Who Is Really in Charge of Fashion Trends?
When it comes to trends, many people think of the classic line about blue sweaters from the movie “The Devil Wears Prada” by fashion magazine editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly.
“You think that the clothes you are wearing were chosen by you and have nothing to do with the fashion industry. The truth, however, is that your clothes were chosen for you by us. “Beauty deals said.
It sounds arrogant and impressive, but it doesn’t convey the exact message. Because trends are not entirely up to magazine editors. When I was in college, I read a novel, Fashion Babylon, in which the author gave a first-person account of a few months in the life of a self-employed fashion designer. The novel must have been quite popular at the time because it was also adapted into a British drama by the BBC, although it seems to have been cut after the first season.
It has a lot of interesting things to say, including chapters in which the protagonist looks around for inspiration. The scratchy designer and her friends scavenge vintage clothing from big-name designs, early fashion magazines, and second-hand stores, and she freely admits that she has copied and even copied vintage clothing! Occasionally, the protagonist will bump into a sneaky another designer in a second-hand store, or catch a glimpse of a friend’s recently sold old clothes being worn by someone else’s window model. In this way, it is not surprising that designers’ inspirations collide. And so, Three is a Trend, the overlapping inspirations and elements of different designers’ work, has become a “trend” that we are all aware of.
Although movies and novels are often exaggerated, they also reveal part of the reality of the fashion industry and provide curious people with an after-dinner diversion. There are quite a few curious children who know: why red this year and white next year? Who sets the trends for each season, and how is Pantone’s Color of the Year chosen?
In fact, the first Fashion Trends Research Institute was created to support the French textile industry and provide assistance to those in the industry. Fashion can be good business, but it’s not easy to survive because of the high risks associated with constant change. Trendsetters are ahead of the curve, and they have certainly realized that the new generation of consumers is too smart to be blindly followed. Therefore, their role has shifted from the stereotypical prognosticator to the observer.
Observers are adept at absorbing the latest information, they follow global events, they think about the products and services consumers will need in the near future, and they try to grasp the key points that will make a difference. They know what’s happening in the arts, what’s hot right now in music, and where to find the latest cuisine.
And from Style-vision, we know that they hold regular conferences that explore major evolving consumer trends, allowing industry professionals to exchange ideas and insights about the industry they are in. Such conferences may indirectly influence the products we see on the market in the next year or two, or even really influence our purchasing choices, but they are definitely not some big conspiracy where a bunch of bricklayers get together and talk for a few minutes to determine the direction of the market.
In fact, the first Fashion Trends Research Institute was created to support the French textile industry and provide assistance to those in the industry. Fashion can be a good business like beauty deals, but it’s not easy to survive because of the high risks associated with constant change. Trendsetters are ahead of the curve, and they have certainly realized that the new generation of consumers is too smart to be blindly followed. Therefore, their role has shifted from the stereotypical prognosticator to the observer.