Chapter 4: Fashion Centers
Chapter 4.1: Design & Buying Centers
Chapter 4.2: Global Impact of Fashion
◊ Design Center◊ Fashion Weeks◊ Haute Couture◊ Couturiers◊ Buying Center◊ Market Weeks◊ Mart
Key Terms
◊ A design center is a district in a city where fashion design and production firms are clustered together
◊ Designers join together to make their city and country important in the fashion world
What is a Design Center?
◊ Design centers host important fashion shows during fashion week
◊ Fashion weeks are periods each year when fashion designers present new designs or collections
◊ The most important collections shown are: spring-summer and fall-winter
What is a Design Center?
◊ Local governments often support design centers through favorable regulations
◊ Cities benefit directly and indirectly from the industry
Impact of Design Centers
◊ The fashion industry found in cities around the world, including cities that are the major design centers◊ Paris, France◊ Milan, Italy◊ New York City◊ London, England◊ Tokyo, Japan
International Design Centers
◊ Since the 1700’s, fashion capital
◊ Synonymous with haute couture
◊ Haute couture is a French term for high fashion, which is expensive, trend-setting, custom-made apparel
◊ The city is home to couturiers
◊ Couturiers are professional fashion designers involved in designing, making, and selling high fashion
Design Center: Paris
◊ King Louis XIV used dolls to display the latest fashions
◊ Today the fashions are seen in extravagant fashion shows
◊ People who attend:Fashion WritersEditorsCelebritiesApparel ManufacturersRetail BuyersPatternmakers
Paris Fashion Shows
◊ The attendees acquire ideas to take back to their companies and then translate the ideas into fashions that their target customer will purchase and wear.
Fashion Ideas For Sale
◊ High exposure, and global reputation◊ France’s top 3 export industries◊ City is home to several design
schools
The Importance of Fashion In Paris
◊ The Italians show their fashions during fashion fairs
◊ Alta moda is the Italian term for high fashion
◊ Its centered in Rome, but designers in Milan concentrate on ready-to-wear garments
◊ Known for beautiful fabrics and sophisticated prints
Design Center: Milan
◊ Milan fashion industry began with making leather goods, such as shoes and handbags
◊ In the 1940’s, garment design and production were limited to men’s wear but later expanded to other markets
◊ Italian fashion houses are family businesses that pass the craft of designing on from generation to generation
Design Center: Milan
◊ During World War II, American fashion was isolated
◊ New York City emerged as the main fashion design center
◊ 2/3 of manufacturing is in NYC
◊ 8 schools dedicated to fashion
◊ New York fashion shows follow the French collection showings in Paris
Design Center: New York City
◊ Noted for men’s business-suit classic styles
◊ Ready-to-wear garments
◊ Popular look of Twiggy◊ Princess Diana
promoted style of many British Designers
Design Center: London
◊ After WWII, Japanese women became interested in adopting western styles
◊ 1960’s Japanese designers emerged
◊ Influences on the world include:ColorAsymmetrical balanceUnusual shapesUse of fibers
Design Center: Tokyo
◊ Los Angeles, California◊ Dallas, Texas◊ New York City
U.S. Design Centers
◊ Important for garment production and wholesale business
◊ Produce 18% of women’s outerwearDressesCoatsSuitsSportswear
◊ 28% of all dresses◊ Fashion Week in Bryant
Park
U.S. Design Center: New York City
◊ Located in the heart of downtown
◊ Designers, wholesalers, retailers, sewing contractors, patternmakers, manufactures, market centers, and apparel marts all exist in an 82-block business district known as the fashion district
U.S. Design Center: Los Angeles
◊ Women’s apparel is the main component of this industry, with a focus on moderately priced sportswear.SurfwearHollywood-style
Eveningwear
Focus On Women’s Fashion
◊ More notable as a buying center◊ Produces moderately priced apparel
lines◊ 36% of apparel manufacturing in
Texas consist of:Men’s and boys’ clothing
ShirtsTrousersJeansNeckties
U.S. Design Center: Dallas
◊ A buying center is a central district in a city where fashion businesses sell products to retail buyers
◊ Manufacturers:◊ Promote new lines, styles, and
designs◊ Produce new selections
What Is a Buying Center?
◊ Most cities have not-for-profit corporations that help promote a particular city’s industry
◊ Buying centers must update and increase showroom capacity
◊ Directly promote Fashion Weeks
The Importance of Buying Centers
◊ Market weeks are the major times scheduled by fashion producers to show fashions to buyers
◊ The apparel industry designates particular weeks to present different components of fashion.
◊ A mart is a building that houses thousands of showrooms for a specific merchandise category
U.S. Buying Centers
◊ The Nation’s leading buying center◊ 5000+ fashion showrooms◊ $14 billion annually◊ $12 billion in wholesale apparel
sales◊ Retail buyers go from building to
building, visiting offices/ showrooms to consider different lines of apparel
Buying Center: New York
◊ The fashion Center Business Improvement District is a not-for-profit corporation
◊ Established in 1993 to promote NYC apparel industry
Business Improvement
Business Improvement◊ New York Fashion International- address
needs of companies wanting to export, explores foreign markets, promotes internationally
◊ The Fashion Walk of Fame- celebrates the fashion designers who established NYC as a world fashion capital
◊ Fashion Center Banners- banners bearing the garment district’s button logo to increase unity and pride
◊ Formally known as the Garment District
◊ Largest concentration of fashion-related businesses
◊ Home of California Market Center- 1800 showrooms
◊ $8 billion in business
Buying Center: Los Angeles
◊ The diversity of fashion businesses cover every stage of apparel production
◊ Ideal for small to mid-size businesses
◊ Funded by property owners
Business Improvement
◊ Formally known as the California Mart◊ 1,800 showrooms◊ 10,000 product lines◊ 13-story building◊ The center hosts various activities and events:
5 Major Fashion Markets 2 Textile Markets The Los Angeles gift-and-home markets Market Days Fashion Weeks Educational Events Seminars
The California Market Center
◊ Home of the Dallas Market Center◊ Host events that help retailers expand their
business◊ $7.5 billion in transactions annually◊ Opened in 2004◊ 550 permanent showrooms◊ Focus on sportswear and western wear◊ Hosts 50 markets a year◊ Draws 200,000 buyers annually
Buying Center: Dallas
◊ Home to the Merchandise Mart and Chicago Apparel Center
◊ 525-room business-class hotel◊ 300 wholesale showrooms◊ Serves clothing retailers by:
Hosting Market Events Fashion Shows Seminars Promotional Programs to attract buyers
Buying Center: Chicago
◊ Home of AmericasMart◊ Features include:
Aerial walkwaysShowroom spaceExhibit hallsConvention roomsMeeting roomsKnown for home-furnishing apparel
Buying Center: Atlanta
◊ Home of the Miami International Merchandise Mart
◊ 300 showrooms◊ Features sportswear
and children’s wear◊ It is accessible to
apparel production in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean
Buying Center: Miami
◊ Design centers and buying centers are different yet closely related
◊ Together they form the heart of the fashion industry
◊ Design center = creativity◊ Buying center = commerce
Heart of the Fashion Industry
Chapter 4.2: Global Impact of
Fashion
◊ Global Sourcing◊ Culture
Key Terms:
◊ Globalization is the trend toward increasing integration of the world economy
◊ The global chain of production must remain flexible
◊ Complex sourcing and production strategies are needed to keep up
How Fashions Travel
◊ To reduce cost, and maximize profits, many textile and apparel manufacturers have begun global sourcing
◊ Global sourcing is the identifying and negotiating of supply chains in numerous world locations
◊ Manufactures must maintain control of the sourcing cycle
Global Sourcing and Production
◊ Increased risks come with global sourcing
◊ The lack of economic stability in developing nations is challenging
◊ Economic and political factors around the world play a major role in establishing fashion businesses
Global Sourcing Risks
◊ Production is global◊ Companies take advantage of
the skills of workers in specific regions
◊ Changes in customer taste indirectly affect production jobs around the world
Global Production
◊ Many countries are eager to export their fashions to other countries and host their own exhibits and trade fairs
◊ Designers and apparel companies establish promotional offices in major fashion cities around the world
World Fashion
◊ The global nature of the fashion industry today requires cultural awareness and adaptability
◊ Culture is the system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts attributed to members of a specific society
◊ Fashion trends may begin “on the street” and become popular
◊ Some ethnic styles also become classic, or standard
Culture and Fashion
◊ Smart fashion marketers are aware of cultural influences on current fashion
◊ Designers find inspiration in diverse communities
Cultural Styles
◊ The impact of Asian fashion has been significant
◊ 1970’s- Nehru jacket from India
◊ 2003- Indian-henna skin art
◊ Indian Sari styles were sold mainstream
◊ Madonna adopted a Japanese geisha style
Styles From The East
◊ During the 1980’s and other times, the western or cowboy style of boots and denim moved to the big city
◊ “Urban cowboy” style appeared in urban areas
Western Styles
◊ In the late 1990’s, the hip hop look moved out of the African-American inner cities and around the world
Urban Styles
World Fashion at Home
• Consumers can buy an inexpensive outfit from a French e-tail store
• Order shirts from a London catalog• The world of fashion is at your
fingertips • Global production, fashion centers,
catalogs, home shopping television, and the internet continue to make fashion readily available
The End