Fashion Trends,Understanding Fashion, Fashion Trend Forecasting

To cope with the ever-changing technologies,the markets and consumer are rapidly evolving from traditional, static,demographic-based criteria to more towards dynamic, modern, mood, lifestyle andpsycho graphic influences.

Fashion trend forecasting resources help predict trends in the fashion industry. Fashion & trend forecasting is the prediction of mood,behavior and buying habits of the consumer at particular time of season. It isno longer a question of finding your markets or consumers by age, geography orincome, but looking into how and what they buy, based on their culture, mood, beliefs,occasion & geographic locations, it is also dependent on fashion cycle andplays a major role in introductory phase of recurring fashion cycles.

Fashion trend forecast calculates as following:

Season > Target Market >Consumer >Colors > Fabrics > Silhouette >Texture > Usage

Understanding fashion trends forecast is one of the most arduousand calculative work for all, I know most of top business houses around theworld totally rely on designers for understanding the same, but on the otherside there are others who dont believe in it at all. In current times when welook at technology we know nothing is by chance and there are people who areworking behind the scenes, day and night to make things appear easy andaffordable to us. Question which often comes to our mind is which trend forecastto use and how we can understand it better. Many technological forecastingmethods have been reported in various forecast related books & mentioned inliterature of many countries, and they have been successfully applied widely. Astrend forecasting results are mainly influenced by the forecasting method usedby the end user, it is of utmost importance to determine the method that willbe most appropriate to a business model you adopt. Lets identify the mainfactors affecting Fashion trend forecasting:

Seasons:

Each season, the design and merchandising departmentsworldwide are waiting whats in trend for coming seasons. They rely heavily oncreating a new line using these valuable data collected by professional agencies. Trend forecasts are based on seasons Spring, Summer, Fall &Winter like we connectcertain colors with holiday and seasons, they expect to see earthy tones infall season, jeweled colors for holidays, the pastels of flowers in early spring, and refreshing white for the summer. All the manufacturers include some of these standardcolors in there line or collection planning. Work on new line normally beginssix months before the selling season( A flowery dress to be worn in may shouldbe in design section starting December). The manufacturers must produce four or five seasonal lines a year. Targeting delivery ahead a month is providing consumers with continual fresh merchandise each season.

Market Intelligence:

In recent years, world growth has slowed and markets have matured or become more protective. It is evident that the only way for many small & big companies to grow is at the expense of their competitors. Many large companies in Asia are turning to market intelligence for input into their strategic management system and decision making. Conventional marketing research is increasingly viewed as being too narrowly focused on tactical and operational issues. The large retail & export companies around world are now looking up to role of the Internet in market intelligence for inputs into their strategic management system and decision making. It helps them determine their product acceptance in market; if acceptance is there market is there as world renowned designer Karl Lagerfeld remarked, Theres no fashion if nobody buys it. Acceptance by large no of people makes market important.

The marketing intelligence cycle whether its apparel or other business houses typically consists of directing, collecting, compiling, cataloguing, analyzing and form filled up data by consumers therefore making it easier for industry to create product which is market based.

Consumer Research:

The agencies & Manufacturers may ask consumers directly about their buying preferences or can look in to their buying habits over a period of time. Consumer reactions are recorded and documented to find preferences for certain garments or accessories, sizes or colors and so on ,or products to fit specific consumer tastes. Surveys, by phones, mail or customer feedback forms are conducted by publication and market research companies for manufacturers and retailers. These surveys include questions about life-style, fashion preference, income, and shopping habits. Customers are usually selected by the research firm to meet with manufacturers or retailers. Informal interview with consumer can help researchers obtain information by simply asking customers, what they would like to buy, what styles they prefer that are currently available and what changes in merchandise they want, but cannot find. Owners of small stores can often do this most effectively, because of their close contact with their customers.

The industry overall has one purpose, i.e. to provide a desirable and appealing product to satisfy customer needs, demands or aspire to have. When successful, this chain results in a sale, because this chain is the integral part of entire process. Every forecast begins with the consumer, by observing the consumer's needs to the marketplace and in the unexpected ways the consumer adjusts the market place to his lifestyle and preferences. Consumer research figures are critical & of utmost importance in decisions about product development, marketing and retailing.

About the Author:

Deepak Singh is working as national designer for various prestigious government projects since the last nine years. He has coordinated major export promotion activities nationally & internationally for Indias North and North eastern region for Eco friendly products. He is a graduate of design from NIFT & has traveled for various design missions & exhibitions in Germany, Hong Kong, Thailand and China. He has worked on several projects with various international designers from Germany, USA & Japan and has provided design services to UNDP Cane & Bamboo India Project.