An examination of the Lithuanian fashion designer's use of marketing in their success

The aim of this research is to provide young fashion designers in Lithuania with information on how to become recognised and successful. There is an increased interest and demand for fashion within Lithuania but limited literature regarding this developing industry, therefore comparators are drawn from available literature about the more established British fashion industry. A principal objective to this enquiry was to investigate how the Lithuanian fashion houses used marketing tools to achieve popularity and fame. Qualitative, in-depth and semi-structured interviews with three Lithuanian designers at their studios in Lithuania were conducted about how they became established and the roles of marketing, branding and PR, creativity and talent, consumer’s trust and reliance and finances. Results indicate the following helped the designer entering the industry: identifying a niche market, combining talent and creativity with business knowledge, a good preparation for the industry, finance management, appropriate funding, business partner and networking, the importance of branding, and the implications with the consumers’ addiction to famous brands. This research contributes to the existing literature on the Lithuanian fashion industry and the general scholarly debate on the importance of marketing and branding in the fashion industry. The study identifies prospects for and opportunities to improve the Lithuanian fashion industry and concludes with recommendations for the designer’s preparation for the industry, and identifies issues for further research such as: individual clients versus collections, the right time to start, consumerism, or fashion in the future.