Trend Forecaster Jaclyn Jones on What You’ll Want to Stock up on for Summer

With summer off and running, we turned to Jaclyn Jones, senior editor of womenswear at WGSN, the worldwide leader in fashion trend forecasting, to find out about the major color, designer and silhouette trends we should all have our eyes on this season.

theFashionSpot: How do you go about gathering information to predict trends?

Jaclyn Jones: WGSN Group gathers information from a global and local perspective working with our counterparts throughout the world, discussing general to specific trends within many categories and industries. We also make sure to stay on top of social media, museum exhibits, news, movies and what people are wearing on the streets, as well as what looks are coming down the runways. From there, we aggregate the information and look for commonalities and newness to figure out what trends are emerging.

tFS: Can you elaborate on who specifically are some of the biggest trendsetters when it comes to fashion these days?

JJ: Some key fashion influencers are Kendall Jenner, Atlanta de Cadenet Taylor, a lot of the off-duty models, such as Devon Windsor and Poppy Delevingne, and pop stars like Rihanna.

tFS: Are there any designers you think are particularly influential in setting trends?

JJ: For the younger market, some extremely influential designers are Alexander Wang, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Chanel, Balenciaga, Isabel Marant, Prada, Christopher Kane and Marc Jacobs. Alexander Wang really sets himself apart and sets a new precedence with being the first designer to show in Brooklyn as well as tapping into new technology, such as the heat-activated color at his Fall 2014 show. Chanel is another designer who pushes the envelope in terms of show production as well as location with its Resort 2015 show in Dubai. 3.1 Phillip Lim’s androgynous silhouettes with interesting patterns and embellishments resonate with the younger juniors and contemporary customers, while still providing an elevated look.

tFS: What are the must-have colors/patterns for the summer season? Are there any staples you find are always popular?

JJ: White is always one of the most important colors for spring/summer and is everywhere this season! I especially love it in open weave fabrics, such as eyelet, lace and mesh. There is also a strong pastel story with pink, blue, lilac and yellow all layered together and back to white. Feminine details are key, such as floral appliques and ruffles. Floral patterns have also been making a major statement, specifically bold garden botanicals on white grounds. 

tFS: What are you predicting will be the hottest silhouettes?

JJ: Boxy cropped tops with high-waisted skirts and culottes, fit-and-flare dresses and midi length skirts and dresses.

tFS: Are there any retailers you think are doing a particularly amazing job of delivering on-trend fashion this season?

JJ: Club Monaco, Zara and Urban Outfitters are standouts making strong color, fabric and silhouette statements, and are truly able to capture the customers from the merchandised windows to the selling floor.

tFS: What are some summer staples that will never go out of style?

JJ: Some summer staple must-haves are cut-and-sew basic tees and tanks, blazers, tailored shorts, mini skirts and white dresses. I love to buy a new white dress each spring season to add to my collection.

Images courtesy of WGSN


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