Fashion Terminology
A-H
A
| Advertising | A type of promotion that is paid, nonpersonal communication delivered through mass media. |
| Assistant Buyer | Supports the buyer, often working with the six-month plan, open-to-buy, inventory, and vendor follow-up, taking directions from the buyer. |
| Assistant Fashion Designer | Supports designers by helping them create, modify, and locate new materials, styles, colors and patterns for fashion brands and labels. |
| Assistant Stylist | Supports the stylist, responsible for contacting PR Agencies, manufacturers and retailers to locate the best assortment of merchandise to be used in a shoot etc. |
B
| Blog | Particular type of website, consisting of articles or posts usually time stamped and viewed in reverse chronological order. |
| Blogger | A person who publishes a blog or personal diary on a web page. |
| Booker | A person at a modeling agency who negotiates with clients to get contracts and work for models. |
| Brand | Name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service to distinct them from other sellers. |
| Brick-and-click store | A retail business that offers its products to consumers through a store facility and through the internet. |
| Brick-and-mortar Store | A retail business hat has a physical appearance as opposed to an online store. |
| Business Plan | A written document that describes in detail how a business, usually a new one, is going to achieve its goals. |
| Buyer | Responsible for all of the product purchases and inventories for a company or particular department of a company within a certain budget. |
C
| Collection | Group of related styles. |
| Corporation | A company that is owned by stockholders, and may be run by an individual or group. |
| Costume Design Assistant | Support Costume designers including hiring costumes and managing wardrobe budgets. |
| Costume Designer | Responsible for designing, creating, acquiring and hiring all costumes for actors and extras. |
| Creative Director | Responsible for the overall creative direction and display for an advertisement or editorial. |
| Croquis | A rendering or miniature visual of a textile pattern or print. |
D
| Demographics | A set of characteristics of a certain group that describes its member’s backgrounds, economic status, education and other social factors. |
| Diffusion line | A modestly priced line of merchandise created by a high-end designer that retails at moderate prices |
| Distribution | Responsible for planning and managing the flow of goods received from the vendors, as ordered by the buyers to the retail locations. |
E
| Ethics | Moral and behavioural principles that dictate which is right and wrong. |
F
| Fashion Designer | Produces a line under his or her name or supervisors a team of designer assistants within a company. |
| Fashion Director | Responsible for determining the trends, colors, themes and textures for piece goods or fabrics that a firm will feature for a |
| Fashion Event Planner | Someone who increases the visibility of a design house, organisation, brand, product or fabric by coordinating special events and fashion shows, providing product exposure. |
| Fashion Journalist | Responsible for reporting the latest fashion designs and trends. |
| Fashion Photographer | Takes photographs of models wearing the latest apparel, accessories etc. primarily for commercial use |
| Fashion Stylist | Responsible for bringing to life the photographers or directors vision for a fashion shoot, print advertisement, magazine layout etc. |
| Fashion Week | Designated time when many designer collections are brought together and shown a series of fashion shows. |
| Fast Fashion | Apparel and accessory trends that are designed and manufactured quickly in an affordable way. |
| Fit Model | A live model that a designer may drape, cut and pin fabric on as well as having the designer check sizing and proportion of garments. |
G
| Global Sourcing | Refers to the process of locating, purchasing and importing or exporting goods and services from around the world. |
H
| Haute Couture | French word for ‘High Fashion’ and the name of the French industry that produces high fashion garments. |
| Human Resources | Refers to the department in charge of an organisations employees, including hiring and finding employees. |
I-V
I
| Influencer | A broad term used to describe a person, such as a blogger, celebrity or social media personality who inspires trends or purchases. |
| Integrity | Behaving in an honest manner and according to social and moral principles |
K
| KPI’s | Key Performance Indicators are statistical measurements that gauge the critical success factors of a business or other organisation. |
M
| Machinist | Sewing Machines stitch together fabric pattern pieces to make garments |
| Manager | A person who controls, monitors or directs a business or component of a business. |
| Manufacturer | A business that turns raw materials into finished, sellable products |
| Marketing Manager | The executive who shapes the companies research concerning demographics and psychographics and promotional efforts so that its products can sell based on the target customers wants and needs. |
| Media Kit | Collection of public relations materials delivered or mailed to the media. |
| Model | Individual employed to display clothing and accessories by wearing them. |
| Modeling Agency | Company that represents and acts as a scheduling agent for a variety of fashion models. |
N
| News Release | Article on a newsworthy event sent to editors or news directors for publication or broadcast in the media. |
O
| Open-to-buy | The amount of money allocated for the buyer to make new merchandise purchases each month, based on sales and inventory amounts. |
P
| Pattern Grader | Develops a pattern in the full range of sizes offered by the manufacturer. |
| Patternmaker | Translates the design concept into a flat pattern to create an actual garment. |
| Personal Shopper | Assists an individual in selecting an entire season’s wardrobe or an outfit for a specific occasion, based on the needs of the customer. |
| Planner | Works in collaboration with the buyer to develop sales forecasts, inventory plans and spending budgets for merchandise to achieve the retailer’s sales and profit objectives. |
| Portfolio | A collection of work that illustrates a job candidates range of skills and outcomes. |
| Production Assistant | Supports the production manager with detail work and record keeping. |
| Public Relations | Responsbile for finding cost-effective ways to promote their clients. |
| Purchase Order | A contract for merchandise between the buyer and the vendor. |
R
| Retailer | A business that sells products to the ultimate consumer and can include a vast range of brick and mortar stores as well as catalouge, click and online stores. |
S
| SWOT Analysis | Planning model that lists a company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) which are used to determine future direction. |
T
| Textile Designer | Creates original patterns, prints, and textures for the fabrics used in many types of industries. |
| Trend Forecaster | Continually monitors the consumer and industry through traveling, reading, networking and observing creating formal reports that summarise fashion trends and seasonal themes. |
U
| Usher | A person who escorts members of the audience to their seats and hand out programs. |
V
| Visual Merchandiser | Responsible for the window installations, displays, signage, fixtures, mannequins, and decorations that give a retail operation aesthetic appeal and distinct image. |