2020 Vision
As impossible as it may sound, I’m looking on the bright side of 2020. It’s been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year; but I honestly feel that it’s not for naught. I see this year as a reset. The veil has been lifted and it’s time to reevaluate and scrutinize the status quo.
COVID has forced us to pivot and innovate in almost every aspect of our lives; but especially technology, business and fashion, and that’s what I find so (dare I say) inspiring about this year. While close contact has (or should) come to halt, the world still must run, right? We’ve been pushed, I feel, into the next digital frontier. Where you would normally see masses huddled together to view a designer’s new collection; now, lots of shows like Ujoh & Rick Owens are hosted outside in beautiful locales or indoors with digital or semi-digital audiences à la Balmain’s SS21 line. Many brands are also debuting collections that feel more like an open photoshoot or video rather than the traditional runway. Moschino even went so far as to do a full marionette show!
You see this outside of fashion as well: Talk show audiences are now a lake of digital monitors. Online shows and podcasts are popping up left and right. Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams are now hot commodities as people maintain connection in a world demanding isolation. The need for a high-speed internet connection has never been in higher demand. The words “contactless” and “curb-side pickup” have never been more popular, as they are now the preferred means of commerce. I can’t tell you how many Instacart & Uber Eats deliveries have been left at my door at my behest. AirBNB and Vrbo offer check-ins without ever meeting the managers or owners. What it means to be connected or to interact with others has changed. We are dependent on our technology to navigate us through this new world. Because of this, we’ll need more creative thinkers that will continue to forge new pathways and ideas into the world of Tech.
Being isolated and quarantined has given us a greater appreciation for the outdoors as well. It’s a safer way to commune with others; but to also rediscover the beauty, serenity and restorative quality of nature. I see so many people, myself included, taking more walks and hikes. When home suddenly becomes where you work, rest and refuge, parks and trails become the escape from monotony.
Unprecedented events (like a potentially deadly virus) – while undesirable to say the least – have a way of provoking creativity and challenging our way of thinking, which is why I consider this time in history as an opportunity. Once all is said and done, we’ll be in a new world. We’ll have survived a deadly virus, racial unrest, and an inept and fascist government. Change and growth is often the result of tumult and discomfort, and what is more tumultuous and uncomfortable than 2020?
Stay safe and innovate.
Art by Miriam Nwosah
