During my first term at University, I had to take on the role of a trend forecaster and put together a trend report. I really enjoyed the various aspects of this project, from researching historical contexts, discovering current key influences, and compiling my research into a visual report. One aspect I particularly loved, was watching my trend predictions come to life.
A fashion forecaster's role is to create reports that identify and predict the next big trends in fashion. These reports are valuable to designers and brands who need to plan their next collections for the upcoming seasons. The forecasters need to explore everything from colour palettes, textures, graphics, silhouettes, and fabrics.
"I was not such a good drawer or designer but I just knew what was going to happen" - Lidewij Edelkoort, Trend Forecaster.
To predict these trends, fashion forecasters must evaluate the world around them, and any cultural shifts that could affect consumer habits. This career relies on you having an interest in a wide range of subjects that can inform your report. Forecasters must also have analytical skills, which allow them to analyse sales and consumer patterns globally, after all, brands rely on their consumers for success.
One part of this role I find particularly interesting is the need to have knowledge of past trends and the history of fashion. In recent years, we have all been made aware of the trend cycles. For example, the re-emergence of ‘Y2K fashion’ that has been taking the youth by storm as they reminisce on the recent past. Knowledge of past trends is vital, as they come back around over and over again.
There are two types of fashion forecasting, short-term and long-term. Short-term forecasting refers to trends that are predicted to emerge within the next 2 years. Some of these trends are often referred to as FADs, as they fade out of society quickly. However, long-term forecasting refers to trends that are expected to stay in ‘style’ for a much longer period of time, these trends tend to be more classic and aimed at a much broader audience.
Despite this role being quite analytical, there is a lot of creativity that comes with it. Such as designing a report that compiles all the research the forecaster has done, with relevant visuals that work alongside, supporting the written research.
Most often, trend forecasters will work at a forecasting agency such as WGSN. Personally, I think this sounds exciting, since attending University and gaining access to WGSN I love spending free time exploring and reading the reports on the site.
Overall, although Trend Forecasting is a little more analytical than a career I imagine myself to be in, it is still a career I would genuinely consider. I really enjoyed the creation of my own trend report and found a sense of satisfaction when I watched it come to life shortly after I predicted it. Furthermore, I find the designing and creation of a visual report enjoyable, as searching for the right visuals and design is key in pitching your prediction to a brand.
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