What Makes us Want to Buy Independent Fashion Design instead of Mass-produced Fashion?
Photo Source: Pinterest
While manufacturing becomes even cheaper, couture designer clothing is losing its footing instead of mass production which increases considerably.
What is especially interesting is how little most women seem to follow theindependent design movement, rather than expensive garments or cheap fashion.
I’m sure that most of you already know what is an independent designer, and had find out online many of them, but for those who don’t know, independent designers are talented people who design and make limited edition products without being part of a large, industrialized businesses. They produce their items on a smaller scale, many times exclusively.
I was thinking to this aspect for a while, so that I decided to share with you some of the reasons why I prefer independent designer goods instead of the others.
Better quality, better fabrics and well-cut
For instance, one particularly important aspect is that, independent designer clothes/accessories are manufactured with a close attention to details while mass production is related to fast fashion. Furthermore, indie designers pay careful attention to how they select the fabrics they use. Their goods are usually better crafted, with finer materials, than lower-tier garments. This is why sometimes their higher prices may be simply the result of a better quality products.
Photo Source: vi.sualize.us
Unique contemporary fashion
An added advantage for me is that contemporary independent designers, invest enormous amount of emotional energy, physical effort and creativity to create originally work. This is why most of them design limited editions. Smaller production makes their products less available for purchase and therefore more desirable and unique.
In the mean time, mass production have lower production costs than the equivalent diffusion brands because of their similar styling and lack of ‘name’ authenticity. Mass-produced brands are, however, easier for everyone to have and so there is always someone else with the same dress/ pants/ skirt/ handbag/etc. Some people are comfortable with this, others (like me) believe that sometimes, what makes a person really different is the unique garments or accessory he/she wear.
Product with stories
Another thing I really appreciate at designer goods is that they create with stories. I can certainly say that this is my favorite process at my business. The moment when I use creativity and emotion to design a story that some Wonderful Women would identify with. At most of independent designers, each product/collection have a story to tell, a philosophy behind, which makes the creation more desirable and more important… exclusively.
Photo Source: Google Images, 1850-1900 Mass production
Probably many of you already know that, “mass production are clothing collections emulating the latest trends on the catwalk that are designed, manufactured swiftly and are priced at an affordable range. It mostly targets mainstream consumers as “they want to be able to buy the things celebrities are wearing or they want to be able to buy into the trends that they’ve seen from the catwalk as quickly as possible” (Fast Fashion, 2004)
Price and consumers
Sometimes consumers use price as an indicator of product quality because they believe market prices are determined by the forces of competitive supply and demand. They assume that a garment with a high price meets high quality standards and vice-versa.
It’s true that one of the things that make a real difference is the price.
“Consumers use price as a cue to quality because it is visible and known. That is, prior to the purchase, price is easier to compare as opposed to the quality features and durability of the garments.” (Fowler & Clodfelter, 2001).
While couture designers sell their goods at a higher price (that makes their products reachless), mass production has cheap prices (that makes their products affordable for anyone).
Personally I can’t afford to wear top designer’s creations even though I’m in love with them, but in a world where mass production dominates, I want to be different through what I wear.
So here comes independent designers, which prices are a little higher than those of the high street giants (on my opinion this is an aspect that make a selection of their clients) but enough affordable for each one who want to differentiate and who appreciate creativity, innovation in fashion. Independent designers are offering a variety of apparel and accessories from affordable to high-end.
Photo Source: Google Images
Status. Make a difference wearing exclusive pieces.
Couture designer clothing has helped to create a culture of consumers who are exhorted to live up to the designer’s vision of beauty. Designer clothing has always had a big influence on status. Designer names infer that the wearer can afford such clothing, and that they are distinct from others. Older people, meanwhile, can find themselves judged by their clothing choices.
From my point of view independent designer’s products are unique and make a big difference in a world where almost anyone wear mass-produced fashion.
What about you? Did you get the experience to wear a piece created by independent designers? How did you feel?
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