This content has been automatically translated from Ukrainian.
Trendsetters are people, brands, or communities that initiate or help popularize new trends. Their style, ideas, and solutions become examples for others: unusual combinations of clothing start to be repeated, new video formats are picked up by creators, and design techniques appear in the works of colleagues.
At the same time, being a trendsetter is not the same as being well-versed in fashion or having many followers. The main indicator is whether others adopt the proposed ideas and solutions. An unusual personal style does not make a person a fashion legislator: influence on others' choices is required.
What does the word "trendsetter" mean
The term comes from the English trendsetter. It combines trend — "tendency," "direction" — with setter, derived from the verb set. The phrase to set a trend means "to establish a trend," "to initiate fashion." In Ukrainian, depending on the context, one can say "fashion legislator," "fashion legislatrix," "one who sets trends".
Although the word is often associated with social media, it appeared long before them. The Merriam-Webster dictionary dates the earliest known use of the English trendsetter to 1936. This is the date of a dictionary-recorded example, not the birth of the phenomenon itself: people have been emulating influential contemporaries long before.
The meaning of the term is also broader than just fashion for clothing. In the Cambridge Dictionary, a trendsetter can refer to both a person and an organization whose example others begin to follow. A trendsetter can influence music, design, gastronomy, technology, or ways of communication — what others gradually start to perceive as relevant.
Does a trendsetter have to invent something?
No. The author of an idea and the person who made it popular can be different individuals. A trendsetter sometimes creates something new, and sometimes notices an obscure thing, reinterprets it, and presents it to the audience in a way that makes it desirable to replicate.
For example, a stylist might combine long-familiar wardrobe items in a way that was not previously common. The items themselves are not new, but the proposed look becomes recognizable and influences others' choices.
This is clearly illustrated by the story of Mary Quant and the miniskirt. The designer is often called its inventor; however, the Victoria and Albert Museum explains that the shortening of skirts was a gradual process linked to street fashion and cultural changes of the 1960s. Quant herself acknowledged the influence of London street style. At the same time, her collections and media appearances played an important role in popularizing the mini.
Thus, calling Quant a fashion legislator is quite appropriate. However, attributing to her the sole creation of the entire trend is an oversimplification. This example reminds us that behind a well-known name can stand the ideas of many people, including those whose names did not make it into fashion history.
How personal choice becomes a trend
Imagine a photographer who starts capturing everyday scenes with a specific lighting, colors, and composition. Initially, this is her own signature. Then other creators try a similar approach, reinterpret it, share it with their followers — and the technique becomes a noticeable trend.
This hypothetical example shows why originality alone is not enough. Others must notice the technique, become interested in it, and find a way to use it in their own works. Even an original idea can remain a personal experiment if it does not resonate.
At the same time, influence does not necessarily have to encompass millions of people. One can set a direction in a small professional community, on a local music scene, or among creators of a specific genre. Trendsetting should always be considered in a specific context: a person may influence tastes in one area and have no such influence in another.
How a trendsetter differs from an influencer
These roles can overlap, but they mean different things.
An influencer affects the opinions, choices, or behaviors of an audience, particularly through social media. They can recommend products, explain complex topics, or promote a certain lifestyle. It is not necessary to initiate a new trend for this: a review of a long-popular product can also influence followers' purchases.
A trendsetter initiates or helps popularize a new trend. The focus here is on a specific style, idea, or practice that others begin to adopt. An influencer can become a trendsetter if a new style or practice spreads thanks to them. However, the mere popularity of an account does not prove this.
This term is also associated with the concept of early adopter — an early user of a novelty. This refers to someone who starts using a new product among the first. But buying an unusual gadget before acquaintances and encouraging others to change their habits are different things. One person can perform both roles, but early familiarity with a novelty does not necessarily indicate influence.
Why a famous face is not always a source of a trend
When a popular person showcases a certain look or format, it is easy to conclude that they initiated it. In reality, it may have already existed in a small community and only gained wider attention due to the celebrity.
Therefore, it is useful to distinguish between the origin of an idea and its popularization. A person who made a certain style known to a wide audience was not necessarily the first to propose it. The phrasing "helped popularize" is often more accurate than the categorical "invented the trend."
Similarly, not every viral post makes the author a trendsetter. Videos can be widely viewed due to surprise, scandal, or humor. To talk about influence on a trend, one should look at whether others have started to replicate the format, adopt the technique, or change their choices.
How to appropriately use this term
The phrase "this brand is a trendsetter" sounds more convincing if it explains what exactly its influence consists of. For example: "The studio became a trendsetter in packaging design: its approach has been adopted by other manufacturers." This is a hypothetical example, but it shows the necessary connection between the decision and the imitation.
"Trendsetter" is primarily a characteristic of influence, not a job title. In a specific situation, it can refer to a designer, musician, entrepreneur, brand, or creative community. And it is not necessarily a permanent characteristic: one successfully popularized idea does not mean that every subsequent decision will also define others' tastes.
So, when someone is called a trendsetter, the most interesting question is not "how popular are they?" but "what exactly have others started to replicate based on their example?" The answer helps to see the real influence behind the loud definition.
