This week we’re starting a fascinating study of trend reporting and trend spotting and just generally talking about trends because well, frankly we’re obsessed with how things and people become buzzed about and why something suddenly is so over.
Current status of trend report: pieces of letter sized paper tacked to Barbara’s office wall with sticky notes so entries can be easily moved from Next to Now to Out—and maybe back again. Admittedly, this is just a very small slice of the trend pie as it were (and note that pie is NEXT. Well, pie is forever) but these entries are what we’re noticing at this moment.
Notes from this week’s chart:
ON THE OUTS – American Idol should have been out long ago but we didn’t have the chart before this. We are so over flash mobs. Come on people. We are hoping to move Barack Obama back to the NOW category. Fingers crossed Mr. President.
IN IS IN – 3D printing should probably be in the NEXT category because most people can’t do it yet but it’s hot and crazy cool so we’ll keep it in the NOW category. Superheroes are always NOW but we wanted to give them a nod. Currently everyday heroes are also NOW. Will add them to the board. Moustaches will probably be NOW at least through this Movember but then may have to drop. Sloths? Duh.
NEXT UP – This category is of course the most fun. Indytainment is our new word (at least we think we’re coining it) for all these personal channels and shows and cool stuff everyone everywhere is creating to keep us from getting any work done anymore. Cuffs with cufflinks will be the new in bracelets. No long sleeved shirt, just the cuffs and cufflinks around your wrist. If anyone is currently making these, please tell us so we can invest. We’re working to make “Din” happen. It’s the new thing to say instead of “Boom” when you say something awesome and true and no further comment needed. And pop tarts and shuffleboard? Yes. Smoking cigarettes? Sadly this is going to be a thing. And yeah we know Tavi Gevinson is already huge but some of us didn’t know her yet so she’s on the NEXT board. For now. This morning Bri added “Modern Prairie”. Will discuss that next time.
Keep on keeping up.
–Barbara Combs
