Beyond Design : The Synergy of Apparel Product Development

Beyond Design: The Synergy of Apparel Product Development, Fifth Edition maps the processes required to bring apparel products from concept to consumer. This full-color text takes students step-by-step through the decision-making involved in the pre-production processes of apparel product development including business, creative, technical, and production planning. Updated chapter content reflects evolving industry practice. It demonstrates how these processes must be coordinated to get the right product to market, when consumers want it, and at a price they are willing to pay in an increasingly digital environment. The text seeks to address how functional approaches vary depending on a business’s size and fashion focus. More global in scope, the fifth edition includes examples and case studies of multi-national companies and incorporates global nomenclature when it differs from the US industry. This new edition also advances its discussion of how new technologies continue to shorten the product development calendar. The book is written to help students anticipate the chaotic pace of change not only in fashion trends, but also in the fashion system itself.

New to this Edition
· Metric Sizing is included to cover UK and European markets alongside the US market
· Updated references and examples demonstrate how industry practice is changing to meet market demands
· New case studies illustrate the impact of new technology and an evolving fashion system
· A shift in the power dynamic between consumers and brands in a global marketplace is changing the way the fashion system works
· An understanding of a circular economy expands upon how sustainability and social justice issues impact every function of product development, distribution, and consumption
· The slow fashion/fast fashion dichotomy is considered as it impacts the fashion ecosystem
· The issues of cultural appropriation and influencer culture are discussed

Beyond Design STUDIO
· Study smarter with self-quizzes featuring scored results and personalized study tips
· Review concepts with flashcards of essential vocabulary
· Watch videos that bring chapter concepts to life

Instructor Resources Include
· Fully updated Instructors Guide to help incorporate text into your classroom
· Powerpoint slide decks for each chapter

Deborah A. Vandermar, MA, was instructor in Apparel Design and Merchandising at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Seattle, USA, for seven years after a career of more than 30 years in Apparel Production with companies such as JH Collectibles and Nordstrom. She is a member of the International Textile and Apparel Association.