Podcast Alert: #ThatLatinGal teaches us the basics of Trend Hunting

Hellooooo babes!

Here at TLL we've been staying home - & we hope you guys are staying safe as well! It hasn't been boring at all: between taking naps, working out, doing the entirety of our college semester online, and scrolling through Instagram, we've tried our best to keep busy! This week we found another great distraction: podcasts. Colombian fashion expert & style influencer Ana Beliza Mercado released a podcast about fashion under the same name as her blog That Latin Gal. We were eager learn more about fashion and her experience with moda local (local fashion) in our country and internationally. She's kind & cool enough to share her expertise, her experience in different fashion weeks and how she stays ahead of the game in terms of style.

TLL took notes on her first episode, "Trend Hunting 101" for those of you non-Spanish speakers that want to learn with about fashion #thatlatingal:

On the cycle of a trend:

1. A new trend: Few, select people use styles that seem extreme because they have a clear, defined sense of style. Common people hate it. 2. Everyday people start getting used to the style disruption. 3. It starts growing on us. Then, someone famous is photographed using it and the trend/item goes viral (because the image reaches many people). 4. After someone super famous is seen wearing it (think: Rihanna, Dua Lipa), it becomes a mainstream trend with massive reach. People start realizing something is happening. You start seeing a friend of a friend wearing it. 5. The trend becomes widespread and embraced by people, who can now find it in their favorite fast fashion retailers.

Cool hunting, defined.

The term explains it: it's about hunting for cool stuff -- fresh, different, authentic styles. Some people an eye for that.

Cool hunting happens in the street, not in the magazines we know and love like Elle. It also happens naturally: cool hunters look at routines and people that cause curiosity and make you feel. This way, they spot emerging trends and predict which ones will reach widespread popularity.

Colombian jewelry designer & entrepreneur Daniela Salcedo is a cool-hunter. A really good one. Ana Beliza invited her to talk about how she successfully predicted just how big of a trend hair clips would be.

Images courtesy of Daniela Salcedo, the brand, on IG: @ds_danielasalcedo. Shop here.

DS hair clips exceeded expectations. Why? How did she know that this trend was going to be so strong and global? DS founder and Creative Director Daniela Salcedo looks at everything. She seeks inspiration in everything around her and has a huge eye for detail. Six months before launching her DS hair clips, she noticed that many street style bloggers and it girls in Paris and NY fashion week had a Gucci hair clip. Around the same, Chanel released a small hair clip.

Salcedo emphasizes the importance of having the ability to react quickly in order to be the first to bring the trend to the market. She was one of the first, and in true DS-style, she made sure the hair clips had her brand's DNA clearly-embedded. She took inspiration from her earrings and staple hearts and infused these into the collection of hair accessories. Editors note: when you look at a DS hair clip, you instantly know its a DS hair clip. Her brand DNA is that strong, and she knows how to leverage this.

You also have to be willing to bet on a trend - it might exceed expectations like her hair clips, but it might not.

On how YOU can predict trends:

Summarized into a how-to guide by your online bff @TLL.

It's probably evident enough that we loved Ana Beliza's new podcast. If her first episode was this exciting and informative, we truly can't wait for more. TLL is all for latin talent like taking risks and creating valuable content that shows how much we have to offer. She's an it girl whose doing amazing work in cultivating local fashion and elevating it to a more global level (where it deserves to be)!

Until next time TLL! Let us know if you want more podcast reviews and make sure to follow Ana Beliza on Instagram (@anabelizam).

With love,

Isa