Global Apparel Industry Research Articles

GLOBAL OR LOCAL MULTICHANNEL SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY? A CROSSCULTURAL ANALYSIS OF FASHION SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS IMPLICATIONS FOR CROSSCULTURAL SOCIAL MEDIA OPTIMIZATION (UNITED STATES FRANCE GERMANY AND AUSTRIA)

Introduction In the contemporary business environment, fashion companies ought to cope with fundamental changes marketing communication has conventionally been performed. In response to shifting socio-demographic, environmental and market-related conditions, gradually new forms of fashion promotion have evolved (Fill, 2006). Nowadays, the global fashion industry experiences a reduced dependence on mass media advertising and an enlarged reliance on dialogic, relationship-oriented and digitally grounded communication methods (Chitty, Barker, Valos & Shimp, 2012). Against this backdrop, it is irrefutable that social media technologies have been remarkably transforming the ways in which modern-day fashion communication is practiced (Brennan & Schafer, 2010; Funk et al., 2016; Dillon, 2012; Saarinen, Tinnila & Tseng, 2006). The competitive and widely saturated apparel market is facing an era of intensive proliferation of brands, an epoche of awe bombardment of advertisements, which makes a well-though-out communicational strategy ever more imperative, particularly in a cross-cultural context (Dillon, 2012). Yet, studies that analyze the importance of social media in relation to traditional means of fashion communication are scarce. Even though, empirical introductions start being made to this explicit issue, considerable research deficiency subsists in the realm of cross-cultural fashion communication and social media optimization. Therefore, the rationale of this paper at hand is to contribute to balance out this research gap by providing evidence from four countries.

An “Orphan” Creative Industry: Exploring the Institutional Factors Constraining the Canadian Fashion Industry

AbstractIn recent years, tier‐two fashion countries have been making gains in the global fashion industry, with hip young brands, buzz‐worthy fashion weeks and export‐oriented designers. The Canadian fashion industry, on the other hand, continues to fall behind and instead has experienced recent high‐profile closures of leading domestic fashion names. This paper explores why this is the case by considering a wide range of factors from a historical and institutional perspective. We argue that Canadian fashion is facing a number of systemic problems relating to wider institutional and policy weaknesses, rather than a lack of talent and know‐how within the entrepreneurs and businesses in the sector. While the fashion industry is indeed global, we argue that it is in fact national and local level factors—political, economic, and cultural—that structure and constrain the Canadian fashion industry for independent designers. Through exploring the experiences of this group of actors—entrepreneurial fashion designers—in this particular context, we not only learn about Canada as an economy but also what is needed in order to develop the fashion industry more broadly. We provide a framework for analysing the range of socio‐economic, historical, and political factors at the national level which affect the performance of the fashion sector and the operation of fashion designers as the entrepreneurial actors at the heart of the industry.

Theravada Buddhism and Thai Luxury Fashion Consumption

This paper reviews the Thai national character according to Hofstede’s (1991, 2001, 2017) cultural dimension theory and Komin’s (1991) nine values cluster (Psychology of the Thai people), analyses the social hierarchy of Thai consumers according to the Luxury 4P Taxonomy (Han et al ., 2010), integrates the Theory of Cultural Capital (Bourdieu, 1984, 1986), and expounds the features of social class. The global luxury fashion industry has grown significantly in recent years, but much of the research has been limited to conspicuous consumption and social identity. This paper involves religious beliefs that are argued to influence luxury purchasing motives. The purpose of the paper is to develop an analytical framework to aid in understanding luxury fashion consumption in a Buddhist country such as Thailand in order to inform luxury products vendors on how to improve their marketing strategies.

Sustainable and ethical manufacturing: a case study from handloom industry

Global fashion industry has bitterly evidenced the social and environmental implications associated with fast production cycles, overuse of resources, waste generation, environmental pollution and unethical labour conditions. Growing consumer awareness regarding social and environmental impacts of fashion products has led to create a new marketplace for sustainable and ethical products. This paper highlights craft practice as one of the potential avenues for achieving sustainability within the fashion industry. Through a case study drawn from handloom industry, this paper explores a manufacturing approach that is committed to fair-trade principles and designed to prevent waste. We argue that this study reveals a business model that could positively contribute towards generating employment opportunities and sustainable household income for the rural community. We conclude the paper by highlighting that this type of a fair trade and environmentally conscious manufacturing process could address the three pillars of sustainability: social, economic and environment. Findings of the study invite manufacturers to revisit and redesign current fashion production systems, especially when waste and labour issues are hindering the sustainability.

Focus: Terms and conditions of employment in the garment and shoe industry in SerbiaThis country profile has been produced with the support of the Rosa-Luxemburg-Foundation. The Clean Clothes Campaign seeks to improve working conditions in the global garment industry and further specific information on the issues covered by this report can be found at: www.cleanclothes.org/livingwage/europe.Bojana Tamindžija, Stefan Aleksić and Bettina

Focus: Terms and conditions of employment in the garment and shoe industry in SerbiaThis country profile has been produced with the support of the Rosa-Luxemburg-Foundation. The Clean Clothes Campaign seeks to improve working conditions in the global garment industry and further specific information on the issues covered by this report can be found at: www.cleanclothes.org/livingwage/europe.Bojana Tamindžija, Stefan Aleksić and Bettina

Предсказывая неопределённость: как трендхантинговые агентства завоёвывают рынок моды Рецензия на книгу: Lantz J. 2016. The Trendmakers: Behind the Scenes of the Global Fashion Industry. London, UK; New York: Bloomsbury Academic. 240 p.

Предсказывая неопределённость: как трендхантинговые агентства завоёвывают рынок моды Рецензия на книгу: Lantz J. 2016. The Trendmakers: Behind the Scenes of the Global Fashion Industry. London, UK; New York: Bloomsbury Academic. 240 p.

Partner Selection in Supply Chain of Vietnam’s Textile and Apparel Industry: The Application of a Hybrid DEA and GM (1,1) Approach

Vietnam is currently among the top-five textile and apparel exporters, and the industry is considered quite attractive to foreign investors. Nevertheless, the global textile and garment industry is experiencing important changes. The three main producing regions in the world are China, Southwest Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Turkey), and ASEAN. In order to maintain its positioning and to establish stable and sustainable Vietnam textile and apparel development, there must be radical changes. Due to this necessity, the authors conducted this study by using grey forecasting to predict and reflect the condition of businesses in the period of 2017–2020, together with combining a DEA model to help businesses select the most appropriate strategic partner in the supply chain in order to achieve economic goals and promote the strength of the businesses partaking in the association. Besides, this helps businesses exploit market opportunities and take advantage of the capabilities of the textile and apparel industry.

3D Virtual Prototyping Traces New Avenues for Fashion Design and Product Development: A Qualitative Study

Design, Development and Production have largely relied on the same, often manual, methods despite all the technological advances happening in the world outside of fashion and apparel. Ten years ago, academic research (by contrast to the existing 3D virtual software solutions) posited about clothing companies complaints’ on the lack of effective garment-oriented CAD packages to design directly in 3D and provide the model list with tools for shape modelling and cloth behaviour simulation. Although, common place in other sectors, 3D virtual prototyping in the apparel industry has been slow and complex. A qualitative research investigating the level of the technology implementation in the early adopters, the vision of the big corporations, entrepreneurs and professional users for the global clothing and fashion industry as well as the challenges, opportunities and barriers that need to be overcome in order for digital prototype to accelerate business processes on an integrated basis.

Which boundaries? How mobility networks across countries and status groups affect the creative performance of organizations

Research summary: Losing key employees to competitors allows an organization to engage in external boundary‐spanning activities. It may benefit the organization through access to external knowledge, but may also increase the risks of leaking knowledge to competitors. We propose that the destination of departed employees is a crucial contingency: benefits or risks only materialize when employees leave for competitors that differ from the focal organization along significant dimensions, such as country or status group. In the context of the global fashion industry, we find that key employees' moves to foreign competitors may increase (albeit at a diminishing rate) their former employers' creative performance. Furthermore, firms may suffer from losing key employees to higher‐ or same‐status competitors, but may benefit from losing them to lower‐status competitors.Managerial summary: Losing key employees to competitors can provide organizations with access to external knowledge, but increase risks of leaking knowledge to competitors. We find that an organization's access to external knowledge and its risks of knowledge leakage through employee mobility may be affected by whether its employees leave for competitors in a foreign country or in a different status group. In the context of the global fashion industry, we show that key employees' moves to foreign competitors increase (up to a point) their former employers' creative performance. Furthermore, firms may suffer from losing key employees to higher‐ or same‐status competitors, but benefit from losing them to lower‐status competitors. Hence, executives in creative industries and possibly beyond could welcome losing employees to competitors in foreign countries or to lower‐status competitors. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

How improving garment workers' jobs leads to better development

The global garment industry is a key source of employment, income and growth for developing countries, especially in Asia. However, events like the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh exposed the sector’s challenges in a dramatic way. Improving safety and working conditions for garment workers has become a top priority.

A Lack of Luxury? Contemporary Luxury Fashion in Sri Lanka

Within recent history the impact of globalization has made a crucial impression upon the contemporary understanding of luxury, largely due to the mass-expansion of luxury fashion brands around the globe. The extreme growth and visibility of these brands, substantially dictated by conglomerates such as LVMH and the Kering Group, has monopolized and for many come to epitomize the term luxury. This is evident within a wealth of marketing literature, which both assumes and establishes the colonization of the term by the world of global luxury fashion brands. Sri Lanka does not, as yet, have a significant incidence of these brands. Despite this, the recent influx of communication technologies has led to a stronger knowledge of their significance around the world. Consequently, during qualitative interviews undertaken within Sri Lanka, many respondents commented on the apparent lack of luxury fashion within the local market, understood as the absence of these same global luxury fashion brands. This would suggest that without the physical presence of global luxury fashion brands luxury does not exist within the Sri Lankan market. This article proposes that the sheer scale of the contemporary global luxury fashion industry has created an objective understanding that has garnered dominance through its prevalence and transnationalism, as can be demonstrated in the case of Sri Lanka. Through the comparison of two luxury fashion brands, Louis Vuitton and Lovi Ceylon, this article considers the context that has created this perceived lack of luxury within Sri Lanka.

The puzzle of the ethical fashion consumer: Implications for the future of the fashion system

Abstract Ethical fashion consumers who assess the environmental and social aspects of products before purchasing them are relatively rare because fashion consumption is a complex activity and tends to occur under conditions that tend to discourage ethical considerations. Standard criteria for evaluating ecologically sound or safe products or services are lacking. The ethical fashion market is a niche market, constituting about 1 per cent of the global fashion industry. Two-thirds of ethical fashion producers are located in the United Kingdom and the United States. Consumers tend to be poorly informed about ethical aspects of products and services. Fashion companies are moving towards responsible production but consumers are less likely to engage in responsible consumption due to higher prices, lack of readily available ethical goods and misleading information about products. Ethical hardliners, strongly committed to eco-fashion, are a minority.

Effectiveness of Technical Packages for the Apparel Production Process in the Global Apparel Industry

The apparel industry is one of the biggest economic sectors in the world. It is one of the most important sources of income for many parts of the world economy. It plays a pivotal role in developing a countries economy in terms of revenue generation and creation of employment. The apparel industry is one of the powerful sources of industrial employment, providing jobs for millions of people. The industry is undergoing a drastic change due to global sourcing and high level of price competition. Consumer behavior and disposable income increases when favorable demographic factors changes (Curtin, R. T. 1982). People are focused more on branded apparel and it has resulted in a positive growth in the global apparel market (De Mooij, M., 2013).Global exports of apparel which was 108 billion USD in 1990, increased drastically to 453 billion USD in 2004, which is a positive of 138% increase during the last 14 years (He, L. 2011). Asian countries contribute to a 50% of the total global apparel exports (Gereffi, G., & Memedovic, O. 2003).To become successful in the industry, it is very important to understand its structure, including both the manufacturing and retail side, as well as to be update knowledge of the market, product trends and a well-developed technical package for the apparel production. Technical packages hold the driving seat of the apparel production. This study shows the importance and effectiveness of technical packages for apparel production in the apparel industry.

Co-creation and the development of SME designer fashion enterprises

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the co-creation of small and medium enterprise (SME) designer fashion brands during internationalisation. Design/methodology/approach – As an exploratory study, this research utilises grounded theory methodology and incorporates the use of 38 semi-structured in-depth interviews with designer fashion enterprises (DFEs) and their support network of sales and PR agencies. Findings – Co-creation was identified as an important element for the successful integration of the entrepreneurial DFE into the global fashion industry network. Within relationship marketing, the concept of co-creation emphasises consumer experience, influence and power in the development of brand value. However current understanding of co-creation inadequately explains the development of the entrepreneurial designer fashion brand, requiring examination of the concept using grounded theory. The findings of this research highlight how these SMEs react and respond to the interpretation of their brand identity through the co-creation process as they seek to introduce and grow their firms within the global fashion marketplace. Originality/value – This paper identifies the influence of industry stakeholders on the process of fashion brand co-creation. Additionally, by identifying the process by which the entrepreneurial DFE navigates the introduction of their collections to the industry’s network, and responds to interpretations of the firm’s brand identity, this paper recognises the influence of the firm throughout the co-creation process.

The Importance of a Feminist Analysis within Globalization: a closer look at the global apparel industry.

Within academic literature on globalization, economic frameworks are often the dominant paradigm. Consequently, the phenomenon has been often been exclusively understood from a monetary perspective, rather than exploring it’s relationship with culture and geography. This paper presents an argument for the inclusion of critical feminist frameworks when studying globalization, by exposing what has been left out and encouraging what needs to be explored. As a entry point for discussing such a broad global contingency, the global apparel industry is primarily focused on; both for it’s rapid expansion as a result of globalization and it’s obvious gendered nature, as more women than men are employed globally along the chain, and are targeted as consumers. The result, is a closer look at the complex relationship between globalization, gender, race and culture. This paper is meant as a taking off point for further research within these parameters and to reinforce the importance of gender studies and critical feminist frameworks.

Examining the relationships among the brand equity dimensions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the nature of the inter-relationships among brand equity dimensions in the fast fashion context. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the empirical data collected from 419 fast fashion consumers in the USA, the study investigated the inter-relationships among the various brand equity dimensions by structural equation modeling. Findings – The findings reveal that brand awareness has a significant and positive direct impact on brand personality and perceived value; brand personality has a significant and positive direct effect on perceived quality and perceived value; and brand awareness, perceived quality and perceived value have a significant and positive direct effect on brand loyalty, respectively. Originality/value – Applying the brand equity model in the fast fashion industry and surveying actual consumers, the research provides in-depth empirical evidence of the interactions among the brand equity dimensions. Since fast fashion has become a key feature of the global fashion industry over the last decade, understanding the elements of brand equity and the inter-relationships among them provides important insights to marketing practitioners to develop strategies which encourage the growth of brand equity.

The effect of demographic and personality characteristics on fashion shopping proneness

Purpose– The global fashion industry is growing at a rapid pace and developing nations such as India are emerging as major contributors to the same. In such case, most academics and marketers are interested in the variables that influence fashion shopping. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of consumer demographic and personality characteristics on fashion shopping proneness (FSP) in India.Design/methodology/approach– Data were collected from 561 respondents using mall intercept survey method. Hypothesized relationships were assessed using multiple regression and structural equation modelling.Findings– Traditional view that younger and female consumers are more fashion prone than older and male consumers is validated. However, demographics accounted for only 9 per cent of the variance in FSP while personality characteristics accounted for 46 per cent. Being agreeable, extroverted, open minded, and stable are all positively associated with fashion shopping.Research limitations/implications– The study finds both personality dimensions and consumer demographics to influence FSP. As a limitation, the authors do not probe deep into the why and how of the mentioned relationships between personality and fashion buying.Practical implications– With respect to demographics, managers could target young females as the primary segment for fashion clothing but cannot ignore young males and older females. With respect to personality, managers can appeal to agreeable, extroverted, open-minded personalities by linking novelty, fun, relaxation, and recreation with fashion buying.Originality/value– This is one of the first attempts that simultaneously investigates the effects of demographic and personality characteristics on fashion shopping behaviour in India.

An exploration of success factors from the perspective of global apparel entrepreneurs and small business owners: implications for apparel programmes in higher education

ABSTRACTGiven the high number of small-sized apparel-related businesses operating within the global economy, it is likely that graduates of apparel programmes in higher education will go on to work for a small business or to partner with such firms in the global manufacturing process. This study reports on findings derived from interviews conducted with 30 entrepreneurs and small business owners in four countries: India, South Africa, Russia, and Thailand. Companies were positioned at key points along the supply chain, including design, manufacturing, as well as small retailers. Five factors were identified as critical for successful apparel-related entrepreneurs and small businesses: relationship-building, niche identification, resourcefulness, community engagement, and global awareness. Findings suggest that entrepreneurship and small-business-related education within apparel programmes should focus on developing students’ entrepreneurial competency relative to these factors. Moreover, findings suggest that students would likely benefit from entrepreneurship education designed specifically to address the global apparel industry context.

Private Regulatory Strategies: Theory and Evidence from the Global Apparel Industry

Despite considerable theory on the democratic and problem-solving merit of multi- stakeholder initiatives (MSIs), business-led initiatives (BLIs) have become prominent private regulatory organizati...

Can 3D Virtual Prototype Conquer the Apparel Industry?

A scenario of an apparel industry without paper fashion drawings which become patterns and then cut and sewn fabric to end up to a prototype is too optimistic. A future scenario of a fashion designer comfortable enough with 3D technology to create from the beginning that initial fashion drawing in a three-dimensional space making quick decisions, trying out different fabrics, colors and contrasts, communicating his/her ideas with the pattern maker and the entire development team in true to life 3D and within hours instead of days or weeks, sounds exciting but for some, science fiction. Threedimensional (3D) technology - while well established in many other industrial sectors like automotive, aerospace, architecture and industrial design, has only just started to open up a whole range of new opportunities for apparel designers. The paper will discuss the process of 3D simulation technology enhanced by high quality visualization of data and its capability to ensure a massive competitiveness in the market. Secondly, it will underline the most frequent problems & challenges that occur in the process chain when various partners in the production of textiles and apparel are working together. Finally, it will offer a perspective of how the Virtual Prototyping Technology will make the global textile and apparel industry change to a level where designs will be visualized on a computer and various scenarios modeled without even having to produce a physical prototype. This state-of-the-art 3D technology has been described as transformative and “disruptive” comparing to the process of the way apparel companies develop their fashion products today. It provides the benefit of virtual sampling not only for quick testing of design ideas, but also reducing process steps and having more visibility. The so called “digital asset” can be used for other purpose such as merchandising or marketing.