Episode Overview
Understanding trends is so important when you work in fashion. If you want your designs to stand out and capture your market, you can’t just know what’s big now; you have to know what’s going to be big next. It’s vital to know how to predict fashion trends, and that’s where trend forecasters like Wendy Bendoni come in.
From her two+ decades of experience in trend analysis and fashion marketing, including working at WGSN, Wendy shares why trends are the lifeblood of fashion, how trend forecasting has evolved over the past 20+ years, what to do if trend analysis sounds like work you want to pursue, and how as a designer you can sharpen your eye to spot what’s next in YOUR niche.
Episode Highlights
Introduction to the Podcast
- Heidi introduces the podcast, emphasizing the competitive nature of the fashion industry and her goal to break down barriers and offer valuable knowledge from industry experts.
Introducing Wendy Bendoni
- Introduction of guest Wendy Bendoni, a fashion forecaster and trend scientist with over 25 years of experience.
Wendy’s Early Career
- Wendy shares her beginnings in fashion forecasting, working as an intern and eventually being hired at a fashion forecasting company in Los Angeles.
The Role of Trend Walls
- Wendy explains the concept of trend walls she witnessed at Cotton Incorporated in London and how it sparked her interest in fashion forecasting.
First Job Responsibilities
- Discusses her role in trend forecasting, shopping for retail trends, taking photographs of street trends, and the challenge of using film in the early days.
Travel and Trend Research
- Wendy recounts her extensive travels through Europe for trend research, her methodologies, and the qualitative research she conducted by observing consumer behavior and shopping patterns.
Shift to Digital and Role at WGSN
- Details on Wendy’s transition to working for WGSN, covering U.S. cities and how the internet began influencing fashion trends.
Impact of Bloggers and Digital Shift
- Wendy discusses the rise of bloggers in 2006-2007, their impact on traditional fashion media, and how it changed the trend forecasting process.
Challenges During the 2008 Financial Crisis
- Describes the additional challenges brought on by the 2008 financial crisis and how it affected the fashion industry.
Introduction of Social Media in Trend Forecasting
- How social media and tools like Pinterest are now used for trend forecasting and the shift from qualitative to quantitative research methods.
Analyzing Data for Trends
- Wendy explains how data scraping and analytics are used to understand trends, consumer preferences, and the impact of real-time social media.
Practical Advice for Trend Spotting
- Offers advice on how smaller brands can use social media, hashtags, and influencers to spot and analyze trends effectively.
Writing for Trend Science
- The importance of good writing skills and having a strong understanding of both design software and social media analytics for a career in trend forecasting.
Final Thoughts
- Wendy provides insights into the importance of continually educating oneself about industry changes and being adaptable to sustain success in the fashion industry.
Key Questions and Responses
1. How did you kick start your career in fashion forecasting?
- Wendy explains that she initially didn’t know about fashion forecasting as a career. She was studying fashion marketing and minored in computer programming. Her real passion for trends began during a field trip to Cotton Incorporated in London. Wendy later interned at Report West in LA, which focused on LA lifestyle and trends, shaping her career in forecasting.
2. What did your day-to-day look like as a fashion forecaster in the early days?
- Wendy recounts her early duties, which included shopping for trendy items in LA, photographing street trends, and writing detailed reports. She emphasizes that trend forecasters had to be attuned to the business side of things and be accurate in their predictions.
3. How has fashion forecasting changed with the advent of social media and the internet?
- Wendy notes that the introduction of bloggers, Myspace, and Instagram led to more transparency and real-time trend tracking. This made it harder for designers and retailers to keep up with the speed of trends. Consumers started seeing trends as soon as they appeared on the runway, altering the traditional cycle of fashion forecasting.
4. What was the shift when social media and tools like Instagram really took off?
- Wendy highlights that social media allowed consumers to access behind-the-scenes fashion shows and trends in real time, challenging the traditional gatekeepers of trends. This democratization led to a more complex and fast-paced industry, where predicting trends required more immediate data and a global perspective.
5. What advice do you have for people who want to break into fashion forecasting or trend science?
- Wendy advises aspiring forecasters to understand both the creative and analytical sides of the business. Key skills include writing, social media analytics, a strong grasp of market trends, and knowledge of consumer behavior. She also emphasizes the importance of continually educating oneself and being adaptable to changes in the industry.
6. How do you suggest designers or buyers track trends if they don’t have access to advanced tools?
- Wendy suggests starting with social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest by following relevant hashtags and influencers. She advises doing competitive analysis and looking at what resonates with similar brands. Engaging with the data available through insights on these platforms can help in identifying patterns and emerging trends.
7. Can you talk about your work with Magic and how it helps designers and buyers?
- Wendy describes her role in creating trend reports for the fashion trade show Magic. She combines qualitative research with data science to provide practical, actionable insights for attendees. She highlights her commitment to supporting designers, buyers, and merchandisers by offering accessible and relevant trend information tailored to their needs.
About Wendy:
Wendy is a trend analyst who has spent more than 25 years with her fingers on the pulse of where fashion would go next. She’s been featured as a trend expert in the Huffington Post and Forbes, and she’s created over 300 trend reports for clients from TopShop to Nordstrom to the MAGIC trade show.
From WGSN, to jetsetting across Europe five times a year, to sharing what she’s learned as chair of the Fashion Marketing and Marketing departments at Woodbury University, she has amassed a huge wealth of knowledge on what makes consumers tick, and how designers of all kinds can stay one step ahead.
Resources & People Mentioned
- Free resources for SFD Podcast listeners!
- Wendy’s book, Social Media for Fashion Marketing
- Connect with Wendy on LinkedIn
- Follow Wendy on Instagram