Microtrends are a new wave to influence the mass market.

Nowadays, thanks to the borderless internet, everyone has the right to speak out for themselves. Like Andy Warhol said,” In the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.” So we can see fashion now is not only about the trends created by forecasting agencies, trade shows, particular designers, or in-house luxury brands. 

Also, art and fashion can never be separated. Some fashion designers like Vivienne Westwood successfully synthesise punk music with clothing to the mainstream’s iconic modern punk style. The subculture usually presents particular groups’ attitudes, preferences, or behaviours to the world, inspiring designers’ creativity. And now, social media has boosted the influence of that combination ever than before. Many subcultures are becoming a hit because of the spread speed of social media. For example, Y2K style was originally a hit between Gen Zers on the social media Tik Tok, and now you can see many luxury brands start to embrace it. 

So as I mentioned in My usual reading helped me finish fashion product planning in a week, which you can stack ideas with reading. You can also refer to three influences to get clues of your target audience.

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Celebrities are borderless and have various styles nowadays.

Compared to the more closed era of the internet between 2000 and 2010, celebrities used to be perfect commodities carefully packaged by large corporations. But since then, such as Justin Biber from YouTube or Billie Eilish from SoundCloud, stars can come from everywhere because of those opened platforms, and celebrities do not only mean idols, singers, or actors anymore. 

Also, the power of celebrities seems borderless since K-pop has become a truly global phenomenon. Especially now, many Western luxury brands point to K-pop stars like BTS, BLACKPINK, EXO, etc., as their brand ambassadors. Their influence is not just in Asia but globally, and successfully makes a fresh image of these historical brands to attract the younger generation. Celebrities now spread their songs, fashion, style, and even cultures. 

Micro-influencers can affect the mass market by curating subcultures.

Influencers sometimes have more impacts on Instagram or TikTok for Gen Zers. This phenomenon pushes some key opinion leaders to become superstars in their spaces, such as macro-influencers like Chiara Ferragni in the fashion industry, who has over 25 million followers on Instagram and has developed her successful brand. However, creating an exclusive superstar like her will be more difficult when everyone is involved in the we-media industry. 

But this could be an opportunity for brands that were rarely seen in subcultural markets. Thanks to the algorithm, it helps generate similar voices by creating a kind of echo chamber. In the article, Micro-Influencers: When Smaller Is Better, Kelly Ehlers writes that micro-influencers cover many different market segments and have the potential to engage and respond to audiences. Brands can tap into these highly curated communities to expand or build their foundation. When that voice becomes more robust, it could reach the mass market.

Don’t miss the top 10 on Netflix.

Millennials used to have Friends on TV, and now Gen Zers (might) have New Gossip Girls, Derry Girls, and Sex Education etc., well, on Netflix. So maybe that is why you can see that the preppy style is returning. 

The Korean drama Squid Game is also an excellent example showing how a drama could make a huge craze everywhere. It not only catches the eyes of the tense plots but also gets the attention of the outfits in its scenarios. According to Lyst, the fashion search engine, the searching number of tracksuits, reboiler suits, and white slip-on sneakers has jumped soar. Vans has been the most viewed slip-on since the drama release. Another case is that the demand for corsets spiked 23% by the royal-inspired aesthetic drama Bridgerion, which debuted at the beginning of the year on Netflix.

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Overview, because of the influences by new celebrities, influencers, or dramas, and the push from social media. To catch up with target audiences, we have to pay more attention to those little trends around us. Those microtrends may become the next hit to change your marketing or product strategy one day when they are becoming too big to ignore. However, please don’t panic about them, because the most important thing is that you should always focus on who you are.