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Diversity in all its forms will break into mainstream culture by 2020. Greene gives us an example: Universal Standard that sells clothing from American size 4 to 40 (EU 34 to 70). Henning of Lauren Chan, on the other hand, makes formal clothing for work situations that flatters every type of body. Sainsbury's came up with an atypical pregnancy and breastfeeding line and Tommy Hilfiger, with Tommy Adaptive, focuses on consumers with a disability. Campaigns are also increasingly seeing models of real skin conditions such as psoriasis, acne, cellulite or stretch marks.

Fear also stimulates trends - the climate protest is driven by fear - and thus becomes - cynically enough - something that can be capitalized on. "Gen Z grew up with uncertainty, thinks progressively and is very entrepreneurial but with a social purpose. They see themselves as a brand, partly through social media and influencing. They think creatively, make something and sell it immediately, via social media. Retailers who want to appeal to Gen Z must realise that they are dealing with conscious consumers," says Greene. "They love vintage and unexpected categories such as anti-consumption brand Everybody.world or genderfree-shop Phluid. A trend that will become very important in 2020 is the impact of gaming. Greene: "For Gen Z, gaming is a form of social media. They meet on games, and date through apps. They make contact via Tinder and then meet each other on Fortnite. The world of gaming is interwoven with the visual culture. We already had virtual influencers like Lil Miquela, but now there is a complete intersection of gaming and beauty of fashion. For example, the Dazed Beauty platform brings unexpected, futuristic beauty reports with inspiration from cyberspace.

Greene also points to the so-called 'goal revolution' - a redefinition of why people are here, what makes them happy and what they spend their money on. Wellness is what millennials want today: from air purifiers to organic cotton and everything that makes us healthier and improves our lives. Sustainability is no longer a trend but the basis from which new brands can start," Greene explains. "Brands that aim to change consumer behaviour include By Humankind, a beauty label with reusable packaging, or For Days, where you can take out a zero waste T-shirt subscription. Another trend that comes under this is the vegan lifestyle, which is sustainable and good for your health. In addition, innovation in the field of sustainability is called the new luxury, such as new textiles as an alternative to animal materials, with Stella McCartney as the pioneer, of course. Social collabs are also being created, such as Guerlain x Unesco or Timberland's reforestation project", she further illustrates.

Photo: Timberland

The fifth trend mentioned by Greene responds to the general wave of isolation: "Social media can tend to make consumers unhappy or lonely. So brands are building new communities where activities and workshops are organised so that they can find that sense of belonging. Examples are the social bakery Luminary Bakery in East London, the collaboration of Vans with avant-garde gallery KK Outlet in Covent Garden and the pottery classes of Still Life Ceramics in L.A.".

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"More and more is also becoming possible due to the rapid technological evolution", says the trendwatcher. "Lil Miquela now has more than 1.5 million followers and has deals with major brands such as Supreme and Diesel who sees her as a powerful marketing tool. Other examples include experience-focused e-commerce, such as Obsess, the shopping platform that leases out virtual, experience-focused stores to brands, as well as the investment in interactive mirrors from the sportswear brand Lululemon. In addition, technology is a source of inspiration for new products: game branding or virtual collections such as Jeremy Scott's collection for The Sims. Augmented reality filters are used to advertise products such as the Adidas Deerupt filter on Snapchat or Candy Crush filter on Instagram to increase brand awareness. It's the 21st-century version of the billboard," concludes Greene. Photo: Moschino The Sims

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.BE by Katrien Huysentruyt before being translated and edited to English

Main photo: Universal Standard campaign NYC metro

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Futurologist Lucie Greene: 6 trends influencing consumer behavior in 2020 - FashionUnited UK