module specification

This module is designed to equip students with a broad-based knowledge and understanding of the nature and background of fashion supply chain management and the operational aspects of managing international sales, procurement and negotiations. The module introduces students to the concepts, principles and practicalities underlying the business discipline of fashion supply chain.
This module explores the diverse roles and responsibilities of a fashion buyer and merchandiser, and explore the associated roles that are key within the modern fashion industry.
Students develop in-depth knowledge of the buying cycle and the critical path, and key activities around trading the range, reacting to sales and managing sales promotions. The merchandising pathway focuses on the numbers behind buying a fashion range, its selection process and strategic stock management and negotiation skills.
This module aims to generate an understanding of the main processes and contemporary issues involved in the international manufacturing, sourcing and retailing of fashion brands by looking at the manufacturing and production sector, examining its systems and approaches to quality and efficiency. It continues down the various types of fashion supply chain to distinguish the types of supplier requirements and product allocation systems used by International fashion brands.
Also, the fashion business is recognised as a global industry and as such is affected by environmental issues, unethical practices and sustainability. Hence this module, takes account of these issues throughout the teaching, in particular the international fashion supply chain and garment production, and aims to inform and develop the students understanding and critical awareness of these issues.

Standard university requirements for entry to Masters programmes.

• Definitions & Levels of Fashion, Design/Garment Awareness  1,3,4
  Fashion buying cycle from ‘concept to carrier bag’ 1,3,4
  Fashion Factory layouts & locations, production systems.  2 ,4
  Fashion production and operational Strategy (critical path analysis, lead-times, audits, ethics)  1,2,4
  Roles and responsibilities within the buying office; concept of range building. 1,2,3,4
  Conduction of an industry ‘comp shop’, and exploring trend forecasting and cost negotiation. 1,4
  Finding and managing global suppliers. 1,2, 3
  Buying and sourcing requirement for Evergreens, Traffic Generators and Image Products (Headline Grabber) 3,4
  Awareness of textile materials and the sources of procurements around the globe. (It includes theoretical and practical activities based on fibres, yarns, woven, knitted and physical testing methods).  1,2
  Knowledge of materials and products; how they relate to industrial technology in order to enhance the technical knowledge as a Buyer. 1,3, 4
  In-depth review of the buying process, how garment designs are produced overseas and distributed.  1,4
  Global sourcing of a textile product; challenges faced by buyers and merchandisers (agility of supply and quick response, managing quality, international distribution and supply chains, international political legislation and other issues). 1,3, 4
  New innovations in global retailing, visual merchandising, promotional techniques and new directions in consumer demand. 1, 3, 4
  Importance of data management in buying and selling and digital marketing techniques. 2, 4

Students will attend weekly 3-hour workshops during which time they will receive material in the form of lectures/discussions, discuss case studies and current issues, and participate in groups in the business simulation.

In the early part of the module, time will be allowed in the workshops for simulation team building, discussion and decision-making, but this will move to be an activity performed by the students outside the classroom either in face-to-face meetings or online.
Guest lectures from fashion practitioners will be used to demonstrate the connection between theory and practice and provide contemporary industry insight.

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of the evolution of fashion supply chain and understand how historical and contemporary trends affect fashion buying, sourcing and market management.

2. Demonstrate and understanding of the contemporary fashion marketing and omni-channel distributions and global procurement.
3. Comprehend the complex procedures surrounding the fashion global supply chain and buying process, and skills needed for supplying of the sources.

4. Identify the nature and characteristics of the supply chain coordination, operational strategies, forecasting and cost negotiation.

The assessment of the module will comprise:
• A presentation on contemporary challenges of fashion industry (Group)
• Portfolio (Individual)
o Contextualising statement
o Report on a fashion company
o Reflection on recommendations and solutions

Feedback: The module also aims to deepen and broaden learning with formative feedback, peer assessment and reflective learning all being embedded in the learning, teaching and feedback structure. In particular students are required to utilise both formative and summative feedback received during the course of the module to assist in the completion of the final reflective assessment.
Students will receive both formative and summative feedback which will be utilised within the final reflective assessment to increase engagement and understanding of feedback received. Feedback will be in both written and verbal formats and will be received by students.

Davis, L. Mullet, K.  O. Bryan, N. (2016) The Business of Fashion, Fairchild Books; 5th Revised edition edition (20 Oct. 2016)

D'Arienzo, W. (2016) Brand management strategies: luxury and mass markets. New York: Bloomsbury Publisher.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017) A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future, [online]
Available https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/publications/ANew-Textiles-Economy_Full-Report.pdf

Gardetti, M.A. and Ana L. Torres, Sustainability in Fashion and Textiles: Values, Design, Production and Consumption (Greenleaf publishing, 2017)
Jackson, T. and D. Shaw (2009) Fashion Marketing, Palgrave Master Series, Basingstoke.

Henninger, C. E., Alevizou, P. J., Oates, C. J. and Cheng, R. (2015) 'Sustainable Supply Chain
Management in the Slow-Fashion Industry', in Sustainable Fashion Supply Chain Management:
From Sourcing to Retailing. ed. by Choi, T.-M. & Cheng, Cham: Springer International
Publishing, 129-153.
Jin, B. and Cedrola, E. (eds.) (2016) Fashion branding and communication: core strategies of European luxury brands. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. (Palgrave studies in practice).

Rinaldi, F. R. and Salvo Testa, The Responsible Fashion Company: Integrating Ethics and Aesthetics in the Value Chain (Routledge, 2017)

Strahle, J., Green fashion retail (Springer Series in Fashion Business, 2018)

Recommended Reading:
Flynn, L. R., Goldsmith, R. E. and Pollitte, W. (2016) 'Materialism, Status Consumption, and Market
Involved Consumers'. Psychology & Marketing, 9 (33), 761-776
Easey, M., (2008) Fashion marketing, Blackwell.
Harris, F., Roby, H. and Dibb, S. (2016) ‘Sustainable clothing: challenges, barriers and interventions for
encouraging more sustainable consumer behaviour’. International Journal of Consumer Studies,
40 (3) 309–318
Hines, T, (2007) Fashion Marketing: Contemporary Issues, Elsevier Butterworth, Heinemann.
Jackson, T. and D. Shaw (2009) Fashion Marketing, Palgrave Master Series, Basingstoke.
Kapfere, N. (2012) The Luxury Strategy: Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury
Brands, Kogan Page
Kincade D & Gibson F. (2010) Merchandising of Fashion Products, Pearson Publication.
Slade, T.(2010)  JAPANESE FASHION: A CULTURAL HISTORY, 2010   1847882528
Stall-Meadows, C. (2010) Fashion Now, A Global Perspective, Prentice Hall.
Strauss M. And Lynch A. (2007) “Changing Fashion: A Critical Introduction to Fashion Merchandising: An introduction, McGraw-Hill, 5th ed Regan, C. L. (2008) Apparel Product Design & Merchandising Strategies, New Jersey, Pearson
Wu, J. (2009)   CHINESE FASHION: FROM MAO TO NOW (DRESS, BODY, CULTURE)  1845207793    

FURTHER SUGGESTED READINGS:
Fashion magazines such as Vogue, Marie-Claire, Velvet, Elle, Wallpaper, Dutch, Spoon, Textile
View and WWD
Journals:
European Journal of Marketing
The Quarterly Review of Marketing
Journal of Marketing Management
Journal of International Marketing
International Marketing Review
Viewpoint Magazine
View Magazine
Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management
International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology
Supply Chain Management: An International Journal

Websites:
http://www.greysweatsuitrevolution.com
http://www.exactitudes.com
http://www.theuniformproject.com
www.fashion-era.com
www.businesscasestudies.co.uk
www.brandrepublic.com
www.WWD.com
www.fashionmag.com
www.pret-a-porter.com
http://www.wgsn.com
http://iheartthreadbared.wordpress.com
http://muslimswearingthings.tumblr.com
http://www.counterfeitcrochet.org/index.html

http://jezebel.com/5175867/
http://www.trendwatching.com
http://www.coolhunting.com
http://www.ecouterre.com
http://www.treehugger.com
http://iheartthreadbared.wordpress.com
www.ita.doc.gov/tradestats
www.worldbank.com
www.eiu.com
www.ciafactbook.com
www.infoexport.gc.ac
www.businessweek.com

Electronic Databases:

Mintel
Fame (UK Companies)