This headline of this trend report is a perfect example of why I do not follow Fashion Week. I much prefer to discover what best suits an individual.

This headline of this trend report is a perfect example of why I do not follow Fashion Week. I much prefer to discover what best suits an individual.

I get asked all the time, “Are you going to New York [or Paris or Milan or London] for Fashion Week?  Of course, I totally understand why I am always asked this question.  After all, I’m a style expert, and I travel to these fashion capitals regularly.  People easily put two and two together.  The thing is, I never go to any of those cities during Fashion Week. Moreover, and in spite of my expertise in and love of what I do, I do not follow Fashion Week.

If you find this a bit surprising, I want to share with you why I do not follow Fashion Week.

The main reason I do not follow Fashion Week is that, believe it or not, I am anti-trend.  If you work with me, you know that, in good conscience, I cannot promote styles on the basis of their trendiness.  Trends tend to come and go. But, your style has the ability to be steady and to long outlive this trend or that trend.  I used to really enjoy studying trends by following Fashion Week.

You can even scour the archives of this very blog to find old posts I wrote about trends. I used to love studying the trends and writing pithy, seasonal trend reports.  But, it all came to a screeching halt some years ago because trends, while fun to follow, are also full of frivolity.  I don’t want to promote clothes with short-term usage for my clients.

Even many more years ago, when I sold clothes in stores, I loved telling my clients about trends when a trend was just being born.  If the look was right for my client, and I could sense that the look would be sustainable for several seasons and would support his style needs, I’d press him to get in on the look early.  As an early adaptor of the trend, my clients always looked to be ahead of the curve.  Now, that was a fun way to use trends as a force for good. Longevity, rather than brevity, is like deconstructing the purpose of trendiness.

The second big reason why I do not follow Fashion Week is that it has become celebritized.  I honestly don’t care which celebrity is sitting front and center at this or that designer.  Who is wearing what designer does not have relevance to what my clients should each be wearing.

Kanye West in all his glory. His foray into fashion is a shining example of why I do not follow Fashion Week. A few people have asked me about my interest in his fashion sense. If a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll let this one be for you to review on your own and to form your own opinion.

Kanye West in all his glory. His foray into fashion is a shining example of why I do not follow Fashion Week. A few people have asked me about my interest in his fashion sense. If a picture is worth a thousand words, I’ll let this one be for you to review on your own and to form your own opinion.

Moreover, the movement of celebrities becoming “designers” brings down the concept of what a fashion designer does.  Kanye West encapsulates all that I despise about this entertainer-as-designer “trend.”  Here’s a guy with a “street” sensibility who has made so much money that he now needs to design clothing to meet his lifestyle.

Now, I’m all about celebrating the man’s success [even if I don’t listen to his music]. But, I am of the mind that the guy should stay in his lane.  It says a lot about a portion of the general public who wants to glom on to all things Kanye West just because he has become rich and famous.

[I feel it necessary to say this now just because we are living in very sensitive times.  The way I feel about Kanye West has nothing to do with race or privilege. The man has made the American Dream a reality. But, I do not find his talent to lay in fashion design or creative direction.]

On the flip side, Donna Karan first began to design clothes for her own collection as a way of creating clothing solutions for herself and her friends.  She couldn’t find clothes to fit her body and her lifestyle.  The thing is, she studied fashion design and was a bona fide designer before she created her eponymous collection.  Last year, she ended a very successful decades-long run, and closed her collection.  LVMH owns the label now, and it may be resurrected one day.  But, sans Donna.

Donna Karan became a celebrity in her own right. This occurred because her designs made her marketable.  Her name became a brand, and she became a household name. Yes, she dressed the likes of Barbra Streisand.  However, she didn’t have talent or success because of that.

I feel like we are losing our collective reverence for the likes of Donna, Giorgio Armani, et al.

These people are attending New York Fashion Week and have front row seats to a show. But, even though they are there, are they sort of present but absent by following their phones more than the fashions? When I am in a store, I am fully intent on seeing fashion front and center, and always with a special client in mind.

These people are attending New York Fashion Week and have front row seats to a show. But, even though they are there, are they sort of present but absent by following their phones more than the fashions? When I am in a store, I am fully intent on seeing fashion front and center, and always with a special client in mind.

Still, I do have a quick pulse of what’s happening at Fashion Week because of the people and companies I follow on Instagram.  A quick scroll through that self-curated feed reveals a lot about what’s happening with the looks at Fashion Week. But, it’s not a hard focus.

Why spin the wheels of what will be a trend in six months?

What really matters to my clients are the clothing and accessories that are produced and available in stores today. Their wardrobes are built and predicated on what communicates their personalities and goals.  Choosing clothing on the basis of trends goes against my own premise.

While I may be anti-trend, and anti-celebrity, I am very pro-individualist.  Each of my clients are their own stars.  By being laser-focused on what makes each of their stars shine brightly in a crowded Universe of inauthentic trends and celebrity status, I honor their uniqueness.

If you want to shine naturally and brilliantly, with staying power and radiance, stay clear of trends and the celebrity craze.  The same reasons why I do not follow Fashion Week may become the same reasons why you may no longer follow it either. Isn’t it freeing? I think so!

Joseph Rosenfeld helps successful Silicon Valley technology entrepreneurs and executives discover their personal brands and design their personal styles.  Get Joseph’s free report that helps you know “6 Secrets to Success in Silicon Valley.” Get details about Joseph’s proven program that transforms your life through personal brand and style development.