Pari Bajoria is a trend forecaster, cultural strategist, editor, and writer, with a background in fashion and lifestyle. She uses her skills to analyse global markets and tap into human behaviour through cultural research and is passionate about helping businesses stay ahead of the curve by analysing key trends and translating them into actionable insights. She believes that understanding cultural forces and using trends to foster positive changes is of utmost importance.

People are craving comfort. Amid what can feel like a state of constant crisis – a layering of traumatic societal events – it can sometimes seem like we’ve lost a sense of scale and cohesion. In the face of this, the desire to retreat into nostalgia is more seductive than ever. 

Nostalgia Reimagined 

In a hyper-connected world, it feels like everything previously ‘insider’ is more available than ever: from behind-the-scenes access to the lives of public figures to travel experiences immersing people into worlds previously deemed unattainable. But while people embrace this community-based inclusivity and unprecedented access to their icons, they still yearn for touches of exclusivity to define their status.

As the age-old understanding of exclusivity is eroded, people are redefining status for themselves using a broad range of factors beyond solely economic ones. This new iteration of status is often based around increasingly niche and local signifiers – from luxury dupes to the rise of members clubs and closed-community spaces based on shared interests. Status is becoming a mode of belonging and connection with like-minded people.

People are erecting walls of their exclusive communities, relying on more subtle markers of identity. This is apparent with middle-class people fetishising working-class aesthetics, athletes turning to niche sports like padel, and social media groups organising around niche interests – spawning companies. As status-defined micro-trends on social media accelerate, brands face a challenge to keep up. If previously certain legacy items were automatically associated with exclusivity, now people are much more trusting of the UGC-defined vision of what status means. More than ever, speed, knowledge, inventiveness, and being plugged into the community determine what – and who – is in.

Insider Status

Ritweikaa Dey holds a bachelor’s degree in lifestyle accessory design and a master's in fashion and luxury brand management. She has worked with esteemed brands like Eridani and Cai, both as a dedicated employee and a flexible freelancer. Now a footwear designer at luxury brand Papa Don’t Preach, she’s committed to designing visionary pieces of art.

Fashion and Style

Clothing, footwear, and accessories

Esquire

SF Chronicle

Fashion United

Retail Dive

Interview with Ritweikaa Dey conducted by the author

Canvas8

YouGov

The Drum

Visual Objects

Vogue Business

Bain & Company

Elle

Birkenstock has become an undeniable icon of fashion culture and pop sensibility, coming a long way from its utilitarian beginnings to become a globally recognised brand. As functionality and quality take precedence over fleeting trends, it has garnered broad appeal across markets and demographics.