‘F-commerce' and faster fashion top list of 2011 trends

As 2011 ticks closer, the fashion world will shift into fast forward, women will reach for simple pleasures such as nail polish and temporary tattoos, and more brands will sell directly through Facebook, according to “Life and Style Trends to Watch in 2011,” a trend-spotting report from market researcher JWT.

Ann Mack, director of trend spotting at JWT, said “f-commerce,” or brands sold directly on Facebook, will be significant in the year ahead. Only a few brands are sold now, including Victoria's Secret, but J.C. Penney jumped on board recently.

“When you have a major retailer of this nature using Facebook as an e-commerce project, others will follow,” she said.

Next year, people can expect even a shorter amount of time between the runway and the store rack. Fast fashion retailers such as H&M have been able to mimic what's on the runways and get trendy merchandise in the stores at a faster clip and at a relatively inexpensive price. Now, fashion's traditional time is being reworked as brands try to satiate consumers' desire for newness and instant gratification.

“My interest wanes as time goes by,” she said. “Luxury brands will increasingly allow for this and shorten the months between runway and retail. Consumers live life in real time, and they see something and they want it right now.”

As women continue to watch the budget, nail polish will emerge as the newest “it” accessory. Typically women reach for a new lipstick as a mood lifter because it's not that expensive, but now we're seeing that translate to nail polish, Mack said. As sales continue to increase, look for more unusual takes, such as leather nails and purposefully chipped nails, he said. “It's such an easy way to show a little bit of personality rather than going out completely on an edge.”
Temporary tattoos, another accessory both on the runway and in the beauty aisle, figure into a larger trend, that of a noncommitment culture, Mack said. “I think this is indicative of a much larger movement going on because consumers are reluctant to commit to anything long-term or high-ticket purchases because they've been burned the past few years because of financial meltdown. So, they're looking for other solutions.”

Temporary tattoos give a noncommitment spin to an otherwise permanent choice. Chanel tapped into the trend with limited-edition tattoos. In Dubai, temporary tattoos are available in real gold. House of Dereon partnered with Temptu on a kit, with Beyonce featured in the ad campaign.

Mack said the temporary trend gains followers as more celebrities admit their misgivings about getting tattoos. “A temporary tattoo is a fun way to put some art on your body but not have the regrets in the morning,” Mack said.