RRJ #5

Reference:
Miller, C. (2010, Feb 22). Selling a celebrity look. The New York Times. Retrieved on Feb 28, 2010, from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/22/technology/internet/22celebrity.html


Summary:
When the pictures of celebrities by a paparazzi were put in a magazine or blog, the fans and readers analyzed the photos and wanted to know about their clothes, what the brand is, and wherethey can buy that. So publishers, bloggers, retailers, and fashion companies established a strategic alliance with each other. For example, the publishers gave information, brand, cost, the similar products, location of shop, and so on, to readers and they received a small fee from retailers or companies. Customers, especially young women, pride themselves on having products which are the same products as celebrities, so they want to buy the products which are the same as those of celebrities. If it costs a lot, they decided to buy similar one by any means.

Reaction:
It is a new way to advertise in the fashion industry, because in the past a picture was everything to advertise clothes. So the retailers and companies made an effort to reveal their products by celebrities, so they provided clothes and accessories to celebrities who came into the spotlight. The effect is really powerful; for instance, when the paparazzi snapped photos of Sienna Miller in Hollywood, she covered her face with a Korean cosmetic brand’s shopping bag; the name was Amorepacific. At that time Amorepacific was an unknown brand, but now it is the best brand among Hollywood stars and celebrities because of that photo. Sometimes the companies try to shoot fashion commercial photos look like paparazzi’s photos because it is easier to get attention from the customers. And they usually provide expensive products to celebrities because they believe customers’ tendency will help companies’ profit.

Then, why do people want to buy the same goods as celebrities’ even when it costs a lot? I think that tendency came from person’s desire to want to look like them, gorgeous and cool. So they always care about celebrities’ fashion, life style, and everything.

RRJ #4

Reference:
Ormsby, K. (2010, Feb 15). ‘Green’ is the new black: Northwest retailers offer shoppers more eco-friendly options. The Seattle Times. Retrieved on Feb 23, 2010, from
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011085403_greenretail16.html

Summary:
Recently shoppers want to buy ‘green’ products which are made of sustainable and organic materials. So manufactures and retailers were responded to that. According to the article about 66% of consumers think it is important to offer green products for companies and to buy eco-friendly products for them. This trend has continued since 2007 and nowadays as customers are more interested in the green products, and as it goes on buying them. So many fashion companies rolled out green products which were made from bamboo fabric, organic cotton, and so on. They also care about a design of products. Now ‘green’ is a great value in the fashion industry.

Reaction:
There has been a craze for ‘eco-friendly’, or ‘green’ in the fashion industry in recent years. People think it is just a movement of environment first, but awareness of people is changed from onlookers to participants. They also think if they buy some clothes which are made from organic cotton, it is good for the environment and also good for themselves. So they decide to buy eco-friendly products rather than others even when it costs a lot.

Companies always follow the customers’ needs. They launched the eco-line that was made of sustainable and organic materials. Sometimes it is related technology, so they invested in how to recycle chemical fiber. Or there is one thing as important as technology, the design of products. Customers don’t want to buy a product which is practical but not pretty. It is useless without compromising the performance or beautiful design. Hence, the company should study deeply into chasing two hares at once.

RRJ #3

Reference:

Morrissey, J. (2010, Feb 9). Textiles and apparel will play key role in Haiti recovery. Retrieved Feb 9, 2010. Textile World, from http://www.textileworld.com/Articles/2010/February/News/Textiles_And_Apparel_Will_Play_Key_Role_In_Haiti_Recovery.html

Summary:

On January 12th, Haiti had a terrible earthquake, so they lost most of their industry infrastructure, including textile and apparel manufacturers, even plenty of workers. Textiles and apparel are the most important industries for Haiti and Haiti has captured about 75% of the market. It also matters to the U.S because 82% of Haiti’s exports are going to the U.S. So the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) has created an organization which helps the recovery. They extend the trade expiration dates for supporting of preferential trade and aiding for Haiti. That will put Haitians back to work as soon as possible, and will help build the base of social and political stability.

Reaction:

The most important thing in Haiti's economy is job creation and normalization of manufacturers because most Haitians are the jobless. In that way, textiles and apparel industry is a kind of hope for Haiti. The fashion company wants to make products cheaper, but as labor cost is high, the company is looking for the place where their factory can be built. Haitian’s average labor cost is just 3 dollars.

It is crucial problem that Haiti’s factories destroyed. Not only because of their economy but also because of the whole company of the world. The company needs fabric and product which is filled up the shop. So they rush recovery of Haiti’s industry.

A few years ago, fair trade was a big issue in the fashion industry. Manufacturing nations worked in bad conditions and we wore clothes without noticing that. I read the book before, named ‘Where am I wearing?’, which is a story about where one’s clothes came from and who made them. We should know our favorite clothes is someone’s everything.

RRJ #2

Reference:
O’Donnell, J. (2010, Jan 21). More retailers offer fashionable clothing for plus-size women. Retrieved Feb 2, 2010.
USA TODAY, from http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2010-01-21-plus-size-fashion_N.htm

Summary:
According to CDC (The Center for Disease Control and Prevention)’s report, about 34% of U.S. adults – almost 73 million people – were obese in 2008 and 35.5% of women are classified as obese, and about 64% are overweight or obese. But they have no fashion choices to buy fancy and trendy clothes for plus-size people; thus, they complaint about that. As the overweight or obese population grows, some designers or retailers, including online sellers, have decided to sell big size clothes, which are bigger than a size 12.

Reaction:
Recently plus-size models and clothes are a big issue in the fashion industry, because of a social argument about skinny models who have the high pressure of anorexia. Hence, plus-size market might be a blue ocean, but most fashion companies and retailers hesitate to launch a plus-size line. Why they do that?

Despite more than half of U.S. women being plus-size women, they don’t trust the plus-size market and they think it affects their image negatively. So some companies, like Old Navy, Banana Republic, have launched plus-size lines online only.

Fashion designers, companies, and retailers cannot ignore the needs of plus-size people any more. It is good marketing to grasp the customer’s needs directly and lead to satisfaction of customers. Design also should understand what they want, for example, to look slim and to cover the weakness of the body.

It is the same to look great and want to wear fancy and trendy clothes for all women, including girls, old women, skinny women, and fat women.

RRJ #1

Reference:
Dwyer, J (2010, Jan 10). Where unsold clothe meet people in need. Retrieved Jan 27, 2010.The New York Times, from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/nyregion/10about.html?scp=43&sq=&st=nyt

Summary:
New York Clothing Bank was opened by Suzanne Davis in 1896 to give clothes which are clothes retailer or manufacturer’s excess inventory to homeless people. The bank recovered unworn garments and distributed them to aid groups. Every day a lot of unworn garments are thrown away rather than donated in the U.S. There are so many complex reasons like the images of companies. So the bank depends on personal contacts more than company’s donations.

Reaction:
I heard that vast quantities of unworn garments are destroyed in my country even though it costs too much. Throwing away clothes does less damage to images of a company than having them worn by poor people, because one of the important things is image, which is consumer thinking of a company. In other words, a company, especially a fashion company, is influenced by images. But I think it is very economical thinking to gather unworn clothes and distribute them to homeless men. It is not shameful; it helps the poor and contributes to society, and it certainly is something to be proud of. If a company needs good images, they can promote that.