When it comes to fashion, everyone’s eyes are on one thing: the latest trends. Of course, the industry is always certain to intentionally push and consequently desire certain looks- nobody’s surprised that coats and boots skyrocket in demand and popularity in the winter months- it’s bound to come with the season. But what about smaller, more niche trends like 2023’s famed balletcore and the currently rising corpcore? Both major and micro trends and newly developing aesthetics can be difficult to predict, and often come out of nowhere- or so it seems. Read more on where trends come from in the latest:
Red Carpet and The Runway
There are two major show seasons for the runway: Spring/Summer, which takes place in September, and Fall/Winter, which takes place in February. These famed ‘fashion months’ are where we start to see what designers have dreamt up for the upcoming seasons.
via @mirrorpalais on Instagram
Collections that do well- specifically RTW (Ready-To-Wear) collections- inspire consumers to pull their favorite elements off the runway and incorporate them into their own looks, if not the designs themselves. Take for example Miu Miu’s Fall 2022 RTW, which inspired much of 2023’s obsession with ribbons, lace, sheer apparel, ballet flats, and bows. Better yet, Mirror Palais on renaissance-inspired hyperfemininity.
via @rachelzegler on Instagram
The same applies to the less attainable but perhaps equally as influential red carpet scene. Stylists that favored certain looks will pull them from (more often than not) couture collections to dress their respective A-list clients for events like film festivals, awards, and premieres. If and when a major celebrity is praised for these looks, the opportunity is presented not only for the designer’s career to take off, but for their collections to inspire further trends.
Street Style
One of the more obvious influences on what’s trending during a given season is street style across major fashion capitols like New York, Paris, London, and Milan, where street style photographers, designers, muses, and artists run rampant. Here, individuals and influencer groups often inspire certain style elements that can develop into full-blown trends, or, if they’re lucky, can be responsible for entire aesthetics. For example, Matilda Djerf and the coveted “Scandi-Girl” wardrobe.
via @thomas.meacock on Instagram
None of this, of course, is to say that trends can’t stem from smaller cities. The reason we see so many of these trends come out of fashion capitols on a primary basis is because of the culture around style that thrives around these areas. Individuals are more prone being inspired by the existing fashion influence around them, and therefore continue to inspire the collective in turn.
Culture and World Events
Lastly, a more subtle influence on global trends is what the general culture demands. Fashion has presented one of the most frequently evolving global industries we know, and while there will always be a significant luxury and couture market, function has always been the bottom line. For example, back in the early 2020s, when we saw a lifestyle shift that resulted in a change of demands from office-centric daywear to athleisure and “relaxed” corporate-inspired looks.
via @by.regiina on Instagram
Culture and world events will always be a driving factor in how designers present their collections. But it’s not just the designers that get to decide what trends stick, it’s the consumers who ultimately push them through. As the world’s needs change, the fashion industry will almost always be the first to meet them. After all, we are what we wear, aren’t we?
By Mackenzie Ostrowski
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