‘Do designers talk to each other to show similar things, or do fashion editors whisper in their ears and tell them what to do?’
Clock-wise from the top: Burberry, No. 21, Brandon Maxwell, Prada, all Spring/Summer 2025. Photos: Vogue Runway
This is Connecting the Dots, a series in which writer José Criales-Unzueta looks at how fashion, pop culture, the internet and society are all interconnected.
The genesis of runway trends is somewhat of an urban myth.
Last month, as I reported and ranted on the Spring/Summer 2025 collections on Instagram, I spotted a breakout trend in the way designers combined tactical outerwear with going out styles. Anoraks and sequins at Burberry, windbreakers and sparkles at Prada, and clubby tops and cargo pants at The Attico.
The more I posted, the more DMs I received asking the same question: “How does this even happen? Do designers talk to each other to show similar things, or do fashion editors whisper in their ears and tell them what to do?” read a particularly tantalizing one.
Because there is no straightforward process like one would like to imagine, trends can indeed feel like a conspiracy: a sort of backend deal or a culmination of ‘the right people’ whispering in each others’ ears. But are they? How, pray-tell, are trends born? In an effort to find out, here we identified and spoke to the key players: designers, stylists, forecasters and buyers.
Business beginnings
Before a collection comes to life, there’s the zeitgeist: culture, music, film, politics. Designers pick up on these clues and, like all of us, ruminate on them and what they mean for our future. There’s also business agendas: what sells, what doesn’t, what could. And while much of fashion is about feeling, that artistic side goes hand-in-hand with the business end. There’s merchandising, business analytics, customer profiles; data that allows designers, editors and buyers to understand what customers are prioritising based on…
