How Trends Evolve - 2021
Evolving Trends
Throughout history and still today, fashion trends reflect social attitudes towards sex, identity, beauty, and class status. Trends are often a powerful symbolism of culture and pride that evolve with social issues, the news and current affairs. A fashion trend occurs when others mimic a certain style of clothing. Fashion trends are typically created as a trickle down effect from the season’s runway styles. They evolve in five key ways: from the runway, street style, celebrities, fashion bloggers, and through geographical fashion inspiration.
1. The Runway
Fashion trends start with fashion designers. At runway shows fashion designers showcase the inspiration they’ve gathered throughout the season. They put their collection on display during Fashion Week for photographers, writers, buyers and celebrities. Couture fashion designers are creative artists that source their inspiration from the world around them. Their collections often reflect the current economic and social situations. The clothes they design are symbols and expressions of the issues they value. We look to them for their talent and vision.
2. Celebrities
Celebrities are one of the biggest driving forces for trends. High profile celebrities are usually front row during Fashion Week. Designers will seek them out to promote their lines. They are photographed often and those photos are seen worldwide. Designers will use celebrities as a way to introduce their collection to a large audience. Social media allows celebrities to interact with fans on a more personal level with their followers. They have a large fanbase and the ability to make designer looks mainstream as fans flock to emulate the look. A great deal of attention is given to what celebrities are wearing both onscreen and offscreen. People identify with celebrities and want to emulate the looks that they have both in front of the camera and in their personal lives.
3. Street Style
Street style is a newer driving force for fashion trends. It’s based on individualism and the freedom of self exploration. Street style is fashion that has evolved from the streets and not from the runway. The average person isn’t influenced by the collections designers showcase on the runways. When getting dressed in the morning, most people are inspired by the looks of the people they pass by. Style elements are often youthful and wide ranging. The creation of mobile devices and social media provide a platform for people to bring fashion to life. People are able to experiment with personal style and fashion perceptions. Then they can share it with the world.
4. Fashion Bloggers
Fashion bloggers inspire trends through digital word-of-mouth. People watch fashion bloggers as a way to source trends. Social media following has become important to brands as a way to reach today’s consumers. Bloggers give brand's visibility and allow them to market to a wider audience. Bloggers have mass appeal and are relatable to their readers. A fashion blog not only provides their readers with fashion trends but also provides them with the direct source to purchase said trends online.
5. Geographical Inspiration
Each culture has its own unique style, which is perceived differently around the world. Many cultures around the world have different fashion styles that go back thousands of years. Contemporary fashion designers are often inspired by this heritage. They use their inspiration to modernize and incorporate elements into their collections. Street style fashion inspiration is often drawn from examining the trends in other countries. Street style around the world is heavily influenced by the street fashion trends of the clothing worn by American youth. However, every culture and country has its own youth who want to make their own fashion statement. An example of this is the Japanese youth culture and how they have become extremely influential in controlling fashion trends. These innovative youngsters have established themselves as major players in the industry as they popularize fashion consents and trends.
Fashion is a form of expression that allows us to be creative and original. Trends are influenced by a variety of factors on a global scale that are always evolving.
Where will the evolution of fashion take us next?
