The other topic for 9/13 "About Fashion"

[scott(박범석)]

 

Store Wars: Fast Fashion

In the second of a three-part special on Britain's shopping wars, The Money Programme looks at the battle being waged between clothing retailers as they rush to copy the latest celebrity fashions and get them to the High Street within days.

 There's a fashion revolution underway on the High Street. From Kate Moss to Kylie, Britain's shoppers want to wear what the stars wear and retailers are rushing to provide it. Shops like Top Shop, Zara and H&M are battling it out at the heart of a £27bn clothing market.

Their targets are consumers like Louise Hitch. Louise works in one of Leeds' premier restaurants and claims that for her, image is everything. "It's really important to me to get the right look for each season, you have to look right for your customer and give them the right first impression," she says.

Louise shops every day, looking for styles and outfits like those her favourite fashion icons wear.

Julian Linley, deputy editor of Heat Magazine, is not surprised by Louise's shopping habits: "We've become more obsessed with the way that celebrities dress because it's just become so much more accessible. Stores are much better at cottoning onto the things that celebrities wear and reproducing them very quickly."

 From catwalk to shop floor

Retailers are locked in a battle to try to get key catwalk trends from the drawing board to the shelves as quickly as possible.

Shoppers have become much more savvy, claims Top Shop brand director Jane Shepherdson: "They want to be able to buy the things celebrities are wearing or they want to be able to buy into the trends that they've seen from the catwalk as quickly as possible."

Top Shop's move towards fast fashion increased sales by 20% last year. The chain is part of the retail empire owned by billionaire Philip Green, which also includes BHS, Burton, Wallis, Evans, Dorothy Perkins and Mark One.

But Top Shop wasn't always so successful - or so quick off the mark. In the days of separate winter and summer collections, high-street retailers often had lead times of up to 18 months on their designs.

 Spinning around

With retailers copying the latest designer styles and celebrities like Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham and Liz Hurley popping into Zara and Top Shop to pick up a bargain, the fast fashion wheel has come full circle

"It's just got faster and faster, spinning not entirely out of control but certainly spinning at a rate that can make you dizzy," says Hilary Alexander. "If you want to be in fashion, you've got to stay in the race."

--Question--

1. Have you ever bought something because it was fashionable? If so, what?

2. Does the fashion industry exist mainly to persuade people to spend money on things they do not really need?

3. Do you think fashion models should be used to sell products such as cars?

4. Some fashion models refuse to advertise products involving animal cruelty

such as cosmetics and fur coats. Would you buy such products?

5. Would you like to be a fashion model if you were offered the opportunity?

6. Which countries have the best and worst fashions in clothes?

[Vuitton(김소윤)]

THANK YOU SCOTT^^SEE U SUNDAY~!!

[polaris(이재은)]

thanks so much! scott! i'll upload the article next week see u sunday~

[Homeplus(강진욱)]

우와 ~~ 형 수요일까지 다셔야죠 ~!!! ㅋㅋㅋㅋ 잘읽어 볼께요 ㅎㅎ

[Rachel(소현)]

Thanks for the topic that you uploaded... It's so trendy news~

[세바스찬(재홍)]

thank u for ur effort , it is very interesting topic for us~~^^

[Mickey(정웅열)]

little bit late,,,

[Daunte]

떙큐 스캇. 씨 유~ 해바라기 씨유는 몸에 좋아...

[일자몸매탈출(박덕주)]

ㅎ주말마다 /스타일/ 잘 보고 있네요. 저는 고향이라서 못갔어요.. 재미있었겠음.. ㅠ,ㅡ

[Amy(이선영)♡]

사실 오늘 가고 싶었는데... 수준이 너무 높을까봐 꺼려지네요ㅜ.ㅡ;; 전 실력이 좀 부족해서 겁부터 나는걸요~