Fashion Forward: Using Current Trends to Enhance Your Vendor Booth Displays

I'm going to preface this with the fact that I'm not a huge fan of chasing trends in your creative business because:

1. You end up blending in instead of standing out.
2. You find yourself on the hamster wheel of chasing the next best thing instead of having a solid foundation to lean on.
3. You lose sight of your own original creative work, which is what makes you so special and unique to begin with.  This is our secret sauce that makes you stand out and draws your ideal customers in that you don't want to abandon.

With that being said, I do believe that you can utilize trends, especially fashion trends to pair with your current product line to enhance your overall booth appearance.

So, how do you implement this tactic?

Start the Search

Hop on Pinterest or search hashtags on social media for the season you'll be selling in, add the year, and the word trends or fashion trends

Here are a few search combinations to get you started:

fall 2025 fashion trends, FW25fashion, spring summer 2025 fashion trends, ss25 fashion trends, summer 2025 trending fashion

If you're searching social media put a # in front of your search and eliminate the spaces:

#fall2025fashiontrends, #ss25trendingfashion, etc.

There are many great fashion blogs, reels on Instagram, TikTok, and content that will show up on your search.  Pro tip: I would try a few different word combinations in your search to get the best results.

Now What?

Compile a list of trends that you can easily blend into your current branding.  Don't select items or trends that clash otherwise you'll end up confusing your customer and leave them wondering why you chose what you did.

Figure out how many mannequins or places in your booth that you'll be utilizing these fashion trends and that's how many pieces/outfits you'll be looking for.

Where to Buy

I personally think that your own closet or thrift stores are the most economical ways to purchase these items

Pro Tip: Check out the thrift stores and secondhand shops on their discount days (if they have them) to save a few dollars.  I'm all about keeping your small biz profitable.

Extra Pro Tip: Consider re-selling these items either at your market (straight off the mannequin) for a fair re-seller's price to make a profit and add another revenue stream to your business, or after you're done using them so that you don't have a ton of old displays/outfits sitting around.  You can also sell them online on sites like Poshmark, Mercari, ThredUp, eBay, Etsy, or Depop to name a few. 

You can take advantage of my Poshmark affiliate link and earn $10 here!

I would start your search 1-2 months prior to the start of your market season.  This will allow you to have time to find the goods without being stressed (in case you don't hit the jackpot right away).  

You can really find an outfit in any size as well.  Smaller sizes will be easier to fit to a mannequin, but larger sizes can also be utilized and clipped in the back to have a nicer fit on your mannequin.

Who Can Utilize Fashion Trends?

I'm a firm believer that you don't need to be in the clothing world to take advantage of using fashion trends while selling your handmade goods.  If you sell jewelry, home decor, candles, apothecary, cleaning supplies, pottery, pet accessories, you name it!  You can utilize an outfit in your displays that embodies your ideal customer or that gives off your brand vibes while blending it with a trend to draw customers in.  Think about creating a mini-window display.

How to Pull it All Together

Now that you have sourced an eye-catching outfit pair it in a display with what you're selling.  Dress your mannequin or hanger with the outfit then add what you sell over it or next to it.

I hope this has sparked a new wave of creativity for you and will get you excited for a booth re-fresh that stays true to your roots but embraces fashion and trends that will get customers to engage with your booth.