MECANISMOS PROTECTORES DE LA CÓCLEA ANTE EL RUIDO

Western fashion companies offer clothing and cosmetics to South Asian female consumers and use Western fashion brands which are locally easily accessible and increasingly affordable (these brands have been recommended by their friends or family members). Key players in the British South Asian fashion industry include Spanish retail giant Zara and British retailer TopShop who have managed to capture the British South Asian Muslim female consumer market. In particular, South Asian female consumers favour the Western retail stores of companies of Zara and Topshop as they are established reputable brands and sell fashion forward clothes at relatively affordable prices. South Asian female consumers also favour these retail stores in particular as they, as consumers are fashion conscious. Zara and TopShop also have eyecatching window displays showcasing the latest fashion trends which entice potential customers into their stores and have a fast fashion turnover in which they copy trends off the designer fashion runway shows and produce similar designs within a short time frame. Zara and TopShop also have powerful brand image marketing which are featured regularly in Western fashion magazine features such as everyday wear worn by Western celebrities, and are touted as brands worn by Western models and actresses in real life off camera. British South Asian female consumers have a particular affinity for Zara and TopShop since the two retail giants are easily accessible geographically by transport

(bus,train or car) as they are situated in the heart of the Central Business Districts of most towns and cities so there is ease of access and they are convenient to reach geographically.

Zara is a Spanish clothing and accessories retailer based in Artexio, Gallicia in Spain and founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega and Rosalia Mera. Its headquarters are in London in England. An important figure in the company of Zara is the Director General Oscar Perez Marcote. Zara is the flagship chain store of the Inditex group, the world’s largest apparel retailer, the fashion group also owns brands such as Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Uterque, Stradivarius and Bershka. In 2009, the financial revenue of Zara was 7 billion Euros. The product range of Zara are women’s clothing, men’s clothing and children’s clothing, shoes, accessories, jewellery and perfume

(www.zara.com). Amancio Ortega opened the first Zara store opened in 1975 in La Coruna, Galicia, Spain. In 1980s, the company started its international expansion through Porto, Portugal. In 1989, it entered the United States of America and in 1990, expanded into France. This international expansion was increased in the 1990s, with expansion into Mexico in 1992, opening in Greece, Belgium and Sweden in 1994, until reaching its current international presence of being geographically spread worldwide with 1808 stores globally in over 73 countries (www.zara.com).

Zara has been particularly successful in penetrating the British South Asian Muslim female consumer market. Zara is one of the world’s largest clothes and accessories retailers in the world. It especially appeals to British South Asian female consumers as its clothes are highly fashionable but still strikes a balance of being conservative and affordable. This author suggests that this may be perhaps due to a large number of Zara’s workers who tend to be sourced in Morocco and Tunisia. The seamstresses of Moroccan and Tunisian background may be influencing the tailoring and color palette of the clothes affecting the aesthetic and appearance of the clothes and accessories. Zara’s clothes and accesories are styled according to Islamic fashion

aesthetic (of the North African seamstresses), clothing etiquette and Islamic Western fashion etiquette by having necklines and hemlines according to the local (North African) taste. This ethnic styling and colour of Zara’s clothes in turn appeals to the aesthetic of the British South Asian female consumers (who share the same sartorial taste as the North African sartorial pallette) which results in customer loyalty and good word of mouth by the British South Asian consumer community. This results in high revenue sales of Zara and a loyal customer fan base from the British South Asian Muslim consumer community.

TopShop is a British multinational clothing and accessories based in Sheffield, United Kingdom and founded in 1964 by Peter Robinson, a British department store chain. Its headquarters are in London, England. An important figure in the company of TopShop is the Chief Executive Officer Katherine Foster. TopShop’s financial worth is $805 million. It is the flagship chain store of the Arcadia group (75% share), which is run by Sir Philip Green, the fashion group also owns brands such as Miss. Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins and Burton. Leonard Green and Partners have a 25% share in TopShop. TopShop’s product range consists of women’s fashion clothing, men’s fashion clothing, accessories, shoes and cosmetics (www.topshop.co.uk).

The first TopShop store was opened in 1970 in Britain. In 1994, the largest TopShop store opened in 214, Oxford Street in London, England. In 2010, TopShop opened its first New Zealand branch, expanded into Australia in 2011, opened its first South African branch in 2012 and in 2013, expanded into Paris, France. U.S.A. will now have 9 TopShop flagship stores by April 2015 and is also sold in 52 Nordstrom stores

(American department stores) across the country. TopShop has now grown

geographically spread on an international level with 486 shops (319 of which are in Britain) across 40 countries and online operations in a number of its markets

(www.topshop.co.uk). TopShop.com attracts an average of over 4.5 million visits weekly with around 400 new products going live online per week and shipping to 110

countries. The website has dedicated platforms for the UK, USA, Germany, France and the four largest Asian markets of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

TopShop has been able to penetrate the British South Asian female consumer market due to their retail stores being easily accessible, increasingly affordable and due to peer pressure (worn by their friends or family members). In particular, South Asian female consumers favour Topshop as they are an established reputable brand and sell fashion forward clothes at relatively affordable prices. South Asian female consumers also favour TopShop in particular as they, as consumers are fashion hungry and favour TopShop’s aesthetic of their trademark brightly coloured urban style clothes. Recently TopShop commissioned British model Kate Moss to design clothes for their limited edition Kate Moss clothing range to keep customers interested in the brand as well as to bring in new ideas and designs to keep them current and up to date sartorially. TopShop visually merchandise their window displays, changing them regularly in order to

showcase the latest fashion trends which entice potential customers into their stores. In fast fashion stores such as TopShop, communication with customers can be blatant. There may be signs on fixtures saying ‘buy it now before it goes’, ‘new arrivals’ or ‘last chance to buy’ (Lea-Greenwood, 2013).The store can provide a showcase for the last few in a popular range. This showcase fixture can ensure sell through-complete sell out of the style. TopShop uses this technique at the front of the store with a rail called ‘last chance to buy’ (Lea-Greenwood, 2013).

TopShop also have a powerful brand image marketing featured regularly in Western fashion magazines such as everyday wear worn by western celebrities, such as Kate Moss (TopShop brand ambassador) and Cara Delevigne who is contractually obligated to wear their clothes in real life off camera. British South Asian female consumers have a particular affinity for TopShop since the retail giant are easily

accessible geographically by transport (bus, train or car) as they are situated in the heart of the Central Business Districts of most towns and cities so there is ease of access and

they are convenient to reach geographically.

TopShop is particularly popular with British South Asian Muslim female consumers as they can use clothes from this western retail store famous for its brightly coloured urban style of fashion forward clothes by wearing dresses, trousers and hijabs together to construct a British South Asian Muslim fashion identity unique to this consumer tribe.