Fashion industry

The formation of the fashion industry is associated with the development of prestigious consumption and "mass consumption society" or "mass market".

There are quite a few factors where you can notice the formation of the stages of development of the fashion industry, but they are most noticeable on the example of the production of fashionable clothes.

In the period from the 1890s to the 1960s, the production of fashion clothing and accessories gradually transformed from a small business into mass production and became an industry. In the middle of the 19th century, special fashion magazines appeared that talked about the trends of the current season and the assortment of fashion stores.(La Mode, La Mode illustrée, L’Officiel de la couture, Elle).

In the 1950s and 1960s, the fashion forecasting system began to develop. The emergence of firms specializing in the analysis of fashion trends is due to the fact that mass production of ready-to-wear required making large-scale and long-term decisions about production and procurement. In order for a dress of fashionable color, actual texture and original style to appear on the counter, it was necessary to prepare everything 3 years before, think about it and start creating it. Therefore, there was a forecasting system that predicted a change in the dominant trend.

Since that period, tailoring has been divided into two levels: "haute couture" goods (individual production of orders for the elite) and "pret-a-porte" (mass production for the middle class). It was the 1960s and 1980s that became the era of famous Parisian couturiers, such as: Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert Givenchy, etc.

Since the 1990s, there has been no dominant style in the fashion industry, trends are divided into many trends. The speed of change is beginning to increase, as information about new trends is instantly disseminated through new means of communication. Finally, there has been a decline in the role of talented stylists – now fashion is set not so much by talented designers and fashion capitals (such as Paris), as by manufacturing firms promoting recognizable brands.

The fashion industry was formed as a phenomenon of Western European civilization, and until the end of the 20th century. Since the impact of Oriental culture is expected to grow in the 21st century, a certain "orientalization" of the fashion industry should also be expected.

Companies engaged in the production, sale and service of fashion products represent a giant industry that generates multibillion-dollar revenues. Since the early 2000s, the fashion industry has been ranked 5th among the most capital-intensive sectors of the modern economy.

The goal of the fashion industry is to meet the demand of end consumers of a fashion product. It should be emphasized that in the modern world, the formation and dissemination of ideas about what is considered fashionable has long ceased to be spontaneous and has become an important branch of the economy.

The modern fashion industry is based not on "adjusting" to already existing needs, but on forecasting and planning. Changes in clothing styles become known six months before its appearance in stores. At the same time, during the "showrooms", representatives of trading companies make orders for collections for stores. And only after collecting the entire package of orders, manufacturers of ready-to-wear begin to produce collections in mass circulation.