Pre-talk with trend forecaster Jan Agelink

Even at the upcoming winter edition, a fresh line-up of unmissable Talks awaits, including one by our resident trend forecaster, Jan Agelink. Season after season, he manages to distill everything he sees, hears and reads at the forefront of fashion and design into a hopeful, creative vision of the future. His Talk for January 2026 is still in the works when we sit down with him, but the theme is already set: Fashion Friction.

Where have you been over the past six months? Where do you find this endless stream of innovative, creative examples you share with us each season?

Jan: “I always go to Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, it’s consistently eye-opening, including the graduation show of the Design Academy. This year there were many films addressing social themes: reflections on how we make things, how systems work, where our wealth in the Western world comes from, and a lot about Indigenous cultures. Many projects also focused on community, in a world where loneliness is becoming an increasingly pressing issue. That fascinates me: how do we bring people together?”

Do any of these discoveries end up in your trend talk?

Jan: “Absolutely! There was an incredible exhibition with graduation projects from German art schools called ‘Next, Now, Then’, curated by Eindhoven-based design studio Raw Color. It revolved around time: redefining the past, challenging the present, and imagining how we want to live in the future. One student, Enes Kazim Pavlukovic, created The Algorithm Times, entirely produced by AI, text and visuals. A wonderfully clear example of how much we’re outsourcing.”

“I also went to the Venice Biennale. The Dutch entry was designer Gabriel Fontana, who creates games within the realm of social design, using sport as a tool to explore a changing society. One of his games has three teams on a field with three goals — but which team you’re on is only indicated on the inside of your shirt, so as you play you must figure out who belongs with you. Another game features uniforms that transform mid-game. A whistle blows and you swap the front panel of your shirt, instantly switching teams. Brands like Nike and Adidas, as well as government institutions, invite him to let their teams experience these games as a form of training. During last year’s Olympics, he even did this with school classes. It’s incredibly interesting. Fashion can be functional in a completely new way.”

Speaking of fashion, can you share anything about your upcoming theme, ‘Fashion Friction’?

“It started with my Design Friction research, where I noticed how much we’re all stuck in our heads, in our phones, in algorithms, in perfectly streamlined imagery. Friction, for me, is about fashion that pulls you out of autopilot. Things that clash, shift, rub, but that create feeling because of it. You see people yearning for real togetherness again. They want to play, to experiment, to experience something that isn’t predetermined. Friction makes a space come alive, makes an outfit surprising, makes a community recognizable. It’s not a trick or a ‘look’, it’s a way to bring people back to attention, materiality and encounter. Away from the screen, back to the body, the physical space, the moment. David Snellenberg of Amsterdam agency Dawn put it perfectly in a recent opinion piece. Now that tech is becoming more human, we shouldn’t become more technological. On the contrary: we have to become more human than ever. More intuitive. More emotional. More unpredictable. More loving. Weirder. Bolder. Creativity is the only currency computers can’t take from us.”

“It’s also, once again, about craft. I joined a group this year called The Forecast Club. We had our first meeting in Stockholm, where everyone gave a 30-minute presentation. Mine was about The Culture of Craft, how a new generation is redefining it.”

Alongside his Talk, Jan Agelink will also present a physical selection of Design Friction examples at Modefabriek this season at his own Table: a kind of catwalk-meets-curated-installation of hand-picked favourites from The Kite Club, Yume Yume, Rop van Mierlo, Julia Watson, Rein Reitsema and more. Prepare to be inspired!