Fashion Buyer and What is a Trend Forecaster | S1, E4 | Future of Fashion | British Vogue
Summary
TLDRIn this episode of 'Fashion Detective,' Alexa Chong explores the world of trend forecasting and meets Paul Smith, who has kept his brand relevant for over 45 years. She learns about the various roles within the fashion industry, including buyer Jud Crane at Selfridges, who shares insights into creating store environments. Trend forecasting's impact on fashion is discussed, with a focus on how global influences shape future trends. The episode also touches on the DIY culture in fashion and the rise of individual creators, hinting at a shift towards more personalized and accessible styles.
Takeaways
- 😀 Paul Smith has kept his fashion brand relevant for over 45 years by embracing change and moving with the times.
- 👔 The fashion industry offers a variety of creative jobs beyond just designing, including buying, press, social media, shop design, and management.
- 🚴♂️ Paul Smith's initial interest in fashion was sparked by a racing cyclist suit, leading to a career in fashion after an accident.
- 👗 The role of a buyer involves selecting items to sell based on personal taste and market trends, aiming to create an environment for customers.
- 🌟 Trend forecasting involves looking at cultural influences from various fields to predict how fashion will evolve in the future.
- 🌐 WGSN is a global leader in trend forecasting, providing valuable insights to thousands of brands worldwide.
- 🎨 Fashion is deeply emotional and personal, used to express identity and create a persona, making it an art form for many.
- 📈 The influence of fashion has shifted from top-down (elite designers) to peer-to-peer, with social media playing a significant role.
- 👖 The role of a trend forecaster involves researching and compiling information from various sources, including retail, catwalks, and social media.
- 🌱 The fashion industry is experiencing a DIY shift, allowing individuals to create their own trends and styles, reflecting a broader cultural change.
Q & A
What is the role of a trend forecaster in the fashion industry?
-A trend forecaster identifies and analyzes emerging trends across various cultural influences such as street fashion, food, cars, and more. They collect and present this information to customers, helping to set a backdrop for how fashion will develop in the future.
How does Paul Smith maintain the relevance of his brand?
-Paul Smith maintains the relevance of his brand by embracing the new and moving along with the times. He encourages young people to explore various roles within the fashion industry beyond just design, highlighting the many creative paths available.
What advice does Paul Smith give to young people interested in fashion?
-Paul Smith advises young people to be open to various roles within the fashion industry, not just focusing on becoming designers. He emphasizes the importance of being creative and exploring different areas such as buying, press, social media, and shop design.
What is the significance of the role of a buyer in fashion retail?
-The role of a buyer is significant as they are responsible for selecting products that will appeal to customers. They need to have a good understanding of customer preferences and market trends to make successful selections.
How does Jud Crane, the director of women's wear and accessories, describe her job?
-Jud Crane describes her job as seeing things she loves and buying them so that other people can buy them. She also mentions the importance of creating an environment for the customer by challenging brands to think differently about their portrayal in the store.
What is the importance of emotional connection in fashion according to the script?
-The script highlights that fashion is not just about image; it's about identity, how one feels, and creating a persona. It's an emotional art form that allows people to express personal aspects through what they wear.
How has the influence of fashion changed with the rise of social media and peer influence?
-The influence of fashion has shifted from being top-down, dictated by designers, to being more peer-to-peer influenced. Social media has played a significant role in this change, as it allows trends to spread quickly and makes it harder for anything to remain underground.
What does the script suggest about the future of fashion in terms of individual creativity?
-The script suggests that the future of fashion is moving towards more individual creativity and DIY culture. People are creating their own careers, whether as bloggers or online shop owners, and have the means to communicate their style to others.
What is the process of trend forecasting as described in the script?
-The process of trend forecasting involves looking at cultural influences from various sources like street fashion, food, cars, and more. Trend forecasters collect this information and present it to customers to help them anticipate future fashion developments.
How does the script describe the evolution of fashion from an elitist industry to a more inclusive one?
-The script describes the evolution of fashion as moving from an elitist industry, where trends were dictated by a few, to a more inclusive one where individuals have the power to create and share their own styles through various platforms, reflecting a broader range of influences.
Outlines
👔 Inside the World of Fashion with Paul Smith
Alexa Chong, a fashion detective, explores the fashion industry, focusing on the role of a trend forecaster and the work behind the Paul Smith brand. She visits Paul Smith's headquarters, where a young team works under the guidance of Paul himself. The room contains spring/summer men's clothes and accessories for the next year. Alexa expresses her love for the designs, and Paul shares his journey from a racing cyclist dream to a shop assistant and eventually meeting his wife who trained in couture fashion. He emphasizes the importance of cut and shape in clothing, and how he started with a small collection for men and later expanded to women. Alexa and Paul discuss the evolution of the brand and the various roles within the fashion industry, including buying, press, social media, and management. Paul advises aspiring designers to be open to different roles and to embrace change, as fashion is about today and tomorrow.
🛍️ The Life of a Fashion Buyer with Jud Crane
Jud Crane, the director of women's wear and accessories at Selfridges' Oxford Street store, discusses the role of a buyer in fashion. He explains that buyers select items they love with the intent of other people buying them, creating an environment for customers. Jud talks about the importance of understanding customer preferences and the emotional connection to fashion. He mentions that buyers come from various backgrounds, such as personal shopping, and that it's crucial to be objective and separate personal taste from what sells. The conversation highlights the emotional aspect of fashion and how it's more than just image; it's about identity and self-expression. The discussion also touches on how technology and innovative thinking have given birth to new industries, changing the face of fashion, with trend forecasting being a key example.
🌐 The Impact of Social Media on Fashion Trends
The script discusses the influence of social media on fashion trends, noting that street style and peer influence have become more significant than traditional designer dictates. It suggests a shift towards a DIY culture in fashion, where individuals create their own styles and careers, often online. The conversation reflects on how younger generations are less constrained by traditional paths and are more influenced by their peers and social media. The script also mentions a change in the fashion industry, with new and interesting designers emerging, possibly marking a new era in fashion. The narrative ends with a teaser for the next episode, which will be in Paris, discussing film with the creator of Dior and exploring unique Parisian brands.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Trend Forecaster
💡Fashion Industry
💡Paul Smith
💡Cultural Influences
💡Fashion System
💡Creative Jobs
💡Fashion Buying
💡Street Fashion
💡Fashion Technology
💡DIY Fashion
Highlights
Introduction to the role of a trend forecaster in the fashion industry.
Paul Smith discusses keeping his brand relevant for over 45 years.
The importance of a multi-talented team in driving a fashion brand forward.
Paul Smith's personal journey from a racing cyclist dream to a fashion icon.
The significance of cut and shape in fashion design.
Paul Smith's advice to young people on diverse career paths within fashion.
The role of curiosity in staying current in the fashion industry.
Jud Crane's perspective on the buyer's role in fashion retail.
The impact of visual merchandising on buyer's decisions.
The emotional connection between fashion and identity.
How technology and innovative thinking have transformed trend forecasting.
The process of collecting and analyzing global trends for fashion.
The influence of cultural phenomena on fashion trends.
The role of social media in shaping fashion trends and peer influence.
The rise of DIY culture and its impact on the fashion industry.
The shift towards individuality and self-expression in fashion.
The changing landscape of fashion careers and the opportunities for young designers.
Transcripts
me again Alexa Chong fashion detective
delving deep behind the seams it was a
pun to show you the truth about the
fashion industry and the amazing people
who work in it in this episode I'm
finding out what a trend forecaster is
and trying not to steal things from Paul
[Music]
Smith having kept his classic brand
relevant for over 45 years Paul has
succeeded where many others have
failed so people in fashion are really
sane at business HQ in koven Garden a
young and talented team work under the
ever enthusiastic guidance of the man
himself driving the brand forward into a
bright future what is this room then
this is spring spring next year uh men's
clothes and accessories I love this I
love that and all that all
the that's my jam that's my jam peace
this is my suit to
[Music]
traveling Bravo look at that oh it makes
me want to be a
boy check your bags on the way
out look they from my garden are they
yeah I wanted to be a racing cyclist
right you know and uh it never happened
uh because I had a bad crash and then I
ended up uh meeting people from the art
school in Nottingham and then I worked
as a shop assistant and then I met a
lady who became my girlfriend and now my
wife and she trained at the raw College
of Art in Couture fashion right and so
that was fantastic so all my teaching
was uh at home on the kitchen table you
know uh how to cut a pattern how to you
know put a sleeve in and the importance
of cut and shape and at 21 I saw s Lon
the first the first smoking suit when
they walked on and went like that and
there was little boobies underneath and
it was like because it was very you know
shocking at the time uh we started a
little collection I mean lit literally
two jackets for shirts for men to start
with and then about 20 years ago for
women people refer to Paul Smith as
brand and I it's a bit weird for me yeah
I say well yeah am i Brand yeah yeah
he's WR my Underpants but I mean well
I'm my watch actually do young people
approach you and ask you're advice all
the time yeah so what what's what do
they want to know when I walk around the
building with like the students you know
I said first of all you all might want
to be designers but in a way get that
out of your head because as you walk
around the building I'm going to show
you lots of lovely jobs you can do with
that skill there's buying there's press
there's uh social media there's shop
design there's styling there's
management there so many great jobs you
can get if you go through that fashion
system yeah yeah and they're still
creative you're still like very creative
yeah very
creative part of your success has been
down to the fact that you've always
embraced the new and you you've moved
along with the times but is that
something that just comes naturally to
you as a person you just excited about
I'm very curious person whereas a lot of
people I think they they start they
leave a university or college and then
they have this look and then it goes on
and on and unfortunately a lot of them
don't really change from it and then
that's when it starts to get difficult
because you know fashion is about today
and tomorrow you've never made it
[Music]
basically I've always liked the idea of
being a buyer getting paid to shop with
someone else's credit card sounds like a
pretty amazing job to me our Google
results suggested it is now one of the
most desirable positions within fashion
but what is it that these mysterious
people actually do at self's Oxford
Street store Jud crane is living the
dream as director of women's wear and
accessories
obsessive clothes it's like a problem
you can suggest things for me to buy and
I'll tell you I can't afford them is
this in the sale be honest no it's brand
new I just love everything I just love
it so it's a bit of a mystery to me what
your job is can you explain what you
do well I guess at a very basic level we
just see things we love and we buy them
so that other people can buy them and
then how do you decide which brands go
next to the other one do they have rules
where some Brands might not want to sit
alongside another competitor well
everyone has ideas of where they want to
be but ultimately what we're interested
in is creating an environment for the
customer so a lot of times we challenge
Our Brands to really think differently
about how they could be portrayed where
a store that has Chanel just directly
across from Rick Owens which you don't
really see in in many environments but
for us the idea of of putting those two
together is that we actually find it
stimulates both of those customers I
actually think think the best way to
gain experience to be a good buyer is to
not become a buyer directly you know I
think to have a background in visual
merchandising or or a background um
actually working with customers we we
have a few buyers that have come from
personal shopping because because they
actually get really really close to what
customers want it's literally my dream
job I think actually my taste in things
isn't reflective of what sells that's a
really interesting thing about it is
it's really interesting to try to force
yourself to be objective yeah because it
kind of has nothing to do with what you
want to wear what in terms of what what
might sell however I think it's so
important to have that thing that just
hits you emotionally because it will hit
other people too you're touching on what
we're talking about in a broader sense
which is that fashion has a reputation
for being like shallow and all about
image and D but actually when you get to
it the reason people are interested in
the reason people have jobs uh within
this industry is because it is emotional
for everyone it's about identity it's
how you feel it's about creating a
Persona and I think it's really an art
form for some people and you're kind of
like expressing things that that are
intrinsically personal by by what you
wear these are people's lives hanging
out here exactly
exactly when Innovative thinking and
Technology combine new Industries are
born that changed the face of fashion
forever and in the late '90s Trend
forecasting did exactly that Global
Powerhouse wgsn pioneered the market
turning the potential trends of the
future into a highly valuable commodity
hello everyone's looking at
asses essentially what we're doing is
Trend forecasting so we are going around
the world looking at all sorts of
cultural influences from Street fashion
what's going on in food cars whatever it
may be collecting all of that um
information presenting it to our
customers and using that to kind of set
a backdrop for how fashion will develop
in the future because all of those
things influence the way people want to
dress so essentially it's a website yeah
and we have you know several thousand
Brands around the world that subscribe
to our website and they all use it in
many and varied ways and they're looking
at um fashion trends so we design we are
designing fashion Collections and
they're looking at that they're looking
at catwalks they're looking at Street
fashion they're looking at retail Trends
we go around the world and look at
what's going on in shops and explain
that to people it's a really enormous
resource for passion if I'm thinking
about what's about to happen or how I'd
like to get dressed anything that makes
me feel a bit sick or a bit weird is
something that I'm drawn to and then
that's usually because it's different to
what I'm accustomed to often with a
Christopher Kane collection I don't know
why him in particular but it'll come
down and I'll be like I mean I can
appreciate that it's great but I don't
necessarily want to wear it yet and then
suddenly when that season rolls around I
think it's so perfect for how I feel at
the time it's clever like that sometimes
I look at some of the things that we do
and just think are we sure about this
yeah but you trust them because actually
at the time that it's ready to drop
you're ready for it you know and you
think oh know they're right I feel like
wearing that you know it's
[Music]
interesting and this is men's Trends
this men's trends for for when spring
summer 17 oh my God okay yeah and so
where do you collect ideas from
everywhere really it's not just like one
specific area we go to we look across
the boards it's not just fashion it's
like what influences fashion as well as
like music or subcultures or it girls it
guys films like you said earlier the
biggest influence on this is partly to
do with Cuba the fact it's open of
course yeah and obviously there's a huge
influx of Tourism to to Cuba so then
when you see that type of influence on
or in shops and in you know the world as
you go out are you you feel proud yeah
of course cool
Cuba this is Sam who is the denim dude
Hi how are you dude nice to meet you so
this is even your mouse is all my denim
memor you're responsible for compiling
this entire yeah everything from like
retail I do through to like catwalks
what we're doing right now which is like
the men's ss16 ones um we do trade shows
um street style it's obiously design and
stuff they're looking around on other
parts of like the internet as well but
we're doing that like specifically for
each category so I'm looking at
everything then I'm across like
Instagram like Pinterest tumblers and
I'm always looking for like new brand
say like Bliss and mystery if i' put
them like on the blog as well which is
like public site so it's not um just
like you don't have to have subscription
to that and then I do like an interview
with the brand as well to try and give
them like some exposure so very good as
long as you're looking off yeah there's
no way at school I would have known that
this was a job option it's so fun do you
taking
turns fashion used to be really top down
it used to be whatever somebody in Paris
said it was that was what it was you
know and now you know it is kids on the
street is that from social media as well
it is it is and and they are much more
influenced peer-to-peer than they would
be from what any cure designer would
tell them you know it's more important
what their mates think it's harder to be
that underground because there's always
somebody you know communicating that and
tweeting it and instagramming it
whatever it is it gets out there much
quicker so the influence spreads much
but then does that lend itself to the
fashion industry kind of moving into a
more do it yourself yeah like a DIY
situation rather than it being this
elitist thing it is do you think it's an
opportunity for people to kind of do a
homegrown thing I think that's
absolutely right and we were just
talking about that it's almost DIY life
right now you know um if people much
younger than me you know when I was
growing up you had to get your degree
and and people were just sort of shoving
you in a direction where you had to kind
of go to a big organization and get a
proper job and then people were telling
you how to dress
doesn't work like that now you know
people don't feel the same constraints
they will decide create their own
careers and that might be online they
might be bloggers they might have their
own little shop online they might create
their own fashion create their own music
and they've got means of communicating
that to other people that were just not
open to us and you're seeing all these
new and interesting designers coming up
a real change of guard I think at the
moment and I think perhaps maybe we will
be looking back and thinking that was
when that started
[Music]
I can't count but I think that was
episode 4 um if you'd like to watch
episode 5 subscribe to the British vog
YouTube channel and it will be laid out
for you you just have to go as a click
don't use the mouse next I head to Paris
to talk film with the creator of Dior
and I and meet the minds behind two
unique Parisian brands also it was an
opportunity to eat crons
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