The Rise of Fashion Bloggers

Fashion bloggers have become an influential force in the fashion industry. From small indie designer to the elite of fashion industry, these bloggers cover ever significant occurrence in the fashion world.

Starting in the early 2000, bloggers shook up the fashion business by changing the way fashion was viewed. Masses of people started following social media around this time and blogs became one of the major mediums of communication. Fashion bloggers started presenting a platform for the consumers to interact and connect. Also, buying habits of almost 31% of people were influenced by fashion bloggers as they held power to shape the public perception of a brand. Realising this, big fashion brands started incorporating fashion bloggers in their marketing initiatives. Even fashion magazines like Vogue, EELLE, GQ, and others started tying with well-known fashion bloggers.

                  

               Kristina Bazan

Leandra Medine

Today, fashion bloggers are seen as A-listers at some of the key shows. For instance, Louis Vuitton invited Fashion Blogger Kristina Bazan for its Gstaad opening. Also, Marc Jacobs Intl, for their Marc Jacobs runway show collaborated with prominent blogger Leandra Medine. Even, Dolce & Gabbana promoted their limited-edition Light Blue fragrance through this blogger network. In India, too, this trend is catching, where famous fashion bloggers like Miss Malini, Rhea Gupte, and Ruhi Sheikh have become a regular at fashion weeks.

    

Miss Malani

        

   Rhea Gupte

 

Ruhi Sheikh

Similarly, hundreds of bloggers today make and break fashion trends. Some of the most prominent ones are Wendy Nguyen’s ‘Wendy’s Lookbook’, Leandra Medine’s ‘Man Repeller’, Christene Braberich’s ‘Refinery29’, and Jennine Jacob’s ‘Independent Fashion Bloggers’. 

             

           Wendy Nguyen

Jennine Jacob

The Rise of E-commerce in Fashion

World’s biggest national and international fashion brands are venturing into e-commerce. In 2014, about 40 million consumers shopped online in India. This number is anticipated to go up to 65 million in 2015.

A decade ago no one anticipated that e-commerce would rise to such an extent. Today, e-commerce has not only evolved, but has also opened up many doors -- from creating new ways of shopping to providing an established platform for young designers to showcase their talent.

Flipkart

 The other trend that is seen recently, is the rise in e-commerce mobile apps. In fact, it is reported that leading portals like Myntra and Flipkart will eventually become mobile app-only stores.

Myntra

This trend of mobile apps in e-commerce is just the beginning. Both Myntra and Flipkart have witnessed that customers have started to prefer mobile apps than shopping through laptops and computers. In fact, this trend is said to be followed by over 70% of the customers in India in the coming years.

A Guide to the World of Fashion

The Fashion Industry is a constantly changing, yet stimulating world to belong to. A large number of people have tried but few have succeeded in cracking this glamorous business. The Fashion Industry is a tough industry to survive in. The first step is to know what you want; half the battle is won once you have chosen a path. The second thing that an aspirant should possess is passion, for you to accomplish your goals a burning desire to achieve them should be present. After realizing these two goals it is time to act on them, hence here are some pointers that may help you.

Education: We live in a very competitive world today; everyone is busy running the race. In order to keep up with this fast paced race, knowing the rules of this race is essential, therefore a quality education is of paramount importance. Fashion designing is a highly creative field so you should possess that artistic sensibility, which a formal education will polish and enhance further. Schools and Institutes that are wholly dedicated to fashion are rapidly growing in India and students keen on establishing a career in fashion should enroll themselves in a fashion school of their choice. Now there are multiple career options in this field of fashion, like styling or fashion marketing, so research and read a lot before picking up a career line.

Internship: Education is only theoretical knowledge, which won’t be enough outside the walls of an institute. The remedy to this problem is to undertake as many internships as possible. An internship will give you a glimpse of how things work outside a textbook while providing you a safety net. No matter which line of career you pick in the fashion field, an internship will prove nothing but beneficial in the long run.

Portfolio: In most creative fields a portfolio is mandatory, including the fashion industry. A portfolio should be a compilation of your best and most innovative works. This portfolio will represent your creativity, so choose wisely.

Other than the above points, do a lot of research; this will give you a better idea about the different genres of fashion and help you decide which one you prefer the most. Lastly, after every point is ticked and done with, have faith and confidence in yourself because that is the one quality that will get you through anything!

Fashion Merchandising as a Potential Career

The fashion industry has over the years encompassed every aspect of the art and business world. This highly creative field offers jobseekers careers in various fields tailored to their liking. A career in Fashion Merchandising is proving to be one of the most important aspects in the field of fashion.

Fashion merchandising is the business side of the fashion industry. It creates a link between fashion creators and buyers. Along with having an eye for fashion, an aspirant should also have a strong business sense. A rather broad term, a fashion merchandiser’s responsibility is to deliver the apparel requests and meet the needs of customers and designers. The job description also includes developing campaigns, displays, advertisements and marketing, creating sales strategies, customer relations and creative technologies as required. They not only have to ensure accessibility of the merchandise but also make sure it appeals to the targeted customers. Basically buying, pricing, marketing, displaying and selling of garments and accessories are things a fashion merchandiser must take care of.

For a successful career in this field, possessing a formal education is crucial. You need to know the ins and outs of the business and having a good fashion sense is just a bonus. Developing your business skill is of the utmost importance. You must polish your marketing strategies, know which store should sell what and how to recognize fashion trends and, of course, learn to predict future trends.

The other point of importance is that of an internship, which has been emphasized time and again. No matter the career you opt for, having an internship will definitely build a strong foundation. You will get familiar with the ways things work in the business world and once you complete your education you will have enough knowledge to forge your own success story in the real world. There are fashion schools that provide placements and internship options, so do your research about the school you want to join.

We at Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion have a diploma course which specializes in various fashion aspects. As a part of the Fashion Merchandising course students are introduced to the three key aspects of merchandising, namely visual, retail and export. This module will aid students by increasing their global awareness of the fashion industry and identify where opportunities exist. A student’s knowledge base is enhanced by attending workshops, presentation, group projects and eminent guest lecturers from the fashion industry. Through our courses, we look to not only build the practical knowledge a student possesses but also augment their theoretical knowledge since the latter is of key importance in the professional world. Explore a career in fashion with us and get ready to do what you love!