...October 21, 2013 Informational Interview Assignment For this Informational Interview Assignment I interviewed my father and his close friend/ business partner. They are both work in a business of a clothing line called Blow Genes. It's a unisex clothing line for all adults and children. It includes graphic design of the pit bulls from their dog kennel. I chose to interview the two of them because I have a strong interest in fashion and hope to maybe do fashion merchandising one day. I interviewed Joey & Dave. They are both business partners for Blow Genes. Which is based out of Los Angeles, California but they also work locally in Spotsylvania, Virginia where the interview took place. Interview: Q: What do you do in a typical day? A: Handle all sales, marketing and promotions for the east coast. And I assist with clothing designs Q: What are advantages & disadvantages to this career? A: Advantages: I travel a lot and I meet a lot of people. I form new relationships and connections Disadvantages: I’m not an owner I am just a partner. So I get handed all of the bad jobs and poor travel spots. Q: What are the employee benefits? A: Free clothes, free VIP sections, free drinks at clubs and extra pocket money Q: What type of people work in this field? A: Self-employed artists, people in the entertainment industry, from actors to models to recording artists. Q: What's the typical beginning salary level? A: There is no salary we have no employees...
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...something “British-like,” something of their own. Furthermore, the social issues for wanting individualism, having a will to express their own selves, and second wave of feminism, more liberated life styles for women, erupted across the Western countries. New definitions of youth and femininity were epitomized through fashion typically created by Mary Quant, a British fashion designer. She had not only helped translating a generation of women, but also helped the failing British fashion industry into a thriving commercialism. Mary Quant was born in London, 1934. She studied illustration at Goldsmith College of Art and met her future husband, Alexander Plunket Greene and a former solicitor, Archie Mcnair. When she failed to become an art teacher, she teamed up with her husband and Mcnair to open up a boutique called Bazaar in Kings Road, London. In the beginning, she planned to buy clothes from the private wholesalers and sell it as retail items at her boutique, but with the limited designs, which only provided styles that weren’t acceptable to women at young ages, and unfavorable prices offered by those wholesalers, she started designing her own clothes. She wanted to provide lines with reasonable prices to reach to the young markets. However, Quant had difficulties in persuading the customers to like her funky and unique but unusual designs at first. Quant’s designs were...
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...Too Good To Be True? Forever 21 and its Illegal and Immoral Policies After a recent shopping spree at Forever 21, the many hours spent perusing the rakes brought continuous amazement at the low prices found on the tags. How could clothes this trendy and fashionable possibly come at such a reasonable price? This question was quickly followed by an unsettling yet painfully obvious thought. Sweatshops. To me, there was no other explanation as to how one of the world’s most popular clothing stores for young woman could provide such a marked down price to its customers. The stylish knockoffs became to me what they had always been, too good to be true. Upon returning from my long day of shopping, I decided to dig a bit deeper into this new found curiosity I had. Trying to figure out if Forever 21 utilizes sweatshops was sadly an extremely easy task. Numerous hits came up on my screen with articles all confirming my resent realization. Articles discussing Forever 21’s poor working conditions, hypocritical religious ties and countless designer copyright infringements flooded the search screen. Forever 21 sounds like the American Dream come true: it was founded by a poor Korean couple who immigrated to the USA in 1981. The company is still privately-owned and operated in L.A. and the couple, Do Won “Don” Chang and Jin Sook, chalk up its success to their Christian faith and frugal, hard-working values. Those who have worked with or for the company, however, say that its success...
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...Chapter 3 Assignment Rikki Phillips 09/11/2014 Zara does use some of the value chain activities to make themselves competitive in relation to its other major rivals. The secret to Zara’s success and its competitive advantage lies with its designing and Logistics strategies. Zara designs most of their clothing, and keeps most of their basic cloth on hand. With their clothing being designed on hand and made and also being able to dye the products they can maintain speed and keep items moving. They keep designers on hand to aid in the designing processes so they are always up to par when it comes to preferences as well as changes in fashion. Zara also allows customers to be a part of their activities, they love customer feedback, and they want the customers to be involved in their business. The feedback goes to headquarters and then they design new products and bring them out to market. Most competitors like to see which designs sell first. Zara also stands out in the logistic end. Zara does most of its production in Europe, mainly the areas around Spain. This allows for easy distribution because Zara is about speed. Most of its production plants are close to the headquarters which the bulk of Zara’s manufacturing being carried out in Spain (50%). Like it says in the book they have a 24 hour turnaround time deadline for Europe, Mideast and some of the United States. For the Asian and Latin America regions, it is about 48 hours which is still quick. Every location...
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...to follow Swedish legislation. * Like many other brand stores, H&M’s stock is produced overseas. This is because of minimum wage laws which prevent workers in the UK working for below anything else. Employing workers in less developed countries mean H&M can maximise their profits. *Price of cotton has increased rapidly as supplies are becoming limited. H&M promote basic cotton ranges therefore they use mass amounts of cotton. If cotton prices do not start to fall, H&M will have to increase their prices to maximise profits, which will draw away possible consumers that shop there to take advantage of their inexpensive clothing. | Economical *H&M are known for being an inexpensive clothing store that specialises in fast fashion and high quality clothes for low prices. Today’s economical market means that less people have disposable incomes, this is an advantage for H&M and they have marketed strategically to achieve maximum benefit from this. *Their stores are convenient as they stock clothes for all ranges of consumer; women, men, teens, children, babies. Because many parents work in today’s economical market this makes it easier for parents to shop for families together minimising time and exertion. *Promotional sales and student discounts are both offered in store. This promotes sales to the segment of consumers that have less disposable income. | Social*Generally, all of H&M’s stores are of large size. This means more jobs are available in store....
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...resources are responsible for its better performance while working in a dynamic environment which academics term as resource based view of the firm (RBV). The RBV analysis assumes that both resources and capabilities are important for better performance and explains why some firms perform better than others in an industry. Using RBV as a framework this essay aims to examine how ZARA generates sustainable competitive advantage. (Opening is good, you have been able to introduce theory that would be discussed the essay). “A fast fashion system combines quick response production capabilities with enhanced product design capabilities to both design latest products that capture the latest consumer trends and exploit minimal production lead times to match supply with uncertain demand” (Cachon and Swinney, 2011). Fast fashion is widely gaining recognition as being a key enabler for success for modern fashion retailers (Barnes and Lea-Greenwood, 2006). Fashion retailers such as ZARA, H&M and Benetton have adopted this strategy in order to enhance its business system and gain competitive advantage. ZARA was established in 1975 and is the flagship of Inditex (Industria de Disen˜o Textil) of Spain. In a relatively short span of time, ZARA became the largest and most internationalized of Inditex’s chains. At the end of 2001, it was operating in 507...
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...the waist. His spring 1989 collection assembled garments from all over the fashion spectrum that created a unified vision of elegance and sumptuous appeal. In 1990 Mizrahi introduced a short-lived menswear line and sustained his colors through creating double-faced wool's and sportswear elements that were presented in watercolor-like colors that were delicate yet deliberate. His spring 1990 consisted of typical black and white patterns that recalled both art deco which was immensely...
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...business(maximum 500 words for this section) . Brief overview of Zara >>>> International business refers to a broad spectrum of business activities undertaken across national borders.This essay will discuss the international business and internationalisation objectives of Zara in the contemporary context with focus on the business done in the USA. The 1975 established, Spanish based, fashion retailer is a subsidiary of the parent company Inditex. Zara operated in 87 countries by 2014, having 45 stores in United States alone(http://www.inditex.com/en/our_group/international_presence). Zara’s Mission/objectives >>>> (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_Zara_mission_and_vision?#slide=1). Continuous design, production and distribution is Zara’s objective with a quick turnover maintained through updating stock twice a week (http://www.slideshare.net/shaheen1934/zara-the-inditex-group). The rapid turnover of new inventory allows Zara’s consumers to have access to the most trendy fashion available within the shortest time, this is one of the factors that distinguishes Zara apart from other fashion retailers (http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/2003/6/Internationalisation%20of%20Zara.pdf). Zara’s Business Model >>>> In order to better understand Zara’s international business it is beneficial to examine the business model that it uses. As explained in (http://202.120.224.199/picture/article/81/f2/99/5a4dcd89499eba2b4caf15d45755/d2fe8735-0f5a-4313-953a-751b1e3a6607.pdf)...
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...products and services around the wants and needs of its customers. In the case of H&M it can be seen that the organization follows the market orientation philosophy as it focuses on the needs and wants of the customers before making its products. The company recognizes the ongoing slump in the world economy and sees the fact that it is hard for consumers to buy expensive fashion clothing so it comes up with the idea of trendy and fashionable clothes but within the reach of the common man. For example, H&M has its strong footholds in both Europe and the US but the way they market and sell their products in these two regions is very different. In Europe H&M is seen as more of a department store however in the US the company targets the young and more fashion conscious females. In other case H&M keeps the customers and there wants in mind when designing or launching a new product line, Ann-Sofie Johansson a designer for H&M admits that finding the needs of the customers is very important, she says and admits that she used to follow people off the subway and questioned them about their fashion needs. Into which cell of the efficiency-effectiveness matrix does H&M fall? Justifyyour answer. Efficiency means doing the thing right and effectiveness means doing the right thing. Inregards to the matrix H&M is both efficient and effective : Efficiency is achieved when a company produces its goods economically, by keeping overheads and costs...
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...1. Introduction 1.1 Indian Textile Industry India is a traditional textile-producing country with textiles in general, and cotton in particular, being major industries for the country. India is among the world’s top producers of yarns and fabrics, and the export quality of its products is ever increasing. Textile Industry is one of the largest and oldest industries in India. Textile Industry in India is a self-reliant and independent industry and has great diversification and versatility. The textile industry can be broadly classified into two categories, the organized mill sector and the unorganized decentralized sector. The organized sector of the textile industry represents the mills. It could be a spinning mill or a composite mill. Composite mill is one where the spinning, weaving and processing facilities are carried out under one roof. The decentralized sector is engaged mainly in the weaving activity, which makes it heavily dependent on the organized sector for their yarn requirements. This decentralized sector is comprised of the three major segments viz., powerloom, handloom and hosiery. In addition to the above, there are readymade garments, khadi as well as carpet manufacturing units in the decentralized sector. The Indian Textile Industry has an overwhelming presence in the economic life of the country. It is the second largest textile industry in the world after China. Apart from providing one of the basic necessities of life i.e. cloth, the textile industry...
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...it was not long after graduating where her career soon became to fall into place. Barbara, “entered and won a competition in London for beachwear in 1955, which began her career in fashion as a freelance fashion illustrator, working for various magazines like Vogue, Tatler and Women’s Wear Daily”. () These magazines would be considered mentors to Hulanicki as they were her stepping stone into the world of fashion. “Barbara was influenced by Art Nouveau and Art Deco,” () Art Deco is used mostly in household object and in architecture. Hulanicki loved to make household objects, like couch cushions and even sold them in her boutique “Biba". Art Nouveau is characterized by, “linear designs and flowing curves based on natural forms”. Barbara’s designs were elegant, simple and fit the natural form at the time which was a slim fit for women. In 1963 Barbara and her husband, Stephen founded Biba. Barbara Hulanicki helped connect youth culture to fashion. Fashionable clothing was not targeted to the youtnger generation and it was to expensive for any teenager to purchase. Barbara made it clear that a person does not need to be wealthy to look fashionable. The evolution of Biba started extremely fast and ended the same. In 1964, “Biba began as a small mail-order business featured in the fashion columns of newspapers such as the Daily Mirror” (). The mail order business was up and coming in the United States and Barbara and her husband wanted to take advantage. Barbara’s husband...
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...Question: In the Eyes of the Consumer, Brand is Far More Important than Price. Discuss this Statement in the Context of a Country of your Choice. Tutor Name: Katie Mulcahy Recently, the topic of brand and price which are important has become an intense debate. In some people's point of view, brand is far more important than price. Following this further, brand is a name or symbol of one company's product and it is connected with advertising, price and quality. Also, it will be the necessary one of the factors to consider when some people buy clothes. The famous advertising copywriter and ad agency founder Ogilvy, (2007) definition of a brand "The intangible sum of a product's attributes: its name, packaging, and price, its history, reputation and the way it's advertised". Which means the price is a part of the brand, exist a very close relationship between price and brand. The purpose of the essay is to discuss whether or not brand is more important than price when people buy clothes in China. To achieve this purpose, I will choose China to analyze customer shopping behavior, psychology through provide examples to support brand is more important in the first part, in the second part I will give views to analyses price also a necessary role and conclude in the end. However, this essay focuses on business and marketing so I cannot write more about psychology. With brands development, design style and visibility are more important than price especially...
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...businesses, highlighting how the leader got started and analyze the leader’s three (3) major business challenges in establishing and/or running the company The fashion career of Vera Wang began in 1971, She worked extremely hard eventually earning a position as Senior Editor for Vogue. In 1987, she started working for already established fashion designers like Ralph Lauren, dealing mainly with accessories. Due the frustration of limited options that were compatible to her exclusive taste she began to designed her own wedding gown, commissioning a seamstress to assemble it. “This inspired her to launch Vera Wang Bridal House Ltd., in the Carlisle Hotel on Madison Avenue, New York City”.(bridal house, 2003). Vera decided to target upper class clientele, initially offering bridal gowns by designers such as Guy Laroche, Arnold Scaasi, Christian Dior and Carolina Herrena. Her background spawned her birth as a force to be reckoned with in the fashion world: the discipline she learned from competitive ice skating; the trips to Paris for fashion shows with her mother, as a child; her high-priced education; the mentors she acquired during her career at Vogue and with Ralph Lauren, who broadened her knowledge of fashion. Her background and understanding for the need to fill a niche, in the fashion industry, fuels her passion for designing elegant apparel. A major challenge that Vera Wang faced in establishing her business was managing the four million dollar start-up money that she received...
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...Background Inditex, one of the worlds largest fashion distributors, has eight major sales formats - Zara, Pull and Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home y Kiddy's Class- with 3.147 stores in 70 countries around the world. Inditex Group is comprised of over one hundred companies associated in textile design, manufacturing and distribution. The achievements of the company and the uniqueness of its management model, which is based on innovation and flexibility, made Inditex one of the largest fashion distribution groups in the fashion industry. The company’s fashion philosophy -creativity and quality design together with a rapid response to market demands- has resulted in fast international expansion and excellent response to sales concepts. The first Zara shop opened in 1975 in A Coruña (Spain), the city that saw the Group's early beginnings and which is now home to its central offices. Its stores can now be found in the most important shopping districts of more than 400 cities in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa As of today, Inditex is probably the fastest growing fashion retailer in the world, with over 3,100 stores, in over 70 countries around the world, and Zara is around 1,000 of those stores. Zara, as a member of the one worlds largest fashion distributor, has a high response when it comes to their supply chain. Latest fashion designs are easily supply to all the stores/branches of Zara...
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...INTRODUCTION Figure Clothing is family-owned fashion house based in Manchester. Established over thirty years ago, the company currently employs fewer than 15 people. Figure Clothing origins were as a retail wholesaler selling and buying stock. The company transformed itself into a fashion house 4 years ago, with a vision to become a fashion house producing high quality women‟s fashion. The UK fashion industry is a multi-million pound industry with Manchester considered the main hub of UK fashion houses after London. Figure Clothing is a relatively small player in the industry with just over £4m turnover, with its core business in designing and manufacturing high fashion ladies‟ clothing and supply to most of the high street retailers and mail order companies in UK. All the designs are designed in their Manchester office and are produced in factories in India and China. Last year figure clothing vertically integrated and launched its new brand “frock & frill” to cater the needs of fashion minded/trendy women. Though Figure Clothing haven‟t invested any money for the marketing and advertising, the brand managed to get attention from major retailers, in itself a major achievement. A good business strategy should determine the core customer target (who), the product or service offering (what) and the effective execution of the strategy (how). Successful strategy requires effective strategy implementation, without which a good strategy can be rendered unproductive (Grant 2010,...
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