Fashion Trend Forecasting in Kazakhstan

The research purpose

Probably, the Kazakhstan designers follow fashionable tendencies or they have their own source of inspiration. To determine where they get their inspirations to design and forecast trends, the study will perform the following tasks:

1. Analyzing the main definitions of fashion and fashionable tendencies
2. To reveal the nature of influence fashionable tendencies on the modern market of Kazakhstan
3. Leading designers of fashion
4. To analyze changes idea of fashion value
5. To define the main consumers of fashionable houses of Kazakhstan
6. To choose the definition of fashion corresponding to a current state of the Kazakhstan culture
7. Analyzing the interaction process of an embodiment of the vital purposes and values of the person and fashionable appearance
8. To carry out the visual analysis of a collection of Kazakh designers in the conditions of the modern world of fashion
9. The object of research – Kazakh fashion as cultural a forming factor and value modern society and culture.

Aims of the study

The study aims at describing how fashion designers in Kazakhstan develop the ability to predict changes in consumer preferences. The objective is to understand how the designers predict fashion trends and survive in a dynamic industry. Concerning fashion design in Kazakhstan, this study aims at:

1. Exploring the ability of fashion designers to predict changes in preferences
2. Exploring the ability of fashion designers to gather information and use it in predicting future changes in the market
3. Determining how fashion designers ensure continuity and vibrancy of the fashion industry in Kazakhstan and
4. Exploring trends in the Kazakh fashion industry in relation to the dynamism of changes

Objectives

This study will try to determine how fashion designers forecast trends in the Kazakhstani fashion industry. The researcher will use questionnaires to interview a selected number of fashion designers with an aim of developing some additional information on the issue. This information will explain how these designers manage to remain relevant in a dynamic and vibrant industry. In addition, the study will provide designers and investors in the industry with a good source of information they need to determine how they can predict trends and patterns in consumer preferences. Moreover, the study will determine some industrial aspects that make young people good at designing and predicting trends in the fashion industry. For instance, the industry requires designers to have long-term experience in predicting and managing changes.

Findings

The researcher used questionnaires to interview five fashion designers based in Kazakhstan. The study has attempted to describe how young designers manage to forecast trends and prevail in a dynamic market. First, the study has found that most respondents developed the idea of designing from their childhood talents. For instance, the study finds that school-based talents such as fashion shows, public speaking, and presentations contribute to an individual’s realization of talent in designing (Eusebio, Andreu & Belbeze 2008). Secondly, most respondents reported that they enhance their career and creativity in fashion designing by taking some courses in colleges. Moreover, most of these institutes are located outside Kazakhstan, especially in Europe. In addition, it is evident that creativity in fashion design is an element that allows designers to predict changes in consumers’ needs. In fact, the majority reported that they were interested in participating in national and international fashion displays as a strategy of creating awareness of their products (Adilbayeva 2010). However, it is worth noting that the majority of the respondents want to remain relevant in the local industry before venturing into the foreign market. Respondents also reported that the local industry is still developing and want to leverage on displaying their local and international collection. It was also found that most of the respondents reported that they developed experience by participating in local collection shows. In fact, experience is obtained from an early age, especially in school-based fashion shows.

In regards to clothing materials, it was found that respondents use a variety of fabrics when designing. For instance, respondents said that they use such fabrics as Taffeta, numda, muslin, Duchesse, and others. In addition, most of the materials are either local or common to Central Asia. In fact, most respondents reported that they wanted to design clothing using Central Asian materials because they are acceptable. For instance, both Muslims and Christians prefer materials common in the region as compared to foreign fabrics. However, it is worth noting that foreign materials, especially those from Europe and eastern countries, are also popular in the market (Adilbayeva 2010). The study finds that designers influence changes in customer behavior by placing a variety of materials in their shops.

Manufacturing is an important factor in designing and predicting trends in customer behavior (Adilbayeva 2010). First, respondents reported that they wanted to liaise with some of the best manufacturers, both locally and internationally. For example, most designers prefer both local and international cloth-makers that use patterns and sketches. With sketches and patterns, the manufacturers can easily use new products requested by the designer. In addition, some designers prefer well-known manufacturers in the industry in order to ensure an easy way of marketing their products. Moreover, the respondents reported that they were able to check the trends in the fashion market because they outsource information from the manufacturers. According to some of the respondents, it is easy to follow trends in fashion because manufacturers often affect the nature of trends.

Cost is one of the critical areas that designers tend to be careful of when designing for the middle class. Middle-income earners make up the largest segment of the local population. In addition, most respondents reported that they have been producing multiple designs in order to reach out to other market segments, including the high-income earners. As such, they included a variety of fashions in their brands or shops in order to target these segments. They fix prices based on the nature of market segments. In this way, the designers are able to influence future trends in the entire market. It was also found that such elements of designing as the use of hands or technology affect pricing. For instance, most respondents reported that they use less sophisticated techniques in designing, including batik. In addition, marketing the products is expensive, which means that the rate of pricing is high (Karpova, Nelson-Hodges & Tullar 2007).

It was also found that most designers consider success as an important aspect of their business. For instance, most of the designers reported that they had participated in national, regional, or international fashion shows. Most of those who had gone beyond central Asia had participated in European fashion shows such as the Italian Fashion Week, Russian Fashion Show, and some displays in London. Moreover, most respondents wanted to attend local and international shows with an aim of enhancing their ability to know how the nature of the market, especially by predicting the future of designs and marketing. It is also worth noting that every respondent wants to take part in major fashion shows as a way of enhancing his or her success in the business.

Most participants in the study think that Kazakhstan’s fashion is underdeveloped. Most participants believe that women’s fashions are the most dynamic and vibrant. Moreover, the majority reported that they wanted to be part of the groups of designers who will play a bigger role in promoting the development of the local industry. Although the industry is considered less developed, respondents said that they were satisfied with the current trends. They reported that the industry is dynamic.

The methodological basis of research

Dissertation work is based on the analysis of interviews of the Kazakhstan fashionable designers, and historical and modern sources of the publication by articles, books, and cuttings from fashionable magazines.

Methodology

The methodological toolkit includes

• Systems analysis method of fashion trends, allowed revealing of its integrity,
• Method of a comparative analysis of the data based on the comparison of different concepts of fashion;
• Semiotic approach to analyze the recent process of consumption and its symbols

The scientific novelty of dissertational research

• it was performed the systematization of multidimensional definitions of fashion trends on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of the approaches to the explanation of fashion as a cultural- formative factor of the modern society
• determining the direction of new semantic meanings of the fashion evolution in the context of postmodern trends from the formation of fashion or elements prior to becoming a fashion as a system with elements of self-organization
• analysis of change in fashion trends at the end of the 20^th century (the beginning of the 21^st century).
• Identification of the major fashion trends of mutual influence of fashionable looks and value orientations of the personality
• there are some ideas of forming a global fashion at the end of the 20^th century – the beginning of the 21^st century- in which the important role played by the annual fashion week, author’s exhibitions, and collections of designers and designs for future collections.

Discussion

From the findings above, a number of variables can be analyzed. First, fashion designing is a career that develops from talents. Most of the designers realize that they have a talent for designing during their school years. However, most of the Kazakhstani designers do not pursue designing as a career, opting to go for other careers such as banking before venturing into the industry (Low & Freeman 2007). Quite clearly, the ability to venture into the industry and make designing a career is based on the realization that one has talent. Probably, this is a good reason that makes the designers remain relevant in the market, despite the dynamic nature of the industry. In addition, this means that the designers are able to predict trends in the market because they develop their experience when working outside the industry. They use their previous observations on the market needs and changes in consumer preferences.

Secondly, most designers in Kazakhstan tend to participate in local shows, where they display their collections before venturing into the regional and international shows. For instance, fashion weeks for schools and colleges are important events that nurture talents. In fact, most of the respondents reported that their first collections were displayed during their school days. In addition, it is worth noting that most of the designers eventually find their way into the national and international shows after their success in local fashion shows. From this observation, the study tends to prove the hypothesis that participation in some of these events provides the designers with an ability to observe the market from a unique perspective. This is one of the factors that make them develop the capacity to predict trends in the local market.

The study indicates that the choice of materials in designing plays an important role in developing career and success. Predicting trends and changes in preferences can be achieved by using several materials when designing. Designers in Kazakhstan tend to consider a mixture of materials for their products. Despite this, a few designers are willing to specialize in one material (Kilduff & Chi 2007). Therefore, by using a number of materials, designers are able to use past information to trend forecasting (Marglolin & Buchanan 2009). It is also worth noting that most of the designers prefer both local and foreign materials, including numda, silk, cotton, and others that are readily available in the market. On the other hand, they use foreign materials because they are able to attract the attention of the people who outsource information on fashions from books, magazines, and other sources. In this way, designers can also influence market changes and thus develop skills in trend forecasting (Kilduff & Chi 2007).

Moreover, most designers prefer to liaise with international cloth makers in order to ensure that their designs reach their intended clients with ease (Grail Research 2009). For instance, they tend to liaise with manufacturers based in Saudi Arabia and some parts of Europe in order to ensure they meet the needs of both local and international markets.

However, pricing is a critical area of marketing. Most local designers tend to target middle-income earners because the processes of designing, production, and marketing are quite expensive (HKTDC 2009). Therefore, most designs are expensive.

The analysis also shows that the local designers are successful because they have attended at least one national or international fashion show and gained experience (Kilduff & Chi 2007). In addition, others have received national and international recognition for their work. This is an aspect that shows that they develop the ability to influence changes in the market and develop the capacity to forecast the trends in the market.

Conclusion

Fashion design in Kazakhstan is a highly dynamic industry, which makes it difficult to predict. However, Kazakhstani designers are young and successful because they tend to use their talents to pursue designing as a career (Köksal 2007). In addition, they are able to predict the future of the industry and forecast its trends because they develop the capacity to use various techniques (Wong & Au 2007). For instance, most designers attend conferences, classes, or international fashion shows in order to gain experience in the industry. They also use different materials when designing (Adilbayeva 2010). Moreover, they tend to like participating in national, regional, and international fashion shows, from where they develop additional skills in trend forecasting.

Based on the research, we can formulate the following conclusions

The research is devoted to solving the actual problem – the analysis of the trends of fashion as a cultural forming factor and value of modern West European society. This nature is caused by the ambiguity of the phenomenon, many of its overt and latent functions.

The direction of new semantic meanings of the evolution of fashion originates from the end of the 20^th century (Eusebio, Andreu & Belbeze 2008). The origin is based on its development from simple forms to the complex self-organizing systems. The main aspect of the research is based on the analysis of the versatility of interactions of such systems as “fashion-person”, “fashion-society”, and “fashion-culture”.

A large theoretical material has been compiled. Much of what has been achieved and comprehended is not included in the content of the dissertation because it would have greatly increased the amount of research (Eusebio, Andreu & Belbeze 2008). Some of these challenges include the breaking of the globalization processes in Kazakhstan reality, the analysis of the origin and functioning of such phenomena in the field of fashion as eclectic and kitsch. These questions may attract the attention of other researchers (Adilbayeva 2010). It should also be noted that Kazakhstan designers have found a unique way of developing a link between fashion and modernism. They are using national and cultural elements of the decor to update the connection between the past and present (Eusebio, Andreu & Belbeze 2008). In their collections, they prefer to use decorative and applied arts, preserving the inherent national identity. Inspired by the origins of the Kazakh national dress, modern designers use natural materials, leather, and elements of the national pattern such as ornaments. The peculiarity of the Kazakh costume is its resistance, durability, brightness, and brilliance of festive clothes. In addition, excessive use of traditional jewelry is an important aspect of the costume.

Clothing in Kazakh culture, as in other cultures, is seen not only as an element of the material but also as an important manifestation of the characteristics of the spiritual culture of the Kazakh ethnos (Adilbayeva 2010). Development and assimilation of a certain experience of objective spirituality is a condition of the formation and development of a person (Kilduff & Chi 2007). The study has considered the spheres of influence of the national traditional clothes, tricks of hand sewing, and embroidery in the creation of a collection of contemporary designers (Adilbayeva 2010). Thus, the relation to tradition determines the features of the national artistic style in modern Kazakhstani art. This relation is the fundamental value of the national heritage of the Kazakh. Integration processes, which are involved in all modern civilizations, often lead to the disappearance of unique and distinctive cultures and are connected with traditions. Contemporary science offers a view of tradition as a set of social relays.

In Kazakh culture, the tradition was clearly manifested in the form of the sample (the ornament, custom, etc.). The study has also identified particular aspects of fashion. Among these aspects of fashion is the simultaneous coexistence of politicized and unified mass fashion. In addition, the simultaneous positioning of fashion as a self-developing system and a social institution with a well-developed infrastructure is an important aspect of fashion (Eusebio, Andreu & Belbeze 2008). Moreover, changing the point of view of designers is an important element involved in the creation of fashion creations. It turns the creative process of art to an end in itself and an object. Based on the study and analysis of the interview with five leading Kazakh designers, the study has considered the national costume as their main source of inspiration (Eusebio, Andreu & Belbeze 2008). The bright feature is the national music and ancient appearance of the Kazakhs. Precisely this feature shows the difference between Kazakh collections and those associated with West European trends. In addition, it holds distinct personality and originality (Adilbayeva 2010).

References

Adilbayeva, A, 2010, “Kazakhstan’s Fashion: Young, Unique and Diverse”, The Asantana Times, p. 13.

Eusebio, R, Andreu, JL & Belbeze, PA, 2008, “Internal key factors in export performance: A comparative analysis in the Italian and Spanish textile-clothing sector (part 1)”, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, vol. 11 no. 1, pp.9 – 23.

Grail Research, 2009, “The Global Fashion Industry – Growth in Emerging Markets”, Web.

HKTDC, 2009, “Kazakhstan – A Rising Market in Central Asia”, Web.

Karpova, E, Nelson-Hodges, N & Tullar, W, 2007, “Making sense of the market: An exploration of apparel consumption practices of the Russian consumer”, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, vol. 11 no. 1, pp.106 – 121.

Kilduff, P & Chi, T, 2007 “Analysis of comparative advantage in the textile complex: A study of Eastern European and former Soviet Union nations”, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, vol. 11 no. 1, pp.82 – 105.

Köksal, MH, 2007, “Consumer behavior and preferences regarding children’s clothing in Turkey”, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, vol. 11 no. 1, pp.69 – 81.

Low, KCP & Freeman, I, 2007, “Fashion Marketing to Women in Kazakhstan”, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 41-55.

Marglolin, V & Buchanan, G, 2009, “The Idea of Design”, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Wong, M, & Au, K, 2007, “Central and Eastern European countries and North Africa: The emerging clothing supplying countries to the EU”, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, vol. 11 no. 1, pp.56 – 68.