Have you ever gone thrift store shopping? If so you may recall seeing the occasional piece of cast off art. Personally I can think of many times when I have seen various art pieces that practically scream “I was painted during the 1970’s!” The subject matter can be a dead giveaway: For example, mushrooms and Owls were trendy during the 1970’s. I am not saying that every painting of a mushroom was created during the 70’s. My point is that when you find mushrooms done in popular colors from the 70’s (and I am sure you would recognize them if you saw them!) it gives you a pretty good idea that the artist was influenced by the trends that were taking place at the time of the art’s creation. When the trend dies, many times the desirability of the art dies too.

The trends do frequently influence an artist’s sense of aesthetics. The same artist who painted the owl painting in the 70’s might well look at it now and dismissively say, “oh, that was my old work. Here, let me show you what I am working on now; it is much better than that old stuff.” (Or not. You occasionally do find artists who get stuck in a “dead” trend and refuse to move on.)

Trends march on as time marches on…the artist can choose to participate, or not, but the trends will happen regardless.

Where do trends come from?

There are several important areas to examine when determining what fashion trends will be. Not surprisingly, one area that does greatly affect fashion design: the arts. Fashion Designers tend to be culturally literate people. They get out to see museums, galleries, concerts, plays, movies. They do not create in a vacuum. They feed their senses with imagery and they observe. They analyze what celebrities are wearing. They look at what ordinary people are wearing.

Historically, fashion trends began in Europe and would eventually make their way to America and the rest of the world. Now, with improved communications, fashion trends can begin just about anywhere; in Paris, in Tokyo, in Seattle, in New York. Although each city retains its own individual “flavor” and vibe, cities are becoming more similar as chain stores invade and society becomes globalized. The result is that trend information is significantly accelerated and accessible.

In my experience, fashion moves at the fastest pace and the trends in other areas usually follow in fashion’s wake. Traditionally, interior design trends would follow behind fashion trends, but there was a definite and noticeable relationship between the two, although it might take a few years to become apparent considering that home furnishings weren’t refreshed as often as peoples’ wardrobes were. During the Victorian era, both clothing and interiors were excessive and elaborate. During the 1920’s, both silhouettes and furnishings became leaner, pared down, simplified.

There is still much correlation between fashion and interiors. If butterflies are a popular motif in fashion, you could realistically expect butterflies to be a hot item in home décor before long. Not surprisingly, you could expect to see butterflies become a more popular subject for artwork as well.

Art both influences trends and is influenced by them. Some artists are trend setters in their own right. For example, artists Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau, and Alberto Giacometti significantly influenced fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli; Schiaparelli collaborated with these artists to design accessories, textiles, clothing and advertising. This is but one example and there are thousands more.

When you examine how people really live, decorate and dress, you can observe that a symbiotic type of relationship exists between the trends in art, fashion and interior design. Since the overall trends are shaped by the culture at large, it stands to reason that there will be similar themes and elements in all the so-called “lifestyle” markets of which art, fashion and furnishings play a part. It is then up to the individual artist, or the individual collector, to decide how “trendy” their work or collection will be.