Fashion forecasting: “It just has to feel right”

In order to succeed at running your own clothing company, you need to know how current trends can affect a business. And that’s exactly what Katy Hadad did. She used her knowledge to her own advantage. She ran her own clothing company for five years and instinctively came up with her own ways on how to stay current. Katy Hadad has been an instructor at the Art Institute for several years and had always taken a liking to fashion forecasting. “I’m really interested in knowing the reasons behind fashion,” states Katy. She took classes such as psychology and anthropology and this further fueled her interest in fashion forecasting.
Fashion forecasting has been such a major part of the fashion industry for so long, but why has it been so crucial? Fashion is defined by a group of people of what is accepted at a certain time. Consequently, forecasting agencies were formed to chase innovation and to capture the “essence” of trends at any given time. This “essence” is then translated into every company by price range, demographic, and category. Katy adds, “Competition is stiff. We’re exposed to so much. It’s important to know what’s going on.”
When I asked Katy which factors need to come together in order for something to be a trend, she responded, “The Zeitgeist. Capturing the essence of people’s wants and needs. Brands are answering questions for people, capturing the essence of times, and having customers respond.” While in her fashion forecasting class, she explained the meaning of “Zeitgeist.” It means “spirit of the times” and what influences it are dominating events, such as war and the emergence of new art, and dominating ideals like beauty, patriotism and gender issues. Dominating social groups, such as celebrities and designers, attitudes and technology are also what influence the Zeitgeist. Fashion is a reflection of popular culture and is all about change.
As far as what trends are emerging, Katy lists hand crafted goods, clothing with detail, moving back to classics, vintage, and especially cross-shopping. “As consumers we’re making adjustments to the economy. [Portland] responds in a different way individually. It has to answer our needs and make sense to our lifestyle.” By cross-shopping, women today are buying from low end to high end merchandise. They’ll buy cheap trends at Forever 21 but also buy an investment piece at Ann Taylor.
No matter what the Zeitgeist is and how it affects fashion and our culture, Katy summed up fashion forecasting the best, “It just has to feel right.”

By Michelle Batol