Cultures are colliding with one another and overlapping like drifting continents. This world of cultural stratification, of overlapping beliefs, traditions and lifestyles is often described with strident and surprising contrasts. If
countries in the southern hemisphere are relentlessly adopting western customs, the west is exorcising a fear of “barbarians” with acknowledgements and a taste of the exotic. In this sense, it doesn’t appear causal to retreat to images of primitive and aggressive women with claws.
Entire populations will migrate over the next few years towards rich countries:
one billion people, according to the estimates of
Christian Aid, a leading English-based solidarity organisation, will move not just in search of work and western money, but rather principally for
food and water.
Already today water availability is insufficient in advanced countries like Israel, India, China and even, as a result of agricultural and industrial exploitation, in the United States and Canada and now there is a growing awareness that “in the near future wars will be fought over water” (
Ismail Serageldin former vice-president of the World Bank).
To this situation of scarcity, one has to add the hidden costs of biotechnical industry: “The affirmation of GMOs as a possible solution to agricultural irrigational problems, in fact expropriates the locals of their old trusted ability in selecting the most suitable crops for the local climate and as a result deprives them of the possibilities of accessing both water and food.” (
V. Shiva, Right Livelihood Award – Alternative Nobel Prize).
Consequently millions of refugees, frightening tensions and new wars are emerging: these are apocalyptic scenes, which for the moment have the unexpected result of feeding the fantasy of many creative minds. As for marketing, the problems are opportunities, to recite an already old adage.
And so, this is the trend to which we can attribute the part perhaps most conspicuous within production and communication in terms of fashion and furnishings over the next few seasons. The image of this biblical migration, of the clashing of cultures which remain distant and often incompatible, also in the spreading globalisation of customs, retreats in the production and communication of these sections.
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