Fashion creation-consumption: a pole reversal?

Citation

Hayes, S. (2011), "Fashion creation-consumption: a pole reversal?", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 15 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/jfmm.2011.28415baa.001

Fashion creation-consumption: a pole reversal?

Article Type: Editorial From: Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Volume 15, Issue 2

It is difficult not to consider the repercussions of the recent peoples’ revolutions in the Middle East and wonder what the world will look like with such a changed geo-political landscape. Compound this with the after-shocks of the economic crisis in the West and the ebullient Asia-Pacific and we can see that nowhere can be considered truly stable. Shift can occur at any time and, as far-fetched as this may seem, it is possible to envisage the impact of destabilised manufacturing countries in the Middle and Far East, increased unemployment and reduced disposable income in the West, and the growth in numbers and increase in spending power of the Asian consumer resulting in the poles of fashion creation-consumption being reversed. I have often heard talk of a revival of manufacturing in the UK and, as a product of the final throes of UK apparel production in the late 1980s, I cannot help but feel hopeful that this could happen. In a recent feature in Drapers (w/c 14 February 2011) reference was made to a number of UK-based retailers and brand owners who are looking toward more domestic manufacturing and the need for a technically able workforce supported by a suitably focused educational system – something in which my own institution has a proud and proven track record. We at the Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management also have a role to play in providing academically rigorous and applicable research to the ever-changing landscape of fashion business; in Emerald’s words – “research you can use”.

As usual this issue presents research from a wide range of fashion-related topics but I am particularly pleased that we have two papers focusing on India (“The apparel aftermarket in India: a case study focusing on reverse logistics” by Nandita Abraham along with “Accessing opportunities in apparel retail sectors in India: Porter’s diamond approach” by Manveer Mann and Sang-Eun Byun) going some way to satisfy my wish list presented in the editorial of issue 15/1. Another desire is to increase the number of technical papers presented in this journal, to reflect the true nature of the fashion business as that of creator and consumer; this is a journal of marketing and management, not marketing management. So, expect to see more papers along the lines of “Improving garment fit and function through ease quantification” by Simeon Gill in future issues, I know I do.

Steve Hayes