For this weeks' blog I decided to read an article on www.nytimes.com about how the fashion industry is developing in India. This is very interesting to me because my best friend is Indian and I've learned a lot about the culture and the country. I also like to see how fashion is doing in developing countries.
I was surprised to see that there are three separate fashion weeks in India: Wills Fashion Week, Delhi fashion week and Lakme fashion week. I think that India will soon become a major destination as far as fashion is considered. They know how to mix traditional and modern looks and they are starting to appeal more toward the masses, as opposed to just the elite few. It was disappointing, however, to see that only a handful of these designer labels are sold abroad. I would love to be able to see firsthand how high fashion is in India and the limited exposure it gets is a let down.
There are still the major Indian designers, but many are making their way into the fashion industry and have promising futures in design.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
For Spring Clothes, a Lost Season?
For this week's blog, I decided to read an article on www.nytimes.com called 'For Spring Clothes, a Lost Season?'
This article addresses how the retail industry is suffering right now because of people trying to save as much money as they can. The article focuses mainly on high end retailers like Nordstrom and Saks 5th Avenue because they are having the hardest time. Some very high end stores are even willing to discount their merchandise because the regular priced items are selling so poorly. People no longer want to spend $800 on a purse or a pair of shoes and that is evident by the emptiness in these stores. Luxery stores are concentrating a lot of energy on making customers think that they absolutely need a very expensive piece of clothing or other product. They are also trying to cut production costs wherever they can.
Some stores are optimistic about the future of shopping while others are more pessimistic. It is hard to say whether or not these luxery brands will be able to bounce back from such a bad financial situation but some people think that it will be able to given some time. From my perspective, it is hard for me to imagine people going back to frivilous spending after having to go so long spending less money. I think that some of the stores will come out of the slump, but others may never be able to come back from this.
This article addresses how the retail industry is suffering right now because of people trying to save as much money as they can. The article focuses mainly on high end retailers like Nordstrom and Saks 5th Avenue because they are having the hardest time. Some very high end stores are even willing to discount their merchandise because the regular priced items are selling so poorly. People no longer want to spend $800 on a purse or a pair of shoes and that is evident by the emptiness in these stores. Luxery stores are concentrating a lot of energy on making customers think that they absolutely need a very expensive piece of clothing or other product. They are also trying to cut production costs wherever they can.
Some stores are optimistic about the future of shopping while others are more pessimistic. It is hard to say whether or not these luxery brands will be able to bounce back from such a bad financial situation but some people think that it will be able to given some time. From my perspective, it is hard for me to imagine people going back to frivilous spending after having to go so long spending less money. I think that some of the stores will come out of the slump, but others may never be able to come back from this.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
If the Apple store sold clothing...
For my blog this week, I decided to read an article from www.nytimes.com called 'If the Apple store sold clothing'. The article is about a new line of clothing from Adidas called SLVR.
I was immediately interested in this article because of the title. I thought: is Apple selling clothing now? But then I found out that it was about the new Adidas line, SLVR. I decided to read it anyway because the picture of the store looked so cool: a clean, white store with a lot of neutral clothes and a boutique vibe with the attitude.
It is hard to imagine anyone wanting to introduce a new line to the US in this economy. However, it combines two things people like: cool, reasonably affordable clothing and an expensive looking atmosphere. The prices at the store range from about $70-$180. I have to admit that the price range isn't necessarily mine, but it is cheaper than the designer clothing a lot of people have given up in favor of saving money.
Another thing that is important to mention about the line is that it is eco-friendly. The majority of the garments use as little material as they can. The decor is made from felt and wood planks; the hangers are 100% recycled cardboard.
SLVR is trying to appeal to my generation: people born around or after 1980. People who are environmentally conscious and do not want to spend a lot of money for clothing. Even the name appeals to the generation that has grown up with cell phones and text messaging.
As someone who likes to look put together and fashionable, yet not too fussy, I appreciate the asthetic of SLVR. Simple, neutral clothing that fits well. It also makes me optimistic about the retail industry which is taking a huge hit with the economy the way it is. Maybe if this company can survive and grow, other companies will follow its example and triumph in this time of decline.
I was immediately interested in this article because of the title. I thought: is Apple selling clothing now? But then I found out that it was about the new Adidas line, SLVR. I decided to read it anyway because the picture of the store looked so cool: a clean, white store with a lot of neutral clothes and a boutique vibe with the attitude.
It is hard to imagine anyone wanting to introduce a new line to the US in this economy. However, it combines two things people like: cool, reasonably affordable clothing and an expensive looking atmosphere. The prices at the store range from about $70-$180. I have to admit that the price range isn't necessarily mine, but it is cheaper than the designer clothing a lot of people have given up in favor of saving money.
Another thing that is important to mention about the line is that it is eco-friendly. The majority of the garments use as little material as they can. The decor is made from felt and wood planks; the hangers are 100% recycled cardboard.
SLVR is trying to appeal to my generation: people born around or after 1980. People who are environmentally conscious and do not want to spend a lot of money for clothing. Even the name appeals to the generation that has grown up with cell phones and text messaging.
As someone who likes to look put together and fashionable, yet not too fussy, I appreciate the asthetic of SLVR. Simple, neutral clothing that fits well. It also makes me optimistic about the retail industry which is taking a huge hit with the economy the way it is. Maybe if this company can survive and grow, other companies will follow its example and triumph in this time of decline.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)