by Alex Russel
alex.russell@artschoolreview.com
Art School Review Columnist

No business is going through as big of a revolution as fashion is right now. Since January 1, textile manufacturing has been completely liberalized. Strict quotas on how much textiles any individual country can export are gone, and instead of every country having a piece of the business pie as imagined, China has virtually taken over fashion manufacturing completely.

This probably won't last. Politicians the world over, including the US and Europe, are clamoring for measures to protect local fashion manufacturers from the Chinese juggernaut. In China, wary of an international backlash, government leaders are beginning to float the idea of an export quota to dampen their textile industry's apparently unstoppable expansion.

Fashion from China

Despite all the turmoil, the US fashion industry is benefiting from China's impending monopoly of the fashion manufacturing. According to the New York Times, prices for wholesale clothes have dropped by seven to ten percent since January. Wholesale cotton pants have fallen by 21 percent. For now, citing market uncertainty, companies are withholding the price cut from consumers, so profits for fashion labels should be huge this year.

What's Good for China is Good for Your Fashion Career

Once the dust settles, the possibility for a long and satisfying fashion career in the US, emerges. Job prospects for designers and managers, who organize the complex, global manufacturing system, will continue to grow. Cheaper supplies from China should mean more profits and cheaper clothes for consumers.

Fashion Degrees for Fashion Jobs

Most fashion jobs today require a degree in fashion or fashion merchandising. Community colleges, online universities, and vocational schools all over the country offer various degree programs to get into the dynamic fashion business. And where the clothes are made, for fashion workers at least, doesn't even really matter.

About the Author

Alex Russel is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn, NY. Lucky enough to grow up in Europe with family all over the world, he has been a consummate traveler his whole life. Since graduating from Syracuse University he has worked at many different media companies in fields as diverse as film, TV, advertising, and journalism. He holds a dual bachelor's degree in English and History.

Sources

• http://www.nj.com/entertainment/ledger/

Posted on May 27, 2005 at 09:52 PM