Fashion Snoops discusses trends in sustainable fashion

Sustainability is an important influence on trends, according to
Lilly Berelovich co-founder and president of trend forecasting agency
Fashion Snoops. As a forecaster, Fashion Snoops observes the ways in
which cultural and societal influences impact fashion trends. Speaking
to the Fashion United team at Inexmoda’s Colombiatex trade show in
Colombia, Berelovich explained the most prominent trends in
sustainability.

Trends come from an analysis of the consumer: understanding how
they live, what they want, what they find interesting and what things
are important to them. Forecasters look into everything happening in
society, not just the fashion landscape, as trends stem from what is
happening in the world, and which issues are most pertinent to the
overall consumer.

“We started talking about sustainability about 15 years ago and at
that time people did not care much about what was happening and now it
has become something of importance for the industry,” she said.

While brands are realizing their responsibility in sustainable
action, consumers value fashion with a conscious more than ever.
They’re increasingly interested in understanding the history of an
item, where it came from, how it was made and how its production
affected both its producers and the planet.

Plus, with resale companies like Rebag, ThredUp and The RealReal
gaining speed, consumers care more about fashion items that already
exist, considering more closely what not to throw away and how to
reuse products.

Berelovich noted that the story a consumer is told about an item
makes an impact on their perception of the item, even if it requires
more effort on the part of the brand. “It is something that has
substance and meaning,” she said.

According to Berelovich, we can expect to see innovative materials
gaining speed on the sustainability front. She cited creative
technology allowing mushrooms and pineapples to become an alternative
to leather. “Sustainable situations don’t mean that we aren’t doing
something [in particular], it can mean that we are doing something
more beautiful than using synthetics or something that hurts,” she
said.

Photo: Inexmoda