Revealing the sociocultural approach used by trend forecasting agencies in Paris: An anthropological study

This chapter examines how trend forecasting agencies anticipate future trends two, five or even ten years in advance. Their foresight analyses are tailored to client companies in the luxury, fashion, beauty and design sectors and are disseminated through media such as trend books and consulting reports. Trend books serve as pivotal tools that propose forthcoming and creative scenarios (comprising styles, colours, forms and textual content) that resonate with evolving consumer needs and desires. The chapter describes an ethnographic study conducted in Paris (France) to demystify the typically elusive practice of trend forecasting, which is often rooted in intuitive insights and curiosity. The findings revealed that trend forecasters use a complex and multidisciplinary approach to perform holistic social and cultural analyses, integrating diverse forecasting and foresight practices. The process consists of three distinct exploratory stages that allow trend forecasters to discern societal shifts and extract weak signals indicative of new trends. Hence, trend forecasters bridge the gap between present cultural dynamics and future aspirations, reduce uncertainty for their clients and provide information that their clients can use as they navigate towards the future.