The start of a new season - Trend Research

Designing for a New Season:

Spring/summer, and autumn/winter, between the 2 there are transitional season trends, but for fast fashion it is a constant cycle of trend research and design.

The first requirement is to get as much research as possible, in order to get inspiration and be able to validate your design ideas to your buying team - these are the people who will buy the final product range using the company budget, and they often need persuading that what you've designed is going to sell.

Find the best places for research like the catwalk shows, fashion magazines and looking around the shops, markets and the streets to see what's about.

The best websites for catwalk images are style.com and wgsn, but the latter needs a subscription (which is very expensive!). Magazines and newspapers do some excellent catwalk coverage too, but it is a little slower to get onto the shelves in comparison to the speed of the internet.

Inspirational footwear designers of the moment are Guiseppe Zanotti, Sergio Rossi, Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo. Websites such as Neiman Marcus and Zappos are a wealth of information on footwear designers and always worth a look. It doesn't have to be limited to footwear designers either - some clothing, handbags and belts can be very inspiring and often lend themselves well towards a footwear trend.

All the research needs to be condensed into a few strong, key trends you think are going to be important. There are often several "mini" trends that come through, some are more applicable to a company/brand than others. It's always important to keep your target customer in the back of your mind when doing this.

Once you've condensed it all down, I find it helpful to put them onto large boards, or compile them into an image on a computer. When you see each trend on a board, grouped together, you'll often find you can whittle it down even further to a few really key images. It sometimes helps to include fabrics, colours, or even an item of footwear/clothing that is particularly relevant and inspiring.

Finally, name your trend. It'll make your life easier in the long run! It could be named anything relevant, perhaps even named after a celebrity, or a pop song that fits well with the trend.

Other Famous Designers/Brands:

For Shoes

Bettye Muller
Bottega Veneta
Burberry
Chloe
Christian Louboutin
Cole Haan
Delman
Dior
Diane von Furstenberg
D&G Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana
Donald J Pliner
Donna Karan Collection
Ed Hardy
Emilio Pucci
Fendi
Ferragamo
Frye
Giuseppe Zanotti
Gucci
Joie
Juicy Couture
Kate Spade
Koolaburra
Kors Michael Kors
Loeffler Randall
MARC by Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs
Michael Kors
Miu Miu
Manolo Blahnik
Nanette Lepore
Nina Ricci
Nine West
Oscar de la Renta
Pedro Garcia
Prada
Ralph Lauren
Robert Clergerie
Salvatore Ferragamo
Sergio Rossi
Sigerson Morrison
Stella McCartney
Stuart Weitzman
Tahari
Taryn Rose
Taryn by Taryn Rose
Theory
Tod's
Tory Burch
UGG Australia
Valentino
Versace
Yves Saint Laurent


For Handbags

Botkier
Bottega Veneta
Burberry
Carlos Falchi
Chloe
Christian Louboutin
Cole Haan
Dior
D&G Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana
Donna Karan Collection
Eric Javits
Escada
Fendi
Ferragamo
Gucci
Jimmy Choo
Judith Leiber
Juicy Couture
Katherine Kwei
Kooba
Lauren Merkin
MARC by Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs
Michael Kors
Nancy Gonzalez
Prada
Salvatore Ferragamo
Stella McCartney
Tod's
Tory Burch
Valentino
Versace
Yves Saint Laurent