The Next Big Thing and Why Fashion Can’t Resist It

Fashion is kinetic by nature — moving all the time. Hemlines go up and down. Hot brands cool. The “It” model or influencer is everywhere and then gone. Egos expand as empires are built, only to have it all unravel. The constant motion makes the industry perennially susceptible to The Next Big Thing. When something new comes along — from a technology (RFID! virtual reality! blockchain!) to a mindset (omnichannel! sustainability!) to a corporate destination (China as factory! Canada! China as consumer!) to, naturally, a style (sneakers! hoodies! the Seventies! the Nineties!) — fashion just can’t resist. That enthusiasm to get into The New is a mixed blessing. It can signal a certain readiness to jump onto the bandwagon, wherever it’s going, as long as Wall Street and everyone else is interested — the fear of missing out, or to be seen as missing out, on the Next Big Thing is strong. But all that eagerness can also be a good trait, a sign that fashion wants to be on the cutting edge and embrace fresh ideas. Sometimes the new ideas aren’t all that new and the titles morph as people get used to them. Yesterday’s green is today’s sustainability and (hopefully) tomorrow’s status quo. And others are

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