TREND REPORT

The State of the Trend: Are Trends Dead, or Are They Just Being Recycled in an Endless Loop?

Where do trends come from? Are they cycling slower or faster? And what eventually kills them? Three of fashion’s savviest buyers weigh in on the state of the trend in 2017.


If fashion trends are meant to be a sign of the times—from Millennial pink to athleisure at the workplace—then the state of the trend itself can also be an indicator of the ebb and flow of culture. And as the fashion industry matures in the digital age, trends are not only coming and going at different rates, (is merch really dead?), but also emerging from new and varied sources. Every day it seems there’s a new trend to know about, so much that it can be hard to keep up.

So today, as we begin to enter not only a new season but also a new age (Mercury’s finally out of retrograde…), it’s useful to ask: Where do trends come from? Are they cycling faster than ever before, or not fast enough? And what eventually kills them? And who better to answer these questions than buyers, who spend their days gauging not only what’s trending, but also thinking about what real people want, and why.

“For so long, trends came from pop culture and the runways,” said Roopal Patel, the fashion director at Saks Fifth Avenue. “But these days with technology, trends are also coming from much more obscure resources and places than one would think.”

In addition to trends now being dictated by teenagers on Instagram—they’re also coming from different areas of culture, Patel elaborated. As we become more concerned with wellness, for example, designers are looking more into areas of sport, hence the proliferation of athleisure. The same goes for eco-consciousness and sustainable fabrics.

“Everyone keeps wondering when this athleisure trend is going to go away,” said Patel. “But designers are looking at how people are living their day-to-day lives. Before, you would only wear sneakers to the gym. And now you have sneakers for every aspect of your life.”

So, while some trends are still in one day and out the next, others have a longer shelf life if they’re in sync with what we need, rather than what we want at any given moment.

This is What Fashionable Athleisure is Supposed to Look Like

From left: Moncler Gamme Rouge jacket and shorts; Bally shirt; Tuleste rings; Dior sneakers. Joseph top and jackets; Calvin Klein Underwear bralette; Yang Li skirt; Agmes cuff; Versace boots. Dries Van Noten jacket; Prada shirt; Moncler pants; Nike sneakers. Prada coat and shirt; Calvin Klein pants; Nike sneakers. Versace sweatshirt, skirt, and boots; (right wrist) Agmes cuffs; (left hand, from left) Courrèges hand cuff, Saint Ann Jewelry by Ann Marie Spinelli cuff, Agmes cuff. Balmain dress and pants; Ambush earrings; Spinelli Kilcollin cuff; Alyx belt; Dior boots.

Photo by Emma Summerton, styled by Giovanna Battaglia.

From left: Mugler dress; Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. cuffs; Fendi boots. Max Mara bodysuit, pants, and belt; Eddie Borgo earrings; (right hand) Bulgari bangles; (left hand) Chanel Fine Jewelry bracelets; No. 21 shoes. DKNY jacket, bralette, and briefs; Fendi sandals; Puma soccer ball. Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci shirt, T-shirt, and trousers; Nike sneakers. Mugler bodysuit; MSGM top (around waist); Eddie Borgo necklaces; Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. cuffs; Versace sandals. Lanvin jacket; Outdoor Voices pants; Nike lanyard; Hermès sneakers; Hood By Air dress; Tuleste rings; Salvatore Ferragamo sandals. Beauty note: Smooth your moves with Yes To Shower Cocktail Body Wash Hydrating.

Photo by Emma Summerton, styled by Giovanna Battaglia.

From left: Fendi sports bra and briefs; Chromat top with detachable sleeves; Eddie Borgo necklaces; DKNY shoes; Alexis Bittar Archive Collection bracelet. Dior bra, briefs, and boots; Roxanne Assoulin choker; David Yurman bracelet.

Photo by Emma Summerton, styled by Giovanna Battaglia.

From left: Adidas Originals by Alexander Wang shirt; Tory Sport skirt; No. 21 sandals. Dior Homme cardigan and pants; Calvin Klein Underwear briefs; Adidas Originals sneakers. Fendi top, pants, and boots; Paco Rabanne shorts; Altuzarra earrings; Ben-Amun by Isaac Manevitz black bangles; Alexis Bittar Archive Collection bangles. Chloé dress; Speedo USA bra (underneath); Altuzarra earrings; Nike lanyard (worn as choker); (bangles, from top) Ben-Amun by Isaac Manevitz, David Yurman, Dinosaur Designs; Fendi boots. Stylist’s own swimsuit; Cartier necklace; Fendi sandals. Gosha Rubchinskiy x Sergio Tacchini jacket and pants; Gosha Rubchinskiy x Fila sneakers. Fusalp jacket; AMI Alexandre Mattiussi pants; Fila sneakers. Prada top, shorts, and belt; Altuzarra earrings; (bangles, from top) Alexis Bittar Archive Collection, Dinosaur Designs, Dinosaur Designs; Salvatore Ferragamo sandals; Spalding volleyballs.

Photo by Emma Summerton, styled by Giovanna Battaglia.

From left: IRO poncho; Adidas Originals by Alexander Wang shirt; Dior Homme pants; Hermès sneakers. Proenza Schouler dress, feather slip, earrings, and sandals; Nike leggings; Roxanne Assoulin choker. Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci shirt, T-shirt, trousers, and sneakers; Spalding basketball. Tory Sport jacket and shorts; Paco Rabanne T-shirt; Alessandra Rich headband; Cartier bracelet; Miu Miu shoes. Acne Studios jacket and shorts; Balmain sweater and leggings; Christopher Kane sneakers. Adidas Originals by Alexander Wang shirt; Rag & Bone pants; Adidas Originals sneakers.

Photo by Emma Summerton, styled by Giovanna Battaglia.

From left: Prada jacket; Roxy wet suit; Adidas Originals by Alexander Wang sneakers. Maison Margiela embellished jacket, skirt, and sandals; WXYZ Jewelry bracelet. Prada vest and pants; Nike lanyard and sneakers. Alexander Wang jacket and shorts; Roxy wet suit top (around waist); Prada neck strap; Fendi sneakers. Sacai jacket (around waist); Christopher Kane shorts and sneakers; EA7 swim shorts (underneath); A.P.C.O.V. tights; Prada backpack. Esteban Cortázar dress and leggings; Proenza Schouler earrings and sandals; Roxanne Assoulin chokers; Tuleste rings. Beauty note: StriVectin Stress Defense Hydrating Water Gel won’t leave you high and dry.

Photo by Emma Summerton, styled by Giovanna Battaglia.
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Claire Distenfeld, the founder of Fivestory believes that because trends are coming from so many different sources today, that they’re cycling at a slower rate than than in previous years.

“There’s a lot more surface area for them to stick,” she said. “Meaning there are more outlets for people to see them. It’s almost a snowball effect: the trends get bigger and bigger, more widespread, and more sanctioned through all these different platforms.” She used Millennial pink as an example of a trend that went from a small community of creatives to huge companies—and is still going strong.

It’s for this same reason, though, that Bruce Pask, the men’s fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman believes the opposite. “I think we cycle in and out of trends much more quickly than in the past simply because there is so much visual information out there constantly repopulating our feeds,” he said. “There is a hunger for the new and the next.”

Meanwhile, Patel stands somewhere in the middle, saying that there are two kinds of shoppers when it comes to following trends: “There are the fast fans who need something now, and then it’s gone tomorrow. And social media really feeds this immediacy. But then most runway needs more time to percolate to hit mainstream.”

In other words, there are the trend obsessives Pask describes, who are on the frontlines responding immediately to the trends they see in their various feeds. And then there are the rest of us, who are just catching on to trends as others are discarding them.

In this way, we can perhaps all agree that trends are more ubiquitous and easily digestible in 2017, but as a result they’re reaching different people at different times, meaning their cycle is more like crashing waves, rather than a bell curve.

Pask sees this with menswear, specifically. “Menswear trends or arcs, as we can say, definitely move at a more modified pace,” he said in comparison to womenswear. “But it also depends upon which worlds we are examining. Are we looking at the broad world of menswear or are we pinpointing a fashion follower or early adopters?”

With wider, fuller trousers, for example, “early adopters” are catching on to the trend, which they saw on the recent men’s runways, on Instagram, or in fashion publications. But it will take a little longer for this trend to reach the mainstream—if at all.

‘Tis the Season to Wear Pink–In Every Shade

“I have to be honest: I’ve never been a fan of pink. But this season labels like Valentino, Céline, and Bottega Veneta—all of which showed great-looking dresses in shocking hues—have me changing my tune.” -Rickie De Sole, Fashion Market and Accessories Director

Valentino dress, $5,500, Valentino, New York, 212.772.6969; Simone Rocha earrings, $150 (right) and $235 (left), net-a-porter.com; Altuzarra shoes, $1,295, net-a-porter.com.

Photographs by Benjamin Vnuk, Styled by Lindsey Frugier; Hair by Blake Erik for Oribe Hair Care at JeD Root; Makeup by Junko Kioka for Chanel at Joe Management; Manicure by Elisa Ferri for Chanel at See management; Set Design by Mila Taylor-Young at d+V management; Model: Wallette Watson at Q management NYC; Digital Technician: Jonathan Nesteruk; Photography Assistant: Sam Evans-Butler; Assistant Set Designer: Holly Hmiddouche

Sarah Hendler 
Earrings, $13,200, marissacollections.com

“To some, these one-of-a-kind rubellite danglers might seem girly. I think they’re fierce.” -Grace Fuller, Jewelry Editor

Prada bag, $2,160, prada.com.

Josephine Schiele; Styled by John Olson at Halley Resources

“These aviators will literally have me seeing the world through rose-colored lenses.” -Sam Walker, Associate Accessories and Men’s Market Editor

Josephine Schiele; Styled by John Olson at Halley Resources

Spinelli Kilcollin ring, $13,600, spinellikilcollin.com.

Courtesy of Spinelli Kilcollin

Byredo candles, $85 each, byredo.com

Josephine Schiele; Styled by John Olson at Halley Resources

“A blazer in petal pink is the perfect marriage 
of masculine and feminine.” -Sarah Zendejas, Fashion Market Editor

Tim Hout; Styled by John Olson at Halley Resources

Altuzarra Dress, $995, net-a-porter.com

Reformation Dress, $240, net-a-porter.com

Apiece Apart Dress, $475, net-a-porter.com

Osman Dress, $355, matchesfashion.com

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There is one aspect of trends, however, that is certainly cycling faster than ever before: nostalgia. It has always been the case with fashion that in time, what’s old becomes new again—take the return of the ’80s, for example. But as younger consumers become both more engaged and influential, trends of the past are returning more quickly. Currently, we’re still in the 2000s, but we’re already nostalgic about what Paris Hilton wore 10 years ago.

“I was excited and surprised to see the Juicy Couture tracksuit come back around with Vetements,” said Patel of this phenomenon. “It’s coming back for a whole new generation to try.”

Even if a trend is new to some eyes, though, designers can’t simply just bring back the same looks of the past. Instead, each season they’re challenged with the task of taking a trend and making it new and fresh. Then, it’s up to the buyers to evolve with both designers and their customers.

With off-the-shoulder tops, for example, Distenfeld remembers posting a photo five years ago of one of Rosie Assoulin‘s looks, saying that it would be the next new trend.

“Now you need an off-the-shoulder top with ruffles,” said Patel on the same subject. “Next you need one shoulder.”

From Gucci to Rosie Assoulin, Spring Is All About the Sleeves

From left: Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello top; Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh dress; Chanel top.

Photograph by Matthew Sprout; Hair by Holly Mills for Aveda at Tim Howard Management; Makeup by Justine Purdue for DIOR at Tim Howard Management; Models: Katherine Moore at Trump Models, Camilla Christensen at Silent Models, Sophie Rask at One Management; Manicures by Honey at Exposure; photography assistants: Harris Mizrahi, Jonathan Fasulo; fashion assistant: Alban Roger.

Orseund Iris Silk Button-Down, $350, orseundiris.com

Elizabeth and James Mini Dress, $395, net-a-porter.com

Saint Laurent Leather Dress, $4,990, farfeth.com

Burberry Cotton Shirt, $895, burberry.com

Ellery Bubble Sleeve Dress, $1,834, farfetch.com

Jacquemus White Dress, $614, jacquemus.com

Pixie Market Ruffled Shirt, $112, pixiemarket.com

Rosie Assoulin Cork Screw Top, $1,695, modaoperandi.com

Gucci Lurex shirt, $3,700, Gucci.com

Prada Feather-trimmed shirt, $1,560, net-a-porter.com

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While buyers and editors have always welcomed the task of giving consumers a gentle hand with evolving trends, consumers are now just as informed, and oftentimes know exactly what they want. When those crystal Saint Laurent boots walked the runway, for example, Patel said there was a waitlist for them the following day. It’s not exactly “see now, buy now,” but it’s indicative of a culture in which trends are defined immediately.

“At Bergdorf Goodman, we often receive requests for pieces immediately after they’ve been seen worn on musicians,” said Pask. “Take Drake’s red Moncler parka, for example, or the printed silk Saint Laurent bomber Justin Bieber wore.”

But at the same time, celebrities are also now styling themselves based on what they see young people or influencers doing on social media. So, instead of trends coming from top down in popular culture and like they used to, they’re looping in an infinite figure-eight.

At what point do they stop, though? Do we ever say enough is enough anymore, or do trends snowball endlessly into the void?

“Over-exposure is a trend’s best friend, but also it’s worst enemy,” said Distenfeld. And with this, every buyer agreed. By definition, a trend is something that a collective of people are participating in, but in fashion, to be trendy is to be one step ahead of everyone else. It’s for this reason that buyers often tire of a trend before the mainstream public, but eventually Millennials will grow out of pink and shoulders will get cold.

“It’s funny, because for me, ‘trend’ is actually the worst word,” said Distenfeld. “It’s a way of saying, ‘This is a way to look like everyone else.’”

However, at the end of the day, Distenfeld also knows that the trend itself—or whatever you want to call it—will never go out of fashion. We haven’t evolved that much, yet.

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