

Lives of Tomorrow
WGSN
The world is changing fast – and so are our lives. Carla Buzasi, CEO of WGSN, the world’s most famous trend forecasting company, talks to leading experts from around the world about what the changes mean for us all and how it will affect our Lives of Tomorrow.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 23, 2024 • 27min
Why Our Senses are the Future of Marketing
Explore the future of marketing with Scott King, a multisensory branding expert. Learn how senses like smell and touch influence consumer decisions. Discover examples of multisensory marketing with companies like Samsung and Coca-Cola. Dive into the impact of incorporating multiple senses in marketing and product design for immersive brand experiences.

Jul 9, 2024 • 24min
Opening the Doors to WGSN Sports & Outdoor
In this episode, WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi teams up with Jon Takao, Content Director of our freshly launched Sports & Outdoor. This new platform expands our apparel and footwear under our Active category and drives into more granular forecasts on equipment and gear for bikes, outdoor, snow, water, and fitness. Listen to learn about WGSN’s latest Sports & Outdoor and hear Jon’s journey to heading up our specialist trend forecasting tool.

Jun 25, 2024 • 27min
The Future of Inclusive Fashion With Sinéad Burke
Sinéad Burke, CEO and founder of Tilting The Lens, an accessibility consultancy firm joins WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi to discuss the future of inclusivity in fashion. Sinéad describes herself as a little person, she is 3”5 and has achondroplasia. Since her teens, she’s been on a mission to work towards change and inclusivity for disabled people. Sinead is an author and disability activist who entered the fashion industry to promote inclusivity.Carla finds out from Sinead just how inclusive fashion is, what is being done, and how fashion brands can plan for the future with a focus on accessibility and inclusivity.Sinéad talks about the need for accessible design in public spaces and the importance of involving disabled people in creating educational content that can be used throughout the fashion world. We hear examples of assistive technologies and projects aimed at improving accessibility in luxury fashion stores in this discussion.Plus expect to hear the story of Sinéad being featured on the cover of British Vogue and working with Edward Enninful.

Jun 11, 2024 • 21min
Doing Business with Avatars
Hello and welcome to the fortnightly podcast about macro societal shifts, exploring what they mean for all of us and how they will affect our Lives of Tomorrow.In this episode, we take a deep dive into the Direct-to-Avatar (D2A) economy. At WGSN we define D2A as a new retail model, similar to direct-to-consumer, that allows brands to sidestep supply chains and sell clothes that don't exist IRLWGSN CEO and host Carla Buzasi speaks to Samantha G Wolfe, founder of PitchFWD – a consulting firm that helps navigate the world of new and emerging technologies – about how we will use avatars to do most of our shopping, and how brands will have to find ways to interact with our avatars to capitalise on this opportunity.Imagine buying on-trend outfits, unique accessories, and even exclusive experiences for your virtual avatars, all without stepping into a physical store or dealing with traditional supply chains. We explore this consumer trend and the emerging technology involved.

May 29, 2024 • 21min
How To Prepare Your Brand For The Future
What are the most important things for brands to consider when looking into the future?In this episode, we share WGSN insights into all the things you should roll out to ensure your business is future-proof.Cultural Strategist and Foresight Lead at WGSN Martina Rocca tells WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi some of the key ways companies can prepare for unexpected risks and identify growth opportunities before competitors on this episode of Lives of Tomorrow.Martina explains how WGSN works with foresight and how companies can use the information to future-proof themselves.

May 14, 2024 • 22min
How Brands Can Make us Happy, with Bestselling Author and Happiness Expert Gretchen Rubin
Hello and welcome to the fortnightly podcast about macro societal shifts, exploring what they mean for all of us and how they will affect our Lives of Tomorrow.What makes you happy? This episode focuses on the huge importance of this emotion for us all, now and in the future. WGSN forecasts a very real need and desire for people to feel joy, particularly when mental health is a rising concern among many demographics. WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi is joined by bestselling author Gretchen Rubin to discuss the future of consumer happiness and how brands can harness the power of joy.Gretchen’s work focuses on happiness and human nature, and she’s best known for her book The Happiness Project. But why are we looking for brands to make us happy and relax? Is this too much to ask?Carla and Gretchen discuss what we want and expect from brands, and whether they can actually make us happy. Tune in to hear about new concepts such as silent airports, plus the US retailers who are etching out hours in the morning to make the shopping experience more accessible for customers with sensory issues. Happy listening!

Apr 30, 2024 • 28min
How to be an Influencer in the Creator Economy, with Mae Karwowski
Hello and welcome to the fortnightly Lives of Tomorrow podcast about the macro societal shifts, exploring what they mean for all of us and how they will affect our Lives of Tomorrow.In this episode, WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi discusses the future of the creator economy with Mae Karwowski, CEO and founder of Obviously, a technology-led social influencer marketing agency based in New York, with operations in San Francisco and Paris.The creator economy has experienced huge growth in recent years, and it plays a pivotal role in shaping consumer behaviour. Carla finds out about the proprietary technology which Obviously used to work with influencers and world-class brands such as Google, Amazon, and Converse. Mae shares her insights into setting strategy, executing campaigns, and the importance of building authentic partnerships across social platforms. They discuss how Mae’s Obviously blog focusing on what social media should be, acted as a springboard to launching her influencer agency in 2014, which last year was acquired by WPP. Tune in to find out about the future of the Creator Economy, hear tips about how brands should collaborate with creators, and how niche content and penetrating sub-communities is an effective way of reaching the most committed audiences.

Apr 16, 2024 • 29min
The Future of Fashion Retail with Jane Shepherdson
Hello and welcome to the fortnightly Lives of Tomorrow podcast about the macro societal shifts, exploring what they mean for all of us and how they will affect our Lives of Tomorrow.In this episode, WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi discusses the future of fashion with Jane Shepherdson, the founder of clothing resale and rental company MyWardrobeHQ. Jane is well known for being the former brand director of global retailer TopShop where she pioneered many of the retail trends that remain today, not least the full shopping ‘experience’ – the London flagship offered in-store vintage and individual designer concessions, plus hair styling, a piercing salon and a cafe.A sustainability champion, Jane discusses the state of fashion, why we must recognise and appreciate the value of clothes, how she’s adopted the Rule of Five and why she set up her rental business MyWardrobe HQ.

Apr 2, 2024 • 28min
New Kidults on the Block – Why Grown-ups Are Falling in Love with LEGO
Hello and welcome to the fortnightly Lives of Tomorrow podcast about the macro societal shifts, exploring what they mean for all of us and how they will affect our Lives of Tomorrow.In this episode, we discuss the rise of the kidult. At WGSN, ‘kidults’ are simply put, adults that shop like children. Adults around the world are escaping the polycrisis and finding comfort in buying toys and rekindling experiences from their childhoods through play.We’ve been closely tracking this trend and today we hear from Genevieve Cruz, LEGO Group’s Head of Product – Senior Director within Adults Global Marketing to find out how the brand is engaging AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO) and pioneering and leaning into this trend.Gen explains how LEGO strategises to capitalise on this consumer shift, how playdates are revolutionising the LEGO world, and about the different sub-communities shaping the future of how we play with LEGO.Tune in to hear why more adults are turning to LEGO as a pastime, the future of the kidult trend, and how building blocks are a unifying antidote to doom-scrolling.

Mar 19, 2024 • 23min
Forecasting Glimmers with Psychotherapist Deb Dana
Psychotherapist Deb Dana discusses 'glimmers' as small moments of joy to combat negative emotions in 2026. The importance of sharing joy, polyvagal theory, and finding glimmers in everyday places are highlighted. Glimmers will become prized coping tools, coexisting with suffering, and leading to seeking out more joy.