Why we buy what we don't need

In ramp Table Talk at the ramp space in Stuttgart ramp editor-in-chief and publisher Michael Köckritz met Carl Tillessen, trend analyst, author and astute observer of the present. Together, they talked about the mechanisms of desire, fashion, consumption and the longing for meaning - and about why we buy things we don't even need.

Tillessen, who now heads one of the leading trend agencies after 17 years with his own fashion brand, explained how trends develop, why they influence us - and why they are sometimes self-fulfilling prophecies. He describes trends as a "self-reinforcing spiral of perception": what we often see, we like at some point - whether we like it or not.

"Trends are nothing more than shifted value systems"

"A trend," says Tillessen, "is essentially a change in taste that takes on a momentum of its own." When we repeatedly notice certain colours, shapes or materials, we start to like them. This unconscious phenomenon - the Mere Exposure Effect - is the driving force behind fashion cycles, design trends and cultural movements.

However, Tillessen makes it clear: "We don't invent trends, we observe them. But the moment we publish them, we reinforce them. We give them visibility - and visibility is power."

But not every forecast hits the mark. "Trends have to hit the nerve of the times. If they don't, the goods are left lying around - and our customers feel that painfully."</p

On the difference between hype and attitude

Michael Köckritz interjects: Does a strong brand really have to follow every trend? Tillessen replies in the negative: "Quite the opposite. Brands that know who they are make conscious choices. They know which trends suit them - and which don't. Some come to us just to know what they shouldn't do."

Because trends are not universal truths, but cultural mirrors. "A colour that triggers enthusiasm in Europe can cause rejection in China," explains Tillessen. "Trends need context - and attitude."

The new desire for knowledge

A theme that runs through the conversation: knowledge. Köckritz talks about the importance of storytelling, about the knowledge of things that makes them desirable. Tillessen agrees: "There is no desirability without knowledge. Every truly fascinating product - whether a watch, wine or car - is linked to a story. Those who know more feel more pleasure."

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However, in times of fast fashion and social media, this knowledge is under threat. "We have forgotten how to understand materials," says Tillessen's colleague Nils Wien. "What used to be taken for granted - feeling fabrics, knowing their origin - has now become specialised knowledge."

Social media, AI and the acceleration of the world

The discussion is expanding to include digitalisation and artificial intelligence

"Social media doesn't show reality," warns Wien. "It is a world of its own that replaces sensory experience - and thus impoverishes our perception."

Tillessen adds: "It used to take years for a trend to move from the avant-garde to the mainstream. Today, it sometimes takes days. If we see something in London, it will be in Stuttgart tomorrow."</p

When asked whether AI can predict trends, he replies: "No. AI recognises patterns, but not the pendulum. Trends are not a linear process, but overlays of emotional oscillations. This requires experience, empathy - and gut instinct."

On trust, bread and the longing for authenticity

Later, the conversation becomes more fundamental. Tillessen describes a deep crisis of trust that characterises our time - politically, socially and aesthetically.
"Brands that used to be beyond reproach have lost trust. And that creates new needs - for things we can believe in again."

He sees artisan bakeries as a symbol of this: "A simple loaf of bread suddenly becomes a luxury item because it stands for purity, trust and authenticity. This is the new currency of desire."

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