Researching Fashion Designers
Try searching in Summon for the name of your designer. Here are a few tips:
- Refine your search to Book/eBook (left column) if that's what you're trying to find
- In addition to your designers name, add the word biography to your search
- If your designer's name is a common name, add the word designer to your search.
- Can't make it to the library or prefer online? Refine your search to Full Text Online (left column)
- Berg Fashion LibraryFind information on Fashion Designers and Design Houses. Berg includes fashion encyclopedias, ebooks, and articles, as well as fashion images.
- Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)CFDA is a non-profit trade association that contains a wealth of industry information.
Researching a Company
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Following the steps below should provide you with the company information needed to complete your research project.
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For additional sources and tips for conducting company research, follow the Company Information tab above.
Researching a Designer
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Check out the box at the bottom of this page about finding resources and information on fashion designers.
Selected Books on Fashion Designers
1 Brief, 50 Designers, 50 Solutions in Fashion Design [EBOOK] by ISBN: 9781610602310Publication Date: 2011-06-01
Black Designers in American Fashion by ISBN: 9781350138476Publication Date: 2021-08-26Interweaving fashion design and American cultural history, this book fills critical gaps in the history of fashion and offers insights and context to students of fashion, design, and American and African American history and culture.
In an Influential Fashion: An Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-and Twentieth-Century Fashion Designers and Retailers who Transformed Dress [PRINT] by Call Number: REF TT505.A1 I5 2002ISBN: 0313312206Publication Date: 2002-03-30
Contemporary Fashion [PRINT]Call Number: REF TT505.A1 C66 2002ISBN: 1558623485Publication Date: 2002-03-28Each entry (of the fashion designer) includes biographical information, as well as a critical assessment of the designer's contributions to fashion, and a bibliography to facilitate further research
Women in Design by Call Number: NK1174 .F54 2019ISBN: 9781786275318Publication Date: 2019-10-29Offering an alternative, female-focused history, Women in Design is an essential new tome dedicated to the innovators who have shaped the design world.
Not finding what you need in these books? Try searching in Summon using the tips in the box above.
Librarian
Visit and Gather Information from the Company Website
The company website can be a great place for certain types of information needed when doing company research. Just keep in mind the inherent bias of the information on a company's own website.
Look for this type of Information for your project:
- Business Description
- Company brands and products offered
- Better understanding of the image the store is trying to portray & the consumers they are targeting
- Basic financial information.
- Social responsibility efforts
- Customer services offered
A. Look for links titled something like About Us or About the Company. (These are typically at the bottom of the page.)
Here's where you can often find information about company brands, corporate history, community services programs, sustainability efforts.
B. Also look for links labeled for Investors or Investor Relations, (Also typically at the bottom of the page.)
Expect to find press releases and financial reports here. Locate the Annual Report as it can be a great place to find information such as a detailed business description, "year in review" analysis, and strategic directions, Don't be intimidated by its size & in-depth financial information as you can skip through all of that & just read the interesting and applicable information!
C. The company website is also a great place to learn about a retail store's customer services and loyalty programs.
Company Website Illustration
Found under the "About Us" link at the very bottom of the Buckle home page, this page gives a nice, brief business description. "Our Story" offers a company history timeline, "Buckle Believes" addresses corporate social responsibility and there's a section covering their brands.
Find a Company Profile in MarketLine
MarketLine Advantage offers reports on over 100,000 companies from around the world. The reports typically include a corporate description, key statistics, news, products and services, SWOT analysis, company history and more.
Watch this 2 minute video for a demonstration on locating a MarketLine Company Profile.
Locating a Hoover's Company Profile and a Company Dossier in Nexis-Uni
Nexis Uni contains a wealth of company information from a variety of sources, but it can be challenging and overwhelming to locate it all. Get started by finding a Hoover's In-depth Company Record and a Company Dossier as shown in this 3 minute video.
Locate a Company Dossier from the dropdown menu in the top left of the Nexis-Uni home page. From the Company Snapshot screen, explore the options on the left navigation bar, including Brands, Competitors, Financial Overview, Investment Research, and Additional Company Reports.
Annual Report Illustration
Be sure to take a look at a company's Annual Report. Don't be intimidated by its size and in-depth financial tables! Skim through the report or check out the table of contents to identify useful information for your project. It's probably near the front of the report.
