Why Many Runway Fashions
Never Make It to The Stores

Question:  “I see a lot of clothes in runway fashion shows on TV that never seem to make it to my local stores.  Why is that?”

Answer:  It all boils down to money.

In the competitive world of fashion, apparel companies generally adopt one of five merchandising philosophies:  innovate, interpret, imitate, research, or real time.  Each has its place in the fashion market, and each succeeds based on its philosophy.

Here's a breakdown:

INNOVATORS are companies that rely on their innovative designs to attract their market—which generally consists of other fashion innovators.  These are the cutting-edge clothes that you see covered by the media on television and in magazines, and you may secretly wonder who in their right mind would be caught dead in such an outfit.  Yes, there are people who buy these clothes—but not enough to make much money.  So these clothes become the bait that draws buyers in for a look at the more mainstream clothes that the designer has to offer.

INTERPRETERS watch the innovators carefully and “interpret” the successful innovative designs for their own niche markets.  Rather than risk unsuccessful designs, they see what trends appeal to the consumer, and adapt them for their own markets.

IMITATORS are the knock-off artists who reproduce popular designer fashions in very affordable price ranges.  They rely on quick timing, cheap fabrics, and low-cost labor to get their products to market fast.

RESEARCHERS do extensive consumer research before heading to the design table.  While they do keep popular trends in mind, they rely more on costumer preferences than creative elements.

REAL-TIME companies also rely on heavy consumer research, but they don't produce mass quantities of anything until they see what sells well.  They have the production facilities in place to fill orders quickly and efficiently.  They produce only the styles that consumers want and that sell well, greatly reducing overruns and returns.

So unless you have the bank account to buy clothes directly from the runway, your chances of seeing many of the styles locally are virtually slim to none.  While some popular styles DO make it to the local stores via interpreters and imitators, the truly innovative clothes are for show purposes only. 

Call it the old “bait and switch.”  Lure them in with the cool designs, then sell them clothes they'll actually wear…

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Diana Pemberton-Sikes is a fashion writer and image
consultant and a contributing author to FabJob’s Guide
to “Become A Fashion Designer.”  You can visit her
online at FashionJobReview.com .