From Trend to Foresight: A Provocation for Fashion Research
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24023/FutureJournal/2175-5825/2026.v18i1.989Keywords:
Future studies, Fashion, Foresight, Trends, ProspectiveAbstract
Objective: This article aims to systematize core concepts of Futures Studies as applied to fashion research, addressing the persistent conflation between trend, forecasting, foresight, and prospective. It advances a clear theoretical position that trend is not a method, proposing a standardized lexicon and an operational framework to support decision-making oriented toward sustainable transitions.
Method: A concept-centric integrative theoretical review was conducted, combining narrative synthesis with comparative analysis. Seminal and contemporary literature in Futures Studies, design futures, and fashion studies was analyzed using iterative searching and citation chaining. Key concepts were extracted, compared, and organized according to focus, time horizon, methods, and practical roles, resulting in a comparative table and an integrative framework.
Results: The study clarifies trend as an analytical category representing observable patterns of change, distinct from methodological families of anticipation. Forecasting is characterized as a short-term, predictive practice supporting tactical decisions, while foresight and prospective are positioned as medium- and long-term processes oriented toward strategic alignment, capability building, and intentional transformation. An operational lexicon and a time-horizon-based framework are proposed to improve conceptual rigor, governance, and learning metrics in fashion-related futures work.
Conclusion: By disentangling terminology and aligning futures methods with appropriate decision horizons, the article contributes a transferable conceptual foundation for fashion research and practice. The proposed lexicon and framework support more responsible, strategic, and sustainable futuring practices and may be applied beyond fashion to other creative and manufacturing sectors.
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