DIRECTIONAL FASHION CHANGE THEORY The ‘Directional Fashion Change’ theory enable buyers to understand the way in which markets are driven depending on their consumer segments as well as unearthing who started a trend, the direction it’s moving and how long it will remain popular. (Shaw and Koumbis, 2017) Prior to the internet, fashion trends appeared to follow the ‘trickle down’ theory. (Shaw and Koumbis, 2017) Traditionally a new trend would be introduced on the runway by high end designers and fashion houses, then identified and reported by forecasters, slowly filtering their way down to fashion publications. These trends are then adapted into high-street styles that would meet the demands of the massmarket. (Seto, 2017) The vast amount of information now available via the internet has eliminated the slow pace and altered the direction that trends now move in. The use of live streaming of fashion shows, Burberry being the first in 2010, (Amed, 2010) allows for anyone to adopt the newest trend immediately. Fast fashion brands, particularly, can design and introduce commercialised replicas of garments seen on the catwalk in a short space of time. The constant exposure to a high level of visual content of influencers, celebrities and street-style images via social media allows for inspiration to be taken from anyone, anywhere at any given time with no limit to how quickly a trend can be infiltrated and adopted. The revolution of the internet has shown to drive the ‘Trickle across theory’ as it allows everyone to be exposed to emerging trends simultaneously. (Shaw and Koumbis, 2017) This shift has also seen a more direct focus on the consumer as an individual, with desires being “brand and lifestyle driven” creating niche markets. (McKelvey and Munslow, 2009)
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