This document provides an overview of key trends expected to influence fashion, technology, and social trends over the next year. For fashion, sensible yet vibrant colors like Honeysuckle pink and coffee liqueur will be popular. Fast fashion may decline as consumers seek higher quality garments. Rising cotton prices mean retailers will raise prices. Television watching remains popular, but on-demand internet TV and time spent online are changing viewing habits and impacting retail as more purchases move online.

1. Lowd&Klea
Strategic Communications Agency www.lowdandklea.com
O, Brave New World...
This is an original article compiled from desk-based research undertaken by Lowd&Klea.
As we enter a new fiscal year what will have the greatest influence on our
lifestyle in the areas of fashion, technology and social trends? In this document
we aim to provide you with a snapshot overview of what to expect, what trends
are in their ascendancy and what’s likely to be left behind by this time next year.
Fashion
Sensible and spirited “Sensible and Spirited”. As a result, Fast-Fashion
Where better to start in fashion than Honeysuckle will be joined by colours This trend in the UK over the last decade
with the colours that get it noticed and that add stability to wardrobes such signified by rapidly changing styles and
dictate the theme for the seasons and as Coffee Liqueur, Nougat and Orchid collections, offered at cheap prices has
their styles. Hopefully as you already Hush. We await full details of S/S 12’s changed the overall structure of the
know, Pantone offered us an escape from “Wonder” theme and as soon as we industry. We have to ask the question
the economically imposed austerity that have them, you’ll be the first to know. of whether it’s due to continue to lead
surrounds us with their colour for the in light of increased raw materials costs
year 18-2120 Honeysuckle. A vibrant and Cause and effect and continued austerity measures. Fast-
playful pink that led the S/S 11 theme The rising price of cotton has seen Fashion, now that it is established will
of “An exotic journey” citing inspiration dramatic rises over the last twelve always have a place, but will consumers
from destinations such as Africa, India, months as the result of it’s scarcity and its take a second look at quality garments
Peru and Turkey. This core colour was impact on the industry has been severe. that will last them longer when the
supported by equally fresh, fanciful and Just-Style’s report from October 2010 constant purchasing of the fast-fashion
alluring colours including Blue Curacao, claimed that price increase was 127% in cycle starts to feel like an extravagance?
Coral Rose and Peapod. the 18 months leading up to September
2010. At least one of the outcomes of We’ll have to wait and see, but we hope
For Autumn / Winter it would seem
that global upheaval and the continuing
this has been forecasting from retailers
including Primark, Next and H&M,
that the route to retail economic growth
can be found in a return to these steadfast
March 2009 – September 2010 price of cotton rose
need for courage in the face of economic that retail prices will have to increase labels and ‘quality over quantity’. 127% from 51 cents per lb to 116 cents per lb
adversity has informed in a focus on in order to reflect the exponential
the art of colour and the theme of growth in raw material prices.

2. Social trends
TV switch as well as older archive programming.
On the whole television watching is still The flexibility that we’ve gained has
top of the list when it comes to how the meant an end to “appointment-to-view”
majority of us spend our free time. What programming and as a result given us
is and, for the greater part has, changed is more time to spend elsewhere – an
how we choose to make use of it based on ‘elsewhere’ which is predominantly
rapidly changing technology. becoming the ‘net.
Nearly 89% of homes in the UK had a
digital television service at the end of High Street in the Home
the first quarter of 2009 and although This additional time spent on the Internet
satellite services had initially led the has had an impact on a number of
way, much of the recent growth in digital traditional UK lifestyle habits, but one of
TV has come from the take-up of digital the areas feeling it most is retail. The
terrestrial television. Although not swift High Street has continued to suffer,
it’s a change that has been quite dramatic not only as the result of issues with the
in the space of a decade. In Q1 2000, economy, but also because of where we
only 3% of households had this service are choosing to make our purchasing
connected to their main television set, decisions. In comparison to the rest of
by Q1 2009 this had increased to 38% of Europe, the UK leads the way in the
households. buying or ordering of goods or services
over the Internet. In a Eurostat EU
Unsurprisingly one of the most comparison from 2009, nearly 75%
significant changes to viewing habits in of people aged 16 to 74 had bought or
recent years has been led by the advent ordered on the Internet in the 12 months
of on-demand Internet television services prior to interview in comparison to the
provided by all of the major broadcasters EU average of just under 40%.
and offering us both 7 day “catch-up” TV
What are we doing?
UK TOP SELLING ALBUM ADMIT ONE
1956-2009 THE 10 LONDON-BASED In 2009 British
To find out more
Contact us at
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER TITLES According to the
consumers in the UK Lowdandklea.Com
National Lottery
SELL AN AVERAGE spent £3.4bn on all forms
of movie products and Commission 70% of
‘Greatest Hits 9,540,993 A DAY services. adults play the lottery
on a regular basis
Queen’ ADMIT ONE
5.7 m