Fashion Industry: Modus Operandi

The Fashion Industry, comprising both high fashion and mass markets, is a 1.5 trillion dollar industry. From idea generation to the final sale, there are innumerable micro processes involved which can be divided into 4 main categories being design, marketing, production and sale.

• Design

The crux of the fashion industry is design as if there is no concept there will be no product to sell. Fashion Designs are the crux of the industry, as they are responsible for conceptualizing, idea generating, brainstorming & of course designing. These highly creative individuals find a source of inspiration, set themes, select the seasonal color range, fabrics, type of embroidery or print. They give life to their perception of a particular design by drawing it out on paper or most recently, CAD; after which they begin the process of prototyping and/or sample creation. Designers can be the people who are employed by fast fashion companies such as Zara, H&M and New Look or Designers who have their own couture houses which create high-fashion. Couture houses come up with avant garde designs which are adopted by fast fashion designers as a part of the ‘Trickle Down Effect’

Want a peek inside a designer’s rule book? CLICK HERE

• Manufacturing

Couturiers have their own ateliers and skilled seamstresses and patternmakers who come up with wearable art whereas fast fashion houses mostly outsource the job of making the garments to manufacturing units (situated mostly in third and second world countries) that employ thousands of workers. These manufacturing units popularly known as sweat shops, produce a large number of quantities within a short period of time at a low cost because fast fashion brands have many product lines which release so often that there is a fierce competition with regards to who can get the trend on the racks as soon as possible. Here, patterns are made in different dimensions so that it can cater to people with different body types and fabrics which are sourced from different parts of the world are cut mechanically but they have to be sewn which is very laborious and time consuming. Assembly of the garment is done in different ways depending upon the type. After which, the garment goes through a process called finishing where it is embroidered, embellished, tagged, buttonned, zipped, etc., and finally packed and shipped to the buyer.

To read more about different types of manufacturing processes… CLICK HERE

• Marketing 

The process doesn’t stop at designing and making the ensemble but it is essential to connect the product to the customers which is done through promotional activities such as print media (magazines), fashion shows, social media, word of mouth etc which help create a brand image and product awareness among the customers. 

Marketing is a vital part of the fashion industry as it connects the creations of fashion designers around the world to wholesale buyers and consumers. The efficient marketing of designs is almost as important as the design itself. Marketing helps communicate the ethics of a brand to the consumers as fashion isn’t just about clothing but it is also about the underlying story and the emotion associated with the product. Marketing aids in developing an image in the minds of prospective buyers as well as help retain them and to do that, it is essential to tap the target market through a balanced marketing mix tailored to each company’s needs. Read about it here.

• Retail/Sales

Fashion retail is the bridge between the manufacturers and clients. Retail establishments essentially buy merchandise from the manufacturers and sell them to the customers; this process is called resale. They are responsible for matching individual demands with the products manufactured. The selling needn’t necessarily take place through a brick and mortar store but also online(e-commerce), mails, door-to-door sales and pyramid schemes. Retails also deal with after sale services.

Now that we know how the fashion industry operates, CLICK HERE to read a brief case study on how Okhai.org operates.

Fashion Hierarchy

If I begin to make a list, I can name at least 100 fashion brands but that is just the tip of the iceberg which houses bajillions of brands in the fashion industry. When there is a sea of fashion brands, surely each’s value proposition, products, prices, target customers, supply channels, ethics and strategies are unique. So, how do we categorize them effectively? One way is to segregate them in accordance with parameters such as prices, accessibility, quantity, quality & target customers. 

At the end of this read, you will be able to segregate any fashion brand into one of the levels on this pyramid depicted below.

1. Haute Couture

Haute Couture sits at the top of the pyramid. Haute Couture (pronounced as oot ka-cheoor) translates to ‘High Dressmaking ‘. The concept became popular around the mid 19th century. A Couturier or the creator of Haute Couture makes handmade dresses of high quality for a private clientele, mostly upper echelon who have millions to spare for a single dress. The pieces are made-to-order and customized to a person’s liking and no two garments look the same to preserve exclusivity. Making of Haute Couture garments requires exquisite craftsmanship because it is labor intensive as well as time consuming. A couturier alongside his team indulge in intense brainstorming to decide a theme and inspiration for the dresses and go through great lengths to make the dresses; which is why Haute Couture garments sport an extravagant price range. If a place on earth is known to be proficient in a type of skill that the couturier is seeking, then he goes out of his way to either outsource the work there or import the necessities from that region to include in his collection which is typically classified into day & evening dresses as well as dresses & suits. Chanel, Christian Dior, Versace, Valentino are some examples of the big names in the exquisite industry of Haute Couture.

CLICK HERE to know more about the tricks of the trade of Haute Couture.

2. Luxury Fashion

Second in line is Luxe Fashion also known as prêt-à-porter pronounced as ‘ pret-ay-potay ‘. Unlike Couture the production of Luxury lines aren’t handmade but mechanized. The goal here is to cater to a wider market which stretches beyond the private clientele of the Couture House and celebrities. Prêt-à-Porter has a slightly wider range of sizes compared to Couture and sports a less exorbitant price tag; but the cost is 5-4 times higher when in comparison to the average market’s price and this is because of its exclusivity and limited amount of quantities produced. Luxury Fashion is although factory made, doesn’t lack in quality. They are sturdy and have an amazing finish and so they can be worn for multiple occasions and innumerable times. The Luxury Fashion Market is dominated by French Fashion House, Louis Vuitton. Other Luxury Fashion brand names include the likes of Hermes, Gucci, Prada and Burberry, just to name a few. 

3. Diffusion Lines

Diffusion line is situated in the middle of the hierarchical pyramid and hence it is also called the middle market. They’re inspired by ready-to-wear garments and are aimed at the youth who are into street fashion. The production of these garments are outsourced to factories who produce slightly larger quantities or in bulk as compared to Couture and Luxury fashion. Usually the diffusion lines are priced at 30% less than the original brand full prices and they’re 3-2 times higher than the average market price. The supply chain comprises a mix of wholesale and retail where these pieces can be found on the shelves. To meet a wider target audience and increase the awareness of the niche labels, Diffusion Lines have actually been created by luxury labels as a more budget friendly, secondary line. 

To read how Ralph Lauren Corp has penetrated different segments of the market, CLICK HERE

4. Fast Fashion

The second to last on the list are fast fashion brands such as Inditex, H&M Group, Arcadia, Topshop, Zara, H&M, Primark, Forever 21 and River Island look for the cheapest labor available which can be found in abundance in third world or densely populated countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Egypt & China. Emphasis is put on the quantity and variety. On an average, a trend lasts for a season being six months and in the present day, fast fashion brands have 52 micro seasons where new trends are introduced every week there is an insatiable yearning to buy more and more clothing to be up to date with what is new. It is de rigueur for people to be voguish since trends change quicker than the weather, a hefty amount of clothes make their way to people’s wardrobes and are tossed away as soon as a trend ends. Clothes are made in bulk at mass production houses since the multibillion dollar industry sits on a single foundation being “high volume of sales”. Not a lot of time goes into making fast fashion as they’re generally machine made and companies need to keep up with trends and so they expedite the manufacturing process by bringing trends from the runway to the stores at lightning speed. Man Made synthetics and/or petroleum based fabrics are used and thus the prices are very less because the materials are of low quality which are not meant to last longer than a year. Companies often charge a premium just for bringing the trends the quickest.

Read more about trends HERE.

5. Value Market

Last but not least, we have Value Market which comprises brands such as DMart Big Bazaar, Trends & Tesco etc. The goal of these brands is to fulfill basic needs of the people by providing basics such such as vests, tops, leggings and hoodies and so the price points are lower than the average market price. Prices are kept so low because the products are mass produced in sweatshops ergo the quality, longevity and finish is subpar or even below par. They’re ideal for people who’s purchasing power is low and/or for those who do not have time to shop.

References:

-The Fashion Pyramid of brands
Posted on March 11, 2019 by Alfonso Segura

http://www.fashionretail.blog

-THE MARKET LEVELS OF FASHION

Posted on October 17, 2017 By Alicia Amy James

https://aliciaamyjones.co.uk/

Semiotics

Semiotics or semiology, is the study of signs, symbols, signification, and their use, origins or interpretation. It is the study of how meaning is created, not what it is. It deals with the manner in which humans decipher, understand and utilize signs and symbols for communication.

Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure and a 17th century English philosopher John Locke were the founders of semiotics when it first started out as an academic study to observe how humans use symbols/signs to communicate.

They define it as the following-

“a sign is a thing which causes us to think of something beyond the impression the thing itself makes upon the senses”

“all instruction is either about things or about signs; but things are learnt by means of signs”

Sign: Anything and everything which has a secondary meaning attached and can be interpreted by an individual. Signs create meanings and each person can interpret it differently although most are meant to be universal.

For example- The men and women bathroom signs are universally accepted and it is etched into our memory so we instantaneously know which bathroom to enter. 

Signs are divided into two categories:

1. Signifier refers to any physically existent object that signifies i.e., words which can be read(a banner), an expression(a smile) or an image which can be seen, a form which can be touched, a distinct smell (smell of LPG) or sound (a siren). 

Example:

 

The sound of Reddit, the mental image of the logo or the arrangement of words & this V hand gesture are considered as signifiers.

2. Signified is the mental concept that a signifier refers to apart from its primary meaning. It is the secondary meaning that is evoked in the minds of the interpreter. 

Example: To some people Reddit is a source of news, a source of memes to others while others use it for e-debates to initiate super interactive discussion threads.

Whereas V the hand gesture can denote ‘V’ for Victory, Peace, the number 2 or in some countries such as the UK & Australia, it signifies contempt.

We can understand that signs are heavily influenced by cultural conventions as well as geographical locations because each sign is comprehended differently by each person. It is also important to use appropriate signs for a given situation. Timely and instinctive interpretation of signs are crucial to avoid communication gaps.

Signifiers are further divided into the following-

Iconic Signs: signs where the signifier resembles the signified, e.g., a picture certainly resembles whatever it depicts.

Indexical Signs: signs where the signifier is caused by the signified, e.g., smoke signifies fire. There is a physical relationship between the signifier and the signified and so the signified cannot exist without the signifier.  For example dark clouds indicate the possibility of rain.

Symbolic Signs: It does not resemble the signified like Icons do. Symbols are conventional and culturally specific. For example the male and female symbols which do not have any inherent meaning. If we were set foot on earth for the first time, we would never know what they mean and hence their meanings are developed over time.

The relationship between the signified and the signifier is described by Connotations & Denotations, each through its own way.

Denotations (also called as digital codes) are the basic, textbook or literal meaning of a sign

For example the word “pigeon” signifies a type of bird. A pair of glasses can simply mean that they are tools to help us fix long or short sightedness. A weighing machine shows weight & the numeric value of the weight is the denotation. So, denotations are the meanings of words which can be found in dictionaries.

Connotations (also called as analogue codes)  on the other hand are meanings developed by the community. We as a community decide that a particular sign signifies a certain secondary meaning which is not inherent. Connotations deal with the personal, socio-cultural and contextual meanings of a sign. 

For example, we discussed denotations of a pair of glasses, earlier. Connotative associations to glasses could be that the user is a nerd, a bookworm, a genius or a gamer.  The weight displayed on the weighing scale can categorize a person as overweight or underweight based on their height.

Clothing VS Fashion VS Style

Neanderthal in Fur Coat

Clothing, Fashion, and Style… Are they synonymous?

I for one have always wondered why we started wearing clothes and here’s the answer.. The origin of clothing cannot be determined definitively as clothes do not fossilize but archeologists claim that we can trace it back to the ice age where archaic humans i.e. Neanderthals, an extinct human sub-species, scattered across the chilly Eurasia stared encapsulating their bodies with hide of animals they hunted as it provided insulation. Some even argue that they started wearing animal skin to compensate for the loss of body hair as a result of evolution.

Clothing refers to the fabrics that we wear on our bodies to cover and protect ourselves from the weather, dirt and grime or even infections. Clothing was and always will be need based and functional. The garments that you can find yourself in most of the time can also constitute as clothing.

There is a reason why you reach for these pieces so often because they are practical & utilitarian. For example, in my case classic pair of jeans with a good stretch, a ribbed top, joggers as soft as cashmere, that versatile jacket or the pair of shoes which go with everything (Hint: black d’Orsay flats. You’re welcome!)

d’Orsay Flats

Mom Jeans

Double Breasted Biker

Trendy Ruched Dress

Fashion on the other hand is a broader term… a social phenomena where people tailor their buying patterns around those items which are popular in the given time period. Complementary items such as accessories, jewelry, shoes, makeup, etc fall under the umbrella of fashion. The only constant with regards to Fashion is change as it is built on the foundation of trends. What is deemed as fashionable today may not be fashionable tomorrow. Read more about trends here.

Peplum Trend on the Runway

Peplum Dress on a Consumer

Let me give you for an instance… I don’t hop onto each and every trend bandwagon but remember when peplum skirts, tops & dresses were all the rage in 2016, and I wanted to see what the fuss was all about so I bought a dress for myself and it flattered me back then but doesn’t suit my now pear shaped body since the ruffles make my hips appear even wider resulting in a disproportionate silhouette and they were ‘in trend’ for a period of 6-7 months way back when. However, midi length everything is fashionable right now and I’m so into it because it is elegant effortless and makes me embrace my femininity.

What I’m trying to say is that Fashionable items aren’t always practical or comfortable and they’ll always be a want not a need. Surely nobody needs a trendy pair of clear strap block heels or tight and suffocating chokers to survive but why do we buy them anyway? Surely there must be something special about it…

It is difficult to put a finger on the exact origins of fashion. Who knows… *shrugs* Probably the ancient humans witnessed another tribe sporting a new type of leaf and started covering themselves up with it as well. Egyptians and Romans were known to put a lot of effort into their looks after the invention of plant and animal fiber based fabrics. Be it the type of fabrics, silhouettes, colors or hairstyles…

Via PatternVault

Fast forward to the pre-industrial revolution era, people owned very few items of clothing which were homemade or made-to-measure by local seamstresses. However, that changed within the blink of an eye after the invention of the spinning jenny, power looms and steam engines. There was an exponential surge in number of prêt-à–porter produced per hour and people preferred buying ready made garments from stores because it was just so much more easy as the process was mostly mechanized. An economic chain reaction of sorts was set into motion when the general public could suddenly purchase commodities which were previously only in the possession of the elite. Economies began to rise and people fell into higher income brackets due to high demand of finished clothing and other accessories. Fashion was dictated by the members of the Royal Family and court; what they wore, the citizens wore. Fashion icons and their dressmakers located at Paris set the trends and the sewing patterns for trendy dresses were spread throughout Europe for seamstresses everywhere to replicate them. Women sifted through pages of popular magazines such as. They contained pictures of beautifully illustrated garments which were the talk of the town.

Charles Fredrick Worth

During the mid 19th century there was a clear difference between prêt-à-porter and Haute Couture. Charles Fredrick Worth, previously a textile merchant, is known today as the Father of Fashion & Haute Couture. He initially designed clothes for his wife but when his customers pleaded him to make them a few dresses… he obliged and soon people everywhere began to recognize him as a great designer with exceptional dressmaking skills. Eventually, he dressed the nobility at his studio House of Worth at Paris, the epicenter of fashion. Worth revolutionized French fashion by creating ensembles like one of a kind gowns which were theatrical, elegant for Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugenie who later became a trendsetter and raised the demand for well tailored and lavish dresses.

Garments transformed from a commodity of needs to that of wants because Fashion is wearable art and vanity. Fashion is the most expressive way of non-verbal communication. Being fashionable is self-pleasing. What you wear and how you wear can influence your mood and perhaps help you convey a message and it is so much more than just protection for our bodies.

Finally, let’s tackle style. It is a reflection of one’s personality and her/his unique and distinct approach to expressing themselves through clothing, accessories, shoes, hair or jewelry and they pair different items together. Style is very personal and timeless. Apart from one’s personal take on style, it can differ based on cultures.

To learn how culture influences clothing choices, CLICK HERE

While trends keep changing in a New York minute, one’s sense of style lingers around. Popular styles are Bohemian, Athleisure, Street Wear, Girly, Androgynous, Retro and so on… (just the tip of the ice berg)

90’s Minimalistic Style

How a particular style becomes prominent, you ask? Well established and widely accepted trends when they stop being ‘trendy’ over a period of time transform into a style. Bohemia was popular during the 70s, with its natural fabrics, vivid colors & hippie inspired patterns. Bohemian Fashion which is still so prominent today is more than just a style, it was a widespread culture and the motive to defeat a capitalist society was a driving force which united millions of people. And their style of dressing was impertinent to their movement as their clothes were quirky, different, outrageous, psychedelic and other qualities as well as characteristics that made the wearer appear rebellious and free. Anyway, dressing in Bohemian Outfits were considered trendy back then, during the 70’s but now it is a style.

So, Clothing, Fashion, and Style.. Well, we can conclude that they are closely related to one another and often times overlap each other but they do not share the same meaning atttt all.