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