When it comes to fashion, many of us turn to Instagram, when we used to turn to the runway. As we scroll through our feed, we’re bombarded with influencers who are dishing out the latest styles from Instagram brands such as, Fashion Nova. Despite these styles actually being on trend, they’re taken more seriously than the looks seen on the catwalk. The influence of social media has taken over the fashion world, and it seems that designers are catering to influencers rather than the love of fashion.
This isn’t just the case with apparel; Pinterest ultimately has a monopoly on what’s on trend in the world of interior design. The love for Millennial Pink hasn’t gone away, and it seems that this is purely thanks to the influence of social media. What is seen in stores can be found on the trending pages of Instagram and Pinterest, and what’s forecasted in interior design is only a prediction, because the power of Pinterest ultimately determines what’s hot or not. When it comes time to buy some amazing new furniture from MyDeal, we no longer look at design magazines to see what’s trendy, but instead head to the web.
Is this such a bad thing, though? The shift away from listening to interior designers telling us what the next big thing is makes us see that we were somewhat stuck in an Emperor’s New Clothes mindset. We were told what to like, and now with the rise of social media, we can (to some extent) decide what is fashionable or not, and we can help decide the fate of fashion and design.
Have Fashion and Interior Design Become Linked?
Design consultant, Chloe Tyas from Lovelight shares her insight. “Interior Design takes an enormous amount of inspiration from fashion! We find that the colours, textures and patterns of soft interiors, follow the trends that are set by influential fashion design houses and institutions like Pantone. These fashion directions help us interpret what’s on trend so we can accentuate and enhance the living spaces in new homes as well as older spaces that need an update.” Find out more about Lovelight by following them on Facebook and Instagram.
Has It Always Been This Way?
Rebecca Kerr, the Creative Director of Longina Phillips Design, explains how close fashion and interior design are connected. “The worlds of interior design and fashion have always been fundamentally linked to one another. From Marie Antoinette and her regal wallpaper being referenced in her wardrobe, to 2017 where we have seen tropical prints crossing over from interiors to mainstream fashion. Lifestyle and interiors have become such a priority for people now that increased scrutiny is being placed on finding work spaces that feel fashionable and are located in more trendy areas. This is undoubtedly thanks to social media delivering us an abundance of inspiration at our fingertips at any given moment. It’s hard to say which field is pioneering the trends, is it fashion or interiors? We think they really go hand in hand in influencing one another. After all, the same process that goes into modern trend forecasting for interiors is the same for fashion, so it is only natural that colour, fabrication and print trends overflow from one arena to the other.” Find out more about Longina Phillips Design by following them on Facebook and Instagram.
When you’re scrolling through Pinterest and Instagram searching for the perfect rug online, you’re looking at trends that were decided not just by the designers, but by the people.
