Fashionably Speaking.

Experts discuss emerging industry trends and how these changes impact African Americans 

WHO DECIDES WHAT'S HOT AND WHAT'S NOT in the fashion business? Nowadays, consumers determine which designs make the cut, what occasions are appropriate for their new threads and how much they're going to pay for them. They also define which industry players get the most play and which ones become demode.

So where is the apparel industry headed in the new millennium? We've spotted five forces: a more casually dressed workforce, the decreasing popularity of department stores, the emergence of urbanwear, a stronger voice among youth and the integration of technology into the fashion arena--that seem to be putting an end to fashion as we know it. But change can be a good thing, as long as African Americans position themselves to be both the driving force behind, and the beneficiaries of, it.

kickin' it in khakis for business

For companies, it's not business as usual as far as attire is concerned. Casual Fridays have become a year-round custom and "dressing down means that people will spend less money on clothes than they have in the past," suggests Teri Agins, author of The End of Fashion (Morrow, $25). In fact, casual wear is a key market driver for apparel sales with the most robust growth reported among dressed-down garments, such as sweaters, casual pants and shorts. In 1999, sales for men's tailored apparel took a dive of .5% while sales from women's tailored apparel was up only 1.9%, according to market information provider the NDP Group Inc. Designers of high-fashion garments beware!

department stores downslide 

As dressing down gains in popularity, so do specialty retailers and discounters--and they do this at the expense of department stores, which are losing market share. According to NPD, discount stores--which include retailers such as Kmart and Wal-Mart--have surpassed department stores in market share since 1995, and are continuing to widen their lead. With a 7% revenue gain in 1999, discount stores were able to capture more than a 20% market share of apparel dollars. Not only were discount stores the fastest-growing retail channel, but last year's market share was a new high.

fashion goes high-tech

"You don't have to travel to meet a person face-to-face because you can e-mail your work and designs, [thus] becoming an international player in the global market," points out Joyce Brown, president of the Fashion Institute of Technology. Designers are using computers to refine designs, e-mail sketches, develop three-dimensional animated images, organize projects and eliminate the paperwork that was once an inescapable part of doing business. Plus, e-commerce largely impacts the industry as companies and consumers conduct transactions over the Web. In 1999, online apparel sales reached a high of $1.1 billion. "Now it doesn't matter where you're from or who you are, as long as you can create the designs that are in demand and get your styles seen," says Brown. "Technology is going to make a tremendous difference in how the industry ends up being formed and how people break in."

hip-hop hits new heights

"The biggest success that blacks are having now are with hip-hop clothes," remarks Constance C.R. White, former fashion director of Talk magazine and author of Stylenoir: The First How-to Guide to Fashion Written With Black Women in Mind (Perigee, $15). "The influence of hip-hop culture has opened the door for young entrepreneurs to come in with urban clothing." Traditionally, industry professionals looked for fashion trends in Europe, but now [they look] to New York for inspiration, says Mark-Evan Blackman, chairman of the men's wear design program for the Fashion Institute of Technology.

movement to mix and match brand labels

As the baby boomers cruise into retirement, their children are bringing their own flair to the fashion arena. "Our generation is much more comfortable with fashion than [our] parents, and [we're] willing to mix and match [our] clothing," says 30-year-old designer Anthony Mark Hankins, who has an atelier in Dallas. His fashions are sold in Sears and on the Home Shopping Network. He says no one sports one designer label throughout their ensemble these days, especially since you can get cheap but chic looks from various specialty stores. According to Hankins, Gen Xers aren't afraid to "put a number of labels on their backs and not think about it."

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How can African Americans capitalize on the latest trends in the fashion industry

1 Consider working for a more established label. Learn the trade from an experienced business professional and establish a track record before stepping out on your own (see "Employed by Design," this issue).

2 Find your niche. Build your brand on a smaller scale by targeting discount retailers, smaller specialty stores or unique customers.

3 Give consumers what they want. If the demand for high-fashion apparel is decreasing, consider another segment of the industry, like urbanwear (see "Hip-hop on Top." this issue).

4 Shop smart. Look like a million dollars without spending big bucks.

5 Keep fashion dollars in the black community. Support black designers and retailers. If you don't see a black presence at a trade show or major department store, voice your disappointment and shop elsewhere if they don't make a change (see "Investing on the Home Front", this issue).

6 Demand that companies increase their use of black models to market their products. Blacks spend a significant amount of money in the fashion industry (see chart) and should use this leverage to influence how they are represented. (See www.blackenterprise.com for more.)