Knock-offs

Hot Topic – Designer Knock-offs

This has proven to be the overwhelming favored topic of my peers. I confess that even when I posted it I had some feelings of it being a ‘fluff’ topic. But, the truth is, it does really concern me. While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, when it is costing an industry billions of dollars annually, and even more importantly further feeds sweatshops, child labor, and probably even worse situations of abuse, it is no longer just about “intellectual property”. According to ebay, “To give you an idea of the size of the counterfeit industry....just the items that can by tracked.....it is at least TWICE the size of Wal-Mart. When you consider the amount of counterfeiting that is not trackable, that number is very modest. The counterfeiting industry costs $300 billion in the US annually, $500 billion worldwide.” Those are staggering statistics! I am also befuddled by the number of comments I read online by bloggers who resented what designers charge for their goods, but felt adamant about wanting to buy the fake. If they truly feel that the designs are not worthy, why do they buy them in any form? Why don’t they simply buy the comparable Macy’s-own-label variety? Why hate the designer and at the same time want a handbag with their name on it? The more I research the topic, the more I understand the appropriateness of the adjective “hot”.

Hot Topics in the Fashion Industry

Debbie Shaw

Professor Kevin Oberlin

English 289

25 January 2012

Hot Topics in the Industry of Fashion Design

1) Sustainability – Like so many other industries, the fashion industry is plagued with issues revolving around sustainability. Fiber technology has created some very nice fabrics from which many of us benefit – fabrics that wick away sweat, and cool us during exercise; fabrics that save us time and energy in their wrinkle resistance; fabrics that are stronger and more durable; or fabrics that protect firefighters from extreme heat and/or flame. Unfortunately, many of these carry with them environmental concerns that coincide with their creation process. There can be similar issues with regard to natural fibers like cotton and wool, as well. What chemicals are necessary to produce the best cotton crop, or to protect it from insects and disease? What type of additives might be a necessary part of the sheep’s feed, to produce superior wool? The wonderful advances brought about through industrialization and the post-World War II manufacturing boom have left us with toxic fallout that must be addressed. The interesting part of this topic is how do we maintain and even continue to improve existing fibers and create new ones and at the same time deal with the environmental dangers?

2) Fair-labor practices – globalization has some wonderful benefits, but a significant downside has been the lack of control that American designers can have over fair-labor practices in foreign countries. Cheaper labor at first seemed like a good idea for everyone. The manufacturer was able to produce the goods at a lower cost, thereby increasing profits, and the end consumer was able to buy at a cheaper price. A by-product has been that designers can later on learn that their goods are being produced in foreign sweatshops where workers might be underpaid, overworked, and/or worked in sub-standard conditions. Even worse, is the knowledge that these business practices sometimes involve the use of children. How does the industry somehow govern these unacceptable situations, or reverse the practice of outsourcing manufacturing in order to better oversee who they are involved with, and at the same time create affordable goods? This is particularly pertinent in the existing economic climate.

3) Knock-offs – a huge concern in the industry is the problem with pirated designs and the sale of knock-off goods. This situation has not only cost the design industry in the billions of dollars, but also includes some of the other issues noted earlier. In the instance of counterfeiting, it is not likely that anything is being done to look at environmental concerns or humanity issues in the manufacturing of counterfeit goods. Making the assumption that the general issue of pirating designs needs to be dealt with first, what has been done so far, and what needs to be done to police and squelch problem?

Discipline Specific Formatting

The correct formatting for the fashion design discipline appears to be MLA. Here is a link to the Purdue Writing Lab's post on this type of formatting - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/.

A Fashion Designer's Manifesto

Debbie Shaw

Professor Kevin Oberlin

English 289

19 January 2012

A Fashion Designer’s Manifesto

According to one of my professors, and I apologize that I do not recall who, humans began wearing clothing, not for the sake of warmth or protection from the elements, but rather for the sake of self-adornment. The factual nature of that statement is likely debatable, and may vary depending on place in time, and religious and societal influences,. But, it is indisputable that for most people selecting what clothes to put on is a response to a mood, and the desire to present oneself in a specific way to the world around us. The fashion designer’s challenge is to satisfy his or her own creative urges, while at the same time pleasing the consumer well enough to maintain a profitable business. A designer’s business model includes dealing with textilers, sewers, pattern makers, shippers, marketers, retailers, and any other supplier of goods or services that are involved in producing the end garment.

A fashion designer chooses the profession based on a desire to either further develop an innate creative gift, or a desire to be a part of an industry that interests him or her. In either instance, it is to fulfill a passion.

The following is a list of necessary traits of a fashion designer -

A fashion designer strives to create a garment or look with the same eye that a painter uses to paint art that has balance and meaning. It must satisfy both the artist and the viewer.

A fashion designer strives to create garments that display a level of taste that is both within an acceptable realm and at the same time pushes a potential consumer to purchase it. This is true regardless of the particular aesthetic of the targeted market.

A fashion designer must have a working knowledge of patterning and the capabilities and limitations of the garment construction process.

A fashion designer must have enough knowledge of textiles to be able to choose one with the appropriate properties for the garment they are designing, and for the lifestyle of the consumer. Those characteristics include but are not limited to hand, durability, stability, and care.

A designer must have knowledge of the human body and its proportions to design garments that function properly, and flatter the human form.

A fashion designer strives to provide the wearer with a physical sense of comfort. This is done through proper cut and appropriate use of textiles.

A fashion designer strives to create garments that impart an emotional sense of confidence in the wearer. This is done by understanding the customer’s sense of style.

Like all consumer-oriented businesses, the garment industry is constantly evolving to keep up with influences from all things political, religious, and societal, as well as trends, technological advances, and the economy. People make statements in the way the dress, even if their point is to make the statement that they don’t care how they dress. As a fashion designer it is my job to find the niche that best suits my own idea of what fashion should look like and make the best contribution I can.

Defining the Discipline

Debbie Shaw

Professor Kevin Oberlin

English 289

08 January 2012

The Discipline of Fashion Design

The discipline of fashion design is the process that encompasses conceptualizing, designing, and creating articles of clothing and accessories worn by consumers. According to the United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics, fashion designers fall within the categories of clothing designers, footwear designers, or accessory designers and working within the field can include any single or combination of these categories. Universal to a career in any of the areas mentioned is the need for a strong sense of style, color, and shape, a working knowledge of the qualities of fabrics and textiles, and the ability to sketch well in order to convey one’s vision. FashionSchools.org further elaborates on this list by adding communication and problem-solving skills; sales, persuasion, and presentation skills; and leadership skills.

All websites visited in researching this definition emphasized the need for some formal training, with at least a 2-year, if not a 4-year degree in the area. According to FashionSchools.org, the typical coursework included in fashion design programs includes sewing and tailoring, textiles, colors, pattern making, fashion history, computer-aided design training, and a study of different of types of clothing and the design of those various types.

Types of employment positions can vary, particularly based on the size and/or focus of companies. In a larger corporation there are more “…specialized occupations such as technical designer, pattern maker, cutter, and textile designer” (FashionSchools). In smaller companies a fashion designer is more likely to have to wear multiple hats and accomplish, or at least oversee, a variety of these tasks. Also, some companies may focus on the mass production of garments, while others cater to a more elite clientele who want the one-of-a-kind, or couture garment. This difference in buyers can impact what skills are needed by designers.

There is one exception to the consumer-focused positions, and that is the specialty of costume design for performing arts, cinema, and television. The occupation requires some very similar skills to those of a consumer fashion designer, but most often also requires the designer to research fashion styles of the period in which a production takes place.

Work environment and schedule are generally dictated by the size of the company. A small, beginning design firm can often have less desirable spaces, and longer more demanding hours. Larger companies generally offer more comfort, better benefits, and a regular time schedule.

Two interesting tidbits found within the Princeton Review website were that “… the estimated odds of becoming an internationally famous designer are roughly 160,000:1; and that “…the word “crazy” showed up in more than 75 of our surveys as a plus in fashion design.” I found both of these statements to be rather comical!

The difference between my original brainstorming definition and this one is that the researched definition contains more specific details about the profession while the original definition contains what was important to my situation. I can’t say that this exercise changes how I think about my future work, probably because I have had few years to contemplate the options!

Works Cited

“A Day in the Life of a Fashion Designer.” PrincetonReview.com. Web. 08 Jan. 2012.

FS Staff. “Fashion Designer – Career Profile.” FashionSchools.org. 8 July 2011. Web. 08 Jan. 2012.

“Fashion.” Savannah College of Art and Design. Web. 08 Jan. 2012.

“Fashion Designers.” Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition. Web. 08 Jan. 2012.