Trend forecasting in fashion involves predicting future styles, colours, fabrics, and consumer preferences by analysing current and past trends, market data, and cultural influences. Forecasters study customer behaviour, attend fashion shows, explore street style, and examine online search patterns to spot emerging trends. Their insights help fashion brands, designers, and retailers plan ahead, ensuring products stay relevant and appeal to what consumers will want next. Creating detailed reports is a key part of the role, as these help companies make informed decisions about design, marketing, and stock planning.
Early career roles in this field often support research, reporting, and collaboration with designers, media teams, and marketing professionals. Strong observational skills, creativity, and an understanding of cultural and industry shifts are important. Digital skills, such as managing databases and staying active on social media, are also valuable for spotting and sharing trends. Although trend forecasting is a niche area, students can enter the field from backgrounds like fashion design, marketing, or merchandising.
These roles can be in-house with a larger brand, working for a dedicated trend forecasting company or even part time contracts and freelancing consultancy roles.
Examples of roles within Trend Forecasting:
- Trend Forecaster
- Trend Researcher
- Junior/Assistant/Senior Trend Analyst
- Junior/Assistant/Senior Product Analyst
- Consumer Insights Analyst
London College of Fashion courses relevant to careers in trend forecasting:
- BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Merchandising
- BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Development
- BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Menswear
- BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear
- BA (Hons) Fashion Styling and Production
- BSc (Hons) Fashion Management
- BSc (Hons) Psychology of Fashion
This list is not exhaustive. It is only an indication of directly connected LCF Courses.