The Role of Designing Through Making Across Market Levels in the UK Fashion Industry

Abstract

This paper examines the role of designing through making in the fashion design process. It draws upon empirical data collected through a series of case studies conducted with womenswear design and manufacturing companies targeting differing segments of the UK clothing and fashion market (Sinha, 2000). An examination was made of the areas of the design process that the designer was immediately involved with, and, therefore, an examination of the designer's role in the fashion design process. Models of fashion design processes were constructed to compare how activities and design decisions differed. Five generic phases were elucidated, differences in activities, decision-making and garment-styling were noted to arise from how information was taken on about the market, analysed and used, size of companies, types of consumers targeted, number of retail distribution outlets (potential market size) and finance available to the company. This paper seeks to demonstrate that the role of designing through making is undeniably vital throughout all market levels in the fashion industry and questions the current role of the fashion designer. The paper concludes with recommendations for further areas of study.