Welcome to Fashion Marketing

Dr. Satyendra SinghProfessor, Marketing and International Business

University of Winnipeg

s.singh@uwinnipeg.cawww.uwinnipeg.ca/~ssingh5

Saussure (1983)

Need for Clothing

Need for clothing Culture Personality

Marketing convincesconsumers the worth of fashion

Fashion Versus Style

Fashion: the DebateWhy do we need fashion?Why do we need to make statements?

Some people do not like it16th century concept noble bloodIt indicates social and economic status; separates you from mass Substance is more important than styleMay hamper productivity at workIt is business because fashion means more expensiveYou can be easily influenced by peers and marketing

Other love fashion to its coreLife is too shortIf fashion makes people confident, beautiful, handsome, is it wrong?It is a happy product and with positive experience It is about beauty and appreciation you’re sad; we’re happy people

Fashion Apparel CategoriesOuter wear: Coats, jackets, sweater…Career wear: Suites, formal wear…Sports/Active wear: May be loose or tightEvening wear: Informal dependsUniformInner wearBridal wearChildren wearMaternity wear Accessories: Belts, scarfs, hats, headwear, neckwear4-6 lines per year: Typically produces in women’s apparel

category

Fashion Apparel Manufacturing

1890-1950s: ↑ RTW industry: Ready to wear

1920s: Flapper-style design new, young, free

1960s: Hippy style, t-shirt, hip, grown beard and hairs

1980: Quick Response Strategy to meet fashion demandTime between fibre production and saleable productTechnology advancement↑Partnership, Better resources allocationShorter business cycle fashion (it should change)

Couture: Hand sewing, ↑ expensive fabric than RTW

Haute Couture: High sewing, small quantity, measurement based for each client, fit (body scanned measurement), refine fabric, expensive. Fitting is very important for this segment.

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)

NAICS 313: Textile mills

NAICS 314: Textile product mills

NAICS 315: Apparel manufacturing

NAICS 316: Leather and allied product manufacturing

Fashion Lifestyle (Trendy, Classic, Formal, Informal…)

Sources of Fashion?Historic inspiration: Queen, Napoleon…

1960s: Above-the-knee skirts1070: Retro look reminiscent of 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s

Ethnic inspiration Kimono, Saree, African hairstyleCelebrity (film/sports) Jennifer Lopez, Serena Williams

Politicians: Gandhi, Gaddafi, Mandela, Modi, Diana…Size/cut/pattern: tie, skirt, trousers…(narrow, wide,

bowtie, floral, regimental, solid colorColor inspiration: What is fashionable color? Who dictates

it? How is it forecast?Other: Magazine, National Flags, Economic

Development, Weather (Material impacts consumer spending and consumer behavior)

Fashion Elements

Oversize as Fashion!

Blackwell was the firstto design plus-size fashions

and to useAfrican American model

Tommy Hilfiger’s Fashion:

Casual, Simple, andeasy living

Loose Trousers

Historical Fashion

Celebrity

Political/Fashion/Culture Statement…

Political/Fashion/Culture Statement

Tymoshenko, Ukarine Indira Gandhi, India

Flag-inspired Fashion

Hairstyle

Ethnic Inspirations

Indians

Rock Singers

Fashion Followers

Brands and USPUnique Selling propositions

Manolo Blahnic (shoes): High heel

Calvin Klein (jeans): Tight-fitting young, hip

Ralph Lauren (quality): Classic image

Dior (skirts): Longer and clinched waist feminine WW II

GAP (color): Changed the concept of color Khakhi

Prada (fashion): Trendy look

Jimmy Choo (shoes): Style and color

Tommy Hilfiger (apparel): Easy by but fashionable living

Brands and Taglines

Celebrity and Fashion Line

Princess Diana and Dior

Role of Color in Fashion

Staple ColorsBlack, navy, white and beigeseen continuously, season after seasonPendleton jackets: navy and green tartan to match future purchase

Fashion ColorsAppears less frequently over timechanges from season to seasoncannot match with future purchasesColor variation: orange red, blue red or magentaFashion color cycle is shortsome fashion color sell more than others

USA: dark red, wine tome popular (Orange is less popular)EU: Olive green is popularAfrica and Asia: Ethnic colors

Color Wheel

Dark Versus Light Colors

Cool Versus Warm Colors

Fashion Color Forecasting Services

Color Association of the USA (CAUS)International Color Authority (Paris, France)Fashion color depends on

Sales tracked by $ and colorHigh selling color is presented in each lineColors adopted by designers in EuropeDesigners’ choice of colored fabric productionDesigners name colors for a season: Dalia, Plum, Lavendercannot match with future purchasesMagazine/TV: Color ForecastingColor me beautiful

Fashion Magazines with approximate circulation in 2008Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Essence, GQ, Marie Claire, Vanity Fair 1mGlamour, In-style 2mMen’s Vogue .3m

Group or Line Fashion Marketing:

2 advantages

1 Maximize # of fashion features in one advertisement2 Consumers can visualise several items that fir their personality