Trends catch attention. Timelessness builds trust. So how do you create work that honors both?
That’s the challenge creative business owners face—especially in licensing. Brands want relevance, retailers want recognizable bestsellers, and your audience wants you. This balance is part art, part strategy.
Let’s explore how to walk this tightrope.
1. Why Trends Work—for the Short Term
Trendy art is useful in seasonal or promotional collections. It creates urgency, taps into current moods, and is easier to pitch around timely events.
Think:
- Spring collection with a tomato motif during the “Italian summer” craze
- Retro florals when mid-century design is surging again
- Holiday pieces tied to Pantone’s Color of the Year
Trends help you feel contemporary and show that you’re engaged with what’s happening now. And in licensing? That matters.
But…
2. The Timeless Advantage
Timeless work—defined by consistent style, color, subject, or voice—is what builds your brand.
Buyers return to artists they recognize. Your visual language becomes part of your intellectual property. This includes:
- Your color palette
- Recurring subject matter (like florals, animals, or places)
- Your illustration style and mark-making
- The vibe you create across all collections
Timeless work doesn’t ignore trends—but it adapts them without losing identity.
3. When They Work Together Best
You don’t have to pick one over the other. Here’s how to blend both:
-
Use Trends as a Lens: For example, if abstract shapes are trending and you specialize in botanicals, create a series of abstract floral compositions in your signature color palette.
-
Repackage Evergreen Themes with Trendy Energy: Refresh older motifs with new colorways or compositions that reflect current aesthetics.
-
Create Tiered Collections:
-
Tier 1: Core brand work (evergreen and safe for reprints)
-
Tier 2: Seasonal or color-forward collections inspired by current movements
-
Tier 3: Trendy one-offs or test products for POD or digital formats
-
This way, you’re innovating without reinventing your whole brand.
4. How to Know if You're Tilting Too Far
- Too much trendy? You risk blending into the noise and losing brand equity.
- Too much timeless? You risk being overlooked by trend-driven buyers.
A good gauge: Would someone who knows your art recognize this piece without your name on it? If not, it might be too far from your visual center.
Trends are tools, not rules. Use them to build momentum, test ideas, or add freshness—but always anchor your work in what makes it yours.
