Marian Salzman. la papesse internationale de la tendance, créatrice des mots "Metrosexuel" "Ubersexuel", tête chercheuse et pensante de l'agence de communication JWT, nous a fait l'honneur avec son bras droit Ann Mack directrice du Trendspotting, de répondre à nos questions forcément furieusement tendances.

MARIAN: I wish I could just go the Gap or Old Navy or Barneys or Whole Foods and deal with me and my life. Sometimes I just need to buy soup or shoes, but I see something and I get so caught up in it that I don’t do what I need to do. It takes some of the pleasure out of consumption for me. Shoe shopping is not as fun when it’s work; getting your hair cut is not as fun when it’s work. And yet going to the hair salon and sitting in that chair can be some of the most important work that I do, because that’s where people talk.

ANN: Marian’s mind works at a mile a minute, so it’s incredibly fascinating to observe and absorb. She has the innate ability to connect the dots in a fresh and exciting way that has lasting implications for our business and that of our clients.

2- Talking about the Übersexual, in 2005, we began in this blog to talk about a new Man, a new form of masculinity, we called him the ‘Heterock’ ( for Heterosexual and Rock’n Roll) and he was supposed to kick the Metrosexual’s butt, then you came back with the Übersexual…So we organized, Heterock vs. Über.. lol...(we lost of course..) Can you talk us of your work.. For example, the genesis of your Übersexual?

MARIAN: Ubersexuals were a result of guys wanting their M-ness back. They were tired of taking their behavioral and fashion cues from their female counterparts and from men's magazines that boil men down to their basest, most simplistic selves. The übersexual is a man who is supremely confident (without being obnoxious), masculine, stylish, and committed to uncompromising quality in all areas of life.

ANN: Think Bono or George Clooney. These are men who embrace the positive aspects of their masculinity--confidence, leadership, passion, compassion--without giving in to the stereotypes that give guys a bad name--disrespect toward women, emotional emptiness, complete ignorance of anything cultural outside of sports, beer, burgers, and athletic shoes.

3- The past year has been a difficult one for our world: Terrorism, Wars, Islam vs Western world, even the last day of 2006 of was darkened by the execution of dictator Saddam Hussein.. So for 2007 we foresee a great need of Joy, an unbelievable thirst of Frivolity, we named this trend guideline ‘Back to Excentricity’. What are your feelings about that?

 MARIAN: With constant looming threats, watch for us to flip-flop between a Carpe Diem attitude and a survival instinct. We may indulge their eat-drink-and-be-merry mindset with a wildly extravagant, of-the-moment item one day or play to our desire for a long life by painstakingly planning for their future the next. It all depends on our mood and the mood of the world at large on that given day.

ANN:  Knowing that we can’t single-handedly avert the next big catastrophe in this uncertain world, we’re trying our best to exert control in their immediate home and familial environments. And technology and other advances have allowed and will continue to allow us to satisfy our inner control freak (think mobile phones, Nanny Cams, school metal detectors). It’s clear that we are yearning for the security of the past, both on a personal and greater level--which could be looked at as both frivolous and naïve. 

a. Psychedelia
As we said, last year was full of wars, threats and fears, in 2007, people will be eager of Dreams, and Escapes...One could feel the very beginnings of this trend in some ads ( AIDES ‘Sugar baby Love’ Coca-Cola ‘What goes around comes around’) and in Design (The new Longchamp flagship store in New- York) can you explain us this phenomenon?
MARIAN: This type of creative approach manages to be innovative and appealingly fresh, without taking itself too seriously. I would look for more of this amalgamation of escapism with a subtle wink.

 b. Antiglam
With the triumph of the ABC’s TV show ‘Ugly Betty’, the comeback of Pilosity in the fashion world (cf some photoshoots of Inez van Lamsweerde with Kate Moss, the rise of the Stefano Pilati’s style, the new mature ‘sexy back toy’ Justin Timberlake or the new models on Hugo Boss, Dior, Dolce&Gabbana shows)
2007 seems to be the year of Antiglam! We won’t need to look like the perfect Top Model anymore.. No to be ‘in’ we’ll have to have the boy/girl next door look. Why in your opinion?
ANN: Everyone loves an underdog. That’s why Ugly Betty and Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite and others of their ilk are so beloved.
We have quickly exhausted of plastic (and in some cases, panty-less) personalities, who have built their fame on nothing other than being paparazzi pleasers. Barbie-doll perfection is being replaced with a more natural, more genuine, more attainable beauty, not to mention more likable and relatable. In fact, we put soft natural hair on our 70 Things to Watch for 2007 List. Kate Middleton is THE girl next door. She has a softer look and softer style. She brings glam to the anti-glam, in that she’s not chasing fame; it’s chasing her.

c. Sex Luxury
No Excentricity without Sex of course… In the world of Luxury, a revolution is occuring, its name Kiki de Montparnasse. Now, the transgression is no longer in the object (sex toys) but in the behaviour (having some lessons of Oral sex!!) How can this affect people in the streets.
MARIAN: Luxury is being redefined as experiences that deepen one’s understanding and                 appreciation of life—unlocking the cultural, architectural, natural, and traditional richness of the world. So it comes as no surprise that sex (let’s call it ‘high-end hospitality in a very hands-on sort of way’) has entered the luxe domain. After all, as luxury becomes  more accessible and affordable to acquire, people will derive their greatest satisfaction from experiences.

5- Before the end of the interview, what are your predictions for 2007? What are the next big things?

 MARIAN AND ANN:

1. New WorldThe Old World Takes on  Habits: It seems Europeans’ joie de vivre is catching up with them. Europeans have always drunk, smoked and eaten with a superior air of nonchalance, congratulating themselves on the slimmer waistlines and more relaxed attitudes that seemed to elude their cousins across the pond. But it now appears that when it comes to obesity and smoking, Europeans aren’t all that different from Americans—they’re just a few years behind the curve.

 2. In God We Trust? Secularism Approaches Its Tipping Point: In times of turmoil, many Americans turn to religion for reassurance. Americans are not alone. Across the world, secular societies are growing uneasy as small groups of Islamic fundamentalists insulate themselves in ethnic enclaves and make headlines as religious and political dissidents. Now, the world could be poised for a pushback, at least in countries where the separation of religion and government is part of the national tradition.

 3. Mr. Sandman, Send Me a Dream: With too little time to spare and too much input coming from all manner of media, sleep itself has become a luxury. When we want to sleep, we can’t. More of us will come to the conclusion that sleep is worth a serious investment.

 4. Entertaining Ourselves: We are no longer simply interacting with entertainment—rating it, talking back to it—we’re creating it. Technology is allowing more amateurs to express themselves at minimal expense or risk in formats that range from blogs to video clips to mash-ups (videos or songs edited together to create new pieces).

 5. The Disappearing Generation Gap: Fourth-graders dial up their friends on cell phones, and teenage girls strut down the street in Ferragamo pumps—while their moms sport canvas Converse and their grandparents buy up Rolling Stones tickets. The generation gap has nearly closed, at least in the West, where medical and cosmetic advancements are redefining our ideas about age and aging.

 6. The New Woman’s Prerogative: No longer trapped by the domestic constructs of the 1950s or even by the corporate expectations of the 1980s, women are in greater control of their lives than ever before. Growing numbers of women are through with the 9-to-5 grind that kept them at the mercy of their employer’s policies on child care and maternity leave; instead, they’re harnessing a spirit of entrepreneurship.

 7. The Art of Eating Well: Eating now has a moral overlay: If you are what you eat and you eat bad food, are you a bad person? If you do not read nutritional labels, are you to blame for your children’s health problems? Even for those who do pay close attention, the advice of experts is contradictory and confusing, so who’s to say what the right choices are?

 8. The Tyranny of the Middle: U.S. Iraq During the past six years, it seemed as if most politicians had forgotten all about the silent majority: the purple people. The majority of Americans are befuddled by a war in  that may or may not have anything to do with the war on terrorism, the ethical complexities of stem cell research and the purported culture wars between red and blue populations. In the middle of the last century, Americans were heroes—in their own minds, but also in the minds of many others worldwide—and the next challenge will be to once more build a reputation for the just application of power.

 9. Buying the Experience: In coming years, more of us will want a taste of such high-end pampering and a chance to flaunt our own exclusive personal experiences. In a world of well over 6 billion people, it’s all too easy to feel lost in the crowd. Expect to see more retailers pampering their customers in 2007, doing all they can to make the shopping experience less about shopping itself and more about the experience—especially the experience of being recognized and made to feel special.

10. Truthiness in Branding: “Truthiness,” the American Dialect Society’s 2005 word of the year, is defined as “The quality of stating concepts or facts one wishes to be true, rather than concepts or facts known to be true.”

In popularizing the term, Stephen Colbert struck a nerve: The anchor of the faux news/opinion show The Colbert Report found a way to both embrace and satirize the rampant culture of lies and spin that colors the national and international discourse. From politicians to pundits to admen, the communications business today has become all about shaping the facts, or the factoids, to suit one’s point of view—or, in many cases, to obscure it.

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