Fashion Chapter 9

Pret-a-porter

French ready to wear industry

alta moda

Italian Ready-to-wear

couture

almost extinct segment; original, high-priced fashions for the tiny class market.

franchising

contract arrangement in which designer grants retailer the right to use his/her famous name and trademarked goods within a particular viewing area.

knockoff

duplicate, downscaled designs; usually of higher priced categories

ready-to-wear

garments produced in factories according to standard sizes vs. being customer-made

line

group of styles and designs produced and sold as a set of new selections for a season

better

high quality; reasonable price. Designed by talented experts who aren't named on label

Perceived difference

in customers' minds, items stand out from others because of image and quality

licensing

legal arrangement whereby manufacturers are granted the exclusive right to produce/market goods that bear famous label

budget

lowest priced category of apparel. Found on retail racks and shelves for the mass market

custom-made

made-to-order; individual fit to client measurement and one-of-a-kind exclusiveness

Haute Couture

name for high fashion designer industry in France

designer patterns

reproduced and featured in pattern catalogs at fabric stores where they sell patterns

collection

seasonal presentation for exclusive garments

bridge lines

secondary lines of well-known designers; high prices between couture and better categories - hundreds of dollars

house boutiques

small retail shops owned by designers

fashion piracy

the stealing of design ideas without the permission of originator

moderate

this category is made up of medium-priced merchandise (Gap, etc.)

Chambre Syndicale de la Couture

trade association for designers in Paris