An interview I did with Susan Roberton, a fashion arts professor at Humber College
Posted 8:43 PM by Media, structure and Policy. in
CHANTEL: Would you be able to explain briefly how Canada's fashion industry is regulated in terms of exports and imports?
SUSAN: The government has a series of duties and tariffs that are assigned to each product category and country.....making some countries more desirable than others to do business with. The tariffs are designed to help the exporting country to compete globally while not sacrificing domestic production or even in some cases to protect domestic manufacturers..
CHANTEL: Why are most of the clothes Canadians wear made in other countries? Is is possible for Canadians to help change this?
SUSAN: Labour costs in Canada are much higher than other parts of the world. Plan and simple it is a cost factor...we just can't compete with countries that do not have the same labour laws and minimum wage standards as we do in Canada. Domestic production tends to be focused on smaller run items, which sell at higher prices to a more exclusive clientele.
CHANTEL: How would Canadians benefit from a larger fashion industry?
SUSAN: The fashion industry is a huge employer world wide. In Canada we used to have a vibrant industry in Montreal and Toronto which employed thousands of workers.....even our head offices have been taken over by American chains....a more vibrant industry would provide more jobs to Canadians and would also provide more choice in fashion styles and selection that might reflect more of a Canadian attitude / style .
CHANTEL: What sorts of job opportunities and entrepreneurial opportunities might a fashion student have and with what sorts of Canadian companies?
SUSAN: Students work in a variety of fields, wholesale sales is a large area in Toronto, brand management sales jobs and sales representative jobs too. There are still a number of retail head offices so jobs in buying, assisting buying, allocation, visual merchandising, marketing and store operations positions exist. Our students also cross over into the cosmetic industry as well in similar positions.
CHANTEL 70 percent of clothing Canadians used to wear was made right here only 20 years ago and now less than 30 percent is. Why is Canada's fashion industry declining so quickly? Can anything be done to stop this?
SUSAN: again it is a financial situation. Consumers do not want to pay high prices for their garments , the cheaper the better, they buy on sale and do not care where things are made as long as the price is right. We cannot compete with countries when it comes to labour costs, production costs, factories etc. We offer minimum wage, benefits, health care etc to our workers, none of these things exist in many other countries in the world. What can be done? Will the consumer pay more to buy Canadian? They haven't in the past, Eaton's went on a buy Canadian platform and that drove them out of business...
not sure what the answer is, but it isn't in manufacturing for Canada. Our fashion industry needs smart, savvy business people and great design talent to drive our industry to the next level.
SUSAN: The government has a series of duties and tariffs that are assigned to each product category and country.....making some countries more desirable than others to do business with. The tariffs are designed to help the exporting country to compete globally while not sacrificing domestic production or even in some cases to protect domestic manufacturers..
CHANTEL: Why are most of the clothes Canadians wear made in other countries? Is is possible for Canadians to help change this?
SUSAN: Labour costs in Canada are much higher than other parts of the world. Plan and simple it is a cost factor...we just can't compete with countries that do not have the same labour laws and minimum wage standards as we do in Canada. Domestic production tends to be focused on smaller run items, which sell at higher prices to a more exclusive clientele.
CHANTEL: How would Canadians benefit from a larger fashion industry?
SUSAN: The fashion industry is a huge employer world wide. In Canada we used to have a vibrant industry in Montreal and Toronto which employed thousands of workers.....even our head offices have been taken over by American chains....a more vibrant industry would provide more jobs to Canadians and would also provide more choice in fashion styles and selection that might reflect more of a Canadian attitude / style .
CHANTEL: What sorts of job opportunities and entrepreneurial opportunities might a fashion student have and with what sorts of Canadian companies?
SUSAN: Students work in a variety of fields, wholesale sales is a large area in Toronto, brand management sales jobs and sales representative jobs too. There are still a number of retail head offices so jobs in buying, assisting buying, allocation, visual merchandising, marketing and store operations positions exist. Our students also cross over into the cosmetic industry as well in similar positions.
CHANTEL 70 percent of clothing Canadians used to wear was made right here only 20 years ago and now less than 30 percent is. Why is Canada's fashion industry declining so quickly? Can anything be done to stop this?
SUSAN: again it is a financial situation. Consumers do not want to pay high prices for their garments , the cheaper the better, they buy on sale and do not care where things are made as long as the price is right. We cannot compete with countries when it comes to labour costs, production costs, factories etc. We offer minimum wage, benefits, health care etc to our workers, none of these things exist in many other countries in the world. What can be done? Will the consumer pay more to buy Canadian? They haven't in the past, Eaton's went on a buy Canadian platform and that drove them out of business...
not sure what the answer is, but it isn't in manufacturing for Canada. Our fashion industry needs smart, savvy business people and great design talent to drive our industry to the next level.
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