Online trend observation: analysis of free content available by fashion-directed agencies

Abstract

The trend books and trend reports are materials developed by special- ized agencies through transdisciplinary studies, which contain information about the sociocultural transformations that occur in society and how these may impact individuals' behavior in the near future. Despite being widely used by the fashion industry as a support for the creative process and strategic planning, acquiring these materials represents a high financial investment, which is not always pos- sible for professionals and companies. Thus, this paper is an exploratory study with a qualitative approach. The objective is to analyze the content made availa- ble for free by some trend agencies focused on fashion. Through the methodolo- gies of literature review, exploratory online research, and content analysis, it was possible to structure a potential guide to observe the trends pointed out by these agencies for use by fashion designers who do not have access to paid content.