Chapter Five

1
Chapter Five

• The Creation Stage
• Research

2
Definitions

• Collection
• Designer
• Line
• Apparel items or styles with a theme linking them
  together
• I.e.. Nike Men's Cycling
• Coordinated items or styles that can be worn
  together
• Developed for a specific target customer
• Group
• Small selection of fabrics and small number of
  items
• All carefully coordinated

3
Line Evolve

• From previous lines
• Successful styles modified or repeated
• Carryovers
• Styles that are repeated from one season to the
  next

4
Designers Job

• Research the market
• Select colors, fabrics, and garment styles based
  on fashion direction from merchandisers
• Consult on costing
• Provide suggestions for trimmings release
  approved styles for pattern making

5
Merchandisers Job

• Coordinate several lines
• Conduct market research
• Maintain estimates and price targets
• Review designers proposed line
• Approve the line

6
Creation Stage

• Overlaps production stages of previous line and
  selling stage of line before that
• Designer and merchandiser handle three lines at
  one time, each in a different stage of cycle
• Cycle becoming faster all the time due to
  technology

7
Market Research

• Systematic and objective approach to development
  and provision of information for marketing and
  management decision making processes

8
Types

• Basic
• Extended knowledge about marketing system
• Applied
• Help managers make better decisions
• Designers and merchandisers conduct applied
  research , so do trade associations

9
Applied Market Research

• Consumer Research
• Consumer characteristics and behaviors
• Product Research
• Information about preferred product design and
  characteristics
• Market Analysis
• Information about general market trends

10
Consumer Research

• Consumers often do not do what they indicate in
  research
• If selling in international market, must
  understand that consumer
• Color and style preferences

11
Product Research

• Style testing
• Predicts what customer will want to buy
• Must be fast, easy to understand, inexpensive and
  predictable

12
Market Analysis

• Long range forecasting
• Economic trends related to consumer spending
  patterns and the business climate
• Sociological, psychological, political and global
• Short range forecasting
• increase in sales growth
• What competitors are doing
• What retailers are doing

13
Target Customer Profile

• Profile/Description of target customer
• Gender
• Age range
• Lifestyle and geographic location
• Career, location, social and political
  orientation, attitudes, values, interest in
  fashion
• Price zone moderate, better, bridge

14
Fashion Research

• Fashion trend research
• Color research and recourses
• Fabrics and Trimming research

15
Fashion Trend Research

• Scanning trade publications and fashion magazines
  to keep current on trends
• Subscribe to fashion trend forecasting service
• Use POS data
• Shop the market
• View couture and RTW collections
• Watch the consumer
• Use continuous multiple recourses
• Inspiration, nature, museums, culture

16
Color Research and Recourses

• Staple colors
• Seen continuously from season to season
• Fashion Colors
• Appear less frequently over time
• Hues may change making matching difficult from
  season to season
• Certain colors may appear more frequently and
  certain cultures and within certain ethnic groups
• Color Forecasting Services 18-24 months out

17
Fabric and Trim Research

• Fabric and Trim market research similar to trends
  and color trends
• Focus on silhouettes, lengths, widths and details
  
• Buttons, collars
• Cant relay on past successes MUST innovate