Analysis of the Trend: Part I

I've been thinking a lot about the idea of the "trend" lately. There are several components integral to the creation of the trend, and I don't think people tend to realize this. I speak of the average person, anyway, the consumer, not the anthropologist. People take clothing for granted and they never stop to think of why they wear what they wear.

How long do trends last?
These days, open any magazine and you'll see more than a dozen new trends pasted on any one page. This is not a one time occurrence - each month, each magazine scrambles to produce "the next big trend" so that its readers will keep buying their publication. Back when modes of fashion were first considered fashionable, trends would last up to decades at a time with variations on a theme. Nowadays, if you are really trendy, you adhere to the rules governed to you by the media considerably every week.

Who creates these trends?
Marie Antoinette. Charles Frederick Worth. Calvin Klein. These names are synonymous with trend setting throughout the ages. Even as little as ten years ago, the common person could trace a trend to its creator. Calvin Klein developed the slip dress, and although others copied the idea, it is still associated with him. In current times however, can we truly trace the origins of the Hobo Bag trend? The skinny jean? Ugg Boots?

Some say celebrities begin these trends. Then what inspires them? The designer? If so, why haven't they been given the recognition they deserve?

It could be that this world is getting considerably smaller and smaller each day, and it is not easy for creativity to thrive. Because of the internet's host of blogs, live media feed and variable search engines, if one designer creates something new and innovative, there is not enough time between the original design being showcased stand-alone and another company snatching up the idea for themselves. Designer's are being lumped together trend wise as their work is showcased on the catwalk. "Gucci, Prada, Valentino and Dior all displayed bright hues this season". Surely, these houses of fashion are not collaborating in a friendly manner. Is their originality fading, or is technology working against them?

TBC