I’ve been ignoring most of the tonnage of “Top Predictions” lists dropping in the past few weeks, but this one from friends at CultureLab was a refreshing and insightful change of pace.  Enjoy a look into youth/multicultural trends for 2009:

#1 Rockstar and Skater Hip Hop will continue to gain in popularity (Lil Wayne and Kanye respectively are the icons: watch for Charles Hamilton, The Knux, 88 Keys, Black Milk, and B.O.B)

#2 Classicism is the new racism

#3 The 90’s grunge era will influence in ‘09 as the 80’s did in ‘08

#4 Sneaker Brands to watch: Supras, adidas, Yums, and “Vulcanized” Shoes [See Images Below

#5 Streetwear brands to watch: Rowdy, KR3W, Volcom

#6 Twitter goes to the masses

#7 Classicism, Ethnicity, and Lifestage will creep into online social network choice: Facebook: older, more affluent and more educated, MySpace: younger, less affluent, Black and Hispanic skewing

#8 C.R.E.A.M., Wu-Tang’s mantra will ring very true in ’09, cash will be king!

#9 Creativity in digital hustle

#10 Prepaid Cell Phone service will explode as the economy continues to slump

#11 Smartphones as status symbols

#12 Rise of the Black and Hispanic geeks

#13 Asian pop culture will continue to grow in popularity

#14 Renaissance of creativity in business, politics, music, and entertainment: watch for new music genres, new art forms, new ideaologies, and new ways of film-making

#15 Low budget but creative aesthetic in fashion, film, and music, “Thrift Chic”

#16 The urban elegance movement flourishes, i.e. Obama, Diddy, Maxwell

#17 Big Government will be cool

#18 The role of narrative and storytelling will grow in all art forms and advertising/promotional outreach

#19 DIY- arts and crafts

#20 Common Craft-style “what is” and “how to” videos will become an increasingly popular resource for education of online applications and communities

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