Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers 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 dives into regenerative fibres, culture-coded brand activations and Millennial purchase drivers.

: This week, as part of Blue Earth Summit and London Climate Action Week, I attended a panel hosted by Woolmark. Amy Powney, founder of Akyn, proposed that innovation is about reconnecting and rerouting. ‘Regeneration in the purest sense – whether it’s soil or renewables – comes hand in hand with modernity and innovation,’ she said.

I loved this idea, as innovation in the fashion and textiles sector is often associated with high-tech solutions, while agricultural regeneration and creating positive impact – rather than simply neutralising existing damage – are frequently overlooked. Powney’s comment echoes a wider shift I’m seeing; the next wave of fashion innovation isn’t solely about digital breakthroughs; it’s about supply chain symbiosis and reconnecting with natural cycles.

: To mark festival season (I’ll be watching Glastonbury from the comfort of my bed), Burberry launched a themed campaign which included a pub quiz at The Walmer Castle in Notting Hill. Images of branded pint glasses, fish and chips and chequered fans filled my feed – a playful and culturally relevant brand moment, echoing ideas explored in our Culture-coded Retail report.

: In other news, I loved reading this generational breakdown about understanding Millennial consumers in Vogue Business this week. The article identified a trio of purchase drivers – value, quality and originality. It echoed many of the broader ideas explored in our New Codes of Value report, particularly around shifting expectations of what constitutes worth in today’s consumer landscape.