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Talk about fashion and what comes to mind are lithe, stylish models and the perennial debate between prt and haute couture. Next to come to mind are the wares or displays in the showrooms of large global brands present in most Indian malls today. Even this glitzy world of fashion has not been able to escape the influence of IT.

There are, of course, specific links between clothing and technology, like the Calvin Klein menswear collection in which the designer Italo Zucchelli created patterns using a fabric that responded to body heat; or Zegnas iPod jacket that powers the unit via the sun. But we are talking about something different: the influence of the virtual world on creativity. It is not just about smart fashion brands creating hip websites or getting their clothes on the virtual world site Second Life or use widgets in Facebook, but about a designer understanding the modern mind-set and undergoing the experience. Or, more importantly, look at optimally using IT to tackle issues like inventory management, supply chain automation and the likes.

Influencing Fashion
Like many other sectors that embraced IT a little late in the day, having a portal in place seems to be the most popular activity among players in the fashion domain. However, the fashion industry doesnt look like restricting itself merely to having general portals with static information; many of them have packed in information that is not just interactive, but also help in proactively fostering their business. In fact many of them, both fashion designers as well as fashion houses, are looking at incorporating e-commerce engines into their portals.

Fashion designer Rohit Kumar points out that his website has now become one of his main business vehicles. My website is not just an update about my collection, it is being increasingly used for cataloguing it. Creating an online catalog of styles, the concepts behind them, texture and fiber seem to be the preferred activities. The portal gives a single platform for all this information that is then shared with merchandisers, production people and retail stockists. This helps make your business interactions easy, handy and much less stressful, says Kumar.

Its not just portals but social networking sites too that seem to have become a popular vehicle for successful business propositionsat least for individual fashion designers. Kumar, for example, has started selling in significant quantity through widgets in his Facebook profile.

Chictopia.com is exactly like Facebook, but for fashionistas. It is an online community where fashion savvy consumers can upload photos of themselves or others they have styled as well as browse others cool collections and styles. There is so much more available at Chictopiauser reviews of stores, comments to photos, forums discussing designers and trends, and you can even learn about notable fashion events around the world.

Closetcouture.com is the place where style seekers can find style advice online from the experts. Do you want to find a personal stylist? How about wardrobe tips? Its all at Closet Couture. And, you can get peer advice on personal style just by a click of the mouse. The twist and differentiator for this site is how it helps you organize your closet, all with an e-commerce twist. You get to try on clothes, make purchases, get advice all while filling your closet virtually. Opportunities abound as retailers can have a presence on this site for members to purchase items for their closet from retailers closets.

Supply and Distribution Chain
Many fashion houses today work with design and manufacturing teams spread across dispersed locations; this necessitates the need for a robust supply chain automation solution. The supply chain should be designed such that the goods flow seamlessly from the producer to consumer and vice versa. This frees capital tied-up in returned and obsolete products. Today global collaboration is needed to develop an optimal supply chain with business partners in a symbiotic manner, rather than focusing entirely on strategies that deliver individual success.

Technologies like PLM offer smart solutions to address most of the supply chain concerns. If implemented properly, PLM tools can completely optimize the manner in which products are developed, believes Atul Dhakappa, head, fashion practice, Geometric. PLM is now widely used by manufacturing companies globally to develop, describe, manage and communicate information about products internally as well as externally among the supply chain partners, he adds.

Owning the distribution channel is increasingly becoming another crucial issue for fashion houses. The challenge is to improve internal processes to gain tighter control of the entire production and distribution process, ensuring that each step is managed to maximum efficiency. One way in which companies are trying to do this is by buying and running their own retail shops.

Luxury companies increasingly want to own the whole distribution chain. If they have greater control over the final sale to the customer, they can better understand what they need to produce in the first place. And they can build customer loyalty through the service they provide in their outlets.

In IT terms, this trend requires companies to build tighter links between point-of-sale information about what the customer is buying and the processes further up the supply chain. Such information helps companies better anticipate consumer demand and organize production to meet that demand.

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