Global fashion unconscious guides our sartorial choices

Who really controls what we wear every day? You think you do? Well, think again. Outside influences get inside our wardrobe choices, including marketing, movies and the music scene.

Imagine walking into a clothes shop six months from now. You are looking for a dress to wear to a party. There are around 20 to choose from. You pick five to try on based on your own inimitable style and good taste. Do you know what they will look like? Well, perhaps, but more probably perhaps not. Six months is a long time in fashion and tastes change. But there are people out there who do know what you will be looking for.

You may see your choice of clothes as an exercise of free will, but there are many factors influencing your decisions that are totally beyond your control. So are we all simply slaves to fashion? And who are the people who decide how we look? "People are influenced by, among other things, brand names, clever advertising and by the clothes celebrities wear," says Sandra Halliday, director of market analysis and insight at the Worth Global Style Network, a trend and style consultancy.

Designers, in turn, are also influenced by outside factors. Richard Doran, formalwear designer at The House of Fraser, says: "Ideas and inspiration on newness can come from what we see people wearing on the street, checking trend prediction agencies, referencing what has featured on the catwalks and what we think will be big in the media - the music scene and what's coming out at the box office and so forth."

Leah Michelle, a London high street designer, agrees: "The recent film An Education is set in the Sixties and has been a big inspiration for women's wear because of its key vintage pieces, such as floral shift dresses and fitted woollen suits. Even Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland has had an impact on the high street; Claire's Accessories has released a brand nicknamed 'Alice in Fashionland' and you can buy themed pendants, charm bracelets, earrings and T-shirts. And Miss Selfridge is selling dresses and vest tops bearing the faces and famous slogans of Alice and other key characters."

As for the most important driver, most brands or designers know that securing a celebrity to endorse their product can help ensure the future sales of their collection. Think of the return of the trench coat thanks to the British actress Emma Watson for Burberry. "It's the celebrities more than the designers that dictate trends," says Bebhinn Kelly, the managing director and editor of UAE fashion website Hellwafashion.com. "There's much more globalisation of fashion these days, aided by the existence of so much information online. People can see worldwide what the celebrities are wearing and immediately adopt that look."

It's a fact that fashion magazines drive clothes into the stores, thanks largely to the celebrities they photograph. "If the magazine is high street driven, then everything featured in that edition has to be in stores the same week, so the power of the magazine to up sales of a particular product line is huge. Fashion magazines provide insight on the latest trends and how to achieve that look - which people love," explains Michelle.

But does fashion dictate to designers or is it the other way around? Alberta Ferretti, the international designer, says that, at least in her case, it is the designer. "I created my signature brands because I wanted to give my own imprint and interpretation to fashion. I prefer to follow my instinct and my ideas. My designs aren't the consequence of an affirmed trend, but they look to invent solutions for the changing demands and desires of women. But I won't say that conforming to a trend is wrong; each designer has his own public."

Is there maybe a happy balance or an uneasy truce between the fashion houses' ability to flex their creative muscles and the cold reality of commercial pressure? Halliday sums up the situation: "It's undeniable that labels as diverse as Prada or Erdem do see creativity as a driving force. But they are also a businesses and in that respect are no different from more commercial labels such as Betty Jackson or Cacharel.

"The most extreme creative labels will often design goods to make an impact on the catwalk, the red carpet and in magazine photo shoots. But behind all these high-profile pieces there are racks of highly commercial pieces. These commercial items give the labels the cash that allows them to exercise their creativity and the more creative pieces give them the kudos that makes their commercial pieces sell well."

Examples of luxury designers exploring the retail market are becoming more frequent; Jimmy Choo has collaborated with the high street store H&M, Alexander McQueen, before his untimely death, had developed the lower-priced McQ line, which satisfied the fashion-hungry appetites of the mainstream consumer. Ever commercially aware, Doran believes that designing is more than just facilitating a demand in the market. "As a creative person, I work alongside a buyer who has a more commercial eye and we build the range together - however, I am of a view that fashion is to be worn on a daily basis and the majority of people want to feel good and be dressed appropriately before trying to express themselves through their outfits."

We all take pleasure in fashion as it is both timeless and fickle, an expression of our deeper character and also an outlet for our whims. "The fact is that designer creativity is part of a highly interconnected world," says Halliday. "For instance, textile producers are creating fabrics, prints and colours that march to a trend-driven beat and all the designers are influenced by that. While the big brands most certainly do create trends, so many offer looks that have a similar feel, which means that every designer, big and small, is influenced by trends in the same way - which explains the many similarities between different collections.

"So looking to next season, we predict there'll be considerable demand for military coats and jackets, Fifties- and Sixties-style dresses with a modern twist, longer skirt lengths, the pant suit, Seventies-style flared trousers, multi-buckle boots, skinny belts, waist-cinching belts, and shoes with novelty heel shapes." While that may be the word on the street, the question for every fashion aficionado is: "Where do I fit into this equation?"

Doran has a very clear take on this. "Be yourself and have conviction in what you're wearing - some people look amazing in 'a look', some are amazing in jeans and a T-shirt - whatever you're wearing should look like it belongs on you," he says. McQueen once said that in fashion, the only rule is, there are no rules. "The idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern - wearing head-to-toe designer has become a bit passé," he said. "It's a new era in fashion - there are no rules. It's all about the individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic labels, and up-and-coming designers all together."

So next time you go to buy a dress, keep those outside influences at bay. If you can.