Want to know the next big thing in fashion? Click that hashtag.

A team of researchers from the US and China has found the potential of social media hash tags as an effective tool in determining future fashion trends.

The study entitled "The Rise of Fashion Informatics: A Case of Data-mining Based Social Network Analysis in Fashion"details how data analytics are impacting the fashion industry.

According to the research, data collected from social media can tell a lot on how consumers are connecting with different fashion brands such as which styles are they buying or if celebrity endorsements are having the desired effect.

"We know that people talk and are interested in fashion, so it makes sense that they talk about it on social media, Li Zhao, lead author and textile apparel management professor at University of Missouri said in an interview with World Textile Information Network or WTiN. “The data presented in this study shows that designers should listen to what they are saying about trends in social media," she added.

To collect the information needed, Zhao and co-author Chao Min of China's Nanjing University created a series of social networks based on Twitter hashtags people used before, during and after the Paris Fashion Week. The researchers searched for tweets that include #ParisFashionWeek and #PFW and used these to create the social networks.

Among their findings is how certain tweets about hand-embroidery, for example, are connected to haute couture. Other hashtags connected to the Paris Fashion Week are #handmade, #elegant and #art.

The study was also able to tell how celebrities were influencing brands based on the social networks. Kristen Stewart and Katy Perry, for instance, showed a large influence for the Chanel brand during the Fashion Week. This means that they are effective influencers for the brand.

"Consumers are using 'electronic word of mouth' during the Paris Fashion Week and other major fashion events. Fashion researchers and designers can listen to what they are saying to understand the direction of fashion trends and to understand how consumers are engaging with fashion brands," Zhao explained.