Your monthly round-up from the Culture Lab at Bricolage.
Consumer Spending
According to Bank Of Ireland’s Spending Pulse analysis for August, Irish consumers are becoming increasingly strategic with their spending, prioritising value purchases while continuing to invest in experiences.
Nick Lichtenberg for Fortune on Gen Z’s changing relationship with spending and how financial pressures aren’t necessarily stopping them from spending, but are making them more selective about what actually feels worth spending money on.
Socialising
The University Times on whether Gen Z drinking less really means the end of the pub, looking at the rise of things like lectures in pubs, where the pub becomes a space for learning, meeting people and doing something together rather than simply drinking.
The Washington Post on the disappearance of ‘third places’ – and how losing the everyday cafés, bars and other places where we casually spend time with people could be contributing to growing feelings of loneliness.
‘Whimsymaxxing’
Yola Mzizi for the New York Times on ‘whimsymaxxing’, linking the current trend of bedazzling everything possible to a wider pushback against minimalism and hyper optimisation.
Beatrice Dupuy and Brooke Lefferts for the Washington Post report on the return of joyful dressing as New York Fashion Week showcases colour, character, and irreverence in clothing.
Pushing Back on Optimisation
Rebecca Cope for The Guardian on how to embrace a slowness in life and deal with the pressures to self-optimise at this time of year. Rachael Akhidenor for Vogue Business on the wellness brands riding the ‘anti-optimisation’ wave as some consumers have started to push back against tracking every aspect of their lives.
Laura Pitcher for Dazed writes about the pressure to constantly analyse and learn something useful from social media is turning even our downtime into another form of self-optimisation.
Trends & Innovation
Dior and A24 have collaborated to celebrate fashion and film, featuring Sabrina Carpenter adopting Jonathan Anderson’s casual uniform with Salomon sneakers.
Kraft Dinner x Solly’s Cream Soda is a cheese flavoured soda that combines the nostalgic taste of cream soda with Kraft DInner’s cheesy macaroni flavour. Designed to be enjoyed alongside a bowl of their macaroni and cheese, or independently
Culture IRL
Macnas (October 25th) Galway
A spectacle known for taking over Galway city’s streets with giant puppets, performers, live music and surreal storytelling. Drawing on Irish folklore, mythology and the wild landscapes of the West, its parades turn Galway into a huge piece of street theatre.
Púca Festival 2026 (October 29th – November 1st) Trim, Co. Meath
A four-night celebration of Samhain in the place where Halloween began. There will be fire performances, processions, folklore, storytelling, live music and food, bringing ancient Irish traditions and otherworldly characters to life across Trim.
Guiness Cork Jazz Festival (October 22nd – 26th) Cork
One of Ireland’s biggest music weekends, turning Cork into a city-wide festival with live music spilling out of pubs, venues and onto the streets. Expect jazz alongside soul, funk, R&B, Afrobeat and electronic music, with more than 500 musicians playing across nearly 80 venues.
IAF Festival of Architecture (October 10th-18th) Dublin
The Irish Architecture Foundation’s city-wide festival celebrating Dublin’s buildings, neighbourhoods and public spaces. More than 200 free events open up parts of the city you might not normally see, with behind the scenes building tours, studio visits, walks, talks and workshops exploring how architecture shapes the way we live.
Ireland Fashion Week (October 7th– 12th) Dublin & beyond
A celebration of Irish fashion bringing together more than 90 established and emerging designers through runway shows, exhibitions and showcases. Expect everything from Irish heritage and craft to streetwear and contemporary design, spotlighting the breadth of fashion being created in Ireland today.
