March 6, 2002, #9
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Many, many
apologies for my unexpected silence last week.
The
"techno gremlins" paid me a visit, resulting in a
total system
shutdown for nearly a week. We're back up
and running
now, though, and ready to deliver more news
and
information from the fashion front.
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In This Issue:
Fashion Biz:
Untapped Opportunities In Fashion Design
Fashion
Trivia: The First Fashion Magazine
Fashion
Profile: Todd Oldham
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FASHION BIZ
Untapped
Opportunities In Fashion Design
Question: "Are
there any 'untapped' clothing categories where a
designer
could really make a name for himself?" - Dion
Absolutely!
From the
emails that populate the inbox on my image
consulting
site, Fashion For Real Women,
http://www.FashionForRealWomen.com
I know that
there are plenty of people out there who
are hoping,
searching, and praying for someone to hear
their pleas
and offer clothes for them.
So just who
are these people?
Those who fall
OUTSIDE the "standard" size ranges
typically
offered by the fashion industry. These
"standards"
include women sizes 4-14, 5'4" to 5'8" in
height
(European sizes 34-44 and 1.6256-1.7272 m
tall), who
also have an hour-glass shape, and men
shirt sizes 14
to 15 ½, suit sizes 34-48, 5'8"-6'2" in
height
(European shirt size 36-39, suit sizes 44 to 58,
height
1.7272-1.8796 m). While many people fall
into these
categories, many more do not. And they're
having a very
tough time dressing well because of it.
If you're a
designer with an eye on opportunity, here
are some areas
in need of good, strong talent:
WOMEN
*Petites - any
woman, regardless of size, is
considered
petite if she is 5'4" tall or shorter.
While many
standard-sized companies offer a petite
line, there
seems to be a shortage of affordable
casual petite
clothes, as well as petites for
plus-size
women. Another untapped market?
Proportionally
correct petite choices for Asian women,
who tend to be
both thinner and have longer torsos and
shorter legs
than the "typical" petite woman.
*Tall - ask
any woman over 5'10" where she does her
shopping, and
chances are, she'll give you a short
list. Why?
Because there are so few choices for tall
women, even
less so than for petites. Tall women need
longer
sleeves, skirts, and pants legs than the
average woman,
and finding them can be a chore.
*Plus Size -
while nearly 50% of the American
population is
overweight, there just aren't a lot of
attractive
choices for plus size women. Whether
petite,
average height, or tall, there are plenty of
size 14+ gals
who would dress better in a heartbeat if
they could
find better-looking clothes.
*Maternity -
while the maternity market has come a
long way in
the last 20 years, there's still plenty of
room for the
talented newcomer. Expectant mothers
need clothes
that are versatile, affordable, and can
coordinate
easily with other items, but that don't
make them look
like they're wearing a tent.
MEN
*Short - short
men, like short women, have lots of
trouble
finding clothes that fit. Suits and dress
shirts have to
be altered or custom-made, and casual
clothes
typically come from the boy's department.
*Tall - while
there are some specialty shops that
cater to tall
men, you'll usually only find them in
large towns or
cities, and can expect to pay a premium
price. What's
more, to get the needed length in
casual
clothes, very tall men often have to opt for
sizes XX Large
- which can look sloppy, particularly
on thin, tall men.
*Large - large
size men, like large size women, come
in every
height and size. Finding clothes is a
challenge, and
finding good-looking clothes is nearly
impossible.
Most have to settle for ill-fitting
separates,
which tend to look sloppy and unkempt.
With so much
emphasis on average, thin bodies in the
fashion world,
it's easy to see why these people have
been
overlooked. Unfortunately, it doesn't change the
fact that not
everyone is a standard size. Plenty of
these people
have the means to dress well...they just
don't have the
clothes available to purchase.
If you could
design clothes that make these folks look
taller,
thinner, shorter, heavier, more elegant, or
whatever, you
could have a VERY lucrative business on
your hands.
Don't overlook the potential just because
these body
frames aren't "all the rage". If you do,
you could be
throwing away a lot of money.
Don't believe
me? One of the most popular designers of
all time was
Cristobal Balenciaga (see profile in issue 5,
http://www.fashionjobreview.com/archives/013002-balenciaga.htm ),
who was
considered a master illusionist when it came
to women's
bodies. He could make even the most
matronly
figure look chic and glamorous, and women
couldn't give
him their money fast enough to have him
work his magic
on them.
People tend to
be very loyal to brands they like,
whether it's
toothpaste, appliances, or clothes. If
you can make
non-standard bodies look chic and
glamorous
instead of sloppy and frumpy, you'll have a
loyal
following from now until you
retire...guaranteed!
Want to learn
more about the different clothing categories
so you can get
started in fashion design? Download a copy of
How To Get
Started In Fashion Design at:
http://www.FashionJobReview.com
Good luck!
Have a
question you'd like answered in "Fashion Biz?" Send it to [email protected] .
FASHION TRIVIA
QUESTION:
When was the first fashion magazine published
in the United States?
ANSWER:
July, 1830 marked the first edition of
Godey's
Lady's Book. Originally focusing on short
stories,
serials, and essays of interest to women, the
publication
published its first fashion plate in late 1830.
Within 10
years, the magazine was known for its depictions
of European
fashions, fueling the fantasies of many
American
women. It was the most popular fashion magazine
in the Unites
States for nearly 40 years, until "copycat"
publications
began to appear after the Civil War.
FASHION PROFILE:
Todd Oldham (1962-)
Growing up in
east Texas, Todd Oldham learned how to
sew from his
mother and grandmother when he was nine.
Since there
wasn't a lot of money to go around, this
was how he
spent most of spare time, pitching in to
create clothes
and craft items in order to pay the
bills.
His first job
after high school was in the alterations
department at
the Ralph Lauren store in Dallas. He
got the job
when he was handed a $1,000 lace dress and
told to
"shorten it". He did. In his short but intense
four months
with Ralph Lauren, he learned how
to take apart
well-made clothes, alter, and reassemble
them, often
calling the job a "fashion boot camp."
He quickly
started designing on the side, and after
creating the
samples, started selling them to local
stores. The
first to buy was Neiman Marcus, who
placed such a
large order that Oldman wasn't sure he
could handle
it. But, being 19 at the time, he
decided he
could handle anything, and he, his mother,
and
grandmother had to sew around the clock for weeks
in order to
meet their deadline.
Within a very
short time, his name became well known
in Dallas. He
started doing private label work for
The Limited,
Barney's, Neiman's, Saks, Bergdorf's, and
Bloomingdale's.
In 1989, a Japanese company
approached
him, and offered to back Oldham with his
own label. He
jumped at the chance.
Working
virtually all the time, he started to gain
national
recognition by the early 1990's. Women loved
his innovative
use of fabric and materials, and the
Oldham label
was soon being worn by everyone from pop
stars to
fashion moguls.
In the late
1990's, Oldham sold his haute couture
trademark to
Jones New York to concentrate on other
things. He
currently designs the TO2 line, an
affordable,
casual jeans line, and has done show
costumes for
performing artists. He's also trying his
hand at
photography, and is developing a script for a
feature film.
Finally, he's been called upon to
design hotel
interiors, which is stretching his
creativity
even farther.
All in all, a
versatile artist who seems to do well at
everything he
sets his sights on.
You can learn
more about Todd Oldham at:
http://www.toddoldhamjeans.com/
Until Next Time,
Diana Pemberton-Sikes
http://www.FashionJobReview.com
[email protected]
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