Fashion Buying

Shaw, DavidDavid Shaw worked in fashion buying for over 20 years for some of the UK's most famous high street fashion retailers. He is now an academic, consultant trainer and writer on fashion retailing and marketing. David has lectured at the London College of Fashion, Nottingham Trent University, Middlesex University, University of Surrey, Northumbria University and The Institute Marangoni in the UK, as well as the Dublin Institute of Technology and Macquarie University, Sydney. He has previously published four titles on fashion buying, marketing and management for Routledge, Macmillan and Springer-Verlag.

Koumbis, Dimitri
Dimitri Koumbis has over 20 years of retail experience, working in merchandising, management, and store design for fast fashion brands such as Urban Outfitters and Gap, Inc. Currently, he is the Co-founder and Creative Director for Bishop Collective, an e-tailer based in New York City, who offers a highly curated collection of American-made women's apparel, accessories, and home décor from emerging and seasoned designers, who advocate for stronger ethical fashion practices within the fashion retailing industry. Additionally, Dimitri is a lecturer of undergraduate and graduate level retailing and design courses at Parsons, The New School in New York City and Rutgers Business School in Newark.

Fashion Buying: From Trend Forecasting to Shop Floor uniquely looks at what fashion buying entails in terms of the activities, processes and people involved - from the perspective of the fashion buyer. It breaks down the five key areas of buying activity for those wishing to pursue a career in the industry; crucially exploring the role of the fashion buyer, sources of buying inspiration, sourcing and communication, merchandise planning, and trends in fashion buying.

The book features insightful interviews with successful fashion creatives alongside business case studies, putting the contents of each chapter into professional context and perspective. Exercises and activities also enable you to apply your knowledge of the subject as you work through the book. Fully illustrated with inspiring imagery, Fashion Buying is an invaluable go-to handbook for fashion design, marketing, buying and merchandising students, written by industry experts.

Fashion Buying: From Trend Forecasting to Shopfloor explores what this key role entails in terms of the activities, process and people involved - from the perspective of the fashion buyer.

Chapter 1: The Fashion Buyer
What is a fashion buyer?
Retail environments and the buyer
Fashion buying approaches
Case study: Kristen Lucio, e-commerce entrepreneur
Interview: Kristen Lucio
Chapter 1 summary

Chapter 2: Sources of Buying Inspiration
Buyers, designers and markets
Market research
Trend forecasting
Case study: Promostyl
Interview: Matthew Jeatt, Promostyl
Chapter 2 summary

Chapter 3: Suppliers, Sourcing and Communication
What is a supply chain? The buyersupplier relationshipManaging the supply baseSourcing issuesDeveloping product categories and selecting linesFabric selectionFashion lead times and the fashion buying cycleSelecting and buying garments
Case study: Primark
Interview: Liam O'Farrell, Primark
Chapter 3 summary

Chapter 4: Merchandise Planning
What is merchandise planning?
Developing the initial season buying plan
Product sampling and the final range preparation Risk and range issues
Getting the balance right
Case study: SAP
Interview: Stephen Henley, SAP
Chapter 4 summary

Chapter 5: Trends in Fashion Buying
Promotional activities
Technology
Corporate social responsibility
Case study: Hennes & Mauritz (H&M)
Chapter 5 summary
ConclusionAppendixGlossaryStudent resourcesIndexAcknowledgements/ Picture credits