Trend forecasting beyond style: exploring society, spirit, and the quest for solace in a fractured world
Enlightenment is the recent free webinar by Lidewij Edelkoort, the renowned trend forecaster — a spiritual gift, as she described it. And, judging by the large global audience it drew, a much-needed one. Many participants thanked her at the end; Edelkoort herself appeared deeply moved.
We often say that fashion is culture — more precisely, that fashion is a lens through which we can analyse society. This webinar was a clear demonstration of that idea in action.
Edelkoort’s approach to trend forecasting goes far beyond clothing. It explores habits, customs, values, and lifestyles in depth. It is no longer about which colour or silhouette will be fashionable, but about why a colour, a shape, or a fabric resonates at a particular moment in history. At its core, her method is sociological — yet also deeply psychological and philosophical.
The presentation opened with a forecast written almost a decade ago, one that still rings disturbingly true today:
Never before have people felt so pummelled and abandoned. Society is at a loss, with ever-increasing tensions between rich and poor, man and woman, young and old, intellectual and worker, white and black. We feel pain for our planet and anger for future generations. We feel helpless when faced with multiple dictators governing their countries like banana republics. We feel outrage at the sacrificing of Black lives, the shooting of our children, or the killing of innocent people. Our neighbour is our enemy, our teacher is our nemesis, our country is our curse — and how will we avoid civil war?
In a world where people feel hurt, insecure, and abandoned, the search for solace, relief, and inner balance has become urgent. The aim, Edelkoort suggests, is to heal society — and, in doing so, to foster another kind of fashion.
Current societal tensions — loneliness, frustration, political unrest — are prompting a return to spirituality. One statement struck us in particular: “Empathy is a political issue.” It feels like the defining slogan of our time.
Enlightenment by Lidewij Edelkoort: inspiration for solace
It is crucial to note that these themes were first released more than ten years ago and originally forecast for Autumn/Winter 2019–2020. This reveals how long macro-trends take to materialise — like seeds that need years to grow. Today, they feel uncannily precise.
Edelkoort framed sixteen interrelated themes as lenses through which to interpret contemporary society: asceticism, monasticism, shakerism, meditativism, taoism, shintoism, krishnaism, druidism, animism, voodoo, mysticism, occultism, romanticism, kama sutra, universalism, and papism.
Each represents a different way humans seek meaning, connection, and comfort in an unstable world. Each also carries its own visual and tactile language — crafts, shapes, colours, materials — which gradually filters into how we dress and live.
At first glance, these themes may appear distant from fashion. Yet they profoundly influence how people consume, behave, and express themselves.
Below are notes on how they translate into dress and culture:
- Asceticism: deconsumption; layering; simple clothes; warm, sophisticated colours. Inlays, superpositions of wool and linen, or wool and cotton. Minimal detailing.
- Monasticism: the search for inner peace and concentration. Spirituality. Minimal clothing, soft wool and linen. Hoods, irregular hems, socks, extra-long sleeves. Dirty yellow.
- Shakerism: community-building, shared tasks, simplicity. Beautiful skirts, bonnets. Black and white. Lace and tiny details.
- Meditativism: inward focus; rebalancing the aggression of daily life. Elevated well-being. Dark red, clothes that hug the body.
- Taoism: understanding life and discerning the future. Yin and yang. Repetition. Simplicity.
- Shintoism: Japanese influence. Black-and-white contrast. Ritual garments. Graphic and sober fashion. Contemporary kimonos.
- Krishnaism: orange, layering and draping. Tunics, fluid pants, embroidery.
- Druidism: Celtic rituals. Ireland and Scotland. Eco warriors protecting the natural world. Country punk. Alone with nature. Checks, blankets, patchwork, faux fur.
- Animism: the planet as a holistic entity. Ancestral references. Skins, feathers, felt.
- Voodoo: ritual-inspired silhouettes and symbolism. Elaborate design. Bold mixes of colours and patterns.
- Mysticism: a path to enlightenment. Rich textures, flowing layers, deep colours. Transcending shapes, allegorical textiles.
- Occultism: mystery, alchemy. Motifs such as eyes and stars. Garments imbued with hidden meanings.
- Romanticism: softness, fluidity, flowing fabrics. Lace, ruffles, bows. Feminine silhouettes.
- Kama Sutra: sensuality; celebration of pleasure and beauty. Barely-there garments. Body beige.
- Universalism: unity across cultures, genders, and religions. Diversity celebrated. A rainbow of influences, textures, colours, and prints.
From this section comes the slide: “Empathy is a political issue.” - Papism: the spiritual father figure. The human search for meaning, guidance, and community. Papal dresses, cardinal red. Flowing robes, cloaks, capelets, embroidery.
Through this lens, fashion becomes a mirror of deeper societal currents. People are drawn to clothing that offers comfort, authenticity, and emotional resonance. Trend forecasting, therefore, becomes less about a superficial style and more about understanding human needs, fears, and aspirations.
Final thoughts
Against this backdrop of fracture and unease, Enlightenment emerges not as a traditional trend report, but as a response — a search for answers about who we are and where we are heading. In an era marked by the loss of religion, tradition, and communal spaces, people are left without places to gather, celebrate, or find solace. These themes respond directly to that absence.
They represent a collective turning both inward and outward: towards spirituality, ritual, community, and meaning.
Enlightenment by Lidewij Edelkoort shows that fashion is more than a reflection of taste. It is a mirror of society, psyche, and spirit. In a fragmented world — where neighbours feel like enemies and the future feels under threat — these trends signal a profound human search: for solace, for connection, for meaning beyond the material.
The webinar was, in essence, a call for a better fashion — and therefore, a better world. A fashion rich in meaning. Fashion as a form of cultural therapy: a way to dress not only the body, but the soul of an age.
Understanding these currents may be the only way to bring about meaningful change in fashion, culture, and human behaviour.
And perhaps, to begin healing it.