The late 1950s and early
60s are a good example of this: young, energetic, visionary designers kicked
against prevailing market prescriptions, sweeping aside hidebound retailing and
manufacturing methods. Interestingly, even though the establishment was
outraged at the audacity of these young artists, the two systems found
equilibrium and co-operated in the realisation that the market was big enough
to accommodate the diversity.
This period saw the
rebirth
of the boutique as a way of retailing fast, limited-edition, highly
individualistic fashion. Led by Mary Quant, this fashion revolution saw new
designers enter and disappear from the fashion scene as rapidly as new styles
appeared in the boutiques. The survivors were those who developed solid
business strategies and used experts to market their labels and outlets. Quant
saw that the only way to thrive and move up the fashion value-chain was to
develop a system of manufacturing that could produce limited ranges of quality
garments in a timely and cost-efficient manner, and in so doing, she established
business partnerships with CMTs and textile manufacturers who were willing and
able to meet her needs.
In 1971, it was
estimated that in the United Kingdom alone, there were 15 000 boutiques doing
an annual business remit of 300-million. There was fierce competition between
the boutiques, but this fostered an ethos of mutual respect and operational
etiquette flourished in this sector. Each boutique offered a retail outlet for
designers, and these outlets evolved into distinguished, quaint retail oases,
establishing a reputation for a particular fashion flavour for a discerning
market segment.
The boutiques offered an
ideal opportunity for the supplier designers to interact with customers, get
critical feedback and rapidly adapt, innovate and supply updated designs. They
did not wait for received wisdom from textile manufacturers or trend
forecasters. Instead, they created their own trends, and styles, allowing both
young and old the space to explore and mix a variety of affordable,
high-quality styled clothing to create their own personal fashion statements.
The key to fashion
revolution is the alignment between CMTs, textile suppliers, independent
designers and the financial sector supporting boutiques that present viable business plans.
South Africa's fashion
sector should spearhead this alignment process, by understanding global trends -
much as a musician masters fundamental techniques and genres-and then improvising on these to recalibrate the degree and trajectory of fashion development along new
lines of excellence.
Written and research by
Renato Palmi
The ReDress
Consultancy-South Africa
www.redressconsultancy.blogspot.com