Fashion Marketing: Contemporary Issues, Second edition - Pr School

Innovation management in creating new fashions 189
The discussion of the role of creativity in today’s textile/apparel industry
applies to the world’s highly developed economies in general, which are
entering a new stage of development. For centuries, this growth was based on
increases in productivity. However, ‘this expansion trajectory is now perceived
as unsustainable’ (Andersson, 1997). Quantitative growth must be replaced by
improvements in quality. ‘Wealth creating innovations ultimately substitute
knowledge for energy or materials. Knowledge accumulates exponentially,
with every innovation creating the opportunity for a greater number of innovations’
(Petzinger Jr, 2000). As products are becoming more varied and complex,
creativity rather than productivity is becoming the key to business success and
survival. In the new knowledge-based economy, Petzinger (2000) concludes
‘creativity is overtaking capital as the principal elixir of growth’. Despite the
importance of creativity for product differentiation, creativity regarding textile
or apparel designers, design teams and the design process has not been widely
investigated.
Most of the models reviewed describe the creative process as a problemsolving
system. Alexander (1977) recognized that in the architectural design
process some problems occur over and over again, in a given environment,
with a core (generic) solution. From that observation, he was the first to
develop a pattern language for a design process, where each pattern describes
a problem/solution combination related to a specific context. The patterns
are formulated in such a way that they can be used in different sequences
and numbers, many times over, without ever doing it the same way twice.
Therefore, the output can always be unique and new, thus defined as creative.
A pattern language for the apparel design process could channel creative
efforts and enhance communication between design team members by providing
them with a common language for creative fashion design.
Mapping the creative design process
The design process generally includes all the steps involved from generation
of ideas and concepts to prototype development of the end product (Secor,
1992). It is a multidisciplinary science that requires teamwork and collaboration
between various corporate functions. Marketing and sales information
are particularly important in the initial phase of the process. Design, material
and process knowledge is necessary to follow through to the next phases and
ultimately create new products.
Textile/apparel design processes in the literature are covered from both
a theoretical and empirical point of view. Since market and production constraints
need to be integrated into the process, a combination of skills and therefore
a collaboration of various corporate activities and functions are required.
Theoretical models and empirical descriptions attempt to capture the creative
design process to make it more tangible for all the design team members and
management. The following figures show the product design and development
processes from different points of view.