Cultural Research
Research into places, communities, and cultural scenes to inform a brand, publication, or programme.
Research briefs · Cultural analysis · Editorial research
Studio
Tropical
Futures
Studio
Tropical Futures is a creative consultancy working across cultural research, strategy, and creative direction.
We help brands and cultural organisations understand culture, shape their direction, and develop collaborations, publications, and programmes.
Founded in Cebu in 2017. Based in Italy and the Philippines.
Project enquiries
info@tropicalfutures.instituteFrom the practice
Services
Strategy
Defining a project’s direction, narrative, and collaborators. We help brands and institutions connect their ideas to cultural contexts.
Positioning · Project strategy · Collaboration strategy
Creative Direction
Developing concepts and visual direction for campaigns, publications, apparel, and merchandise.
Creative concepts · Art direction · Merchandise
Cultural Programming
Developing exhibitions, artist programmes, talks, and events, from the curatorial idea to the collaborators involved.
Curation · Artist selection · Programming
Selected work
GMT Zine with Shrub
Research & publishing · 2024
Archival graphics, logos, and adverts from Singapore’s Golden Mile Tower collected in a risograph zine and companion T-shirt.
Singapore Biennale
Merchandise design · 2025
Merchandise for Singapore Art Museum’s 2025 Biennale, including tote bags sold at the museum.
Denim Tears × Tropical Futures
Collaboration · 2023
A global capsule built around Tropical Futures’ “Late Capitalism” graphic, launched at Dover Street Market in London, Los Angeles, and Tokyo.
Eastern Margins × Tropical Futures
Capsule collection · 2025
A capsule collection launched at Dover Street Market Singapore. Sarong design by Bea Cruz.
International stockists
Retail presence
Tropical Futures’ international stockists include Dover Street Market Singapore, Purveyr Plaza in Makati, Phase to Phase in Petaling Jaya, Magenta House in Sydney, and Homebody in Alhambra, California.
About
Chris John Fussner
Founder and Creative Director, Tropical Futures.
Chris works across fashion, art, music, publishing, design research, technology, and business strategy. These interests meet in questions about everyday life: how people express themselves, form communities, and imagine what comes next.
He co-founded Singapore menswear label Sifr and created nom nom, a clothing brand rooted in the city’s food culture. Alongside clothing and independent publishing, he has organised cultural programmes in Cebu, collaborated on electronic music releases, and played as a selector on Radio Raheem and The Lot Radio.
He studied Strategic Design and Management at Parsons and attended the Santa Fe Institute’s Complex Systems Summer School. His design research has included work for Light Phone, while his consulting and advisory work spans positioning, business development, and emerging technology.
He founded Tropical Futures in Cebu in 2017 to question why tropical places are so often missing from mainstream ideas about the future. Based in Italy and the Philippines, he works with a wide circle of collaborators, bringing research into clothing, publications, cultural programmes, and creative projects.
Founder experience
Selected work by Chris, before and alongside Tropical Futures.
Consulting
Cultural & business strategy
Independent strategy, positioning, and business development. Clients have included Art Dubai, Art Fair Philippines, 10XBeta, People Supported Intelligence, OPGames, TKHS Group, and Acrementals Design Co. Ongoing creative work through Tropical Futures includes merchandise for Orso Nero.
Art Dubai & museum strategy
Curation & strategy · 2022–2025
Founding curator of Art Dubai Digital in 2022, followed by cultural strategy for the Digital Art Summit in 2024 and 2025. Early strategy for Dubai’s Museum of Digital Art (MODA) in 2024, and a digital art report for Dubai Culture in 2025.
Contact
For research, strategy, creative direction, and cultural programming enquiries:
info@tropicalfutures.institute