The Power of the Future: Trend Forecast for 2025

Antoinette van den Berg, also known as The Lady in Blu, a trend forecaster and creative director collaborating with hospitality brands, sheds light on what we will eat, wear, and buy in 2025.

by Antoinette van den Berg Antoinette van den Berg aka The Lady in Blu for L'OFFICIEL INC. Ibiza. Image Credits Leila Polman

Although the new year won’t bring any instant transformation, we will find ourselves in a time of?significant change where the focus on materialism will wane, and a renewed emphasis on?connection, energy, and spirituality will come to the fore. Contradiction will mark this era with deeply profound conflicts, such as one where the rise of AI, where spirituality and human energy seem absent, clashing with the growing desire for meaningful human connection.

Energy Over Matter

We are leaving behind an era where decadence and materialism define our values, and entering a new period of energy, connection, and spirituality, redefining what truly matters. Society will no longer be divided solely by wealth but by inner vitality, purpose, and connection with others. In our day-to-day lives, it means less social media, processed foods, and overstimulation that drains our energy, and more of shifting our focus from external status to spiritual vitality, fostering deeper connections and authentic experiences. In hospitality, clients will seek warmth and love with service almost taking precedence over the food. In fashion, the focus will no longer be on showcasing wealth; people will dress to express their authentic energy.

Blanco Labels

We will move beyond an absurd time when our identity was shaped by the labels we wore, carrying the names of others, like ‘Yves’. Instead, we will enter an era of no labels, where the focus will return to the product itself. It will be about emphasizing the substance of what’s offered, rather than the inflated prestige of a name. Quality and true value, as judged by the buyer, will take center stage.

Positive Eating

We will move away from ‘sin’/’no’ eating, which focuses on what we avoid, like ‘no gluten’. ‘Positive Eating’ shifts the focus to what your body truly needs - main dishes with 500 grams of vegetables, fruit-based desserts, and ingredients like chia pudding to boost happiness.

Eliminating Noise

A clear shift away from complexity and excess will be seen across the board. This transition will focus on simplifying not just for simplicity’s sake - it will eliminate noise and remove the unnecessary. In food and cosmetics, we’ll see a rise in products with a maximum of five ingredients.

The emphasis will be on what’s truly needed, providing transparency and leaving no room for additives. This shift will lead to a preference for local, wholesome, fresh ingredients, with processed foods being reevaluated to include simpler, healthier components.

In beauty, gone will be the days of complex, multi-step routines with dozens of products. Instead, think of a single product with only five key elements and no gender identification: one moisturiser, one shampoo, and one deodorant for everyone.

Cool to Be Old

In recent decades women have broken barriers excelling in careers once dominated by men. Mature women are thriving in top roles across politics and business and sitting front row at fashion shows. This shift will add to the change in how society views aging - it will no longer mark the end of an exciting life, but a time to thrive, shine, and contribute. Aging will become something to aspire to, not fear or hide from.

Wrinkles and other signs of aging will be redefined as symbols of wisdom and experience, not flaws to erase. The obsession with looking younger will fade, and treatments like Botox and surgery will feel outdated, which will signal the decline of the anti-aging industry as more women will embrace their natural age with confidence.

Furthermore, mature women will step into roles once deemed as more suitable for younger females: world-renowned DJs, yoga teachers, or women working in ‘hip’ restaurants and high-end hotels.

Shifting Away from Alcohol

We will continue to further shift away from alcohol, with a prompt to actively question why we should choose to indulge rather than opting for healthier, non-alcoholic alternatives. As the offering of alcohol substitutions grows we will continue to walk away from the feeling of needing alcohol to mark special moments.?

The Era of Contradictions

Contradictions will define this era. Every movement will be complemented with some conflict, reflecting the complex dualities shaping our society.

As we shift toward an era of energy and connection, we also witness the rise of AI, a domain where neither spirituality nor human energy seems to play a role.?

When thinking about the source of ingredients we’re also faced with a contradicting duality - while internationalisation is stronger than ever, localisation is thriving. In food, we prefer local products yet unknowingly consume coconut-based goods from faraway places. In health, people prioritise natural, unprocessed foods, but rely on supplements without questioning their origins or how they’ve been processed.

With this striking duality, we will all be prompted to reflect on our choices and ponder on the paradoxes of our consumption patterns, before making decisions on what and how we consume.

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