Book review by Lisa Hayes.
Manlow, Veronica. Designing Clothes: Culture and Organization in the Fashion Industry. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2007. ISBN 978141281055

Hayes, Lisa

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New England Journal ofEntrepreneurshipVolume 12 | Number 1 Article 92009Designing Clothes: Culture and Organization inthe Fashion IndustryLisa HayesDrexel University, llh25@drexel.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/nejePart of the Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons, and the Fashion BusinessCommonsThis Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Jack Welch College of Business at DigitalCommons@SHU. It has been accepted forinclusion in New England Journal of Entrepreneurship by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@SHU. For more information, please contactferribyp@sacredheart.edu, lysobeyb@sacredheart.edu.Recommended CitationHayes, Lisa (2009) "Designing Clothes: Culture and Organization in the Fashion Industry," New England Journal of Entrepreneurship:Vol. 12 : No. 1 , Article 9.Available at: https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/neje/vol12/iss1/9Designing Clothes: Culture and Organization in the Fashion IndustryCover Page FootnoteBook Reviews, Associate Editor Michele Masterfano.This book review is available in New England Journal of Entrepreneurship: https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/neje/vol12/iss1/9Veronica Manlow, Designing Clothes: Culture andOrganization in the Fashion Industry, New Brunswick,NJ and London, UK: Transaction Publishers, 2007. 313pages. $34.95.In Designing Clothes: Culture and Organization in theFashion Industry, author Veronica Manlow gives adetailed look into the fascinating world of fashion. Ifyou have ever wondered what it would be like to experi-ence the culture inside a fashion company, then you willtruly enjoy this book.The unique fashion industry informa-tion provided is helpful for either launching a business orworking in a related field. The reader will gain a betterunderstanding of the fashion business and the role of indi-viduals within the corporate fashion structure.The cultureexisting in the world of fashion is complex, competitive,vivid,pulsating,and very fast paced.By spending time as aninsider at the world renowned fashion firm of TommyHilfiger, the author is able to share experiences specific tothe world of fashion design and bring the reader along forthe journey.The five chapters in Part I of the book lay the foundationfor understanding the fashion industry as it is today.The firstchapter takes the reader on a brief trip through the historyof modern-day clothing, showing how fashion has evolvedover time. Fashion as a form of self-expression has long beena part of society. Fashion can portray a personal image andeven create an identity. It is explained here how class and sta-tus, both of which can confer power or authority, take a lead-ing role in the dynamic of dressing and thus shape the worldof fashion.Chapter two details the growth of the domestic fashionindustry and shows how a new market is instantly created asthe economy in the United States expands its middle class.The effect of French haute couture,which originated in Paris,is stressed,particularly how it continues to drive much of theindustry today. By the late 1940s, America finally became afashion center in its own right and subsequently the ready-to-wear business followed in the 1950s.This timeline allows thereader to fully comprehend the role that designers play intoday’s corporate fashion culture. The current scope of theindustry is accurately summed up with Manlow’s quote:“Today’s ready-to-wear fashions require a complex networkof organizations traversing national boundaries sometimesfor its design and increasingly for its production and dissem-ination—the latter being both actual (sales) and symbolic(media)” (Manlow  2007: 91).In the third chapter, the author discusses the role of fash-ion designers within the industry: the diversity of their cre-ative styles, the prominence they have achieved, and thepower of their identity. Men’s fashion and its history areexamined as it relates to women’s fashion.This is importantas the author’s case study in Part II chronicles a companywhose designer,Tommy Hilfiger, started in men’s wear, there-fore filling a void in the U.S. marketplace.As society changedover time, and fashion gradually infiltrated all classes, design-ers became arbiters of personal style. The reader is intro-duced to Charles Fredrick Worth, credited with creating thefirst haute couture house in Paris and setting internationalfashion standards. Other influential designers such as CocoChannel, Claire McCardell, and Bonnie Cashin are mentionedto illustrate how fashion houses function in Europe and theUnited States.Manlow explains that the creation or development of asymbol or logo to represent a designer that could be used onclothing did much to add status to dressing. “The designerlogo was an important development that would contributeto the broad recognition of designers and a massive demandfor their highly visible products” (Manlow  2007: 99).A logo,such as the Ralph Lauren polo horse and rider, recognizedaround the world can represent the designer instantly andsuggest a certain lifestyle that people are eager to be part of.It is also discussed that designers must be very creative,quickto recognize industry trends, and be exemplary leaders whiledeveloping new ideas and products on multiple levels.The fourth chapter focuses on leadership within the fash-ion industry and the direct correlation to the ultimate suc-cess of the organization. Manlow focuses on leadership as itpertains to the creative enterprise that is common amongdesign firms. The many examples presented show how theorganization within the fashion industry is so diverse. Sheshows the importance of allowing flexibility from traditionalBook ReviewDesigning Clothes: Culture and Organization in the Fashion IndustryLisa HayesBOOK REVIEW DESIGNING CLOTHES: CULTURE AND ORGANIZATION IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY 611Hayes: Designing Clothes: Culture and Organization in the Fashion IndustPublished by DigitalCommons@SHU, 2009management structures and about other unique require-ments.This helps to convey the high value placed on fashionindustry leaders. “The personal charisma of the foundingentrepreneur or the tradition provides the glue that holds theorganization together” (Davis and Scase 2000). The authoremphasizes the importance of charisma as it applies to theleaders or designers of both high fashion and mass marketfirms.Transferring charisma from an individual designer to anentire brand to maintain currency and excitement even afterthe original designer is no longer involved is paramount.Examples of this are outlined as necessary to keep a compa-ny vital in the competitive fashion industry. “Without suchsteps the Liz Claiborne name would have ceased to hold anysignificance in contemporary fashion let alone find the capi-tal to continue to exist” (Manlow  2007: 160).At the end of Part I Manlow compares many differenttypes of organizational cultures within the fashion industryand discusses the direct impact on employees. The authorexplains why the mission of an organization should be collec-tive and describes the fragile balance between the goals ofthe firm and those of the individual. From some of the exam-ples, Manlow implies that the fashion business is not alwaysfair. “In the fashion industry organizational effectiveness, orthe success of a company, is not necessarily correlated witha fair and democratic work environment” (Manlow 2007:170). The author discusses how frequently it is required atmany fashion firms to possess the right look, which will rein-force the brand, merely to get hired.Part II is a case study that gives insight into the culture ata real fashion company.The author spends time at the NewYork offices of Tommy Hilfiger Group and describes theorganization’s culture. It is implied that the culture reflectsone of shared vision, values, collegiality, creativity, and inno-vation.Tommy Hilfiger himself is described as being a verycharismatic leader who carries the company forward. Theimportance of prestige and the need to convey a particularlifestyle is emphasized.Physical aspects of the offices as wellas management strategies are discussed. For added under-standing of the industry as a whole, the design calendar orschedule by which all phases of design and merchandisingmust adhere to is outlined in this section. Interviews withvarious employees help make the experiences understand-able and add credibility.Designing Clothes: Culture and Organization of theFashion Industry provides a comprehensive look at the fash-ion industry in America. Initially the historical information inthe first chapter may not seem necessary, but the relevancequickly becomes apparent in subsequent chapters. Manlow’searly history builds a meaningful foundation and referenceby which to construct the total picture.The book provides avaluable insight into the world of fashion and its interactionwith modern society.This book is a must-read for anyone con-sidering a career in the American fashion industry as an entre-preneur. It can be used as a teaching tool on the universitylevel to introduce the culture of fashion to students who maybe interfacing with professionals in the fashion industry.62 NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF ENTREPRENEURSHIPReferencesDavis, Howard, and Scase, Richard. 2000. Managing Creativity:The Dynamics of Work and Organization. Buckingham.Open University Press.Manlow,Veronica. 2007. Designing Clothes: Culture and Organization in the Fashion Industry. 2007. New Brunswick, NJand London, UK:Transaction Publishers.About the AuthorLISA HAYES (llh25@drexel.edu) is an assistant professor at Drexel University in the Department of FashionDesign and Design & Merchandising. She has 18 years of experience as a fashion designer in New York andPhiladelphia.Prof.Hayes has designed dresses for Albert Nipon and was head designer for Liz Claiborne’s dressdivision and head designer of sportswear and dresses for “Mimi”stores for Motherswork.She currently is a free-lance fashion designer and has done freelance home furnishings design for Anthropologie. She has a Bachelorof Fine Arts degree from Syracuse University.Prof. Hayes’ area of research focuses on green fashion, textiles, and production as it relates to the future ofdesign. She is currently working on the research, design, and production of an entirely “green”sportswear col-lection for presentation at the Eco-Fashion Show at the NCSU College of Textiles in North Carolina in April2009. In November 2008 she presented her research on innovative synthetic fiber at for the International Conference onSustainability of the Fashion Chain: Crop to Shop in New Delhi. Prof. Hayes has presented papers most recently at CostumeSociety of America and Virginia Association of Teachers conferences. She was also cocurator for “Inside the Designer’s Studio:Bonnie Cashin” at the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery in Philadelphia. Prof. Hayes is a member of Costume Society of America,International Textile Apparel Association, and Fashion Group International.2New England Journal of Entrepreneurship, Vol. 12 [2009], No. 1, Art. 9https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/neje/vol12/iss1/9

Designing Clothes: Culture and Organization in the Fashion Industry

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