There is widespread confusion between something trending vs. a trend that is worth thinking about in a strategic context. Momentary microtrends and passing fads are not the same as trends that indicate long-term cultural shifts and changes in consumer behavior.

Over the past few years, it’s become obvious that trends are trending. At this point, I think we can all agree that the frenzy around “identifying” and “explaining” various TikTok “micro-trends” is exhausting and redundant. In reality, something “trending” on social media does not make it a culturally relevant trend. TikTok “cores” are often just... See more

I’ve been thinking a lot about what is (or is not) a trend . Merriam-Webster defines “trend” as “the general movement over time of a statistically detectable change.” If fashion publications are all eagerly covering a particular item or style, thus causing a “statistically detectable change” in how much coverage something is getting, does that make... See more