Trendspotting in the fashion world - Guest Column - Brief Article

DSN Retailing Today,  June 10, 2002  by Charles Riotto

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You'd be hard pressed to find a business more focused on spotting--and setting--trends than the fashion industry. Consumers of all ages, sexes, sizes, interests, etc. are forever looking for what's in, what fits their needs, their lifestyles and, perhaps most important, what makes them look good.

Now more than ever, brands that have traditionally made their names with other products and services are not only entering the fashion licensing arena, but are relying on the style of the apparel itself, as well as the lifestyle of their demographics, and not the licensing of a logo. At this year's Licensing 2002 International, to be held June 11 to 13 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York, attendees will get a taste of what companies are doing with their brands and how they are licensing them to a variety of demographic markets.

Clothes can be a powerful tool as they offer certain demographics the freedom to express themselves and the freedom to move. This is especially evidenced in the boys' 14 to 24 demographic, currently the core market for AmeriCo's line of Mountain Dew apparel. This licensing brand extension was created when AmeriCo recognized the tremendous growth and interest in alternative sports. The product's strong brand identity among action sports enthusiasts has fostered a culture that can be tapped into with a line of clothing. Mountain Dew's initial launch will be directed toward the young men's market, offering them their biggest opportunity in the licensed apparel market.

Looking good and dressing for an active lifestyle isn't reserved just for the very young. Sometimes there is a unique need for a specific type of clothing that only experts in a field would know about. With a sharp eye tuned to its core readership, National Geographic spotted a market in need of various types of outerwear, covering a wide terrain of geographic conditions. Its Adventure Collection has been designed for the professional outdoor market, with a focus more on varying climates than specific age groups.

The licensing program was developed by field testing certain products to determine their interest level. For the sailing crowd, for example, there's a stylish jacket that inflates into a life preserver. And for those making their way through the tropics, they will need a pair of pants that look good, feel comfortable and also offer protection against snakebites.

Of course, sports enthusiasts aren't the only consumers that want to set--and be part of--a trend. Looking hip and sophisticated is a very important lifestyle choice, and if a brand has spent the better part of 25 years polishing its "hip quotient," it's only natural for it to extend into the fashion world. While fashion trends have changed tremendously since 1975, the essence of one brand--Saturday Night Live--has endured.

Broadway Video Enterprises sees that apparel is the core of lifestyle branding, hence a fashion licensing program is the next logical step in continuing to stress the "hipness" of the SNL brand. The line will not be character-driven, but more of a reflection of the lifestyles the show's viewers have developed over the past 25+ years. This makes for a unique fashion licensing program, as the brand itself was the trend from its inception. Throughout the years, the SNL brand has been such a powerful force that it has influenced the lifestyles of its audience.

So what do each of these companies have in common? They are all nonfashion companies that are positioning themselves through fashion merchandising to appeal to a targeted lucrative segment of their buying audience. And they have chosen licensing as a means of accomplishing this. By licensing their names and/or logos to upscale clothing lines, they are helping to perpetuate the image with which they wish to be associated, whether it's hipness, modern outdoor living, social causes, sports, ruggedness, durability, etc. Like an increasing number of major international corporations, they have realized licensing is an effective marketing strategy that also can create a meaningful revenue stream.

While choosing a lifestyle is an individual choice, there are certainly outside sources that can sway one's decision in one direction or another. The licensing of a brand into the fashion world is a big factor in determining a lifestyle direction. As times have changed, brand owners have become more in tune with their readers, viewers and product users. If one hand doesn't know what the other is doing, then both can never be in sync. A lifestyle choice for today might be passe tomorrow, but with the right licensing programs, there will always be products from which to choose.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
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