Create Tomorrow, The WGSN Podcast

Hello and welcome to WGSN’s fortnightly Create Tomorrow podcast, bringing you the latest innovations impacting the future of design and product. Surfer, filmmaker and journalist Chris Nelson joins WGSN Editorial Director Bethan Ryder to discuss his documentary The Big Sea. In this episode, we dive into a new documentary exploring the connection between the $10bn surfing industry and Cancer Alley in Louisiana in the US. Cancer Alley is a region along the Mississippi River with many factories and chemical plants. The pollution from these plants has made the air and water unhealthy, causing high rates of cancer and other illnesses among residents. The documentary sheds light on the toxic truth behind a single material, Neoprene, which is used to make swimsuits. Chris and Bethan discuss greenwashing and more about the film, because it demonstrates the crucial role designers and brands can and must play in creating a better future for people and the planet. 

Hello and welcome to WGSN’s fortnightly Create Tomorrow podcast, bringing you the latest innovations impacting the future of design and product. In this episode, we discuss the emerging styles, subcultures, consumer drivers  and aesthetics in youth fashion that we’ve been tracking at festivals across the globe. WGSN Youth Fashion Strategists Mia Jacobs and Jaeyeon Park join host Graham ‘Kraggy’ Krag, Senior Commissioning Manager at WGSN to find out how subcultures and multi-genre festival line-ups are shaking up the festival fashion scene. Hear why fandom dressing is growing in popularity and find out who the ‘Mini Tylers’ are and what the ‘Signature Lana’ looks like.

WGSN UX strategists Arianne Anabuki and Abdulrahman Hadi discuss how technology can improve the lives of marginalized communities through inclusive user experience design. They explore the impact of negative user experience on brand engagement and discuss the accessibility of smartphone features like 'dark mode'.

Listen to this podcast episode to discover the future of travel-wear trends, including versatile clothing options for efficient packing, the intersection of business and leisure travel, the rise of wellness trips and adventurous holidays, and the impact of popular TV shows on tourism. Find out how fashion brands are adapting to cater to evolving vacation habits and climate concerns.

Explore the return of physical retail with insights from Joe McDonnell, Laura Saunter, and Candice Medeiros. They discuss the revival of mall culture, contradictory consumer spending habits, the importance of social experiences in stores, the impact of AI, the rise of 'buy now, pay later' models, and upcoming retail innovations.

The WGSN team discusses highlights from Milan Design Week 2024, including hyper-tactility, elemental materiality, and products inspired by water. They cover trends like curtains and soft spaces, the rise of darkness, and 'Glimmers' brought by various installations and talks.

Clare Varga, Director of Beauty at WGSN, discusses AI-inspired beauty products, scalp analysis tech, key ingredients, and personalised beauty trends showcased at Cosmoprof Bologna. The podcast explores 'glimmers' in beauty, innovative skincare products, and the integration of AI technology for personalized hair and skincare solutions.

Explore SXSW highlights including Gen Z insights, AI ethics, health tech innovations, matriarchal design, digital culture preservation, digisexuality trends, and quantum computing myths debunked.

Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde discusses using light to address the climate crisis and create a better tomorrow. Topics include sustainable fireworks inspired by fireflies, reducing light pollution to reveal stars in cities, sustainability in design projects, repurposing space junk, and the impact of real experiences in a digital age.

We’re constantly scouring the globe for the latest trends, and in this episode of Create Tomorrow we report back from Maison & Objet, the biannual interiors trade fair in Paris. One of the most important global events for the interior design industry.  Director of WGSN Interiors Gemma Riberti shares her fair highlights, from the colours she’s tracked to the unstoppable rise of the outdoor market. Plus exciting new sustainability materials, including a patent-pending innovation that transforms rice husks into precious objects of beauty. We find out why tactile neutrals, rustic ceramics, soft leather detailing and a focus on wood will dominate, and Gemma picks her favourite take-home piece from the fair.