As 2020 continues to present us with global challenges, we are invited to dig deeper, and further examine who we are; what our place is in the world; and what we plan to do with it. Though this may push us out of our comfort zones at times, we hope you join us in this opportunity to dive head first into all that is happening out there. Here are this month’s top themes, curated and filtered through our lens, for you to read and explore.

Culture blackout

After months of Covid-19 dominating headlines, the fight against racism and activism efforts to educate and create change in the world have seized the attention of the media and the public. In response to George Floyd’s death by a policeman in America, the Black Lives Matter movement and its protests, messaging, and visual language are responsible for some of the most impactful and rapidly spreading campaigns worldwide. #blackouttuesday, which took place on June 2nd, showed collective support for the movement. Businesses taking part abstained from business operations such as releasing music, and Instagram users uploaded images of black squares, creating an all black feed. In real-life events and protests as well as online, the color black has been predominant. Bold typography and an unapologetic, clear-cut style are the main design themes for both signs and online messaging.

Beyond the activism arena, representation of black men and women can be seen in a more diverse way, through fashion, art and editorial features, such as in the new publication “Boy, Brother, Friend” campaign, and brands across the board who are purposefully showcasing black models.

Start making sense

In the past few months, the Covid-19 pandemic raised a new global need to consume data. Suddenly, it’s not only doctors and governments that need to understand the endless numbers, curves and R rates: all that information needs translation for the everyday citizen so they can decipher and make sense of what is going on.

And so, the need for making data more accessible through visualisation became evident. Charts, pies, graphs, illustration and animations can be seen on every media channel and on every news feed, explaining not only the numbers behind the pandemic but also offering a new way of looking at its cultural effects. The data-driven aesthetic goes even farther, and we can now see infographic illustrations explaining racism statistics in America and telling the story of the black community using these methods.

REgenerate. REpurpose. REplenish.

With industries everywhere rethinking the way they operate and embarking on a new path, the fashion industry was one of the first to take action. Gucci announced that they are officially rejecting the classic season calendar that ruled all fashion brands collections, announcing that they will only present two collections per year from now on, both seasonless. In their words, “clothes should have a longer life than that which these words... [winter, spring, summer, autumn]… attribute to them."

This idea, suggesting regeneration from within, can be seen coming to life through the rise in designers using recycled materials and repurposed fabrics, like Kyra Buenviaje who created an entire collection from recycled denim, or Amelie Marie, with a collection made of old restaurant tablecloths. Providing a more humorous take on the theme is Nicole Mclaughlin, who created wearable garments made from perishable food: a croissant bra, french fry sandals, and a puffer vest made from cereal.

Beyond fashion, regeneration takes other forms. Artist Robbie Barrat is using computer algorithms to recreate mesmerizing landscapes that look like an enhanced version of what nature might look like if left to replenish itself.

Dual protection

Protective gear is having its moment, as the need to wear masks is slowly becoming a must in many countries. Face masks as a fashion accessory are everywhere to be found, from big brands to individual sellers.

But the more recent take on face protection takes on a dual meaning when it comes to what exactly it protects. Face recognition methods used by governments and corporations, and the need to protect civilians from it, is an ongoing theme in today's climate, with designers addressing the issue with products like a face-printed scarf for camouflage and a wearable face projection device. Recent events that prompted mass protests around the world emphasised this need, as police use face recognition collected in CCTV cameras for surveillance and data collection. Suddenly, face masks are also protecting the wearer’s anonymity. A trend that sprouted from this one offers an alternative to covering your face in textile, and teaches protesters to wear makeup in a specific way that confuses the recognition algorithm. British makeup artist Martayla Poellinitz was inspired by the technique she discovered on Instagram in anti-surveillance accounts, and emulated the style using brush strokes and stick-on gems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PoudPCevN0

Conversation starter

The global pandemic spawned a mental health crisis, with loneliness, anxiety, unemployment and general uncertainty becoming daily issues for many of us. What used to be a subject saved for confidential conversations - or worse, kept secret and private - is now a topic dealt with out in the open. This newfound awareness deserves new attention: Pentagram’s Paula Scher and her team created a new identity for the recently launched Mental Health Coalition, using bright, bold colors and strong type in an attempt to pivot the stigma around mental health issues from hush-hush topics to something that is part of everyday conversation.

In the media, with an abundance of articles addressing these issues, we see a new type of imagery: rather than old-style black and white photographs of palms covering a face, there is a more shameless, positive visual treatment, with empathetic and brightly colored illustrations aimed to shed light on the issue rather than hiding it.

Ageless

An additional focus on diversity this month comes from another angle: age. In beauty and in fashion, brands are working towards age inclusivity in their messaging and imagery.

The new brand 19/99 creates beauty products aimed at women aged 19-99, with a mission to narrow the generational beauty gap, promoting a multi-generational dialogue about what beauty looks like at all stages of our lives. Renaissance Magazine is solely featuring models aged 40-80, and celebrates the beauty of those ages in fashion and beauty. Another example is underwear brand Heist Studios, who is determined to create undergarments that are as comfortable as they are stylish, no matter a woman’s age. Models of different age groups are proudly featured across their campaigns.