AND WHY IS FASHION FORECASTING SO IMPORTANT IN AN EVER-EVOLVING, FICKLE INDUSTRY?
Trends are often thought of in decades – the 80s was all about neon leg-warmers and tutu skirts, the 70s favoured retro prints and flares, while the 60s was the era of disco. As we come into a brand-new decade, it is natural to wonder what the defining looks of the 2020s will be.
PREDICTING THE FUTURE
That is the role of the Fashion Trend Forecaster. They look at trends gone by and take into account new technologies and developments in arts, culture, politics, business and other current events.
When combined with trends in consumer behaviour, the Fashion Trend Forecaster is able to make accurate predictions on what will become stylish in the future. Their estimations take all aspects of fashion into account, including clothing, lingerie, jewellery and shoes, giving an insight into the various items of apparel that consumers will want to buy.
Forecasting is not unique to the fashion industry – almost every business sector needs to plan ahead in order to maintain a healthy profit margin. All business forecasters will take their unique environment into account, in an effort to look at ways they can boost profits and minimize disruption from external sources. In order to grow, a certain amount of informed estimation is essential.
PIONEERING THE GROWTH OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY
In fashion, however, forecasting has become the crux of the industry. Trends are not usually born with the clothing designer, instead, each fashion house will have its own Fashion Trend Forecaster, who will use their research and intuition to predict what the ‘next big thing’ will be. It is then up to the designer to create a collection around the various predicted trends in an effort to make clothing that will sell to the modern-day consumer.
Different brands will need to appeal to different consumer markets, so the forecast trends will not be the same for every company. There will be discrepancies between men, women and children, as well as companies targeting younger and older consumers.
Within some of the larger brands, there will be several different Fashion Trend Forecasters, all looking at different indicators and settling on different trends in their predictions.
The fashion industry is one of the fastest-moving business sectors, with new styles being created four to six times a year. This means that forecasters are constantly having to come up with new ideas and suggestions for designers, so that the next seasons’ looks can be generated.
Fashion magazines and online articles are usually very quick to pick up on these forecasts, helping to cement the trends in the minds of the consumer, so that they are familiar with the ideas once they hit the high street. This, in turn, aids in ensuring the designs are successfully accepted by the consumers. The fashion industry relies on forecasting – without it, there would be few clearly defined trends and our style would be in chaos!
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Over two decades worth of experience within the luxury and commercial sectors of the fashion industry has given Tiffany the know-how you need for your brand.
With both her craft as a freelance fashion designer and curiosity and vision as a forecaster, she has built a reputation for accurate trend prediction and design development.