Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, senior foresight analyst Rose Coffey discusses Vivobarefoot’s circular footwear system, characters as brand tools and why the Met Gala’s celebration of Black dandyism must lead to something more lasting than red carpet moments.

: As a self-proclaimed connoisseur of ugly shoes, I can’t stop thinking about Vivobarefoot’s VivoBiome Tabi Gen 01 sandals. The 3D-printed shoes are crafted using scan-to-print technology, meaning they’re fully bespoke to fit the wearer’s anatomy. The ‘circular footwear system’ is being positioned as a return to human-centric design, one that combines barefoot health benefits with localised, zero-waste production – I am so here for it! For more on 3D-printed fashion head to our Fashion Month A/W 2025–2026 download.

: In other news this week, I really enjoyed reading a piece in Creative Review by Charlie Sells, which argues that character design is fast becoming a brand’s secret weapon. I’ve been thinking about the evolution of mascots for a while and loved his description of them as ‘vessels of personality and cultural relevance’. From Duolingo’s owl, famous for his persistent (sometimes passive-aggressive) reminders, to the anthropomorphised smile of the Scrub Daddy kitchen sponge, these characters bring identity, relatability and humour to the everyday. 

: I look forward to the first Monday in May more than I do my own birthday and this year was no different. The Costume Institute’s 2025 exhibition, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, brought Black dandyism to the forefront. Attendees paid homage to the rich tapestry of Black fashion history, with a focus on menswear and the power of tailoring to articulate identity and reject societal prejudice. It was a reminder that visibility must not be mistaken for structural change. Moments like this matter, they shape culture, influence design and will no doubt appear on countless brand moodboards. What’s needed now is sustained, systemic representation and long-term investment in Black creatives across the industry.