Trickle Down: "You think this has nothing to do with you?"

"This... stuff'? Oh. Okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select... I don't know... that lumpy blue sweater, for instance because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent... wasn't it who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff." (The Devil Wears Prada 2006)

It was this iconic scene that sparked my interest in the logistics of trend formation, and some of the factors that play a role in the distribution of concepts and trends. I have decided to collate a series of posts outlining my findings and thoughts on how trends move and 'trickle' through the social strata. Fashion Trend formation has always been a talking point in the industry, there are many proposals behind the pattern of fashion movement. Three of the most respected movement theories are the ‘trickle theories’. The Trickle Down Theory relies on the hierarchical structure of a society, those high up in the social strata begin to form trends, these are gradually adopted by those lower down in the social strata, this model can only be applied presuming that those in the lower ends of the social structure feel compelled to identify with those above them in the class rankings.

The richer higher classes will be more inclined and financially able to experiment with new fashion trends, whether that be a new colour, cut or style of dress. The most affluent members of society the upper echelons can afford to do so, those lower down in the standings have less disposable income and thus less room to comfortably experiment with new variations in dress.

This freedom to experiment of the upper classes allows them to effectively trial run new ideas before they are widely accepted by those below them. Once the trend becomes commonplace it is customary that that trend is rejected by the members of the upper class who continue to experiment in order to distance themselves from the lower classes. A classic example of this is the Burberry check, the ‘house check’ was the staple of the brand, this was later adopted by knockoff brands and replica checks in similar tones began cropping up along the high street. The widespread popularity of this signature check began to damage the high-class luxury reputation of the brand, eventually leading to Burberry scrapping many of its products displaying large quantities of the pattern and demoting it to to be used as a lining.The diffusion of innovators plays an important role in how fashion trends ‘trickle down’ through the various sections of society, it is usually true that those in the public eye and documented by mass media will be of a higher social standing and generally richer than those observing and consuming this media. In the case of the trickle-down theory ‘Innovators’ are typically celebrities, royalty, politicians, oligarchs, and other such influential figures. the new style that has been established by a designer or brand is then broadcast on the body of an innovator. The wearability of a design innovation ties in with a prerequisite requirement for easy trialability, a buyer wants to be able to test the boundaries of their existing style without having to completely remodel themselves. Finally, a buyer will consider the ‘observability’ of the piece they are considering, naturally being more inclined to purchase a design if it flatters and fits them well as they believe they will be more attractive to others this way.

Innovators themselves play a key role in the Trickle Down theory, one of Britain's most influential and best known current innovators is model turned ‘it- girl’ Alexa Chung. Almost any item pictured on Chung can cause a frenzied panic and quick sell out. Alexa Chung’s style influence transcends all ranks of society, from the multimillionaire fashion followers to those that may be on tighter budgets and find a cheaper method of emulating her universally achievable style. Mulberry's "Alexa", their £700 satchel, was inspired by a vintage Mulberry briefcase they'd seen Chung using as a handbag. This a becoming case study in which a specific fashion design has made an impact, following the creation of the Mulberry Alexa the high street saw an almost immediate resurgence of satchel style bags gather on their shelves. The Mulberry Alexa saw a total reinvention of Mulberry’s image and a quadruple in the profits for the year of its release, highlighting the extent of the impact innovators can have on the fashion industry. When photographs of Chung wearing a knee length button front suede skirt from Marks and Spencer’s were released the piece reportedly sold out all sizes online within an hour, followed quickly by a sell out in all stores within two days. According to popular opinion, the Duchess of Cambridge is another classic innovator, her nude Reiss dress worn when meeting the Obamas sold out online within minutes after press photos were released. Not only did the original sell out within minutes but within 6 weeks replicas of the style were being sold from a £60 version in the likes of Marks and Spencer’s down to a £30 model in the F&F Tesco supermarket label. It is apparent that those regarded as having a higher social status than the majority of consumers can have a significant influence on the trends forming as a result of high street replicas of their stylistic advances.

Fast fashion has a stronghold on the industry, it is changing the shape of the industry dramatically. ‘The term “fast fashion” refers to a phenomenon in the fashion industry whereby production processes are expedited in order to get new trends to the market as quickly and cheaply as possible. As a result of this trend, the tradition of introducing new fashion lines on a seasonal basis is being challenged. New innovations within the fashion industry such as fast fashion are arguably increasing the rate of ‘Trickle Down’ trends dramatically. It is true that high fashion haute couture shows have always had a significant influence on all levels of trend creation and essentially dictated the majority of a new season’s design themes. Due to accelerated production rates, the rate at which retailers are able to replicate the designs seen on show at fashion weeks across the globe are also accelerated. In the past it took on average an entire season for the influence of couture shows to be noticeable on the racks of high street chains, According to the BBC news report published in 2014, the average 4 month season has now been reduced to an eight to ten week replication time. Alongside the ease of replication, the ease of access to fashion shows has been another key factor in perpetuating the rate at which trends descend from the likes of Valentino down to Primark

(yes I’m talking about the rock-stud shoe rip-offs that plague the market). In the past high Street designers had no way of accessing fashion shows, they were exclusive and only once collections were released could High Street designers begin to emulate the trends in their own work. Nowadays the same exclusivity remains with regards to the invite list, however, since the invention of the iPhone in 2007 and its ever-increasing popularity along with other similar camera-enabled smartphone models, retail design teams can get their hands on the designs before the show has even finished. Retailers such as Zara and H&M can now get as much imagery as they want at any time they desire, this is particularly useful when catering for those predisposed to exploit the cheap costs of fast fashion.The liberal dissemination of high brow design is yet more evidence that would suggest that the Trickle Down Theory still holds relevance in this modern age, by having ready access to the collections of well-respected fashion houses fast fashion chains have thrived, their attempts to stay culturally relevant by mimicking the components of these bespoke designer pieces indicates that what will trend is dictated by those of a higher social strata.