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The fashion designer’s evolving role in the apparel value chain : Perspectives from Sri Lankan designers
Gopura, Sumith Payne, Alice Buys, Laurie
Gopura, Sumith
Payne, Alice
Buys, Laurie
Abstract
In the South Asian Region, the Sri Lankan apparel industry is transitioning from apparel assembly to providing higher value-added product and services. Fashion designers are key actors in this transition. The purpose of this article is to examine the evolving role of the fashion designer in the Sri Lankan apparel industry. The study adopts a qualitative approach through semi-structured interviews conducted with twenty-eight fashion and product development professionals in the Sri Lankan apparel industry. Based on an inductive thematic analysis, the study finds that the Sri Lankan designers take a multidisciplinary approach to their design practice, integrating the key functions of fashion design, product development and manufacturing capabilities, in alignment with the functional and strategic ambitions of the apparel companies. Their approach to design through technical skills extends the conceptual approach of brand designers in fashion design practice. However, the fashion knowledge of Sri Lankan designers varies significantly depending on their familiarity with Western brands and retailers as well as Western consumer culture and lifestyle.
Keywords
apparel industry, industrial upgrading, Sri Lanka, fashion designer, fashion design practice
Date
2019
Type
Journal article
Journal
Fashion Practice
Book
Volume
11
Issue
2
Page Range
175-196
Article Number
ACU Department
Faculty of Health Sciences
Collections
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
Published as green open access
License
File Access
Controlled
Open
Open