The Rise of Consumer Power
Essay Outline
I. Introduction
Thesis statement: Innovation and social media made consumers the biggest voice in fashion
II. Body
A. The power of fashion, how it used to be
B. Why this position changed
C. How it affects:
- Consumers
- The Producer/Designer
D. How it will be in the future
III. Conclusion
IV. Sources
The Rise of Consumer Power
Written by Lisa de Vries, March 2013
Fashion has, for a long time now, been one of the world’s most important and powerful businesses. The fashion business is a business of change, of innovation, creativity and collaboration. In this essay I am going dive deep into those four aspects, telling you about the change of power within the Fashion World, how innovation is one of the main reasons of this change, and how creativity and collaboration between producer and consumer will make the future of fashion. This essay explains why innovation and social media made consumers the biggest voice in Fashion.
The power of fashion, how it used to be
When you look at fashion in history, let’s say the 50’s and 60’s, you can see a clear role of power with the fashion designer. Fashion designers created personal art; they made collections made out of personal inspirations and personal taste. It was not about what the client or consumer wanted to wear, because if you where successful as a designer, the consumer wanted to wear whatever the designer made. What the designer made, became fashion. Looking at 1947, when Christian Dior invented the new look, people where used to other types of fashion during the World War II. Utilitarian and frugal styles dominated the period of the war, but Christian Dior decided to make a difference for women in that time. He had the “direct, unblushing plan to make women extravagantly, romantically, eyelash-battingly female.”1 After his fashion show, where he presented this new style, people thanked him for this new opportunity
I. Introduction
Thesis statement: Innovation and social media made consumers the biggest voice in fashion
II. Body
A. The power of fashion, how it used to be
B. Why this position changed
C. How it affects:
- Consumers
- The Producer/Designer
D. How it will be in the future
III. Conclusion
IV. Sources
The Rise of Consumer Power
Written by Lisa de Vries, March 2013
Fashion has, for a long time now, been one of the world’s most important and powerful businesses. The fashion business is a business of change, of innovation, creativity and collaboration. In this essay I am going dive deep into those four aspects, telling you about the change of power within the Fashion World, how innovation is one of the main reasons of this change, and how creativity and collaboration between producer and consumer will make the future of fashion. This essay explains why innovation and social media made consumers the biggest voice in Fashion.
The power of fashion, how it used to be
When you look at fashion in history, let’s say the 50’s and 60’s, you can see a clear role of power with the fashion designer. Fashion designers created personal art; they made collections made out of personal inspirations and personal taste. It was not about what the client or consumer wanted to wear, because if you where successful as a designer, the consumer wanted to wear whatever the designer made. What the designer made, became fashion. Looking at 1947, when Christian Dior invented the new look, people where used to other types of fashion during the World War II. Utilitarian and frugal styles dominated the period of the war, but Christian Dior decided to make a difference for women in that time. He had the “direct, unblushing plan to make women extravagantly, romantically, eyelash-battingly female.”1 After his fashion show, where he presented this new style, people thanked him for this new opportunity