NellyRodi's Future Outlook for 2019-2020

The venue for "THE CREATIVE JOURNEY" was the third floor of 100BANCH, located along the Shibuya River and opened last summer. This collaboration space was newly established by Panasonic, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, with the aim of creating new value connected to the next century alongside the young generation who will lead the future.

Following an introduction to this complex facility, established by Panasonic, Loftwork, and Cafe Company, and a report presentation by project members active at this hub, Mr. Vincent Grégoire, Consumer Trends Director at NellyRodi PARIS, took the stage.

Vincent Grégoire
At NellyRodi, we publish trend books twice a year or annually, categorized by sector. Today, I will briefly introduce lifestyle and consumer trends for 2019-2020. There are ten megatrends, but by mixing four of these megatrends in varying proportions, four new profiles emerge.

One is a natural, modern taste created with high-quality, simple, environmentally friendly, and cutting-edge technology. A worldview with plant-based healing, not excessive. This will likely expand across various genres, such as organic cosmetic brands and architectural designs that blend into nature rather than incorporating it.

Next is a dreamlike worldview that is surreal yet not inorganic. With a sense of floating and iridescent colors, works by teamLab, for example, serve as a clear illustration. This element is already showing a trend in fashion.

And finally, there is a worldview filled with euphoria, born from the innocent heart of a baby who cannot yet distinguish between good and evil. Regardless of whether it is refined or not, it may sometimes seem frightening or crazy at first glance. This worldview is driven by millennials (digital natives born between the 1980s and 2000s) and has the joy of spreading rapidly on social media.

Vincent Grégoire's presentation, featuring an immense collection of visual imagery spanning 63 pages, was followed by inquiries about purchasing NellyRodi's trend books. NellyRodi publishes these visually compiled trend books, capturing nuances and images of future outlooks, through an international network of distributors in 18 countries across four continents.

Keywords for Creation at the Natural Beauty Brand DAMDAM

After Mr. Grégoire's talk, four creators invited for this event by Mr. Benoît Pique, NellyRodi JAPON, appeared as guests. Ms. Gisele Goo and Mr. Philippe Thérien, founders of the natural skincare brand "DAMDAM" launched in autumn 2017, were the first to present.

Gisele Goo
DAMDAM means "emotion, sensation" in Tagalog, my mother tongue, and we offer skincare items made with natural ingredients native to Asia. After about two years of development, we maximize the benefits of plant-derived raw materials using the latest clean technology, without chemical substances. All manufacturing is done in Japan, and we offer a total of five items. The lineup is simple, considering the burden on the skin.

Like DAMDAM, the first beauty trend is ingredient transparency. Just as with food, what we apply to our skin or come into contact with is increasingly demanded to be safe and secure. For example, a Google search for the keyword "vegan skincare" shows an 83% increase year-on-year in the US. This trend is common in the US and Europe and is spreading globally.

Philippe Thérien
Furthermore, the emergence of small independent brands like ours is notable in the beauty industry. Items born with modern aesthetics and narratives, utilizing the latest science and technology, resonate with consumers seeking brands that align with their lifestyles. This is particularly common among younger consumers and, influenced by social media, strongly connects to their proactive and engaged discovery and consumption behaviors.

Google searches for men's skincare are increasing in the US, France, and Japan, with many searches focusing on product nuances and feel. For independent beauty brands developing with such storytelling, rethinking distribution channels is also key.

DAMDAM is sold in select shops in Tokyo and at overseas luxury designer hotels, but making it available for purchase in places that match individual preferences and lifestyles is the quickest way to reach the intended audience.

While being mindful of these trends, we aim to deliver the感動 (emotion/inspiration) that can be experienced with DAMDAM, meticulously crafted from ingredient selection to fragrance and packaging design to make skincare a source of healing amidst busy daily lives, to people worldwide who appreciate diversity.

UDS's World of Community Development and Future Strategy for Regional Areas

Next, Mr. Keisuke Kuroda, Executive Officer of UDS, took the stage. His presentation for "The future of..." was titled "Community Development That Excites the World."

Keisuke Kuroda
UDS stands for Urban Design System, and the convergence of these three elements serves as our criterion for undertaking business. While the predecessor, Urban Design System, focused mainly on planning and design, UDS encompasses planning, design, and operation as its business scope.

This is also true for MUJI HOTEL BEIJING, scheduled to open in Beijing, China this summer, and MUJI HOTEL GINZA, opening next year. The theme for MUJI HOTEL is "anti-gorgeous, anti-cheap." Instead of choosing a hotel based on price, we offer a variety of room styles so guests can choose based on their values. Furthermore, while hotels have traditionally been places for experiencing the extraordinary, MUJI HOTEL proposes a space as an extension of daily life, where travel and movement become part of one's lifestyle.

This covers UDS's current activities; now, let's discuss the future. As many of you are likely aware, Japan's population is projected to decline. With a shrinking working-age population, the nation's strength will halve, while the aging population progresses. Japan's GDP was surpassed by China in 2015.

Towards a future with such a backdrop, UDS's organizational vision is to establish UDS managers in cities around the world, rather than being solely based in Japan. We already have companies in Beijing and Shanghai, and we believe that by connecting these as independent organizations, a powerful network will be formed.

Turning our attention to Japan, the regions are noteworthy. While hotel construction is booming in urban areas, the new Act on Regulating Lodging Businesses, which sets regulations for minpaku (private lodging), is set to take effect this year, making hotels not necessarily a stable business. Furthermore, inbound tourism is increasing, and the growth rate of overnight stays is higher in regional areas than in the three major metropolitan areas.

Therefore, we are considering a system where hotels serve as hubs for regional economic circulation, using them as a catalyst. We are also exploring the potential of architecture, urban design, and IT technology. I believe there are still many opportunities to export successful models from Japan, a country facing numerous challenges, to overseas markets.

Page02.The Japanese Perspective as Seen by Global Branding Agency artless

The Japanese Perspective as Seen by Global Branding Agency artless

Next, Mr. Shun Kawakami, representative of artless, a globally active branding agency with numerous accolades, appeared. He holds multiple titles including branding director, creative director, art director, designer, and curator.

Shun Kawakami
artless was founded by me in 2001 when I was 24 years old. As a global branding agency based in Tokyo and Kyoto, we create work rooted in Japanese aesthetics. Our concept of branding is Business x (Design x Category), and this is formed by Graphics x Digital x Architecture.

While I personally engage in Japanese expressions such as sumi-e (ink wash painting) and tea ceremony for my art, I consistently incorporate elements like the use of Japanese 'ma' (negative space) in client work. Although I have always valued the Japanese perspective and viewpoint, the key creative keyword for the future is "further globalization of Japan." Japanese people should learn not only from Asian and English-speaking regions but also about global religions, races, and cultural differences. It is crucial whether we can propose designs and art based on these foundations.

Strictly speaking, the design codes for each project differ, but the underlying principle remains the same for Hotel Resol Hakone, opened for inbound visitors, and Hotel KOE Tokyo, which opened as a new hub for Tokyo culture on the site of the former Shibuya Parco.

For the Yanling Jianye The Mist Hot Spring Hotel in China, the project involved international collaborators for architecture and interior design, with artless being the sole Japanese entity. Therefore, we focused on signage plans and product designs for amenities that reflect Japanese aesthetics from a global perspective—simplicity, sensibility, and quality.

Engaging in projects both domestically and internationally, I believe the new Japanese market and the global market will increasingly converge. At that time, alongside Japanese aesthetics, Japanese delicacy, meticulousness, quality, and creativity will become even more important.

DAIKEI MILLS's Vision for Future Output in Design and Architecture

Following beauty, community development, and design/art, the final speaker was Mr. Keisuke Nakamura from the interior design and architecture firm DAIKEI MILLS.

Keisuke Nakamura
At DAIKEI MILLS, we approach space design beyond the confines of interior design. For instance, we conceive through sculptural sketches and value the textures and colors created through collaborations with artisans. CIBONE Aoyama, an interior shop that reopened after renovations in 2014, was designed with the theme "New Antiques, New Classics," envisioning the space itself as a meandering garden, intentionally configuring white walls and mortar walls with ink.

The tasteful finish achieved through the work of plasterers will change over time with human touch. The Premium Malt's Tap Bar at the Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Factory (currently closed), adjacent to the brewery, was conceived with the concept of using only locally sourced materials. The bar counter and floor were finished with original concrete mixed with soil from Mount Aso.

We also engage in design using only the elements of color and structure, not solely material inspiration. A specific example is the apparel shop 6 (ROKU) BEAUTY&YOUTH on Cat Street in Harajuku. For this project, themed "Wa" (Japanese style), we designed it using only two elements: the key color of muted vermilion and a lattice-like wall structure.

While we draw inspiration from fine art, members of DAIKEI MILLS, including myself, come from regional areas and gather in Tokyo to work. Perhaps because of this, we tend to retain a connection to the original landscapes of nature. This is an approach diametrically opposed to digital methods, but it's a point we want to cherish in our future designs.

Additionally, at the Tamagawa-Seiki Ginza store in GINZA SIX, which opened last spring, copper plates hammered one by one by artisans were used for the interior. Although it took a long time, involving correspondence via letters with the artisans, utilizing traditional craftsmanship in architectural materials proposed new values and led to unique spaces. It also served as a project where we were reminded of the importance of collaboration.

Moving forward, we aim to establish an experimental space called DML (DAIKEI MILLS LAB) to materialize our daily insights. By creating a space that allows for a healthy distance from client work, we seek to establish our identity. We believe these trial-and-error processes will create a virtuous cycle that benefits our client projects.

The event "THE CREATIVE JOURNEY" unexpectedly brought to light common keywords for future creativity, such as Japanese aesthetics, identity, minimalism, and delicacy, among the presentations of the four guest speakers. Anticipation is high for the next event, which is expected to feature guests from new genres like fashion.