In decades’ past fashion trends typically were started and evolved strictly through the method of fashion house to magazine to consumer – and it stayed like this for a very long time. In our current Internet-savvy (even obsessed) world things have changed.
While traditional fashion houses still have an impact on the way that fashion trends emerge, it’s not just those sources that play a role in popular fashion trends anymore. Fashion trends now start and evolve through five key ways: from the runway, from street style, through celebrities, through fashion bloggers, and through the different fashion capitals of the world.
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What Is a Fashion Trend?
A fashion trend occurs when a particular item, silhouette, color, or other new look rises in popularity. Many factors can influence a trend or fad, including iconic celebrity outfits, fashion merchandising firms, designer shows, and textile manufacturers. Fashion trends are cyclical, going through a five-stage cycle that starts with introducing the trend and ends with obsolescence. Once a trend reaches peak popularity, it will begin to decline in popularity until it is considered outdated and unfashionable, eventually entering the end stage of the cycle, where it is rejected by the fashion industry and consumers. However, due to the cyclical nature of fashion, the rejected trend may eventually re-enter the cycle after obsolescence.
5 Ways Fashion Trends Begin
1. Runway Trends
Many of today’s current trends are certainly inspired by the looks that designers send down the runways each season during Fashion Week events in New York, Milan and Paris. Fashion lovers wait in anticipation every season to see what has transpired in the minds of the designers that they love over the past months.
2. Street Style
The term ‘street style’ essentially refers to everyday looks that can be seen on the streets. These are the looks that people wear in their everyday life that make an impact on those who pass them by – and become inspired by them! Overall, ‘street style’ is a newer term in the world of fashion, but it shows how much of an impact that anyone can play in the way that fashion is perceived and trends are set!
3. Celebrities
There is no question about i t- celebrities are one of the biggest driving forces in trend creation! The public covets celebrities and follows their every move, hanging on to their every word. The fact that celebrities are highly influential is the very reason why huge companies turn to them to be spokespeople for their brands and products.
4. Fashion Bloggers
Over the years, fashion bloggers have proven to the masses that they have great taste and are creating trends in the fashion world – not following them! Designers often turn to fashion bloggers – just as they turn to celebrities – to wear and help promote their products, because they are well aware of their influence. Once fashion bloggers get these designer garments in their hands, they set trends by styling the garments various ways, photographing themselves and sharing the images – and their thoughts – with their very large audiences.
5. Fashion Capitals of the World
Because fashion and trends are different all over the world, people often look to see what happening in the fashion capitals of the world – New York City, Paris, Milan and London – to see what people are wearing and adopt those trends to fit into their lives.
The Evolution of Fashion Trends
Overall, fashion trends from these sources have the opportunity to make a huge splash and impact the fashion industry worldwide. They start as simple ideas from key players in the fashion world, travel all the way to everyday people and emerge in a powerful way. Fashion trends will suddenly become very popular, disappear over time, and then have the ability to be recycled and serve as inspiration again in the years to come.
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