Do you ever wonder who decides what's "hot" in fashion? Teen Vogue Magazine hires young women to shop for them and predict the next big thing.
Pick a trend, any trend. Low-rise jeans, black nail polish, Ugg boots, or Von Dutch trucker hats. These are just a few of the fashion trends that have swept America in recent years. But who gets to decide what is "in" or "out" of fashion?
Gina Sanders is the publisher of Teen Vogue Magazine and she says it's certain it is teens that decide. "They are influencers. And the fact is that when you reach one, you reach so many teen girls."
This is Sophie May. She is one of many girls hired to shop for the magazine. Miss May gets to ride in a corporate stretch Hummer to the mall where designers and consultants study her every move. Her job is to predict what will be the next "must have" item. She was chosen for this job because her friends look to her to see what's in style. Sophie says, "Every time someone copies me, I'm flattered, but I change it."
Teen Vogue says that celebrities, such as Lindsey Lohen and Paris Hilton, do influence what young women want to wear. However, their young consultants say they also turn to their grandmothers for fashion advice.
Sophie proudly talks about her collection of clothes. She says, "My first pair of moccasins was from my grandmother. I'd say half the stuff in my closet is from my grandmother. I have this cropped blazer and I got it out of my grandmother's closet."
The fashion community depends on these teen consultants to correctly predict changing trends. If the consultants are wrong, companies may spend a lot of money producing an unpopular product.