Fashion Nova to Prada: Who Really Sets the Trends Women Follow?

“I’m one of the world’s biggest fast-fashion designers, and unfortunately, this is happening completely against my will.” Marcelo Gaia, founder of the whimsical, “it-girl” fashion brand Mirror Palais, grabbed the attention of TikTok viewers with this statement just last month. Gaia’s words—ironic and jarring—reflect the reality for many designers. Trends sneak into the zeitgeist—sometimes subtly, other times with dramatic impact. They can define entire eras, for better or worse. Before you even realize it, you too want a polka-dot sundress, a pair of black tabis, or baggy jeans.

Multiple entities—from high-end designers like Prada to social media influencers and fast-fashion giants like Fashion Nova—collectively shape today’s trends. The relationship between consumer and creator is dynamic, accelerated, and increasingly cyclical. The idea that trends trickle down from elite runways is rooted more in traditional hierarchy than in modern reality. Historically, designers debuted garments at fashion week, editors reviewed them, and buyers decided what to stock for the next season.

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The presentation of collections at various fashion weeks creates a sense of elite, luxurious dreamwear. The pieces are chic and envy-worthy because they are being fiercely, publicly, and yet exclusively modeled. Those in attendance—fashion elites and celebrities—signal visibility and status. These individuals may even wear pieces from certain collections in their own lives, contributing to a larger desire to adopt their look.

The overall industry, however, is controlled by consumer demand, which far exceeds celebrity influence. As we follow trends, trends follow us. Retailers observe what looks are translated to celebrities and influencers before adapting designer pieces for a wider market. What some consumers may view as too avant-garde for everyday wear could actually serve as the blueprint for their favorite celebrity’s “chic streetwear” look.

Fashion trends and cycles, like everything else, are extremely accelerated by social media. Social media adds accessibility and intimacy to the allure of high fashion and those privileged enough to maintain access to it. Various “fashion inspo” accounts build virtual empires from the oversaturation of fashion content. Netizens can now track and spotlight their favorite celebrity’s look as soon as they step into the Grand Palais or Rockefeller Center.

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Beyond that, algorithmic amplification supports the rise of influencer marketing, ensuring that garments—regardless of industry notoriety—are visible to internet users. The “Mere-Exposure Effect” functions as subliminal advertising, pushing trends in a more organically presented way. Trends now emerge and spread with intense speed—a pace that fast fashion seems best equipped to exploit.

Fashion Nova, founded in 2006 by Richard Saghian, is the hub for all things body-con and trend-savvy. The fast-fashion company has expanded its brick-and-mortar presence alongside its biggest draw: online sales and digital entrepreneurship. Despite investigations from the U.S. Department of Labor, scandals over censoring negative customer reviews, and various trademark disputes, Fashion Nova remains one of the most popular online brands.

With millions of followers on both Instagram and TikTok, Fashion Nova seems to have mastered the digital market. The company releases new styles each week to match rising trends, showing hyper-awareness of how the online community feels about certain looks. A mix of user-generated content (UGC) and short-form videos helps strengthen Fashion Nova’s connection with younger consumers. However, it is Fashion Nova’s connection to internet icons that continuously propels its success. The brand famously collaborated with Cardi B on multiple collections, blending its virality with the excitement surrounding Cardi B’s first clothing line.

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For others, looks from Fashion Nova and other fast-fashion brands like Shein are the garments they wear as they are thrust into stardom. Various contestants from Love Island—the reality television dating show that reached the No. 1 position on Nielsen’s weekly streaming rankings earlier this year—pack their suitcases with fast fashion. As they gain online fame, fans scramble to replicate their outfits.

Hot topics of massive social media engagement, stars such as Olandria Carthen become fashion inspiration by wearing accessible, affordable pieces. Once contestants leave the island, they often secure brand deals and collaborations with more luxury labels, shifting their style narratives and influencing how consumers view both fast and high-end fashion. High-fashion looks “beyond the villa” illustrate one way in which luxury brands respond to the growing influence of fast fashion within the industry.

Founded in 1913 by Mario Prada and his brother Martino as Fratelli Prada, Prada remains globally recognized as a luxury fashion house. Luxury brands, though slower in production, are learning to adapt by recognizing the power of social media to validate and spread trends. Digital campaigns—such as Prada’s partnership with TikTok’s Charli D’Amelio during Milan Fashion Week—generated massive engagement.

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Another interesting twist in the larger process of trend development has come from these high-end brands. Pop culture icons are given exclusive access to garments before their official runway season. When Hunter Schafer wore Marni’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection in November 2023, the spectacle created early buzz and excitement for the brand. As always, fast-fashion brands and consumers are watching, anticipating the newest trends for upcoming seasons.

The thing about cyclical processes is that everyone is forced to stay ahead of the curve. The trends women wear will always be rooted in designers who spend months cultivating collections and new looks. High-end brands still lead in innovation and craftsmanship but are challenged by the rapid feedback loop of duplicated or inspired designs within fast fashion. Ultimately, consumer engagement with content and purchasing decisions dictate which trends take hold and enter the mainstream. The process is no longer as clear-cut as it once seemed.

by Morgan Bryant