WEEKLY TRENDS REPORT
Friday 29 May 2026
Pictured: Unsplash / AI
THIS WEEK’S FORECAST
FOR YOUR INFO
This week’s dates & microtrends
TikTok trend
“My brotheerrr” The “identical” twins trend.
ICYMI
The Enhanced Games took place, and only one WR was broken, by a clean swimmer…
The emotional North Korean and South Korean Women’s football game
Phrase of the week
“What has happened to taste?” How we’ve become shackled to the internet’s perception of what’s cool.
Digi updates
Google search is about to look different. BYE, we’re moving to DuckDuckGo.
The Amish love AI. and the Pope is anti-AI.
Tea of the week
How the removal of an iPad can make a child become a vengeful demon
What we’re loving
23 hours after being taken off the air, Stephen Colbert hosts a public access show in Michigan.
Good-bye Destiny 2 We fell to our knees on the moon.
Established trends
Controversially, Gnomes were allowed at the Chelsea Flower Show. The ones in our garden are sentient. Send help.
How fashion brands are figuring out “size volatility” in the age of Ozempic.
Insights of the week
The brand war already happening for the upcoming World Cup. Our wallet is a casualty with all the cool football tops.
The media machine turning on Caitlin Clark The saviour or the villain? Nah, just a baller.
On our radar
Masters of the Universe – 03 June
Scary Movie 6 – 05 June
Love Island USA S8 – 02 June
Shinee: Atmos – 01 June
Vince Staples: Cry Baby - 05 June
Weekly doses of cute
A touching graduation, the dinner party, getting a Brazilian hairstyle, the Goodwoof festival and singing like a Brit.
Rising trends
Bobs and bangs are out. The forehead is in.
Dermatologists are begging Gen Z to stop tanning
The future
The Ferrari’s first EV. We like the tactile dashboard, but we would have made the whole car much cooler.
The Figure’s robot sorted packages for 200 hours. We’re like 3-4 years away from total robot domination.
Stat of the week
The culture of “one-wear” at a wedding. 87% of guests have purchased at least one outfit they only wore once.
Ones to read
The companies with the best/worst reputation, POV from a garbageman, Cinespia, Princeton’s annual reunions, Charli’s runway and a hatvestigation.
Image: @kristian_gkolomeev
Image: @colbert
Image: @Ferrari
TREND TRACKING
How some of the trends we’ve identified have evolved in recent months
Food for thoughts Unreal Mockups Mayoral chat show
Despite only launching in January, the 4 million strong users of r/GirlDinnerDiaries are posting pictures of their girl dinner with a confession, a late-night thought, relationship spirals or an excerpt of their messy beautiful life. The faceless confessions are an intimate window where commentors/viewers can share similar experiences. In an interview with Vox, Alexandra Solomon shares “Maybe in a world where things are polarized, intense, high-stakes, and urgent, we are craving spaces that are low-stakes, mundane, and ordinary, you’re not going to feel activated or triggered or angry or scared. You’re going to just feel curious and supportive and supported, and you’re probably going to feel maybe a little more regulated when you leave.” We got some great dinner inspo after joining.
Trend: A crisis of community
With the recent AP x Swatch collab, consumers were falling for AI mockups and were feeling disappointed with the final product. AI is changing how consumers are experiencing advertisements, new products and non-existent brand collabs. The fake Nike ad with Victor Wembanyama and nuns drew in thousands of engagement it allowed fans to create a fan fiction of what they would like to see without having to wait for the brand. With every scroll consumers aren’t taking the time to investigate if the branded post were real or not. It’s creating false expectations and an inability to determine reality, and creating a challenge for brands to match expectations without diluting the original brand. All we can say is good luck!
Trend: Late stage social
New York City is getting a new talk show, no its not Stephen Colbert or another podcaster, it’s the Mayor! Zohran Mamdani has launched a live stream chat show on every social platform with a focus on Twitch, using it to answer questions from Twitch chat. Gen Z have been opting for livestreams over traditional TV, with the Just Chatting category being the most popular. While Mayor Mamdani might not pass any bills suggested by chat, meeting them on their turf is a step towards connecting to the young viewers who are starting to think of their future. Will we see more politicians and leaders saying POG with their chat? Consider it for your next political campaign.
Trend: Appointment TV is back
Image: @asherhyde
Image: @NYC Mayor’s Office
Image: @r/GirlDinnerDiaries
This week’s long read
FREAK IN THE FEETS
Big Toe Energy
If you’ve looked down lately, you’ve probably noticed things are getting freaky in the foot department.
It started with the cloven-toed tabi, which gave fashionistas a chance to dip their toe into unconventional styles. Fashion trend forecaster and freaky feetista Mandy Lee has since noted an explosion of “experiential, foot-emphasizing silhouettes that push footwear beyond functional norms.”
With that in mind, may we all welcome freaky sandal summer. The classics reengineered with a weirdgirl twist that makes you do a double take. Think running shoe-clog hybrids ‘shandals’ (part sandal, part hiking shoe), the cult of Vibram five fingers, toe separating wedges toe ring sandals and the pièce de résistance: the sandal with no sole at all. That’s right, Chanel just debuted a completely bare foot shoe that divided the internet (ngl, this viral rage
bait clip sprung to mind immediately). Fashion writer and freaky shoe fan Liana Satenstein called them “chic, elevated” and “phalangeal fodder for the ages”. Others said they were a recession indicator, but also “perfect for my wide feet”. You can’t deny they drove conversation, memes and debate, something modern fashion increasingly exists to do - even foot doctors waded in.
“People are tired of perfection and obviousness and are drawn to things that feel unexpected. Shoes can have that tension,” said designer Tory Burch. Cosmopolitan dove deeper into Big Toe, noting that while the world has turned more conservative, some are protesting via ugly, taboo styles that de-centre the male gaze (unless feet are your thing, ofc). In 2026, getting your toes out feels like a bold, transgressive choice.
Weber Forecast Insight
*adds the arch-support flip flops to basket*
Weber Forecast insight: Consumers are hot-footing it away from conventional styles and looking outside the toe box instead. Forget the bag charms and the hair clips, it’s all about accessorising those phalanges! Toe rings, anklets, statement polish a la Birkenstock - fashion’s biggest conversation starter is down below. Weirdness is currency!
Image: @curtsytoes
Vogue Arabia
BRANDWATCH
Inspiring creative from around the world
BIRKENSTOCK Department for Education
BIRKENSTOCK said: we’ve done soles, now let’s own toes too with its own nail polish collection taking its “foot-first” philosophy and adding a beauty twist that feels completely on-brand. Vegan, plant-based, and design-led? That ticks the values box while giving the sandals a stylish sidekick. Proof that even the smallest touchpoints can drive big brand love.
For the Department of Education, this risky celebrity endorsement certainly had shock appeal! While the GC (Gemma Collins) brings reach and relatability allowing the government to meet audiences where they scroll, perhaps credibility might have mattered more than clicks. LinkedIn has since ignited with backlash for the partnership showing us once again that sometimes earned buzz comes at a reputational cost…
Icelandair
Icelandair has flipped the script with a brief that rewards bad photography By rejecting overly polished travel imagery, the campaign taps into perfection fatigue and UGC culture, proving Iceland’s scenery does the heavy lifting. Going further than they could have ever thought, the airline received 127,642 applications, all vying for the chance to travel to Iceland for a 10-day all expenses paid photography trip to capture the airlines brand images. It’s insight-led, disruptive, and inherently shareable. Mid photos = elite vibes.
The Ordinary A24
The Ordinary Bus is a genius IRL brand extension turning its “accessibility” mission into something tangible (and TikTok-able).
A free shuttle cutting across Brooklyn’s notoriously painful routes? It’s not just a stunt. It’s brand values in action, designed to earn love, headlines and UGC. Skincare brand, transport disruptor, cultural momentall in one very on-brand side quest.
A24 has leaned so far into the internet lore it’s horizontal. For its upcoming supernatural horror film The Backrooms the studio has embraced the eerie liminal-space soundscape fans already love by tapping ambient electronic producer Instupendo for an official, surreal DJ set filmed inside the movie’s already iconic sterile yellow corridor set. The result? Built-in credibility, fan service done right, and viral content.
Image: @birkenstock
Image: @icelandair
Image: @theordinary
Image: A24
Image: @educationgovuk
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Pictured: Adobe Stock