2024 Design Trend Predictions: The Aesthetics you’re about to see Everywhere Next Year

As we gaze into the crystal ball of 2024, a few clear narratives emerge to pick up where 2023 left off. In order to know where we’re going we must start where we’re coming from. In summary…

LOOKING BACK: OUR 2023
ERAS

WOMEN RULE ERA

We’d be remiss to not call them “Eras” after the chokehold Ms. Taylor Swift had on pop culture this year (like being named Time’s Person of the Year, hitting Billionaire status, and producing the highest grossing tour of all time). But she’s not the only female at the top of her game. From Beyonce’s glass-ceiling-shattering Renaissance Tour, to Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, to the Rihanna Superbowl Halftime Show (most watched halftime show in history), these iconic moments cemented the year of the woman, and simultaneously ‘eventized’ the in-person experience. Almost all of these events ignited their own dress codes to match, giving super fans a chance to pledge their loyalty (and super fandom) in costume and flex their creativity online and off. More of that in ‘24, please.

APEROL SPRITZ ERA

Speaking of themes, in 2023 we said “andiamo a italia” for a summer of la dolce vita. After my over-the-top white lotus italian 30th birthday theme invites went viral on TikTok, it was no surprise we noticed tons of Italian design influence flooding our feeds (or hey, that’s just how the algorithm works). Photo dump carousels and compilation reels consisting of bikinis, boats, spritzes, stripes, pizza, pasta, and more pistachio gelato that anyone should have in their lifetime gave us an Italy hangover in the best way… but felt very 2023 in retrospect. (All recapped on Ep. 125 Bday Boxes and Aesthetic Themes).

R.I.P. TWITTER, HELLO THREADS ERA

Elon Musk’s $44 Billion dollar acquisition of Twitter and rebrand to X was like a dagger to the chest for all branding and marketing enthusiasts. The lackluster logo and seemingly nonexistent accompanying brand suite felt like bro marketing flop at its finest.. or its worst? (He should have tuned in to Kiss My Aesthetic Ep. 127 about Common Branding Mistakes). The silver lining (and polar opposite) was Meta’s rollout of Threads. Discussed on KMA Episode 121 with Ashli Pollard of Team AP Consulting.

EVERYONE’S OBSESSED WITH AI ERA

I mean, guilty as charged. From skeptic to superfan, AI totally transformed the way we run our agency this year. Personal sensei, guru, and self-proclaimed AI Auntie Lauren DeVane of Bemused Studio spilled it all on Kiss My Aesthetic Episode 117 & again on Episode 133: Midjourney & AI Part 2. Creators on Instagram and TikTok started popping off with their AI creations, like how @glamseasons transformed a soccer field into a mystical castle scene blending video and AI image generation or how I can’t stop making Faux-tels for Hotel Lobby Candle. Sitting out on integrating AI into your business in 2024 will the equivalent of choosing to run your business without using the internet in the dot com boom. Saving myself from writing an entire dissertation on the ubiquitous-ness of AI in the creative space, I just want you to know that in 2024 we are going to be seeing MORE AI, not less… and therefore each of the themes outlined in this article will hint at how that can be integrated.

TREND 1: CHERRY, CHOCOLATE, SILVER 🍒🍫🍴

Move over vanilla aesthetic, grab a spoon, and dive in to the chocolately deliciousness that is the 2024 version of Cherry Garcia. In both fashion and art a cherry chocolate color combo speaks to a broader cultural fascination with blending the tart, with the sweet and the sultry. These colors on their own carry such individually rich history and symbolism, but together create a combined palette that is warm, nostalgic, and decadent. You might recall this combo from late 90s & the early 2000s, where it was actually a revival of 1970s fashion trends that brought back chocolate browns into vogue: influencing attire, interiors, automotive, and cosmetic industries. The internet’s PR agent Girl Boss Town’s titular Red Nail Theory summarizes this on the cherry side.

WHERE YOU’LL SEE IT

Embracing the Cherry/Chocolate/Silver trend in your brand aesthetics means going full bore moody, reflective, seductive, and fruity sweet. Here’s where you’ll see it most:

BRANDING & DESIGN - Color palettes will start to shift from dreaded beige, greige, tan and black to incorporate more richness like dark chocolate or espresso color tones. Typography will also start to look more fluid and sugary, mimicing a sense of thickness and viscosity reminiscent of these candy coated visuals (does the Wonka movie have anything to do with this?). Packaging designers can draw inspiration from old candy wrappers (see DumDums) and dive in to blind emboss effects to give physical depth to pieces they make. Anticipate playing cards and board games making a huge comeback in 2024, as more Gen Z and millennials are drawn to an alcohol-free lifestyle but still want to stay connected with friends.

PHOTO & VIDEO - The photography style for the Cherry/Chocolate/Silver trend carries the baton of flash photography low res grainy edit of 2022 and 2023 but peppers in the late 90s early 2000s white wall backlit studio headshots a la Christian Dior, Chanel, and Tom Ford. The Cherry/Chocolate/Silver brand brings their brightness all the way down, and saturation all the way up, yet counts on the hint and glimmer of chrome, motion blur, and sparkles to bring romantic mystery.

FASHION & CULTURE - From the runway to your timeline, Red Stockings and Tights have already picked up steam and chrome and silver jewelry are quickly replacing it-girls’ gold dainty chains. I’d guess to say that Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn set to come out next October has Cherry/Chocolate/Silver potential… and something about this moodboard is also very Taylor Swift Reputation (Taylor’s Version) coded… but also a hint of Shania Twain?

Brands that already do this well: Shop Natalie MCM What Happens in Vegas Fragrance which morphs on the skin and smells like nothing you’ve ever smelled before, trust me. Summer Friday’s Midnight Retinol Launch Campaign, Schutz Cherry and Silver Fiorella Pumps or even Chocolate brown Croc boots, Jacquemus Cherry and Silver, Rhode Lip Glosses

Brands that should do this soon: Imagine if department store Macy’s reinvented themselves with this look? They’re halfway there with the red star already, but a revamp of the brand to 90s/2000s mall rat nostalgia would crush. In fact, I’m very down for a revival of mall culture. Additionally, a Miley Cyrus x Lana Del Rey collab again is long overdue for this look, since their last team up was way back in the Charlie’s Angels reboot era and a Gucci (already cherry red) shoot on top… why not. Lastly, Coca Cola could save face by bringing back Cherry Coke after dropping it from their line up in 2023.

TREND 2: BOW ADORNED BALLERINA 🩰🦢🎀

It’s no doubt that bows are having their moment. You’d be hard pressed to find any influencers holiday tree sans-ribbon this season, but here’s why bows and ballerina-core are here to stay.

Bows, historically a symbol of femininity and grace, have seen various iterations in fashion over the decades. Prominently featured in the voluminous and elaborate dresses of the Victorian era, bows symbolized luxury and refinement. In the mid-20th century, bows were reimagined in a more subdued manner, often as accents on collars, waistlines, and hair accessories. The return of bows in 2024 continues the Barbie legacy of 2023, allowing women to embrace and celebrate their femininity not as an antithesis to masculinity but as its own asset; its own attribute to be proud of. In 2024, ballerina-core is poised to make a significant comeback filling a craving for fluidity, grace, and elegance and intoxicatingly sweet silliness. This trend will likely emphasize soft fabrics, flowing silhouettes, and a palette that includes pastels pinks and neutral tones.

This trend is also nicknamed the coquette aesthetic (and seen via personal favorite: the coquette trend on TikTok, or read Bustle’s snarky take here). The term coquette quite literally translates to “to deal with something playfully rather than seriously.” Don’t forget — Mean Girls reboot comes out in 2024, and we would bet that one of the plastics will be repping this style & attitude in the movie musical.

WHERE YOU’LL SEE IT

BRANDING & DESIGN - Where 2023 was the height of the hand written calligraphy, the Bow Adorned Ballerina brand is going to use classical style cursives and formal script fonts that feel more regal and prestigious. Edge embellishments on print invitations and monograms fit for monarchs will be popular among personal brands, luxury lifestyle products, fragrance houses, and confectioners. This style is about all things light, airy, and delicate, meaning that the color palettes and packaging designs would look just as natural on Marie Antoinette’s bed side table as it does in your favorite influencer’s GRWM. Textures will also be huge in carrying out this aesthetic to its fullest: lace, tulle, satin, silk, bronze, and pearl are all on our watch list.

PHOTO & VIDEO - The photography and videography of this Ballerina-core/Coquette aesthetic will undoubtedly be soft focus, hazy, monochromatic, with billowing clouds of fabrics framing feminine features. This aesthetic could take a turn for more grunge-y/less pretty in pink when toughened up with harsh flash, black accents, or unnatural posing, but overall the sweetness and innocence as seen in this moodboard will prevail.

FASHION & CULTURE - Ballet, with its fantastical settings and costumes, offers a form of escapism. The world of ballet is often seen as a magical realm appealing to those who seek a sense of wonder and fantasy. With the Paris Olympics taking place in the summer in the city of love, anticipate french culture dominating the fashion and aesthetics landscape. We can speculate that attending the a ballet, opera, or museum event will become more popular after the Met Gala 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion' takes place the first monday in May.

Brands that already do this well: Christian Siriano SS24, Belle of the Ball Selkie, quickly followed by LoveShackFancy, creator @isa.bella.ricci or @thesandraduran

Brands that should do this soon: Van Cleef and Arpels should claim this space after Swarovski rebrand went more bold in 2023. This aesthetic could be reclaimed by pop princess Ariana Grande in anticipation for her role as Glinda the good witch in the upcoming movie adaptation of Wicked slotted for November 2024.

TREND 3: NEON FAUVISM & SHEER SURREAL 🪲🍸🌀

The Aperol Spritz is to the Amalfi Coast what Chartreuse and Absinthe is to Copenhagen on an acid trip… or what I’ll coin “Neon Fauvism.” Different but not dissimilar to the Gen Z affinity for lavender purple and citrine green, this design movement will be as if that Gen Z-er got a job in a French/Danish fashion house or art museum.

Fauvism was a radical early 20th-century movement where vivid color reigned supreme. Spearheaded by visionaries like Henri Matisse and André Derain, Fauvism broke free from realism's reins and took an emotional, surreal and sometimes garish approach to the ordinary. These 'Wild Beasts' (‘Les Fauves’ in French) dared to use bold, unorthodox hues to express emotions, rather than replicate the natural world's tones. Their canvases were a riot of color, unapologetically loud and emotionally charged, making Fauvism a brief but blazing comet in the art firmament, forever altering the trajectory of modern art.

Envisioning Fauvism in 2024, we might expect a contemporary reinterpretation that blends its foundational ethos of bold color and emotional expression with modern artistic trends and technologies. In the digital age, Fauvism could evolve through new mediums like digital art/generative AI, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR), where its characteristic vibrant colors and emotive forms take on a new life in interactive and immersive environments. Colors that were relegated beyond the pantone swatches (or only designated in the neon palettes) can be reintroduced thanks to the boundless limits of modern tech, pushing the boundaries of what we expect things to look like.

WHERE YOU’LL SEE IT

BRANDING & DESIGN - Expect a painterly approach to brand work, incorporating loose brush strokes with a wide range of funky color tones. This look will work best with products and services who don’t shy away from the weird and unconventional. They’ll use loosey goosey fonts like this free one called Donut, sheer shape-shifting textures like tulle, chainmail, chiffon and gauzy linens. These brands love a highlighter pop of color to bring emphasis to the emotions they most want you to feel.

PHOTO & VIDEO - The photography and videography styles that best encapsulates this trend are pieces that feel like a dreamscape — hazy, burry, sometimes garish, but all in the daytime. This aesthetic is NOT nighttime neon from Blade Runner or Pulp Fiction, but instead a fluorescent that feels herbaceous, floral, and otherworldly. Quirky architecture and street style fashion photography come to mind with this trend, especially when unconventional colors, textures, or materials are at play.

FASHION & CULTURE - In a nod to Fauvism’s dramatic flair, accessories in Fauvist-inspired fashion can be statement-making, with vivid colors and unique, sculptural designs that stand out as art pieces in their own right. This might manifest in unexpected drapery, asymmetrical lines, or unconventional garment construction that challenges traditional forms. Culturally, hoteliers, artists, architects, and interior designer will incorporate a fauvism approach as instagram eyecandy.

Brands that already do this well: The GOAT of this trend is Schiaparelli, especially Hunter Schaffer’s dress for the 2023 Hunger Games Premiere, also loving Glassworks and Homewares by Completedworks, Ganni, Artist Tiel Duncan, Delightfully Neon Illustrations by @theintuitivecreative, & @jw_horner ‘s Mirrored Florals.

Brands that should do this soon: Poppi Sodas (they’re sooo close as it is, we’d love to see them go full bore with this theme). Also in the food category, Altoids should bring back their Citrus Sours as a millennial throwback. Brands in the cannabis and psilocybin realm could have a field day with this theme, due to the trippy color combos and painterly aesthetics. Lastly, if Green Chartreuse could get whoever did Aperol’s PR, they’d be flying high all year long.

TREND 4: FOODIE-TORIAL 🍅🥒🥨

Permission to play with your food: granted. 2023 had its fair share of food induced themes from butter boards to flavored water, everyone’s cottage cheese obsession to girl dinner (which inspired my halloween costume). In 2024 however, you’ll see food in more of a high fashion context. Following the footsteps of Jacquemus and Loewe (Read: Food as a Status Symbol or the Culinary Team behind Luxury’s most Exclusive Dinners), integrating food into fashion, fragrance, homewares and lifestyle accessories will become mainstream in the new year to embody the “art of multi-sensory marketing”.

Our cultural obsession with food as status is not new. Renaissance and Dutch Masters made painstakingly accurate renditions of food-filled tablescapes until the invention of the camera in the 19th century. Yet it wasn’t until the mid-20th century, with the boom of advertising and print media that food photography started to gain significant commercial importance. The gourmet food scene of the 70s and 80s led to a more sophisticated approach to food photography emphasizing elegance, opulence, and authenticity. Today, in the digital and social media era, food photography is a blend of professional and user-generated content, reflecting both artistic expression and cultural trends in food consumption and presentation while also flashing to your friends and followers “look what I can afford”.

In 2024, the avant-garde depiction of food as high art is likely to transcend traditional boundaries, blending culinary mastery with innovative artistic expression. As the lines between art, technology, and gastronomy blur, we can expect to see food presented in ways that challenge and expand our understanding of aesthetics and taste. Interactive and immersive experiences, possibly utilizing augmented and virtual reality, will elevate the dining experience to a form of performance art. This evolution will mark a new era where food is not just sustenance or pleasure, but a powerful medium for artistic and social commentary.

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on where you stand on the issue), weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Monjaro have already undoubtedly changed the way we look at food as a society. We predict that in the new year, you’ll see food presented as art objects & in avant garde ways. Mark my words butter pyramid towers are coming because Gwyneth Paltrow had one at her Goop holiday party (…its giving the party scene at the Capitol in Hunger Games). How is this possible when everyone else is feeling the crunch of economic downturn due to high cost of living? Read more in this fascinating Nylon article: Fashion’s Obsession with Bread is Recession Camp.

WHERE YOU’LL SEE IT

BRANDING & DESIGN - Don’t be shocked to see food used a as styling tool for selling goods and services unrelated to the food itself. Foodie Editorial or “Foodie-torial” craze as I’m dubbing it, across visual communications pairs well with bold, san serif, poster-ready fonts for max impact. Bold color palettes will be derived from the produce itself: tomato red, buttery yellow and leafy green. Patterns you’ll see accompanied with this look will be traditional restaurant tablecloth inspired like gingham and checker.

PHOTO & VIDEO - Food as prop seems to be the most obvious theme but food looking like things that aren’t food and vice versa also seems to be an impending trend. This photo/video style makes use of naturally lit UGC just as much as a high gloss studio setting. The primary ingredient in these compositions is fun and absurdity. You’ve got to be ready to take on the silly excessiveness of using food in this way in order to do the trend justice.

FASHION & CULTURE - As explained in CNN’s article Conspicuous consumption: Why the worlds of food and fashion are Colliding “fashion brands including Prada, Gucci and Ralph Lauren have opened cafes and restaurants, allowing shoppers to literally consume their favorite brands.” Expect more of this in 2024 as fashion and food are two industries that everyone does participate in (cue Cerulean scene from Devil Wears Prada). We also think that we’re overdue for a new era of celebrity chefs to hit the scene maybe due in part to the popularity of The Bear which is renewed for Season 3 in 2024.

Brands already doing this well:  Iconic food fashion hybrids Lisa Says Gah & PanacheBklyn, Food Artist @thisismold, @badtaste.biz, Jacquemus, Loewe, Schiaparelli again with the Lobster Dress, Oscar de la Renta’s Creative Director Laura Kim’s feed is half dedicated to food > fashion. Ultimate brand crush doing Foodie-torial right is Flamingo Estate. If you don’t know them you better… and you can thank me later.

Brands that should do this soon: We’ve seen fashion and food paired well together, but not as much with beauty, haircare, or skincare. Imagine DryBar did a campaign themed around hair food for a new product line launch. What if Ilia or Rare Beauty’s next shoot had juicy fruits and farm fresh veggies in scene? Additionally interior design brands should use this approach in their brand visuals to create quirky renditions of lighting setups, chairs, furniture installations, wallpapers and fabrics. Not that 2000’s tuscan kitchen trompe l’oeil or stuffed olive oil jars need to make a comeback, but interior rooms decorated for dinner parties with unexpected off the wall presentation & themes are welcome to stay.

IN CONCULSIOOONN…

These are just a select few trends and themes we’re anticipating in the new year, but by no means is this everything. I’ll be keeping this Pinterest board active with more sub aesthetics and trends as they come across my desk. The main takeaways being these consistent threads:

• DO double down on your brand adjectives to drive your aesthetic. Is your brand sweet or sultry? Quirky? Unconventional? Traditional and nostalgic or modern and avant garde? These descriptors should represent your home base (making any deviations from home a true experiment worth pursuing by the way!) and be something you come back to as a core tenant of what you offer in the broader communication of your visual style

• DON’T be afraid to push the envelope and create ART in your marketing… with food, with color, form, texture or messaging, 2024 is a year to embrace your frenzied creative mind and make something magical, either physically or with the help of your favorite AI tool of choice

If you made it all the way to the end of this behemoth of a blog post, thank you, and I want to reach through my computer and kiss you. Stay tuned for the accompanying podcast on Kiss My Aesthetic, which you can listen to anywhere you find your podcasts OR tune in on YouTube. You can also find @mkwcreative.co on TikTok and Instagram.

Looking to implement one of these trends with your brand in 2024?