The Know Daily - Wednesday 10 June 2026

_{Read in 4m 08s ∙ Listening to Alex Warren ∙}

California’s animals are getting a helping hand thanks to the world’s largest wildlife crossing, a huge green bridge designed to help them safely cross 10 lanes of traffic. After decades of planning, the nature-filled overpass is nearing completion, with conservationists hopeful the project will give mountain lions, deer and other species a safer future, while showing what’s possible when cities and nature work together.

👠 How do fashion trends work? 

By Holly Beddingfield. You might remember Holly as The Know’s original co-founder. She is now building Capsule, a newsletter with thoughtful takes on pop culture, fashion and modern life. She'll be popping up in The Know for the next few weeks and we are thrilled to have her. Subscribe to Capsule for free here. 

Tiny 90s sunglasses. Barrel-leg trousers. Polka dots. These are just some of the fashion trends that have been dominating our feeds over the past couple of years. But where do they come from?

Tell me more. 
It feels like fashion trends pop up out of nowhere, a new fad suddenly declared to be “in”. But the reality is quite different. In simple terms, there are two ways trends can originate: from the top down (i.e. set by designers at big fashion houses) or bottom up (i.e. set by real-life pioneers, like young people or subcultures, which then trickle up). In both cases, a small network introduces a fresh take on a piece of clothing or a way of styling something, and then the life cycle of the trend begins. 

What’s the life cycle of a trend? 
It’s the journey a trend takes, from a niche concept only a handful of people engage with, to being a broad cultural force we’re all aware of. This diagram explains it well:

The innovators are the designers or subcultures whose new ideas are shaped by broad forces in art, culture, the economy, and human experience. A great example here is the miniskirt of the ‘60s, and the way it reflected the youth-driven culture of the time and the sexual revolution that came with the contraceptive pill. 

Once innovators have conceived a new fashion trend, it spreads to early adopters. These are the circles connected to the source – think designers’ muses or influencers – who are closely affiliated with the visionaries. This is the moment many of us become aware of a trend: we spot a celebrity wearing something that feels quirky or offbeat. We probably can’t imagine wearing it ourselves yet. 

And then there’s the early majority, the tipping point at which a significant portion of people opt in. This might be a cohort of shoppers who spotted the trend early doors and are excited that a brand they like has made a version. This group truly paves the way for a trend to become mainstream. 

After that, it reaches the late majority stage. This is the moment when a trend from a runway is in the majority of stores, like a Prada silhouette popping up in the Sainsbury’s TU range (we love Sainsbury’s!). At this point, it becomes hard to imagine that the trend once felt “out there” – it feels normal and synonymous with our culture. The trend eventually fades out in the laggard period. The last cohort to adopt signals to innovators and early adopters that it’s time for something new. 

That’s interesting and also exhausting. 
It is! And once you know this model exists, you can see it everywhere. Not just in clothing, but in beauty trends, food trends, even technology. It can also be helpful to think about trends as existing on a swinging pendulum. 

What does that mean? 
A pendulum has two poles, and everything is continuously moving between each of them. A simple example is with jeans – super-skinny jeans gave way to a baggy, wide leg, and then you watch the trend swing back towards a straighter silhouette again. A lot of trends are reactionary; too much of one thing makes us crave the other side. Like our hyper-online era pushing people to seek out digital detoxes and analogue weekends away. 

So everything is constantly in flux. 
Exactly. That’s why I’m sceptical of calling anything “timeless” – the things I’ve bought into with this promise have still aged. But that’s for another piece! 

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🌍 The EU says environmental policy should play a bigger role in Europe’s defence strategy.

• The bigger story: Jessika Roswall, the EU’s Environment Commissioner, said there’s a growing view in Brussels that climate change, energy systems and access to natural resources are increasingly linked to security, not just environmental goals. As Europe responds to ongoing geopolitical tensions and lessons from Russia’s war in Ukraine, officials say resilience in areas like energy supply, water security and critical raw materials is now part of how the bloc prepares for future risks. This was also highlighted in a recent report published by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

🎭 This year’s Tony Awards saw Ragtime win the best revival of a musical and Lesley Manville scoop up best actress in a leading role in a play…. But the Lady Marmalade rendition was our main highlight!

🌊 The 13 winners of the UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition have been unveiled in New York. 

🤖 A “world first” vaccine that could protect against viruses has been developed using AI technology. 

🧊 Stonehenge’s altar stone may have travelled to Wiltshire via a glacier, new research suggests. 

⛱️ The fastest-rising holiday destination in the UK has been revealed through new research from Expedia. 

🪙 A new series of collectable coins to celebrate 50 years of Aardman Animations have been announced by the Royal Mint (we’ll race you!).

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