It is very important and highly recommended for independent fashion designers to be informed about industry trends and analytics. You can find a lot of insights, and fashion platforms with informations that can be useful for small online bussines such as my tata.fashion online shop. One particular platform where I love to caught up on readings is Bussines Of Fashion, where I found this super helpful analysis. Link is below, so inform yourself before making new steps. Right informations are half of the bussines.
https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/the-year-ahead-the-digital-landgrab