Designing Clothes : Culture and Organization of the Fashion Industry

Fashion is all around us: we see it, we buy it, we read about it, but most people know little about fashion as a business. Veronica Manlow considers the broader signifi cance of fashion in society, the creative process of fashion design, and how fashion unfolds in an organizational context where design is conceived and executed. To get a true insider's perspective, she became an intern at fashion giant Tommy Hilfi ger. Th ere, she observed and recorded how a business's culture is built on a brand that is linked to the charisma and style of its leader. Fashion firms are not just in the business of selling clothing along with a variety of sidelines. Th ese companies must also sell a larger concept around which people can identify and distinguish themselves from others. Manlow defi nes the four main tasks of a fashion fi rm as creation of an image, translation of that image into a product, presentation of the product, and selling the product. Each of these processes is interrelated and each requires the eff orts of a variety of specialists, who are often in distant locations. Manlow shows how the design and presentation of fashion is infl uenced by changes in society, both cultural and economic. Information about past sales and reception of items, as well as projective research informs design, manufacturing, sales, distribution, and marketing decisions. Manlow offers a comprehensive view of the ways in which creative decisions are made, leading up to the creation of actual styles. She helps to defi ne the contribution fashion fi rms make in upholding, challenging, or redefi ning the social order. Readers will fi nd this a fascinating examination of an industry that is quite visible, but little understood. Fashion is all around us: we see it, we buy it, we read about it, but most people know little about fashion as a business. This title considers the broader significance of fashion in society, the creative process of fashion design, and how fashion unfolds in an organizational context where design is conceived and executed. Fashion is all around us: we see it, we buy it, we read about it, but most people know little about fashion as a business. Veronica Manlow considers the broader significance of fashion in society, the creative process of fashion design, and how fashion unfolds in an organizational context where design is conceived and executed. To get a true insider's perspective, she became an intern at fashion giant Tommy Hilfiger. There, she observed and recorded how a business' culture is built on a brand that is linked to the charisma and style of its leader. Fashion firms are not just in the business of selling clothing along with a variety of sidelines. These companies must also sell a larger concept around which people can identify and distinguish themselves from others. Manlow defines the four main tasks of a fashion firm as creation of an image, translation of that image into a product, presentation of the product, and selling the product. Each of these processes is interrelated and each requires the efforts of a variety of specialists, who are often in distant locations. Manlow shows how the design and presentation of fashion is influenced by changes in society, both cultural and economic. Information about past sales and reception of items, as well as projective research informs design, manufacturing, sales, distribution, and marketing decisions. Manlow offers a comprehensive view of the ways in which creative decisions are made, leading up to the creation of actual styles. She helps to define the contribution fashion firms make in upholding, challenging, or redefining the social order. Readers will find this a fascinating examination of an industry that is quite visible, but little understood Fashion is all around us: we see it, we buy it, we read about it, but most people know little about fashion as a business. In this volume, Veronica Manlow considers the broader significance of fashion in society, the creative process of fashion design, and how fashion unfolds in an organizational context where design is conceived and executed. Fashion firms are not just in the business of selling clothing along with a variety of sidelines. These companies must also sell a larger concept around which people can identify and distinguish themselves from others. Manlow defines the four main tasks of a fashion firm as creation of an image, translation of that image into a product, presentation of the product, and selling the product. Each of these processes is interrelated and each requires the efforts of a variety of specialists, who are often in distant locations. Manlow shows how the design and presentation of fashion is influenced by changes in society, both cultural and economic. Information about past sales and reception of items, as well as projective research informs design, manufacturing, sales, distribution, and marketing decisions. While new ideas must be put forward by the firm in a systematic manner, the identity of the brand must maintain a consistent image in the minds of consumers. In addition to taking account of the contingencies of the market, fashion firms must always be attuned to what other firms are doing. The moves of any one significant firm will influence other firms. It can even be said that there is a flow and counter-flow that occurs between all these "sub-systems" in the larger fashion industry. Manlow offers a comprehensive view of the ways in which creative decisions are made, leading up to the creation of actual styles. She helps to define the contribution fashion firms make in upholding, challenging, or redefining the social order. Readers will find this a fascinating examination of an industry that is quite visible, but little Contents......Page 6 Preface......Page 8 Part I—The Fashion Industry......Page 14 1. Clothing, Fashion, and Society......Page 16 2. The Emergence of the Fashion Industry......Page 48 3. The Fashion Designer......Page 106 4. Leadership in the Fashion Industry......Page 142 5. Organizational Culture in the Fashion Industry......Page 174 Part II—Tommy Hilfi ger USA, Inc.: A Case Study......Page 200 6. Charisma, Culture, and Representation at Tommy Hilfi ger......Page 202 7. Epilogue......Page 290 References......Page 296 Index......Page 314 "Manlow offers a comprehensive view of the ways in which creative decisions are made, leading up to the creation of actual styles. She helps to define the contribution fashion firms make in upholding, challenging, or redefining the social order. Readers will find this a fascinating examination of an industry that is quite visible, but little understood."--Jacket