London Fashion Week has passed and designers are already planning the key looks for this time next year. But are you looking ahead to forecast the next big thing for your sales? It's inevitable that designs filter down from the runway, but it isn't just the couturiers that are shaping our tastes. From their studios trendsetters cast influence across all areas, from high street fashion to homewares, giftware and to crafting. If you're not sure what you should be stocking, make sure you do your research.

“Fashion plays an important role in influencing consumers...we've never been exposed to more visual images that shape our taste,” says Nigel. “Having said that, it's important to recognise the difference between a short-lived trend that hardly leaves the pages of a magazine and major shifts in public taste.” As we know, fashions follow cycles and rarely neglect to consider the past. “Very little is entirely new, sometimes things are just more relevant,” says Nigel. “Quirky and eclectic is the mood right now and this is where Liberty have it spot on and have done for some time.”

One area is continually important in terms of what is fashionable. “Colour can be key to the success of many products,” says Nigel. “Right now this is about bold use of colour: rainbows, blocks and sports hues, all used against neutrals. Bright yellow with grey is a good example. It's a great freedom to use strong colour.”

Good news for makers: despite the higher premium, many people are now looking to own something more individual from the hand of an expert, rather than a production-line copy. “I know firsthand that retail buyers are more interested in designer makers than ever before,” says Nigel. “I see it in the amazing success of Launchpad at Pulse (a showcase for new designers and their products). In five years it has grown from an experiment to a key element of the show. The success of these young designers is based on interest in their new concepts. Also, the fact that products are handmade is understood in relation to pricing.”

Of course, it isn't all about trends, but designers are well-placed to let us know what's going on. “Often designer makers have less to do with trends than an appeal based on individuality and being quirky,” Nigel asserts. “Changes in taste come from a host of influences, but increasingly this group are helping to push ideas forward. It's interesting listening to different people who work with design talking about the future; sometimes there's a common theme in what they're saying.”

Clarion Retail organises trade shows targeted at retail buyers in the home, gift and jewellery markets