The discourse of fashion change: Trend forecasting in the fashion industry

Abstract

Trend forecasting is often presented as an enigmatic field commanding change and introducing novelty by renovating the cycle of fashion change. This study purposes to interrogate the role of trend forecasting in the process of change in fashion by questioning the processes, how the parties involved, the judgements of forecasters and in which ways trend reports influence creative choices and establish novelty. While the business of trend forecasting conveys a notion of searching and finding the new, how and with which resources do forecasters make their inspired decisions? What influence do designers, trendsetters and authorities of style and taste have in the decision making process? Through an analysis of trend reports, interviews with professionals in the fashion and trend forecasting industries and literature on the subject, this article aims to examine how the discourse of change is constructed and how the participants contribute to it, which may illuminate the processes influencing changes in fashion.