Trend forecasting is one of the most important tools in the fashion industry. This year’s ‘Hot New Look” is based upon trends spotted eighteen months or more in advance. Web sites and other services cull the fashion news; watch what products manufactures and even resort to spying on each other in order to have the latest information as to where the industry is going. It is no wonder it is such a big business either. By ordering in advance, manufacturers can cut costs dramatically. Last minute orders are expensive. Trend forecasting is not limited to the fashion industry. Companies producing big-ticket items such as automobiles and appliances also look to fashion trends to guide their product development. .
Contestants in programs like Launch My Line, The Fashion Show, Project Runway and Top Model use classic looks and fashion trends to stay “one up” on the competition. They analyze their competition to assess their ability to blend and balance the two. While it is vital that a contestant stays on the cutting edge, thinks outside the box and pushes the envelope, their products must be able to shift mid-production if necessary to keep up with the latest trend. In an industry that can seems to experience overnight shifts, trend forecasting alows a contestant to be prepared to go with the flow. Competitors watch each other to see who knows where the latest trends are headed, and when. Timing can be everything.
If I were a contestant on one of these programs I would make sure I was totally up to date on the latest trend forecasting. In addition to using it for my own products, I would use it to analyze my competition as well. Some of the things I would be looking for would be how aware they are of what trends are expected. This would give me insight into how well they had done their “homework”. While it is good to present your own vision, producing a line that clashes with everything else on the market is not. Especially if it is a color clash, no one will buy an item if they have nothing to wear it with. I would also use forecasting to determine how far the competition is going to produce something unique. If they looked like they were going a little too far out of the box, I would go for something a little edgier, more in keeping with the forecasted trends. The converse is also true I would push my vision further if I thought they were working on a more conservative concept. You want to stand out in a crowd, not left field. By being able to differentiate myself from the other contestants and present a vision which was in step with the rest of the world I could appeal to the broadest base of judges and the public.
Works Cited
Trendzine fashioninformation. "trendzoom fashion." 2012. Trendzine fashioninformation. 7 4 2012
