The Fashion Industry

							  The Fashion Industry

Fashion Design and Merchandising
          Standard 2.0
     The Textile Industry
• Fiber and fabric producers make up
  the textile industry
• Uses of Fibers and Fabrics
  • 40% of textiles manufactured in U.S. is
    clothing
  • Fibers and fabrics are found in home
    furnishings, luggage, flags, and ropes
     The Textile Industry
• From Fiber to Fabric
  • Fibers are spun into yarns and then
    made into fabrics
  • After buying finished fabrics,
    manufacturers create many different
    products
     The Textile Industry
• Fiber Companies
  • Backbone of textile industry is
    research and development
  • Develop new fibers & equipment
  • Many fibers are created by chemicals
  • DuPont, Hoechst, Celanese
     The Textile Industry
• Textile Mills
  • Textile mills spin fibers into yarns and
    convert them into fabric
  • Burlington Industries, Cone Mills
    Corporation, & Spring Industries
  • Mills produce knitted and woven
    fabrics
     The Textile Industry
• Textile Mills
  • Design department of a textile mill
    works closely with research
    department
     • Develop new weaves, patterns, prints,
       and colors
     • Fashion designers inspire new clothing
       styles
      The Textile Industry
• Textile Mills
   • Once fabrics are dyed or printed with a
     design, additional treatments give fabrics
     special quality
   • Finished fabrics are inspected and tested
   • Many fabric mills & manufacturers work with
     forecasting services.
   • Forecasting enables companies to produce
     matching items
     The Textile Industry
• Textile Converters
  • Textile converters are companies or
    individuals who serve as middle agents
    between textile mills and apparel
    manufacturers
  • Purchase greige goods
     The Textile Industry
• Today’s Locations
  • Southeastern U.S. has been center of textile
    manufacturing
  • Many textile manufacturers opened facilities
    in China, India, and Mexico
  • Many sales and marketing offices are located
    in NYC
  • Showrooms located in LA, Dallas, Atlanta,
    Chicago, Montreal, and Toronto
    The Apparel Industry
• Also known as garment industry or
  rag trade
• Ideas are hard to predict
• Businesses change over night
    The Apparel Industry
• From Fabrics to Garments
  • Apparel manufacturers buy fabrics
    from textile mills and converters,
    design and produce a clothing line,
    and sell the finished products in stores
  • Almost all of today’s clothes are mass
    produced
    The Apparel Industry
• Types of Manufacturers
  • Apparel is divided into three
    categories: women’s wear, menswear,
    and children’s wear
    • Then subdivided into garment types
  • Small manufacturers usually specialize
    in one or two garment types
     The Apparel Industry
• Garment Manufacturers
  • Manufacturers handle all phases of garment
    production
  • Usually design 2 lines per year
• Contractors
  • Contractors specialize in sewing certain
    garments according to manufacturer’s
    designs and specifications
    The Apparel Industry
• Accessories Manufacturers
  • Production techniques are specialized
  • Shoes formed on foot-shaped mold
    called a last
      The Apparel Industry
•   The Manufacturing Process
    1. Designing the line
      1. Design, color, and add details
      2. No laws against copying designers
    2. Making samples
      1. Checks styling, appearance, and fit
      2. Sample may be changed and revised
      The Apparel Industry
•    The Manufacturing Process
    3. Establishing costs
       1. Wholesale price must be figured
       2. Some manufacturers double cost to
          reach wholesale price
    4. Taking orders
       1. Samples shown in showrooms
      The Apparel Industry
•   The Manufacturing Process
    5. Ordering materials
      1. All fabrics, trims, fasteners are ordered
         from vendors
    6. Creating production patterns
      1. Master pattern must be “graded” up and
         down into other sizes
       The Apparel Industry
•    The Manufacturing Process
    7. Creating layouts
       1. All pattern pieces must fit onto smallest amount
          of fabric possible
       2. A “marker” is created
    8. Cutting fabric
       1. Machines stack fabric to cut all at once
       2. Marker is placed on top as a guide
       3. Fabric pieces sorted & bundled
      The Apparel Industry
•   The Manufacturing Process
    9. Assembling garments
      1. Assembly line workers specialize in
         special tasks
      2. Industrialized sewing machines are
         used; some automated
      3. Today, only very expensive garments
         are assembled by one individual
      The Apparel Industry
•   The Manufacturing Process
    10. Finishing garments
      1. Fasteners and ornaments are attached
      2. Threads trimmed, garments pressed,
         folded or hung
    11. Inspection
      1. Finished garments inspected to avoid
         returns
      The Apparel Industry
•   The Manufacturing Process
    12. Distribution
      1. Sales tags attached
      2. Garments shipped to stores
      3. Success = reorder
      The Role of Unions
• Unions formed to obtain better
  working conditions, better pay, and
  benefits
• Union of Needletraders, Industrial,
  and Textile Employees formed in
  July 1995
        Fashion Centers
• The “heart” of garment industry is
  NYC (Seventh Ave = garment
  district)
• Most hectic times in garment
  district are when store buyers come
  for market week to purchase
  merchandise
  • Designers introduce new lines
        Fashion Centers
• LA is headquarters for garment
  industry on west coast
• To promote fashion industries,
  cities hold fashion fairs and
  exhibitions
    Fashion Merchandising
• After goods are produced,
  manufacturers sell them in retail
  stores to customers
• Retailers decide what styles,
  fabrics, colors, & sizes to sell and
  at what price
• Retailers advertise and promote
  items
    Fashion Merchandising
• Retail Stores
  • Classified by type (department, specialty,
    off-price, discount, & outlet)
  • Fashion leaders - new styles, usually
    expensive (Neiman Marcus)
  • Traditional retailers - many fashions at
    moderate prices (Macy’s)
  • Mass merchants - widely accepted styles at
    moderate to low prices (Target & Kohls)
  • Many stores are chains
   Fashion Merchandising
• Direct Retailers
  • Sending out catalogs and coupons
  • Information sent via email
  • Customers order by phone, mail, fax,
    or internet
  • May also be on cable tv (HSN)
      Fashion Merchandising
• Retail Operations
  •   All retailers have organizational structure
  •   Sales associates sell merchandise
  •   Stock clerks work in back
  •   Buyers purchase all merchandise
  •   Merchandise managers oversee operations of
      several departments
   Fashion Merchandising
• Retail Operations
  • General manager oversees entire
    operation
  • Every store has a fashion image
      Fashion Promotion
• Efforts to inform people about what’s
  new in fashion & convince them to buy
• Marketing
  • Concerned with developing, promoting, and
    selling products
  • Surveys used to develop new products,
    organize production & develop advertising
    campaigns
       Fashion Promotion
• Promotion Methods
  • Advertising
     • Feature photos and copy
     • Most of budget goes into advertising
  • Publicity
     • PR is usually free
     • Hand out kits with info to stores or fashion editors
     • Lend products to celebrities
       Fashion Promotion
• Visual Displays
  • Eye catching displays get customers to buy
    apparel and accessories
• Special Events
  • Themes attract customers to stores
• Fashion Publications
  • Advertisements
  • Research trends
  • Interviews and photos
      Fashion Promotion
• Trade Publications
  • Magazine, newspaper, newsletter, or
    book devoted to specific industry
  • Women’s Wear Daily