Real-Life Communication
You're a fashion trend forecaster and you have just finished looking
over some of the latest designs for the seasons to come. Armed with thorough
research and great fashion ideas, you're now prepared to meet with several
of your clients.
"You do lots of presentations in this business," says
fashion forecaster Jayne Mountford. "Good presentations skills are key."
She
also says that general communication skills are important. "This is all about
building relationships," she says. Fashion trend forecasters need to be able
to communicate their ideas and predictions clearly and succinctly to their
clients.
"You build your reputation based on your ability to forge
relationships with clients," she says.
One way to build strong relationships
is to help the clients make good selections that in turn will sell to their
customers. Right now you're planning to visit four very different clients.
You have four different fashion selection suggestions for them.
Below
is a list of the clients you will visit this week. Also listed are four different
fashion trends you think will be popular. Which trend ideas will you recommend
to which store? Why?
Client stores:
- Expectant Moms is a store that caters to pregnant women and also carries
some children's clothes. They carry all types of clothing from business to
casual wear.
- Topline Sports is a sports and casual wear store catering to fitness buffs
looking for something to wear to the gym or while riding their bike. This
store is also for people who simply want the comfort of casual clothes.
- Ellen's Couture Fashions caters to high-end consumers looking for the
perfect outfit for dressy occasions. Film stars and high-profile city women
who attend balls and galas shop at this store.
- BeeBop's is a store that carries the latest in designs for teens. The
store is located at the mall. It prides itself on carrying clothes that appeal
to youth, and not necessarily to their parents.
Different fashion trends:
- This group of fashions is centered around leather, fur and feathers. You
see a lot of feather boas and dresses studded with diamonds around the collar.
- This group of fashions includes outfits in Lycra, wind pants with colored
zippers on the leg to match tops and windbreakers, cycling jackets in lemon
yellow and tangerine, and running shoes in purples and eggplant.
- This group includes short skirts, capri pants and tops that show the midriff.
Also included are chunky sandals, jeans with beadwork and scarves worn as
head and belt accessories.
- This group of fashions sports long tops in full sizes, with matching leggings.
Jeans with beadwork and expandable panels are also popular. Leather jackets
in size 3X and jeans large enough to fit around diapers are a trend this year.
Match each store with one of the fashion trends and explain your
choice. In addition, make two more fashion suggestions for each store that
you think would be appropriate for them to carry. Remember: it's important
to consider who the customers will be when choosing designs.