People wear the latest trends in fashion. Why? It is because we, as buyers or consumers, are introduced to the new apparel and accessories that are in style during the different seasons of the year. Well then who decides what we, as consumers, will wear and know that we’ll prefer or select to wear? That is the responsibility of a fashion forecaster. Trend forecasting is basically someone who predicts/decides what the latest themes, colors, or fabrics will be for next year’s fashion trends. We walk into apparel or accessories retail store and without a doubt you see a nice blouse that catches your eye. You’re not just going to pass it by, so you pick up a size you fit, walk into the fitting room to try it on, realize it looks great on you, and buy the merchandise.
According to the book Fashion: The Industry and It’s Careers, there are four primary types of trend forecasters; 1) who works for a fiber or fabric house, 2) who specializes in color trends and is employed by a firm, 3) who projects population trends and explores the social, economic, geographic, technological, and demographic shifts in the population, such as influences by celebrities, films and art, as well as other people-related topics, and lastly, 4) who is employed by a broad-spectrum firm. The job of a trend forecaster in the fashion industry allows fashion forecasters to combine their knowledge of fashion design and history by monitoring consumers and the industry through traveling, reading, networking, and observing. Looking at new products and fresh designs from established and new designers from attending trade shows is how they analyze the wholesale end of the business. Analyzing and projecting colors, design themes, fabrications, and fabric patters or prints takes lead time, which is the number of days, weeks, or months needs for planning and production steps before fashion products arrive at the retail store. Fashion forecasters gather information from the media population, design, manufacturing, and retail trends to determine what the new looks, silhouettes, colors, and fabrics will be for upcoming seasons. For example, forecasters can get their information from street scenes and places where people gather; airports, concert stadiums, street festivals, etc. They examine where these people are going, what they’re wearing, and from whom and what they are buying. This is how the latest and greatest fashion trends originate.
Personally, I never knew about fashion forecasters until my friend and I actually talked about fashion in depth. It amazes me how trend forecasters are central to the fashion industry. I give them a lot of credit for their years of prior experience and education, as well as anticipating a challenging career that encourages them to be creative, observational, and highly receptive as through traveling and research. Most importantly, it is always important for fashion forecasters to keep in mind who the customers are and how they are changing.
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