Fashion Trend Mapping

Fashion Mapping

Trend forecasting is considered an art form; a continual, creative process of prediction, but also a science as it requires a number of systematic procedures in order to gather and analyse information about consumers and the market. Trends can come from just about anywhere. Due to this trend forecasters are constantly observing a vast variety of cultural, economic and environmental factors whilst simultaneously detecting changes in consumer behaviour. It’s these different factors which represent the start of the life of a trend; they’re the trend drivers/innovators. Subsequently, conceptual brands translate these points of origin into some kind of tangible product, setting the scene for designers to follow. Fashion leaders, such as Yohji Yamomoto, Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh, then adopt these emerging concepts and translate them into products within their field. It’s only after this

merchandise begins to become available to a considerable number of consumers as brands such as Prada, Chanel and Zara follow the trend after witnessing evidence of success from the media or their peers. It’s around this point the trend reaches its peak as the ‘trickle-down theory’ becomes apparent. More widely accessible high street stores, like Asos and Topshop, mimic aspects from the runway and make the trend both more palatable and affordable to the mainstream consumer. It’s between these stages, the early and late majority, that the vast majority of sales take place thus acquiring the highest levels of revenue. It’s due to this that this level of the market has become so highly saturated. The final stages are, the conservatives and antiinnovators (or laggards), those who resist change and may not adopt short-lived fads.

Fast Fashion

Planning and purchases generally take place 6 months to a year prior to each season though due to this errors are often made in the predictions for demand from the market resulting in constant reductions being made in order to remove unwanted stock so it can be replaced with more fashionable items. Alternatively brands will use a 'quick response' tactic; responding to trends as they emerge. This holds lower levels of risk however requires greater relationships with suppliers and can lead to corners being cut, in terms of quality and ethical practices, in an attempt to produce more quickly. This is where the term ‘fast-fashion’ originates as 'fashion consumers expect and thrive on constant change and so new products have to be available on a frequent basis (Barnes and Lea-Greenwood, 2006). A number of issues arise due to this process, such as an increased level of waste, unfair pay to workers often working in unsafe environments and high emission levels as it's 'easier' to produce from unsustainable sources, which has led to the fashion industry becoming the second most polluting industry on the planet.

DECONSTRUCTEDDENIM

The trend I've looked more closely into is deconstructed denim. This includes denim which appears well/overly worn so incorporates holes, rips and fraying but also stitching different denim pieces together as patchwork. Of course ripped and repurposed denim is nothing new though the trend of the 'more-is-more aesthetic' (Linares,

2017) has emerged. There are currently a number of edits titled deconstructed, distressed or restored denim on a number of clothing brands websites such as

Levi's, G Star, Asos and Topshop as well as the trend being recognized on multiple reports on WGSN with current key pieces being described as 'trashed jeans with artful rips, large holes and laddered tears' (Trotman, 2017), 'deconstruction and fraying moving forward in spring in bold technique' and 'retro blocking' rolling over from last season (Linares, 2017).