How do the top fashion designers work?

How does the process work between buyers and designers in the fashion industry?

• Do buyers typically go to shows to see samples and then place orders with the designers? What tools do they use to support this process? What are the main challenges and issues during this inventory acquisition process?

• Answer:

  Ideal Process: Designer does research on trends (upcoming fashion trends and historical sales information), makes some designs, culls the designs, revises the designs. Samples get made. A show happens with samples. (A major department store client may request X, Y, and/or Z tweak to a sample to make a new design. They are willing to buy the new design because they think their customers are more willing to buy it, but not the original. A smart designer gets over themselves and goes with what the client wants to make a sale so they can continue making their art in future seasons.) Buys get finalized and translated into factory orders. (Designers start research and design all over again for the next season.) Factory makes items and ships them to the designer or straight to the stores. Stores sell items. Buyer places re-order. Designer places another factory order. Factory makes items and ships to designer or straight to the stores. Stores sell re-ordered items and places remaining items from the original order on sale. No buyer worth their salt in this category buys without in person sample experience. Shows are the most efficient way to create and have these experiences, hence everyone tries to adhere to them. Photographs serve as reminders only.  Also the sales team for the designer will travel to the buyers at the low and high ends of the spectrum (i.e. your smallest clients may skip a show and your largest clients deserve their own special appointment or a second showing to close the buy). Small clients (at least at the company I used to work for) tended to write and commit to the buy at the show. The major department stores would use the show to create a list of things they wanted to remind themselves to consider later. After the show they changed that list and finalized into an order with POs. When I worked on the sales team for a fashion company, things I didn't go to an appointment without included: a) samples, b) material option swatches, c) line sheets, d) pricing, e) promotional literature (lookbook, etc.), f) PR book (I rarely used it, but I liked knowing it was there), g) order sheets, h) client history information. The rest of the items in your question fall more into the answer to