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This is a co-authored article between AlixPartners and NAX Group. Alongside Sonia Lapinsky and Angela Zutavern, Sid Shah contributed from a NAX perspective.
Every year, Santa delivers millions of presents worldwide in one night. Yet somehow, it seems fashion trends shift even faster. What’s “in” and what’s “out” appears to always be in flux. This holiday season, how can shoppers snag the hottest new jacket for themselves or loved ones before it’s already out of style?
Have no fear, AlixPartners and NAX Group are bringing the holiday cheer—and a solution to this problem. AlixPartners’ head of AI Angela Zutavern recently appeared on NBC’s “The Today Show” to highlight how AlixPartners and NAX jointly developed insights and identified trends around the holiday season.
Read on for the results of our gift-giving fashion research. But first, we want to dive deeper into the retailer implications enabled by AI advances. AI will not only change how consumers shop, but how retailers manage the end-to-end supply chain. These new capabilities are a crucial business tool for merchants—trend analysis is already impacting how retailers think through assortment strategy, inventory management, and more.
Social media is a critical touchpoint for retailers of all sizes to connect with consumers. NAX’s leading, proprietary AI software can quickly and efficiently evaluate vast quantities of social data across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Reddit to unearth growth opportunities, trends, and actionable insights. The platform can even use these features to help companies design and develop products, expediting new product discovery and scalable launch.
This year, NAX powered AlixPartners’ holiday research, analyzing 500,000 relevant social media posts to efficiently identify the most popular fashion trends. At a high level, we expect the festive season to be marked by:
- Colors: Black, grey, brown, maroon, cherry red, and silver
- Fabrics: Cashmere, wool, and leather
- Other trends: Texture, metallic, oversized, bold, power dressing, and faux fur
- Top influencers impacting trends: Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner
Given economic headwinds, we expect holiday sales to underwhelm this year, echoed by the results of the annual AlixPartners Holiday Outlook Survey. As such, retailers will need to entice cash-strapped consumers with “value-right” offerings that make shoppers feel they are getting a deal on the hottest items. When it comes to fashion, AlixPartners and NAX believe these items will be:
- Biker boots: Miu Miu’s leather biker boots started the rage, though have been sold out for months. But Steve Madden rocky brown distressed boots and Bershka biker boots are socially trending alternatives that consumers can snag at reasonable prices.
- Red and silver handbags: Cherry red is THE color of the season, according to the data, and the Bottega Tosca shoulder bag and Brigitte Satchel by Melie Bianco are two favorites in the shade. Meanwhile, the Coach Tabby, Staud Ollie bag, and JW PEI Cristal Mini Top Handle bag shine in silver.
- Ballet flats: The classic, original Chanel is the quintessential ballet flat, though options now proliferate in all sorts of different styles and price points. Tory Burch, Madewell, and Steve Madden all offer popular versions of this shoe that Hailey Bieber has brought mainstream.
- Power dressing pieces: Power dressing appropriates the male power suit but modernizes it for the everyday woman through oversized blazers, tailored looks, white button downs, and black loafers (though grey is leading the trend this season). Shoppers are especially fond of the Banana Republic Italian flannel blazer, Zara faux patent leather flat penny loafers, and Zara pleated straight leg pants.
- Knitwear: Cashmere and wool are the top fabrics for this cozy winter trend, which consumers prefer in neutral colors—although red pops as well. The Row’s Iri cropped cashmere sweater leads the way among high-tier options, while J.Crew’s cashmere crewneck and Odette sweater with jewel buttons are more affordable choices.
- Statement outerwear: Experimenting with cuts and textures is in this holiday season. Leather trench coats, tailored coats, and shearling coats seem to be most popular—especially The Row’s oversized wool and mohair-blend coat, Alice + Olivia’s leather trench coat, UGG’s faux fur wrap coat, and Zara’s distressed faux leather trench and belted wool blend coats.
AI advances mean you no longer have an excuse for getting your significant other a sweater that’s two seasons out of style. Retailers and consumers alike can now analyze loads of research and data faster than ever before. If Santa uses AI to optimize his route efficiency, he might complete his deliveries in half the time.
