Dec / Jan issue out now!!

To be honest with you, we’re looking forward to seeing the back of 2009. It's been one of those years where we'll look back and forget what happened. Some of you will agree that it was a year of challenges, some personal and most financial. It’s also been a year of highs, such as Apparel's 40th anniversary and it’s timely evolution; or the importance of frugality in managing your business and the valuable lessons learnt from an economic downturn. In this issue we take a look back at ‘the year that was’ in the business of fashion for 2009. From key trends to corporate casualties, it’s been a year of trials and constant tribulation. It’s also been the year of the fashion blogger, some good and many bad. The blog has its merits i.e. immediacy, democracy and currency, but there are millions of clueless Generation Y’ers who believe a fashion blog will fast track them into a career in fashion. Admittedly, there are a handful of good ones out there that have found their way into my favourites folder. However, how long will it be before we are exhausted by it’s up to the millisecond pace? Social media is also responsible for immediacy in blogs, to the point where people can barely digest information before the next twitter update or blog post, making it impossible for traditional media to cover the topic properly and professionally. You can harp on about it being the way of the future, but only time will tell whether blogging has become the ‘dumbing down’ of fashion reportage. Welsh designer Christopher Kane sums up the general feeling towards fashion bloggers this month: “It feels like it’s happened all of a sudden…I think it will die down though, and people know what they are doing. No one who wants to read a serious review of a show is going to look at what a 14-year-old thinks. But it has become more critical; people can say what they want about anyone on a blog without consequences and that’s quite scary.

There are real repercussions for a designer if a photo of something is leaked by a blog; it can be copied in a fortnight and that can really harm a business. You have to be much more careful now.” Be careful, be cautious and tread 2010 with a sense of preparedness and avoidance of the challenges encountered in 2009. 2010 is about executing tactical initiatives and finding the right strategy for your business and understanding how to bring together your resources to grow revenues. We wish you all a safe summer holiday with family and friends. For those of you still on the coalface, take it easy. I'm looking forward to catching up with you all in the New Year.