Entrepreneurs in the fashion industry

Abstract

With a constantly changing industry, throughout history the role of the fashion entrepreneur has changed as well. The role of the fashion designer as we know it today was only introduced in the late nineteenth century. Before that, people in this position were known as dressmakers or tailors, and they would design the garments, construct the patterns, make prototypes and then sew the final garments together. Fashion at this time was mainly dictated by the aristocracy. Models were more standardized, but the choice of fabrics was of great importance, so the textiles were often the main priority in the design effort (Palmer, 2010). In the late nineteenth century, the dressmaker evolved to become a fashion designer, similar to an artist, who then took the position of dictating fashion, instead of it being dictated by the aristocracy. In the late twentieth century, greater importance was given to the consumer, and a fast response to consumer needs was economically very profitable. Also, in the twenty-first century, sustainability and social responsibility have been two important focus points, and consumers now have ethical demands, not known previously in the industry. For this reason, consumers currently have a greater voice with which to influence fashion. With a constantly changing world, you could argue that a successful fashion entrepreneur is one who can respond to the changing demands of the world, and understand the time he or she is part of. Charles Worth (1825–1895) has often been referred to as the ‘father of haute couture’ (Chantal, 2017; De Marly, 1990). Although he was not the first fashion designer, he has become the image of an industry change, in which the role of a dressmaker evolved from being a craftsperson who produced garments, to more of an artist with a creative imagination. Being a male, he also challenged the field of dressmaking which, at the time, was generally a female’s domain (De Marly, 1990).