Beauty, fashion, and wellness are three of the most prominent driving forces behind modern societies. They represent what we desire to feel, look, and be like.
With that in mind, let us explore three key trends in these areas.
The Entrepreneurial Rise
When people think about Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci, and Prada, they often picture expensive, luxurious, high-end products for the very wealthy. They imagine Hollywood celebrities, famous athletes, and prominent politicians on their way to lavish get-togethers and parties. On the other hand, brands such as H&M, Uniqlo, Gap, Guess, and Zara are synonymous with the masses.
They are items of clothing and shoes that, although stylish and with pretty good quality, are not as expensive as their former counterparts. Still, one thing is for certain. They are all giant, multinational corporations with vast resources and names known all over the world.
While these and other popular brands continue to expand their markets and make a profit, what the advent of social media and all things the internet has brought forth is a wide range of smaller businesses focusing on fashion, beauty, and wellness. For instance, many entrepreneurs today are working hand in hand with large-scale fragrance oil suppliers like Flaire and others to create everything from perfumes to handmade body and hand soaps, candles, and other scented products.
In essence, in the 21st century, if you have a great new business idea and are willing to work hard for it, chances are you can turn it into a reality.
Social and Environmental Consciousness
It is no secret that climate change is real, and we are experiencing an environmental crisis the likes of which we have never seen. As the polar icecaps continue to melt, temperatures rise, our natural resources diminish, and thousands of species of flora and fauna become endangered or go altogether extinct, the need to act is becoming more paramount with each passing day.
Luckily, firms in the fashion and beauty industries have taken note of the environmental footprint mass production and consumption have left and continues to leave on our planet. And while change is always slow and filled with speed bumps, they are beginning to put in place mechanisms that minimize carbon emissions in their factories and use eco-friendly, recyclable materials to manufacture not only their clothes and footwear but also bags, boxes, and other packaging materials.
From a social perspective, things are also taking a turn for the better. First, government and non-profit organizations are doing their due diligence to ensure fair working conditions for sweatshop employees in countries like China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Myanmar. Second, advertising agencies and the fashion industry as a whole have become more inclusive in terms of what an ideal body should look like and what the concept of external beauty should be.
Back to the Past
There is an isle in the small African nation of Malawi called Mumbo Island. This exotic tourist destination can only be reached by kayak and does not offer a 3G internet connection, not to mention 4G or 5G. Along with its pristine water, tropical wildlife, and gorgeous weather, it is slowly becoming a popular landing spot for people from different countries all over the world for another reason. And that reason is that it has little to no modern technology, and if you go there, you can engage for a few days in a so-called digital detox. There are also others.
People in modern societies live fast-paced lives that often result in stress-related illnesses like anxiety, bipolar disorder, insomnia, type 2 diabetes, hypoglycemia, and hypertension. When we are not being pressured by the demands of a hyper-competitive work atmosphere, we need to take care of our responsibilities at home and make time to get in shape and build social networks. Yet, some of this pressure is not external. Rather, it comes from ourselves.
Regardless of what people might say, when you spend hours upon hours on your phone watching YouTube videos, scrolling down your Facebook timeline, reading tweets, or playing video games, this is your choice. Nobody is forcing you to do this.
Thankfully, people are now more conscious about the effects of too much exposure and are taking the necessary steps to disconnect.
Three of the most important lifestyle trends in beauty, fashion, and wellness are the rise of entrepreneurs in the beauty and fashion industries, a new understanding of the impact of fashion in our environment and our lives, and the realization that having too much access to technology is not the best thing for our well-being.
As always, the key is finding a balance between what we want, the resources we are using to get it, and its effect on our lives.
