Samsung Fashion Institute Identifies ‘WINDUP’ as Key Trend for Next Year’s Fashion Market

SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Korea Bizwire) – The Samsung Fashion Institute has announced the selection of ‘WINDUP’ as the defining keyword for the fashion market in the upcoming year.

On September 19, Im Ji-yeon, the head of the institute, elaborated on the multi-faceted significance of this term for 2024, emphasizing the need to “wind up” or conclude the gloomy situations prevalent in the current times.

This concept draws a parallel to a baseball pitcher’s final preparatory motion before the conclusive pitch in a game, symbolizing a significant and decisive action.

The acronym ‘WINDUP’ encapsulates various aspects of the evolving fashion landscape. 

‘W’ stands for the intersection of Wellness and Fashion, indicating a shift in the business perspective where fashion trends are increasingly expanding into the wellness domain. This reflects a lifestyle change where dressing well is part of leading a wholesome life, leading to a more integrated concept of wellness in fashion. 

‘I’ represents the need to ‘Ignore Benchmarking’ from a brand perspective. The institute suggests that relying solely on benchmarking strategies is no longer a viable way to maintain competitiveness. Instead, focus should shift towards unique storytelling and original content.

‘N’ highlights the ‘Notable Rich Generation X,’ urging a consumer-focused attention towards Generation X, historically one of the wealthiest demographics.

‘D’ stands for ‘Daring 90′s Minimalism,’ a style perspective pointing towards the resurgence of bold minimalist trends from the 1990s. 

The institute further explains the significance of acknowledging Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980), which constitutes approximately one-third of the global population and total expenditure.

With Millennial and Gen Z consumers (born early 1980s to early 2000s) finding it challenging to surpass the wealth of their parents’ generation, the institute suggests a shift in consumer focus to Generation X, a demographic that is currently experiencing a revival of minimalist styles from their heyday in the 90s. 

Additionally, ‘U’ in WINDUP stands for the ‘Untapped Potential of Fashion GenAI,’ signifying the emerging role of generative AI as a new frontier in fashion potential. ‘P’ represents the ‘Profit Priority Strategy,’ underlining the need for profitability improvements to overcome economic downturns.

Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)