Fashion Economics

The book includes stories of the people and workings of luxury fashion, from New York, London, Paris, Milan—and in the rapidly growing markets of China.

Cheap fashion has fundamentally changed the way most Americans dress. Stores ranging from discounters like Target to fast fashion chains like H&M now offer the newest trends at unprecedentedly low prices. Retailers are producing clothes at enormous volumes in order to drive prices down and profits up, and they've turned clothing into a disposable good.

Status signaling isn’t just the province of the immature or insecure but a fundamental human need to secure social standing. It drives our behavior, forms our tastes, determines what we buy, and ultimately shapes who we are. It’s what’s behind “cool” and what drives fashion, music, food, sports, slang, travel, hairstyles, and dog breeds—and even the outsize influence of unpopular things with the “right” audience.

In Fashionopolis, Thomas sees renewal in a host of developments, including printing 3-D clothes, clean denim processing, smart manufacturing, hyperlocalism, fabric recycling - even lab-grown materials. From small-town makers and Silicon Valley whizzes to such household names as Stella McCartney, Levi’s, and Rent the Runway, Thomas highlights the companies big and small that are leading the crusade.

North Korea is one of the most troubled societies on earth. The country's 24 million people live under a violent dictatorship led by a single family, which relentlessly pursues the development of nuclear arms, which periodically incites risky military clashes with the larger, richer, liberal South, and which forces each and every person to play a role in the "theater state" even as it pays little more than lip service to the wellbeing of the overwhelming majority.

There is a major disconnect between what we wear and our knowledge of its impact on land, air, water, labor, and human health. Even those who value access to safe, local, nutritious food have largely overlooked the production of fiber, dyes, and the chemistry that forms the backbone of modern textile production. While humans are 100 percent reliant on their second skin, it’s common to think little about the biological and human cultural context from which our clothing derives.

We may not often think of our clothes as having a function beyond covering our naked bodies and keeping us a little safer from the elements. But to discount the enormous influence of clothing on anything from economic cycles to the future of water scarcity is to ignore the greater meaning of the garments we put on our backs. Disrobed vividly considers the role that clothing plays in everything from natural disasters to climate change to terrorism to geopolitics to agribusiness.

Running a successful business can be hard for anyone, but 17-year-old Moziah Bridges has becomes a pro at it. His company, Mo's Bow's, is what today's "kidpreneurs" dream of achieving - a successful business selling a product that one loves and is passionate about. In his audiobook, Mo will share his BOWS of Business: Believe in yourself, take the Opportunity to give back, Work hard/study hard, and have Support from friends and family. He knows there is a Mo's Bows in every household - kids just need someone to help nurture their talents.

Which is more important to New York City's economy, the gleaming corporate office--or the grungy rock club that launches the best new bands? If you said "office," think again. In The Warhol Economy, Elizabeth Currid argues that creative industries like fashion, art, and music drive the economy of New York as much as--if not more than--finance, real estate, and law.

Controlling the quality of apparel manufacturing when producing in countries like Vietnam can make or break your brand. I explain basic quality control concepts, share practical advice, and introduce you to quality control companies that can save your shirt. I have been working in the Vietnamese garment industry since 2008. I wrote this book to share my practical quality control advice based on first hand experience and interviewing factory owners and brands. I can help you bring your fashion start-up dream to life in Vietnam.

Where can you buy eco fabric? What exactly is eco fabric? I share my research about what is eco and what is not eco as well as introduce you to eco standards and certifying bodies to keep your supply chain honest. I introduce you to 46 sources of eco textiles which you can have converted into garments in Vietnam. I have been working in the Vietnam garment industry since 2008 and many people asked me to source eco fabrics.

Worn Out examines the underside of our historic clothing binge and the fashion industry's fall from grace. Former InStyle senior news editor and seasoned journalist Alyssa Hardy's riveting work explores the lives of the millions of garment workers—mostly women of color—who toil in the fashion industry around the world—from LA-based sweatshop employees who experience sexual abuse while stitching clothes for H&M, Fashion Nova, and Levi's to "homeworkers" in Indonesia who are unknowingly given carcinogenic materials to work with.

Un audiolibro che analizza il mercato della moda, focalizzandosi in particolare sul segmento definito "high-end" (fascia alta), in cui trovano posto brand del calibro di Gucci, Prada, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent. In un'epoca contraddistinta da repentini e profondi cambiamenti, anche il mondo della moda ha vissuto importanti trasformazioni.

TOP DOG RADIO talks with Bud Konheim, a New York-based fashion guru who’s never at a loss for words, and three other leaders in the U.S. garment industry. Konheim is a partner with Nicole Miller, a leading designer (and company) based on Madison Avenue in New York City. Also taking part is Harold Lopato of Majestic Shape, Inc., which makes shoulder pads and other clothing accessories, and David Lee of KD Dids Inc., which specializes in dance and sportswear.