Generate a written & illustrated project demonstrating your understanding of how & why an identified fashion brand follows the processes inherent to the fashion industry.

Introduction to this unit:
Within this unit you will be investigating how the fashion industry operates: how the various processes and cycles are followed and adapted by fashion brands at different levels of the market, from haute couture & designer (pret-a-porter), through to bridge level, mid market, high street & fast fashion and value fashion.
During the course of the unit, we will be visiting a womenswear tradeshow in London (Pure) on 10th February, where you will be attending a trend forecasting seminar by WGSN. You will also have an opportunity to conduct primary research in your brand’s retail outlet.

Assessment Task

An Exploration & Analysis of Fashion as Process and Cycle.

You are to generate a written & illustrated project demonstrating your understanding of how & why an identified fashion brand follows the processes inherent to the fashion industry.

In the first few weeks of this unit, you will be assigned a customer profile to work with: this customer buys his or her fashion from a specific level of the market, for reasons that you will explore. With guidance, you will select a suitable fashion brand for your customer, based on what you know of their preferences & lifestyle, within this stated market level. You will then conduct research into the processes & cycles followed by your chosen brand, and by this level of the fashion market as a whole.
You will make use of the knowledge & insights you gain over the course of the unit, through lectures & seminars, together with self-directed further research, to produce a project which demonstrates your understanding of how the fashion market level you have been assigned operates; how the processes & cycles it follows provide its target customers with fashion products of the right style, price & quality, at the time when they expect and want them. You should also be able to explain, within your project, how your level of the market differs from other levels – and why.
This project will evolve through:

Research, and then the application of those research findings to your chosen fashion brand & specific market level

Project research guidance
In order to write your project on your brand & market level, you will first carry out research.
You will research the whole of the fashion process, focusing more fully on certain aspects, which are described below (Output).
Essentially, when researching, you should aim to be thoroughly informed on the following subjects:
• How an initial idea or concept for a collection or a garment comes about.
• How this idea is developed. (What are the stages the ‘idea’ will pass through, before selection? What factors determine its likelihood of commercial success?)
• How does that idea eventually become a fashion range or garment hanging in a store at a pre-determined time?
You should research specifically how this works at your assigned market level, but also include comparisons for other market levels.
You will explore the theories that have been put forward to explain how and why trends are adopted and become fashion; why fashion products have a ‘life cycle’ and why different market levels exist.
For each of the project’s sections (see below, under Output) you should aim to gather your research from a RANGE of different, authoritative sources. In other words, your project must not rely on just 1 or 2 books or other sources of information, but should draw from a variety of sources, including: Drapers (in library & online), books, including books on fashion & trend theory, magazines, trend websites, company reports, press releases, Trade Show notes & information e.g. Pure, Premiere Vision, Pitti; magazine & journal articles; and marketing search engines e.g. Mintel (see reading list for full range of ideas).

Your project (Output) should be written in your own words and your findings analysed for each of the topics set out below, and you should cite the articles, books, and any other resource you have used to inform you. (Your Reference list at the end of the project will indicate the sources you have relied on for your information.)
Your written content should be supported by imagery, (including photos, charts, diagrams & tables where appropriate).
Include EXAMPLES from fashion companies to illustrate the points you are making.

Output: The application of your research findings to your fashion brand & its market level

Your project should set out to answer the following question:

How & why does (your chosen fashion brand –insert name here), and this wider market level, follow the processes inherent to the fashion industry?

• Making use of both general research into the fashion process, and specific research into your brand, construct your project to demonstrate the cycles, stages & processes followed by the brand and the market level it belongs to.

• As well as describing HOW your brand operates, you should also take an analytical approach, explaining WHY they operate as they do, and what are the implications for the customer, the stores, the wider environment?

• You should also compare your market level’s operations to those of other levels, to demonstrate your understanding of the differences in process between those levels, (e.g. between Designer and Fast Fashion).

Constructing your project:

Think about the whole cycle of the fashion year when constructing your project. The fashion product arrives in our shops after a series of developments. The initial idea or concept is influenced by trend reports & forecasts; colours and fabrics are selected; designs are sketched; prototypes made; styles selected or rejected; ranges planned and balanced; manufacturing undertaken; products imported/delivered/distributed. All of this needs to happen before the customer can decide whether he/she actually wants to buy the garment.

Your work must include evidence of primary & secondary market/consumer research. Direct company contact is expected. During the London trip you should visit a store which stocks your chosen brand.

To be included in your project:

• Contents page

• Introduction. What is this project setting out to do? What can the reader expect to discover?

BRAND SPECIFICS
• Identification of chosen fashion brand, market level and justification for your choice: how does this company attract and cater for your target customer?

• Target customer profile. You can include a customer moodboard here if you wish to.

• Concise overview of chosen company (e.g. history; brand identity; designer, if known; current worth)

• Product ranges: Give an idea of their ‘look’. Are they considered innovative, fashion-forward, classic- how do you see them? What are the ranges that they produce?

• Stockists: which shops/outlets stock your company’s merchandise?

• Promotion: Does the brand use any prominent people to promote its products? How? What does this say about the company?

• Competition at this market level: Identification of likely competitors to your brand.

PROCESSES & CYCLES
What do we mean by the ‘Fashion Process’ in relation to the fashion industry?
• Create a diagram or flow-chart that shows the key stages that your brand & market level follows from initial idea to an actual garment hanging in a shop.
• For each stage in the process, identify which fashion personnel/role will be involved: e.g. the buyer plays a key role in range selection.

• Fashion & trend cycles
What evidence of the cyclical nature of fashions and/or macro trends can you find within your brand?
Why do fashions reappear over time? What theories are associated with fashion & trend cycles?
Why might your brand feature recurring trends? Use examples.

• The fashion product life cycle (PLC).
What do we mean by this?
How does the life cycle of a garment at your brand’s market level compare with that of a different market level? Give examples.

• Fashion forecasting
What is trend forecasting & how does it influence fashion, and your brand & market level in particular? When do brands consult fashion forecasts?

Of the macro trends identified by WGSN at PURE for A/W 2014-15, which could you see being successfully translated for your brand and why? Use your notes taken at PURE for this. Include a paragraph or table comparing WGSN’s predictions with those identified by Premiere Vision.

• Trend identification & analysis
What theories have been put forward to explain trend adoption? How can these theories be related to some of today’s trends? (Give at least 2 examples.)
What, and who, are some of the main factors that influence new trends today? Do any of these influence your brand?

Looking at the new trends (men’s or women’s) for this Spring/Summer 2015, which of these would be relevant to your brand. Show examples.
Why do you think this trend is happening now?

• The fashion calendar
Create a calendar showing when & where the major events in the fashion year take place. Indicate which of these events are relevant to your brand & market level, (e.g. fabric & trade fairs; catwalk shows).
Who attends these events and why? What is the significance of these events and how do they affect the fashion process?

• Ethics and sustainability.
How is the ethical and environmental agenda affecting fashion industry processes?

What is the ethical standpoint of your company? How does this affect their processes and/or cycles, (such as garment production)?

Consider the stages identified in your flow chart (above). Identify any ethical or environmental considerations or challenges for your brand, which might occur at each stage (can be in list format). Try to suggest how your company might tackle this challenge.

• Conclusion

• References
Harvard referencing should be used throughout.

Third person should be used throughout.

Submission: Project should be presented as a PDF file via Turnitin.
Assessment criteria
F4-F1 D3-D1 C3-C1 B3-B1 A4-A3 A2-A1
Research & Analysis
K1 Locate & organize information relevant to the fashion industry and evidence from wide range of sources Incomplete research. Limited or no analysis.

Limited evidence of research, which is offered without analysis. Limited or inappropriate references cited. Locates and organises a satisfactory range of information, some of it beyond the familiar. Uses given methods to analyse issues. Little evaluation Locates and organises a wide range of information. Shows judgement in the selection and analysis of information to generate some well-founded conclusions. Evidence of comprehensive research across a broad range of mostly secondary sources. Evaluates information to draw incisive conclusions. Evidence of contemporary research findings. Evidence of exceptionally deep & broad research, for this level, includes primary research. Explores and evaluates information & ideas from an extensive range of sources. Evidence of contemporary research findings.
Knowledge&
Understanding
C1 Apply
knowledge of
the key
principles of
the fashion
process, incl.
theoretical
knowledge in
the context of
a fashion
brand/retailer Lacks evidence of understanding. Omissions in some areas, some substantial. Overly descriptive. Theoretical models often not identified, nor applied incorrectly. Adequate understanding of subject. Theory and concepts described; application is limited. Satisfactory understanding of the relevant concepts & theories. Shows some ability to deal with unfamiliar & abstract ideas, and to apply them to a fashion brand. Accurate in breadth, with depth of understanding in some areas. Clear understanding of concepts & theories and some of their applications and implications for a fashion brand. Thorough understanding of concepts & theories, some of which are applied with insight, to a fashion brand, and their implications explored. Excellent understanding of concepts & theories, applied, with evidence of understanding of their implications, to a fashion brand.
Communication Presentation& Practical skills/P1 Present a visual outcome using identified & relevant software.T1 communicate information effectively Ideas poorly communicated visually & in written form. Widespread grammatical/ spelling mistakes. Poor presentation. Elements of disorganisation. Ideas communicated at an adequate level, visually & in written form. Consistent grammatical/ spelling mistakes. Presentation & organisation mostly adequate. Content mostly appropriate & communicated competently. Some grammatical/ spelling mistakes. Satisfactory presentation & organisation of work. Content & Ideas communicated with clarity, visually & in written form. A few grammatical/ spelling mistakes. Presentation & organisation is appropriate to context & purpose. Content & Ideas communicated with clarity and creativity, visually & in written form, accessible to a wide audience. Very few grammatical /spelling mistakes. Good presentation & organisation. Content & Ideas communicated with exceptional clarity, creativity, originality, visually & in written form, accessible to a wide audience. Isolated grammatical or spelling mistakes. Excellent presentation & organisation.
Evaluation Minimal, or superficial reflection lacks insight. Limited evidence of evaluation of sources of information or concepts. Satisfactory reflection with some insights. Reflection generates a number of critical insights. Shows a strong ability to evaluate own work and that from other sources. Exemplary ability to critically reflect upon & evaluate own work /that from other sources.
Professionalism Studentship Transferable & key skills
T2 Plan & manage workload independently within given time constraints Attendance poor. Minimal participation. Demonstrates insufficient independence in addressing given objectives and taking responsibility for outcomes. Relies on support & direction from others. Poor time management. Attends most seminars/groups Demonstrates adequate independence in addressing given objectives and taking some responsibility for outcomes.
Tendency to rely on support/direction from others. Adequate time management. Makes a contribution to seminars/groups Demonstrates satisfactory independence in addressing objectives and taking responsibility for outcomes. Satisfactory time management. Makes a valuable contribution to seminars/groups Demonstrates independence in setting some objectives beyond those given and taking responsibility for outcomes. Good time management. Makes a mature & valuable contribution to seminars/groups. Demonstrates independence & some initiative in setting objectives and taking responsibility for outcomes. Very good time management Makes a mature & valuable contribution to seminars/groups. Demonstrates independence & initiative beyond level expectations, setting objectives and taking responsibility for outcomes.
Excellent time management.
Learning Outcomes
This assessment will enable students to demonstrate in full or in part the learning outcomes identified in the unit descriptors.
Extenuating Circumstances
The University’s Extenuating Circumstances procedures are in place if there are genuine circumstances that may have affected students’ academic performance. Remember however students need to be ‘fit to study’, this means that students can either submit their assessed work or declare extenuating circumstances, but cannot do both.

A summary of guidance notes for students is given below:
http://blade2-5.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNSExact=AS/AH/1250002309

Academic Misconduct
Any submissions must be students’ own work and, where facts or ideas have been used from other sources, these sources must be appropriately referenced. The University’s Academic Handbook includes the definitions of all practices that will be deemed to constitute academic misconduct. Students should check this link before submitting their work.

Procedures relating to student academic misconduct are given below:
http://docman.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNS=AS/AH/1234570157

Ethics Policy
The work being carried out by students must be in compliance with the Ethics Policy. Where there is an ethical issue, as specified within the Ethics Policy, then students will need an ethics release or an ethical approval prior to the start of the project.

The Ethics Policy is contained within Section 2S of the Academic Handbook:
http://docman.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNS=1234569791

Anonymous Marking
A copy of the University’s Policy on Anonymous Marking, process details and student guidance on submission sheet completion can be found on the following links, which are also uploaded on the Student Portal. The guidance ‘fact sheet’ will be available at Faculty Reception Points.

Policy: http://docman.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNS=ASQS/AH/1234574213

Process: http://docman.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNS=AS/General/1250004357

Fact Sheet: http://docman.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNS=AS/General/1250004356

Grade marking
The University uses a letter grade scale for the marking of assessments. Unless students have been specifically informed otherwise their marked assignment will be awarded a letter grade. More detailed information on grade marking and the grade scale can be found on myCourse. The guidance ‘fact sheet’ is available at Faculty Reception Points.

Policy: http://docman.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNS=ASQS/AH/1234569864

Fact sheet: http://blade2-5.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNSExact=AS/AH/1234576014