2024 ended up being the year when WGSN’s CEO Carla Buzasi returned to the office, started wearing heels, stopped using her air fryer, and paid for her coffee with the palm of her hand. She’s done with the boring life and got out of people’s way to watch them do brilliant things.

In this special episode, our Lives of Tomorrow podcast producer Akeem Nicol gets Carla to answer instead of asking questions, including those about WGSN’s biggest successes and challenges and why she has asked people to return to the office. Tune in to hear how 2024 has been the year of glimmers – small moments of joy and excellent reviews from WGSN’s customers.

How do you teach adults to play?

Play isn’t just for kids. It’s proven to ease stress, boost happiness, and inspire creative problem-solving. So, why aren’t we doing it more? In this episode of Lives of Tomorrow, we explore what play means to us, and how we can use play to boost work performance, increase wellbeing, and set fire to our imaginations.

WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi learns from Emma Worrollo, Founder of the Playful Den, a collective that supports people unleashing the power of play, recently featured in IKEA’s Power of Play report 2024. Find out how companies enhance staff productivity by harnessing play.

Want to know why it’s game on for grown-ups? Vote here for WGSN to speak at SXSW London 2025 about strategic joy bridging brands and consumers

Every day, we rely on data to simplify our lives, from our biometrics to our digital wallets. But how safe are we? What does the future hold for data privacy and ethics?

In this episode, WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi discusses digital empowerment with StJohn (Singe) Deakins, founder and CEO of DataSapien, a company revolutionising personal data control with Zero-Shared Data technology. He shares his deep expertise in marketing and loyalty, having led digital transformation in CitizenMe and British Airways. Tune in to learn how companies can build trust and deliver on promises to empower consumers in their choices when sharing their data.

Are we seeking more realistic and complex narratives from the too simplistic storylines of superhero blockbusters? Even as Hollywood’s pull remains, the entertainment landscape is evolving with an increased global appetite for non-English content from different regions. 

Join Natacia Lim, WGSN’s Consumer Researcher, and WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi in this episode of Lives of Tomorrow on Southeast Asian film and TV, as well as superhero fatigue and the rise in multistreaming platforms. We look at how current trends are shaping the entertainment industry and why there is a surge in younger people going to the cinema. We reflect on franchise films, box office numbers, and what the future of the franchise is.

Are we going backwards? The Regression Generation is a new label given to Gen Z and Alphas who are coming of age while regressing in society in terms of social and educational skills. Unlike previous generations, they are battling crises of confidence, education, and finances as a result of the pandemic, geopolitical tensions and an increasingly online world.

Carla Buzasi, CEO of WGSN discusses with Elizabeth Tan, WGSN’s Senior Culture Strategist about the challenges they face, including loneliness, anxiety and social skills in real life, as well as the potential for positive change through community-building. Join us as we explore online and offline strategies to support these generations through emotional and social connections to mature and thrive in our dynamic world. 

Design has the power to transform our lives and help us figure out where we come from, where we belong and where we hope to go. That is the message from Creative Director, Liam Maher. Leading the design team at the Danish shoe brand ECCO, Liam has just released his new book ‘Menswhere: A Lost History of the Militant Guild of Rural Tailors’ which is a series of interviews with men’s designers. In this episode of Lives of Tomorrow, Liam shares with Carla Buzasi, CEO of WGSN his wealth of experience and passion for how design is evolving with masculine identities individually and collectively and where innovation meets tradition.

In this episode of Lives of Tomorrow, we learn about Southeast Asia’s top beauty trends from Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi sits with APAC Beauty Strategist Christine Chua to understand behavioural changes towards ageing and skincare in Southeast Asia. 

Christine delves into the rise in anti-ageing discourse on TikTok and an upsurge among young people valuing skincare over makeup. Carla discovers what’s driving the demand for niche perfumes such as milk and rancid flesh. Listen in on the beauty priorities driving Southeast Asian markets.

In this episode, we learn about macro trends impacting how young people live their lives. We hear why Gen Z are spending more time at home, having less sex and focusing on more digital-first connections.

WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi speaks to Senior Strategist for WGSN Insight Allyson Rees about her research into this macro trend, what led to this behavioural shift, and what the future holds. 

Four years after the pandemic, some young consumers still prefer staying home to going out or engaging in nightlife. On TikTok, #BedRotting has become a popular hashtag (300m views) to describe lying in bed for prolonged periods. Retailers must meet Gen Z where they are while still facilitating social outlets and opportunities to indulge. Understanding this cohort’s fears and what makes them feel comfortable will secure their loyalty.

Who is modest fashion for? Where is it mainstreaming and how is it changing the fashion industry?

In this episode of Lives of Tomorrow, we debunk the myths associated with modest fashion, tracing its history right through to the latest trends. 

WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi speaks with Linda Anggrea, CEO of ButtonScarves, a premium Indonesian fashion and lifestyle brand specialising in headscarves and modest wear for modern women. Passionate about style, Linda shares her strategies in mainstreaming expressive modest wear and lets us in on her upcoming collections and ongoing Disney collaboration.

India’s middle class is the class of the moment. In this episode, we find out more about how the rising salaries of the middle class in India will impact businesses in the region. Senior Insight Strategist for APAC Rohini Wahi shares her expertise in retail, marketing, and lifestyle based on consumer behaviour in Asia. WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi finds out from Rohini why the income pyramid has inverted and how the middle class in India will be the largest group by 2030.

People in India have shifted away from predominantly looking to the West for fashion, food, and home trends. What do the people driving this shift care about then? Rohini sheds light on what this growing economic demographic wants and how brands should appeal to this market. We explore how investment from global tech firms Google and Amazon, the government’s ease of business policies, and the digitisation of India is accelerating the rise of the Indian middle class.