1) The stakeholders involved within the UK fashion industry and the key issues impacting on UK fashion today.

1C) The relationship between the designers and the stores.

Kate Moss was able to design for Topshop in 2007, through her friendship with the firm’s boss, retail tycoon Sir Philip Green. Kate was able to produce 14 collections for the brand before ending her contract due to ‘other commitments’.

Kate’s designed proved to be a massive hit with Topshop customers and it has been estimated that she has made over £3m from the ranges.

Topshop is notorious for quick change, it brings in brands and loses brands so it was a surprise to see that Kate was able to bring out 14 collections before customers and Topshop changed direction.

Madonna launched her range ‘M by Madonna’ for H&M in 2007.  Madonna worked hand in hand with Margareta van den Bosch to create a wardrobe of clothing and accessories that represent her own personal and modern spin on her very own wardrobe staples. Madonna has also decided to model the collection herself. The relationship began when H&M supplied a complete line of off-stage clothing for Madonna’s touring company, which led to the ‘Madonna tracksuit’ being sold in stores in 2007.

Karl Lagerfeld & H&M

"We both had the same idea independently. I've been fascinated by what they do for a long time, and they were apparently interested in what I represent", explained Karl Lagerfeld. The collection will be sold in most stores on H&M's 19 markets in Europe and North America. [sourced from H&M online website, 2004]

Unfortunately this relationship did not last long, Karl Lagerfeld has been reported to say that he will ‘never work with H&M again’ despite the success of his collection which sold out within hours over 20 stores across Europe. This all came about when he accused the Swedish retailer of "snobbery" for producing minimal numbers of his designs. [vogue news].

The point of this collaboration was to create an affordable line for the people who couldn’t afford Karl’s designs in Chanel etc. However because of the lack of quantity made, Karl saw this as an insult, and decided never to work with them again.

Jeremy Scott for Adidas

2003-present

High-low designer Jeremy Scott is no stranger to collaborations– he’s done tons in the course of his career, including one with Louboutin in the late ’90s. None have lasted as long as his relationship with Adidas, though. The collab has yielded a Keith Haring-inspired collection and countless tongue-in-cheek designs like animal hoodies and metallic winged sneakers. His creativity knows no bounds, and neither do the shelves of the sneakerheads who collect his kicks.

‘Jeremy is a great partner and ambassador for adidas, always embracing our brand values, transporting them to the public and also bringing Originals to new areas and platforms to be present and further discovered as the iconic sportswear label for the street that we are.’ [Adidas spokesman]

1D) Current trends in global manufacture.

Much of the time after World War II, trade in textiles and garments was regularly checked by importing countries. These protectionist measures, which were intended to prevent textile and clothing production from moving from high-wage to low-wage countries, were abandoned beginning in the 1980s. They were replaced by a free-trade approach, under the regulatory aegis of the World Trade Organization, who saw the competitive advantage of low-wage countries but also the advantage provided to consumers in rich countries through the availability of highly affordable apparel.

The more accessible clothing becomes, i.e via the internet, the higher the demand is. This therefore means that a lot of UK companies, are looking to manufacture clothes cheaply. And there first answer is to manufacture in China.

The size of the UK market is reflected in the figures – retail sales in the clothing sector reached £37.9bn in 2011, according to Verdict. The web has revolutionised the sector, the rise of China and other Asian countries has overhauled the supply chain, driving the success of fast fashion, and the recent economic downturn has changed shoppers’ attitude to value.

 [The changing face of fashion retail, 13 June, 2012 | By Rebecca Thomson, Retail Week]

India and China are and will continue to be dominant in their role within the world’s manufacturing economy. Russia and Brazil also will have a role in these shifts toward emerging manufacturing economies.

Looking ahead, in 2025 it is estimated that India and China will account for nearly 25-40 percent of the total world demand for goods and service.

 (Anil Gupta, Smith School of Business, University of Maryland)

The demand for consumer goods such as clothing, food, automobiles, phones and pharmaceuticals is driven by growing populations and a new and expanding global middle class. Due to the recession, all these luxury products ere put on hold and so manufacturing countries such as Europe, US and Japan all slowed down, where as Asia and China’s manufacturing demand increased.

China will move into the leading role in manufacturing, producing 18.6 percent of the globe’s manufacturing output (up from 7 percent in 1995). In 2011, China is expected to out-produce the United States for the first time, producing $1.87 billion in goods output while the United States is expected to produce $1.71 billion in goods output

(IHS Global Insight).

In the United States, this production value has created 12 million jobs within the manufacturing industry, which accounts for approximately 10 percent of the overall United States workforce

 (National Association of Manufacturing).

China is poised to have more impact on the world during the next 20 years than any other country. If current trends persist, by 2025 China will have the world’s second largest economy and will be a leading military power. It could also be the largest importer of natural resources and the biggest polluter.

 (Global Trends 2025, A Transformed World, National Intelligence Council).