Trend Beacons

Iceland's “Markell Brothers” (Thorkell Hardarson and Örn Marinó Arnarson) direct this lively documentary on trend forecasters that is backed by a bubbly, synth-based score that adds a whimsical element. Fashion designers, retailers, and other businesses hire so-called trend beacons to find out what they should be stocking for their customers. Forecasters like Amsterdam's Christine Boland produce books which sell for thousands of dollars and predict trends two years into the future. She gathers information by traveling, attending art shows and textile exhibitions, observing consumer reactions, and taking pictures. Boland intends for the books to provide inspiration and not blueprints. Clemens Rameckers and Arnold van Geuns, the Dutch duo behind RAVAGE, predict trends for the food, auto, and hotel industries. While standing in front of their country manor in Normandy, van Geuns explains that they've been in business for 40 years and that they never fight. "It's very comfortable," he says (their pet goat adds to the bucolic scene). To Ellen Sideri, CEO of a trend forecasting service, the job requires sensitivity "to what's in the air." David Shah prefers to call himself a market analyst specialist, although he does similar work. Shah feels that he's providing direction and that the word “trend” suggests "fad." He cites discount retailers like Zara and H&M as part of the reason why fashions come and go more quickly than ever, noting that this is also why manufacturers are producing more goods and why so many foreign workers are underpaid. The trend forecasters aren't to blame for these developments, but they're part of a larger process that shows no signs of slowing down. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)