Trend Journal 2018

FASHION JOURNAL not ur typical trend report.

2018

contents 11th Jan set the tune.

18th Jan what appropriate.

26th Jan be real.

1st Feb animal no animal.

15th Feb storytelling.

22th Feb are magazines dying.

2

1st March sexual assualt.

8th March to shop or to eat.

My interest in fashion stems from my love of creation, solution and art. reflecting the current zeitgeist of my relationship with fashion. a true reflection of how I want to be, living in the moment. whether its the sound of a droplet, a way of being, or even a meme, inspiration stems from anything. it can be used as a voice or just to express. the subjectivity of art and its beauty is what draws me to it. afterall, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. d’souza

4

set the tune.

6

there is a clear intersection between the fashion trends and music culture. especially recently, with the rise of multi-dimensional artists like Kanye and A$AP Rocky. these influencers generally have their own style, which trickles down into their fanbase. having a unique style enables artists to stand out more. real trendsetters don't have to try. Kurt Cobain brought a whole new aspect to the American men’s closet, thrift store modern grunge style. rolling out of bed and wearing flannels and jeans had never been trendier. another legend, Bob Marley, influenced his fanbase (as well as the rest of the pacifist stoners generation) with the M-65 jacket. it’s deep front pockets were perfect to store weed.

it is a two way street; fashion lends to music, just as music lends to fashion. Jay-Z and Kanye’s Watch the Throne album cover was designed by Riccardo Tisci, showing the connection between the two forms of art. now, just owning and wearing a designer fit isn’t enough. there needs to be a bond between the beliefs of the brand or designer and the walking canvas, the artist. A$AP’s “Raf” shows that he doesn’t rap about fashion for the sake of fashion. he knows his art. clearly an active follower of fashion, this passion trickles down to his fanbase and culture. rather than just promoting the brand, he promotes the belief. he indirectly encourages followers to go deeper into fashion and style. what is beautiful about art is that it allows expression, an escape and reality all in one.

8

whats appropriate.

10

appropriation has been and still is misunderstood by most. social media has a habit of taking things to the next level, cultural appropriation included. it definitely exists in today’s society, but not in the way most think. first time i noticed appropriation was when Cara Delevingne got famous for having thick, bushy eyebrows. as an ethnic woman, being told that my naturally given body hair is disgusting on me but trendy on a white woman is definitely hurtful.

the issue isn’t getting inspired or sharing cultures but rather the fact that it can only be trendy once a white person has done it. doing it just for aesthetics while it holds a deep meaning to others is insensitive. Angelina Jolie is a prime example of how to do it right. for the sake of their respect and culture, she wore a hijab with other hijabis while in Pakistan. Dolce & Gabbana did it right, while creating a hijab collection, modeled on hijabis and sold in the appropriate markets. Marc Jacobs SS17 collection was unsuccessful because of the use of dreadlocks for aesthetics on a runway show featuring mostly white models. taking from other cultures for a brand or persons own aesthetic and profit is disrespectful. societal values reflect these beliefs, which is why D&G was successful in their hijab line while Marc Jacobs was told off for his insensitiveness. these social beliefs affect trends and how the fashion industry operates. appropriation is getting henna done for Coachella. appreciation is getting henna done for your South Asian friends wedding.

12

be real.

14

socially, people have grown to become more real and authentic with each other. this is clearly reflected within the fashion and retail industry. it is important for brands to be transparent throughout their supply chain if they want to keep consumers coming, especially for loyal customers. from the sourcing, to production and even distribution and marketing, consumers now want detailed insights each step. it shows the customers the level of trust they can put into a company. it is mainly millennials and the following generations that make up this market and demand for transparency. the future of the industry, the growing consumer market likes to be real. this is especially because they’re less materialistic than the older generations, and more likely to pay for the responsibility factor.

the brand loyalty will increase massively when the retailer gives the consumer something to connect with or believe in. brands such as Everlane and Patagonia are prime examples of this. Patagonia not only is clear about its sourcing and production but also instills these values in their target market through their campaigns. for every product sold, information about the materials, production, labor and transportation costs is provided. even if their market segment is not massive, their brand loyalty with current customers is so strong that they have lifelong consumers. being real and transparent is not only relevant in the fashion industry. brands must create and believe in core values than run strongly through their entire supply chain and distribution. uniqueness and innovation is encouraged by today’s environment and society. being accountable for the brands actions or mistakes shows that the company recognizes the impact it has on consumers and society.

16

animal no animal.

18

The awareness in the current market and generation has led to a lot of changes within the fashion industry. animal skin has been popular in the industry for decades. millennials have come with their ethics to change this.

Stella McCartney proved and has been proving for a while now that luxury items can be sold without animal products. she used faux fur from the start, but recently introduced skin-free leather material.

“...we have finally developed fabrics that look just as good as the real thing, and therefore genuinely pose a question to the industry about why anyone needs to use leather any more,�

- Stella McCartney

it is a lot easier to start a brand sustainably from the get go like Stella McCartney. but still, other luxury brands seem to be following in suit, with Gucci finally going fur-free. Gucci is a more millennial friendly brand compared to other luxury brands, which shows the impact of this market’s beliefs and values. this is the only appropriate response to the prevalence of social, environmental, and ethical awareness among consumers. humane materials are more in demand now than ever.

20

storytelling - art in fash.

22

fashion has always been a form of art. art is subjective, however, in my eyes fashion is a beautiful merging of history and art. till now it was more focused on selling the product, but the change in social and historical trends has encouraged the artsy side of fashion to step out. It is now important to convey a purpose rather than a purchase. consumers want to relate to the brand and their values nowadays. fashion has changed from the core, it is now about selling a concept, theme and values rather than the products itself.

“Some of the most successful fashion campaigns don’t actually feature clothes at all,” - Hayashi

fashion films have evolved from just creating visually pleasing content to having a conceptual or meaningful idea. they used to display just the mood and aesthetic of the brand. now fashion films are almost actual mini films with storylines that must still depict the mood and visuals of the brand effectively. an interesting and successful example of this is The Tale of Thomas Burberry. more recently, Y-3’s Spring/ Summer 2017 campaign video was inspired by a dystopian fiction. almost in a suspenseful way, it depicts a provocative idea of the future of contemporary activewear. although, it has the moody qualities and quick cuts of a fashion film, it also has the storytelling of a film.

“All visual imagery, like a piece of artwork, needs to be communicated through layers of influences and messages,” according to photographer Mannbutte.

24

are magazines dying.

26

fashion magazines create a physical and tangible experience. with pages that can be torn out, stuck on the bedroom wall or kept forever. it can be used as a poster, to make art, to make scrapbooks and many more. the opportunities with arts and crafts that you get from a magazine cannot be compared to that of scrolling online. that being said, for print magazines to survive and intrigue readers, the magazine must push boundaries and create an incentive for them to get a physical copy. another issue with print is the wastage of paper and trees, which is important to consider if magazines want environmentalists or millennials to be included within their target market.

in the age of the online world, technology and social media, people have everything at their fingertips. magazines will definitely eventually die out if they do not evolve along with technology. magazines now need to reach their consumers through various channels beyond just print. online journalism has drastically grown. with many brands creating their own e-magazines such as Porter. for print magazines to stay relevant during this age, they must be innovative. using other methods such as creating an experiential event space or thinking of interactive and smart distribution methods (to give them an incentive to physically pick up or order the print magazine).

“Eventually, they’ll become like sailboats. They don’t need to exist anymore. But people will still love them, and make them and buy them.”

28

sexual assault accept it?

30

sexual assault has been a recurring issue in the fashion industry, spoken up about more recently. it is hard for women to speak up because no one believes them. even when models are often placed under these situations. 60% of models have “been touched inappropriately during work-related situation” according to The Boston Globe. Terry Richardson was accused for various things from forcible touching and sexually aggressive comments made on set to rape. other fashion photographers such as Mario Testino and Bruce Weber also have had allegations of sexual harassment against them.

“This is not the time to sit silent—you need to say what you’re going to say,”

fashion publicly made the correct decision this time around with companies such as Net-A-Porter, Condé Nast, Hearst magazines and many more cutting ties with Terry Richardson. however the issue is much deeper than this. companies that publicly cut ties with such an offender just seem to be responsible, when in fact, they probably knew about it beforehand. to some extent, companies clearly know more than they let on. by blacklisting him only after he’s been publicly outed, they are not helping to solve the large problem at hand. but it is still a step further in the moral direction. atleast, with more people speaking out and acting against these sexual harassers, hopefully more victims will feel more comfortable to speak out when necessary.

“The problem is much larger than Terry, who has become the scapegoat, and the quickest means for this industry to absolve itself from any responsibility,” - David Bonnouvrier, co-founder of DNA Models.

32

to shop or to eat.

34

the two things I spend most on in life is probably food and fashion. the biggest and more recurring theme in all these trends is the idea of creating an experience. with more brands trying to do that, we now have brands combining the fine things in life with their luxury restaurants. it is also a smart marketing tactic. a garment or any items from their actual product assortment can be expensive, but these spots allow for an Instagrammable and more affordable way of getting the brand experience. “Now is the time for fashion to open the doors to something different than dresses, otherwise the market will collapse,�

- Alessandro Michele

the most recent opening was Gucci Gardens in the historic Palazzo della Mercanzia, Florence. this three story building includes a store with items not available anywhere else, an exhibition area called the Gucci Garden Galleri and the restaurant Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura. creative director, Alessandro Michele kept the brand values in tact with an “esoterically designed four-course menu” created by three-Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura. breakfast at Tiffany’s used to just create an image of Audrey Hepburn in her long back gown and her pearls stepping out of a yellow cab and right in front of the Fifth Avenue windows of Tiffany & Co. if the scene were to be recreated now, she could enter and grab a cup of coffee from the 4th floor today. called the Blue Box Cafe, it is pretty true to its name as well as the brand. it successfully showcases modern luxury creating a Tiffany hospitality with the entire decor in Tiffany striking blue.

bibliography vogue.com bof.com elle.com wwd.com

36

hypebeast.com

all thoughts, information and ideas came from my knowledge of the fashion industry with research from the websites listed.

d’souza

38

2018