Danish Fashion Going Global - Spandet And Partners

DANISH FASHION GOING GLOBAL 23
5. The Power of Fashion
Danish fashion together with Danish design is in general an important institution of
culture. Fashion has always been a mirror of society, and the society has been a
mirror of fashion.
Since a number of adjacent industries which traditionally use design and fashion as a
powerful value-adding factor are also enjoying a favorable trend, the fashion and
design industry plays an additional significant role as marketing export vehicle for
other industries. Similarly does the the design industry is an important part of fashion.
Similarly does the fashion industry which is an important part of design.
Looking at fashion as a cultural product rooted in consumerism implicates examining
the fashion industry from two very different points of view:
• a creative sector rooted in identity, individuality, image building, and marketing
• an industry based on traditional manufacturing and business practice
Consequently fashion has both a cultural and a financial aspect and thereby an
immeasurable and measurable influence on our society.
Fashion is a dynamic global industry which plays an important role in the economic,
political, cultural, and social lives of an international audience.
Fashion spans high art and popular culture and plays a significant role in material
and visual culture. Fashion is explored as a creative force, a business, and a means
of communication.
From the onset of an industry in the mid-1960s, the fashion industry has turned itself
into one of the largest export industries in Denmark.
Denmark is not a country which specializes in production nor does Denmark have a
true fashion-oriented culture like France, Japan, or Italy.
Still Danish fashion has succeeded in creating the high level of business through a
combination of design as a competitive parameter, commercial intuition,
conceptualization, government support, design schools, commercial prices, and
marketing such as fashion fairs supported by timely outsourcing of local production to
low-cost countries.
The strategy of the 1980s following international trends and competing on trends,
price, and costs has since then been a successful business model for many Danish
fashion labels.