How companies predict fashion trends and kill individuality | Mahir Can Işik | TED Institute

Apparently, popularity can be predicted and companies are buying it. Increasingly, fashion brands are relying on trend forecasting agencies in order to create the “next big thing.” However, fashion buyer Mahir Can Işik says these predictions are putting creativity at the risk of irrelevance. (Currently, more than 12,000 brands get their predictions from the same agency.) Işik calls for a renaissance of self-expression and individuality in order to break free from the sterile suggestions of forecasters. About the TED Institute: We know that innovative ideas and fresh approaches to challenging problems can be discovered inside visionary companies around the world. The TED Institute helps surface and share these insights. Every year, TED works with a group of select companies and foundations to identify internal ideators, inventors, connectors, and creators. Drawing on the same rigorous regimen that has prepared speakers for the TED main stage, TED Institute works closely with each partner, overseeing curation