Few fashion designers, such as Coco Chanel or Calvin Klein, who produce exceptional high-fashion collections, whether couture or prêt-à-porter (“ready-to-wear”), have historically achieved fame as “name” designers. Contrary to widespread assumption, these designers have a significant impact on defining fashion trends, but they do not impose new trends; instead, they work to create clothing that will appeal to consumers. Most designers work anonymously for manufacturers as members of design teams, transforming current trends into clothes that can be sold to regular people. Designers are influenced by various things, such as active sportswear, street styles, and costumes from movies and television. For most designers, computer-assisted design processes have supplanted or replaced traditional design procedures like drawing sketches on paper and draping fabric on mannequins. These enable designers to quickly alter the silhouette, material, trimmings, and other aspects of a suggested design and allow them to instantly discuss the proposed modifications with colleagues—whether they are in the same room or on another continent.

fashion displays

In addition to merchants (like fashion buyers), fashion designers and manufacturers also market their products directly to consumers and the media (fashion journalists). Parisian couture businesses started providing their clientele with private viewings of the newest trends as early as the late 19th century. In the 20th century, department stores and couture companies routinely staged fashion shows with top models.

What Is a Trend in Fashion?

When a specific item, shape, color, or other fresh look becomes increasingly popular, it becomes a fashion trend. A trend or fad can be influenced by various causes, such as well-known celebrity clothing, fashion merchandising companies, designer showcases, and textile producers. The introduction of a trend is the first stage of a five-stage cycle that leads to its obsolescence in the world of fashion. When a trend reaches its height, it will start to fade away until the point at which it is no longer seen as fashionable and enters the final stage of the cycle, where both the fashion industry and consumers shun it. However, the rejected style can reappear in the process after becoming obsolete because of the cyclical nature of fashion.