"Power" and "Woke" Are the Fashion Words of 2017
Fashion editors like to believe they set the trends, but when it comes to what sticks and what doesn't, that's determined by what peaks the public's interest. For those wondering what people were most fascinated by this year, fashion research platform Lyst has released 2017's most searched terms.
The top slot went to "power." While you might be tempted to think that's referring to the maxed out silhouettes of Balenciaga's suiting, more likely, it speaks to the surge of empowering messages that we saw within the industry this year — from New York Fashion Week's Trump protests (Public School, Prabal Gurung, Mara Hoffman, etc) to the magazines who opted to give a voice to those rebelling against authority (including Time's Silence Breakers and Glamour's Women of the Year). In that same vein, "woke" and "statement" took the second and third spots on the list, respectively.
Number four went to "floral," which was particularly groundbreaking. The middle spots are all to be expected: "millennial," "extra," "masculine," and "cult." On a more laughable note, ninth place went to "ugly" — which is understandable, given some of this year's statement accessories (we're looking at you, Balenciaga crocs).
The final term is a reassuring one for those with a fashion conscious. "Vegan" was the tenth most searched term, reflecting the rise in sustainability as a talking point this year. Stella McCartney released an ad campaign in a landfill, and Gucci announced it would be going fur free — not to mention the increase of environmentally-friendly shopping options from an array of designers. Here's hoping that this word lands even higher on next year's list.
Check out the full ranking below:
- Power
- Woke
- Statement
- Floral
- Millennial
- Extra
- Masculine
- Cult
- Ugly
- Vegan
