November 2018

Forecasting with Fashion Snoops

How do fashion designers recognize trends in clothing and accessories, sometimes years ahead of time? While the journey from the runway to the department store involves many factors, the professional fashion designer is well aware of an important tool: fashion forecasting.

Fashion Snoops, a database purchased by the Apparel, Retail Merchandising, and Design Department and hosted by NDSU Libraries, provides these forecasting tools. Featuring a massive collection of images and trade show information, Fashion Snoops can be accessed through the Libraries Database List.    

Fashion Snoops features articles by professional forecasters, highlighting potential trends of the next two years and reasons behind the forecast. Current trends include designs based on our awareness of environmental sustainability as well as fair trade with our global neighbors.

Students can also collect photos into an Image Bank, creating collages and design projects for their courses or entrepreneurship. Rather than simply relaying information, this database gives the visitor a creation space and encourages collaboration with fellow designers.

For more information about Fashion Snoops, please contact Rex Hughes at NDSU Libraries. You can also find books and articles about fashion forecasting using the Library Catalog, such as Fashion Forecasters: A Hidden History of Color and Trend Prediction.