Down with the kids Taylor Swift
Topics the V&A will use to connect with youngsters
Lego
The Danish construction blocks have never gone out of fashion – a toy so wholesome that even the most environmentally conscious parents overlook the fact that it is made out of plastic. Recent years have seen tie-ins with major brands including Star Wars, Marvel and Harry Potter.
David Beckham spent six days building a 4,000-piece replica of the Sleeping Beauty castle, while Ed Sheeran celebrated his no 1 album by buying a Lego Death Star.
Toby Jugs
Nobody is quite sure how the Toby jug got its name – Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night and Uncle Toby in Tristram Shandy have each been suggested. But a theory is that it was named in honour of Yorkshireman Henry Elwes, who was nicknamed Toby Fillpot.
A Staffordshire pottery firm began making the jugs in the 1760s. Modern versions include those sold in the Palace of Westminster gift shop, where a Liz Truss jug is on offer for £32.
The pop superstar is so rich that she could probably buy the V&A if so minded, after becoming a billionaire last year.
Her world tours sell out in a matter of minutes, her love life gets more column inches than most foreign conflicts and she has a devoted army of “Swifties”.
Every one of her song lyrics, outfits and social media posts is pored over for hidden clues and her recent appearance at the Superbowl to support Travis Kelce, her boyfriend and a Kansas City Chiefs player, gained more attention than the game itself.
Pokémon Cards
Pokémon began life as a Nintendo Game Boy game in the 1990s and soon infiltrated the lives of children around the world in the form of cartoons and trading cards.
Its characters include a little yellow creature called Pikachu and a dragon called Charizard.
The trading cards are swapped in playgrounds but are also coveted by adults, who track down and collect the rarest examples and share their adventures on Youtube.
Gorpcore
Wearing a waterproof jacket and hiking boots to hang around the high street? You’re doing gorpcore.
The phrase was coined by the US magazine The Cut in 2017, with “gorp” thought by some to be an acronym of “good ‘ol raisins and peanuts”, a trail mix enjoyed by hikers in North America.
Functional items including gilets, puffer jackets, fleeces and anoraks become gorpcore if they are worn in urban settings.