Substance of the Fashion Industry Chapter 4 Substance of the Fashion Industry

Fashion Terms Channel of distribution Soft goods chain Textile/apparel pipeline Fiber Yarns Fabrics Greige goods Designing Resellers Four-groups approach Vertical integration Private label goods Commodity products Fashion products Seasonal products Industrial textiles Geotextiles Composites Trade associations Networking Trade publications Labor-intensive

The Soft Goods Chain The Textile Segment The Apparel Segment The Retail Segment

The Textile Segment Fibers Yarns Fabrics Thin, hair-like strands Short or long Originate from Naturally grown sources Chemical mixtures Yarns Continuous strand Formed by spinning or twisting Fabrics Long pieces of cloth Greige (gray) Goods

The Apparel Segment Designing Manufactured Sales

The Retail Segment Selling merchandise directly to consumers Retailers pay wholesale price for quantity Retailers do single-item selling to consumers

Four-Groups Approach Primary Group Secondary Group Retail Group Auxiliary Group Primary Group Secondary Group Retail Group Consumers

Primary Group Raw materials Textiles Leather Fur Plastics Metals

Secondary Group Manufacturing Makes garments from textiles Produces sewn garments Produces fabricated garments

Retail Group Stores Mail Order TV Home Shopping Internet

Auxiliary Group Supports first three groups Market Researchers Forecasters Colors Trends Fashion Publications (advertising) Buying Services in market centers

Vertical Integration Combining two or more steps of the pipeline within one company and under one management. Mills produce yarn, make fabric and perform the finish the fabric. If a company takes on activities toward the source of goods – backward integration When retail companies take on manufacturing functions. Producing their own Private Label. Private Label Goods – produced only for that retailer and have the retailer’s special trademark or brand name.

Commodity, Fashion, and Seasonal Goods Commodity Products Staple Goods Hardly ever change Constant in Demand Fashion Products Always changing No Demand Difficult to predict demand Seasonal products Change with seasons

Other Textile End-Use Industries Household Textile Products Industrial Textile Products The Home Sewing Industry

Household Textile Products Floor coverings Rugs Carpets Home furnishings Window treatments Furniture Domestics Bed Bath Kitchen

Industrial Textile Products Industrial textiles – technical rather than fashionable Specialized textiles Research and development Transportation textiles Automobiles interiors and tires Geotextiles Relate to the earth’s surface Composite textiles Textiles combines with other materials

The Home Sewing Industry Deals with production Done for personal reasons Feeling of achievement Proper fit Individually creativity Save money Quality of construction relaxation Savings are less significant today

Fashion Industry Associations and Publications Trade Associations Trade Publications Textiles Apparel Retail Consumers

Trade Associations Fashion Group International American Society of Interior Designers Home Sewing Association Nonprofit, voluntary organizations Try to improve the industry Business Conditions Encourage the use of industry’s products Serve as a source of information Gain advantageous legislation Sponsor seminars, etc. Provide technical assistance Provide networking

Trade Publications Magazines Newspapers Books

Geographic Locations of Industry Segments Industrial Manufactures were near resources in early days Now they can be any where but mainly in central eastern states Apparel manufacturing has always been labor- intensive. Retailing is located everywhere Highly Specialized textiles create demand.

Summing It Up Fashion Channel of Distribution = Soft goods chain or textile/apparel pipeline Primary = Raw Materials Secondary = Manufacturers Retail = Final Distributors Trade Associations