Stylus Future Thinking

In this episode, Stylus is joined by Fiona Atzler, Senior Director at global strategy and innovation consultancy Egg Strategy, to discuss how brands and businesses can navigate complexity in the year ahead by understanding – and acting on – fundamental consumer needs.

In this episode, Stylus is joined by Jarrod Dicker, VP of commercial technology and development at the Washington Post, to discuss the current and future state of media, journalism and publishing.

In this episode, Stylus is joined by Alison Darcy, founder and CEO of Woebot, to discuss how our mental health needs are increasingly being served by artificially intelligent bots.

In this episode, Stylus is joined by Trinny Woodall – beauty entrepreneur and Insta-influencer, and previously one half of fashion makeover team Trinny & Susannah – to discuss how the beauty industry is taking on the challenge of de-stressing consumers. With Lisa Payne, Senior Beauty Editor, Stylus.

In this episode, Christian Ward is joined by Hasna Kourda, founder of 'digital wardrobe' app Save Your Wardrobe, and Katie Baron, director of Consumer Engagement at Stylus, to discuss Gen Z fashion and retail trends – specifically the use of new tech tools that encourage more conscious consumerism. 

In this episode, Christian Ward is joined by designer Thomas Heatherwick and Stylus’s senior editor of Product Design Dewi Pinatih to discuss the power of biophilia – how nature can contribute to better workplaces, buildings and cities. 

The fashion industry is in a state of flux, but new digitally driven innovations are pushing it forward. In this episode, Christian Ward talks to Ben Demiri, co-founder and CEO of PlatformE , and Saisangeeth Daswani, head of Advisory – Fashion, Beauty & APAC at Stylus, about how made-to-order technology is shaking things up.

We’re in the middle of a revolution in consumer creativity, driven by platforms like TikTok , Twitch , Patreon , Substack and OnlyFans . In this episode, Christian Ward talks to Josh Constine, Principal Investor & Head of Content at early stage venture capital firm SignalFire , and Julia Errens, Pop Culture & Media Editor at Stylus, about what’s fuelling this creativity renaissance, and ho...

At this year’s Stylus Trends Intelligence Summit (Oct 20-22), Christian Ward hosted a conversation on the responsibilities that brands have in taking a stand and impacting their communities. Four industry thought leaders offered penetrating insights on how to make a difference, with particular focus on the upcoming US election, but also looking at many of the other issues that have impacted societ...

Has advertising, in the age of programmatic placement, big data and hyper-personalisation,  lost sight of the “big creative idea”? Christian Ward talks to Michael Miraflor, a marketing consultant whose previous roles include Global Head of Futures & Innovation at Blue 449, a Publicis Media agency. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of the International Radio and Television Society and...

In this time of global uncertainty what does the future hold for the music industry? Christian Ward talks to Cherie Hu, founder of Water + Music about how the industry is changing in response to the pandemic, what that means for artists and performers and how brands can play their part.

Consumers are turning away from big, open social media platforms towards more personal, private community spaces. In this episode  Christian Ward talks to Greg Isenberg, co-founder of Late Checkout about what this means for brands, consumers and start-ups alike. 

Today we take a look at the racism pervading the food industry and why it’s critical that brands foster an inclusive food culture for all consumers. Emilia Morano-Williams talks to academic, journalist and artist Anna Sulan Masing and chef, author and activist Zoe Adjonyoh about what it means to decolonise the food industry and the importance of multiple narratives. 

African and Caribbean women reportedly spend about 80% more on cosmetics and double the amount on skincare as their non-Afro Caribbean counterparts, and yet are still underserved in this market. Christian Ward talks to Founder of SevenSix Agency Charlotte Williams and Stylus’ Senior Beauty Editor Lisa Payne about the beauty brands getting it right and the how others can follow suit.

How do you create a culture of inclusion and be a better leader in these challenging times? Christian Ward talks to founder of The New Quo Christina Blacken, and Stylus’ Pop Culture & Media Editor Julia Errens about how narrative intelligence drives behaviour, why inequality is stifling innovation and the potential of transformational leadership. 

How can brands and marketers take action to support Black Lives Matter in meaningful, long-term ways? Christian Ward talks to marketing consultant Sonia Thompson and strategic marketing consultant Lexie Perez about the work that needs to be done internally to support deeper structural change, and why your team needs to look like the people you’re serving. 

With some tech giants now stepping away from facial recognition because inherent bias, what is and can be done to address this critical issue? Emilia Morano Williams talks to founder and CEO of AI for the People Mutale Nkonde about how racial bias is contaminating AI and what a racially inclusive future for tech could look like. 

How are Gen Z reacting to this extraordinary year? Christian Ward talks to founder of Gen Z insights agency Imagen, Jay Richards about the brands winning respect by investing in social causes, and how they can be the ones to maintain the momentum of now and demand long-term change. 

How can brands put themselves on the line to become more than just an ally in the Black Lives Matter movement? Christian Ward speaks to journalist Ernest Owens and Director of Creative Strategy at Vox Media Amber Davis about how to move beyond lip-service to bring about the systemic changes needed. 

Is it possible for businesses to emerge from the coronavirus crisis stronger and more resilient than before? Christian Ward talks to founder of Plan, Kevin McCullagh about the challenges all business must navigate to adapt to the current crisis. 

What are the concerns of Chinese consumers and how are they shifting as the country re-opens following Covid-19 lockdown? Emilia Morano-Williams talks to Nancy Zhang, head of partnerships for China-focused ecommerce company BorderX Lab, and Saisangeeth Daswani, Stylus’ Advisory Head of Fashion, Beauty and APAC, about what international brands should know before entering the  market, the history of...

How is coronavirus shifting our approach to wellbeing in lockdown and beyond? Christian Ward talks to founder if St Iris, Sanela Lazic and Stylus’ senior Beauty editor Lisa Payne about the integral role that beauty can play in our quest for balance, happiness and respite. 

How can brands get to grips with their customers’ subconscious behaviour – and why do they need to? Christian Ward talks to CEO of Neuro-Insight Shazia Ginai and Kate Johnson, Stylus’ senior editor of Technology and Consumer Attitudes about the gap between perceived and actual behaviour, the importance of storytelling in prompting action and the ethics of tapping into the consumer subconscious. 

Having shed its hippie roots, what does ‘clean beauty’ mean today? Christian Ward talks to wellness guru and founder of Romilly Wilde, Susie Willis and Lisa Payne, Stylus’ senior Beauty editor about what makes a product truly natural, the surplus ingredients to avoid and clean beauty in a post-pandemic world. 

Hailed as the sustainable saviour of the fashion industry, what do rental and re-sales look like in a post-pandemic world? Christian Ward talks to industry guru and chairman of resales venture My Wardrobe HQ, Jane Shepherdson, and Emily Gordon-Smith, Stylus’ director of Consumer Product about the brands diversifying and using their resources for good, giving consumers space to reflect on their cho...