Fashion Marketing: Contemporary Issues, Second edition - Pr School

The process of trend development leading to a fashion season 171
a season can carry many different fashion colours and stories to satisfy the
diversity of tastes among various consumer segments.
Although trends in fashion are reflected through a variety of design elements,
it is believed that customers respond to colour first. There are a number
of reasons for this, including strong social and cultural semiotic associations
that are learned and, more simply, because a colour is obviously noticeable
as it covers the surface of the product. Where fashion products are black,
white or neutral in appearance it is common for colour to be used in the packaging
or visual merchandising of such products to provide seasonal context.
Fashions may also be strongly reflected through fabric qualities (e.g. performance
related, faded, sheer), fabric patterns, product silhouette, product styling,
trims and packaging. Colour is the attribute that is agreed upon earliest in
the trend development process, some 18–20 months prior to a season. During
these early stages emphasis is on the context and qualities of colour such as
‘a cool colour palette’ or ‘chalky textures’ indicating a range of tones and shades
within a particular colour. Typically colours become more specific the closer
they are to a particular season. The exact timing varies among trend specialists
but two examples include WGSN and Promostyl. WGSN provided their
clients with details of colour relating to Spring 2007 in July 2005. Promostyl
provided details of colour for the same season in June 2005 but proceeded to
reveal their complete view of Summer 2007 (fabric, shape, styling, print and
detail) at their client presentation in December 2005.
Fashion trends may vary in longevity, with a particular ‘look’ crossing many
seasons. This could be a colour, a fabric attribute (e.g. sheer) and a garment
shape (e.g. neck line or skirt length). It could also be a focus on a part of the
body such as the midriff, which may generate a variety of designs utilizing
different garment shapes (e.g. low slung hipster pants or tops that are short
in the body). Stone (1990) writes of ‘rules’ where a fashion emphasis concentrates
on a part of the body, for example the legs or midriff, until the interest
or variety of looks is fully exploited. Through varying emphases and interpretations,
this may take a number of seasons. Own-brand fashion buyers will
also want to exploit a particularly successful shape or style, which can also
extend the longevity of a fashion trend.
Fashion seasons
When examining fashion trends, the issue of fashion seasons emerges as a
context in which the trends can be understood. The term ‘season’ refers to a
period of time during which fashion products are sold. The specific period of
the selling time associated with a season will vary according to the nature of
the fashion business. For example, a fabric manufacturer will sell fabric for
production of Spring/Summer (SS) merchandise many months before the SS
retail selling season begins.
Historically, there have been two clearly defined and traditional fashion
seasons, which are Autumn/Winter and SS. Easy (1995) explains that retailers