19th December 2019 | IN DESIGN EVENTS | BY SBID ShareTweetPinterestLinkedIn To celebrate its 25th anniversary, MAISON&OBJET has decided to fix its eyes firmly on the future and explore the new trends in consumer behaviour being driven by generations Y and Z. The self-evident theme, “(RE) GENERATION”, will run throughout 2020. Setting out to analyse the attitudes, desires and expectations of Generation who are digital natives, the whole year’s celebrations will be devoted to these committed millennials who are looking for a better world, changing the rules and revolutionising consumer behaviour in both the home and lifestyle sectors. The January’s edition will decipher the desires and expectations of an “engaged generation” that has grown up in a world of crisis affecting the economy, the environment, identities, migration; whilst the September fair will rutn the spotlight on what the “augmented generation” wants – a generation rasied on a diet of social media and the Internet. © Vincent Sheppard © ML Fabrics An Engaged Generation “Faced with multiple global crises, today’s twenty- and thirty-somethings are keen to pull together to change the world…” explains Vincent Grégoire, trend hunter at NellyRodi. “It is a generation that is deeply concerned about making a meaningful difference, which in itself is injecting new values into everyone’s way of living.” These well-informed consumers dream of getting back to nature, adopting vegan materials, bringing the outdoors in. Led by ethics, they advocate fair, responsible and virtuous trade. In a similar vein, these community-minded individuals champion small regional productions and return to handcrafted wares that are underpinned by solig social and human foundations. With sustainability being another factor that tops their priority list, this engaged generation also flies the flag for exchanging items and buying second hand; turning upcycling into a veritable lifestyle. © Handed by © Dareels © Calma House An Augmented Generation “Hooked up to the internet on a drip feed, what this Wi-Fi generation also wants is a smoother and easier relationship with consumption. They want to try things out, voice their opinions and use the web as a source of inspiration”, adds Grégoire when describging the continually connected Millennials. Constantly primed to spot new talent on Instagram and always receptive to the latest high-tech gadget, the tastes they develop are measured against the yardstick of digital aesthetics. Their mantra? Being cool. An attitude that goes hand-in-hand with a quest for well-being. This point of view embraces the charm of soft beds and squishy sofas as the ultimate cacoons for a spot of cosy surfing. Aficionados of all the customisation options the World Wide Web brings, they go wild for the feel of good messages that are splashed across cushions, and their avid passion for viewing or creating tutorials of every kind elevates them to the realms of DIY enthusiasts. © Urban Nature © 101 COPENHAGEN Designer, Ramy Fishler, who has always been one step ahead of this time, will be creating an XL installation at MAISON&OBJET to illustrate these new trends in consumer behaviour. The theme will also be presented in the What’s New exhibition areas with a selection of new products curated by Elizabeth Leriche, François Bernard and François Delclaux. Planning on visiting MAISON&OBJET this January? Complimentary tickets are available through SBID! Email [email protected] to find out more. Cover image credits: © Concept Verre