THE FASHION INDUSTRY

A DEEP LEARNING JOURNAL

the FASHION INDUSTRY

RESEARCH DONE BY N.C.

THE FASHION INDUSTRY

INDEX

Demeulemeester

01

WHAT IS FASHION?

02

4 LEVELS OF THE INDUSTRY

03

3 TYPES OF FASHION

04

RETAIL

05

COUTURE

06

BRAND DESIGNERS

07

SEASONS

08

FASHION WEEK

09

JOBS

10

FASHION BOOKS LIST

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THE FASHION INDUSTRY

WHAT Is It?

fashion

Fashion is a form of self-expression with a specific context, such as time, place and purpose. Example of these are clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion industry as that which is trending.

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Fashion is something we deal with everyday. Even people who say they don’t care what they wear choose clothes every morning that say a lot about them and how they feel that day.

THE FASHION INDUSTRY

THE 4 LEVELS

PRIMARY - RAW MATERIAL PRODUCER:The primary level has the biggest amount of lead time - up to two years, before a product will be available to the consumer.

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SECONDARY - APPAREL MANUFACTURER:From the design to production most companies work on a lead time of about six months to one and a half years ahead of products available to the consumer. However, there are more and more producers that are flexible and are able to produce new models for 3-4 weeks.

THE FASHION INDUSTRY

THE 4 LEVELS

RETAIL - DISTRIBUTION LEVEL:The retail level is where all the different types of retailers purchase their goods from the secondary level. Some of the types of retailers are: department stores, specialty stores, factory outlet stores, boutiques, online shops, TV home shopping

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AUXILARY LEVEL - MEDIA AND OTHERS:The only level that functions with all other levels simultaneously, offering support services. It consists of fashion media, professional and trade organizations, promotion agencies, public relation specialists, etc., that assist fashion businesses in delivering fashion messages to other levels of the industry and the consumer.

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THE FASHION INDUSTRY

the 3 types

fashion

MASS MARKET FASHION:The first sector of design involves the most straightforward and accessible form of clothing, which is the mass market. Clothing that is designed for this area is ready to wear and available in mass quantities at standard measurements. Since this is the most affordable fashion production, the most inexpensive fabrics and materials are used to create designs.

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harry styles

THE FASHION INDUSTRY

the 3 types

fashion

READY TO WEAR FASHION If you want to create clothes that are a little bit more high-end and exclusive, ready-to-wear garments are a great fashion type. These garments are also referred to as prêt-a-porter, and there are a couple of benefits to the designer: they are sold in smaller amounts and bear the designer’s name on the label, but they are often more expensive. The term ready-to-wear is also often referred to as “off the rack,” and many haute couture designers will sell select pieces in both sectors.

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harry styles

THE FASHION INDUSTRY

the 3 types

fashion

HAUTE COUTURE FASHION Charles Frederick Worth was the first fashion designer. who established the first haute couture house in Paris in 1858, which is a fashion style used by designers like Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, and Christian Dior. As a designer, haute couture is considered the pinnacle of fashion. Designers who specialize in this sector work on crafting original creations that cost thousands of dollars. Most of the time, the designer will work directly with clients and arrange custom fittings and alterations.

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harry styles

The following guidelines are set forth by The Fédération Françoise de la Couture and The French Ministry of Industry, and they must be followed by designers who wish to carry the haute couture label:

• Create custom made to fit clothing for private clients and provide personal fittings;
• They must own an atelier in Paris with at least fifteen full-time employees;
• They also must own a workshop in Paris that employs no less than twenty staff;
• The fashion house must present a collection of both daytime and evening wear to the Paris press twice a year for review.

THE FASHION INDUSTRY

RETAIL

Retail is the sale of goods or services from a business directly to a consumer for their own use. It can include physical stores, online stores, and mobile stores.Fashion is manufactured in relatively small quantities out of quality materials and exquisite craftsmanship for use or consumption.

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THE FASHION INDUSTRY

couture

fashion

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EMMA CHAMBERLAIN

Couture is the design and manufacture of fashionable clothes to a client's specific requirements and measurements; fashionable made-to-measure clothes.

Although still very expensive and exclusive, luxury fashion is not handmade; it is manufactured in small quantities out of quality materials and exquisite craftsmanship. All couture houses are considered luxury, but not all luxury brands are couture.

THE FASHION INDUSTRY

designers

Many brands still have their namesake designers at the helm (Nicole Miller, Cynthia Rowley and Tom Ford, for example), but most are no longer at the brand (Coco Chanel who passed away in 1971, for example). Though a brand’s original designer may have a shift in duties yet remain at the brand, it’s important to know who’s the current designer for certain brands.

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Many will even have different designers for specific facets, such as separate womenswear (and/or menswear) and couture designers. Usually due to sales, a change of heart in said creative director or brand owner, brands will change designers every 4-5 years depending on their contracts. John Galliano, then Raf Simons, and now MGC have all designed for Dior in recent years.

THE FASHION INDUSTRY

SEASONS

fashion

The two most popular “seasons” for brands to release products for are S/S (Spring/Summer) and F/W (Fall/Winter; sometimes referred to as A/W for Autumn/Winter). There’s also RE (Resort) and PF (Pre-Fall).

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To make sure editors, buyers, stylists, and influencers know what’s going to be trending for future seasons and plan events, shoots, and respective schedules, brands will typically show their fall collections in February and their spring collections in September.

Sadie sink

THE FASHION INDUSTRY

fashion week

A fashion week is a fashion industry event where fashion designers, brands or "houses" display their latest collections in runway fashion shows to buyers and the media. These events influence the upcoming fashion trends for the current and approaching seasons. Fashion weeks are actually a full month.

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Editors and industry insiders will often attend all or most Weeks, though many take a day or two between each to travel to the next country, prepare their schedules, and take in the sights. Lots of local fashionistas will only attend one Week due to their sphere of influence, line of work or budget.

THE FASHION INDUSTRY

JOBS

01

FASHION STYLIST

02

SALES ASSISTANT

03

FASHION JOURNALIST

04

PERSONAL ASSISTANT

05

GARMENT TECHNOLOGIST

06

VISUAL MERCHANDISER

07

MODEL

08

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

09

DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST

10

FASHION PR COORDINATOR

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11

FASHION MERCHANDISER

12

TREND FORECASTER

13

RETAIL BUYER

14

WEB DEVELOPER

15

E-COMMERCEMANAGER

16

FASHION DESIGNER

17

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

ETC.

Average salary: $31,000 (£24,400) Stylists can be found in different settings, from retail stores to fashion shoots or even working with celebrities on a one-to-one basis. However, their main aim is the same: to help their client find a well-fitting and attractive outfit. In order to succeed in this role, they need a keen eye for detail and excellent communication skills to get a true understanding of who their client is and what they want.

Average salary: $34,000 (£26,750) As a sales representative, their main duties focus on delivering great customer service. They are also be required to get involved in merchandising and ensuring the store is presentable by refolding garments, cleaning any mess and coordinating clothes. Working as a sales assistant is a great way to gain experience and break into the fashion industry.

Average salary: $39,300 (£30,900) If you’re a self-renowned bookworm and have a knack for expressing yourself through the power of words, then a career as a fashion writer is perfect for you! You could end up working for your favourite publication, going solo and creating your own blog or even freelancing for a number of companies. A degree in creative writing or journalism will be useful.

Average salary: $39,400 (£31,000) Working as a personal assistant for a high-profile celeb or editor-in-chief can have its perks, but they also need to be a dedicated and hard-working individual that can be available to work 24/7. They often need to arrange their boss’s schedule, book flights and make restaurant reservations for them, run shopping errands and do tasks that they just don’t have time for.

Average salary: $40,000 (£31,450) If you have an eye for details, this role could be ideal for you. As a garment technologist, you’ll be responsible for checking the production process and ensuring that there are no faults on the final product. You’ll also be involved in fabric choices, ensuring that they are kept within budget. To be successful in this diverse role, you’ll need a good understanding of design and manufacturing.

Average salary: $41,600 (£32,700) Visual merchandisers are responsible for styling window fronts, mannequins and shop floors. They design arrangements and cloth combinations or work to a guide set by the organisation’s head merchandiser. To get your foot in the door, it’s advised to start off as a shop assistant and prove your merchandising skills on the job.

Average salary: $42,200 (£33,200) Fashion models are the face of a brand – they promote clothing, accessories or footwear through various forms of marketing, including magazines, websites, social media and billboards. To succeed in this field, you’ll need the right ‘look’ and should have a portfolio of pictures readily available.

Average salary: $42,700 (£33,600) If you love editing images, using different typography and creating new designs, you could get a job as a graphic designer for your favourite brand. You could end up working on new marketing materials, seasonal look books and touching up editorial shots.

Average salary: $45,300 (£35,600) Are you good at promoting things and keeping up to date with the latest social media trends? If so, along with some professional training and SEO knowledge, you can become a digital media specialist for your favourite brand, helping them reach a wider audience with a strong social media presence.

Average salary: $46,600 / £36,600 A PR coordinator is essentially the face of the brand to the press and public. They work hard building relationships with journalists and influencers, send out gifts and create press releases to ensure that the company is seen in the best possible light. If an issue arises, they are essentially ‘damage control’ and do all they can to diffuse the situation.

Average salary: $48,609 (£38,200) If you’re more of a numbers person but still want to work in fashion, you can! As a merchandiser, you’ll be responsible for ensuring that products appear in the right stores in the right quantities at the right time. This skill requires a lot of forecasting and monitoring of sales – perfect for all the Excel gurus out there!

Average salary: $50,000 (£39,300) If you’re good at predicting upcoming trends, you could consider joining a trend forecasting agency. By using research techniques and analytical skills along with an extensive knowledge of fashion history, you too could be great at predicting what will be on the runway the following season.

Average salary: $50,700 (£39,900) As the name suggests, buyers are in charge of sourcing and purchasing stock before the season begins. They use their expert knowledge with market research to make decisions based on their consumers’ preferences.

Average salary: $58,200 (£45,800) With more and more fashion talk moving from paper to the web, web developers are becoming all the more popular for fashion houses and businesses to stay on trend.

Average salary: $59,100 (£46,500) E-Commerce managers are responsible for managing and maintaining a retail brand’s online website and sales. They must keep a consistent brand image and attract customers to make purchases through their page, meaning that they need to keep an eye on both text and images.

Average salary: $62,700 (£49,300) This is the most high-profile job within the entire industry. Fashion designers are the creative geniuses behind the entire fashion house they work for – they sketch the entire collection and oversee the project until the finishing touches have been made. Take the iconic Donatella Versace and Giorgio Armani for example, who are both public figures in their own right.

Average salary: $94,161 (£74,061) A creative director oversees creative projects from concept to final product, generating the artistic vision that creative team members follow. As leaders in creative departments, creative directors can picture the end result and get creatives to execute their ideas through design and branding instructions. Whether it’s for a TV commercial or a brand activation, creative directors ensure the stylistic details of each project are consistent and representative of their company’s brand.

THE FASHION INDUSTRY

FASHION bookS list

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PT 1

Christian Dior

The Fashion Chronicles: The Style Stories of History’s Best Dressed

Fashion: The Ultimate Book of Costume and Style

The House of Worth, 1858 – 1954: The Birth of Haute Couture

THE FASHION INDUSTRY

FASHION bookS list

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PT 2

Fashion History From The 18th To The 20th Century by Kyoto Costume Institute

Fashion History: A Global View by Linda Welters and Abby Lillethun

The Costume History by Auguste Racinet

The Dictionary of Fashion History by Valerie Cumming, C. W. Cunnington and P. E. Cunnington

THE FASHION INDUSTRY

Important links

lv RESORT23

01

THE BUSINESS OF FASHION

02

RESOURCE GUIDE

03

WHAT IS FASHION?

04

ADO ABOUT FASHION

05

FASHION 101

06

LEARN ABOUT FASHION

07

THREE TYPES OF FASHION

08

+ FASHION BOOKS

09

+ FASHION BOOKS

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