A study of children’s wear in the Australian mass fashion sector: Is there synergy between education outcomes and industry needs?
Creators: name: Centner, Marianne
Publisher: name: RMIT University
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 460702
subject: Computer graphics

description: The purpose of this research is to examine whether education outcomes match the Australian mass fashion industry’s needs. This fashion sector is the largest employer of fashion-trained personnel in the country. The research examines the industry’s needs from the perspective of the mass fashion retailers and the sourcing firms that supply them. The study also focuses on the role of computer aided graphic design as a means of communicating design ideas to buyers, as well as garment construction drawings, textile prints and placement prints to suppliers. The discipline crossover that is evident between fashion design, textile design and merchandising is also examined in depth. <br><br> The thesis focuses on the Australian generic market, that is, product commissioned by retailers for their own brands, with an emphasis on the mass fashion children’s wear sector. This sector was selected as it captures the current industry in a nutshell, in particular:<br><br>1. The sector’s focus on maintaining low retail prices;<br>2. The sector’s stringent fit and quality control requirements;<br>3. The sector’s reliance on understanding supply network capabilities to maintain low costs and to be aware of new innovations.<br><br>A purposive sampling process was used to select participants for the research as participants were required to have in-depth knowledge of the mass fashion children’s wear sector. Data was gathered through the use of open-ended thematic interviews and duly coded using a qualitative data analysis program, NVivo. Nvivo is designed to facilitate the organization of the data set more efficiently, enabling easier comparisons of answers in each theme. <br><br>At first glance, it appeared from preliminary discussions with industry and education that there is a dissonance between industry needs and education outcomes; however, on reflection through the interview process it became apparent that it is not possible for education to meet all of industry’s perceived needs. The more salient point to note is the rapid rate of change in attitudes and practice in the industry over the last thirty years and especially the last four years. Retailers have transformed from just being sellers of product to now being in control of their own product development and manufacturing. This change has affected the role of industry participants, requiring practitioners to need less hands-on practical garment construction knowledge and more research and sourcing skills. However, on deeper examination, whilst the practical construction skills are no longer used in the workplace, an intimate understanding of these is important when it comes to product development. Considering these changes, this study has found that industry cannot pinpoint all the skills the product designer/developer needs. The literature examining design process and reflective practice generally is informative in its approach and this translates well into mass fashion product development as studied here. <br><br>Clearly, a close connection between industry and education is very important, both for undergraduate study and for professional development. The responsibility lies with both parties to make this a success. In summary, this research has uncovered a need to forge a much deeper collaboration between industry and education that could include internships throughout undergraduate study. Further, the retail industry should examine its own training programs, consider shifts in the industry, and take product development more into consideration for future professional development. <br><br>