For a fashion brand, releasing a collection every season in a sustainable manner is fundamental. Therefore, sustainable collections are one of the parameters for the existence of a fashion brand. London Fashion Week, for example, makes seasonal collections—having released at least six collections for three years in a row (two collections per year) in a row—as one of the basic requirements for a brand to be able to participate in fashion week.
However, most local brands still do not implement sustainable collection development according to the fashion industry calendar. Not a few even make a “collection” when a fashion show is offered. Not the other way around, holding a fashion show because you have a kadotogel collection that must be presented to the wider public. Apart from that, quite a few also make “collections” only when there is an exhibition event.
Many people don’t realize that creating collections consistently and sustainably is the main indicator for measuring the performance of a fashion brand, providing focus for strategic and operational improvements to the company, and creating an analytical basis for every business decision making.
If collections are the main indicator for measuring the performance of a fashion brand, then research is the foundation in developing concepts and creating fashion designs for a collection. This means that creating a collection must always be closely related to the values and position of the brand, customer segments, the fashion market and the dynamics of social, economic, cultural and political changes that affect the fashion industry both directly and indirectly.
Research has an important role in collection development, not only for the purpose of making products that are in line with developments, but also related to various decisions that must be made, such as preparing marketing and branding strategies, managing human resources, and various other business aspects.
There are three research domains that we then discuss in the workshop: fashion research, market research, and information research related to fashion business and management, customer behavior, changes in matters, culture, economics, and politics that have an impact on the fashion industry. By understanding and applying research in these three domains, each participant is expected to be able to develop his brand in line with current developments, have flexibility and the ability to adapt, both in terms of creativity and business.