Dazed Media predicts the year ahead
This week, we brought together some of the brightest minds here at Dazed Media to gaze into their crystal balls. From the return of the iPod touch to a big city exodus, here are their wildcard predictions for the year ahead.
Günseli Yalcinkaya predicts a growing offline movement
Contributing Editor, Dazed
“One crazy not so crazy theory is that the dead internet theory will make social media so boring and bot-orientated that people will be forced to prioritise offline encounters.”
Editor’s Note: The conspiracy theory that the internet is controlled by artificial intelligence and that most of the content we see online today is generated by bots instead of real humans. You can read about how a 4chan conspiracy (kind of) foresaw the death of the internet on Dazed Digital, here.
Jack Mills predicts a new model for organising society
Editor, Dazed Magazine
“I think a fun approach when looking at predictions isn't in exploring 'now' as much as how aspects of it could tilt sideways. Unlike speculative fiction which is about ideas that could easily exist but don't, or new visions of the future, forecasters often fall into the trap of expanding on existing tendencies/tropes in younger demographics, such as worldbuilding in streaming culture, big city exoduses, the move towards cinematic social content — all the things we saw in the early-mid ‘20s that I'm sure will speed up this year. But I think these offer clues rather than pathways new generations will continue to tread, necessarily. For example, in recent times younger people have fallen on religion, magic and mysticism for meaning and direction amid the chaos of the internet. But beyond that, you could look at a rise in trespassing/urban exploration, walking protests in protected lands and larping raves as a slight pivot towards the ancients - deep history, civil rebellions and psychogeography - for clues as to how we can not only reorganise society in the shadow of both the internet as a monoculture and machine learning, but humanity's potential Mars move.”
Alexander Fury predicts a sustainable future for real fur
Director, AnOther Magazine
“I think real fur will have a resurgence in 2025, or at least in the near future. I think the fur will be recycled, and used by young designers - connecting with ideas of sustainability both in re-use of existing materials, and the issues with the environmental impact of the manufacture of fake fur. I already think we are seeing movements in this direction with younger talents.”
Kacion Mayers predicts a nostalgia for the (very) recent past
Editorial Director, Dazed Magazine
“The revival of the 10's - iPhone 6/7, original Instagram filters (Valencia, Toaster, 1977 etc.) Balenciaga Arena’s, Giuseppe Zanotti heels, platform heels, Herve Leger Bandage dress, archive Givenchy, “Instagram baddie” make-up etc. People are buying old iPod touches to post to Instagram now and use the lo-fi mobile camera as an aesthetic. The nostalgia gap is closing in on us. Ralph Lauren polos! Comme des Fuckdown! Very that…”
Dazed and Discoursed predict an end to hyper-consumption (maybe)
In our first episode of the year, hosts Halima Jibril and Elliot Hoste explore the rise of underconsumption trends. Jibril and Hoste are joined by anti-tech writer and artist August Lamm, who has been without an iPhone for two and a half years. The trio unpack our addiction to consumption, our scarcity mentality, and whether we’re simply swinging from one extreme to another—from hedonistic hyper-consumption to complete restriction. Is this the beginning of a world without pleasure, or could moderation finally offer the balance we’ve been craving?
And Dazed Digital predicts the return of the basic
Dazed Digital asks, is basic fashion the trend set to define 2025? There’s been a pointed turn away from the maximalist Drainer and hyperpop aesthetics that dominated the post-pandemic years. Now, it seems like people are happy to embrace their inner basic-ness. Read more on Dazed Digital, here.
Might be of interest
2025 Horoscope: It’s the grand finale before the rise of a new world order. (Spoiler: It’s not looking good.) 2025 is the year for finding your mission. While it shouldn’t necessarily involve murdering any CEOs, it’s the year to champion the underdogs, as we rise to harness individual power to contribute to a collective cause. Intuitive astrologer and priestess Grace McGrade looks to the stars for Dazed Beauty. Read more here.
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