Mariella’s experience is wide: she has written, researched, edited and produced content that covers everything from fashion to feminism, travel to tech, and women to weed. Having worked in the fashion space for over ten years, she now focuses her energy on positive change, whether consulting and strategising for her femtech-inclined clients or reporting on women’s health. She has been published in the likes of Bustle, DAZED MEDIA, The Spaces, and 

, while also creating content for Appear Here, On, MATCHES, and Ounass. You can also find culture/consumer insight articles with her byline on LS:N Global, Canvas8 and BEAUTYMATTER —for the US, UK, and Middle Eastern markets. 

Diverse representation is an expectation, but as individuals no longer allow themselves to be defined in singular terms, there's mounting pressure on brands to understand and sensitively reflect how the intersections between race, gender, class, and ability impact people's everyday lives.

Collective Equity

When author Kyle Chayka explored 2010s minimalism in Longing for Less, a very different world existed. Today, a polycrisis-ridden and digitally saturated society finds people yearning for more. Whether you chalk it up to post-pandemic release or a general sense of impending doom, people are now looking for a new maximalism of feelings, dimensions, and possibilities to reinvigorate them and make their lives feel full.

While people are craving memorable, visceral, and immersive experiences, there's no longer a singular definition of what this might look like. Some are embracing maximalist hedonism through clubbing, extreme tourism, and different kinds of sensory overload, while others are tapping into more gentle, inward-looking, and contemplative experiences like listening bars and communal spas. It signals the emergence of the' Introvert Economy' of cosy, home-adjacent spaces and activities or seeking soothing and quasi-spiritual encounters through hobbies like birdwatching and forest bathing.

The desire for deeply captivating and emotionally engaging experiences extends beyond the physical world – social media, VR, AR, and even image-based interactions must now resonate to the same degree, creating truly memorable moments and environments.

In this consumer and cultural universe driven by exploration and immersion, the boundary between experiences and material goods continues to blur. We're less likely to see them as a dichotomy, as people are increasingly interested in experiential qualities of things and consuming commodified 'thing-like experiences'. This discovery-oriented mindset is opening up new avenues for fulfilment, gratification, and transformation.

Experience Hunters

Mardi Fuller advocates for racial equity through writing, speaking, and community building. She lives in Boston, where she works as a non-profit communications director and has written for publications and organisations such as Ski, the National Resources Defense Council, and Melanin Base Camp. She’s a lifelong backcountry adventurer.

Europe

United Kingdom

Travel and Leisure

Sports

Health and Fitness

Statista

SKI Magazine

Interview with Mardi Fuller conducted by the author

NSAA

Mirror

Tiger Fitness

The Guardian

Samsung

Strava

London-based Soft Life Ski brings an Afro-Caribbean spin to snow sports with an annual festival on Europe’s slopes. In doing so, it’s tackling the homogenous archetype of the White wealthy skier – improving access to a sociable outdoor pursuit that Black people have long been excluded from.