Slide 2 Part Two The Primary LevelThe Materials of Fashion

What we are talking about in this section is the raw materials. I dont mean Lady Gagas meat dress when I say raw materials. The Primary level consists of the fiber, fabric, leather and fur producers.

Slide 3 Chapter Five Textiles: Fibers and Fabrics This runway shot is from Libertine Fall 2011 fashion show of their RTW ready to wear line. Fibers are the threadlike unit of raw material that makes up yarns and textile fabric. Fabric is made using yarns and may be formed in a variety of ways such as knitted, woven or bonded. Slide 4 Key Concepts that we will cover are: The difference between a natural fiber and a manufactured fiber

The slide shows flax in plant form before it is processed and becomes linen. The diagram below shows a magnified view of some natural fibers including flax and microfiber which is man-made. The major steps in the production of most fabrics The effect of imports on the U.S. fiber and fabric industries The effects of new technology on textiles Slide 5 Introduction Textile fiber and textile fabric manufacturers are considered primary suppliers The diagram on the top left shows the construction of knitted fabric. Some of you may knit and the idea is the same whether you hand knit or look at machine knit construction. Knitting is created by interloping the yarns The fabric diagram on the bottom left is woven construction. Some of you may have done paper weaving or made pot holders when you were younger. There are many patterns that go beyond the basic construction of either basic woven or knit. Makers of trimmings are also at the primary level of the fashion business. The variety of trimmings and fabrics which are available is endless. Slide 6 The Fiber Industry You might think of these as building blocks. Fibers are the smallest element of fabric, so small that some of them need a microscope to be seen. The fibers can be twisted or spun into continuous threads called yarn. Even though the fibers are small they are very important to the finished fabric as they give the fabric color, weight, texture and durability. Yarn is the component that can be knitted, woven or bonded into fabrics. Fabrics are one or the other Natural fabrics come from animal or plant sources Manufactured fabrics are called synthetic or man- made Slide 7 History and Development This is a great time to take a look at the clothes in your closet to see what kinds of fabrics you have chosen and where they come from. All clothing is required to have a label stating the country of origin and the content, which is what the garment is made of. More on this in our labeling section The Development of Natural Fibers

Slide 8

Cotton is the most popular of all the natural fibers and its source is plant. It is used for clothing and paper products. Cotton fibers absorb moisture, have a cooling effect and dry quickly which is why cotton is popular for summer clothing Long and extra-long cotton fibers produce the finest quality fabrics. The United States is the largest producer of long staple Pima cotton. Wool comes from the shorn fleece/coat of sheep. Fleece in this case is not to be confused with 100% polyester fleece that may be used for sweatshirts. : ) The sheep replenishes it coat many times. When it is shorn it grows back fairly quickly and no sheep are killed to procure the wool. If you have any wool clothing in your closet (check your coats, jackets, and warm scarves) you know that it keeps you warm. The reason it keeps you warm is that it has a crimp in the fiber and the bulky fabric traps air which creates insulation from cold. Silk comes from the cocoon of a silkworm. The silkworm secretes 2 fine streams of thick liquid. When this liquid contacts the air it hardens into continuous filament. The silkworm wraps this filament around itself to create the protective cocoon creating up to 1,600 yards of silk from each cocoon. Flax comes from the stalk or stem of the flax plant. The long fibers can be used to make fabric and shorter fibers are used to make rougher things like rope and twine. Linen is the name for fabric made from flax. The Egyptians used linen fabric extensively and referred to it as the Gift of the Nile. Ramie is also a plant based fiber. It comes from a woody plant called China grass. It grows in China, Philippines and Brazil. It is resistant to mildew, very strong, lustrous and slightly stiff. Hemp is a very fast growing plant and has a reputation for being a green fiber due to the fact that it needs very little pesticides and has a high yield. Other animal fibers are listed in the chart on the slide as well as in your book.

The Development of Manufactured Fibers Produced on a spinnerette which looks a lot like a shower head. The process is like what the silkworms do by sending a thick liquid through an opening to form a filament on the other side. Generic Names for Manufactured Fibers Generic names describe a category of fibers Brand names are trademarked and belong to the company that registers them with the U.S. Patent Office. An example of this would be spandex as a generic name and Lycra Spandex would be the DuPont brand name. Only DuPont products can be called Lycra spandex.

Microfibers are the finest of all the manufactured fibers and finer than any naturally occurring fibers. It has the luxurious hand of silk or cashmere but can be machine washed. Did you find any microfiber items in your closet? Slides 9, 10 and 11 give you lots of information on manufactured fibers. You can also look at these charts in your book. Slide 12 Organization and Operation of the Fiber Industries. The Natural Fiber Industry When you think about natural fibers you have to think where the items are being raised or grown. Certain geographic areas are going to be more advantageous than others depending on what is being raised. The United States does not produce much ramie, silk, linen and hemp. These fabrics are more likely to be imported. The Manufactured Fiber Industry is not impacted by the environment as they do not rely on natural items. The fiber companies only need to be located where they can readily receive raw materials, have a labor force to work in the factory and availability of transport to ship out their products. Fiber Development Anytime you are trying to sell something you are always on the lookout for what you could do better to sell more of the product. If what the customer wants is a fiber that collects solar power the companies will work to research and develop fiber/fabric that does this. This is called R and D which is short for Research and Development. Large companies will have large budgets for this so they can be the first to bring something to market. Fiber Distribution of manufactured fibers may sell their products in 3 ways: As unbranded products As branded or trademarked products Under a licensing agreement Slide 13 Merchandising and Marketing In order to sell more fibers or fabric companies will want to articulate and publicize information about their product. The more you can keep your name in front of the customer and educate them as to the benefits the more likely they are to buy your product.

Advertising and Publicity These are 2 ways to reach out to your customer. Advertising is paid for and publicity is free but may take some leg work to achieve. These methods of promotion reach out the trade and consumers. Both of these are consumers but the trade refers to the manufacturers who will use the fibers or fabric and consumers are the ultimate consumers ~ that would be YOU! ~ the people who purchase the finished product. Research and Development Also known as R and D this is what I mentioned in slide 12. Customer Services Another way to think about trade and consumers is direct and secondary users of a product. You might think of fashion as a long chain with each of the links adding something of value to the finished product. Each link all along the way has to make money. Cotton Inc. maintains a library of fabrics and presents manufacturers with seasonal updates of what the companies that use cotton are offering in the way of fabric. It is always inspiring to go see their presentations. They are a resource to designers and manufacturers and can save you a lot of time as you can look at many suppliers of cotton goods in one place. Cotton Inc. also has a great deal of advertising directed at the consumers. Click on this link to see a You Tube Cotton Inc. video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x6P_ismccQ&feature=c4-overviewvl&list=PL5hP2euIDvZSKGCDXxGrzmamZd5tEWrNj Trends in the Fiber Industry One of the trends is blended fabric using a natural and manmade fabric together. Look in your closet for blends. Cotton and Lycra spandex is popular as is cotton polyester. By blending the fibers they are trying to get the best of both in feel, look, performance and colorfastness. In your research and discussion board this week you will be sharing some of this information that you find on the Fiber and Fabric Industry. As you look at the segment that you have been assigned you can see what they offer in the areas of merchandising and marketing, advertising and publicity, research and development, customer service and trend information. Some people who work in the fashion business choose to work in this area.

Slide 14 The Textile Fabric Industry Textile fabric is any fabric which is made by any of these methods: Weaving Knitting Braiding Knotting Laminating Felting Chemical bonding Greige goods is (pronounced Grey goods) and means that nothing has been done to the fabric ~ no preparation, dyeing or finishing. When fabric is in this state it can converted into finished fabric according to the customers specifications. The company may specify their desired colors and finishes as long as the buy the minimum required to dye and finish the goods. Smaller companies may have to purchase only finished and therefore available goods. Slide 15 Organization and Operation The pace of mergers and acquisitions continues to accelerate. This is a general practice in business which we talked about in an earlier chapter. The result is that many of the smaller companies are acquired and the remaining companies are larger and stronger. If you want to compare it to nature it is survival of the fittest. Rise of textile imports Why? Price! If you can get it cheaper in a third world country then you can produce and sell your product for less and make more money. How many of you would prefer to buy something that says made in America? Here is a You Tube video you may want to watch. It is not critical information to our studies but just an example of how one company is approaching marketing their made in America product http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1MnibeOGDo The following is a posting that talks about ethical clothing. (Since I have presented it this is not one of the sites you may select as your green website for our discussion board ~ dont worry there are lots of them for you to choose from.) http://lanabambini.co.uk/store/news/

Market centers for textile fabrics are not at the mills but in New York City , our nations fashion capital where the big mills have showrooms and smaller mills would have a sales representative who calls on customers to sell them fabric.

The Jacob Javits Center pictured in your PPT hosts Textile shows as well as other conventions. Slide 16 Merchandising and Marketing As part of the cycle of fashion the fiber manufacturers working seasons ahead ~ about 2 years. The fabric manufacturers are working ahead by about 1 year. This allows enough development time all along the chain. They will need to have the fabric done in time for the designers to create new styles with the fabric. The Industrys Fashion Experts Some of you are researching the color experts on our discussion board this week. You may find that they also discuss trends. We will look forward to hearing what you find. I will provide updated comments as needed. If you think about trends in color they happen in interiors as well as in fashion. It is the job of some people to forecast the colors that will be popular. Forecasters will also be looking at the type of fabric that will be needed in upcoming season. Do you see any trends emerging for the next season? Will the fabrics be stiff and stand away from the body or will they feel soft and drape against the body? Textile Trade Shows and Fairs These happen all over the world and we will hear more about some of them on the Discussion Board. Who attends these shows? Designers, Manufacturers and Retailers. It was always a welcome excursion to attend a show and you would come back to the office refreshed and inspired. http://www.premierevision-newyork.com/Fashion-creativity/Info-seminars This will give you an idea of what is offered to the attendees of the show. The following pictures are from textile trade shows.

Advertising and Publicity Research and Development paying attention to what customers want is important as the one constant with fashion is change. The Green Scene You will be making your own comments on this in our discussion board this week. When customers consider green fabric such as bamboo, hemp and soy they need to consider the processes required to turn them into fabrics. Sometimes the processes are not as green as the raw material might lead you to believe Customer Services Some of these services may include in store training for employees, fashion shows and in store promotions. Slide 17 Trends in the Textile Fabric Industry Major trends: Innovations in high-tech fabrics High-tech fabrics are constructed, finished or processed in a way that gives them special qualities. You may have some of these in your closet without even realizing it. Do you have rainwear, swimwear, and activewear with wicking or antimicrobial characteristic? Growing global competition As you have probably noticed fabric comes from all over the world. Increased exports The United States not only imports foreign fabrics it also exports to other countries. The idea being to expand your business in any direction as the growth of apparel markets will likely be outside of the U.S. Greater diversification of products Increased government regulations The regulations include health and safety of workers, pollution including noise and chemical and environmental impact. Other points are hiring practices and product liability. New technology and equipment Computerized machines require fewer humans to run them, use less energy and are more efficient. Slide 18 Trends in the Textile Fabric Industry

Production of High-Tech Fabrics Although we may think of high-tech fabrics mostly as performance fabrics they are also used for high fashion. Protective Uses of High-Tech Fabrics Use of High-Tech Fabrics and Materials in Apparel In addition to rainwear, swimwear and active wear high-tech fabric can protect from hazardous waste, medical contamination, heat, fire and chemicals. Growing Global Competition Other markets such as Central America and India are growing. Increased Exports The demand for fabric continues to increase globally. Greater Diversification of Products If you had the challenge of coming up with a finish that would resist staining would you have come up with a Teflon finish on fabric? Increased Government Regulation The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the agency that monitors federal regulations. The flammability of fabrics is monitored for safety reasons and testing is required to be sure of quality. Care labeling requires that all fabrics are labeled to show the care required. They use written instructions and symbols to convey that information. These labels must be sewn into the garment and the label is also required to show fiber content, country of origin and the manufacturer who is responsible for the item. New Technology in Equipment affects all aspects of fiber and fabric manufacture. Slide 19 Trade Talk brand names fabrics fiber generic names geotextiles

greige goods high-tech fabric manufactured fibers microfiber primary supplier spinnerette textile fabric trimmings wicking yarn