This Account Answers the Question, “What Can Data Tell Us About Fashion?”

In addition to backing up fashion theories, @databutmakeitfashion is also in the business of debunking. “There are always hypotheses and guesses about what’s in, and that’s interesting, but it’s not always right,” she says. One of Lapuerta’s top-performing posts of 2023 was a graph that showed how, according to Google search data, the term “quiet luxury” has risen in popularity by 1,230 percent between March and April of 2023. However, after running an analysis on over 1,000 looks from 2023 runway collections to track trends pertaining to quiet luxury, Lapuerta was surprised to find that logos, the antithesis of quiet luxury, were trending. “We’ve seen a consistent increase in logos on runways over the past four years,” she reports. “In spring 2023 shows, there was a 7 percent increase in logos on the runways.”

Evidently, runway looks and consumer demand doesn’t always correlate. By dissecting the data, Lapuerta makes it clear that, similar to the way our online echo chambers don’t alway reflect what’s trending at large, runway trends aren’t always an accurate representation of what we’re actually wearing. Plus, there are levels to this game. A trending item, such as a Chopova Lowena skirt, might become relevant due to its runway presence or its commercial demand. But often, it’s not until a smaller demographic of aspirational dressers, such as editors or industry icons, adopt the trend that consumers really want to buy it. In other words, a garment may enter our zeitgeists by way of ubiquitousness, but when it comes to what we want to wear, there’s nothing as powerful as who we see wearing it. It’s the Alexa Chung, Regina George, and Olsen Twin-effect, to name a few original converter culprits.

Beyond the topic of what to wear, Lapuerta’s audience is also looking to her for the facts on fashion ethics. “For instance, brands have talked a lot about reducing leather and fur, and a lot of customers get excited about that,” she says. “But leather was still in an average of 16 percent of the looks of spring 2023 collections.” Another data point Lapuerta continues to watch is diversity in body size on the runways. “The data shows that there is resistance from many legacy houses to embrace diversity, while newer brands continue to challenge them,” Lapuerta says. According to the creator, running tests to see which brands are following through on sustainability and diversity promises helps her and her audience understand where they want to shop. “Knowledge is power,” Lapuerta says. “And I’m putting knowledge out there so that we can make informed decisions.”

Along with highlighting trends, debunking theories, and shedding light on fashion ethics, Madé Lapuerta has one more purpose behind Data But Make It Fashion—and this one is personal. “I used to think that in order to be a good engineer, I couldn’t be interested in fashion,” she says. “Whether someone is interested in fashion or data analytics, I want to make both feel more approachable.” After just four years of running the numbers, Lapuerta is helping thousands decide what to wear, pulling back the curtain on what’s truly trending, and making two typically intimidating fields feel more friendly—one fashion chart at a time.