I actually did buy a fabulous wool coat last August. If I find something I like, it doesn't matter if it's in season or not, I buy it.

That said, I think there should be a better balance between catering to the consumer and the industry.

Anna Wintour, suggested putting together a committee that could create rules for when stores could discount merchandise stating, "We have friends in the White House now.”

Did she really say that? Out loud?

Gah.

Yeah, I can't believe someone actually thinks they can get a law passed restricting when a store can discount merchandise. How ridiculous.

And I agree with glam sugar. If I find something nice on sale, I'll buy it regardless of the season. However, I've often lamented how the industry doesn't follow actual seasons. It's weird.

I know that I am actually shopping for the next season, and as GlamSugar said if I find something that I like, I'm just going to get it no matter the season.

I'm so used to when things come out already...I buy what I like when I see it. The industry is always ahead of the game...gets you thinking about summer when it's raining outside, which is nice to think that warm weather is around the corner. However, it would be nice to be able to buy an umbrella in said rainy season.

I doubt legislatures would find a law to say when sales can occur worth the time. We have much more pressing items on the agenda for the country - like health care and look how hard that one is. Been trying that one for 60 years already.

For the consumer--the real, walks-down-the-street consumer, Fashion shows are just a blip on the radar. They're a preview of what will be in stores come early fall.
For the people a fashion show markets to, fashion shows HAVE to happen when they do. Set the tone for the season before it happens.
But for the end-product consumer? As long as stuff shows up on store shelves, whatever.

Gross overregulation, just what the fashion industry needs! These people are so dumb.

Put your clothing on sale, or go the way of the Dodo. First of all, most of the clothing is so poorly made now, that it's not even worth the sale price. Second, couture and ready to wear are still out of the price range ON SALE of 85% of the population. Anna must be annoying that the ladies who lunch on 5th Avenue are shopping the sale rack right now.

The problem is that the people the fashion shows are marketing to isn't enough people/money to actually help the lagging fashion industry, otherwise they wouldn't be holding this meeting. The way the system is now is obviously not working; it relies too much on the economy doing well.

What Wintour said was ridiculuous, it's called anti-monopoly law. This "lets not change anything ourselves, but force others to accommodate what we want" type of thinking is what is causing them problems.

The industry!

The consumer is the industry and the industry has forgotten that. OH and I agree most things (even high end clothing) is so poorly made. Besides people are into having individual styles.

I voted consumers. However, in general, I would say that it depends. Are they speaking in general or in reference to specifically ready-to-wear or couture. I would like to see couture stay as it is. Yeah, a lot of people don't get, but they're not supposed to. Ready-to-wear should do more to appeal and target the consumer.

In the rare instances that an American Vogue issue actually interests me, my distaste for Anna Wintour always outweighs any temptation to fork down the cash.

As for the fashion shows: I love the couture shows -- it's an artform for me. But for everything else, it's really stupid to put on fall shows when we're just barely entering summer. But it works for my wallet. Having so much time between the the time that runway photos are posted all over the internet, to the time they're available for sale, gives enough time for me to get bored of the item. And, if I'm still interested, I usually can find a similar, or updated version for less by the time the items come out.

A little of both.