The Impact of the Internet on the Fashion Industry - Essay Example

Current global communication revolution impacts all spheres of every day life. With the advent of internet, digital phones as well as various technological equipments, many operations that previously might have taken several days or even weeks can be completed within the hours. No wonder as new technological means of communications present unlimited possibilities both for businesses and consumers. The impact of the internet on the fashion industry. Usually the companies had to establish and create some fixed traditional lines; these lines were based on the perception of the businesses about desires and preferences of the customers. With internet traditional means of communications between customer and company has been changed. Many online users have now use so called option "Choiceboard" where the visitors of the web sites can design the products they would like to purchase; apart from external design visitors of the web site have now the possibility to choose among the prices and delivery options. 1 These options allow the customers wherever they reside to order goods and products at London or in Paris, without actually visiting these cities. Moreover, residents of various countries have received the possibility to view latest trends in the design of the apparel and new collections in various nations of the world. In short new technology has increased the exposure of fashion companies as well as designers to the public. New creative ideas are exchanged between the nations with rapid, hitherto unknown speed, which certainly facilitate and simplify the work of the designers. Internet also offers new opportunities to those people who study at the fashion courses as well as those who would like to keep themselves abreast of the trends in the design of the fashion. 2For instance such web sites as WGSN -EDU provides students and academic staff with the access to the latest information on design trends, fashion shows, textiles and new fashion products from all over the world. One of the leading internet fashion web sites Worth Global Style Network provides its subscribers with numerous options vital for those who are interested in the latest changes in fashion. Subscription for 3000 USD per year provided the customers with the possibility to watch various fashion shows around the world and evaluate various marketing strategies of fashion houses of Scandinavia as well as to see high quality photos of the youth from Los Angeles. Whereas it might have taken several days to obtain this information several decades ago, it can be done much quicker with the help of internet. Moreover the founders of WGSN were able to provide the visitors of their web site with latest samples of fabrics, apparel and show displays. Moreover apart from the photos from officially held fashion shows the company also provided the customers with photos of so called "cool hunters" independent photographers who visited discos and clubs and could take the shots of the public at these premises. The service of the company has facilitated the life in fashion industry. Some of the subscribers (most of whom consisted of famous and large fashion houses) have spent more than half million dollars in subscription fees, yet this money was well spent. The service of the web site helps to reduce the time spent on business trips, which have became less expensive and more efficient due to the fact that the web site provides detailed and informative advice on what to visit in a particular geographical area, where the most interesting sites for fashion specialists are located as well as what date should be chosen for the visiting of the area. Moreover it has reduced the time of the meetings at the offices as no longer the junior design assistants are held in ignorance about current trends, they can see everything and even more than their managers who are traveling around the globe. 3 Whereas fashion companies can subscribe to this web site, academic staff and students can get access for free: more than 300000 pages of up to date texts and information is being provided by this company and activity of the company is aimed at all aspects of the fashion industry such as designers, models and manufacturers. 4 In spite of the fact that web site had existed for several years, it became remarkably popular and was purchased for 140 million pounds in 2005, by one of the largest media groups Emap. By this time such well know companies as Marks & Spencer, Next, Calvin Klein and many others had already been subscribed to the web site of the company; moreover, annual renewal service reached the level of 90 % by the begging of 20065. Most of the observers applauded this decision of Emap; it was clear from this purchase that whatever large and famous your fashion magazine might be, it would not be able to expand in highly sophisticated technological era without implementing more aggressive marketing online strategy. Several other companies in various nations implemented similar to WGSN web site strategies. For instance, Canadian Fashion stage has already launched similar projects, with accessible information via B2B network and promotion; new project was launched after the project had been tested for one year. The project called Minimidimaxi was aimed to demonstrate all faces of Canadian fashion industry and include all current news, trends and events related to it. As Canada is a big country, the project was quite successful as it allowed Canadians to get access to the latest news on fashion and the industry of fashion6; especially it was important for rural areas, where people previously had to rely on the news from the fashion capitals of the country-Toronto and Montreal. Most of the designers in rural areas had to travel to these cities; with the advent of internet it was possible to evaluate new trends and designs via internet and take decisions more rapidly. The work of the designers has been facilitated by the implementation of other digital technology products as well as new computer technologies. For instance Computer Aided Design program allows designers to create precise and accurate sketches that can be easily adjusted to any size pattern or color; thus saving much more time in coloring and shaping new designs in various forms and colors. This new technological option provides designers with the possibility to design and visualize their work before it has been transformed into the reality. With this new program, the productivity of designers has been increased dramatically as new technologies facilitate the process by providing designers with improved technological techniques; no longer are they cramped by the repetitive aspects of the design and by simplification of some of the intricate operations. Implementation of the new technology entails the increased demand on the specialists who can create computer fashion designs, so the demand on new specialists in fashion industry will be growing. It will not be enough to posses some skills of the designers, one will have to understand computer designing programs as well.7 Apart from internet and new designing programs, other inventions of communication revolution impact and will continue to impact fashion industry. Moreover, there is a trend of interdependence in designing aspects between fashion industry and producers of new technological products; many new products such as mobile phones and various technological gadgets impact the marketing decisions of both fashion and technological companies. For instance Nokia (one of the largest producers of mobile phones) is monitoring the latest changes in fashion industry closely in order to design new convenient mobile phones that would correspond and fit modern trends in the fashion industry. 8 Fashion designers also started designing new apparel that has special pockets either for mobile phones or other devises. Charmed Technology, American company is one of most innovative companies that has implemented new technologies in the designing of the apparel. In the year 2000, at one of the new shows of the company, new models were able to check email messages, while they were walking on the catwalk. Despite the fact that there is the demand on several apparels suited to wear technological gadgets it is still not clear how popular this type of wear might be among the customers. Several other devises aimed to adjust to the demand of some particular sports as well as wrist mounted computers were also shown at the show (as well as invisible monocles that could serve as the computer screen). However this company was not the only one that mixed technological devises with new apparels. For instance such famous brands as Levi Straus and Philips NV started to sell new jackets that were fitted to wear cell phones as well as other modern technological devises. Donna Karan Co has started selling some chinos destined for cell phones. However due to limited usability of such new apparels and clothes, they so far have not been very popular; yet there was the interest among the representatives of various industries (for instance air industry) where such technological devises might be used in the cramped spaces where computers are unusable.9 New trends in fashion have become evident with the advent of iPod. IPod has started to influence the so called wearable technology (for instance many companies introduced Ipod control switches that were woven into the sleeve). Moreover technological industry is poised to introduce new fibers and technologies that could be washable. Apart from that other services can be provided with new technologies. According to some observers "soft circuits" will be used with various purposes from usual switches to the small computers; they claim that in the nearest future TV will be switched off by the tap on the flower of the cushion. Moreover LEDs will be also woven in the fabrics, and then the persons will be able to change the colors according the seasons. Soft organic cords and wiring that will be widely used in the clothing will allow persons not only to wash them but also to take as much audio, video and other information as they would like to.10 Internet undoubtedly has already impacted and continues to impact fashion industry. New apparels can be ordered conveniently online, new models can be chosen at the web sites and most of all latest news on the fashion collections and trends around the globe can be received instantaneously. A lot of new fashion magazines will have to adapt to new marketing online strategies in order to compete successfully in the market. Whereas one can see current impact of internet on fashion business, the merging of digital technologies with fashion industry is still in initial phase; it is too early to judge what form, trend and dimension this process will take. However, as the activities of fashion industry have always been aimed at the young people one can predict that it will not be able to ignore the desires and wishes of the targeted audience. Undoubtedly new generation will want not only listen to the new music on new technological devises but to wear convenient apparel suited for the devises mentioned. Thus fashion industry will have no other option but to adjust to the new trends in digital technologies. Works cited. 1) The future of commerce with advent of internet, http://www.humanlinks.com/manres/hbr1.htm 2) Internet and Fashion, . 3) Teri Agins, Apparel Firms Track Fashion Online --- A Vast Trend Watching Service Scours the Globe for Latest Currents --- Free-Lancers Haunt Bars and Discos With Digital Cameras, Asian Wall Street Journal. New York, N.Y.: May 12, 2000. pg. 24. 4) What is WGSN-EDU, http://www.wgsn-edu.com/edu/ 5) Emap buys internet fashion firm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4341310.stm 6) "Minimidimaxi" Internet portal a major boost to a fragmented and under-promoted Canadian fashion industry, Canada NewsWire, Ottawa: Dec 10, 2000. pg. 1. 7) CADFashion Design From A Digital Perspective, 8) Nokia Introduces New Digital GSM 1900 PCS Phone Designed for Consumers Who Value Ease of Use and Individuality Business Editors. Business Wire. New York: Aug 3, 1998. pg.1. 9) Adam Geller, Digital fashions struggle to find fit in real world Many people apparently reluctant to don a chip-imbedded wardrobe; [FINAL Edition], The Patriot - News. Harrisburg, Pa.: Nov 30, 2000. pg. B.11. 10) Paul Marks Fashion industry covets 'iPod factor', New Scientist. London, Jun 4-Jun 10, 2005 1pg. Read More