As the Summer comes to a close, Fall fashion trends are just around the corner. With popular items like the ballet flat and the polka dot pattern having been trademarks of the past season’s fashion, it’s time for brands to leverage new and upcoming trends as we transition into the cooler months.

Oftentimes, new trends that occur in the fashion industry as seasons change become quickly oversaturated. The viral nature of today’s social media platforms can perpetuate the rapid popularization of specific trends, known as “micro-trends”, which can sometimes lead consumers to view brands’ attempts to follow along as performative. However, isn’t trend following on the consumer side performative as well? This depends on the individual, and on the authenticity of their consumption habits in accordance with their own personal tastes. The same goes for fashion designers, specifically those who seek to adapt their brand to their perceived public over time.

I asked our PR & growth experts: How should fashion designers leverage trends and adapt without being perceived as inauthentic by consumers? How should those in the fashion field incorporate trends into their collections, and is it worth it to take micro-trends into account when making those decisions?

Here are the experts' insights.

• Take inspiration from worldwide fashion weeks
• Accept only those micro-trends that fit your brand's DNA
• Position trend-driven pieces as accents and not anchors
• Add an inside wink, not a whole new collection
• Create systems for integrating trend
• The role for micro-trends is a supporting one
• Select trends that resonate with your brand’s story
• Consider the longevity of the trend and the collectability

Take inspiration from worldwide fashion weeks

Emily Reynolds-Bergh, Owner at R Public Relations

"A great way to keep up with consumer prefences is to take inspiration from worldwide fashion weeks. This strategy will allow you to stay ahead of the curve. Micro-trends are best for fast-fashion companies to pursue; higher-ticket products should exude timeless elegances and stay away from trends."

Accept only those micro-trends that fit your brand's DNA

Aziz Bekishov, CEO at DC Mobile Notary

"Fashion designers should treat trends as accents and rejuvenate the collection with them so that core brand identity remains intact.

When every label goes after the same micro-trend, it is the ones that interpret it in line with their own story—be it craft, cultural inspiration, or sustainability—that get noted.

These brands build a perception of inauthenticity because they seem to be using the trend virally for visibility instead of genuinely aligning it with their ethos.

A micro-trend is something that just can't be ignored, but it has to go through filters: accept only those micro-trends that fit the brand's DNA and its target audience, and document their story on why the micro-trend is embraced, giving meaning to it.

Therefore, brands start presenting themselves as style curators, distinguished rather than desperate, undermined by performative behavior.

I believe that combining timeless elements with a few well-considered trends—the consumers get instant relevance as well as longevity—is the strongest strategy."

Position trend-driven pieces as accents and not anchors

Riley Westbrook, Co-Founder at Valor Coffee

"To me, authenticity is not rejecting trends altogether. Authenticity is introducing trends in a story that builds around the brand identity. A fashion brand that proposes a replacement for the viral item of the season but has no relevance to brand values or brand identity will quickly be dismissed as yearning for relevance. If a fashion brand replaces that item for the season with a polka dot or ballet flat distorted within the brand narrative or context of a brand's history or materiality or design language, the trend no longer feels like a costume but becomes a piece that resonates with something that already existed. The authenticity is about alignment and not avoidance.

I think there is merit to positioning micro-trends and trend-driven pieces as accents and not anchors. Consumers are savvy to on the trending scales, and they also recognize how quickly the viral moment fades to obscurity. Thus, a brand that dedicates 80 percent of a collection to timeless staples and introduces trend-driven caps as seasonal appeals within the remaining 20 percent creates a credible framework for trust and reference without compromising relevancy. This model allows the brand to benefit from all of the nuanced opportunities of trend exposure and consideration without confusing the ongoing brand narrative. If the brand were to deploy this model, they could reasonably order 200 units of a trendy item among 800 foundational pieces. This allows a label to stay current but avoid dilution of the brand over time."

Add an inside wink, not a whole new collection

Deepak Shukla, CEO at Pearl Lemon PR

"The sweet spot usually comes down to how you approach trends. Trends should ignite the fire, not write the full story. If a brand has a reputation for being clean, minimal and simple, it doesn't mean that they have to throw the whole thing away and develop a crazy, over-the-top line just to meet the moment. A little nod is all it takes. Some detail here, a detail there, something that feels like an inside wink, not a whole new collection. That’s often enough. People can tell when a brand is adding something that feels true to its style versus scrambling to keep up.

Most micro-trends don’t even last long enough to deserve a whole collection. By the time something’s everywhere on TikTok, the clock’s already ticking. What makes more sense is blending in small touches that play well with a brand’s bigger vision. That way you nod to what’s current without losing what actually makes the brand worth following in the first place."

Create systems for integrating trend

Caleb Johnstone, SEO Director at Paperstack

"Fashion brands should create systems for integrating trends, not following the tail of individual micro-trends. For a sustainable fashion client, we were able to create a "brand DNA filter" which allowed the client to screen every trend against three main principles: does this trend fit our manufacturing capabilities, does it meet the lifestyle needs of our target audience, and can we deliver it to a level of quality we own. This approach led to 73 percent higher customer retention than brands that adopted trends wholesale. The bottom line: consumers are smart enough to know when trends are artificially imposed onto a brand versus something that has grown organically.

Micro-trends represent a kind of conundrum for fashion brands since the immediacy of relevance is incompatible with quality production timelines. Instead of full collection pivots, successful brands infuse trend elements with accessories, capsule items that are limited or trend-focused styling of existing pieces. A client from a boutique with a few hundred designs was able to grow social media engagement by 210 percent by just showing how to style their core designs to meet trending aesthetic desires rather than designing a whole new product for a trending aesthetic. This allowed for the desire for new without sacrificing brand consistency.

The most authentic trend adoption occurs when brands shift from followers to contributors of trends. Fashion brands that create their own signature interpretations of larger cultural movements, then share the story behind these interpretations, are able to score 68 percent higher for brand loyalty. Consumers appreciate brands that explain how they arrived at their creativity and how trends fit into their big picture. The focus changes from looking up-to-date to looking intelligent, and it will lead to longer-term customer relationships than chasing micro-trends could ever do."

The role for micro-trends is a supporting one

Nick Disney, Owner at Sell My San Antonio House

"Fashion designers must touch trends with restraint, authenticity being their beacon. Jumping onto any viral trend is loud but generates no loyalty. The consumer today is hyper-sensitive; if any brand starts mass-producing any micro-trend, it dilutes its identity and seems to go after relevance instead of generating it. The brands that win are those that filter trends through their DNA. That is, don't ask, "How can we follow this trend?" Ask, "How is this trend an expression of who we already are?"

Micro trends are flashy but burn quickly. A TikTok-fueled frenzy over ballet flats can sweep the nation for a season, but by the time a brand makes a complete turn, the trend is perishing. What endures is consistency. I've learned through my business that short-term trends can bring speedy traffic, but only a solid brand narrative has repeat customers. For fashion, it means selectively embracing trends that suit the long-term vision of the brand, while allowing fleeting chatter to pass by. There's a role for micro-trends, but it's always a supporting one. They can serve as accents, as a restricted capsule, a one-drop season, a whimsical marketing gimmick but never dictate the bulk of a collection. Customers invest in narratives to which they can relate. A brand that can state, "The trend is working for us because it reinforces our signature style," will always sound legitimate. A brand that states, "We're doing it because it's hot and everyone else is doing it," will lose credibility.

The end goal is to manage your audience's trust. Customers are not asking brands to sit still; they are asking brands to stay true to who they are. Trends can open doors, but authenticity is what keeps customers through those doors.

Fashion is one of culture's sharpest mirrors, and brands' reactions to virality at light speed and staying true to their voice will determine who makes it to 2026 and beyond."

Select trends that resonate with your brand’s story

Chris Kirksey, Founder & CEO at Direction.com

"I greatly support keeping your brand’s essence while experimenting with trends. Designers should look to things that fit into their ideals and fit the ethos that their brand represents. Today’s consumers are super savvy and immediately get a vibe when a brand is trying too hard to be part of the zeitgeist, so you want your designs to include trends in a manner that feels true and authentic to the style of your brand, not as if it’s being forced to appear trendy. If you align nearly everything you do within the context of every trend, you come too close to losing the brand’s DNA.

Inclusion of trends into collections is totally valid and worth considering, but in terms of any and all micro trends you see blowing up on the internet, let’s face it, you don’t have to follow every little micro trend. Select trends that resonate with your brand’s story and the community you have created for your audiences. Buyers want something to get behind, buyers want something that tells them a story and do not just want to know the current next cool thing. Anything that is deemed trendy and woven into pieces must be done in a way that feels aligned with the overall narrative from a design standpoint when you are creating.

Considering and integrating micro trends into your collection can certainly lend," a hint of freshness," but I would never suggest completely compromising your design intent around trends. Fashion is all about expression and if you fold to every allure of every trend too often, you risk being just as forgettable as you would have been if you had never tried. If you remain true to your brand’s essence more often than not, yet play with an updated perspective on what is on trend, you will still be a relevant designer who cultivates their brand with a fresh and modern feel vs someone who looks fabricated or inauthentic diminishing the boundaries."

Consider the longevity of the trend and the collectability

Hasan Hanif, Founder at Colour Vistas

"Fashion designers should be mindfully curious about trends by introducing them in relation to their brand identity and brand aesthetic. The difference is in selecting rather than reproducing a trend to ensure it feels harmonious with the brand. Authenticity lies in purposefulness and cohesion in a collection. Consumers can perceive performative moves, so it is critical for designers to execute a trend adaptation to feel natural and intentional, and to provide meaning to the larger brand narrative without feeling like aesthetic chasers. It is possible to be consistently unique when experimenting with alternative ideas in a collection.

When inviting trends into a collection, designers should consider the longevity of the trend and the collectability; the trend can create buzz for a season or simply be relevant for a short period of time. Micro-trends can be curated in a way that generates excitement and demonstrates inventive design thinking, but designers should never allow a micro-trend to define the collection. Micro-trends often support a broader tonal color, design aesthetic, or micro-level aesthetic detail. Designers can introduce mini-trends as part of an accent color, accent style piece, or limited edition style for a collection without creating mass hype around the trend. Designers are also able to reference shifts in culture as trends but should not abandon the iconography or signature design style of the brand. Attention to data around trends, social signals, and customer engagement can support the decisions of designers, but creativity and uniqueness should always be valued; otherwise, the collection will potentially lose its relatable nature with the louder voices in the consumer landscape now."

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