What Denim Brands Can Learn from the Wellness and Entertainment Sectors

From textiles to retail spaces, understanding consumer behavior and demand—and transforming those insights into strategic commercial actions—is a vital element of successful design.

Last week at Kingpins Amsterdam, Ana P. Alves and Soledad Offenhenden from the design consultancy Be Disobedient presented “From URL to IRL,” a forecast comprised of two macro trends influencing the retail sector and four micro trends tailored for the denim industry.

Throughout the presentation, the duo underscored the value of following trends for business. “Trends are an input for the development of products, services and strategies,” Offenhenden said, emphasizing how staying attuned to cultural and market shifts can drive meaningful business growth and innovation.

Here’s a closer look at trends shaping the denim industry.

Macro outlook

Despite the current global context of new technologies and artificial intelligence, Offenhenden said there is a trend moving in the opposite direction toward the real world. “Now is the time to enjoy real life experiences and to say hello to the physical consumers,” she said.

This is unfolding on two macrotrends. In Totaltainment, brands and retailers tap into consumers’ “escapist attitude through the unexpected.”

“Having the ability to surprise is the new aspirational business models,” Offenhenden said, adding that retail experiences are becoming more physical than ever before by using strategies involving humor, gaming and entertainment.

Louis Vuitton’s ship-shaped flagship and exhibition space in Shanghai is a large-scale example of an extreme immersive experience, while Camper’s whimsical campaign for its collaboration with Sunnei represents how humor and playfulness can be applied to advertising.  

Healthopia encompasses aspects of self-care and hospitality in both retail settings and consumer products. “Well-being as a commodity and health is the new aspirational,” she said.

This focus on well-being and health is akin to a spiritual religion for some consumers as they seek wellness destinations, sensory experiences and brands as refuge, she added. Examples of this include Extreme Cashmere’s “garment spa” with Miele World during Paris Fashion Week last spring treated garments as bodies, Birkenstock’s pop-up foot spas and low-tech products like Skim’s face wrap.

Micro outlook

Earth Spirit celebrates the industry’s sustainable strengths and reconnects human beings to natural sources. The theme relies on pigments, heavyweight constructions and finishing effects to tell its story.

Denim with ’70s style florals—achieved through laser etching and digital printing—and botanical colors like green, golden yellow, brown and terracotta represent growth. Sand effects reveal gray and beige undertones, while natural unbleached white denim is imperfect.

New Normals captures the need for balancing simplicity, functionality, innovation and form. Minimalist, clean, timeless, ergonomic, hybrid and workwear are some of the keywords to describe the theme. “We see volume inspired by Japanese workwear tailoring, focusing on fluidity, big barrel shapes and low-stretch fabrics,” Alves said.  

Light and shiny Tencel textiles, dark indigo uniform sets and premium finishings elevate denim, while contrasting top stitching, overlapping waistline, drop waists and duplicate belts add an “exaggeration of self-expression.” Vertical seams give a new sense of structure, hems are unraveled, and cuffs are bold, placing the interior side of denim in the spotlight.

“This group is a sustainable driver, [preferring] long lasting items over excess,” Alves said.

Fun Performers tap into consumers’ demand for the unexpected. Alves said the theme treats fashion as a spectacle—playful, expressive and “where the experience is bigger than the product itself.”

Reimagined traditional shapes, theatrical shapes (bows, ties, peplums and balloon sleeves) and references to historical textiles help tell this imaginative story. Stripes, sticker-like embellishments and belt loop charms add a child-like vibe. Colors—from soft pastels and candy-like midtones and fresh blues—help tell this youth-driven story.

Shorts, rubberized textures and tactile surfaces like faux denim fur that emphasize fiber and movement also live here.

Fourth Spacers places the focus on distortion, robotics and digital processes. Fabrics have scratched surfaces, mimicking digital glitches. Prints play with negative space, resulting in an x-ray effect. Coatings are smooth, mirrored and rubberized.

Garments construction enhances the story—from wave seams adding a sense of fluidity to structures to knots and twists altering shapes. Stitching with contour placement also add an optical illusion to jeans.