To create a design-centric, professional, short-term forecast for one classification using the research and forecasting skills learned throughout the semester. Effectively tell the “story” of the trend backed by thorough research.
The Task:
What We Did:
Our group evaluated the current zeitgeist and discussed where fashion will be heading in the next few years. We concluded that as the lockdown ends and the pandemic slows, people are tired of feeling isolated and are searching for community. COVID-19 forced a reset, causing people to reevaluate societal norms and personal identity through new avenues of self-expression. As a result, people are done with conforming to what is considered normal or acceptable.
Watch Our Presentation!
We spent most of our time sitting at coffee shops discussing different influences and examples of our project, and it soon became our baby! Throughout the project, all five of us became very close friends who still do group projects together whenever we get the chance. It is rare to be able to work efficiently with a group of friends, but we are all extremely motivated and passionate about changing the industry. Our project was selected as the Critic’s Choice for the Fall ‘22 semester and was showcased at the VCUArts Fashion Show in 2023. Below are photos of some of us reunited to discuss our work with guests at the show.
We began by discussing current industry trends we had been seeing on social media and on runways, and came to the consensus that bad taste was in. We noticed patterns in fashion led by Gen-Z influencers and activists that encouraged being “out there” and your authentic self. We decided on a gender neutral forecast, as this trend lends itself to everyone.
We spent lots of time on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok collecting imagery that reflected our vision and to bounce ideas off of each other. We first started building out our forecast with a description of our theme, which then led to the formation of our title; The Art of Bad Taste: Self-Expression in the Age of Nonconformity. Below is an excerpt from our original theme description.
