France – The Future Laboratory’s co-founder and chief creative officer Christopher Sanderson presented The Synthocene Era macrotrend at the fashion industry conference, Première Vision, on 16 September 2025 in Paris.
The trend talk explored how, through our interactions with AI, fashion brands will soon see a transformation that demands a complete re-imagining of how they connect and engage with consumers.
‘By 2030, our interactions with artificial intelligence, extended reality and biotech will propel us into a future where the boundaries between the real and the artificial will irrevocably blur,’ said Sanderson.
‘This is what we’re calling The Synthocene Era. It represents a profound shift in our understanding of intelligence and connection – not just as technological capabilities, but as deeply emotional, human experiences that brands must learn to navigate with unprecedented sensitivity,’ he explained.
The presentation highlighted how the tension between truth and artificiality is pushing consumers to increasingly seek out products and practices that reconnect them with their physical bodies, intuition and natural environment.
Strategic opportunity
Use AI as a creative partner, complementing human designers’ intuition and craftsmanship; AI can optimise sustainable materials and enhance personalisation alongside the need for human-led authentic brand experiences