By Sunil Talekar, SOFT

FASHION FORECASTING
 FASHION FORECASTING
* Foreseeing fashion trends and predicting those
trends early enough to allow time for production to
meet the consumer demand.
* Because of the time required for textile design and
development, the textile segment leads in recognizing
fashion directions.
* Textile designers work at least 18 months ahead of
the schedule for products to hit the market.
 FASHION TREND
*** The direction of movement of public acceptance of
color, texture, and silhouette in fashion.

•What are the newest styles and silhouettes?

•What are the important colors for upcoming seasons?
•What are the newest developments in the fiber and fabric
markets?
•What is happening to materials and labor prices?
•Where are companies having garments made?
 THE IMPORTANCE OF
FORECASTING
* Accurate forecasting makes it possible for the
fashion industry segments to prepare for and meet
consumer demand with products that will be accepted
and purchased.

* Keen worldwide competition increases the

importance of accurate trend identification.
 WHO IS INVOLVED IN FORECASTING?
(cont.)
Examples of fashion services
* Doneger Creative Services
* Promostyl
* ESP Trend Lab
* Carlin International
* Here and There
* Trend Union
* WGSN
 WHO IS INVOLVED IN FORECASTING?
(cont.)
Fashion designers
Color services: Fashion and textile industry
professionals who meet twice a year to pool their
knowledge of color cycles and preferences and to
project color trends for the future.
Yarn colors or swatches are sent to designers and
merchandisers to plan their color stories and purchase
fabrics.
 WHO IS INVOLVED IN FORECASTING?
(cont.)
Examples of color services

* Standard Color of Textile Dictionnaire

* Pantone, Inc.
* International Color Authority
* The Color Box
* The Color Marketing Group
* Concepts in Color
* Huepoint
* Color Portfolio, Inc.
WHO IS INVOLVED IN FORECASTING?
(cont.)

* Fashion merchandisers

* Retail store owners/managers

 ACTIVITIES IN FASHION
FORECASTING
• Making and reporting predictions
• Coordinating information from fiber,
yarn, and apparel companies, and textile
shows worldwide
• Analyzing the fashion press, visiting the
world’s fashion centers, and observing
fashion leaders
 ACTIVITIES IN FASHION
FORECASTING
• Conducting marketing research
– Consumer research
• Surveys by telephone or mail to determine income
levels, lifestyles, fashion preferences, and shopping
habits
• Consumer focus groups to discuss the pros and cons of
currently offered merchandise
• In-store informal interviewing to assess what
customers like and dislike
 ACTIVITIES IN FASHION
FORECASTING
• Conducting marketing research (cont.)
– Market research
• Study of market conditions
• Study consumer lifestyles
• Study of current events, the arts, and
the mood of the public
 ACTIVITIES IN FASHION
FORECASTING
• Conducting marketing research (cont.)
– Sales research
• Evaluation of previous sales trends
• Rising sales
• Declining sales
• Weak sales
 ACTIVITIES IN FASHION
FORECASTING
• Conducting marketing research (cont.)
– Comparison shopping
• Current popular designer collections
• Review of fashion publications, catalogs,
websites
• Observation of “street” fashions and
celebrity wardrobes
 SOURCES OF INFORMATION
• Trade publications
– Magazines, newspapers, and books about
and for a specific industry
– Examples: WWD and DNR
 SOURCES OF INFORMATION
• Consumer publications
• Magazines that provide fashion news for the
consumer
• Examples: Teen, Vogue, Glamour, G