1) Fashion forecasters predict upcoming trends in silhouettes, colors, textures, fabrics, prints, footwear, and accessories on a seasonal basis. They examine influences from high and low fashion and cultural shifts. 2) Other roles include color forecasters, material specialists, print specialists, surface specialists, product designers, buyers, merchandisers, retailers, youth specialists, consumer analysts, and marketers who all work together to identify, communicate, and sell trends. 3) Social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr, Pinterest, and bloggers/vloggers also influence trends and are monitored by the fashion industry.

1. Role of Forecaster in Trend Industry
Dr Sulekha Ojha
Addl, Head, Sr. Assistant Professor
Department of Fashion & Textiles
IIS(deemed to be ) University, Jaipur

2. Fashion forecasting
“ Fashion used to come from one source at a
time, be it the street, the runways or the
entertainment business. The interesting thing
about today is that influences come from high
and low-everything from couture to Target.” –
Michael Kors
https://www.slideshare.net/DrSulekhaOjha/role-
and-responsibilities-244991149

3. Role of Forecaster in Trend Industry
• Each retailer’s trend forecasting varies and is
mainly dependent upon whether the company is a
wholesale brand or private label brand developer.
• ”Every season, there are hundred of designers
showing breathtaking collections that the average
consumers will never see. What does matter is who
sees them-the in-house designers and buyers at fast
fashion retailers, people who are playing close
attention, identifying, predicting which style,
patterns and cuts will appeal to the masses.

4. The role of a fashion forecaster
• Fashion forecasters predict which silhouettes colours,
textures, fabrics, graphics, prints, footwear,
accessories, etc. will be the forthcoming trends on the
runway and in retail stores from season to season.
• They examine new and emerging trends across all
industries, to see how they may influence future
fashion trends. They will take into consideration new
developments and what’s happening in the world and
any cultural shifts.

5. Colour forecaster
• They form part of the core trend-forecasting industry.
• Colour forecaster creates palletes that inform the market, designers
and the consumers about the latest prediction to kick-start the
trend cycle.
• Colour Services: Standard Colour of Textile Dictionnaire, Pantone
Inc, International Colour Authority, The color box, Huepoint, Colour
portfolio Inc.

6. Material Specialist
• They look at surface and composition and texture of
materials, woven or non-woven and predict which surface is
most important over the coming season.
• They work with scientist and raw product manufacturer, color
forecaster
• They work with color forecaster at the start of the season.
• They influence in sampling process.

7. Yarn and Fiber specialist
• The specialist look at the natural and man made yarn, fibers and
filaments before they are woven or knitted into actual textiles
and materials to be made into product samples.
• They refer color and material specialist to decide what short of
material should be created and add their own influence and
inspirations.

8. Print Specialist
• They look printed decorated surface ornamentation be it digital screen
printed, hand drawn or transferred. From graphic pattern to
complicated repeats and placements that can take many forms.
• Print specialists use the information supplied by color forecasters and
materials specialists to inform their research, and they put together
packs of inspirational material to guide print designers.
• Prints will then be created in-house, by freelancers or bought as
samples at trade shows

9. Surface Specialist
• Surface specialist look at all embellishment on textiles and
materials, from embroidery to additional hardware such as sequins.
• They, too, work with information from color and materials
specialists, and then collaborate with suppliers and manufacturers.
• They work to get samples made to exhibit and sell at trade fairs an
shows, where designers will pick them up to use in their collections.

10. • They use colour material and macro trends to help inform their
designs, drawing up shapes and silhouettes to be sampled and
made into garments or products.
• The products are divided into women’s wear, men’s wear, children
wear, footwear, accessories, intimates and swimwear which each
divided into different product type.
Product designer

11. Garment technologists and pattern cutters
• Garment technologists ensure that each garment or item is
technically correct, making sure that it fits and is fit for purpose.
• They also help in the design process, working with pattern cutter to
scale up patterns for production through grading.

12. Buyers
• Buyers use their allocated budgets to purchase products for their
shops in advance of each season, overseeing a delicate balance
between what they hope to be bestsellers, core products and key
special- purchase products.
• Buyers follow all current trends to make sure that the products
they buy hit their optimum potential for the consumer while they
are available in stores.

13. Merchandisers
• Merchandisers decide when and where stock should be displayed
within a store in order to achieve its best sales potential.
• They work closely with the buying team, so they know which stock
and products will be arriving and when.
• They collaborate closely with the retail team to ensure their shop
floors are working all the current trends and are at their most
appealing to consumers.
• They also work with visual merchandisers – who dress the
windows, mannequins and shop displays – and with graphic design
and marketing teams.

14. Retailers
• A retailer is likely to pull trends from sales data, catwalk or street
reports as well as to travel globally in order to keep abreast of what
competitors are doing.
• They also take inspiration from cutting edge shops and popular
retail destinations to help them decide what to prioritize in store,
as well as how the shop should look.
• Retailers also need to keep abreast of consumer analytics as well
as sales data, to make sure they are targeting the right consumers
with the right products in the right way.

15. Youth Specialist
• They focus on emerging trends seen on the streets through street
style photography, youth market inspirations like festivals,
emerging musicians and fashion labels.
• Television, films and online channels from the younger market may
take inspiration.
• They work with brands what the youth market is interested in and
what current generation may be likely to purchase in years to come
as their disposable income grows.

16. Consumer Analyst
• Consumer analyst continuously watch the market and how it flows.
• They analyse the buying trends alongside variable factors socio-
economic, the political climate, and art and design trends.
• Consumer analyst will study data from geographic differences.
• Consumer analysts will study data from across the retail world and
publish reports, commentary and tailored information for macro
trends within the business or for the strategic planning by brands.

17. Marketers
• Marketers turn consumers into customers, and are responsible for
marketing products on behalf of a brand or business.
• They work with the product design teams, buyers and
merchandisers to understand the trends they are working with,
what the key ‘stories’ are and how they can best portray these to
the customer through graphic design.
• Marketers must keep themselves in line with the trends in graphic
styles and key market influences s well as socio economic trends
that can affect consumers’ spending patterns.

18. Social Media
Bloggers
• Bloggers run informational or personal opinion site. They have
become increasingly influential within fashion, with brands.
• Star bloggers may launch their own product ranges or work in
collaboration with major brands.
Vloggers
• Vloggers use video to populate their sites with commentary,
information or ‘how-to’ tutorials.
• Vlogging stars count their followers in the millions ,and have
entered the world of brand endorsement, collaboration and
offline fame.

19. Snapchat
• It is a photo or video service that allows users to add caption and send
to friends with the content disappearing after 24 hrs.
• It is most important with the millennial market.
• It is a magazine style curated content.
Instagram
• Instagram was made popular by people who post inspirational
images as well as selfie images, images of themselves
• It is most useful for trend agencies, who use it for visual inspiration
and also for its network, inking individuals and products worn by stars
with huge followings.
• Many brands use instagram stars to promote their products on their
image feeds.

20. Tumblr
• Tumblr feeds allow users to add rolling selection of imagery with
limited or no word content.
• They can also be used to showcase niche interests, by humorous
feeds. Trend forecasters use Tumblr to help inspire the design
process.
Pinterest
• Pinterest showcases images taken from or uploaded to the internet,
and made popular by the fashion, food and wedding industries.
• Pinterest is used by the brands and retailers to market their products
and sell it directly to the customers, either through their own board
or by asking or paying for key users to pin their products

21. References
• Fashion Trend Forecasting: Gwyneth Holland &
Rae Jones, Lawrence King Publishing, 2017
• Fashion Forecasting, Evelyn Brannon, Lorynn
Divita, Fair Child Publication,2015