Stage style used to predict new mainstream fashion trends

If you went to Coachella this year, you were probably unaware that scouts from Express, Vans, and The Gap were watching. Dozens of trend analysts and their field photographers arrive at musical hubs like Coachella and SXSW with ultra-zoom lenses in hopes of spotting the freshest trends.

Style Sight, a trend forecasting company, showcased a photo compilation of concert go-ers and bands at the Art Center College of Design last week to manifest how their influences are infiltrating mainstream fashion.  One of the major focuses of the images was the “emo” movement.  Black, white, and red colors synonymous with the “emo” movement emerged from earlier bands like The Cure and have continued to surface in stage style and album artwork from My Chemical Romance, Green Day, and Fall Out Boy.

Bold and distinct, the color trio is now appearing in products from Toms Shoes, Threadless, and even in the big box brand Urban Outfitters pictured above. Other hints of “emofluence” are abstract stripes, subtle play on graphics, and a lower emphasis placed on masculinity.

If too many people catch on, what will the emo movement do next – shift to black, blue, and purple?