ABSTRACT
Forecasting fashion trends is a hidden practice of the fashion industry, but it nonetheless is a business service that is essential to the global fashion system. Fashion trend forecasters gather and share intelligence about colors, silhouettes, and fabrics. The rise of new and influential trend forecasting agencies in the early 2000s such as Worth Global Style Network (WGSN) coincided with the digital transformation of society. Fashion and technology have been historically gendered, as they are respectively seen as feminine and masculine industries. Combining these two worlds in fashion trend forecasting can shine a light on how gender continues to dominate life at work. This chapter is based on an analysis of existing literature to provide theoretical and historical context. This was followed by semi-structured interviews to obtain primary data from fashion trend forecasting industry professionals. The research findings narrate the participants‘ experience in the field of fashion trend forecasting when it comes to doing research, technological advancements, and the gender balance in their trend agencies. The findings of the study indicate that the fashion trend forecasting industry, under the influence of technological advancements, remains female-dominated. Ultimately, the various teams within trend agencies show a traditional division of labor along gender lines.
