Fast-Fashion and the Tough Economy

Image: http://www.nitrolicious.com/blog/wp-gallery/0507/misc/topshop_oxfordst.jpg

Look at the image, doesn't look so familiar until recently right? TopShop is a newly opened retail store that sells fashion clothing like most other stores in Soho, New York. TopShop originates from the U.K and is also a British-based fashion which seems to be fitting in perfectly in New York as fast-fashion and is already starting to dominate some of the shoppers in the area. Competition comes..... as TopShop offer their new trends and cheap clothes. Our economy is yet again, being dominated by the fashion industry. Even in such a tough recession situation, the fashion markets are still going strong. Sales may be dropping, but not doing horrible in any sense. I mean, you would expect sales to drop like crazy or even deplete in a recession, but no, people are still buying, even some families that are not bringing in as much income as they use to. Fashion is a huge addiction that even a below average New Yorker can not stop. "New York is one of those first three or four cities that every fashion brand wants to operate in," said Sir Philip Green, owner of Topshop's parent company, Arcadia Group (source:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/01/topshop-comes-to-america-_n_181931.html). This is unbelievably true and what I have been trying to explain the whole time. However, New York is not the only place, just more dominant about fashion. The thing people hardly even realize is that America doesn't even produce these products, they were made far off, like on the other side of the globe (China). That's the problem, America is not only loosing money but profiting others because we always have to get our raw materials/products from someone else. We are more of a importer than a exporter which is not really a good thing. Anyways, Philip Green is the owner of Topship as well as a very brilliant man who knows to insert his style of fashion in the most busy and best place in New York. Not only that but he is also planning to expand to about 15 stores in New York, watch out for him to all those other Fast-Fashion retail stores out there!

Ok, so what is fast-fashion and how come Topshop is able to pull of a stunt like this in gaining sales once they even step foot in New York City? Fast-Fashion is simply when trends keep changing and that consumers, most of them in youth stages, expects fashion companies and stores to meet their expectations. Hmmm, sounds easy right, but how can you always come up with new ideas and fashions so fast and a consumers ever lasting changing taste..? Hard right, that's how fashion effects the economy, whether it rises or drops in sales, it will create a great impact. The more sales the better because it keeps our society moving along. "Fast-fashion chains offer shoppers two key propositions: They make the trendiest styles affordable, and they bring fashion to market fast." Took this sentence from the huffingtonpost article and I can't help agree more. This is exactly what I'm talking about and the only way to achieve success in the fashion world in a tough economy.

Well, talking about Topshop, I noticed it quite a few times walking by in Soho and until I read this article, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/01/topshop-comes-to-america-_n_181931.html, I knew I wasn't hullucinating. When I strolled down Broadway on a busy Saturday afternoon, I can't help but to notice a surprising large line down the block on this new fashion store I just found out was named Topshop. I mean, before that day, I already seen it, but it seems wack, atleast for me so I did't go inside, but that day, wow! I guess New Yorkers are only seeing CHEAP in their eyes these days.

Retail job failures...

Image of Soho, New York , home of the retail stores: http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/4687131/sohonewyork-main_Full.jpg

This is not exactly the best image you can get out of Soho, but definitely a very crowded and shopping kind of setting.

Check this out- Most teenagers/youths that have jobs are probably retail jobs. The reasons are simple, it does not require much of any experience at all, fairly easy to get and most of all, the discounts!

In this article (source) http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=anP.K55X8d_s&refer=home, Bob Willis talks about how retail sales are also dropping while jobs are dissappearing.

In the first sentence of this post, you're only really seeing the bright side of retail jobs, but honestly, it's pretty horrifying. Some youths take on a job such as retail to make a little extra money to help out the family and have some sort of cash to get by here and there, maybe go shopping once in a while. However, that's not the case for most teens who find a retail job or any job to make money and spend it all right after receiving their paychecks. It's the truth, the fashion market is dominated by youth's nowadays because it's specifically aiming at them and successfully pulling them in. By the way, like I said earlier, once of the most things youths' look for in a retail job is their discounts, that way the could shop more for less or similar price than regular.

Now let me get to the negative part. Life at a retail job really offers nothing. I mean where is it getting you in the future, what kind of things/experience is it really teaching you, nothing really. It may be a temporary job, but others like myself find a more "educational" job like interning at a life insurance company as an IT. Well, it may sound boring but you are learning and obtaining a lot more than what your getting at a retail store even if they pay more. The most important thing is what you're getting out of it, picking up new skills and experiences as well as preparing your life for Corporate America. Even a job at the library would have a better and more knowledgable gain.

That was only one bad thing about having a job at a retail store. Here comes the part that we are all noticing lately and the point that the article above is really trying to get at. "The retail sales figures indicated incentives and promotions by car dealers and clothing stores such as Gap Inc. failed to draw customers hurt by a lack of credit and the highest jobless rate in 25 years." That's just really really bad, unemployment is rising which mean families can be hitting the streets. People who were once making six to seven figures such as those at Wall Street are desperate to even find a retail job. When the recession hit us, retail have been dropping pretty rapidly. However, I still find youth's like myself shopping even when income isn't so great and could be put to a better use. That's just how it is, fashion is a magnet pulling you back every time and all the time even when situations are bad. It is simply an addiction that many youths can not rid. Anyways, I wanted to share a little situation that someone I know had. He was working at A/X aka Armani Exchange in Soho making around 800 a week last summer and now he's gone. He didn't get laid off, but in my eyes, it was worse. His schedule became more and more off while hours became less and less. It became so bad that he ended up on a one day a week schedule not knowing which day and can be any time, and may even have gotten like only a few hours that day. Being on a on-call job while not even knowing how many hours your getting really sucks. He decided to quit because it was getting to hectic and stressful to deal with especially when your seeing checks like 19-30 dollars. I mean really, what can you do with that, I would literally rip it up and throw it back at them.

Anyways, that's how retail jobs are, they want you they don't want you. To me, your like their toy, if they like you, they'll keep you, but things are never going to be the same all the time. Retail jobs are not stable, not even if you're the manager!

This image is an example of a retail store that is actually still doing fairly well in sales, I mean look at that line. As well as growing in sales, they are also growing in size as they spread across the world. http://triplenetmarcus.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/bape_store_taipei-10.jpg Btw, items in this retail store goes up 500 dollars a pop for just a sweater/hoodie. Notice all the youths....

The U.S economy undergoes a responsible fashion?

Image Source: http://smallbusiness.smh.com.au/dotAsset/900187505.jpg
Artile information source: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2009/02/responsible-fashion-and-the-us-economy-nau-scape-jacket-and-down-vest-review/
Ok, so how is fashion suppose to be responsible and what do they mean by that?
Well, read the article to get a little more in-depth explanation. In my opinion, I believe that fashion has it's responsibilities based on how it will interact and play a role in our economy. It starts off with our producers or manufactures who have their responsibilities to meet consumer expectations or atleast predict and interpret what they want the most, least, and recent. To me, it's all about trend/style and the majority just follows along with it. That determines how much consumers will purchase and their desires for it meaning even if the price may be out of hands, they will still go out of the way to get it. Let's skip to the part where I want to talk about more, Made in China. Notice the majority of our clothing/sneaker or anyt type of apparel says that over the decades. The reason is because, America have nothing American citizens want. Not to mention that their material sucks, but they also get it from other countries. Anyways, the point is that the U.S. economy rely to heavily on others to get stuff that they need and want. That creates a huge impact in our economy, money wise and fashion wise. When we consume our fashion wants, we keep the economy rolling because everything we spend from cash to credit cards is related. Now since we are doing bad and still relying on other countries (purchasing overseas from them) and not making much progress according to sales or consumer buying, the economy is doing poorer than ever. We as consumers have that responsibility, to spend and keep the economy moving, but that's not happening because people have no money. People are getting laid off here and there with no income, how can they require their fashion desires? How can they survive? Even if people are given money, what will they do? They would obviously pay off their debts first or save it so giving them money still doesn't help to keep the economy moving. The responsibilites of fashion are and are not in our hands!
By the way, the source article in talking about two vests made in China and also from the same company, explaing the use, benefits, and a responsible fashion.

The Teenage Economy

Image source: http://movinginstereo.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/rich-girl.jpg
Article Source: http://nymag.com/nymetro/urban/family/features/10872/

Wow, this is one of the most interesting articles I read in a long time. Coming from New York, News & Features, I just went through a very strong point that is flashing out from this featured article. It talks about how a rich girl, talking about a billionaire family, is poor! Don't get it, listen to this. A very rich teenage girl, the most wealthy family out of the whole Upper West Side private school actually appears the poorest in the entire city. Her parents are obssessed with spoiling their daughter, therefore only supporting here with 60$ a week and Old Navy brand clothing while paying 25 grand for tuition a year. It is a very shocking article that expresses how this young girl wishes and rather not have all this money because of the way her life style is. She always end up borrowing/spending her friend's money instead because she is broke! Honestly, 60 dollars a week from your parents isn't bad at all. Well, coming from a below average income family like myself wouldn't mind 60 dollars a week at all, but for a billionaire family background. wow. Personally, I never really had an allowance, just money here and there once in a while, but I haven't asked or spent my parents money in years because I found a job. Anyways, I think that her parents are actually right. I mean, it's a dog eat dog world out here, no one is nice. The girls got to learn how to save, budget and earn her own money. What if one day, her family's fortune disappear, then she would have to step up and out of that luxury and work like every other average citizen.
"And yet to Caitlin, it often seems like that’s all anyone does: kids hustling, kids obsessing, kids turning downright savage." That's exactly right. Kid's that don't find a job or are too lazy to try to find a easy way out in life. Drop out of school and end up under the influence of drug and gangs. The economy of teenagers are exactly the way you see it, horrifying. They try to find every way to get what they want particularly money, fashion and drugs. They hustle for their money, thinking it's great how they're making so much money at a young age, forgetting it's illegal and have high punishment results. Results are always negative unless they are willing to change, willing to work, and most of all, control their thirst for money. For those who think there is never enough, then the results are never good.
The world is cruel out here and this article shows that event the wealthiest kids may end up like the rest of us, poor and hungry (for money). Talking about wishing not to have so much money, she should be happy her parents are so successful and well respected and therefore, living up to their expectations. Sixty dollars a week means 240$ a month which is not bad at all especially when your doing absolutely nothing for it. I wish I had that growing up. The point I am trying to get at is that you have to know when is enough and when it is not enough. Nothing comes easy and the teenage culture/economy is very depressing and tough.

Technologies Influence on Fashion and how it will affect us in the Future

In this post, I want to share with you guys, the future of fashion and how it will have a impact on our society. The backdoor or the greater source of impact is coming from the advancing technology which creates a chain reaction to fashion and then to youth/people addicted to designer labels and then to our economy.

"Youth will be in charge. Pop music, videos, movies, television, and the fashion press will still promote fashion's idols and help to spark the latest fads (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_2666_129/ai_67328787/)." I grabbed this quote from this site which gave me very interesting information. This quote has always been with me or meaning I thought of this the whole way. To me, youth has always controlled the market place, resources coming from parents or their own income. Either way, they will find a way to get money and purchase their desired fashion designs. This is because of their addiction and besides, they are the main targets now a days. I know this inside out because myself is also a youth who is heavily involved in fashion and have done many research about it. I am always updated with the newest and most recent fashion by either going online to the sites that keeps me updated or receiving information from other youths that enjoy collecting/sharpening their appearance.

Anyways, the main idea of this post is to let you guys know the future of fashion. Fashion will not only be more appealing but more advanced, technology wise. "Technologists will invent more multi-purpose fabrics, accessories, and makeup and extend the range of sensory and audio products to wear. Computer-aided design will provide made-to-measure garments for the mass market (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_2666_129/ai_67328787/)." Although this article was written quite a while back, I still haven't really seen Computer-aided design. I mean like advance clothing/fashion that can not only help with your appearance and style but for convenience, safety or something in the area. However, I have seen a pair of sneakers that have Wi-Fi connection which is pretty amazing, but how convenient or helpful is that? In the article, it also states that Japan, which I already have been noticing because I also buy their fashion designs, is growing very strong in the fashion industry and not to mention China and the South Asian subcontinents. This is telling us that they will soon have a huge amount of control in the fashion marketplace which will take over other countries because other countries will have to buy from them, becoming the consumers.

HERE IS IMAGES OF THE WIFI SNEAKERS I MENTIONED EARLIER:

LINK:http://www.sneakerobsession.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/nike-dunk-wifi-sneaker.jpg