Once seen as an elite sport confined to a select few who gather at major fashion events in cities like New York, Milan, London, and Paris, predicting fashion trends has undergone significant transformation over the past decade.
With the rise of social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest, trend forecasting is no longer exclusive to influential magazine editors.
A quote from the 2006 film ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ captures this shift: ‘You still don’t get it, do you? Her opinion is the only one that matters.’ However, while elite opinions still hold sway, a democratization of trend prediction has emerged.
In a 2024 report by the data company Launchmetrics, it was revealed that over 40% of global consumers purchased clothing and accessories at least three times through social media, highlighting the new avenues for trends to spread.
Amy Sullivan, vice president of buying and private brands at online fashion retailer Stitch Fix, elaborated on this evolution, stating, ‘There is more information available, certainly. And I think the trends because of social media move faster.’
As the volume of data grows, industry players are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to stay competitive.
Sullivan shared an example of how AI recently guided her team in a decision on whether to select a red or blue striped shirt for the upcoming Spring season.
‘In the past, you either made a spot decision or requested samples from vendors that could take weeks and cost a lot,’ she noted.
‘But we just put it into AI and you can actually see it in a full on-body image and make the right decision.’ In this case, the team opted for blue.
The application of AI in fashion extends across a variety of areas, including creating personalized customer experiences and managing supply chains.
AI is also instrumental in predicting which items are likely to become popular in the upcoming seasons by analyzing diverse data sources.
Noémie Voyer, the fashion expertise lead at Heuritech, a Paris-based company that collaborates with high-profile brands, explained, ‘Our models track everything from runway shows to social media.’
Heuritech’s vast data resources enable their AI to identify emerging trends months before they hit the mainstream market.
‘Our AI successfully predicted a number of trends for next year, including dotted prints, flat-thong sandals, and the color yellow,’ Voyer stated, emphasizing that these trends are already making their appearances on this year’s runways.
Ultimately, they will trickle down to mainstream retailers like Target and H&M.
Despite these advancements, there is a consensus among industry experts that AI cannot independently predict fashion trends.
As Voyer remarked, ‘While our AI is extremely sophisticated, the human aspect still remains essential.’
Francesca Muston, chief forecasting officer at WGSN, a global consumer trend forecasting firm serving brands like Levi’s and Coach, echoed this sentiment.
She noted, ‘We can use AI to supercharge what we do. But you have to really start putting a lot of rigor and a lot of process into what you’re doing.’
AI excels at predicting how much inventory a retailer should stock, but human oversight is crucial to avoid misinterpretations of the data.
According to Muston, while social media trends can appear monumental, the transition from online engagement to real-world purchases is not always seamless.
She explained, ‘Are they actually going to go away and spend some money and wear it to the bar after work?’
As fashion continues to evolve in the digital age, the interplay between AI capabilities and human insight will define the industry’s future.
image source from：npr
