How to Predict Fashion Trends

All that said, fashion forecasting can be A LOT of work.

Thankfully, we’ve got you covered! We forecast regularly on our Cycle Feed, so if clicking a few buttons to gain access to upcoming trends sounds more your style – check in here seasonally!

Otherwise… let’s jump right into it!

Summary

If you'd like to skip the reading, I've summarized the steps involved in fashion forecasting below.

Forecasting Steps:

1. Follow and observe influencers AND everyday users

2. Consult online resources (runway shows, blogs, magazines, etc.)

3. Keep up with pop-culture

4. Utilize the fashion cycle

On the other hand, if you’d like to better understand what each of these steps entail, keep reading!

Like, Follow, and Share!

The key to forecasting is staying connected and in the loop. Back in the day, fashion trends were mainly dictated by celebrities, designers, and fashion insiders. Nowadays however, trends are no longer set by that one subset of people, but also by influencers and even everyday people. All it really takes is that one viral post. Thus, if you want to predict trends before their peak, you need to follow influencers capable of doing just that.

While spontaneous virality can’t be predicted, it’s no secret that macro-influencers have and continue to set trends in the mainstream. Hence, a solid first step in trend forecasting would be following influencers who are early adopters of fashion trends (off the runway). Whether they are directly part of the fashion scene or not, the social circles and followers of these influencers will likely want to emulate them, resulting in the creation of fashion trends.

• An example of an influencer capable of making this type of impact would be Emma Chamberlain.

Tune-in and Take Note!

Within the industry, professional forecasters typically predict fashion trends based on fashion shows and events (i.e., New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, etc.). To emulate this, you should utilize online resources to watch fashion shows for upcoming seasons and access photos from major events. This step should be relatively easy, since many designers post their runway shows right on their website, and most magazines post photography from events.

Once you are tuned in, try to take note of what pieces stand out, have drawn attention from trend setters, and/or will likely inspire similar designs or patterns at the mainstream level.

To get you started, I’ve placed photos from a few collections below. These images were taken from Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, and Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2023 collections respectively. In these shows I noticed the continuation of the maximalism and business attire trends.

As well, I’ve included a link to Vogue’s website, which can be a super useful resource for viewing photos from new collections.

Keep up with the Kardashians!

Once you’ve completed your research into the fashion sphere, try shifting gears and staying up-to-date with pop-culture for a change. Being a form of art and self-expression, fashion is undeniably influenced by external factors, the entertainment industry being a major one.

For instance, aesthetics are often tied to specific music tastes, meaning that certain aesthetics trend as a result of the increased popularity of a particular music genre. In the early 2010’s, the rise of Indie music on Tumblr resulted in the “Tumblr Girl” aesthetic. Moreover, in the late 2010’s, the rise of rap music resulted in the mainstream popularity of “Hypebeast” culture and fashion. Thus, it’s just as important to note rising trends outside of the fashion industry, as it is to note those inside of it.

Consult the Cycle!

Finally, one last step you can take when predicting fashion trends would be consulting the fashion cycle. Even though the 20-year rule isn’t holding up as of late, looking at what decades are due for their resurgence on a shorter-timeline can be incredibly helpful. If you aren’t sure what a fashion cycle is, click the button below to learn more!

Reminder

If these steps sound overwhelming – DON’T FORGET that ITC does this all for you! To avoid the nitty-gritty of predicting trends, check in on our Cycle Feed every season! Leave it up to us to make you the next trend setter.