FASHION TRENDS HOW ARE THEY BORN AND WHO DICTS THEM?
How are fashion trends born? Who dictates fashion? And how do trends move? And although the topic is nothing new and there has been much talk about it, today we will answer these questions from our readers to uncover this little great mystery ...
1. Where does it all start?
Fashion Weeks are organized in February and September of each year; most relevant are from New York, London, Milan and Paris where the main Fashion Houses (such as Chanel, Dior, Prada, for example) present their spring-summer and fall-winter collections respectively. For example, in September 2018, Fashion Week will begin where collections for spring-summer 2019 will be presented.
When you look at the collections of different designers you can always see that there are patterns of designs, colors, fabrics and patterns that are repeated. How can this happen if the collections are made by different teams and fashion houses? Do they agree? Do not…
A. Designers do not invent fashion trends, but buy services from special agencies that are dedicated to research, analyze and as a result predict future trends. The most famous agencies are - WGSN, Carlin Group, The Future Laboratory and Trend Union.
How do these agencies work?
On the one hand they study and analyze street fashion. Yes, to all of us, to the consumer. The main objective of any trend is to please the buyer. Marketing helps analysts understand the logic of purchases. The most important part of the research is what we buy and why. In this way we can say that popular fashion trends are not born in design workshops, but that they "lend themselves" to the street (to us).
And on the other hand the fashion of previous parades. Fashion develops in a spiral. The new trends begin with an analysis of previous collections. Each trend has a basis in the past. Analysts study the history of fashion, completing the appearance of the trend in the future based on the style of the past. On this basis, repeated cycles are obtained and predict changes in the silhouettes.
For a correct image of the fashion of the future, it is not enough to study only Fashion. The analysts' job is to "hunt" and collect. They accumulate a large visual archive: they collect tons of images. Photos of the latest celebrity outings, beautiful architecture and unusual technology are added to a type of image file of new products. Analysts also track scientific discoveries. New technologies help to understand what material will appear on the horizon.
Trend book
These agencies make short forecasts of 1-2 years and others long term. They can also predict fashion trends up to 25 years in advance. And it is precisely these long-term forecasts that interest designers and fashion houses. Can you believe that they already know what we are going to take from here 5, 10 or 15 years?
B. All forecasts with future fashion trends are organized by the agencies in ‘trend book’ books. Anything that can inspire creative people come together in these books. Color palettes, pieces of fabrics, designs of silhouettes that will be trend, photos of the catwalk and a long etc.
Trend books can be purchased by anyone who wants it. Although prices are quite high it is clear. Trend book can be purchased at exhibitions. For example, in Première Vision - an event for fashion professionals that takes place in Paris. For this year the dates are September 19-21. Or also through the agency's website. One of the largest WGSN agencies only works in online mode.
Specialized agencies
C. There are also agencies specializing in specific trends, rather than general forecasts. For example, Pantone works in the color field. This company chooses the color of the year and the palette of the season. For the year 2018 Pantone Color Institute chose a supernatural cosmic tone that symbolizes originality, innovation and visionary thinking - Ultra Violet.
Several times a year there are exhibitions of fabrics and accessories, on which designers, fashion houses and mass consumption brands make their orders.
2. Fashion shows. The great work of designers and fashion houses.
D. Having the forecasts on fashion and future trends begins the design work of the collections for the following seasons. All forecasts are a good orientation but never an end result. Each designer has their own interpretation and vision of fashion, their unique creativity and inspiration and their own creative search. Designers and creative teams embody the essence of their Fashion House in the designs, many of them with a great history.
E. And we, all women who love fashion, every season expect new fashion shows. We benefit from the fact that the collections are advanced in time. This helps us to orient ourselves, because each season designers show us what we will wear next year.
We are interested in what will dominate the world of fashion, what trends designers have prepared. We want to know what is worth buying and carrying in the near future, and what is worth keeping in the closet until the next notice.
3. And then what?
F. Then the Influencers appear. A select and admired group of society that for some reason begins to carry something. We can also include in this group the Fashion Houses. This group is connected to a second group called “TrendSetters or Early adopters” (people who set trends or people first to adopt a trend) and are the first to copy the “Influencers”.
G. This second group is ‘responsible’ for bringing and spreading new trends to the masses. Early adopters are responsible for a trend to become Fashion and reach the next group - «Followers».
H. And suddenly you see a new fashion trend everywhere. It is in stores, in magazines, on blogs, on social networks and especially you see it in the street. This means that the trend has achieved its greatest diffusion.
4. Follow fashion trends or have your own style? The great question.
Arrived here, I think we all understand how fashion trends are born, who dictates fashion and how trends move. But we also understand that modern society "struggles" for "similarity" and monotony. Look and copy each other. While individuality becomes synonymous with pretense and can be perceived inappropriately. And here the big question is born: Follow fashion trends or have your own style? Everyone here decides for himself, but the main thing in the search for a new fashion trend is not to lose oneself.
For me it is the sum of the two things where the own Style predominates. The truth is that style is a concept inherent to a few ... people who want to express themselves and have a certain artistic and creative taste. The style is something unique. I think the right thing would be not to ‘adapt to fashion trends’ but ‘adapt fashion trends to our Style’. Not focusing so much on trends but deciding for ourselves ‘Who I Am’ and what I want to express with my clothes.
