The Culture of Fashion: a New History of Fashionable Dress - Assignment Example

The Culture of Fashion: a New History of Fashionable Dress Question 1 I came to learn that the fashion industry is one of the oldest industries in the world. This is because prior to the mid nineteenth century, the majority of the clothing was custom-made. It was handmade for people as home production and on order from the tailors or dressmakers (Breward, 2007:56-7). By the twentieth century, the industry witnessed the rise of new technologies like sewing machines, development of the factory system of production, the rise of global capitalism, and proliferation of retail outlets. As a result, clothing had increasingly started to be mass produced and in standard sizes and later sold at prices which were fixed. I came to learn that as of 2014, it has become an international and highly globalized industry, with clothing now being designed in one country, produced in another, and sold globally. According to Cumming (2013), the clothing industry accounts for a very significant share on the globe’s economic output. Currently, the industry is a multibillion dollar initiative that is devoted to the business of making and selling clothes. I also came to be informed that the fashion industry comprises of four levels: the manufacture of materials, production of fashion goods by producers, designers, and others, retail sales, and finally, various forms of promotion and advertising. Question 2 What I have learnt with regard to the skills and knowledge required for my target role as marketer in the fashion industry is that one needs to be conversant with advertising and promotion in order to gain market share. Lemire and Riello (2008:23) noted that marketing entails being strategic with your ideas and projecting it to the right audience. By having the knowledge of promotion and advertising, you can know what type of apparel he consumers require more. I also learnt that the one needs to have the knowledge of what encompasses the fashion industry. It comprises of designing, manufacturing, marketing, distributing, advertising and promotion, and retailing of all types of women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing from the most expensive and rarefied and designer fashions to ordinary clothing. Since my target role was being a marketer. I developed the skill and knowledge of comprehending the trends and forces in the fashion industry. This is because the fashion industry is viewed as the woman’s domain. Therefore, the marketing strategies need to focus on the men clientele so as to boost sales. One also needs to understand that new markets for consumers of high fashion are emerging globally (Stella, 2012:196). My target role as a fashion marketer required me to be conversant that media plays a significant role when it comes to fashion. For example, the vital portion of fashion is fashion journalism. Guidelines, editorial critique and commentary are usually found on magazines, television, newspapers, and fashion websites, as well as fashion blogs. The dominance of the visual media has continued in the era of the internet technology, with the increasing number of fashion blogs acting as crucial avenues for disseminating fashion information. I also developed the skills and knowledge of marketing using the social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. As cited by Laver (2005:45-48), I learnt that as a marketer the knowledge of the four levels of fashion industry is prerequisite, since all these levels are made up of numerous separate but interdependent sectors, all of which are inclined towards the purpose of satisfying consumer demand for clothing, under circumstances that enables the participants in the fashion industry to actually operate at a profit. I also learnt that one needs to have knowledge of the key sectors in the fashion industry. They include textile design and production. This is because most fashions are produced from textiles. The other sector which I was to be conversant with regard to my target role was fashion design and manufacturing. This is because designers are influential in setting trends in fashion, as they endeavor to design clothes which will meet the consumer’s demand (Molnar, 1998:39-55). The other sector which I was to be knowledgeable as argued by Cumming (2013) was fashion retailing, marketing and merchandising. Fashion marketing entails managing the flow of products from the original selection of designs which are to be produced to the presentation of merchandise to retail customers, with the purpose of increasing the profitability and sales of the company. The other sector which I had to be conversant with was media and marketing due to the fact that media of all types is crucial to the marketing fashion. I learnt that the creation of cinema newsreel and the emergence of radio and television have made it possible for individuals worldwide to view fashion shows and go ahead to imitate the fashionable clothing that is worn by celebrities (Stella, 2011). Since my target role was being a fashion marketer, I developed skills and knowledge of using sales tracking data, focus groups, and attention to media coverage, as well as other means determining the preferences of consumers to provide feedback to the manufactures and designers with regard to the quantity and type of goods to be produced. What is also learnt about in relation to the knowledge and skills as a fashion marketer is being aware of the duty to establish and define fashion producer’s target customers as well as the responsibility to respond to the tastes and preferences of the consumers. I learnt that since marketing operates at both the retail and wholesale level. My target roles require that I sell products for my company at retail which is majorly concerned with matching its products to their own customer base. Question 3 With regard to what I leant on how well I can market myself to the employers, I learnt that most employers look for persons who exhibit traits that would enable them rise to the top of the organization. First, is being your own salesperson: I learnt that you need to think of yourself as a sales person whose life is reliant on the sales of your product except that in this case, the product you are marketing and selling is yourself. I learnt for you to impress the employer, you require to expound on your work experience, work experience, industry knowledge, skills, contacts, abilities and successes, and in some instances quoting examples that matter most to the company’s vision or objectives (Walters, 2012). Secondly, being a networking guru: I learnt that employers need recruits who are aggressive and focused. Besides, you need to have attended various business and social networking events in order to improve your profile, and contribute actively to these platforms by sharing your success stories, case studies or market insights that you have gathered, and discussing issues intelligently with potential employers. Thirdly, know the company inside and out: I realized that one of the best ways to stand out from the other job seekers and impressing your potential employers is by means of showing them that you have extensive knowledge of the company and the industry, such as its senior management, products, history, recently accomplished projects, most of all, its competitors. I also learnt that you can show commitment and sincerity by asking concise, focused and clear questions about the company. Fourth is moving forward: I learnt that one of the secrets of marketing yourself is utilising your successes and previous work experience in order to convince potential employers that you possess the knowledge, expertise and skills that would help their company assist move them forward. I also noted that most employers need that you relate what functions you were responsible for, and sharing how well you have performed in that role. Next I learnt that specialist recruitment consultants can assist you highlight your most compelling transferable skills and build a strong case for you to hirers. This is because when you work with headhunters, you will also receive invaluable career consultation, advice and professional coaching to help prepare you for interviews (Walters, 2012). Testimonials and referrals: I came to learn that testimonials and referrals are an excellent way of marketing yourself. This is due to the fact that having the endorsement of someone your capabilities, personality and performance is particularly powerful tool for marketing yourself to the employers. I learnt that third party testimonials take on an objective stance and offers you more credibility. Testimonials and referrals promote yourself to others as well having other people doing it for you, willingly (Walters, 2012). References Breward, C. 2007. The culture of fashion: a new history of fashionable dress, Manchester: Manchester University Press. Cumming, V. 2013. Understanding Fashion History, Costume & Fashion Press. Laver, J. 2005. The Concise History of Costume and Fashion, New York: Abrams, p. 62. Lemire, B., & Riello, G. 2008. East & West: Textiles and Fashion in Early Modern Europe. Journal of Social History, 41(4), 887-916. Molnar, A., K. 1998. Transformations in the Use of Traditional Textiles of Ngada (Western Flores, Eastern Indonesia): Commercialization, Fashion and Ethnicity. Consuming Fashion: Adorning the Transnational Body: Berg. pp. 9–55 (42). Steele, V. 2011. Fifty years of fashion: new look to now, New Haven: Yale University Press. Stella B. 2012. Undressing Cinema: Clothing and identity in the movies - Page 196. Walters, R. (2012, February 13). Retrieved from How to Market Yourself to Potential Employers: http://www.robertwalters-usa.com/news/How-to-Market-Yourself-to- Potential-Employers.html. Read More