Fashion trends are styles or styles of clothing that are in the top position, and are most favored by the public. Fashion trends cannot be separated from the basics of fashion design education, it's just that coupled with sensitivity or concern for the surrounding environment is a very important factor so that we can combine knowledge and sensitivity to read fashion trends. Fashion trends are styles or styles of clothing that are in the top position, and are most favored by the public. So that the acceptance of style by the community changes from time to time. Factors that influence fashion trends are social media, entertainment world, internet media, business world, music world, lifestyle and community character. This was said by Afif Ghurub Bestari, M.Pd and Kusminarko Warno, M.Pd in an independent study conducted online and offline at the Faculty of Engineering UNY, Thursday (3/3). According to Afif, in the fashion world, someone who can predict trends for the future is called a Fashion Forecaster, which is someone who can predict future trends based on instinct and supported by analysis of everyday life. "Usually a fashion forecaster reads fashion trends by doing market research on a fashion that has been issued in previous years," he said. In addition, fashion forecasters also collect a lot of information related to all aspects of life not only about fashion design but also about interiors, the environment, favorite places, actual news, technology, seasons and others. Kusminarko Warno added that after collecting enough information, a fashion forecaster will analyze it to make an estimate of future trends. This stage is the most important stage because it requires high sensitivity and concentration in order to produce imagination about future trends. Trend forecasts in the form of a book or a website are useful to help the fashion industry such as retailers, garments, designers and others. "They need this trend forecast to determine future production steps so that it can be accepted in the wider community," said Kusminarko.

This independent study activity is a collaboration between UNY and the Export School. According to the person in charge of the activity Yosep Efendi, M.Pd, independent study activities with export schools have been going on since 2022 where the Faculty of Engineering provides a place and human resources to assist the export school team in organizing Independent Studies. These resources include technical teams and team teaching lecturers. "There are 4 lecturers from the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Vocational Studies who are resource persons, collaborating with the Export School team for independent study activities," said the Faculty of Engineering lecturer. Sekolah Ekspor is a partner of the Kampus Merdeka program that organizes off-campus export learning with the theme "Digital Export 2022". UNY Vice Rector for Academic and Student Affairs Prof. Siswantoyo said that the collaboration of the export school in fashion products is a breakthrough to change the mindset of students. This collaboration can be further intensified, especially in the field of trade and utilization of research results to reach export. Upgrading this kind of knowledge will be a stronger support for the implementation of research results. Siswantoyo invited UNY students to take this extraordinary opportunity to change and make a leap.

Author: Dedy

Editor : Sudaryono