CH A P T E R
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
54
Learning Outcomes
• Describe the two ways of viewing the fashion industry’s channel of
distribution.
• Defi and recognize vertical integration. fine
• Summarize commodity, fashion, and seasonal goods as related to the
fashion industry.
• Distinguish among other industries that deal with textile products.
• Identify the trade associations and industry publications for the
fashion industry.
• Infer the geographic areas for each segment of the industry.
4
Substance of
the Fashion
Industry
Fashion Terms
channel of distribution
soft goods chain
textile/apparel pipeline
fibers fi
yarns
fabrics
greige goods
designing
resellers
four-groups approach
vertical integration
private label goods
commodity products
fashion products
seasonal products
technical textiles
geotextiles
composites
trade associations
networking
trade publications
labor-intensive
Fashion goods evolve through many steps before they become fi nished gar- fi
ments or accessories. Many individuals and companies move products
through the fashion channel of distribution from beginning to end from raw
materials, to fi nished goods, to the end user. A fi channel of distribution is the
route that products take from the original source, through all middle-people
(production, sales, etc.), to the end user. There are two ways of viewing this
channel of distribution for fashion products: the soft-goods chain and the
four-groups approach.
Fashion merchandisers should understand the processes, timing, and
practices of the individual segments or groups within the overall fashion
industry. Knowing the interrelated functions of the parts affects decisions
about what, when, from whom, and how much merchandise will satisfy the
current market demand.