News 02.05.2025

Need to Know

Future Days 2025 daily recap, Alice Crossley’s Foresight Friday and why circular fashion is gaining momentum in US luxury e-commerce.

Future Days 2025: Urban life in 2050 and queer design futures

Future Days, Lisbon, Portugal
Future Days, Lisbon, Portugal
Future Days, Lisbon, Portugal

Portugal – The second day of Future Days 2025 kicked off at the Estufa Fria botanical garden in Lisbon. The morning began with a standout workshop led by the United Nations Futures Lab, where designers, strategic thinkers and futurists came together to explore the future of urban life in 2050.

Participants used the PESTLE framework (political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental) to identify signals, trends and drivers of change. These insights were then applied to a range of scenarios – from a baseline future marked by climate catastrophe that necessitates new UN treaties to radical visions of borderless societies governed by an Earth constitution. The session offered a focused space in which to consider how today’s decisions could shape tomorrow’s cities.

In the afternoon, speakers explored how marginalised communities can help shape more inclusive and imaginative futures. Creative coder and artist Lex Fefegha presented projects addressing the lack of diversity in AI training data, including Decentralise, previously featured on LS:N Global. He warned that if AI continues to learn from a past that excludes marginalised voices, it will inevitably reproduce those inequalities.

Pushing against dominant paradigms, Gem Barton, head of the SuperFUTURES research unit at the Royal College of Art, called for a fundamental shift in architectural education and practice. Drawing on queer theory, she advocated for a speculative, fluid approach rooted in world-building, arguing that usefulness and practicality are often colonial constructs that limit design potential.

The day closed with a shared message: to shape better futures, creatives must work within systems of power, and communities must be involved in decision-making. From workshops to panel debates, the consensus was clear – collaborative, inclusive approaches are essential for meaningful change.

Strategic opportunity

Consider embedding designers and creatives within internal teams to challenge tunnel vision, break legacy mindsets and spark system-level innovation. Rather than treating them as external consultants, position them as core contributors to long-term strategic change

Foresight Friday: Alice Crossley, senior foresight analyst

Puresport Puresport, London

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, senior foresight analyst Alice Crossley discusses the London marathon and Nike’s attempt to get more teen girls interested in PE.

: A record-breaking 56,640 runners crossed the finish line of the 2025 London Marathon last weekend. Run clubs and the Mass Movement trend we covered in 2023 likely play a part in the 105% increase in applications from people aged 20–29, but there’s also something to be said about extreme sports and the ‘new rules of achievement’ for young people who are finding it harder to reach the traditional markers of adulthood such as home ownership or parenthood, a topic we explore in our Gen Z Now and Next: 2024–2025 report.

: My favourite marathon activation came from Puresport, which hosted a Roadside Recovery ‘petrol’ Station at mile 24, providing runners with high-sodium electrolytes served from 2.5 metre pumps to get them through the final stretch. Genius!

: Elsewhere, Nike has teamed up with digital exercise platform Studio You to launch a series of video content powered by the This Girl Can campaign to help teenagers find more enjoyment in movement. Designed in collaboration with young women across the country, the free videos feature Nike trainers delivering lessons in yoga, dance, fitness, strength training, breathwork and mental fitness for teachers to use in schools. The videos also include adaptive movements to ensure students with disabilities can get involved. Our Game-Changers macrotrend report unpacked the rising power of female fandom, but enjoyment of sports starts in schools, and we can all remember those terrible PE lessons…

Quote of the Week

‘What we’re trying to do is give as many people as we can the opportunity to experience something that is life affirming, that is community building, that is good for their physical and mental health, and truly will give them an experience like no other’

Hugh Brasher, race director, London Marathon (source: The Guardian)

Stat: Circular fashion is gaining momentum in US luxury e-commerce

ReBurberry at Selfridges, London, UK ReBurberry at Selfridges, London, UK

US – Americans who purchase luxury apparel online are increasingly turning to circular fashion, according to new data from the Mastercard Economics Institute. In 2020, circular fashion accounted for 22.8% of US online luxury apparel spending, rising to 27.4% in 2024.

The growth marks a rebound from pandemic lows and a shift in consumer values, with Mastercard forecasting circular fashion to reach 28.8% of the luxury online market by the end of 2025. ‘The drivers are likely a combination of growing awareness of circular fashion merchants, a desire to access quality brands at a discount and an eye toward sustainability,’ the report notes.

Seasonal peaks, particularly in March, drive resale activity as people refresh their spring wardrobes and make purchases for special occasions. Cities such as Los Angeles and Las Vegas lead in adoption, while Portland is seeing resale growth outpace overall online clothing sales by 20.5 percentage points. The findings suggest a broader move toward more sustainable and value-driven habits among luxury shoppers in the US.

For more insights on what’s new and next for pre-loved fashion, read our Rebranding Resale report.

Strategic opportuity

Luxury and premium brands should consider integrating resale functionality directly into their websites or partnering with established online platforms such as The RealReal and Vestiaire Collective to offer seamless e-tail experiences and authenticated pre-owned pieces

Previous News Articles
SXSW London 2025: Designing with empathy and reimagining Time magazine’s legacy

News

SXSW London 2025: Designing with empathy and reimagining Time magazine’s legacy

On day three of SXSW London, the design track spotlighted the future of design in an AI-driven world, with speakers urging designers to focus on wh...
Design : Technology : Media
Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, ...
Fashion : Retail : Advertising
Stat: UK shopping centres lag in EV charging infrastructure

News

Stat: UK shopping centres lag in EV charging infrastructure

A new study by Zenith, a UK leasing and fleet management firm, reveals that 20% of the country’s shopping centres lack any electric vehicle (EV) ch...
Electric Vehicles : EV : Charging Points
SXSW London 2025: The Store of 2050 and Minecraft’s chicken jockey opportunity

News

SXSW London 2025: The Store of 2050 and Minecraft’s chicken jockey opportunity

On day two of SXSW London, the panel Retail Remix: The Store of 2050 brought together executives from Co-op, Mondelez International and creative ag...
Pop Culture & Media : Technology : Branding
Nike and Lego team up on creative play experiences and products

News

Nike and Lego team up on creative play experiences and products

Nike and the Lego Group have launched a global partnership to inspire kids through active and creative play, combining sport and imagination.
Technology : Nike : Lego
Stat: Consumers globally are buying clothes they never wear

News

Stat: Consumers globally are buying clothes they never wear

According to Statista Consumer Insights, a notable number of shoppers admit to buying clothes they never wear – a wasteful habit most common among ...
Fashion : Retail : Sustainability
SXSW London 2025: Biological age, AI-powered abundance and Substack’s in-person future

News

SXSW London 2025: Biological age, AI-powered abundance and Substack’s in-person future

The first edition of SXSW in London brought hundreds of visitors to Shoreditch for a mix of music, film, experiential workshops and forward-thinkin...
Pop Culture & Media : Global Events : Wellness
QuiteLike unveils rebranding to inspire joyful home cooking

News

QuiteLike unveils rebranding to inspire joyful home cooking

Meal kit brand QuiteLike has unveiled a striking rebranding designed to elevate dinnertime beyond mere convenience.
Food And Drink : Advertising & Branding : Design
Stat: US teen beauty spending soars to record high fuelled by fragrance boom

News

Stat: US teen beauty spending soars to record high fuelled by fragrance boom

Teen beauty spending in the US has surged to record levels, according to Piper Sandler’s latest Taking Stock With Teens report.
Beauty : Gen Alpha : Gen Alpha Consumers
Oura flips the script on ageing in new Give Us the Finger campaign

News

Oura flips the script on ageing in new Give Us the Finger campaign

Oura is challenging cultural norms around ageing with its latest brand campaign, Give Us the Finger.
Health And Wellness : Longevity Lifestyles : Technology
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN