Political figures have played a central role in the development of fashion, at least since the time of French king Louis XIV. For example, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was a fashion icon of the early 1960s. Wearing Chanel suits, structural Givenchy shift dresses, and soft color Cassini coats with large buttons, she inspired trends of both elegant formal dressing and classic feminine style. Some influencers are paid huge amounts of money to promote a product or clothing item, where the business hopes many viewers will buy the product off the back of the advertisement. Instagram is the most popular platform for advertising, but Facebook, snapchat, Twitter and other platforms are also used. While some exclusive brands may claim the label haute couture, the term is technically limited to members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris. Haute couture is more aspirational; inspired by art and culture, and in most cases, reserved for the economic elite.
Through research and studying the consumers’ lives the needs of the customer can be obtained and help fashion brands know what trends the consumers are ready for. Although the fashion industry developed first in Europe and America, as of 2017, it is an international and highly globalized industry, with clothing often designed in one country, manufactured in another, and sold worldwide. For example, an American fashion company might source fabric in China and have the clothes manufactured in Vietnam, finished in Italy, and shipped to a warehouse in the United States for distribution to retail outlets internationally.
Previously, Carry set up her multi-award winning fashion brand Pachacuti in 1992 after a Masters in Native American Studies, supporting sustainable, rural livelihoods for women in the Andean region. Pachacuti pioneered radical supply chain transparency and was the world’s first Fair Trade Certified company. Her collections were shown at London, Paris and Milan Fashion Week and sold in the world’s foremost luxury stores.
Transparency is crucial for connecting the dots of the problems in the fashion industry and understanding how to fix them. When the Rana Plaza building collapsed eight years ago, killing and injuring thousands of garment workers, rescuers had to dig through the rubble looking for clothing labels in order to figure out which brands were producing clothes there. It is impossible for companies to make sure human rights are safeguarded, working conditions are safe and the environment is protected without knowing where their products are being made.
Read scripts and consult directors and other production staff to develop design concepts and plan productions. Develop a group of products or accessories, and market them through venues such as boutiques or mail-order catalogs. Purchase new or used clothing and accessory items as needed to complete designs. Confer with sales and management executives or with clients to discuss design ideas. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word ‘fashion.’ Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Experience for yourself how our unique learning environment can help you build a career identity and a lifetime of creativity. Learn from FIDM Instructors, who are unmatched in their expertise and their commitment to educating a new generation of professionals. Collaborate with fellow students who are challenging themselves to become their very best. Join a community of alumni who are driving the industry, and changing the world. My name is Veronica Stone, I was born and raised in Milan, Italy and at the age of sixteen I decided to move on my own to New York City to pursue my passion for film. Now, almost seven years later and with a lot more experience, I find myself back in Milan working as a reader of manuscripts for various publishing houses.
As a PR and communication manager she is now counselling and campaigning start-ups and young labels in textile industry, circular economy and sharing-economies. Clara is a final year student in Natural Sciences at UCL and has been an activist for a fair, transparent and circular fashion industry for many years. Alongside her studies, she has been an active member of the Fashion and Climate Action Societies at UCL, organising 2 fashion shows, campaigns and clothes swaps to make sustainability centre stage in the discourse held around fashion on campus.