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.

In today’s hyper-connected globe, the meaning of national identity is no longer rigid, and we’re seeing a dissolution of cultural borders as we travel through our devices. This shift in mentality is happening against a turbulent geopolitical backdrop as countries prioritise regional allies.

French design studio, Imprudence, is creating visionary, hypothetical products that question current beauty ideals and highlight the possibilities of our future. As tech rewrites beauty standards and inspires people to get creative, can ‘scenario planning’ help brands to create and innovate?

Amid strong demand for natural beauty ingredients, African beauty entrepreneurs are taking ownership of their individual countries’ local resources and beauty traditions. Consumers beyond the continent are turning to African businesses over multinationals profiting from the same ingredients.

How is skincare helping people destress? What’s driving the mass shift towards clean and ethical beauty? How is the industry attempting to decolonise its practices? In this part of the 2022 Expert Outlook, we speak to three experts about how people are seeking new meaning in beauty rituals.

A bias against darker skin pervades Indian society, impacting the way individuals are perceived by others and their potential for success, all the while harming physical and mental health. So, how can brands that have long been complicit in colourism combat this form of discrimination?