Jacquie Severs

I do trend forecasting as part of my job. Going forward I want to make it a bigger part of this blog. So far I've settled on two topics: Illustrator or the Month and Trend Forecasting will live here. Good stuff.

It's one part of my job that I really love. This post is to brag about a successful trend forecast! Ok, not really brag but sorta brag, because it feels good to see your work successful and anyhow, I'm pretty excited to share I was right about this. Called it! There is such joy in getting a forecast right. I wonder if financial forecasters feel this same joy?

Last week, the last week I posted on the old blog, I said I called it, when I posted this:

"Steampunk.


Yep. Disney is getting in on the movement. Nothing quite says "mainstream acceptance" like being a part of the Disney family."




 The post (on the other blog, which I'll stop referring to soon, promise) was in reference to a post a year earlier about the steampunk trend and how it was 'uptrending'. Well, I was inspired by the Disney art to mention it again, to point out how the trend is moving mainstream.


I couldn't help myself - I had to post it again here when I saw today an article on user-generated gossip blog ONTD. The article claims we are going to begin to see a lot more steampunk inspired gear too - a costume designer for Lady Gaga claims this is her next look.

I can see it.




Funny though, because the first thing I thought when I read about Lady Gaga doing a steampunk thing was the article I had just read about Christina Aguilara's new album.

Christina Aguilara, who is oft accused of trying to copy Lady Gaga, just realeased the cover art for her upcoming new album, "Bionic".

Have a looksee at it:

 Hmm. Pretty interesting. It definitely has that back-to-the-future steampunk thing going on.

I love to watch cultural movements. This movement fits well with the current economic situation, but it is also fresh and unseen by many eyes. As we know, pop stars usually appropriate looks from the underground, make them mainstream, and then somehow get all the credit.

Here are two fresh examples of that! As much as I really can't stand Lady Gaga's music, I have to say I look forward to what she's going to do next, wear next. She's got one hell of a creative team behind her so it us always interesting, or funny, if not always inspired or original.


Here is my original post from February of 2009 on the Steampunk movement:

"February 2009:


Once thought to be just a literary genre, this look is growing in popularity from the more hardcore enthusiasts:



And finding its way into mainstream influence. Think: Beards, Granny Boots, Crochet, Heritage Brands (ie: Woolrich, Hunter Wellington, Levi’s 501s), Typewriters, Pocket Watches, DIY esthetic, Optimism about human potential, punk inspired anti-establishment thinking, spats, corsets, Victorian things, etc.

Check out Steam Punk Magazine

Check out this Steam Punk Wedding!



This is the officiant:



See all the pictures here.

Check out this crazy Steam Punk Guitar...



There is something very MadMax about this look visually, yet I can’t help but mentally draw correlation between Steampunks and the devolved humans made famous by Devo .

The thing most fascinating about this subcultural trend to me is its trickle into other subcultures, and then of course into more mainstream culture, as bits and pieces seem to be popping up in Alt-Country, Punk and Emo, as evidenced by the aforementioned beards, plaids and vintage work boots, etc. It is sure to find a mainstream audience in the coming years as in an era of mass consumerism (hit by recession) it’s an affordable, approrpriate cultural esthetic."

Lady Gaga. Should'a guessed it'd be her.