NEWS

The Art Of Science In Fashion And Textile Design
Science plays a major role in design development of fashion clothing and accessories, just a glimpse into the past will confirm enough to be true. It's not a jumbled business of cloth and colours loosely thrown together, rather, a well organised industry driven by the sciences, from market research to weaving, printing, dyeing, pattern making, branding and labelling; scientific intervention supports artist's continuum.

English Madder Print: The colouring agent in madder root called alizarin was in fact first chemically extracted and then synthesized in 1869 by two English chemists. Although the dyeing process, even today, requires a variety of painstaking steps, synthesized alizarin brought the price within the reach of commercial producers. Testimony to the significant part science plays ensuring the longevity of styles and textiles. Silk dyed in this manner is characterized by a dusty-looking finish and a feel (referred to as a chalk hand by the experts) very much like fine suede, and a matte finish.

Possessing a degree in science is not pre requisite to being a good designer, utilising scientific disciplines is advisable if you want your designs to hit the streets running rather than ending up in good Samaritans charity bins. A little business acumen always comes in handy and knowing what your customers want is critical. Above all, being in the right place at the right time is the key to success.

How To Succeed As An Independent Fashion Retailer
A key to success as an independent (Indies) fashion retailer is interdependency. Equally important, maintaining strategic focuses and develops a set of business principles that are foundational. This will help you, particularly during economic downturn, which always seems to hit the fashion industry first and foremost. “The little luxuries in life” go

To briefly illustrate; it takes great effort to propel a fly wheel to the point of perpetual motion and, if geared correctly, requires less to keep it turning, but concurrent with lack of applied attention the wheel will soon lay dormant. The gearing, mechanical engineering, oiling and proper maintenance rely on synchronicity.

Similarly in business, the effort applied to start up and keep going will vary by degrees. Particularly in fashion, which is constantly amidst torrid seasonal fluctuations, so, calculated anticipation is very important.

Interdependency both inwardly and outwardly will help gear your business towards its goals. But not withstanding constant market research, which reveals, in advance, consumer demand. So you can see far enough ahead to stock accordingly. Then the selling process will be a lot easier, because, you’re practicing interdependency by co-operating with customers, your agents, suppliers, designers and manufacturers. There is more to learn about the inn’s and out’s from industry members than digesting all the media hype.

Leveraging is a powerful way to perpetuate business because it hinges on interdependency. Remember learning about physics at school. We were taught how to use a lever with a wedge, at the focal point to move a large rock. This method requires far less energy than trying to lift it and there is less chance of physical injury.

From an economic stand point it achieves more for less. In business leveraging can be used in the form of conscripting knowledge, information and contacts that will enable you to get to the source of enquiry more easily.

When all the cogs mesh in synchronization, properly geared the wheel will remain in constant motion proportionate to applied effort. Plus, well supported by prevented maintenance philosophies. But your work is never done, if business is left to plateau, the end is nigh. Just a glance at recent history will tell all.

If you start out with a well structured plan to sell women’s fashion accessories, or you decide to wholesale silk ties, or import cufflinks, stick to your plan through thick and thin.

During a recent interview with Bruce Springstein, he was asked. What has been your fundamental key to continuing success? he simply replied “consistency”

Now, in the midst of fashion week graduation, the truth is, very few have nuance to grapple with the technicalities of business development and they will unlikely move beyond a mediocre creative base.

Vivienne Westwood is one of the few.

Your levels of strengths will pre-dominate your degrees of successes, if there is a cog missing the wheel will lie motionless.

But most importantly, if you happen along at the right time at the place and have the right product at the right time. Then the cogs will get the ball rolling.

These are just a few synonyms of some elements required to succeed in business. There are many other important factors to consider, such core functions and activities etc. But, I wanted to introduce and conclude this subject matter in less than six hundred words. Besides I have a strategic plan to implement.