Week 8 BOC: Trend Forecasting

Trend forecasting is an important part in creating a new brand. The brand will have to reflect current trends and styles in order to be successful. With every season comes new color palettes that can be seen in every store all over the country. I can't say if it's the same way in other countries because I haven't been, but judging by the industry accepted publications and international magazines I have looked at, this practice is widely accepted in all modern societies where fashion is the least bit important. When it comes to trend forecasting, noticing the world around you is the most important thing. In order to be an innovator in the fashion culture you have to pick up on the smallest details that could turn into a whole new style. A certain color that looks different from anything that has been in stores in as long as you can remember or a shape that could be transformed into a new silhouette are examples of something that would deeply impact the fashion industry as a whole. Forecasters take it upon themselves to tell the rest of the world what is popular and what is fashionable. The designers all look to these forecasters before they design the next season's merchandise. That's why so many things look the same from one label to another. A good forecaster will have been paying attention to the look as it changes over time in order to predict weather a trend will become a classic or fall into oblivion. The role of a fashion forecaster is challenging yet rewarding. These are the people that set the scene for the next things that everyone will buy and wear for years to come. Fashion generally runs on a cycle with time. Since it is very hard to create something truly original in the fashion industry anymore, people look to the past for inspiration to build on in order to create new trends. Forecasters have to be able to predict where in the past designers should look.