Is it possible to explain what drives a fashion trend? Why do we care so much about what celebrities wear? A wide range of factors influences people’s clothing choices. Rather than mere clothes, fashion has become a way to express ourselves and our identity.
This blog post will explore what a fashion trend is and the different areas of influence that make a new trend emerge.
What is a fashion trend?
A fashion trend implies a specific style or expression distributed over a population at a given period and location. A trend is a transitory style that is not necessarily determined by the seasons when the fashion brands release collections. Several variables impact fashion trends, including films, climate, creative explorations, political, economic, social, and technical influences.
Fashion has always been and continues to be a reflection of society and current events. Famous cultural personalities such as celebrities, singers, and other high-profile persons also impact fashion trends.
The notion of a trend, or the idea of altering your appearance regularly, has been around for a long time. The concept initially came to light in the 14th century, when the upper echelons of society exploited changing fashion trends to demonstrate their riches, success, and position.
If you could afford to purchase new clothing every few months or even weeks, you certainly had a lot of money. The lower classes followed suit to demonstrate that they were near enough to notice what the queen or equivalent loved or disliked.
Current fashion trends are often cyclical, borrowing inspiration from previous decades and rearranging them to match present preferences. Clothing patterns that were deemed unfashionable a decade ago are now seeing a renaissance in appeal.
Trend forecasting is so important that it has become a profession. High-profile designers, journalists, and photographers depend on these tastemakers to identify the following trendy style.
With advances in technology such as artificial intelligence and deep learning, trend forecasting can be more accurate than ever. Some agencies dedicate themselves to helping fashion brands predict coming trends. Such is the case with Heuritech, a startup that analyzes the precise details of social media images for a comprehensive understanding of products, customers, and the market.
What starts a fashion trend?
Fashion is fundamentally the most common means of expression: it refers to the ever-changing clothing worn by persons of cultural rank. When others imitate or replicate a particular clothing style, this becomes a fashion trend.
Nowadays, most fashion trends begin with designers who create a spring and autumn collection based on signals and inspiration received throughout the season. These signals might come from trend forecasters, popular culture, celebrities, music, politics, nature, or something else. Fashion designers display their creations to photographers, reporters, buyers, and stars during spring and autumn runway shows.
The pictures and fashion articles that journalists and photographers create and the purchase decisions made by retail buyers and fashion-forward celebrities affect how the general public perceives the designer’s work.
Fashion brands take influence from these fashion designers and make designs that are affordable to the general public. The fashion trend then spreads to nearby malls, shopping complexes, and shops. Some trends begin in one nation and spread to others, while others stay exclusive to a single area.
While design houses continue to affect fashion trends, they are no longer the only influencing factor on contemporary fashion trends. Fashion trends currently begin and grow in these ways: On the street, among celebrities, social media, and the world’s fashion capitals.
Runways and Fashion Week
Many of today’s trends are undoubtedly influenced by the ensembles designers send down the runways during Fashion Week events in New York, Milan, and Paris each season. Every season, fashion fans wait with bated breath to discover what has happened in the brains of their favorite designers during the previous months.
Because fashion and trends fluctuate throughout the globe, individuals often seek to see what is occurring in the world’s fashion capitals to see what others are wearing and adapt those patterns into their life.
Trends begin on the runway because runway looks are fantasy moments produced by fashion designers. While many of the ensembles on the catwalk are mass-produced, Fashion Week events also include numerous items deemed couture. These are the things that people look forward to since they are usually extravagant. These are the items that viewers remember and begin to style their clothes after.
When individuals, including designers, fashion fans, bloggers, and magazine editors-in-chief, turn outside of their geographic region to source trends, they often gravitate toward these very fashionable towns in search of a one-of-a-kind newness. Trends from across the globe provide a unique perspective on fashion and allow fashion enthusiasts to incorporate something new into their lives.
Street style
The term “street style” refers to everyday styles that may be observed on the streets. These are the appearances that individuals wear that influence others who see them and are inspired by them. Overall, street style is a newer phrase in fashion, but it demonstrates how much influence anybody can have on how fashion is seen and trends are established!
Celebrities
There is no doubt about it – celebrities are one of the most potent factors in trend development. The public adores celebrities and follows their every move, hanging on every word they say. Celebrities are compelling fashion icons, so large corporations hire them as spokesmen for their businesses and goods.
Celebrities might have a more extensive reach than current fashion magazines due to their massive fan base. Their admirers often imitate what they do. They are a source of trendsetting information that people go to for inspiration and guidance.
Social media and influencers
Over the last several years, influencers and social media stars have overtaken magazine editors in the fashion industry’s popularity rankings. These influencers have become trendsetters by providing content that encourages their followers to purchase the things they advocate.
In the past, fashion trends were often initiated and developed only via the process of the fashion brands to the magazine to customer – and this remained the case for a very long time. Things have changed in our contemporary Internet-savvy society.
Editors, seasoned designers, and strong merchants used to be the gatekeepers of the fashion industry. Magazines were still regarded as the bible for fashion inspiration and new seasonal must-haves years ago. So much has changed since Instagram’s inception in 2010.
Instagram now has approximately 1 billion monthly users and more than 100 million photographs posted every day. Can you fathom how powerful these visuals are? In reality, they impact three-quarters of transactions, according to Heuritech. And since manufacturers tag their e-shops directly in photos on Instagram, the purchase is only a click away.
Instagram isn’t the only social media site influencing change in the famous fashion business; Weibo, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube play essential roles as millennials, and Gen Z-ers become influencers and influencees. The fashion industry as a whole has moved from exclusive to inclusive: customers now share their ideas on social media.
But what motivates a fashion influencer to begin wearing a particularly desirable item or look? As mentioned previously, fashion reflects what is going on in the world around us – politics, economy, and culture. Trends are about capturing the zeitgeist; they define a spirit or attitude. Fashion influencers have demonstrated to the people they have mastered this art. They have exceptional taste and are generating trends in the fashion industry rather than following them! Designers often resort to fashion bloggers and celebrities to wear and promote their items since they are fully aware of their effect.
When fashion bloggers get their hands on these luxury clothing, they establish trends by styling them in different ways, shooting themselves, and sharing the photographs with their vast audiences.
Fashion bloggers have enormous power in their respective fields. People follow fashion bloggers because they want to know how a trend is produced. Fashion bloggers provide a unique viewpoint on the fashion world, which their audience enjoys and appreciates.
Nano influencers have less than 10K followers and have the highest engagement rate with 4%. Consumers are more likely to listen to individuals in their immediate circle than famous influencers because this connection fosters more trust and intimacy.
The above suggests that a high percentage of users trust other users and their perspectives and some of them consult at least one social media site before purchasing. Smaller influencers and word-of-mouth may drive more advertising than other methods.
Final thoughts
Influenced by a multitude of elements, including social media and technology, fashion trends are constantly evolving. Now we can rely on artificial intelligence to predict the next big trend. What are your opinions on how technology has impacted our lives? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
