Shifts in the Luxury Clothing Industry
Since the 1990s, there have been many shifts in the luxury clothing industry. There are more participating stores now than there were in the 1990s. Thousands of developers have poured money into the industry in order to fill the divide between suppliers and customers. Users will now visit store sale points within their neighbourhoods, as opposed to the early 1990s, where they had to walk comparatively long distances to purchase sneakers or even clothing. There has also been an increase in the number of designs for clothes and shoes. For example, the vendors mostly sold long skirts and dresses for the ladies (Rosenau & Wilson, 2014). However, the sellers have expanded to selling mini-skirts and even tight long trousers that are popularly known as "pencils." Additionally, there are no particular designs for specific manufacturers as it was 25 years ago. Most manufacturers offer similar designs of clothing, except for the material combination and the logo which distinguishes the product from different producers.Transition from Analog to Digital Advertising
Most of the retailers have also switched from the analog to digital form of advertisement. The investors used to print, audio, and visual media through newspapers and magazines, radio, and television respectively in reaching their clients (Rosenau & Wilson, 2014). Today, the majority have limited the use such avenues for the social media such as Facebook and Twitter that have proved vital tools for reaching millions of potential customers.Minimizing Production Costs
Apart from the changes that have occurred in the industry, there are also concerns of high costs of production. However, the retailers have come up with various means of minimizing the impact of the same. The retail firms such as Inditex, Marks & Spencer, and H&M have opted to expand their businesses to international markets so as to maximize sales revenue. Some also practices price discrimination by charging highly in high-end areas where people can easily buy at high prices and selling at relatively low prices in the regions where the retailers cannot afford to buy expensively (Fairhurs, 2008). Additionally, the sellers have always adjusted the selling price following the rise in the cost of production to help obtain a desirable profit margin.Exploring the "Make-DO and Mend" Period of Fashion
Question Two: Exploring the "Make-DO and Mend" period of fashion and the Retail Companies that helped revive the Fashion Industry Post War.The ideology of "Make-DO and Mend" started in 1940s during the Second World War in Britain. The slogan was meant to help adopt sustainable fashion practices to avoid the exhaustion of raw materials in making civilian clothing. The people were encouraged to reuse their old clothes by mending and remaking them to a usable condition. It came about as a way to save most of the raw materials for making the military clothes during the war. The Australian government even minimized the coupons that it offered to the consumers towards the purchase of clothing. Moreover, those who had the coupons still had to pay for the products given that they were not with any significant discount. The move significantly helped conserve the raw materials for the making of military combats given that the extraction of such resources could not sustain the growing need of both the civilian and military clothing (Summers, 2015). Most of the civilian-based firms that include Maison Vionnet closed down as they could no longer serve a sustainable number of clients. The period between 1950s and 1960s saw stagnation in the fashion and design changes because of the fashion rationing that occurred.Reviving the Fashion Industry Post War
After the end of the Second World War, the retail companies in the fashion industry became aggressive in reviving fashion. It was a way to help meet the growing needs and the different preferences of the consumers. Moreover, they produced in bulk to help serve the user population. In fact, the repairs of the old garments started to decline due to the commitment to provide more civilian clothes and of different designs. Such firms include Brioni and Caraceni in France and Ike Behar in America among others. The companies developed different models for male and female wear ranging from suits to casual clothes (Summers, 2015). As a result, the consumers began to buy the new fashioned attire and gradually moved out of the "Make-DO and Mend" culture.References
Fairhurst, C. (2008). Advances in apparel production. Cambridge, England: Woodhead Pub. in association with the Textile Institute.
Rosenau, J. A., & Wilson, D. (2014). Apparel merchandising: The line starts here. New York : Fairchild Books.
Summers, J. (2015). Fashion on the ration. London: Profile Books.
