FM Lesson 4 Fashion Centers

Lesson 4

Fashion Centers

Chapter Objectives

• Describe a fashion design center.
• Define a buying center.
• Explain how design and buying centers impact local

economies.

• Identify the most important design centers.
• Explain the importance of global sourcing in the

fashion industry.

• Describe how cultural influences affect mainstream

fashion.

What Is a Design Center?

A thriving design center
can make a city important
in the fashion world.

design centera district
in a city where fashion
design and production
firms are clustered
together

Section 4.1

fashion weekperiods
during each year when
fashion designers
present new designs or
collections

Design centers host
important fashion shows
during fashion weeks.

International Design Centers

Major design centers include:

Section 4.1

•

Paris

•

New York

•

Milan

•

London

•

Tokyo

International Design Centers

Since the 1700s, the city
of Paris has been
synonymous with haute
couture and has been
the home to couturiers.

haute coutureFrench
term for high fashion,
which is expensive,
trend-setting,
custom-made apparel

Section 4.1

couturiers
professional fashion
designers, involved in
designing, making, and
selling high fashion

Coco Chanel and Yves
St. Laurent are examples
of couturiers.

International Design Centers

Designers in Milan concentrate primarily on ready-to-wear
garments.

Milan fashion industry began with making leather goods
such as accessories, shoes and handbags.

Italian fashion is known for its beautiful fabrics and
sophisticated prints.

Alta Moda is the Italian term for high fashion. Most alta
moda is found in Rome.
Next to tourism, fashion is the 2nd largest industry in Italy

Section 4.1

Multiple Choice

Milan is know for what fashion item?

• Leather

• Perfume

• Jewelry

• Silk scarfs

International Design Centers

New York City is considered to be the center of
U.S. fashion.

Almost two-thirds of U.S fashion manufacturing is
located in New York.

New York designers present their creations
during designated fashion weeks.

Section 4.1

U.S. Design Centers

Important design centers in the U.S. include:

Section 4.1

• New York City, New York produces %18 of women's

outerwear and 28% of all dresses made in the US.
-Fashion week is held twice a week at Bryant Park

with over 50 shows.

Los Angeles, California has become one of California’s

leading employers of fashion. 82 blocks of
wholesalers, retailers, sewing contractors,
patternmakers, manufacturers and market centers.

• Dallas, Texas

The United Kingdom

There are 10 major design centers throughout the

United Kingdom.

London was originally know for men's’ business

suits but now focuses on high quality ready-to-
wear.

Mary Quant in the 1960 and Princess Diana in the

1980s promoted British Designers.

Japan

• After WW II, woman became more interested in

adopting western styles, primarily from Paris.

• Tokyo has become a design center with their

colors, asymmetrical balance, unusual shapes
and use of fibers.

What Is a Buying Center?

Buying centers are
concentrated in geographic
areas where manufacturers
promote their newest lines
or a group of styles and
designs.

buying centersa
central district in a city
where fashion businesses
sell products to retail
buyers

Section 4.1

What Is a Buying Center?

The fashion industry is important to a city’s
economy.

Most cities have not-for-profit corporations that help
promote a particular city’s apparel industry

Section 4.1

What Is a Buying Center?

The Importance of
Buying Centers

Out-of-town apparel
buyers generate millions
of dollars for the local
economy.

13

U.S. Buying Centers

The apparel industry
designates particular
market weeks to present
different components of
fashion products.

market weeksthe
major times scheduled
by fashion producers to
show fashions to buyers

Section 4.1

U.S. Buying Centers

A larger regional center
may have several building
clusters, or marts.

marta building that
houses thousands of
showrooms for a specific
merchandise category

Section 4.1

Different marts may be
devoted to specific apparel
or accessory groups.

New York’s Garment District is the primary buying
center in the country.

Many retailers avoid New York and use regional
buying centers in cities such as Los Angeles,
Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, or Miami.

U.S. Buying Centers

Heart of the Fashion Industry

Design centers and buying centers represent the
heart of the fashion industry.

Design centers represent the centers of creativity.
Buying centers represent the centers of commerce.

Quick Check

1.What are three of the most important international
design centers?

2.What is the difference between a fashion design
center and a buying center?

3. How do fashion design centers and buying
centers benefit the cities in which they are located?

How Fashion Travels

The global chain of production must remain flexible
to enable producers to respond to the latest fashion
trends.

Section 4.2

How Fashion Travels

Globalization
Need to reduce
costs

Time-to-market
concerns

Product lead
times
+

+

+

More complex
sourcing and production strategies
=

20

Global Sourcing and Production

To reduce costs and
maximize profits, many textile
and apparel manufacturers
have begun global sourcing.

Section 4.2

global sourcing
the identifying and
negotiating of supply
chains in numerous world
locations

Supply companies that move
away from their own
manufacturing retain control
over the sourcing cycle.

Global Sourcing and Production

Global sourcing increases business risks due to
economic and political factors.

Production of clothing is global.

Changes in customer taste indirectly affect
production jobs around the world.

World Fashion

Designers and apparel companies establish
promotional offices in major fashion cities around
the world where they show their collections.

The proximity of some markets, such as the Asia
and California markets, helps to create trade
patterns.

Culture and Fashion

The influence of culture or
ethnicity cycles in and out of
fashion.

Section 4.2

culture the system of
shared beliefs, values,
customs, behaviors, and
artifacts attributed to
members of a specific
society

Some ethnic styles become
classic, or standard.

Fashion & Culture

Designers can travel around the world for ideas or
find inspiration in their own diverse communities.

Designers may adapt style influences from cultures
from the East or the West.

World Fashion at Home

Global production, fashion centers, catalogs, home
shopping television, and the Internet continue to
make fashion readily available to the consumer.
Section 4.2 Fashion Center.

Quick Check

1.Why are fashion companies turning to global
sourcing?

2. How does culture impact current fashions?

3. Describe a recent cultural influence that has
moved into mainstream fashion.

CheckingConcepts

1. Describe the concept of fashion weeks hosted by

design centers

2. Explain how local governments support design

centers.

3. Identify the geographic areas where

manufacturers promote their newest lines.

4. Name some businesses besides fashion

businesses that benefit from design and buying
centers.

CheckingConcepts Cont.

5. Identify the major design centers of the world.

6. Identify the major buying centers of the United
States.

7. Describe some risks of global sourcing.

8. Identify a culture that has significantly influenced
fashion of the last two years and give examples of
items of apparel.