169. The Hidden Power of Personal Brands in Fashion Building Trust Beyond Gatekeepers

How can we make the future something people can experience, not just imagine? In this episode of Create Tomorrow, host Cassandra Napoli, Head of Consumer Forecasting at WGSN, speaks with Sasha Wallinger, Director of Marketing and Communications at the MIT Museum, a Massachusetts-based museum bringing MIT’s research to life through experiences that connect science, technology, art and design. Sasha explains how the MIT Museum is evolving into a public lab and how its recent MIT Future Fest brought innovation to life through immersive, playful experiences. Find out why experimentation and unfinished ideas matter, how play can support creativity at any age and why innovation depends less on a single breakthrough than on the people and perspectives that come together along the way

How are changing lifestyles reshaping what we wear and what fashion brands create? Create Tomorrow host Cassandra Napoli is joined by Laura Yiannakou, WGSN Senior Strategist of Womenswear to explore lifestyle dipping – the way people move between interests, communities and aesthetics instead of dressing for one fixed identity. They unpack what this shift means for fashion, from versatile pieces and outfit repeating to accessories, modular design and clothing that can keep up with everyday life. You’ll hear how brands can balance function with style and why helping a purchase work harder may matter more than offering something new each season.

Tommy Hilfiger joins Create Tomorrow host Cassandra Napoli to reveal what’s genuinely new in fashion, why Gen Z is rewriting the rules and how an iconic brand stays culturally relevant without chasing every trend. Tommy shares how he approaches future-facing product decisions, what he believes brands should protect and why community-driven retail still matters. Listen to find out more about evolving brand DNA, adaptive design, the gold mine of archives and how future students could merge creativity with the business of fashion.

From avatar outfits to web-integrated shopping tools, digital fashion is transforming our e-commerce experiences. Cassandra Napoli, head of consumer forecasting at WGSN, invites Daria Shapovalava, founder of DressX to discuss how AI and digital fashion are changing the way people discover, try on, and buy clothes. Listen to find out what these shifts mean for personal style, creativity, and fashion product design.

Screeny founder and CEO Elizabeth McLead joins host Cassandra Napoli to break down how creator fandom is moving beyond social media and into theatres, branded events and physical community spaces. They discuss why authenticity, engagement and offline experiences are reshaping the creator economy and how Screeny helps creators, brands and fans connect in ways that drive real value.