Fashion analyse Christian Dior - Essay Example

and Number of the Teacher’s FASHION ANALYSIS: CHRISTIAN DIOR INVESTIGATING THEIR SUPPLY CHAIN AND PRODUCTION PROCESSES Introduction The French fashion house started by Christian Dior (1905-1957) is recognized all over the world for its high quality fashion garments, accessories and other consumer products such as leather goods, wines, spirits, perfumes, cosmetics, watches and jewelleries. The group of companies “markets its products through exclusive boutiques and licensed distibutors” (Report, 2009) in Europe, the United States and Asia.

Flexibility, internal growth, global presence, and the “growth strategy of developing very high-end iconic products” (Press Release Feb.6, 2009) will be continued. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the high fashion couture of Christian Dior, and examine their production and distribution processes. Discussion The Christian Dior/ LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) global retail business in fashion wear and consumer products conduct international sales of 83.4%. It’s triad presence (Rugman 88) is 35% in its home base in the European Union, another 31.

3% in Asia, and 26% in NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) Range Plan for Autumn/ Winter 2009 The Autumn/ Winter 2009 (AW09) Couture collection from Christian Dior was presented without extravagant sets or huge crowds (Mower, 2009). Figure 1. Autumn/ Winter 2009 Couture Collection (Mower 2009) The classic wasp-waisted silhouette of Dior’s New Look (Pochna 124) aunched in 1947 as Christian Dior’s first Spring-Summer collection was the basis for the new couture collection for AW09 (as seen in Figure 1.

above and Figure 2. below). John Galliano, the influential fashion designer leading the creative team at Christian Dior projected the collection against a traditional background reminiscent of the 1950s. “Hip-emphasizing basques, girdles, lace-edged slips, and petticoats” (Mower, 2009) were further enhanced to form brightly coloured adaptations. The outcome was reworked “Bar peplum jackets, draped bubble skirts, padded-hip coats, and full-skirted evening gowns” (Mower 2009), which were highlighted with warm colours such as orange, lime, raspberry and yellow, while at the same time the flesh tones of fifties under-things formed a soothing contrast. Figure 2. Autumn/ Winter 2009 Couture Collection (Mower 2009) The collection did not appear to have much novelty, and was not even mildly shocking, but Galliano used the opportunity to meet the requirement for reemphasizing house values, a well-thought out strategic move (Mower, 2009).

Fabric Selection The cool autumn and cold winters normally call for warm clothing made of tweed, wool and other heavy fabrics in equally heavy tones. Galliano’s AW09 collection for the house of Dior brought in summery colours to brighten winter’s darkness. The main fabrics used were tulle, silk, satin and lace mostly in colours such as acid green, pink and orange “combined with the light-hearted retro cuts” (Hemme, 2009), to project a chic and fun image in the collection. This is believed to raise customers’ morale in the recession.

Galliano’s idea was to depict the models as not fully ready, and wearing only half their outfits. The theme is mischievous and reflects Dior’s unusual approach. Logistics Plan Apparel fabrics trade shows in Paris are increasingly focusing on innovation, creativity and new technologies with emerging new fashions. To support global French businesses including Christian Dior, “third-party providers are providing fully integrated road, air and sea services” (Rushton & Walker 57) to manage the flow of goods coming in from other countries and places.

Kennedy (p.2) states that suppliers and sub-contractors should comply with contracts that forbid them from overproducing and selling unmarked products undercover. Hence a zero-tolerance policy is required, which leaves no room for excess products, components or packaging to leak into the market. Distribution At present, Dior operates 160 boutiques worldwide, of which 15 are in Japan. “Clothing is exclusively sold in the Dior stores” (Fashion InfoMat 2008). Only licensed Dior products such as cosmetics and perfumes can be carried by other retailers.

Distribution has been increased to cover 165 Duty Free Shoppers’ outlets. A strong distribution network helps the finished product to reach the company’s outlets. Conclusion This paper has investigated the high fashion couture of Christian Dior with respect to its Autumn/ Winter 2009 collection. The collection’s range plan, fabric selection, logistics plan, and distribution of goods have been discussed. Works Cited Hemme, Ava-May. The Christian Dior Haute Couture Autumn Winter 2009/ 2010 collection: Runway show.

Blogcatalog. (2009). Retrieved on 22nd December, 2009 from: http://www.blogcatalog.com/search.frame.php?term=dior+autumn+winter+2009+2010&id=977e6ddc1bb6fd249a148de03ba95f3e Fashion InfoMat. Who’s who: Designers: Christian Dior: Fashion Designer. (2008). Retrieved on 22nd December, 2009 from: www.infomat.com/whoswho/christiandior.html Kennedy, Kevin. Minding the supply chain: Gray market goods, production leakage and global competitive intelligence. (2008). Retrieved on 22nd December, 2009 from: http://www.

cbiconsulting.com.cn/pdf/no1.pdf Mower, Sarah. Christian Dior. Couture: Fall 2009. style.com. Paris (2009). Retrieved on 22nd December, 2009 from: http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/F2009CTR-CDIOR Press Release. Christian Dior: Another year of growth in 2008. Paris, February 6th, 2009. Retrieved on 22nd December, 2009 from: http://www.info-financiere.fr/upload/BWR/2009/02/FCBWR047546_20090206.pdf Report. Company financials: Christian Dior S.A. New report released.

PR-inside.com. 9th November, 2009. Retrieved on 22nd December, 2009 from: http://www.companiesandmarkets.com/Summary-Company-Profile/company-financials-christian-dior-sa-164062.asp Rugman, Alan M. The regional multinationals: MNEs and “global” strategic management. The United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. (2005). Rushton, Alan & Walker, Steve. International logistics and supply chain outsourcing: from local to global. The United Kingdom: Kogan Page Publishers. (2007).

Pochna, Marie F. Christian Dior: The man who made the world look new. New York: Arcade Publishing. (1996).