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Home » Fashion Industrial Overview
Fashion Industrial Overview
Today, fashion means big business. The fashion industry is one of the most exciting, fascinating industries. No other industry is as glamorous or creative. To understand how this industry works, let's take a look at the following. What is fashion?
For some women, fashion is a way of life. It reflects their personality, their attitude, their approach towards life, and their lifestyle. A closer look tells us that it refers to a particular style of clothing which is worn by people on a national/international level.

Fashion is not restricted to clothing alone. Anything with a touch of class, and a hint of the extraordinary, something that catches the eye instantly, and is visually appealing, is fashionable. Thus, fashion is a phenomenon that continues to change women's lives all over the world. Today women have access to a wider range of fashionable clothes, accessories and gadgets which they would not even have dreamed of, a decade or two ago.

Over the years, women have embraced fashion to project themselves the way they want to. Whatever women wear or use today, is a matter of great speculation and scrutiny. Fashion has entered all arenas of women's lives, right from veiled hats to high-heeled shoes. Their fashion consciousness, and the need for fresh, new concepts and ideas from time to time has given the fashion industry a major boost.

Fashion is revealing on an individualistic level. Fashion provides an insight as to who a person is. It also lends an insight of the idealistic goals of what one aspires to be. Women's fashion defines ethnicity or occupation too. Some people feel it is not necessary to follow the latest fad in order to appear fashionable. Fashion is a personal expression of attitude, mood, status, or an individualistic concept of style.

Fashion trends
A fashion trend can be described as the current style being followed at any given point of time. Fashion trends keep changing from time to time. This ever-changing quality makes it a challenging, dynamic industry. What is considered 'hot' today, is not 'happening' two months, or maybe a year down the line. Fashion thrives on the process of identifying the intangible needs of women on a global level, and materializing these very needs into trends.

Factors influencing fashion trends
  • Celebrities/movies and other media
  • Festivals/fashion events
  • Geographical location/weather
  • Increase in household income
  • Innovative technologies
  • Need for change
Fashion industry
The fashion industry is a huge platform which provides access to a wide range of fashionable goods. It not only constitutes the textile and apparel industries, but also the accessories that feature in a woman's wardrobe including headgear, jewelry and footwear. This industry is a creative industry which involves continuous change, innovativeness, and state-of-the-art technology.

Women's fashion industry comprises:
  • Designers
  • Manufacturers
  • Sellers/Marketers
  • Buyers
  • Others (colorist, forecaster, illustrator, models etc.)
Let us focus on some of the major sectors in the fashion industry: Footwear industry
The footwear industry plays a major role in the world of women's fashion. The world's production of ladies' footwear is more than that of men's footwear. Different materials like leather, fur, rubber, plastic, fabric, suede etc. are used in manufacturing women's footwear.

Footwear workers create durable and stylish shoes, boots and sandals. The material is first checked in terms of strength, texture, and color. Innovative patterns are then traced onto the material from which the footwear is to be made. Then the patterns are cut along the outline and sewn together. This process may differ, depending on the nature of footwear.

Besides this process, shoemakers also attach heels and outsoles, affix shoe uppers, and apply insoles. The heels of shoes/boots are shaped with a knife, and sanded on a wheel for smoothness. Finally, the footwear is dyed and polished (in case of leather).

Machines used
Footwear workers mainly use hand tools and machines to create shoes, boots and slippers in various designs. The most common ones are listed below.
  • Awls
  • Hammers
  • Knives
  • Punching machines (to make holes)
  • Sole stitchers
  • Computerized machinery
  • Sewing machines
  • Sanding machines
  • Skivers (for splitting leather)
Major contributors
  • China
  • India
  • Taiwan
  • South Korea
  • USA
  • Germany
  • Indonesia
  • Thailand
  • Poland
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Switzerland
  • Italy
  • Portugal
Textile industry/garment industry
The textile industry involves the process of preparing textile fibers, producing/treating various products like thread, knitted fabrics, textile fabrics, and textile products. Textile machinery operators are skilled in the fields of weaving, spinning, final treatment, pure textile manufacturing etc. Professional expertise in the textile industry depend on factors like:
  • Raw material
  • Technology used
  • Field of production
The textile industry is developing at a rapid pace, and uses state-of the-art technology. Skilled textile manufacturers ensure high-quality output.

Techniques used
Fashion garments are given a glamorous touch using the following techniques:
  • Embroidery
  • Tie and dye
  • Applique
  • Bead work
Major contributors
  • Russia
  • France
  • India
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • USA
  • Great Britain
  • Turkey
Handbag industry
The handbag industry is a highly competitive one. The growth of handbag sales exceeds that of any other women's fashion accessory. As high-end fashion accessories, handbags have an extremely short life cycle as new, fresh designs keep replacing the old ones. Fashion favorites include handbags with vintage designs, beads, sequins, embroidery etc. Handbags are also manufactured from faux fur, tweed, wool, canvas, and other unconventional materials.

Manufacturing process
Designers conceptualize the design of a fashion handbag, and the material is finalized upon. Skilled craftsmen set to work on the allotted design. The material is chosen according to the utility of the handbag. Buckles, zippers, magnetic closures, drawstring closures or clutch mechanisms are used to increase their utility.

After the initial processes of cutting, assembling etc. are complete, the handbags are given a final finishing touch depending on the material used. Fashion handbags are available in many designs. Handbags are manufactured with the latest technological machinery available, but they are also handmade.

Major contributors
  • USA
  • China
  • France
  • India
  • Italy
  • Germany
  • UK


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