Prepare to salivate: John Lewis predicts the 10 things we’re going to go nuts for in autumn/winter 2016
Yes, the summer has only just arrived (or has it? Is this really it?) but retailers are already one step ahead of us, forecasting what we'll be buying this autumn/winter.
Well it is only 246 days until Christmas.
So while you might be daydreaming about which holiday clothes you're going to splurge on, the buyers at John Lewis have already put their money on what we will be salivating over in the last few months of the year. They've put together a list of the items they think will be our must-haves in six months time.
Here's a sneak peek into the not-so-distant future and what we'll be fighting each other to get our paws on come Black Friday….
Who needs reality when you can have virtual reality?
This is going to be the year that VR goes mainstream. We've been saying it for a while, but now John Lewis has spoken it's set in stone.
From June, John Lewis will be selling the £80 Samsung Gear VR, "and other significant launches will follow in the autumn". Here's what the department store has to say…
Whether you’re stepping into your favourite game, watching an immersive virtual reality movie or jumping to a destination on the other side of the world, its incredible visual and audio quality transports you wherever you want to go. Virtual reality is going to change your life over the next couple of years and reinvent how you work and play.
Mini-me Kitchenaids will complete us
Our homes are getting smaller, and now our home appliances are catching up. Kitchenaid is launching its first "downsized" stand mixer since 1962 and John Lewis is pretty certain it will appeal to all those Bake Off lovers in bijou homes out there. The price is (a little) smaller too – £399.95.
With a fresh new palette of colours, and a 20 per cent smaller footprint, it is also 25 per cent lighter than the artisan classic stand mixer, but still has the same size motor and fits all the standard Kitchenaid attachments. The new dimensions make this artisan mini perfectly suited for the limited counter space in smaller homes or indeed for the increasing numbers of customers who live in one or two-person households and don't need to cook batches for an entire family.
Saying goodnight to bad sleep
What price can you put on a good night's sleep? John Lewis reckons people will stump up £129.95 for an exclusive new gadget – the REsMed S+. Here's why:
[It] uses advanced bio-motion technology and rigorous sleep science to measure breathing and body movements, as well as the conditions in the bedroom. It delivers personalised feedback based on sleep patterns and could be the answer to many sleepless nights.
All you can eat duvets
It's not just gadgets that hold the solution to getting your beauty sleep. John Lewis has clocked that, as a nation, we have been spending more on mattresses and covers in our never-ending quest to catch some quality Zzzzs. As a result, the department store is launching a new product it claims will "help our customers sleep even better and may also bring an end to duvet wars once and for all".
Tuck into the John Lewis duvet menu…
The John Lewis duvet menu will allow customers to purchase their own personalised duvet in any shape, size, or tog. It is the largest and most diverse range available on the high street and no request is too much.
Duvets will be priced from £12 to £10,000 and are made by Partners at Herbert Parkinson, which has been making pillows, duvets and cushions for John Lewis in Lancashire since 1935.
When is a nest not a nest?
When it's a collection of tables, of course. John Lewis is clearly quite proud of this "playful and contemporary take on a traditional set of nesting tables", which were designed in-house and cost £375.
The use of rich, luxurious marble gives an updated look featuring a beautiful, organic shaped top that combines minimal design with opulent materials.
All of the lights
Apparently God was onto something when he said "let there be light". John Lewis has noticed that we're all quite partial on being able to see after dark, and therefore predicts that lighting will "continue to be big". It has identified this particular table lamp (£160) as one of the biggest must-haves when the winter nights draw in.
Crafted from hand blown smoked grey glass, the Design Project No. 001 Table Lamp will light up any living spaces with its modern, fluid design. Created in the John Lewis Design Studio, it is cleverly constructed from two pieces of glass and epitomises the progressive style of the new John Lewis Design Project collection.
Kinky boots
It's probably less to do with the drag queen muscial and more to do with the prevalence of over-the-knee boots on the catwalks, but either way John Lewis is convinced we'll be going for a statement boot when it turns cold, and believes this Somerset by Alice Temperley (an exclusive in-house brand) line – in the season's key colour – will have us standing in line.
The stretch suede is designed to mould to the shape of the leg and flatteringly reaches just above the knee…These boots are definitely made to be walked in this winter.
Feeling blue
For the men who are comfortable making a statement, John Lewis predicts this £175 sapphire blue tuxedo will be the only way to dress come winter, as more of us move away "from the traditional black to a new statement colour"
Very fitting for the increasingly confident sartorial man who isn't afraid to try something different. The John Lewis in-house design team were inspired by vintage jewel tones to create the striking velvet and also celebrated John Lewis’s rich fabric heritage by finishing the tux with a paisley silk lining inspired by an archive print. Updated for the modern gentleman with a slim, tailored fit and narrow lapels, pair with a clean, white dress shirt and bow tie for effortless black-tie statement dressing.
Feeling (and smelling) fruity
The biggest fragrance of the autumn is set to be Creed Aventus, which is launching a female perfume at £115, hot on the heels of its best-selling men's fragrance.
Reflecting the renowned spirit of Aventus, this empowering new fragrance opens with accords of crisp green apple blended with violet leaf, fragrant pink pepper and a hint of Calabrian bergamot. Creating an opulently sensual, fruity and floral scent, Aventus for her is the irresistible fragrance for the season ahead.
Get your coatigan, you've pulled
We already thought the coatigan was A Thing but apparently autumn/winter 2016 is when it will become A Really Big Thing, particularly if it helps you pull off the "head to toe white" look, which is apparently going to be strong. This coatigan is £100 and will land in September, just in time for the autumn weather.
Crafted in Italy from boiled wool, it is lightweight yet warm and is flattering to wear. With a relaxed fit and open waterfall front, it is perfect for an effortless, layered look at its most luxurious. Available in old English white, smokey grey and cornflower blue.
