital fashion experience, through augmented reality, delivering a fashion Metaverse experience to not only those attending red carpet events, but also to those at their homes. It’s inclusive for all bodies, the functioning allows for tracking on any body type and for any ability, or gender. The augmented reality design was built to be worn standalone or as an add on accessory to pair with a garment.

DREAMS | Could dream-hacking techniques be used as a tool to help us create, heal, and have fun? Scientists study sleep and dreams for several reasons, including memory processing, emotion regulation, PTSD and to gain a better understanding of psychological well-being. Researchers working on dream engineering aim to develop knowledge on how the brain gives rise to dream experiences during the different stages of sleep, to improve a person’s sleep quality, stimulate creativity and facilitate sleep-related learning. ‘Dreams could be used by writers, musicians, or anyone else aiming for creative inspiration and exploration’.

SUSTAINABLE BEAUTY | Is waterless beauty the future of sustainability? As climate change continues to pose a threat to us, the world’s water supply is slowly reducing. The UN predicts that two-thirds of the planet’s population will be ‘living in water-stressed conditions’ by 2025. Beauty brands need to become more transparent regarding their manufacturing processes and the consumers utilising their products. Brands must raise awareness of the water quality and scarcity, showing that water supplies are treated respectfully during the process. Some of the business strategies that have been proposed include dry or solid products activated by water, bring your own water and removing water from a product.

DEFORESTATION | Could tropical deforestation increase the risk of heat-related deaths? A new study suggests that the increased temperatures in the deforested and lower-latitude areas affected outdoor workers, exposing them to heat exhaustion and heat stroke, resulting in unsafe working conditions. The study showed that ‘future climate warming of 2 Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above 2018’s levels could increase deaths in Berau Regency, Indonesia, by 20%, even without deforestation’. This information could aid future discussions regarding climate change adaptation and working conditions.

DESIGN | Sensitive Science: A Gill Garment for an Aquatic Future. Royal College of Art graduate, Jun Kamei, developed a 3D-printed garment called Amphibio designed for a future in which humanity lives in close proximity with water due to sea levels rising. The innovative piece consists of a gill and respiratory mask to help support the wearer breath underwater, creating solutions for everyday environment. The technology is made from a special material that replenishes oxygen from the surrounding water and releasing carbon dioxide.

PACKAGING | Eye catching packaging with psychedelic aesthetic fonts, colours and surface treatments signal the next wave of mind-altering products. Psychedelic drugs are used to alter an individual’s experience and expectations. In present day, mainstream products are adopting this particularly surreal design aesthetic in packaging design, from medicinal to luxury products designed for our brains to experience a mood-boost.

3D PRINTING | Nagami 3D prints “visually pleasing” portable toilets from plastic waster. The portable toilet was made up of plastic gadgets disposed from health centres throughout Europe which were then merged with ‘filament and 3D print’. Furniture Designers are now looking to utilise products such as 3D print chairs, electrical tricycles and pedestals to reduce plastic waste. This signals the rise of cross industry collaborations created to exchange waste between supply chains in order to create new avenues of material sources.