This is how a fashion label's collection is made

This is how a fashion label’s collection is made

BACKGROUND: What exactly goes into the creation of a fashion collection? FashionUnited covers everything from the design and production of a garment to its journey from the drawing board to the shelf. Let’s start from the beginning. We’ll explain what a fashion line is, how it is constructed, and what the fashion seasons and calendar look like.

What exactly is a fashion collection?

Fashion collections linked with (fashion) seasons

A fashion collection is a collection that includes different types of garments. These can often be found in different colours or fabrics and can be mixed.

Many fashion brands, including Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Adidas, Bottega K, Zenggi and Studio Anneloes, use seasonal collections that are linked to a season. Usually, there are two to four.

The fashion season calendar

There have always been two seasons to fashion: spring/summer, and fall/winter. These can also be abbreviated as S/S/SS or SS for spring/summer, F/W/FW or FW for fall/winter and AW for autumn/winter.

Most fashion brands now have at least two or four collections. Four collections are common, consisting of ‘prespring’, spring/summer, pre-fall’ and fall/winter. Some clothing brands don’t have a ‘pre-spring,’ but instead a ‘high season’. Chanel, for example, is a luxury brand that uses the following seasons: spring/summer, autumn/winter and resort/cruise. There are many seasons to choose from, and also many names.

What’s the point of fashion seasons?

“The seasons serve to be a global metronome in the fashion label’s collection world by setting the pace and time for development, marketing, and sale of new collection,” The Tech Fashionista stated in a 2021 article, “Fashion Seasons Explained”.

A fashion season can last for six months. This means that collections and seasons have a short shelf life.

How does a fashion collection get structured?

While some brands are known for their visual recognizability (the brand), others are more popular because of the quality of the garments or the combination of all these factors. Each brand has its own fashion collection.

A collection is made up of various types of garments or items. These items are usually available in different versions. For example, a garment could come in a variety of colours, fabrics, and/or prints. These are known as’styles’. Four styles are possible for a round-neck Tshirt in four colors. According to fashion professional Aleks Kuijpers, the industry uses the term SKU (short for stock keeping unit), which is used to refer only one product or service that is meant for sale.

Every fashion collection is made up of ‘drops.
Each fashion collection is composed of several ‘drops’ that will be delivered to retailers.

Two ‘drops’ are not uncommon for some brands, like Ampere. Larger fashion brands and traditional brand retailers typically deliver once to twice per month.