THOUGHT
13. Net and Narrow
The world of haute couture is so elite and exclu
sive that many designers feel they need to allude
to it in their work, if not aspire to it. Although it
has a very narrow audience, couture has a com
pelling allure because that audience is composed
of some of the richest, most famous, and most
powerful fashion clients in the world. This niche
crowd certainly has its perks, if only by associa
tion. Serving this aristocratic caste of couture
well will often come with critical acclaim, but
not always economic success. Fashion designers
who support their visionary projects with more
mainstream creations are the ones who have
staying power.
Ready-to-wear reaches the people en masse. The
only limitations when serving vast numbers are
manufacturing outlets and developing products
that have mass appeal. Casting such a wide net
not only generates greater sales, but also builds
name recognition. Just because it is off the rack
doesn't mean it cannot have great influence. In
1994, rapper Snoop Dogg wore a To mmy Hilfiger
shirt on an episode of Saturday Night Live. The
black, urban, rap subculture responded almost
immediately. Hilfiger's work was adopted and
adapted by hip-hop followers everywhere. Hil
figer cultivated relationships with other leaders
in this community and a retail star was born.
This was enough to place Hilfiger on the map,
but he realized he needed to serve this audi-
ence by scaling the clothes up in size, styling his
work to reflect the culture, and turning his logo
into a highly visible status symbol in the fashion
community. His large customer base continues
to inform the direction of his work. The rest is
fashion business history.
32 Fashion Design Essentials
Musician/a ctor LL Cool J
and designer To mmy Hilfiger,
2007
o eo
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