Seller Handbook

As you develop products for your Etsy shop, it’s important to think ahead. With that in mind, we pinpointed some key fashion trends from fall 2015 runway shows that took place recently in New York City and Europe. Though fall fashion was a focus of the shows, these trends could inspire a variety of products for other seasons as well. Sprouting up in New York, London, Paris and Milan, these emerging trends are ripe for your unique interpretation.

Marvelous Marsala

Pantone’s Color of the Year had a major moment on fall 2015 runways around the world. This rich, wine red has a warmth naturally fitting of fall clothing, beauty and home decor. Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, describes marsala as an “earthy, yet sophisticated color that speaks to the need for fulfillment, rootedness, nurturing and stability.” Selecting the Pantone Color of the Year is an involved process that starts midway through the prior year. “My antenna is always up for changes on the horizon!” Leatrice says, describing the research that goes into the selection, which takes into account not only emerging trends in fashion, but also other areas including entertainment, the auto industry, art and food. “The psychological elements of a color are a very important component of our choice,” she explains. “Marsala is a color that symbolically feeds the body, mind and soul.”

Etsy shop owner Damaris Kegerreis was an early fan of the color, which she first spotted in fashion and beauty blogs in late 2014. A long-time maker, Damaris opened her shop A Day in Summer in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania just after the new year, and was quick to add a marsala-inspired edition of her signature baby moccasins to her shop. “I noticed there were very few people anywhere, including Etsy, selling moccasins in this particular shade,” she recalls. Though it has only been open for a few months, her shop is already approaching 100 sales. Damaris credits some of this quick success to those little red shoes, which despite their tiny size, proved a powerful vehicle for bringing new – largely international – traffic to her shop.

Including even one trendy item in your shop can open your business up to a new world of customers. Damaris witnessed firsthand how a single item functioned as an entry point to her entire shop. Damaris has seen more interest in her marsala moccasins from abroad than from her local community in rural Pennsylvania. “Marsala isn’t trending here,” she says, and advises sellers to keep the interests of their target customers in mind when selecting colors. “Offering the same item in a variety of colors, including brights and neutrals, is a really good way to address that.”

‘70s Story

Welcome back to the '70s. The look for spring and summer 2015 was heavily influenced by the '70s, and the decade's hold on fashion continues into the fall season. Designers’ persistent fascination with the ‘70s was evident in the frequent use of of fringe, loose layers, vests and patchwork details, as seen throughout the Burberry collection shown in London. Balloon sleeves at Jill Stuart, and suede at Derek Lam are just a couple of the ways in which the ‘70s look came to life in New York. A color palette of rich browns and burnt oranges provided an earthy, grounded foundation for carefree, bohemian clothing and accessories like flowing maxi dresses and leather saddle bags. Many of fall’s 70’s-inspired looks are a nostalgic yet sophisticated take on the decade, with a prime example being the delicate floral bow-tie blouses seen at the Gucci show in Milan. Shimmer was also a staple on fall runways, featured in disco-inspired pieces for evening wear.

This trend provides ample opportunity for Etsy’s vintage sellers like Erin Broeker-Chall, owner of Coldfish Vintage, an Etsy shop based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Erin started her own vintage business after finding her dream vintage wedding dress on Etsy. Piece by piece, her shop grew into a successful gig.  Erin has recently found herself increasingly drawn to the look and feel of the '70s, as a vintage curator and on a personal level. “The 1970s are probably my favorite era,” says Erin. “Everything is about freedom.” You can feel the energy of the decade throughout Erin’s shop, in which she also models. Erin keeps tabs on what’s trending by immersing herself in popular culture. “I watch a lot of current movies and TV shows that are based in the past,” Erin says, citing Mad Men, That '70s Show and the Wes Anderson film Moonrise Kingdom among her favorites. Erin recommends vintage sellers stock their shops with items from a range of eras and use pieces from trending time periods as a way to attract new customers. When listing or editing an item, Erin highlights the era it's from by including a mention of the ‘70s, for example, in her item titles, tags and descriptions. Doing so helps to assure shoppers seeking clothing from a particular era that they're on track and on trend.

If the ‘70s make you recoil with thoughts of scratchy polyester, consider taking comfort in their neighboring decades. Many designers experimented with era mixology by mixing '70s nostalgia with flavors of the ‘60s and ‘80s. Designers in London and Milan tempered all-out ‘70s looks with elements of ‘60s pop, like mini skirts, A-line cuts and color blocking. In Paris, designers like Isabel Marant, leaned towards the ‘80s with tight pants and broad-shouldered jackets. In New York, Marc Jacobs drew influences from as far back as Edwardian England, mixing ‘70s-flavored Peter Pan collars with ‘40s-inspired full floral skirts and Edwardian black lace.

Comforting Textures

Looking at fall’s most coveted materials, the cuddlier the better. The runways were filled with plush winter outerwear including furry stoles and coats, fleece-lined layers and chunky knits. This was most prevalent in New York, where frigid temperatures had show attendees draped in layer upon layer of winter wear.

There is plenty of opportunity to add cozy elements to pieces more sparingly for customers in milder climates. Fuzzy details can appear as embellishments to a garment, at the collar of a jacket or cuff of a sleeve. With so many faux-fur materials available, those who want to avoid using real fur have a lot of options (see the faux fur examples below). Chunky knits combine especially well with other trends, like oversize and unisex shapes, capes and anything designed to warm the neck. Fall 2015's preoccupation with texture provides designers plenty of room to experiment.

Anjia Jalac, owner of the clothing line Various Love Affairs in New York City, has found fans with her faux fur pullover (pictured below), a product born through experimentation. The extremely oversized sweatshirt originated from a piece of faux fur the designer found at a fabric warehouse in New Jersey. Anjia originally envisioned turning it into a throw blanket but soon realized it was too small for that, and found herself wanting to wear the fabric somehow. “I love super oversized pullovers, but this one ended up extra oversized because I didn't want to waste fabric by cutting too much off,” Anjia explains. At the time Anjia didn’t think anyone else would necessarily like the piece. “It was just a funny thing I made for myself to get through the New York winter,” she laughs. But when she wore it out, she got a lot of compliments and soon started offering the piece in her shop. “It’s really huge, furry and a good friend in gross, cold winters,” she says.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Do you have a favorite trend you’re anxious to explore in your shop? Share in the comments below.