Sunday, 24 February 2013

Fast Fashion

I've been following London Food Freak (londonfoodfreak.com) for some time now and have noticed since reading his blogs the multitude of burger joints popping up in London all competing for attention of the time poor, trendy Londoners with a craving for greasy fast food made of quality ingredients.



You would think by now burgers would be overdone, become blasé and a new food trend would have emerged but the burgers seem to have staying power.



Whilst searching on Trendhunter I also found fast food had strangely had an impact on fashion design.

asos burger and chips jumper

Cheeseburger Backpack

Mary Rebecca Hamburger Ring

Hamburger Sweater by Mr Gugu and Miss Go





Local Heroes - Burger Tee (as seen on Cara Delevingne)

BURGER tee

Do The Harlem Shake!

Baauer - Harlem Shake



Since discussing the diffusion of innovation curve I've been using it to identify trends that I think are currently emerging.

Baauer's Harlem Shake has gone viral in the short few months it has been available on the internet due to one video of four boys flailing around their room as the beat kicks in.



There has been a lot of frustration from the hip hop community and the residents of Harlem as its not true to the origin of the Harlem Shake




Following the diffustion of innovation curve this is how Harlem Shaking once again became a trend

TREND: The Harlem Shake

Innovators
1980's dance community (New York - Harlem)

Early Adapters
1990 -  2000's Rappers and musicians (doing the dance in their videos - P Diddy, Eve, Mase)

Early Majority
MTV generation music listeners and dancers (Worldwide)

Late Majority
NYC Upper East side and Soho Trap scene (being introduced to term 'Harlem Shake' through Baauer's music)

Laggards
General global public that missed out on original Harlem Shake (Harlem Shake 2013 dance becomes viral)




This revamped version of the Harlem Shake even showcased in Fashion Week so I have no doubt 80's clothing will be incorporated in street style this year.




Cara Delevingne, Jourdan Dunn & Rosie Tapner Harlem Shaking 
at A/W13 Topshop Unique show backstage





Anna Karenina

I was intrigued by how trend moves in cycles and styles from different eras come in and out of fashion.
Whilst looking in to historical influences on trends I found the turn of the century novel by Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina.

The novel is set in 1870's Russia and has recently been remade into a film.

I watched the film, without having read the book first which was a mistake because it was clearly massively condensed and contained a lot of symbolism that would be better portrayed through words than film. In any case I was able to take note of the beautiful costumes of that era and kept an eye out for any similar styles of clothing in the media or shops.


Anna Karenina 2012 costumes







Anna Karenina [2012]





mood

Anna Karenina 2012


Key features: delicate folds, lace, veils, bustles, corsets, pearls, decadent accessories, hats / fascinators, fur




Turn of the century inspired fashion in 2013



Kiera Knightley at Anna Karenina Premiere


Alicia Vikander from Anna Karenina looked stunning in  this teal lace number with contrasting belt. |The Oscars 2013 Best Dressed|

Alicia Vikander Oscars 2013


Mary Dockery at the 2013 Golden Globes in an Alexander Vauthier gold and lace white gown www.gotoGreaterLengths.com for more style and fashion for #modest #fashion

Mary Dockery Golden Globes 2013









Dolce & Gabbana A/W13





Ralph Lauren Fall 2013 Runway Fashion - Harpers BAZAAR

Ralph Lauren A/W13



Spring 2013 Trend Report: Lace (Valentino) | More lace here: http://mylusciouslife.com/pictures-of-lace/

VALENTINO HOUTE COUTURE SPRING/SUMMER 2013 High Fashion Haute Couture glamour featured

Valentino S/S13



This design is by alexander mcqeen it has a corset like frame around it with hexigon shapes this reminds me of the architecture in the palm house in sefton park.

Woven Corset Trend for Spring Summer 2013.  Alexander McQueen Spring Summer 2013. #fashion #trends

Alexander McQueen S/S13




Tadashi Shoji: Inspired by costumes from the celluloid "Anna Karenina," red-carpet fave Shoji chose pleated chiffon, velvet and lace, giving them the imperial treatment in jewel shades. #NYFW

Tadashi Shoji NYFW



Lace-back wedding dress, Claire Pettibone, Spring 2013.

Claire Pettibone S/S13



Lace pant suit from Houghton Bride, 2013

Houghton Bride 2013



Off-the-shoulder lace wedding dress from Lazaro, Spring 2013.

Lazaro S/S13



Chanel Couture Pearl Dress and Necklace

Chanel SS13

labellefabuleuse:    Backstage at Chanel, Spring 2013

Chanel S/S13




More Pinterest finds...

fascinator

Big Bottom Lashes and Lace Eyebrows

Anna Selezneva By Ian McKell For Numero Magazine #142 #smoke #mist #red #veil #black #lace #fashion #editorial

fascinator

Paris Haute Couture İlkbahar – Yaz / Spring – Summer 2013 Defileleri Sokak Modası spring summer street style

pearls and broaches | street style | http://wearabout.files.wordpress.com/

Street Style en Paris Fashion Week © Josefina Andrés

HAUTE COUTURE STREET STYLE: SPRING 2013

Thursday, 14 February 2013

Exploring the Diffusion of Innovation Curve

In today's lesson we were looking at the definition of a trend and the development pattern trends follow called the diffusion of innovation curve. 

We discussed examples of the diffusion of innovation curve we've witnessed in society and fashion. 




Definition of a Trend Forecaster
Trend forecasters are lifestyle detectives: men and women who spend their time detecting patterns or shifts in attitudes, mindsets, or lifestyle options, that run against current thinking or how people normally behave, live, dress, communicate, and trade.


Definition of a Trend
A trend can be emotional, intellectual, and even spiritual.  A trend can be defined as a direction which something tends to move and which has consequential impact on the culture, society, or business sector through which it moves.

The words “style” or “movement” are sometimes used to describe the changes taking place over a period of time.   Style is a distinctive manner, aesthetic, method, or way of expressing something “new”, while a trend is the “direction” in which something new or different moves.  So a style is about difference, while a trend is about difference and the direction along which that difference travels.
                                                 

Martin Raymond – The Trend Forecasters Handbook






Diffusion of Innovation

The “Innovators are the individuals who are responsible for the development of an innovation or the introduction of a new idea.  The Innovators may not have created the original idea but they are the people who articulate it in a way that makes sense to other members of their tribe or group.

The” Early Adapters” are connected to the Innovators, either close friends or colleagues and are happy to be exposed to new ideas as they trust and respect the Innovators.  The early Adapters usually have a high degree of interconnections or involvement with other groups and are essential for spreading the trends.  Forecasters use the term “critical mass” to describe the point at which a trend becomes infectious few people can resist it.  This is also known as the “tipping point”, or the point at which a trend tips over from being a minority concern to a majority one that is highly visible and influential.

The “Early Majority” respects the Early Adapters and therefore take on the trends.  These are usually highly sociable people, usually active on-line.  Making up a large percentage of the public they are followers but will follow opinions of those they trust.  These people will stay with a trend for quite some time which will filter through to the “Late Majority”.

The” Late Majority” are conservative by nature and require high levels of reassurance and explanation about how a new idea will work and how they can benefit from it before they buy into it.  They are a large percentage of the population.  Quite often the trend would have been adopted by this crowd in a watered down format.  This crowd are easier to target and their tastes easier to define therefore many companies concentrate their efforts servicing this group because it is easier to imitate than it is to innovate

“Laggards” are the slowest to adopt new ideas.  They are usually conservative and traditionalists, and would need a lot of reassurance to try something new.  When a trend has been adopted by the Laggards trend forecasters refer to it as being “flat-lined”, the end of a trend being useful to a forecaster.



Diffusion of Innovations – Everett M. Rogers” 




In lesson






After this discussion I began to think of trends I have witnessed go through the same pattern.

I immediately thought of my Dad being an example of laggard and that he had recently been introduced to the fusion restaurant Sushi Samba in Heron Tower, London that opened on 1st August 2012. The diffusion of innovation curve for Sushi Samba would most likely have gone like this:






TREND : Fusion Restaurants

Innovator
Shimon Bokovza (founder, entrepreneur, creative pioneer in restaurant industry)

Early Adapters
Chefs (highly skilled, creative non traditional cooks)

Early Majority
Food bloggers / critics (in the know, refined taste palette)

Late Majority
Inner city workers (well paid, noticed the restaurant on their commute to work / through word of mouth)

Laggards
General public (have heard positive reviews, willing to try something new)