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Depop taps Kelis to spotlight resale’s everyday returns

Depoponomics, Depop, US

US – Depop is doubling down on the everyday value of secondhand fashion with the launch of Depoponomics, a new US campaign championing resale as a means of funding daily life.

Directed by Grammy Award-winning music video director Dave Meyers, the campaign video features a cameo from singer-songwriter Kelis and is soundtracked by her 2003 single Millionaire. The Depoponomics campaign highlights how consumers are using resale income to cover expenses ranging from holidays and nights out to weekly groceries.

‘Depoponomics is about meeting people where they are financially and culturally,’ says Steve Dool, director of brand and creative at Depop. ‘Resale has reinforced the idea that sustainable secondhand shopping is not only imperative for a circular fashion ecosystem, but for many consumers, is equally about value, ease and turning personal taste into income.'

Kelis will also launch a curated Depop shop featuring pieces worn in the campaign, supported by short-form video content.

The campaign represents a shift in how consumers and brands think about secondhand fashion. To learn more, head to our Rebranding Resale and Sustainability is Dead reports, which analyse how acknowledging the economic benefits of resale can help make sustainable fashion a natural part of consumers’ lifestyles.

Strategic opportunity

Reposition circularity as economic empowerment by embedding resale into core revenue models and equipping customers with tools and insights to thrive as side-hustling sellers generating cashflow

Foresight Friday: Ella Murray, creative visualiser

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, creative visualiser Ella Murray explores London’s club culture revival and what that means for Gen Z’s Wellness Rebellion.

: The first few weeks of 2026 suggest club culture is reclaiming its place at the heart of London’s cultural life. Despite narratives that Gen Z have turned away from hedonism, venue re-openings, programming innovation and policy shifts point to a new era of parties that are as socially connective as they are culturally resonant.

: From 20 February 2026, the Barbican Centre is transforming into an intimate nightclub across five late-night instalments of its Anyone Can Dance series, celebrating music from the global diaspora. Open until 3am, the venue’s metamorphosis from arts space to dance floor signals a broader institutional acknowledgment: nightlife is cultural infrastructure. In Peckham, the legendary Palais will reopen after 15 dormant years, reinstating a 500-capacity basement and a Funktion-One five-way soundsystem to a cityscape that has lost 37% of its nightclubs since 2020 (source: NTIA). The mysterious Lost – a transient nightlife project occupying disused spaces – has commandeered the former Odeon in Covent Garden to create a theatrical, multi-layered venue, amplifying momentum around music, scarcity-driven experiences and new spatial narratives.

Photography by Rendy Novantino, Indonesia

: On 12 February 2026, London Mayor Sadiq Khan unveiled a Strategic Licensing Policy aimed at standardising club licensing across London’s 33 boroughs. The framework proposes to boost nightlife industries by reducing council-level inconsistencies and empower City Hall to intervene in major cases. Cameron Leslie, co-founder of the iconic Fabric nightclub, described the policy as ‘essential for removing barriers and enabling responsible, sustainable growth’.

: This citywide buzz positions 2026 as a year of nightlife recalibration. As explored in our Gen Z Wellness Rebellion report, wellness fatigue is peaking, reframing pleasure as autonomy and shifting the dance floor from escapism to expression. As a lover of London nightlife, what feels most significant is the growing emphasis on high-quality, curated experiences. The opportunity now lies in venues, products and moments that feel exclusive, culturally fluent and immersive. Learn more about the future of clubbing in Designing Nightlife.

Quote of the week

‘As long as there’s talent, creativity and a desire for shared experiences, there’ll be a scene’

Jamie Rule, co-founder, Palais

Stat: Brazil’s 2026 Carnival projections signal rising global appeal

Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Brazil – Brazil’s 2026 Carnival was projected to attract more than 65m participants across the country, according to estimates from the Ministry of Tourism and Embratur. While there’s been no updated data recorded, this would have represented a 22% increase on 2025, highlighting the enduring appeal of one of the world’s most iconic cultural festivals.

Major cities – including Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Salvador and Belo Horizonte – were forecast to draw around 40m attendees. Rio alone anticipated up to 8m travellers for its blocos and Sambadrome parades, with authorities estimating the festivities could generate over £806m ($1.1bn, €922m) for the local economy. Hotel occupancy ahead of Carnival was reported at around 98%, while international flight searches to Brazil between 13 February and 18 February 2026 had risen 21% compared with the previous year.

A key factor behind Carnival’s global reach is Brazil’s cross-cultural fluency. In 2026, the festival featured its first K-pop performance, reflecting how international fandoms, particularly Gen Z (see our Gen Z in Brazil report), are engaging with local traditions. Carnival’s mix of local and global influences, from Afro-Brazilian rhythms to anime-inspired pop culture, continues to position the event as a magnet for worldwide visitors.

As with Africa’s Detty December, Carnival illustrates the growing cultural capital of major festivals, which now serve as platforms for global tourism and cross-cultural exchange.

Strategic opportunity

Leverage large-scale cultural festivals such as Brazil’s Carnival to connect with younger consumers seeking shared experiences. Create culturally attuned, immersive activations that celebrate local heritage, without appropriating historic events