Hot or not: it’s the 2019 trend report
We’ll be wearing boiler suits, listening to punk and swapping brunch for roasts next year, the experts tell
No one can say that 2018 wasn’t an eventful year. Huge new stories broke, a firmament of new talent enjoyed a breakthrough… and we finally experienced the joy of the drive-thru Krispy Kreme outlet. And it looks like 2019 is going to be even more exciting. We asked those in the know to take a punt on the stuff we’ll all be talking about in the next 12 months.
The films we’ll watch
Hollywood is poised to offer us an embarrassment of riches at the box office. Expect an instalment from the Star Wars franchise, as well as Frozen 2, The Lion King (starring Beyonce), Spider-Man: Far from Home and Aladdin, as directed by Guy Ritchie.
Closer to home, Ireland’s reputation as a vibrant filmmaking entity is pretty much assured.
“In terms of people to watch, Nora Twomey (director of the Oscar-nominated The Breadwinner) is likely to have a great year,” says Louise Ryan of the Irish Film Board. “She’ll be working on My Father’s Dragon , and Apple have come in board. Apple are getting into content and this will be one of their first projects, so that’s exciting.
“It’s also likely to be a big year for Lee Cronin, as his debut feature The Hole in The Ground is already headed to the Sundance Film Festival. I’d also put money on Louise Bagnall’s short film Late Afternoon doing something interesting at next year’s Oscars.”
The food we’ll eat
Over at the Butcher’s Grill in Ranelagh, Dublin, restaurateur John Farrell is doing away with brunch in favour of Sunday roasts; a possible taste, he notes, of a trend to come: “I think brunch has had its time,” he notes.
“It won’t totally disappear, but I think people will get really into ‘family style’ dining: sharing, essentially.”
Fellow restaurateur Joe Macken predicts, meanwhile, that Irish diners will be enjoying even more of a taste of the Orient: “We’ll see regional Chinese food take off in an even bigger way, and we’ll see other Asian food, like Taiwanese and Filipino food, really take off.”
The big news stories we’ll all be talking about
“The first few months of every year are usually dominated by health stories and 2019 will likely be no different,” notes Mick McCaffrey, head of Virgin Media News.
“Brexit is only going to become a bigger talking point with the UK due to leave the EU at 11pm on March 29, if the growing calls for a second referendum are ignored. Brexit obviously has massive potential implications for Ireland, especially if there is no deal.”
And, just as it has been in 2018, expect plenty of rolling coverage of any and all weather anomalies: “Weather extremes will become the new norm so expect weather and the impact of climate change to continue to be high on the news agenda,” notes McCaffrey.
The clothes we’ll wear
According to Shelly Corkery, Brown Thomas Fashion Director, spring/summer 2019 will be diverse, feminine and colourful. “On one end of the spectrum, designers showcased all-over prints and floral patterns in over-thetop dresses with layers and frills, while others kept it simplistic, classic and toned down in beautiful earthy tones,” she says.
Image magazine’s fashion editor Marie Kelly predicts a strong lean towards utilitarian wear: “Boiler suits and jumpsuits in shades of khaki and sand. Yellow looks like it will be the dominant power colour again next year. The way to wear it will be as a punctuation to biscuit-y neutral shades,” she says. “There’s also a strong penchant for clothes with a homespun feel; crocheted, patchwork and appliquéd.”
The places we’ll go
Trailfinders’ Jonathan Bridge has already noticed a shift towards new hotspots: “In terms of destinations, we expect a huge increase in bookings to Japan due to the rugby world cup. Other expected growth areas are Kenya, Jordan and Fiji. There have been quite a few new hotel openings (including high-end resorts) along with increased tourist board activity in Fiji. Jordan took a big hit with the Syrian refugee crisis in recent years so is making a huge effort to encourage visitors back to its stunning attractions such as Petra. In Kenya, there is a move towards the vast open plains of the Masai Mara and Amboseli national parks.”
The tech we’ll use
According to social strategy director Sean Early, expect to talk to a few more chatbots in 2019: “People are going to be utilising chatbots a lot more, on sites like, say, Asos or Aer Lingus,” he predicts. “The human element of customer service will be left to concentrate on the more complex, emotional aspect of customer services.”
Voice recognition technology, he says, will go back to basics: “What we have failed to build with voice recognition is basic functionality — tech nerds and geeks will
love the advances on various products like Amazon, but for the mass public it’s still a novelty, and we need to build in the simple things.”
The well-being trends
Weekends are due a revamp, according to Lisa Wilkinson, owner of the Elbowroom wellness hub in Stoneybatter, Dublin: “We are seeing the advent of ‘self-care Sundays’, where people are setting aside a whole day on the weekend,” she explains. “Face yogaisalsoontherise—we’vehaditas a workshop but it’s now on our schedule regularly due to demand,” she adds. “Sound bath meditation is also due to be really big in 2019, if its growing popularity in London is anything to go by.”
What we’ll be listening to
As CEO of the Hard Working Class Heroes festival and Music From Ireland, Angela Dorgan has been keeping an eye on the bands poised to break through in 2019. “Punk is on its way back in such a massive way,” she observes. “A lot of the Irish bands selected for (showcases like) Eurosonic and South By Southwest are all female, and all punk.” Dorgan suggests that music fans keep their eyes (and ears) peeled for Dubliners WhenYoung, Thumper, Bi Curious, Just Mustard and Limerick newcomers Powpig.
The actors we’ll love
“Theatre-goers will know Kate Gilmore well, as will Fair City fans,” says Lauren O’Toole of the Gaiety School of Acting. “Kate starred in two massive shows in the last year — The Snapper and The Great Gatsby — and in 2019 will return to the stage in self-penned The Wickedness of Oz at the Project Arts Centre.
“Meanwhile, Shane O’Regan graduated from GSA in 2014 and has been going from strength to strength. Having just completed an off Broadway stint in Private Peaceful, shortly after a critically acclaimed performance in Trainspotting, we think 2019 is going to be a great year for Shane.
“Toni O’Rourke appeared in Roddy Doyle’s Rosie’ having also starred in Cardboard Gangsters the previous year, we’re predicting great things for Toni in the near future.”