CONSUMER

Is a person who buys and uses the merchandise (product which can be apparel or non apparel) and are the primary influence on the market.

COSTUME

The term costume can refer to wardrobe or dress of a certain period in history, people or classCostume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances represented or described to a particular style of clothing worn to portray a type of character at a social event such as a fancy dress party or in an artistic theatrical performance. Costume used in yakshagana-

a theater art from India.

A Kid wearing a Bee costume

Costumed performers inBristol Renaissance Faire.

Santa

Co-ordinates & Separates

• Co-ordinate is designed to mix and match interchangeably and is sold as a package to the retailer

• Separates do not show an obvious relationship and are sold individually

SOFT GOODS

Are goods that are used up when used once, or that have a short & specific lifespan & wear & tear of the merchandise is quickerFashion and Textile merchandise is a soft good (e.g. dresses, lingerie, coats, household textiles) as contrasted with hard goods (home appliances, hardware or furniture)

Health care &beauty products

Furnishings

Woven • A woven is a cloth formed by weaving. It only

stretches in the bias directions (between the warp and weft directions), unless the threads are elastic. Woven cloth usually frays at the edges, unless measures are taken to counter this, such as the use of pinking shears or hemming.

Blends Yarns & Fabrics

• Yarns that are composed of two or more fibers mixed together then spun to form one yarn e.g. cotton fibers & polyester fibers

• When such a yarn is used to make fabric, the fabric possesses the qualities of both the fibers

Weight & Hand

• Weight & Hand dictate the silhouette of the garment.• Weight is the heaviness or lightness, thinness or

thickness of the fabric.• Hand is the tactile quality the feel body and fall of the

fabric

Performance Fabrics – fabric made for a variety of enduse applications which provide functional qualities such asmoisture management, UV Protection, anti-microbial, thermo regulation & wind, water resistance

Knits• Process of making a fabric, or an item of apparel, by the inter-

lacing of loops either by machine or hand.• A great variety of stitches and yarns can be used to give textured

effects and surface interest

Details – Are features which enhance the look of the garment like Embroideries, placket enhancements, button

MOTIFS

• In creative work:• Motif (narrative), any recurring element in a story

that has symbolic significance • Motif (textile arts), a recurring element or fragment

that, when joined together, creates a larger work • Motif (visual arts), a repeating theme or pattern

Victorian motifs

African motifs

Celtic Motif

REPEATRepeat is the “ Repetition” of floral or geometric print in a fabric design. And Repetition is use of same form again and again

Block Repeat

Half Drop Repeat

All Over Repeat

Ogee

Plaid

Pattern• Pattern is an underlying structure that organizes

surfaces or structures in a consistent, regular manner. Pattern can be described as a repeating unit of shape or form, but it can also be thought of as the "skeleton" that organizes the parts of a composition.

Flowing Branching

Spiral

FASHION FORECASTINGFashion forecasting is the prediction of the colors and style of apparel and accessories which are new directions in fashion that the majority of people would like to buy at a given time and place. It is anticipating the customers wants & needs by Designers, Merchandisers & Buyers. It needs to be done well in advance i.e minimum of 2 seasons away so as to produce fresh stocks on time & to keep the business going.

INCLUDES FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES :-

• Studying market conditions – how the consumers buying behavior is influenced by society, economics, technology & the environment

• Noting the lifestyles of the customers• Past data analysis• Observing “street fashion” & what celebrities are wearing• Keeping up with current events, media, arts & the mood of the public• Surveying Fashion publications, catalogs, magazines & fashion websites• Evaluating popular designer collections• Feedback from customers

DRAPINGIs a procedure of creating fashion designs by manipulating, pinning & cutting muslin or other fabric over a dress form so as to alter the fall of the fabric in different positions. In this technique, the drapes garment is then used to create a pattern from which garment can be made

PATTERN MAKING

Patternmaking is the art of designing patterns with specific body measurements with hand on paper or cardboard before

A pattern is an original garment from which other garments of a similar style are copied, or the paper or cardboard templates from which the parts of a garment are traced onto fabric before cutting out and assembling (sometimes called paper patterns).

Worked across all clothing categories it is an integral part of fashion design & clothing industry.

e.g: Different parts of a trouser pattern

Coat pattern

GRADINGGrading means scaling i.e the act of arranging in a graduated series Pattern grading means creating a set of pattern pieces for each of the sizes listed on the garment specification sheet for a style.

CAD-CAM-CIM

• Computer-aided design/manufacturing (CAD)- The linking of computer systems for creating designs with those for pattern creations, grading & marker in ordered to coordinate steps in production

• Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)- Computer aided systems that Grade and make Markers Electronically. They may also have the capability to do computer controlled cutting, use lasers for specialized cutting & employ robotics in manufacturing

• Computer integrated manufacturing – The production of a finished product integrating various computer aided process (CAD,CAM) that link information & equipment throughout the manufacturing process

RETAILER

Is an individual or firm that sells merchandise to the consumers.These items are purchased from the manufacturer or wholesaler and sold to the end user at a marked up price. In the fashion industry, that merchandise would be apparel and related products.

(VM) is the activity of promoting the sale of goods, especially by their presentation in retail outlet.

• It is the art of presentation, which puts the merchandise in focus. 

• It has become an important element in retailing as it educates the customers, creates desire and finally augments the selling process.

• Enables long lasting impact and recall value.

• Setting the company apart in an exclusive position.

• drawing the attention of the customer to enable him to take purchase decision within shortest possible time, and thus augmenting the selling process.

ELEMENTS USED IN VM This includes combining product, environment, and space into a stimulating and engaging display to encourage the sale of a product or service.Many elements can be used by visual merchandisers in creating displays, including , color, lighting, space, product information, sensory and interactive installations. inputs such as smell, touch, and sound as well as technologies such as digital displayseducating the customers about the product/service in an effective and creative way.

COLOR

THEME

MERCHANDISER

Merchandiser is a person responsible for ensuring that right product appear in the right store at the right time and in the right quantities.

Role of Sourcing Merchandiser:This involves procurement of all raw materials required to make a product

Role of Production MerchandiserThis involves ensuring that the work flow & time chart for the production is followed; at times Quality control may also be handled by the production merchandiserRole of a Retail Merchandiser :- This involves working closely with the buying teams to accurately forecast trends, plan stock levels and monitor performance, maximize profits and manage the performance of the ranges.They also decide on the quantity & oversee the delivery and distribution of the stock and deal with problems with suppliers as they arise.

Balance

• Balance is the concept of visual equilibrium, and relates to our physical sense of balance. It is a reconciliation of opposing forces in a composition that results in visual stability. Most successful compositions achieve balance in one of two ways: symmetrically or asymmetrically.

• Symmetrical balance can be described as having equal "weight" on equal sides of a centrally placed fulcrum. It may also be referred to as formal balance

• Asymmetrical balance, also called informal balance, is more complex and difficult to envisage. It involves placement of objects in a way that will allow objects of varying visual weight to balance one another around a fulcrum point.

Proportion

• Proportion refers to the relative size and scale of the various elements in a design. The issue is the relationship between objects, or parts, of a whole. This means that it is necessary to discuss proportion in terms of the context or standard used to determine proportions.

• Fashion Cycles: Fashion acceptance is usually described as a fashion cycle.

• Basically five stages: - Introduction- Rise in popularity- Peak of popularity - Decline in popularity - Rejection.

Fashion Evolution

Introduction of a style:• higher price levels• New Styles are changed by changing various elements

of fashion like line, shape, color, fabric and details and their relationship

• Production costs are high, only few people can afford the resulting garments

• New styles are shown to retail buyers and the press at collection showings and market weeks

Increase in popularity:

• When new styles are seen worn by celebrities on television or photographed in magazines, they attract the attention of general public.

• Popular styles are copied or adapted by mainstream manufactures to make them available to the general public.

• Less Expensive fabrics are used and designs are modified for the general public.

• Adaptations of the original designs in greater quantities are sold by high priced designers.

Peak of popularity

• Fashion is at the height of popularity• More manufactures copy it or produce adaptations at

many price levels

• Mass production so that fashion conscious people tire of the style and begin to look for something new.

• Consumers still wear garments in the style but they are no longer willing to buy them at regular prices.

• Retail stores put declining styles on sale racks, hoping to make room for new merchandise

• Many shoppers today wait it to buy when merchandise goes on sale, causing price deflation .

Decline in Popularity

• In the last phase of the Fashion Cycle , some consumers have already turned to new looks , thus beginning a new cycle.

• The rejection or discarding of a style just because it is out of fashion is called consumer obsolescence

Rejection of a style and obsolescence

• No measurable timetable for a fashion cycle.

• Some fashions take a short time to peak in popularity, others take longer, some decline slowly, others swiftly

• Some styles last a single selling season, others last several seasons

• Certain fashions fade quickly others never completely disappear.

Length of Cycles

Cycles within Cycles:

• Design elements may change even though the style itself remains popular

• Jeans became a fashion item in the late 1960s and remain classics. Therefore, their fashion cycle is very long

• However, various details, silhouettes and other features came and went during that time .

• Designers often borrow ideas from the past.• When a style reappears years later, it is

reinterpreted for a new time : a silhouette or proportion may recur, but it is reinterpreted with a change in fabric and detail.

Recurring Cycles

Recurring cycle in skirt lengths

Fashion Leaders:• People who look for new fashion and wear it before it

becomes generally acceptable.• They are confident of their own taste or have a stylist

to advise them• They dare to be different and they attract the

attention of others.• Very small percentage of the public.

Consumer Identification with Fashion Cycles

• Fashion Leaders fall in two categories like: Fashion Innovators: They constantly look for interesting new styles, colors, fabrics and ways to accessorize their clothes. They are discerning shoppers who like to wear beautiful or unusual apparel.

Fashion Motivators or Role Models: Fashion leaders having the beauty, status and wealth to become fashion role models.

Fashion victims: They are those people who blindly and stupidly follow a brand without any discernment and without any analysis.

• Fashion Followers:Fashion followers imitate other only after they are sure of fashion trends.

Fashion leadership in Manufacturing and Retailing:Manufacturers and retailers respond to fashion leaders and followers in their product development and merchandising.

Traditional Fashion Adoption (Trickle Down Theory):• Based on the traditional process of copying and adapting

trendsetting fashion from various Fashion centers. • As new styles are worn by publicized fashion leaders or

shown in fashion publications, more consumers are exposed to these new looks.

• Manufactures produce less expensive versions or adaptations of high fashion.

• Consumers then tire of the look, and its popularity fades.

Adoption of Fashion

• Reverse Adoption(Trickle up or bottom up theories)

• Since the 1960s, manufacturers and retailers have paid more attention to consumer innovation.

• They watch people on the streets to find ideas. Some of these ideas eventually reach the designer market.

• Dancewear and active wear which began as functional needs of the consumer also have influenced designer collections.

• Modern communications bring fashion from around the world into our homes instantly.

• Consumers see the trends and want to look as fashionable as the celebrities.

• Manufactures copy hot new styles almost immediately to meet the high demand.

• Speed of production is of the greatest importance. • Mass Dissemination is becoming the prevalent mode

of fashion adoption.

Mass Dissemination (Trickle across Theory)

Clothing Categories• Dresses, suits, Outerwear, Sportswear, Swimwear,

Lingerie

Working Designer’s Own NameGiorgio Armani, Dolce and Gabbana, Calvin Klein, Betsey Johnson, Anna Sui, Pamela

Dennis, Christy Allen

A Brand or name that is different from those who design • A Generic Trademark – Nike, Esprit, theory, Izod,

Oshkosh• A Former Designer’s Name – Levi, Christian Dior,

Chanel, Lanvin, Gianni Versace • A Licensed Name – Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein,

Donna Karan

Label type 2

• A Private Label Only Store – Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic

• Limited, Express, Structure, Lane Bryant• Ann Taylor• J. Crew

Private Labels

Private Labels in Department and Discount StoresSaks Fifth Avenue - Real Clothes, The WorksFederated – INC, Charter Club, Alfani, BadgeJ C Penny – Arizona Jeans, Hunt ClubTarget – Merona, Pro SpritShopper’s Stop - Stop

Private Labels

CoutureCustom make clothing for wealthy individualsChristian Dior, Yyes St. Laurent, Givenchy,

Chanel etc.

• Next Level• Armani, Gucci, Prada, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein,

Ralph Lauren, Geoffrey Beene

Designer

• Next step down• Affordable price line often by the same designers• Distributed primarily through better department

stores e.g. Macy’s, Lord & Taylor.• Donna Karan’s DKNY, Calvin Klein’s CK, Anne

Klein’s A-line or exclusively bridge lines such as Ellen Tracy, Tahari

Bridge

• Better• Moderate• Budget/Discounter

Better and Below

Conservative Updated Advanced

Better

Moderate

Budget/Discounter

• Price – how much do people want to pay? High, medium or low? Or as better, moderate, or budget?

• Taste Level – What “look” are they searching for? One that identifies their personality? How daring are they in fashion? Conservative, updated, or advanced ?

Putting People in Boxes

• Taste Level – A measure of fashion savvy and awareness; the ability to dress stylishly and appropriately.

• Conservative – A customer who is cautious about fashion and who does not want anything too trendy or odd.

• Updated – A customer who follows fashion and dresses with an eye to fashion but does not want to appear extreme.

• Advanced – A customer who “lives” for fashion and dresses in the latest style no matter how it may look to others.

• Conservative – Construction, Fabric quality, Make, beautiful finish. Displays a certain status yet can be worn for a considerable time.

• Advanced – More interested in “look” rather than the make. Looks for style and trend.

Conservative Updated Advanced

Better Look: Could be extreme colour, pattern, texture Fit: very current , a bit extremeMake : interesting, but less important than the look

Moderate Look: stylish colour, pattern, texture Fit: stylish but not extreme Performance : easy care or somewhat more delicateMake : good,

Budget/Discounter

Look: A look that has been around awhileFit: comfortablePerformance : wash and wearMake: sturdy, simple

Conservative Updated Advanced

Better Ralph LaurenJones New York

Liz ClaiborneCarole Little

(Also known as Contemporary)BCBG (Bon Chic Bon Genre)TheoryLaundry by Shelli Siegel

Moderate Lauren by Ralph LaurenAlfred Dunner

John Paul Richards

ABS

Budget/Discounter Kathie Lee (Wal-Mart)

Russ (Wal-Mart)

Women’s wear lines

Conservative Updated Advanced

Better Etienne Aigner Enzo (Also known as Contemporary)BCBG

Moderate Dexter Unisa

Budget/Discounter Cherokee (Target) Merona (Target)

Shoe lines

Conservative Updated Advanced

Better PoloNautica

Kenneth ColeClaibornePerry Ellis

DKNYCK

Moderate ChapsLeviArrow

Ron ChereskinDockers

GuessYMLA

Budget/Discounter Manhattan Merona (Target)

Men’s wear lines

Better PoloBaby DiorGuessTommy HilfigerDKNY

Moderate Buster BrownOshkosh

Budget/Discounter Hush Puppies

Kids