FASHION INDUSTRY by SOUMYA P S

FASHION INDUSTRY


Submitted To
PROF.JAYAMOHAN NAIR



Submitted By
SOUMYA.P.S
I Semester MBA


INSTITUTE OF CO-OPERATIVE MANAGEMENT
UNIVERSITY OF KERALA



ABSTRACT


Fashion Industry in India is in nascent stage at the moment and has great potential to make its mark on the world stage. Apart from the rich tradition the strength of the Indian fashion industry also rests on strong raw material availability. India is the third largest producer of cotton, the second largest producer of silk and the fifth largest producer of man-made fibres in the world. India also possesses large number of skilled human resources and has among the lowest labour costs in the world. India is among the largest exporters of textile garments and fabrics. Fashion refers to the styles and customs prevalent at a given time. In its most common usage however, "fashion" describes the popular clothing style. Many fashions are popular in many cultures at any given time. Important is the idea that the course of design and fashion will change more rapidly than the culture as a whole. Fashion designers create and produce clothing articles. . The fashion industry is made up of various kinds of companies like retailers, design source and selling companies, companies with their own manufacturing facilities and other companies who outsource production but retain control over parts of the production process. Also, fashion industry provides a lot of contribution to economy. It provides attractive openings at various levels not only to professionals but also to the talented and the skilled youth.

















TABLE OF CONTENTS



1. INTRODUCTION


“Industry” means any systematic activity carried on by co-operation between an employer and his workmen for the production, supply or distribution of goods and services with a view to satisfy human wants or wishes whether or not
(i) Any capital has been invested for the purpose of carrying on such activity.
(ii) Such activity is carried on with a motive to make any gain or profit.

Some industries are more profitable than others. Why? The answer lies in understanding the dynamics of competitive structure in an industry. The most influential analytical model for assessing the nature of competition in an industry is Michael Porter's Five Forces Model, which is described below:
Porter explains that there are five forces that determine industry attractiveness and long-run industry profitability. These five "competitive forces" are
• Threat of entry of new competitors
• Threat of substitutes
• Bargaining power of Buyers
• Bargaining power of Suppliers
• Degree of rivalry between existing competitors

 Threat of New Entrants
New entrants to an industry can raise the level of competition, thereby reducing its attractiveness. The threat of new entrants largely depends on the barriers to entry. High entry barriers exist in some industries (e.g. shipbuilding) whereas other industries are very easy to enter (e.g. estate agency, restaurants).

 Threat of Substitutes
The presence of substitute products can lower industry attractiveness and profitability because they limit price levels. The threat of substitute products depends on:
- Buyers' willingness to substitute
- The relative price and performance of substitutes

 Bargaining Power of Suppliers
Suppliers are the businesses that supply materials & other products into the industry. The cost of items bought from suppliers (e.g. raw materials, components) can have a significant impact on a company's profitability. If suppliers have high bargaining power over a company, then the company's industry is less attractive. The bargaining power of suppliers will be high when there are many buyers and few dominant suppliers.

 Bargaining Power of Buyers
Buyers are the people or organizations who create demand in an industry.
The bargaining power of buyers is greater when there are few dominant buyers and many sellers in the industry & products are standardized.

 Degree of Rivalry
The degree of rivalry between competitors in an industry will depend on:
-Structure of competition - for e.g. rivalry is more intense where there are many small or equally sized competitors & rivalry is less when an industry has a clear market leader.
- Structure of industry costs - for e.g. industries with high fixed costs encourage competitors to fill unused capacity by price cutting.
- Degree of differentiation - industries where products or commodities (e.g. steel, coal) have greater rivalry; industries where competitors can differentiate their products have less rivalry.


2. FASHION IN INDIA


2.1 INTRODUCTION

Fashion Industry means manufacture of clothing and accessories on a commercial basis. The fashion industry embraces both haute couture (clothes made by individual designers for a small and wealthy clientele), and garments produced on a wider commercial basis and sold in high-street shops, chain stores, and department stores and by mail order.
India has a rich and varied textile heritage, where each region of India has its own unique native costume and traditional attire. While traditional clothes are still worn in most of rural India, urban India is changing rapidly with international fashion trends reflected by the young and glamorous, in the cosmopolitan metros of India. Fashion in India is a nascent industry and a colorful and glamorous world where designers and models start new trends every day.





2.2 HISTORY OF FASHION

Throughout the Indian History, the kinds of costumes & accessories worn can be seen to fulfill two criteria: Simplicity & Opulence. In either instance, the choice of clothing is dependent on the person's status, wealth & religious orientation. Information about fashion in ancient India is available only from looking at sculptures & a very few examples of costumes, textiles & jewelry have survived.

It seems paradoxical that fashion is considered a young concept in India since the first fashion show was held only in 1958. Jeannie Naoroji wins the credit for initiating the first wave of fashion shows in India & for giving a degree of professionalism to such shows. Since then, there has been growing consciousness among the Indian men & women towards the fashion, styles & designs of the dresses they wear.

Several Institutes like National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) & Indian Institute of Fashion Technology (IIFT) and other fashion academies have been established where the students are taught to translate their creativity into dresses & fabric designs. The media has also played a major role in fashion boom. Good coverage is provided to the fashion world and several magazines are specifically devoted to the fashion scene. The proliferation of fashion based programs on the television channels has increased the consciousness of the average Indian masses about the changing trends in global fashion.


2.3 FASHION DESIGNERS

In the past one decade, the Indian fashion industry has moved from the embryonic stage to a blossoming take off. While previously a master weaver was recognized for his skill, today a fashion designer is celebrated for his or her creativity.
India can now boast of leading fashion designers who can match any European fashion designer in their concepts, styles & designs. Ritu Kumar, Ritu Beri (versatile fashion designer who can design anything from ceramic wire, T-shirts etc.), Rohit Bal, Rina Dhaka, Muzaffar Ali, Satya Paul, Tarun Tahiliani, JJ Valaya, Hemant Trivedi (Leading fashion designer of today, who had designed the ice blue evening gown)& Manish Malhotra top the growing list of reputed fashion designers in India.




2.4 MODELLING

Fashion & Dress-designing goes in tandem with professional ramp modeling. In India, Ramp modeling has come of age with a rapidly growing genre of professional ramp models, both male & female, making a mark in both domestic as well as international arenas.
Milind Soman (the first male supermodel from India), Andrew Piers, Arjun Rampal, Himanshu Malik (He stormed the fashion industry when he modeled for Vimal & Raymonds), Rahul Dev are among the leading male models. Madhu Sapre, Bipasha Basu, Anupama Varma, Meher Jesia, Liza Rey are among the leading female models.

2.5 INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

Fashion in India has become a growing industry with international events such as the India Fashion Week and annual shows by fashion designers in the major cities of India. Miss World and Miss Universe contests have been conducting throughout the year. The victories of a number of Indian beauty queens in these International events have also made Indian models recognized worldwide. Reita Faria won the Miss World Crown for the first time for India. Her remarkable feet paved the way for later competitors to step into her shoes and take the glamour world by storm. Aishwarya Rai, Diana Hayden, Yukta Mukhi, Priyanka Chopra, Sushmita Sen, Lara Dutta are among them.

3. INTERNATIONAL FASHION MARKET
Haute couture accounts for only a fraction of the fashion industry. By far the greatest part of it is concerned with manufacturing affordable clothes for a broad home market or an international clientele. Like haute couture, the mass-market fashion industry operates on a global scale. Buyers (who select the stock for high-street retail companies) travel the world to locate garments and accessories suitable for a particular retail outlet.
Certain countries are well known for a particular type of fashion merchandise: Italy for knitwear, fashion textiles, and shoes; Germany for tailored clothes; France for lingerie; and Great Britain for textile and fashion classics in cashmere, tartan, and wool. Eastern European countries are now becoming part of the Western European fashion industry and are abandoning the production of standard items of clothing for retail in the old Communist countries in favor of manufacturing textiles and clothing for the highly competitive international fashion market.

Clothes made for the broad home and international market are mass-produced by highly organized factory systems. The factory system has long relied on female workers, and often these are outworkers (people who work from home). The use of part-time, casual workers, rather than full-time, permanent staff, allows factories to maintain flexibility in production to suit fluctuations in demand in the market place. Because women are considered to be generally nimble-fingered and able to work well in teams, most factory workers and outworkers in the clothing industry tend to be female. The tasks are repetitive and require considerable concentration; wages are fairly low with bonus schemes to encourage fast and accurate work. CMT (cut, make, and trim) factories produce specific items of clothing under contract to established companies and small designer labels.
As labour costs have increased in Europe, factories have been forced to invest in new technology and highly specialized machines in order to remain competitive. In recent years, lower production costs offered by clothing factories in Hong Kong, India, China, and Malaysia have led to a considerable number of European companies transferring their manufacturing abroad.
4. FASHION FORECASTING
Forecasting future demand for particular styles, fabrics, and colors is an important aspect of the fashion industry. Textile specialists work two years ahead to determine the general guidelines for each fashion season. Yarn and cloth companies (who provide a design forecasting service for clients and act as consultants for specific design projects worldwide) produce sample fabrics and color-ways that they show at international textiles exhibitions such as Premiere Vision in Paris, Pitti Filati in Florence, and Interstoff in Frankfurt. Large fibre associations also provide information concerning trends in colors, yarns, and fabrics at least 18 months ahead of the season. This information is usually related to products (such as wool, silk, or cotton) made from the companies' particular speciality in yarn or fibre production, and acts as a guide for fabric buyers. Color forecasting is an essential aspect of the coordination of fashion marketing. Delegates from large fibre and textile manufacturers meet to agree on the general color themes for each season.
Large global companies concerned with the manufacture and promotion of textiles include the International Wool Secretariat, the Swiss Cotton Institute, the Irish Linen Industry, the International Mohair Association, and the International Silk Association. Multinational companies producing synthetic and man-made fibres include Bayer, Dupont, Courtaulds, Enichem-Montefibre, Hoechst Fibres, and ICI Fibres. Trade magazines and journals also play a part in the dissemination of information for the industry, previewing, reporting, and forecasting trends, and providing reports on exhibitions and fashion shows, as well as trade and business news.

5. DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

For the last twenty years, fashion designing has gained spectacular prominence with an increase in quality textiles and materials for the fashion designers to work with. This trend of fashion consciousness is bound to grow and stay. Fashion is identified today with status, acceptance and it almost implies social involvement. India enjoys a prominent place in the international market with its rich silks, traditional hand loom fabrics, rustic textures and vibrant dyes. The creation of a world market for Indian garments is largely the contribution of Indian fashion designers. The trends of growth are set for upcoming fashion entrepreneurs.
Most wholesale fashion companies, where clothes are manufactured for sale to retailers, are divided into several departments, where teams of workers with specialist skills handle the design, production, and marketing of garments. Key roles in a fashion company are those of designer, cloth-buyer, pattern-cutter, sample machinist, production controller, factory manager, and sales, marketing, and promotion executive. The function of each department is related to that of the others, and the company's efficiency depends on effective planning and communication between departments.
A medium-size company would normally have separate departments for purchasing cloth, for designing styles, and for production.
5.1 THE CLOTH-PURCHASING DEPARTMENT
This department works closely with the designer to locate and purchase the specific materials and trimmings required to make the styles planned for a particular season. This may require visiting numerous textile fairs in many different countries, textile mills, and showrooms, and arranging for sample lengths to be delivered to the design department. Other activities include testing cloth for color, quality, weight, and finishing. This department also collates information needed for the bulk purchasing of cloth for production.
5.2 THE DESIGN DEPARTMENT
The design department usually consists either of a single designer, or a chief designer and a team of junior designers or stylists. The department is responsible for the overall concept of each season's collections. Designers keep up to date with marketing conditions and emerging trends by visiting international textile and fashion fairs, and shops in major international cities, and by maintaining an awareness of such major influences on style as films, exhibitions, new textiles, and street styles.
For each season, the design department produces a range plan in which is set out new designs as well as repeat designs for ranges that have sold well previously. Each design is presented in the form of a sketch or series of sketches; samples of the fabrics and trimmings to be used are attached to each sketch.
When the range to be produced in a particular season has been finalized, patterns and sample garments are produced. Usually, several pattern cutters and sample machinists assist the designer in producing the exact shapes and styles shown in the sketches. Patterns may be produced by fitting fabric to a tailor's dummy, or by flat pattern-cutting. In some companies, the pieces of the pattern are scanned by computer and manipulated on the computer screen.
Once the pattern has been cut, the sample machinist makes the first garment, either as a toile (a prototype made in calico) or as a sample made in the material chosen for the garment. The sample machinist's job is highly skilled, since there are often new shapes to manipulate and different fabrics to manage. At this stage, an approximate costing of the garment is made. In many design departments, costings are made by computer; graphics software packages allow designers to create images on screen, discuss them with buyers and production staff, link them with fabrics and trimmings, calculate costings, and process them via samples through to the production department. The designers can also call upon inspirational images, keep records of their past designs, and store information concerning suppliers, color, and textile trends.

5.3 THE PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT
The production department is responsible for coordinating orders from retailers, making production patterns, grading patterns to different sizes, lay-planning (laying the pieces of the pattern in such a way as to ensure that the minimum amount of cloth is wasted); planning cutting and assembly batches; costings; organizing machines on the factory floor to suit a particular production run; organizing outworkers; ticketing bundles (batches of separate pieces to be sewn); and labeling the finished garment.
The use of computer software allows patterns to be manipulated and graded (made to different sizes) far more quickly and more accurately than is possible by manual methods. Automatic grading of pattern pieces to specific sizes and the automatic preparation of lays remove much of the tedious manual work previously required. The computers are either linked to plotters that print out lays on paper to be cut manually, or linked electronically to a laser cutter or cutting knife.
On the production floor, lays are made up of the fabrics to be cut for particular orders. Often, the sizes in the lay are mixed but carefully labeled for the machinists. The assembly lines are usually arranged in a line running the length of the factory floor. Garments made in a factory are normally made in sections, with machinists working on specific machines, sewing seams or collars, pressing garments, or applying trimmings. The bundles of garment pieces are distributed to the machinists by conveyor belt or trolley, which is also controlled by computer. Each machinist sews one or two specific sections of each garment in the bundle, which is then passed to the next machinist. Separate processes may include stitching seams, attaching trimmings, inserting zips, making buttonholes, attaching sleeves and collars, under-pressing and top-pressing, and finally checking for quality. Each of these processes, except quality control, can be carried out by machines, which are now often computerized so as to ensure a uniform quality of sewing. Typical machines found in most factories are lock stitchers for seams, over-lockers for seam covering, buttonhole machines, and double-chain stitchers for stretch fabrics. Machines may have attachments for special functions such as ruffling, elastication, and making welt or piped pockets.
Finished garments are temporarily stored in the factory warehouse while complete orders are assembled for the retail customer. Orders are then packed and dispatched from the warehouse. For fashion merchandise, a delivery date is usually agreed between the buyer and the manufacturer, since any delay may result in the shop or store missing the peak retailing period and suffering financial loss.

6. JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY

• Design Department - Manufacturing units work on a large scale. They employ cutting assistants, sketching assistants, junior designers. Cutting assistants have to cut samples as per specifications of the designer. Sketching assistants make the technical sketches of the garments which are passed on to cutting assistants. Junior designers generally do the first pattern cutting.

• Marketing and Merchandising - Fashion trends are constantly changing. People in merchandising and marketing have a good knowledge of fashion trends, sales data and the organization’s marketing objectives. Based on this information the marketing department plans the company’s overall direction. It determines the price, product requirement, and hence they often work with the styling department when a new product is conceived.

• Manufacturing Department - The production manager is at the head of the manufacturing unit. He is responsible for scheduling work goals, training of workers, managing all activities in order to maintain quality in production. The production manager oversees the work of pattern cutting - from pattern grading, spreading and marking to cutting, assembling and finishing. With the production manager, there are production assistants who supervise the work at each stage.

• Fashion coordinators - They coordinate with the buyer and the production manager. The fashion coordinator makes sure production schedules are kept, meet buyers, goes through specification for fabrics, colors, designs and keeps an eye on the quality. When buyers give their own designs, the coordinator helps decide the fabric colors and accessories that should be used to suit the designs.

7. PROMOTION AND MARKETING
The key element of fashion promotion is the fashion show, at which the new season's collection is presented to the press, to buyers, and to a select number of individual customers. Haute couture designers present spring and autumn collections at twice-yearly fashion shows, which are usually held at prestigious venues; top models are engaged for extremely high fees and the attention of influential fashion editors is courted, since much of the success or failure of a collection can depend on reports appearing on television, in the national press, and in prestigious magazines, which promote various fashion looks to the public each season. At the more affordable level, the new season's styles are also shown at fashion shows in major stores. It is not only styles but also colors that play a key role in new fashions; colors are changed each season and enable new looks to be identified immediately.
The work of fashion designers, as well as news and events in the fashion industry, is publicized by means of press releases issued to newspapers and magazines, where fashion editors may use the information as the basis for an article or a feature. Another way of promoting fashion is by placing advertisements in newspapers and magazines. The promotion of a strong brand or corporate image is a powerful influence on the public, and sometimes this image is centered on a personality or a lifestyle. The most popular products advertised in magazines are footwear, jeans, and sportswear, and lingerie and hosiery.
Fashion advertising in the press exceeds that on television. However, advertising through satellite television is increasing as also is advertising at the cinema. A growing area of promotional advertising is through direct mailing, which has been facilitated by the growth in computerized databases.






8. RETAILING

International designers' collections are sold both in small independent shops and in large department stores. Companies specializing in high-quality classic clothing, such as the British companies Jaeger, Burberry, and Aquascutum, have their own high-street shops and may also maintain retail outlets in franchised areas of large department stores both in the United Kingdom and abroad.
Large chain stores also figure prominently in fashion retailing. Many sell a wide range of clothing, menswear, childrenswear, womenswear, and accessories; the company controls every aspect in the design and production of clothes within the manufacturing companies that supply the goods. They provide the high-street customer with an inexpensive range of simple, classic, coordinated garments and accessories.
Smaller fashion chain stores tend to cater for the more fashion-conscious customer. They have shops in most major cities in the United Kingdom and, through their purchasing and manufacturing facilities, are able to offer strong new fashion looks every few weeks. They each have their specific customer profile, and this tends to be of the younger fashion-conscious woman who buys the current fashion looks.
There has been a steady growth in online and catalogue shopping, which has been encouraged by the development of credit cards and the Internet, and improved delivery services to customers. While some high-street stores and retail chains offer online and catalogue shopping facilities, other clothing companies have no retail outlets and specialize exclusively in online and mail order. Catalogues are prepared at least nine months ahead of each retailing season. Because the merchandise has to be selected well in advance of each season, designs are usually quite classic rather than high-fashion styles. Some mail-order companies concentrate on a particular section of the market; for example, casual clothing or sportswear. Yet another method of retailing, pioneered in the United States, is by selling direct from the factory. Factory outlets are normally sited in industrial parks, where rents are comparatively low and the facilities are simple and basic. Supplying the goods directly to their own outlets, manufacturing companies are able to sell them at a lower price than can high-street stores.







9. CONTRIBUTION TO ECONOMY

The fashion industry ranks among the high growth sectors of the economy. It is labeled as a priority sector for trade development and promotion. The prospects of the garment industry are extremely encouraging. It provides attractive openings at various levels not only to professionals but also to the talented and the skilled youth.

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM), the highest body of the Chambers of Commerce of India has estimated that the country’s fashion design industry is expected to touch Rs.7.50 billion ($187.5 million) by 2012, from the present estimated level of less than Rs. 2.90 billion ($72.5 million). The apex body also hopes that the sector will create additional employment opportunities for over 50,000 skilled professionals like fashion designer, merchandiser, manufacturer etc.

In an analysis done by ASSOCHAM on “Indian Fashion Industry”, it has further revealed that the Indian fashion industry accounts for barely 0.3 per cent of the international industry’s net worth. According to approximations, the total apparel market in India is calculated to be about Rs. 20,000 crore. The branded apparel market's size is nearly one fourth of this or Rs.5, 000 crore. Designer wear, in turn, covers nearly about 0.2 per cent of the branded apparel market. At present, the largest sales turnover within the designer wear segment is about Rs.25 crore, with other well-known names having less turnover of Rs.10-15 crore.


10. INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT

In the 50s, 60s and 70s, the Indian fashion scenario wasn't exactly colorless. It was exciting, stylish and very graceful. There were no designers, models, star or fashion design labels that the country could show off. The value of a garment was judged by its style and fabric and not by who made it.

• In 60’s, tight 'kurtas', 'churidars' and high coiffures were a trend among ladies. It was an era full of naughtiness and celebration in arts and music and cinema, manifested by liberation from restriction and acceptance of new types of materials such as plastic film and coated polyester fabric.
• The 70’s witnessed an increase in the export of traditional materials outside the country as well as within. Hence, international fashion arrived in India. Synthetics turned trendy and the disco culture affected the fashion scenario.
• It was in the early 80’s when the first fashion store 'Ravissant' opened in Mumbai. At that time garments were retailed for a four-figure price tag. The '80s was the era of self consciousness and American designers like Calvin Klein became popular. In India too, silhouettes became more masculine and the 'salwar kameez' was designed with shoulder pads.
• In the 90's, a move towards the drastic pairing down returned with ethnic wears (Today, ethnic wear market in India is accounted to Rs. 9000 crore). This led to the decline and the recession, the push to sell at any cost and keep staying in the limelight. The price tags, which had once reached at a peak, began their downside journey.

• In the beginning of the 21st century, more models, choreographers, make-up men, hairstylists and designers entered into this field with some sensible designing; the fashion hype accelerated its speed. For the global fashion industry, India is a very big exporter of fabrics and accessories. All over the world, Indian ethnic designs and materials are considered as a significant facet for the fashion houses and garment manufacturers. In fabrics, while sourcing for fashion wear, India also plays a vital role as one of the biggest players in the international fashion arena. India's strengths not only depend on its tradition, but also on its raw materials. World over, India is the third largest producer of cotton, the second largest producer of silk and the fifth largest producer of man-made fibres. Recently many designers have started using traditional Indian fabrics, designs and cuts to enhance their fashion collections.

In the 50s, 60s and 70s, the Indian fashion scenario was colorful and stylish, in the end of 20th century it was quite subdued and with the beginning of the 21st century it has geared up and is still experiencing the growth with many spectrums of colors. Though this industry is growing at a very good pace, besides achieving a negligible share in the global market, still it needs to make severe efforts to stand amongst international fashion market in various aspects.










11. MAJOR PRACTICES

The fashion industry has grown at a robust pace over recent years. The decline in the local manufacturing sector hasn't deterred demand for local design input, and low trade barriers have encouraged smaller players to compete with industry heavyweights. Advancements in technology and the globalization will continue to underpin solid industry growth. Firms in this industry provide design services for fashion, clothing, shoes, textile, jewelry, costumes, and floats. Sometimes this represents the design arm of a large retail chain, but more often smaller design houses that provide fashion products to a number of different sellers.


The primary activities of companies in this industry are:

 Clothing design services
 Costume design services (except independent theatrical consume designers)
 Fashion design services
 Fashion designer services
 Float design services
 Fur design services
 Jewelry design services
 Shoe design services


The major products and services covered in this industry are:

 Fashion clothing design
 Other clothing design (e.g. tailoring, pattern making)
 Footwear design
 Textile and carpet design
 Jewelry & accessory design
 Other design services (e.g., fur, costumes etc.)







12. FUTURE OF FASHION INDUSTRY

Indian fashion industry needs to take following steps to fulfill its growth potential:

• Indian fashion industry needs to create global image. There are various agencies that can assist in the brand building exercise. The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), other textile promotion councils, and industry associations such as Confederation of Indian Industries can market Indian fashion globally.
• Large textiles players must develop linkages with small medium enterprise (SME) clusters. Such networks would be a win-win for textile players that can concentrate on demand creation and branding as well as for clusters that can focus on quality production.
• Indian fashion industry has to forge designer-corporate links as is the norm in global fashion industry. There is a large part of the novice designer community, possibly more talented, which remains obscure. Hence there is an urgent need to give exposure to young and budding designers.

The advent of computers has changed the clothing industry in many ways. Modern companies have an integrated computer system that links all activities in the organization. Those activities may take place either on one site or in geographically diverse locations; for example, a large company may have garments manufactured abroad and may also maintain showrooms and shops all over the world. Computer software designed for use by the fashion industry may cover such functions as product data management (PDM), which deals with style development, costings, quality control, and communication between the manufacturer and retailers. Data on such processes as design (of fabrics, styles, and patterns), sample-cutting, pattern-laying and grading, manufacturing, and costing are integrated into the computer database. Patterns can also be designed by computer, with automatic facilities for adapting patterns to different body shapes, in cases where clothes will be retailed across international markets. Cutting and matching patterned fabrics can be carried out by computer.
Overall, new developments in computerization will enable the fashion industry to respond to the increasing demand for rapid style changes, the need for shorter production cycles, while allowing customers to select designs and within a short time have bespoke items delivered to their home.




13. CONCLUSION

The Future of fashion is grand; it doesn't only pilot the garment, home or cosmetics industry, it can also inspire banks, insurance companies or governments.

Fashion is important to us because it’s a means of self-expression. It enables us to say something important to the world about who we are, or who we’d like to be. The clothes we wear say things about us (intentional or not), even to people we don’t talk with directly. It addresses the fundamental human need to belong, to identify ourselves with a group of others like us--whether it’s a lifestyle, a religion, a profession, or an attitude.

“Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.”
By George Bernard Shaw.