anna.yhshihFashion weeks are always fantastic for everyone. But as a professional working in the fashion industry, there are six insider points to observe fashion trends to help write an analysis or make a reliable product plan.
Whether you are a designer, product developer, planner, marketer, seller or any role in the fashion industry, it is always good to know your enemies better. A fashion trend analysis can help you see a whole picture about what will go into the market in the next few months. You can also understand product strategies from others, and it will help you clarify yours. At the same time, you may predict what customers will want from seeing these fashion items. You can also get more ideas about trends of shopping.
Nowadays, fashion shows have become open to the public. Fashion is always mysterious compared to previous decades, and brands just invited their buyers or VIP customers to order.
However, a pandemic forces Fashion Weeks to become present online because of suspended travels. Even most fashion weeks have been back to physical since this year, most brands still choose to do the live stream at the same time. A runway show is now more like a party or event to get attention from the public and create a hit on social media.
Therefore, even if you can’t go to London, collecting information from brands’ websites or watching live streams on social media is not difficult. Here are some points I will pay more attention to when writing a fashion trend analysis.
Design Concept/Theme
It is exciting to see stories from the brands that want to tell. Designers can use generations as their muses, such as the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and Y2K for Gen Z. Superstars, models, singers, or actors can also become a muse. Music and films can present a type of lifestyle to inspire creation too. Also, you can divide themes by styles like a romantic, gothic, puck, etc.
Silhouette
Silhouette is an essential element determining if the style is on-trend or outdated. For example, if a trend is going for a slim fit and an oversized shoulder blazer might be slightly outdated. However, it still depends on the different characteristics of brands. Some brands match their image and shapes perfectly. So here, first, you can check the most popular silhouette during fashion week for the best idea for the massive market. But sometimes, a new look may unexpectedly impact the industry, such as the X-line shape from Christian Dior, which influenced fashion design significantly.
Colour
Except for style to indicate the season, colour is a critical element to influence the look and feel of the design. Usually, vivid and bright colours enhance the summer vibe, and warm and calm colours present autumn and winter. Usually, there is no dramatic transformation from spring/summer to autumn/winter. Sometimes it just enhances or lowers the tone of the colour to make them fit the atmosphere better. You also see some slight differences as time goes on. For example, olive green was popular with military parka about 5-10 years ago, but now jade green with checks pattern may be more welcome for the younger generation.
Material/Fabric
It is the most challenging part when you can’t see the cloth in person. It is also one of the reasons why we want to keep physical shows. When you see the model wearing a dress and walking through the runway, you can see how the fabric fit the body and the fluidity of the material. You can also touch them at the showroom or the trade show to feel the texture. However, a picture or a video can’t help you get the feeling of the material. Despite zooming in the image to see the fabric with a specific surface, you can also search the concept and press of the brand to see if they put some particular material into their collection. However, you can’t tell the difference between a polyester trouser or a recycled bottle even you touch them.
Detail/Element
Detail of design has always valued up the items. You can see embroidery, drape, pleat, or other delicate details to complete the design. Also, there are still trends of them. For instance, thick metallic chains make style stronger but transfer into colourful plastic ones to vivid and lighter the summer style.
Print and Pattern
Print and pattern usually bring impressiveness for the first view, and it is the easiest to recognise. Sometimes it goes viral and in a snap, thanks to social media and KOLs today. For example, the hit trend of handbags recently must be the monogram. Louis Vuitton is the king of the monogram. But as monogram has been trending again, you can see that Christian Dior used its signature saddle bag with oblique jacquard from its 70s to revive the brand. Burberry also creates a new monogram to honour its founder Thomas Burberry.
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Besides these tips above, you can add such as popular items or anything else you think is important enough to include in trend analysis. By conducting a fashion trend analysis, designers, fashion enthusiasts, and even shoppers can gain insight into potential changes in the market.
