2020 vision: upcoming trends in the new decade

Meat analogue – or mock meat – is seemingly everywhere in today’s foodie scene. While vegetarianism and veganism are certainly nothing new, the sudden increase in adherence to plant-based lifestyles should at least in-part be attributed to the meatless yet completely ‘meat-like’ Impossible Burger, which is now being sold in over 8000 restaurants across North America, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, and more. Even KFC has announced a collaboration with Beyond Meat to develop and promote a purely plant-based fried chicken; and with more and more restaurant chains, big or small, jumping on the plant-based bandwagon, it’s no stretch to say that 2020 will be a big year for veganism. 

The tea-infused cocktail, or the teatail, is a fresh movement in Hong Kong's bar scene that has been gathering steam since mid-2019, and looks like it's set to continue in 2020. Led right now by new bar Tell Camellia, the teatail infuses different teas from around the world with alcohol to make delicious and novel cocktails. With the recent cultural shift towards all things green and eco-friendly, the teatail seems a natural winner in 2020 that strikes the perfect balance between earth-conscious and alcoholic.

The restaurant scene in Hong Kong is ever-changing, unfortunately, that also applies to our city's most historically significant restaurants, ones that have made such an impact on the local food culture. We've already said goodbye to a few of them in 2019, and the sad truth is that we can only expect more to come in the coming year. 

“How dare you!” These words began the most powerful speech of 2019 at the United Nations Climate Action Summit. Greta Thunberg, the 15-year-old climate activist, blasted world leaders for what she claimed were poor efforts in fighting global warming. Her emotional speech has since sparked a worldwide school strike movement, waking the public to the urgency of this potentially catastrophic subject. Stepping into 2020, predominantly younger generations with the strongest environmental awareness will be devising new ways to tackle climate change. Green consumerism will be going mainstream, with fast fashion retailer H&M’s Garment Collecting programme – that markets clothes as secondhand goods or convert them into new products – continuing to lead consumers to a more sustainable lifestyle. Lush, the all-natural cosmetics company, has established Naked stores in which its products are completely package-free, along with innovative new concepts (hello, naked shower gel) to tackle plastic waste problems.

Looking for a challenge in 2020? Well, get ready for a showdown with a claw machine. Claw machines are normally easy to manoeuvre, just move the stick and release right? Don’t think that it is just a simple arcade game. It requires skills, as some are designed with obstacle courses filled with premium prizes like iPhone 11s or Nintendo Switches. Some machines may even be rigged so you might want to channel your inner Sherlock Holmes. With shops opening in almost every corner of Hong Kong, we predict it may as well be the new 7-Eleven! If you’re looking for a simpler collecting game, Gacha Gacha is still the hype with its timeless offering of capsule toys.

Fashion Month has come to an end, leaving us with a very clear view of the macro trends that will be fixed in 2020. Global trend forecasting company WGSN predicted that Neo Mint will be ‘the’ colour in the upcoming year. This clean, pure hue embodies the drive towards gender-neutral tones and has been seen across big fashion houses in their 2020 Spring/Summer collections. Vintage, bourgeois fashion will continue to dominate – camel vests, all-white suits, over-the-top shoulder cuffs and velvety polka-dot prints. After all, what’s the point in fashion if it isn’t a little loud?

#AdoptDontShop – the global movement of halting animal trading and instead promoting adoption – is finally becoming more pronounced in Hong Kong. In light of the cruel breeding practices at ‘pet factories’ and the large number of animals abandoned every year, Q-Pets and Red Carrot, two of Hong Kong’s largest pet shop operators, have stopped trading in animals. Instead, they have launched their first- ever free adoption programme. Various nonprofit organisations, such as Hong Kong Paw’s Foundation and Paw’s United, will continue in 2020 to host more adoption days and weekly dog meet-ups at restaurants and cafes, in hopes to persuade the public to take adoption into consideration before hitting the pet shops. We think all this deserves a round of a-paws.

The Social Media Influencer – the most talked-about occupation among millennials and Gen Zs – is leading to a ‘wanghong’ economic boom built on digital and social media influencer marketing. Individuals may rise to fame by sharing beauty and travel vlogs, and in turn, rack up profits from a single post through leveraging their popularity to get fans to purchase their endorsed goods. However, who (or what) is making headlines this year may be up for debate, as AI celebrities such as Lil Miquela, a robot fashion influencer who’s made an appearance in Vogue; Imma, a digital supermodel from ModelingCafe (a Japanese CGI company), and many other not-quite-human entities take centre stage. Beauty brands like SK-II have recently joined forces with KFC in rolling out their own virtual influencers to target younger consumers. With international companies utilising AI influencers as their ambassadors, it is pretty obvious that AI celebrities will continue to dominate social media platforms in 2020. We wonder if AI pet influencers will become the next ‘in’ thing?

Offering access to some of the most renowned Asian and international galleries in one place, Hong Kong is looking forward to another year of compelling art events. There’s Art Basel, the largest, most premium art fair in the Asia region; and Art Central, an exhibit of over 100 contemporary galleries alongside a dynamic programme that includes ambitious installations and experimental films. In addition, there are new destinations that combine visual, art, architecture and retail in one place. The newly opened K11 Musea in Tsim Sha Tsui, and the upcoming opening of M+ Museum at West Kowloon Cultural District show that art-centric designs aren’t limited to galleries anymore. With more cutting-edge venues and events coming our way, Hongkongers will be able to bounce from one artistic corner of the city to another in 2020.

Coworking spaces in Hong Kong have undergone a period of tremendous proliferation in recent times, and there is no sign of this trend slowing down in 2020. Numerous niche coworking spaces are continuing to offer diverse environments and stellar amenities, from posh designer spaces (The Work Project) to more laid-back options (Missolink) for freelancers. At the same time, international chain companies such as the TheDesk and WeWork, are now creating the next iteration of the coworking phenomenon, the “co-work 2.0”. This networking scheme aims to promote members’ businesses and help members to build strong links within the community and beyond, which has become an attractive aspect to many small businesses and startups. The coworking footprint in Hong Kong is now riding a maturity curve and will be getting even more established than before in 2020.