124. How WGSN Forecasts the Future

Gen Beta will be the first to grow up in an AI-driven world, raised by Gen Z and Zellennial parents who are rethinking digital childhoods amid technology’s influence. Born between 2025 and 2040, Betas will be shaped by hyper-personalised tech, sustainability, and ethical innovation – forcing brands to progress Gen Alpha strategies. We explore Gen Beta’s defining traits – from the rise of inclusive postpartum care and innovative infant nutrition, to why some Gen Z parents choose to go offline and the increasing need for safety online. Find out how Gen Beta will be and what this means for brands with Cassandra Napoli, Create Tomorrow’s host, Allyson Rees, WGSN’s Senior Lifestyle Strategist, and Claire Lancaster, WGSN’s Head of Food and Drink.

In this episode, we are looking at winning over tween and teen consumers online and at retail which is something our guest, Meghan Hurley, Claire’s Vice President of Global Marketing knows a lot about. Straight from her session at this year’s National Retail Federation’s Big Show held in New York, she talks to WGSN's Cassandra Napoli about winning with modern consumers. Meghan reflects on how Claire’s targets Zalpha consumers (the fringe generation sandwiched between Gen Z and Gen Alpha aged 9-14) by cocreating campaigns and products alongside them and aligning with their preferences for phygital experiences.

It’s 2025, and chrono-normativity, hustle culture, and unhealthy habits are out. Which movements are shaking things up across industries? Ditching societal norms of traditional adult milestones, the Forever Young Adult is trailblazing their own timeline. Consumers are grappling with global challenges by seeking ease and dressing in comfortable Day-jamas, tending to their needs with Therapeutic Laziness.  Discover more trends WGSN forecasts for the coming year. Join Carla Buzasi, CEO of WGSN with her colleagues, Lisa White, Director of Strategic Forecasting and Creative Direction, and Cassandra Napoli, Head of Marketing and Events at WGSN Insight.

Future Dusk is a dark, moody and intriguing hue, offering a fresh take on dependable dark blue, sitting between blue and purple. Simultaneously familiar and futuristic, its sense of mystery and escapism feeds into themes of transition – be it from dark to light, or dusk to dawn –  perfect for a period of immense change. Listen to find out how this transformative colour is painting our future.

In this episode, we look at the 2027 STEPIC forecasts which track the challenges and opportunities for 2027 across six areas: Society, Technology, the Environment, Politics, Industry, and Creativity (STEPIC). This proprietary methodology at WGSN acts as the lens through which we predict trends years in advance.  Joining our host, Cassandra Napoli, are WGSN experts – Lisa White, Content Director of Strategic Forecasting, Ella Hudson, Head of Research, and Martina Rocca, Foresight Lead. Find out how we explore the drivers, innovation, and key emotions set to impact 2027.

Today’s niche pop cultural references are dynamically shifting the language of tomorrow. From “skibidi” to “hawk tuah,” decode the everyday slang words and phrases Alphas and Gen Z are using to engage them effectively and authentically. WGSN’s Head of Marketing and Events and Create Tomorrow’s brand new host Cassandra Napoli explores how young people are shaping the future of the English language with their online behaviors. Joining her are WGSN’s Senior Strategist Liz Tan and Fashion Strategist Mia Jacobs who uncover how brands can harness the language of the youth and seamlessly insert themselves into the conversation.

The WGSN podcast Create Tomorrow has a brand new permanent host: Cassandra Napoli, Head of Events and Marketing at WGSN. Cassandra speaks with Lisa White, Director of Strategic Forecasting at WGSN for the penultimate Create Tomorrow before she takes over the podcast. Having hosted and starred on previous WGSN podcasts, we mark her appointment with a special episode to get to know her and what she does. Hear what inspires Cassandra, her journey into trend forecasting, and what her first episode of Create Tomorrow is all about.

Can leather be sustainable? Discover how innovative technologies are transforming leather into a high-performing, biocircular material that starts and ends with nature. This episode of Create Tomorrow explores Ecotan Leather, a natural leather tanning technology which replaces traditional chemical-based tanning, like chrome, with plant-based alternatives. Join Lisa White, WGSN’s Director of Strategic Forecasting, and Randi Seiff, US Representative for Ecotan Leather, CEO and Co-founder of Treun House Atelier as they discuss how the fashion industry is embracing sustainable luxury. Learn from Randi leading the way by designing sustainable leather trainers with benefits for human and planet health

How much do you care about personal body care? From reaching for the razor to popping pills and brushing your teeth, we reveal personal care trends today that will stay for a few years. Join Francesca Muston, VP of WGSN Fashion and Megan Bang, Beauty Analyst of WGSN and author of WGSN’s Future of Personal Care 2027 report in this episode of Create Tomorrow. Learn about trends destigmatising body hair, erectile dysfunction and reduced libidos and what brands can do to infuse glimmers or small moments of joy in our everyday personal care.

The holiday season is fast approaching and with it comes the annual scramble for gifts. This year, it looks like we are not quite as generous as we used to be – half of us are expecting to buy fewer goods and services and 95% of us will be looking for the best deals. This means that brands need to prioritise discounts to profit from the holiday season. Join us in this episode about holiday shopping and gifting where we also explore the importance of personalisation, delivering value and sustainable choices with WGSN’s Director of Interiors, Gemma Riberti and Director of Insight, Joe McDonnell.