Women in the Business World of Fashion

Women represented in the business world is on a steady climb resulting in many CEO's and department directors, while women in the Fashion industry is most dominate. Put them together and you have Tory Burch, a luxury lifestyle women's sports-wear designer also built her global company from the grounds up in just seven short years. Burch is not only the designer, but also the creative director and chief executive officer of her Tory Burch company. “I’m lucky that I can be the designer and the CEO,” she said. “It allows me to be creative, but also look at business in a creative way. It’s a lot of different things coming at me, every minute, every day,” she said. 

Tory Burch with one of her ionic orange
doors behind her located at one
of her many stores

Burch didn't get to her own company right out of college. In fact, the Pennsylvania girl moved to New York City right after graduation to work with designer Zoran. She then later did PR and advertising for Ralph Lauren Vera Wang and Loewe. 

She got the experience and time needed to best understand the industry and then decided to create her own line. Many of her family and friends did not believe that creating a clothing line would be very do-able. But, Burch proved everyone wrong with having massive expansion and sell out rates all across the world. She has  had 25 stores opening in 2012 alone, and continues to bring in many women customers across the globe. 

Burch is really involved in social media because she wants to get the Tory Burch name out there while also listening to what customers want in return. She began a Twitter page but thought it was too promotional so she began running the Twitter page just about herself rather than the company. I know I follow her! 

Burch's next priority is integrating social media with commerce. She wants to be able to improve the website because she believes it is going to be the most important business aspect in the future. 

This PR and advertising women is putting her own spin into the business world, developing a lucrative business that is still expanding today. A woman in the power seat with a helpful husband by her side, in some killer clothes. Looks like Burch is proving all of the stereotypes wrong with being a wife, business woman, fashion designer, and  a mother of six. Burch has created a name for herself and as an inspiration to business women in the future.

Link to article: http://www.businessoffashion.com/2012/09/first-person-tory-burch-says-work-hard-think-long-term-and-be-patient.html

Fashion Designers' Constant Struggle for Equality

I have a love for Fashion, which many people have a love for photography or for cooking. I could spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week searching the web for style ideas and for ways to make my personal style change. Of course, being a full-time student, and juggling multiple extra-curricular activities, I don't have the time or bank account to be able to get all of my school work done and shop for all these new styles I want to incorporate into my wardrobe. I find myself re-pinning hundreds of things on Pintrest and living my life through my computer, ironically, while I walk around wearing an oversized sorority t-shirt, the ionic nike shorts, and tennis shoes, usually with my hair pulled back in a pony tail. But that is a style that the TCU world has caught onto and grasped, in which we all begin to conform and copy one another. 

In class on Monday, September 10th, we began talking about the social inequality Latinos believe are represented in the media. They believe they are not being heard and their news is being short-sold in the spot-light. Unfortunately, the Fashion Industry is having the same thing happen to some of the world-renowned fashion designers like Louis Vution, Marc Jacobs, Christian Lousboutin, and so many more. Their ionic styles get overshadowed by inexpensive versions. But, the constant struggle for trademark is ending now along with the Latinos struggle in the media. Fashion designers and corporations are winning lawsuits against competitors and copiers, while Latinos are voicing their thoughts in the public media, creating their own news sights. 

One of the largest trademarks occurring today is the famous Christian Louboutin has the ionic red sole for all of his shoe designs. The Business of Fashion quotes: “French shoe designer Christian Louboutin has won the right to trademark protection of his distinctive red soles in a US federal appeals court in the latest chapter of a bitter legal battle with rival luxury house Yves Saint Laurent.” 

Also, Lululemon is starting a lawsuit with Calvin Klein for allegedly stealing the ionic "Astro Pant" from their collection. "The yoga retail alleged that Calvin Klein violated patents of the unusual waistband and design of the pants", reports the Financial Post.

Involving both Fashion and Media, Rafael Cennamo, pursued his dream in High Fashion clothing designs that eventually led to him developing Bridal Gowns that famous A-Listers have worn. He just showed his Spring/Summer '13 collection at the Mercedes Benz Fashion week, this past week. He is an inspiration to Latino designers to get their fashions out to the fashion industry in hopes of grasping onto the media. Multiple Fashion news sights picked up Cennamo as one of the "Up and coming designers" of 2013. 

Christian Lousboutin and his ionic red soled shoes

http://www.businessoffashion.com/2012/09/bof-daily-digest-louboutin-wins-made-in-paris-lululemon-lawsuit-new-fashion-order-duckie-brown.html

http://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2012/09/12/nyfw-rafael-cennamo-ss-2013-collection/

The "Lipstick Effect" and Women's Stereotypes

I was reading this article by Sadie Whitelocks titled "Lipstick Effect", which depicts the stereotype that the media is giving women that they are more concerned about their looks and their social values. Julie Nelson, a leading economist says that this theory is completely sexist and I agree 100 percent. This news article is talking more about the economies behind "looking pretty" including wearing lipstick, but this hits into a deeper meaning. In college especially, "being pretty" seems to be the only thing that matters when concerning certain things. Especially when 48 percent of TCU is involved with a Greek Organization.

I am a sophomore and being on the other side of recruitment, I found that a lot of my pledge class was more concerned if the girl was "pretty" rather than if she was smart, involved, or a leader. I believe a lot of college life and high school life as well is focused on looks rather than being the president of an organization or in the math club. Currently, I feel like I'm trapped by women thinking the only way they will be noticed is by the make-up and clothes that they wear. When really what matters is what you are doing beyond the make-up and clothes, as in giving back to the community, or mentoring a group of peers.

Also make-up IS endlessly expensive! I constantly find my mascara drying out and my eyeliner running out. Makeup is a HUGE expense which doesn't allow for any flexibility. The top name brands such as M.A.C. and Bobbi Brown are extremely expensive and can clean out your wallet. I was never a girl who wore a lot of make-up so it is hard for me to spend that much money on make-up. Again, this goes back to my generation being dependent on makeup.

The world needs to stop with the endless stereotypes directed towards women and start looking at the women who are leaders such as Michelle Obama and Hilary Clinton.

Courtesy of: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2198116

Article Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2198116/Lipstick-Effect-claims-women-spend-cosmetics-hard-times-sexist-untrue-says-economist.html?ito=feeds-newsxml