Pinterest's Global Trends Lead Sydney Stanback on Curating Style Inspiration, Plus The Trends Everyone Is Pinning Right Now

Summary

Episode Summary: Pinterest's Global Trends Lead Sydney Stanback on Curating Style Inspiration, Plus The Trends Everyone Is Pinning Right Now

Podcast: Let's Get Dressed
Host: Liv Perez
Guest: Sydney Stanback, Global Trends Lead at Pinterest
Release Date: March 31, 2025

In this insightful episode of Let's Get Dressed, host Liv Perez delves deep into the world of Pinterest with Sydney Stanback, Pinterest's Global Trends Lead. The conversation navigates through how Pinterest shapes fashion trends, offers style inspiration, and serves as an indispensable tool for both everyday styling and major life events.

1. Introduction to Pinterest as an Inspirational Powerhouse

Liv Perez opens the discussion by highlighting Pinterest's role beyond just a digital scrapbook. She emphasizes its impact on various aspects of life, from fashion to home decor and even wedding planning. Liv shares her personal reliance on Pinterest for style inspiration, especially after her wedding, and contrasts it with other social media platforms that offer more passive entertainment.

Liv Perez [08:44]: "I'm not just scrolling for entertainment or quick satisfaction. I'm actually scrolling to enhance something in my life."

2. Sydney Stanback’s Personal Relationship with Pinterest

Sydney Stanback shares her intimate connection with Pinterest, describing it as a reflection of her evolving personal style over the years. She highlights how Pinterest serves as her primary tool for daily inspiration, from choosing outfits to discovering new recipes.

Sydney Stanback [01:53]: "Every time I log onto it, it's like a reflection of myself... it's my private space to explore myself."

3. Pinterest’s Unique User Journey and Trendspotting

Sydney explains Pinterest's distinctive user journey, which fosters intentional planning and discovery, setting it apart from other social media platforms. She underscores Pinterest's mission to inspire users to live a life they love by offering tailored content that evolves with their interests.

Sydney Stanback [04:45]: "Pinterest is really, in my experience, the only platform that brings me to this intentional mindset where I go in seeking out something that I need."

4. Getting Started with Pinterest: Tips for New Users

Liv and Sydney discuss strategies for newcomers to Pinterest. Sydney advises users to start by searching for topics they are passionate about and actively engaging with pins to help Pinterest’s algorithm better understand their preferences.

Sydney Stanback [09:21]: "Continue leaning in and searching for topics that you may not even know exist on the platform."

Liv adds practical examples, such as using Pinterest to style a pencil skirt, demonstrating the platform's ability to offer tailored and inspiring suggestions.

Liv Perez [13:05]: "If you're someone who is interested in exploring your personal style, not really sure where to start, it's just such a great springboard."

5. Pinterest’s Role in Evolving Personal Style and Major Life Transitions

Sydney shares her personal journey of using Pinterest to evolve her style post-pandemic, transitioning from casual wear to more aspirational outfits as she returned to the office environment in Chicago.

Sydney Stanback [14:37]: "Pinterest was really just a fantastic source of inspiration as we were going through that transition."

Liv concurs, emphasizing Pinterest's effectiveness in helping users "glow up" and refresh their wardrobes.

Liv Perez [15:40]: "So it's great for a glow up."

6. Understanding and Forecasting Trends Through Pinterest Data

The conversation shifts to Pinterest's trendspotting methodologies. Sydney explains how Pinterest leverages user data and machine learning to predict trends before they hit the mainstream, citing the success of their annual Pinterest Predicts report.

Sydney Stanback [16:22]: "We have an incredible success rate with it. We've gotten 8 in 10 of the trends we predicted every single year."

7. Current and Upcoming Fashion Trends Inspired by Pinterest Users

Sydney highlights specific trends emerging from Pinterest data, particularly in preparation for festival seasons like Coachella. She introduces the "Stereopunk" trend, characterized by bold, nostalgic elements such as leather jackets, plaid skirts, and Mohawk braids, often influenced by artists like Green Day.

Sydney Stanback [19:44]: "Stereopunk ... cross punk jackets, all leather outfits, plaid skirts, chain belts, Mohawk braids."

Liv connects this trend to recent runway shows, noting the seamless integration of user-generated trends into high fashion.

Liv Perez [20:54]: "I really liked what you said earlier about how a lot of the trends are user generated."

8. The Impact of Entertainment and Personalization on Fashion Trends

The discussion delves into how entertainment figures and their aesthetics significantly influence Pinterest trends. Sydney points out that artists like Lady Gaga and Sabrina Carpenter are shaping fashion movements through their performances and public appearances.

Sydney Stanback [27:51]: "I'm really curious to see, like, what she's going to deliver in that performance and how that is going to kind of influence aesthetics for the rest of the year."

9. Micro Trends vs. Sustainable Trends on Pinterest

Liv and Sydney explore the prevalence of micro trends in the digital age. Sydney argues that Pinterest's focus on personalized and meaningful trends reduces the noise typically associated with fleeting micro trends found on other platforms.

Sydney Stanback [24:15]: "Micro trend culture is just a byproduct of the rise of short form ... it's more about personal style than fleeting fads."

Liv reinforces this by cautioning listeners to view micro trends as content fodder rather than long-term style guides.

Liv Perez [25:45]: "It's not a real thing. It's just more ideas for people to create more content."

10. Future Trends and Predictions

As the episode draws to a close, Sydney expresses excitement about upcoming trends influenced by high-profile events and artist releases, particularly referencing Lady Gaga’s new album and potential tour. She anticipates these events will further shape fashion aesthetics throughout the year.

Sydney Stanback [27:51]: "I'm really curious to see, like, what she's going to deliver in that performance and how that is going to kind of influence aesthetics for the rest of the year."

Conclusion

Liv Perez wraps up the episode by appreciating Sydney's insights into the intricate process of trend forecasting and the symbiotic relationship between entertainment and fashion. The conversation underscores Pinterest's pivotal role in shaping and reflecting personal and global fashion trends.

Liv Perez [30:41]: "I love hearing truly where trends are an art form, Truly where they come from, how they take shape in our world."

Key Takeaways

• Pinterest as a Personal Inspiration Hub: Unlike other social media platforms, Pinterest serves as a proactive tool for planning and inspiration, allowing users to craft their personal style and major life projects.

• Data-Driven Trendspotting: Pinterest leverages extensive user data and machine learning to accurately predict and set trends, maintaining a high success rate through their Pinterest Predicts report.

• Balancing Micro Trends and Personalization: While micro trends are prevalent on digital platforms, Pinterest emphasizes personalized and meaningful trends, reducing the noise and enhancing user-centric style evolution.

• Influence of Entertainment on Fashion: High-profile artists and their aesthetics play a significant role in shaping Pinterest trends, demonstrating the interconnectedness of entertainment and fashion industries.

• Future of Fashion Trends: Anticipated events and artist releases are expected to continue influencing fashion trends, with Pinterest poised to remain at the forefront of trend forecasting and inspiration.

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This episode offers a comprehensive look into how Pinterest not only reflects but also shapes contemporary fashion trends, providing listeners with actionable insights on utilizing the platform to enhance their personal style and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of fashion.

Transcript

[Liv Perez]

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of let's Get Dressed. It's your host, Liv Perez. I hope you're all having a great start to your week. As always. I'm so glad you're here. We often talk on this podcast about where to find really good style inspiration. And today we are talking to one of my favorite places for inspiration. And honestly, one of the most powerful platforms out there right now that's shaping what we all wear, decorate with, cook, and even get married in. And that's Pinterest. We all have those moments where we're scrolling and suddenly find ourselves down a rabbit hole of new ideas, mood boards, and so much more. And there's a reason for that. It's not just because Pinterest is a place for inspiration. It's actually become this place where trends start before they even hit our feeds. So today, I'm thrilled to be sitting down with Pinterest's global trends lead, Sydney Stambach Sylvia, to talk all about how they're predicting what's next, what everyone is pinning right now, and of course, some of the biggest trends that they're forecasting for the year ahead, including festival season, which is right around the corner. We also get into some hot Pinterest tips, like how to pin like a pro, how to train Pinterest to know you better than you know yourself, and even shape your own personal style. I hope you guys loved today's episode. Let's go get dressed with Pinterest's Sydney Stanback. Sydney, welcome to the show. I'm so excited to have you.

[Sydney Stambach]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Liv Perez]

I am a Pinterest nerd. I'm someone who I feel like that is my starting point. Like, if I have no idea what to wear or I'm concepting something for an event, I come, I have to go to. Pinterest is my first place, and so I'd love to hear from you. As someone who obviously loves it enough to work there and live and breathe it every day, how does Pinterest work in your life?

[Sydney Stambach]

Well, first and foremost, it's always great to meet another Pinterest fan. You know, I. At this point, I've used my Pinterest so frequently that I feel like every time I log onto it, it's like a reflection of myself. So I rarely even search for anything anymore. It's just like my home feed is very much tuned to who I am at this point in my life. And it's interesting because I've had my Pinterest for a while. So it's always interesting to go back and see how my boards have evolved, how my everything about me has evolved over, like, pretty much the past decade. So I, you know, my main. It's a. It's a. It's my first stop too, especially when it comes to developing my own personal style. I actually like to use Pinterest a lot for everyday use cases. I feel like oftentimes when people hear about Pinterest, they associate it more so with those major life moments like wedding planning or home renovations, which of course are fantastic use cases for Pinterest. But for myself, like, I'm looking at it multiple times in the day, just trying to figure out, okay, like, I have to go into the office tomorrow, like, what am I thinking in terms of. I live in Chicago for context. So, like, going into the office is always a bit of an adventure because I don't know from a weather standpoint what I'm going to get. So everyday use cases in terms of styling myself, but also for food, I'm a huge recipe person on Pinterest as well, so I highly, highly recommend it. So, yeah, I mean, it really is a place where it's kind of like my private space to explore myself. It's not noisy, and I feel like a lot of other social media platforms these days can be a bit noisy. So it's really like my quiet space to explore myself, my interest, which is really the main reason why I love it so much.

[Liv Perez]

So I have to be so honest here. I'm a new Pinterest girl. I'm new here. New here. I got married last year and it was like the one source of inspiration for me to go to as I was wedding planning and then post wedding planning, I was like, wait, I'm kind of addicted to this. Prior to that, I really didn't have this one place that I was going to just to have this quiet time to seek out inspiration. And that was a really big thing that I learned post wedding and missing that feeling of Pinterest. I was like, oh, I can scroll Instagram, I can scroll TikTok. But it's not the same feeling as like actually carving out time to specifically just flex your creative muscles. It's a totally different thing. And I'm curious for you why you think Pinterest has become kind of that go to place over any other platform that we have out there right now. That's just inspiration central.

[Sydney Stambach]

You know, I think it's just the user journey is so different. Right? Like, it's a really, a space where it's, it's really been built for you to craft, right? Like craft out all different aspects of your life, whether it's a wedding or your outfit for the day. Like, that is really what the platform is built for, right? Like, it's our mission to bring people the inspirational, live a life that they love. And so when you think about the product experience, right, it's not. It goes well beyond just searching for something you're saving pens, you're building boards. And then the more you do that, the more Pinterest understands you and serves you content that is really attuned to your style and even introduces sometimes new things that you may not be aware of, but maybe might be like, adjacent to your interest, right? So it's not just keeping you within the territory in which you personally exist in. It allows you to explore other territories that you may be interested in, right? And so I think that. But that is a unique user journey that really isn't available elsewhere. When I think about how I use other social media platforms is really, for me, keeping up with my friends or being entertained, right. I don't really go there with the intent to plan anything. It's kind of just passive entertainment or content, which is great. It serves its purpose, right? But Pinterest is really, in my experience, the only platform that brings me to this intentional mindset where I go in seeking out something that I need and something that I may not even know that I need. But once I see it, I'm like, oh, yeah, like, that's, that's it. And I don't experience that anywhere else. And so it's really great to hear from your experience how wedding planning and I'm curious, have you shared your wedding more? I would love to see your wedding board.

[Liv Perez]

I feel like that's such a. People have asked me and I'm like, that literally feels like the most vulnerable thing ever.

[Sydney Stambach]

Oh, no. Your wedding was so beautiful. I am sure you get it. It's so vulnerable.

[Liv Perez]

I'm just like, wait, does that. Are people going to see that and be like, wait, that didn't make sense. I don't know. Maybe I'll share them with this episode.

[Sydney Stambach]

Please do. I really, you know, I think everyone's inspiration journey is so different, but it's always so remarkable to see how people craft things or build things on their own. I mean, I, I working in data at Pinterest, I've seen like, boards that are really creative or have really creative names. I'm not that way. My fashion board is just called st. It's been that for years. Right. It's so like, you know, so it's. But I think. But that, but that's for me, right. That it serves its purpose for myself. But it's very vulnerable to share your boards because again, this is like this private experience that you had as you were building out this major life moment. But I am sure a lot of people would be heavily inspired by it because your wedding was so beautiful. But it's. That's not like the first time I've heard even in my personal life that people were planning these big life moments. One of my best friends got married a couple years ago and she was using Pinterest for the first time for her wedding planning and now she's using it for everything. She's opening a coffee shop. She's going there for references to, you know, everyday use cases as well. And so I think that a lot of people are being reintroduced to Pinterest through major life moments, but also understanding and discovering like, oh, wait, like, I can do so many things here and help helpful in so many ways.

[Liv Perez]

I feel like when Pinterest first started, it felt like kind of like the Scrapbooker's digital solve. And I think that kind of pigeonholed the platform a little bit. But I think once you try it, you're like, wait, this has. This is a totally different world. And I actually really love that. It kind of scratches the itch for me of creative, like, like efficient scrolling.

[Sydney Stambach]

Yes.

[Liv Perez]

I'm not just scrolling for entertainment or like quick satisfaction. I'm actually scrolling to enhance something in my life, whether it's my personal style or I'm working on a house, anything like that. So if you're looking for efficient scrolling guys, try Pinterest.

[Sydney Stambach]

Love that. Love that.

[Liv Perez]

I'm curious for you. And also this is a selfish question for me. How are you going into pinning? What is your first step? I really feel like there are a lot of people listening who probably are not on the Pinterest train. So I'm like, how are we doing this from step one? So it doesn't feel overwhelming.

[Sydney Stambach]

Yeah. You know, I think for beginners, even when you're logging in or signing for a Pinterest account, one of the things that they're going to ask you is like, what are you interested in? Right. So are you here for style, food, so on, so forth, wedding planning and that's a good obviously first step into the platform. But like my. I would also recommend start searching for things that you know you love. Right. Like if you've been really interested in a certain setting or sort recipe, like, search for it, and it's going to serve you a lot of different pins or content around that topic. But don't just stop there, like, engage with those pins. Whereas, like, oh, this pin looks interesting to me. But as you continue to go down that kind of search process, it's going to continue to serve you relevant pins as well, right? So Pinterest is really all about visual search, right? So it's about giving you the content that sometimes you don't necessarily have the words for. Like, I actually, to this day, I struggle with contextualizing my style in words, but when I open my Pinterest app, it's there, right? And so I think once you start with some of the words that you know, that you're like, I think I like, I know I usually wear like white button downs with jeans and flats or like, I'm very inspired by this specific influencer, this celebrity. And as you continue to engage, you're like, okay, this was my first initial spark of inspiration. But like, it's, as you continue to go through Pinterest, right, you're going to get more and more pens that may again, not be a hundred percent in that territory, but adjacent to it that you're like, actually, this is more me. Like, this actually makes me feel more comfortable. And you just keep going and you build upon it. I say, you know, and this is not even someone who, this is not advice coming from someone who, who works at Pinterest is just coming from myself, right? Like, the more you engage with Pinterest, the more it gets to know you. So don't, like, you know, your first few entries, you might be like, okay, I'm still kind of figuring myself out here. Don't let that stop you. Because the more you engage with it, the more you're gonna be like, oh, yeah, they know exactly who I am, what I like. And you'll get to a point where you're like, I don't even really need to search anymore. I just, it. I'm going to go on the app and it's going to give me exactly what I need in the moment. And there are also a lot of discovery mechanisms on the platform as well, and recommendations based off of what's trending on the platform at the moment. So if you just need to seek out inspiration that way, you can as well. So there are a lot of ways in, but my main point of encouragement is, like, continue leaning in and searching for topics that you may not even know exist. On the platform, like Live4U Food. Right? Like, there's so many recipes on.

[Liv Perez]

I had no idea. Literally no idea.

[Sydney Stambach]

So many. I think that's actually like, back in the day, that was what I, that's what I used it for. And then it evolved into style. And so that is something like if you've heard of a recipe on another platform and you're like, okay, maybe I'm interested in learning more and actually getting the ingredients and actually going to the kind of that original source, it's a little bit more tangible and like, gives you the instructions on how to create it. Right. Like, you can easily do that on Pinterest. And then based off of that one recipe, it's going to serve you more recommendations that are similar or within, like, let's say the same, like, yeah, yeah, same like cuisine type. Right? So it's, it's. Again, continue to use it. I'll get to know you really well and next thing you know, you won't be able to stop using it.

[Liv Perez]

So, I mean, for me, I. Even the other day I was like, okay, I have this pencil skirt. I'm not really sure how I want to style it went on there, typed in pencil skirt outfits. Obviously the entire page, populated, scrolled through, was able to find one that was really similar to my style. Clicked on it. And then even underneath that, where it gives you like, other relevant searches, it's just like, there's just. So there's something for everybody on there. And every time I walk away from it, I'm like, okay, I just found something new that I haven't tried before. Because again, that ability to identify you and find your style, but then also inspire you to try something a little bit different, it's just such a great visual tool. If you're someone who is interested in exploring your personal style. Not really sure where to start. It's just such a great springboard. And I actually say the biggest question that I get is, hey, one of the biggest questions that I get is I'm in a style rut. I don't really know what to do. And the first thing I say is, get on Pinterest, build yourself a board of what you like. Maybe not how you're dressing right now, but what you're interested in wearing. Then from there you can kind of clean out your closet and be able to bring in pieces maybe from some of those outfits where you're like, okay, I really, I'm noticing in my board that I love a lot of pencil skirts or I love oversized, baggy Jeans like, you're able to pull from those moments to then get your closet to a place where you're more excited about it. So I always say it's like the first place when you're looking for anything. Style wise.

[Sydney Stambach]

I went through coming out of, I guess, peak pandemic time when we started going back into the office and being around people again was interesting because I was transitioning from my late twenties in New York City. Then that obviously halted. And then coming out of it, I was, you know, in my 30s in Chicago and, you know, had a different job and just different, you know, evolved. My style had evolved at that point. And I use Pinterest throughout all those years when we were indoors, basically in sweats or just really comfort comfortable clothing to build out more of like an aspirational board of like, okay, when we kind of leave, when we are able to go outside again and be around people, like, this is what I want to show up as. Right? Like, this is how I plan on. I wouldn't even call it a reinvention. I think it's just an evolution of who I was into who I was at that time. And Pinterest was really just a fantastic source of inspiration as we were going through that transition. And just I've been building off of that ever since.

[Liv Perez]

So it's great for a glow up. Great for a glow up.

[Sydney Stambach]

A thousand percent, Thousand percent.

[Liv Perez]

I want to get into trends a little bit because we are kind of at that, like, perfect time of year where I think people are getting excited about the weather getting warmer. It's about to be festival season, closet clean out era. And then of course, we just had fashion month for autumn, winter. So there's just a ton of new style inspiration that I think people are really excited about. And I know you mentioned that Pinterest is really on top of that. How does Pinterest get those trends before they hit the mainstream? Like, even for our fashion listeners who are, you know, curious post Fashion Month, how does that street, like that kind of stream happen?

[Sydney Stambach]

Well, I. Our trend spotting process is really grounded in how people use Pinterest. Right. We were just talking about how it's so intentionally used, it's efficient scrolling, which turns out to be a fantastic source, data source for trendspotting because it's driven by people who are planning for their next big thing. Months, sometimes years. In that case of me exiting the pandemic, in my mind, I was like, oh, wait, we're years from that. Didn't know that at the time, but Penners are Planners. Right. And so they kind of give us great insight into what the next big thing will be. And then also from like a data science standpoint, we do apply, I would think, a very rigorous machine learning backed methodology that enables us to forecast which types of searches or behaviors will continue to grow on our platform. I think the best, Kate, the best example of that is through our annual Pinterest Predicts report, which we've been putting out for the past half decade, have an incredible success rate with it. We've gotten 8 in 10 of the trends we predicted every single year. Right. And again, we're. I think that is really just driven by our data source. Right. You use Pinterest so differently than you use any other platform. And that is what helps us really understand kind of these shifts in consumer behavior that we're about to see. And one of the things that I love about our trendspotting process is that it is really grounded in the pinner for the Pinterest user. It's not based off of what one brand is doing or what one influencer is doing. It's really this collective shift in behavior that we're seeing across thousands, tens of thousands of searches across our platform. So it's very interesting to think that these pinners are the people who are really ahead of the curve because they're thinking ahead of like, what the next big moment in their life will be. So right now, festival season is a thousand percent that I believe that people start planning for festival outfits on Pinterest, like at the beginning of the year. Right. So I think one of the themes that we've really seen heading into 2025, and this really started even back in 2024, this shift now that we are officially safely able to engage with all the events that we were able to prior to 2020, like festival season, people are showing up in these very audacious and bold and somewhat maximalist ways. And Coachella specifically is a very great forum or place to engage with that into a certain extreme. I think another theme that we're seeing specifically for Coachella trends is that, you know, people are really tapping into the aesthetics or the vibes that they connect with with their favorite artist. Right. So it's not, it's like an aspect of your personal style, but it's like that aspect of your personal style that that specific artist taps into. So it's, it's really, it's so much fun. It's, it's, it's vibrant. It's very joyful. And so I am personally excited to see how all these trends kind of come to life at Coachella.

[Liv Perez]

Interesting. What trends specifically are you seeing that you think are just kind of everywhere right now?

[Sydney Stambach]

So right now, as it pertains to some of the Coachella trends that we're seeing in terms of planning, we have a trend called stereopunk, which is one that I relate really closely to. Actually. I went through a punk era in high school, in college, I think we all had that, like, you know, either we were deep in it, or we were adjacent to it through wearing just Doc Martens. You know, Doc Martens have never gone out of style. That is very much a part. Part of this trend. But think of it as, like, cross punk jackets, all leather outfits, plaid skirts, chain belts, Mohawk braids. And, you know, that's really a connection to, you know, Green Day headlining Coachella. Right. You know, it's. It's. It's a way to tap into. I love Green Day. I was big fan back in the day, and I. I think that there's a bit of nostalgia associated with some of these trends as well. Nostalgia is huge right now. It's always fun to see how people may reinterpret eras that they maybe weren't an adult and didn't get to engage. And I think this stereopunk trend is a great example of that.

[Liv Perez]

It's so interesting because I feel like there's such an overlap between entertainment and fashion. Yes, there were so many punk looks that went down the Runway in February. Simkai had a bunch of them. A lot of, like, kind of, like ripped hems. And then even last year, Dior showed in Scotland, and the whole show was plaid punk inspired. And it's amazing how these two things always kind of find ways to come together. And I really liked what you said earlier about how a lot of the trends are user generated. And I feel like there's this frequent conversation in fashion when a Runway happens, whether it's New York or Paris, and there's one very obvious trend, people will come together and be like, did all of the designers just, like, meet up and say that they were going to do that? But I actually think at the end of the day, they're getting research just like you are, of what people are looking up. Like, there were so many pins and brooches right now, and that feels so obvious to me. Post. Well, while we're in the midst of, like, the bag charm era, people want these, like, embellishments in their everyday wardrobe that feel really personal to them, kind of leaning into this, like, maximalist era. That you were discussing. Like, I think people really want to be and feel glamorous and embellished. But it's fascinating how these things really tie together 1,000%.

[Sydney Stambach]

I mean, I. When we see, you know, all the Fashion Week moments globally, it's always really amazing to see how some of the trends that we're seeing in our data come to life. And, you know, I think that the reason why all of this is aligned is that it goes back to how people are feeling in the moment or like are trying what they're trying to seek out through fashion and entertainment moments. Right. It's like a form of escapism. It's a form of experiencing joy, of course. And so like, how. How are they tapping into engaging with that? Right. And so it's a very. It's very interesting to see how, you know, this, this form of maximalism is playing out in the moment. I do think there's this desire for hyper personalization as well. We see that. I think that's again, why Pinterest is so powerful and why like younger generations, specifically Gen Z, engage with it so much, because it gives them a venue to discover themselves or craft out their own identity in a way that no one else can because it is so tuned to your own personal interests. So I think, you know, the charm trend, the brooch trend, like that is all just like, it's not enough to just have that one items like how do I put my own personal twist on it and my own on my outfit and my esthetic. And I think that we're going to be seeing that come through not just in festival season, but of course for the rest of the year. Because I think that people are, you know, of course, moving away from the micro trend, the fast fashion of it all, and trying to discover new ways that they can really engage with their own personal style.

[Liv Perez]

What do you think of micro trends, especially being at a platform where there's just constant inspiration? I feel like there's a. Probably a lot.

[Sydney Stambach]

Yeah, of course, you know, when we do our trends body, we try to avoid anything that we think might be a fad. It takes us a while to see through all of that too, because of course a lot of it exists really everywhere. But I think that because trends on Pinterest are so personal, the micro trend culture doesn't really trickle in, into the platform in ways that it does on some other platforms that we see. It is not like this content or overload. Right. It's very much like, okay, again, you're only going to see something that you're actually interested in. So even if it's an aspect of a micro trend, right. It's still tuned to your own personal style. So it's less about engaging with the micro trend wholly. It's like, okay, maybe like for me personally, I know the whole mop wise aesthetic was a huge thing last year, but like leopard print, animal print of course is huge right now. Not all of that is for me, but there are aspects of it where I'm like, actually I do have a pair of like leopard jeans from years ago and I haven't worn them and now I kind of want to let me bring them out because this is something that I know that I like and it's not because, you know, in, in the moment or it's like it's more. So this is what I care about and this is what makes me feel good. Right. So I think micro trend culture is just a byproduct of the rise of.

[Liv Perez]

Like short form 100%. I'm so glad you said that. That would be my, that was going to be my next take was like, it's not a, in my mind, like as someone who looks at fashion every day, it's not a real thing. It's just more ideas for people to create more content. So be wary as you're saying, like the next micro trend is this. Like it's really just, I think more ideas for more content.

[Sydney Stambach]

A thousand percent. And it's, that's again why like, even if some of that trickles into the Pinterest space, it doesn't impact people in the same way. Right? Because it's not, it's not just like, let me just serve you all this stuff, this new stuff every single day, every single week. It's like, let me serve you things that are actually meaningful and worthy of your time. That is the key difference. And so it's interesting to be in this space now working in trends. Like I've been working on the Pinterest Reddix report for half a decade and the conversation around trends has definitely evolved quite a bit since 2020 when I started at Pinterest. And so, you know, when we again, when we think about our trend forecasting or trend spotting practices, we are really intentional about making sure it's not noise and that it's driven by a kind of through line sentiment that we're seeing popping up within this igeist. With the trends that we're seeing in festival season, with the trends that we saw, are we seeing in our Pinterest predicts report as well. Again, like, there is kind of this underlying theme that we're seeing that's driven by boldness, audacity, a bit of nostalgia, but also, like, we have a few trends that are really community focused. Right. But we know those are all topics that are really important right now. Right. And so these are, these trends are just kind of the output of these feelings or these kind of overarching themes and topics that people are leaning into at the moment.

[Liv Perez]

Is there a trend that you think is going to blow up that people aren't paying attention to yet?

[Sydney Stambach]

You know, that is such a. I. I don't know if I have an answer to that question. One of my. One of the things that I'm really curious about specifically as it pertains to Coachella and the lineup with Lady Gaga's new album coming out, Mayhem. First of all, Obsessed, it's so incredible. It takes me back to the fame monster days, which takes me back to college. College, very different era. But it's. I'm really curious to see, like, what. What she's going to deliver in that performance and how that is going to kind of influence aesthetics for the rest of the year. I. Hopefully she goes on tour. I am hoping she's. She can't not go on tour. The album's so good. And so I'm wondering, like, with this kind of thing that we're seeing with Coachella and we've seen over the past few years where people are, like, really overly tapping into the aesthetics that their favorite artists are, like, performing in, like, how. What she's going to show up as and how that's going to kind of continue to travel throughout the year as, you know, her album or her tour, as she continues to perform her album, hopefully through a tour. But that is something on top of mind.

[Liv Perez]

I think people think of people like Sabrina Carpenter and how I've never seen more like bouncy blonde blowouts on my TikTok that I have right now. It's unbelievable.

[Sydney Stambach]

It is. It is incredible. And I don't, you know, I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before. I really don't. And I really tried hard to think back to, like, when I was going to concerts growing up. Of course I wanted to look great, but I didn't think about. I didn't necessarily think about the aesthetic of the artist or the album or the tour that I'm going to. It was just like, I just want to look good. I remember I was in LA a few months ago when Sabrina Carpenter was performing in la, and I was staying at the hotel that was right next to the venue. And I saw all, like, I could tell, like, oh, you're here for that concert. It was very evident, and I just, you know, we're seeing that through all these tours that are happening right now. People are really tapping into the artist aesthetic. And so I'm just really curious, again, how that's gonna continue to evolve over.

[Liv Perez]

The summer, and I'm curious to see how it evolves in fashion. I feel like she's worn so many kind of, like, sequin minis. I've been seeing a lot of that more. But then also, I feel like she's been wearing very kind of romantic colorways, like she was. She wore that gorgeous blue dress to the Grammys, and then all of a sudden, that icy blue was everywhere. So it's incredible to see these big moments really be monumental for fashion.

[Sydney Stambach]

Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

[Liv Perez]

Thank you so much for being on today. This was so much fun.

[Sydney Stambach]

Of course. This was so much fun, Liv.

[Liv Perez]

I love hearing truly where to me, trends are an art form, Truly where they come from, how they take shape in our world, both entertainment, fashion, all the things. So it's so great to hear directly from the source.

[Sydney Stambach]

Thank you so much for having me on. This was so much fun. Sa.