Who doesn’t love trends? Trends are easy to identify, relate with or just curate information from. You may not like the latest vogue but hey don’t be anti-trend! Personally, the current craze over neon bright hair ain’t my thing, but I dig the rainbow I see when the girls are strutting the sidewalks!

One way or the other, we all follow some sorts of trends. People who claim to not dig trends still have people they are patterning stuff after and that’s the essence of trends. Interestingly, some pop culture trends that have penetrated our lifestyle here in Nigeria and like it or not they are here to stay(even if briefly)

THE ALTE WAVE:

Have you noticed people wearing mismatched colors especially of big shirts, hoodies, funny pants and checked suits? If you have, your eyes have caught the sight of the Alte Fashion. It’s what the cool kids wear these days. On the streets of Lagos, I see people effortlessly styling themselves on this wave and I admire their brash guts. At first, I wondered what this new trend was but I quickly realized that in fashion, Solomon’s words hold true: There’s nothing new under the sun.

Alte is a short form of ALTERNATIVE and it’s simply a funky form of fashion and style where you just pair up seemingly incoherent pieces of clothing and rock your creativity. It’s so retro and vintage too new. The Alte wave hit the Nigerian mainstream culture since 2019 but celebrities like Teni, Fireboy and AG Baby have always vibed on that frequency for a while now. The Alte wave has penetrated different fields and spheres influencing businesses homes and events. If you ever want to try it out, check celebrities for a crash course.

PLANT PARENTS

The first time I saw someone call herself a plant mom on Instagram, I was like what?  I thought it was a personal thing until I started to notice that this was a whole new trend. Are you a plant mom or plant dad? Being a plant parent means acquiring a plant to take care of. There are different types of plant parents. Some folks grow the  plant themselves, others buy from a store and still some persons adopt a plant usually a tree in a park. Usually they name their plants and really give lots of TLC to these plants. The reason they are called plant moms and dads is because of the extreme care they have for these plants. These plants are a huge part of the family life and are cared for as such.

Thinking of being a plant parent? 

DRIVE THROUGH MOVIES

The COVID-19 effects weren’t all terrible. We do have a lot to be thankful for this year. We have learnt a thing or two about the simple everyday pleasures – of bonding, tolerance ,giving. One of the things that’s currently ongoing in Lagos is big screens in driveways, people in their cars watching the movie and people bonding while still obeying the social distancing rules. This trend started in June but the practice is dwindling because the cinemas are beginning to open up. You can organize one yourself. You, your family, a couple of friends and their loved ones; a garden, a big projected screen, some popcorn and a good movie. It’s another way to remove the humdrum from everyday living.

I think you can enjoy these trends no matter where you are.