Product Future

Taking a quick run through PSFK for any recent updates I came across a nice little article about The Death of Trends from Amanda Gore who has cleverly linked on through to The Independent - Unpredictable weather ‘means seasonal fashion is now obsolete’ and The Guardian – Fashion for All, two recent articles highlighting an increase of media coverage as regards the decline of clear, steadfast, blind-following of specific seasonal trends with reference to climate change:

‘The whole fashion industry will have to change, it must adapt to the reality that there is no strong difference between summer and winter anymore. You can’t have everyone showing four times a year to present the same thing, use the same fabrics at the same weight.’

- Beppe Modenese, founder of Milan Fashion Week

‘…with global warming, I don’t believe in four distinct seasons any more’

- Rad Hourani, Canadian Desinger

‘Paris Fashion Week: eight days, 90’s shows, a cast of thousands, a budget of millions. And how many trends? Er, none, actually! Don’t expect a key look next season – it’s all about micro-trends. Trends have become the comfort food of style, the clothes on which we mindlessly retail-snack. They govern how we dress, whether we like it or not.’

- Jess Cartner-Morley, Guardian Journalist


Jess also commented that:

‘While there is no one mood, no single direction to be gleaned from Paris this season, this does not mean that all outfits are deemed equal. Far from it. There will still be a fashion in-crowd – it’s just that this season, you can’t hope to join the club simply by buying the key piece. The look of the moment is as exclusive as ever: it’s just going to be harder than ever to pin down.’

Suggesting a step away from ‘fad’ trends and a move towards an increase in the importance of style. Finally!

Something that these iconic women always had down to a tee:


In a similar vein, Dan Pitch has been discussing recent industry developments in his snappily titled article - Australia Fashion Week goes trans-seasonal due to ‘climate change’:

‘With the fashion industry becoming more global, how relevant is it to show seasonal collections fitting the specific climate of one specific place? Is climate change something the fashion industry really needs to plan for seriously or is this just more eco-hype? The issue has become such an industry-wide headache that some brands have hired climate experts to advise on which fabrics to use – and on delivery schedules to get their clothing into stores at the right time.’


Colin McDowell reckons that ‘Journalists create trends by looking at fashion worldwide and then clutching at straws’… hmmm…

The BBC’s Cheap Fashion, Fast Fashion piece puts a slightly different slant on it:

‘High street stores used to stock just two collections a year - Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer - but now they are more likely to have something new every month. Instead of advertising the new season of fashion trends twice a year, fashion magazines now advertise new trends every month or even every week, encouraging consumers to buy more and more. 'Fast fashion' gives shoppers the latest styles just six weeks after they first appeared on the catwalk, at prices that mean they can wear an outfit once or twice and then replace it.’

… emphasising the hideous, mass consuming trend monster which has been created in recent years, increasing sales with our ever expanding disposable incomes and filling the worlds landfills with last week’s ‘look’.

Oh, and if your interested about just how all that ‘on trend’ stuff gets to the high-street so quickly, maybe it’s got something to do with the mass influence of that little website… what’s it called again? Oh yes that’s it – WGSN! Just take a quick look at Piers Fawkes thoughts on the subject: Is WGSN Destroying Creativity?

Want a preview? Oh go on then:

‘At H&M, we’re told that designers are expected to study everyday the trends information that the WGSN database contains…for two hours a day.’

‘Every designer in fashion… is looking at the same data for inspiration for new work.’

‘WGSN holds such power on the industry that it’s now considered by many brands that it’s unwise not to subscribe.’

‘WGSN is overrated. I did a fashion and textiles trends forecasting course at St. Martins and was encouraged to use the manual as a bible.’

- Fiona McKay (commenting on article)

‘If WGSN didn’t exist, somebody else would have invented it… perhaps we should infer that the fashion industry lacks real talent, original vision and courage. WGSN just caters to a demand.’

- Mark Tungate (commenting on article)

‘As long as the industry is looking inward for inspiration it will be a bit inbred and stagnate.’

- JT Barnhart (commenting on article)



So where is this going? What am I going to do about this state of affairs? How's it going to look?

Well, I'm going to produce an online, witty, satirical, intelligent take on the fashion industry... and here's a little preview ...