Fashion Cycles & Product Life Cycles

Planning a Collection
1. A collection is co-ordinated to seasonal and product requirements.
2. A season is divided into a segment - each segment is made up of items according to style/fabrics and colours - forming a fashion trend
  1. For example a 'weekend theme' or 'classic theme'
3. A fashion cycle consists of - information gathering - collection design and presentation - production - delivery - Takes proxy one year from start to finish - a Winter collection cycle will begin in Sept the previous year for it to hit the shop floor/ Summer collection - begin March - hitting the floor the following March in time for the Summer
The Collection Process
1. Information gathering - seasonal trend info - silhouettes/colours, target market research, new fibres/fabrics/prints - trade fairs - Source inspiration from the street/culture/social trends/history of design. Styling themes are developed - and these are re-interpreted into styles suited to the needs of the target market and existing customers - sketches are made and a story board presented - these are discussed at a collection appraisal meeting
How to start a Collection
1. Research - A successful collection needs an enormous amount of research, investigation and planning - Designers need to have clear understanding of their target market needs/consumer needs, as well as the companies position in the market.
2. Issues to be considered are - is there a customer base for the product? Is the product currently available? Does it have added value?
Market Research
1. Conduct a 'comp shop' - comparing stock in competitor retail outlets. Assess quality of fabric, construction and detailing. Look at pricing and place of origin.
2. Designers and Buyers may look at the historical buying habits of the consumer, sales figures for the previous season, exclusively and price.
3. Difficult to predict how many of each unit will sell - how much fabric is needed for production, may need to re-order within a season. Too much fabric results in tied up stock, too little fabric results in lost sales and reduced profit.
Identifying the customer
1. By careful investigation and competitor analysis - designers can identify a specific market area and customer.
  1. Designers can create an imaginary situation - characters in a journey, scenario. This visualising and defining colours, fabrics and shapes without constraints. A romantic approach to Client Profiling. Established designers can access customer sales and market information - taking into account social, economic influences - how customers lives are defined by a range of factors.
    1. Successful producer can define their customers from the past to the present to the future,. However catwalk pieces can be promotional pieces - not designed on a commercial basis.
Target Market Needs
1. Whilst fashion expresses a creative vision and process - wearability is also subjective. The consumer can make personal judgements about self image, acceptability and suitability, depending on occasion or lifestyle. Todays consumer is inundated with fashion choices, the medias infatuation with fashion, celebrity and influence provides enormous coverage of how fashion and style can be portrayed. Showpieces excite the fashion press and gain maximum coverage.
Research & Development
1. Research is an on-going aspect of a designers role. The designer needs to consider what is the overall look or theme of a collection.
  1. Moodboards - Images, drawings for inspiration, sourced garments, fabric swatches, sometimes vintage, trims - key to the new collection.
    1. Discuss shapes and fabrics - patterns and toile are prepared. Toiles are recut and refined a number of times before reality. May hire a model - A fit/house model. Refine proportions, detail placement, movement and the overall look. Once products are bought for resale - not for models in a show - they are resized, for average body measurements - Anthropometric Data. May need to reflect the type of customer.
      1. Freelance team members may also be employed - knitwear/embroiderers/tailors.
Fabric Fairs
1. A key part of the designers role is sourcing fabric.
  1. They will visit trade fairs twice a year before the start of the following season to source the newest fabrics. Premiere Vision is the most famous of the fashion fabric and trend exhibitions and draws designers and manufacturers from across the world.
    1. The fairs display their ranges on fabric hangers, often organised as trends or stories. Designers and manufacturers visit these exhibitions with a view to order sample lengths, which are delivered in time to plan and develop the new seasons ranges. Most exhibitors at Premiere Vision are happy to deal with businesses of all sizes for sample orders, but have a required minimum order to ensure production is viable for particular prints, colour ways or fabrics. For smaller orders, manufacturers may levy a surcharge. Some established designers may request certain fabrics or colour ways as an exclusive purchase.
Trend Forecasting
1. Traditionally, trends have been identified and packaged for designers as forecasting packages, where colours, yarns, silhouettes and graphics are collated into books or presented online and used to predict key looks fort the forthcoming season.
  1. Trend forecasting companies will give presentations internally to larger organisations to establish a direction based on the clients needs - Such as 'Trend Union'.
    1. Prediction manuals are used as starting points for designers next collections. As fashion has evolved and information sources are now widely available online, the trend forecasting industry has responded to provide a wider range of products. These include trend intelligence, trend management, international retail trends, customer trends, advertising trends, advertising, catwalk shows and technology trends, all available by subscription.
      1. Influences are taken from tear sheets, photographs, objects, fabric taken from source painting or any other imagery that compliments the story - these are used to create trend boards. A series of colour swatches can be dip dyed to create a colour palette.
Past Exam Question - June 2013
1. Well designed, markable products are vital for the success of companies who manufacture textile products.
  1. Analyse the value of two of the following for the designer of textile products: - trade fairs, - trend prediction companies, - shop reports/sales figures. You should give examples to support the point you make. (12 marks)
    1. Trade Fairs
      1. Trade fairs are when manufacturers of yarn, fabric, components or clothing showcase and sell their new ranges, e.g. Premiere Vision (France), Pitti Filati (Italy). They also show the colour predictions for the forthcoming seasons.
      2. Designers and product manufacturers are able to view samples and order the newest materials to ensure that their products are up-to-date. Once the textile manufacturer has enough orders, the material will be produced.
      3. Designer shows and ready-to-wear trade fairs take place twice a year, when the fashions for the following season are showcased. These are an opportunity for new designers to show their ideas, and for other designers to see what others are doing.
      4. Trade Fairs are an efficiently for a textile manufacturer to reach a large audience of potential buyers, to meet other manufacturers and suppliers, and to see what competitors are offering.
      5. Designers may attend these fairs to source a particular type of fabric, or they may go to be inspired by the latest materials so they will be able to ensure that their designs are on-trend.
    2. Trend Prediction Companies
      1. Trend prediction companies are big businesses in the fashion world, and they exert a strong influence on many areas of textile and fashion design.
      2. The companies look at trends which have been successful for some time and assess whether they are likely to continue or whether it is time for a change.
      3. They collect information from many sources, e.g. catwalk shows, street fashion, world events, past trends, art and science, film and media, and around the globe aided by the internet.
      4. They sell their information to other companies who do not have the time or expertise to do their own research, so that they can be confident that their designs will be on trend and thus likely to be successful.
      5. Not all designers use a TPC; some prefer to be trendsetters themselves, or develop their own niche market.
    3. Shop Reports / Sales Data
      1. Shop Reports/Sale figures are an analysis of what consumers are buying, and what shops are stocking.
      2. They can give an overview of trends, especially those shops catering for the high end market, where fashions from new and up and coming designers may be sold.
      3. This may help new designers to be recognised and to see what is popular with consumers in different segments of the market.
      4. What consumers actually buy is often an accurate indicator of what they want and what they value.
      5. But this date can also be unreliable, especially if other factors disrupt, or activate, retail activity.
Product Life Cycles
1. A product life cycle considers all stages of a products life from the initial idea and concept through product development to the disposal of the product after it has finished its useful life. An understanding of the impact upon the environment of a product throughout its lifetime would be considered during the concept stage.
  1. The manufacturing cycle would need to be considered under processing. An understanding of the impact of the product on the consumer, how long the selling period may be.
    1. Consideration of the care and maintenance of the product in the utilization stage and the options and possibility of disposal including recycling. What the expected period of use is and the possibility for product replacement.
Fad Cycle
1. The Fad cycle would be represented by a steep introduction and growth of a new ‘high fashion/ radical new story/ must have fashion product’. There would be little or no maturity stage and the product sales decline as quickly as they grew, as once the product is accepted it is no longer a fashion Fad. The sales cycle for a fad will tend to be rather short. It may be a seasonal product, eg for Xmas, Jubilee.
Classic product cycle
1. The Classic product cycle would see a gradual period of introduction and once accepted and established as a classic product the maturity stage would continue in an undulating pattern, with no obvious decline in the sales cycle. Maintaining popularity with its target markets. E.g. ‘little black dress’.
Standard product cycle
1. The standard fashion cycle follows a bell curve with a gradual period of growth and the plateau at the maturity stage is the longest part of the cycle, then there is a gradual decline in sales. E.g. leggings.
Fad
1. A Fad design is a new ‘high fashion/ radical new story/ must have fashion product’. It is characterised by a quick introduction and growth with little or no maturity stage, and the product sales decline as quickly as they grew, as once the product is accepted it is no longer a fashion Fad. The sales cycle for a Fad will tend to be rather short. It may be a seasonal product, eg for Xmas, special event.
Iconic Designs
1. Iconic designs are ones that have stood the test of time and have an enduring appeal. They are instantly recognisable and never really go out of fashion. Often considered to be classic designs, they have a gradual period of introduction and once accepted and established, the maturity stage continues with no obvious decline in the sales cycle. Minor changes to accommodate the latest trends help maintain popularity with target markets, may inspire other designers.
Trade Fairs
1. A trade fair: Trade fairs are exhibitions where many different companies related to the textiles industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, see what their rivals are doing, look at recent market trends and consider opportunities to develop new products. Many trade fairs attract companies from all over the world. Some trade fairs are open to the public, while others can only be attended by company representatives and members of the press. Designer visit trade fairs in order to study trend forecasts to see in which direction fashion trends are moving. This enables them to make sure that their designs for future seasons will be on trend and sell well. They will also be able to look at new developments in fabric and components and consider possible ways in which they can be incorporated into their designs. Examples include Premiere Vision.
  1. Trade Fairs are when manufacturers of yarn, fabric, components or clothing showcase and sell their new ranges, e.g. Première Vision (France), Pitti Filati (Italy). They also show the colour predictions for the forthcoming seasons. Designers and product manufacturers are able to view samples and order the newest materials to ensure that their products are up-to-date. Once the textile manufacturer has enough orders, the material will be produced. Designer shows and ready-to-wear trade fairs take place twice a year, when the fashions for the following season are showcased. These are an opportunity for new designers to show their ideas, and for other designers to see what others are doing. Trade Fairs are an efficient way for a textile manufacturer to reach a large audience of potential buyers, to meet other manufacturers and suppliers, and to see what competitors are offering. They are very expensive to run.
    1. Designers may attend these fairs to source a particular type of fabric, or they may go to be inspired by the latest materials so they will be able to ensure that their designs are on-trend.
Trend Prediction Companies
1. Trend prediction companies are big business in the fashion world, and they exert a strong influence on many areas of textile and fashion design. The companies look at trends which have been successful for some time and assess whether they are likely to continue or whether it is time for a change. They collect information from many sources, e.g. catwalk shows, street fashion, world events, past trends, art and science, film and media, and around the globe aided by the internet. They sell their information to other companies who do not have the time or expertise to do their own research, so that they can be confident that their designs will be on trend and thus likely to be successful. Not all designers use a TPC; some prefer to be trendsetters themselves, or develop their own niche market.
Shop Reports/Sales Data
1. Shop Reports/Sale figures are an analysis of what consumers are buying, and what shops are stocking. They can give an overview of trends, especially those shops catering for the high end market, where fashions from new and up and coming designers may be sold. This may help new designers to be recognised and to see what is popular with consumers in different segments of the market. What consumers actually buy is often an accurate indicator of what they want and what they value. But this data can also be unreliable, especially if other factors disrupt, or activate, retail activity.

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