I did a course in Central Saint Martins, UAL called Cool Hunting and it taught us about the power of observation and questioning in order to learn and grow. Our lecturer always told us to look up, look down and all around us as we explored London on foot. As the weeks went by, I began to understand how these things are key to unlocking the mystery and elusive nature of trend prediction and forecasting.
It’s one of the key reasons why street style, fashion, art and graffiti are so important to trend forecasters. They are the essence of storytelling and often reveal the most about a society or undercurrent of a place. Just look at fashion movements that have swept though the decades and how they instantly conjure up the mood of the time – the roaring twenties to liberal flower power, 60’s Mod to Punk and then on to 90’s minimalism and beyond. Fashion trends echo social consciousness. When you explore a new area, really look at it. What are people wearing? What are the shops selling? What new things are you being exposed to?
When I visited Iceland, we spent most of our time on road-trips to visit incredible natural wonders like a bubbling Geysir, thermal pools and glacier regions…but there’s always time for shopping and Myconceptstore is well worth a visit. This shop is a great example of curating items beautifully. Lofty paperweights sat atop vintage style cabinets and amongst scattered Polaroids and coffee table books. Turntables and rain ponchos nestled amongst faux fur scarves, super-soft cushions and scented candles. The items in this shop are chosen with care and given the space to breathe.
In essence Myconceptsore gives you a snapshot of the mood of Reykjavík – a laid-back place with a sense of quality and time over fast fashion or clutter. The same can be said when it comes to visual merchandising and the retail environment for shoppers. Less is more. It made for a lovely change.
