From the idea to the it-piece: How fashion trends are created

From the idea to the it-piece: How fashion trends are created

Batik patterns, animal prints and crochet fabrics-fashion victims cannot do without these fashion trends this spring and summer. But who actually determines what will be the trend and what will not? What do designers get inspired by? And how can it be explained that your creations, which still took some getting used to at the fashion shows, become a new must-have six months later?

It is usually an interplay of various factors that make a fashionable trend a trend. On the one hand, there are the designers who present a look or a piece of clothing at one of their shows. These new looks are picked up by celebrities, well-known people from the fashion world, bloggers and influencers, they appear in magazines and other media. The clothing industry is getting wind of the new creations and producing similar garments-a trend is born.

In fashion theory, this is called the “trickle-down effect”. After all, the new look is also becoming available to the masses through cheaper production and is gradually becoming mainstream. The style has become fashion. But trends can also arise in reverse order. Often they show themselves first on the street-often as an unusual style of a youth or subculture such as hip-hop or punk. Supporters of the subcultures copy this style-and gradually also large fashion brands and fashion enthusiasts who do not feel they belong to the subculture. A look has become a trend.

Trend scouting: Know today what's hot tomorrow

It is an interplay between designers, celebrities, it-girls, bloggers, fashion brands, subcultures and journalists that creates a certain trend. Fashion scouts also play an essential role. Commissioned by designers, trend offices and fashion institutes, they keep an eye out for creative, unusual styling ideas from trendsetters on the streets of fashion capitals and in fashion blogs. They collect all looks that have the potential to become a trend in so-called style guides. These styling forecasts serve as an important source of inspiration for materials, cuts and colors of the upcoming collection. Influencers and the media again play a major role in the spread of the new looks: The new collections are advertised through reviews and reports in magazines and photos on Instagram & Co.-the trends are being sent to fashion chains and thus to end consumers.