English Version | Back to the future

About a year ago, Marian Salzman presented her Zoomsday Report on the 11 trends and changes in our daily lifestyle for 2021. Today, we put the Salzman’s Eleven to the test. Photography by Katarzyna Kot-Bach.

Spoiler alert: making predictions is an unpredictable task. But Salzman has gathered enough years of experience to be able to make it very close to the truth – albeit not infallibility, of course. After all, if there is one thing the pandemic has taught us, it is that the unexpected can change all expectations and that is the one and only infallible certainty. And the communication and PR specialist, trends forecaster and senior vice president of communications at Philip Morris International has also taught us that she is the first to admit it and accept it. But her Zoomsday Report was pretty close to that certainty: the result may not have been ipsis verbis of Marian's 11, but it's pretty close to it. Some of these predictions – which you can read, in full, at vogue.pt and in The Creativity Issue of Vogue Portugal (March 2021) – were more obvious to preview, of course: the change in the way we work with the arrival of a remote-reality, the exodus from the urban centres and the rethinking of cities, and the shift in priorities towards the community, for example, were established as an almost instantaneous consequence at different levels, admits the trends forecaster in this follow-up with Vogue. "In my 2021 trends report, I wrote that zooming in (and out) will be the big trend for 2021—slowing down enough to consider more deeply what we want in our lives—and in our world. The expectation was to see a new form of “localism” emerge, with more community-wide efforts as neighbors and businesses joined forces to enact positive change at the micro-level as we emerge from the global crisis. And looking back at where we are now toward the end of 2021, I think that the sense of 'we' over 'me is more omnipresent than ever. The pandemic has forced us to redefine what is essential, jettisoning more and consuming less. It’s about understanding we are all one planet, one society, one community. The so-called Great Resignation that we see today in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere, is also, in part, a result of people reassessing their priorities and seeking change. The great pause of 2020-21 sparked a great reset—a chance to change the direction in which our personal lives, society, and our communities and countries are headed”, she tells us, about the item that kicks off the report.

Closely linked to this “redifining of whats essential” is another trend that many will identify themselves with: a new approach to time and space, because priorities change and so does the environment. This reassessment of our daily lives also involved looking at the way we manage our personal and professional agendas, as we rethink time and its linearity – the author spoke in the four-day working week, which today is starting to be officially instituted, though timidly – ​​but also rethink space, suggesting that the possibility of working remotely has given rise to a decentralization of cities in favour of the countryside, for example. Adriana Matos Cabo is proof, an example that is multiplying all over the place. “Currently, I'm working more closely with the Environment and Sustainability areas, having recently changed jobs. I find myself in a hybrid regime, alternating two days telecommuting with three days in the office. It is a corporate policy that, to date, fits perfectly with my lifestyle and needs. Days at home allow us to 'buy' some time for our lives, as commuting always takes up too much time and, on the other hand, days at the office are great for meeting face-to-face with the team and just 'hanging' with people, which is absolutely fantastic.” It was the pandemic that dictated it, but the idea of ​​leaving Lisbon for the countryside was already being considered, it was only pushed up by the quarantine, admits Matos Cabo: “This project to move homes and town had been in the works for a few years, but the pandemic inevitably accelerated the process. My husband and I used to live in Lisbon and of course this city has everything that a newlywed couple is looking for: entertainment around the corner, friends scattered everywhere, kiosks for a drink at the end of the day, viewpoints to appease and an endless number of museums, gardens, restaurants and cafes to enjoy. But […] we have the sour values ​​of rent/payments for houses, the confusing and noisy metropolis, the prices that are practiced... Our priorities are not compatible with the city of Lisbon: we try to be close to family ( my husband is from Santarém and I'm from Coimbra), we're looking to grow family (a baby is already on the way) and when the focus is centered on living with the loved ones, needs change and the important thing becomes having time to spend with them. parents, siblings, children and friends, having a home to welcome them, having time to read, to walk, to cook... I always felt that living in Lisbon meant putting all life projects on stand-by so that we could enjoy them when retioring. Currently, we believe the opposite: we imagine ourselves retiring in the capital after building all our dreams in the country. But life takes many turns and we take turns with it.” And is reality better than fiction? “[Almost a year later] the balance is positive, without a doubt. I miss being with friends but, truthfully, almost everyone has decentralized. We continue to make regular trips to the city, and in Santarém we managed to have a beautiful house, well situated [and this] allows us to shop more consciously in the farmers' market, opt for local commerce products and, whenever possible, opt for something more ecological , less laminated and tastier. In professional terms, the management has been demanding, but getting easier. Routines have changed, but it's all a matter of getting used to it.”

“The great pause of 2020-21 sparked a great reset—a chance to change the direction in which our personal lives, society, and our communities and countries are headed.” - Marian Salzman

The requirement for working remote also brought a dependency on the digital, on always being connected, but Adriana manages it the best way possible – whenever she can (in fact, as Salzman predicted), she stays off the grid: “I'm not a natural fan of technologies and the use I give them is much due to the companies I've been working for, which always end up being closely associated with the processes of dematerialization and digital transformation. Whenever I can, I try to stay offline. For various reasons, but essentially because the smartphone makes me irritable, information consumption is increasingly disordered. The important thing is to be present in our present, aware of what we are looking for and learn to balance these injections of information”, assures Adriana. Which is not to say that we've disconnected from social media as much as expected, admits Marian, who recalls talking about “'digital detox' and social media cleanses, expecting to see more people even go cold turkey and leave social media platforms behind entirely. And while some people—including celebrities—have done so, 2021 also reminded us that this is a much more complicated issue. I now believe it will come down to how quickly social media platforms will be able to address polarizing narratives, misinformation, and hateful speech that is often amplified through their channels. The online community today is an infinitely less fun place to reside—it’s just easier to hate and bully someone you don’t get to see face to face.” No wonder the environmental engineer prefers to spend her free time offline – curiousluy, in this digital detox trend, the specialist actually pointed to a return to classics and analogue. LightHouse Publishing, which publishes Vogue and GQ in Portugal, feels it first-hand, with sold out issues and an increasing attention to print that's palpable. But that's not all: "Vinyl record sales soared during the pandemic, as music lovers increased their collections, and cassettes also began their comeback, keeping business rolling in record stores," claimed one New York Post article in June, this year; before that, the Guardian announced, in January, record sales in books – the highest in eight years –, even though the sector is far from not struggling. Perhaps the wanting (need) to stay out of digital has reminded people of the pleasure of touch, of the physical, of the traditional: “It is precisely because I want to get away from digital that I increasingly try to use my hands: I paint, or I recycle some item, or cook, or sew…”, admits Adriana Matos Cabo. “Since I was little, my creativity was very stimulated by my parents, so this practice came long before the pandemic. It is a common practice in my family to use our hands.”

“Chaos as our new normal and the uncertainty of the global pandemic have, unfortunately, stirred up anxiety and fear, which often manifest in aggression and hate. I did not expect this level of hate, a level that is palpable virtually everywhere. The rise of hate is a topic that concerns me a lot and that I track closely.” Marian Salzman

Lara touches another point addressed by Salzman in this year's report: the demand for corporate accountability, that is, brands – made up of people who are also conscientious consumers - concerned with doing things differently. Better. Quintal de Flor is one of them. But large-scale names too. Such as Mango, which made donations in 2020 to alleviate the consequences of the pandemic, for instance, in yet another step towards brand social responsibility on a path that is not new to them, it has only become even clearer as a goal in recent years. In 2017, it launched its first Committed collection, created with sustainable fabrics, in what would only be the inauguration of an ambitious purpose - "around 75% of Mango collection now is part of the Committed collection and the company expects the figure to reach 100% by 2022”, says Beatriz Bayo, Director of the Corporate Social Responsibility Department at Mango. “The use of sustainable fibres and processes makes it possible to reduce its impact on the environment and make fashion more sustainable in the future. It started as small project and it shows how our commitments are real and how step by step we are achieving amazing milestones in terms of sustainability.” There are pages and pages of a sustainability report for the Catalan brand that the spatial finitude of paper does not allow to be fully revealed, which is why Bayo goes straight to the point in this trend of companies becoming agents of change. “Mango has a Code of Conduct (Código de Conducta) of mandatory compliance for all suppliers in its suply chain that produce Mango products. We have procedures in place to ensure that all aspects reflected in the Code are met. One of these aspects that are audited and monitored for compliance is equal opportunities, rejecting any type of discrimination, directly or indirectly, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, social status, marital status, nationality, political opinion or family responsibilities. To reinforce this, we have participated in projects to empower women and we intend to continue advancing in reinforcing the role of women as the focus of our social actions and in our chain.”, she stresses. “The world is changing and we are a dynamic company that, true to its DNA, seeks to move towards a more sustainable future of fashion. Our commitment to sustainability is clear and it is what we must do as part of this society. The industry demands it and the textile sector cannot be less. In addition, the consumer is increasingly aware of this and demands from brands this transformation in their strategies. At Mango we have been working in this direction for many years and we are making great strides. Much remains to be done but we know that we have to do it, beyond the regulations or legal requirements or social pressure. We are convinced that sustainable fashion is possible and we will continue to do our part to contribute to it”, she concludes.

Zoomsday has arrived. Or rather, it's coming: these are just a few examples of an even greater reality that is taking hold, but that shows how close to futurology Salzman's 11 were. Some, Marian confesses, turned out to be different from what she had imagined, such as the digital detox, which seems not to have been as strong as she had anticipated; other forecasts are yet to be seen. And a 12th item, does it exist? “

Chaos as our new normal and the uncertainty of the global pandemic have, unfortunately, stirred up anxiety and fear, which often manifest in aggression and hate. I did not expect this level of hate, a level that is palpable virtually everywhere. The rise of hate is a topic that concerns me a lot and that I track closely. In a new global survey commissioned by Philip Morris International, most respondents (70%) reported that the level of hate and hate speech in their countries has increased in the past two years. And four in 10 respondents said they encounter hateful speech, either online or in person, at least once a week. While alarming, this trend does not surprise me. Our modern culture of news consumption too often cages us within echo chambers self-constructed to affirm our beliefs and push out conflicting data and perspectives—making it increasingly difficult to hear, let alone understand, the views and arguments of the other side. Working in an industry that has long faced hostility because of its product, I am no stranger to hate. But I have also seen how hostility can sometimes be dialed back to open the way for good-faith conversation. For example, it’s encouraging to see that 77% of respondents in the survey agreed that society’s biggest challenges will never be solved if we demonize and exclude those with whom we disagree. This gives me hope that there is still space for civility in conversations, that through dialogue, we can make progress, despite having differing opinions. The key is willingness to engage, lean into science and facts, and embrace discomfort”, she argues, on a hopeful note.

Translated from the original on Vogue Portugal's Time issue, published December/January 2021-22.Full story and credits on the print issue.