Fashion trends process: Fashion forecasting

The most valuable assets in today's competitive fashion industry are information and learning. In fashion industry, the shift to more time-based and fashion oriented strategies of competition is making fashion forecasting ever more important in decision making than before. By anticipating trends, aligning design and product development with consumer preference and current trends, facilitating the timely arrival of products in the market place, forecasting creates competitive advantage for companies. Forecasting from color directions to cultural indicators, from sales forecasting to consumer research, is essential as decision support in today's fashion industry. In this study, after a comprehensive literature search, we have tried to understand the multifaceted character of fashion. The breadth and depth of fashion forecasting process and to identify the role of forecasting in the fashion apparel industry. With this approach two interviews have been conducted on global fashion forecasting strategies. In this study, lifestyle and fashion design variables have been identified and examined in detail.