Signalizing a New Trend? An Analysis of the Fashion Apparel Production in Brazil

We propose a creative economy approach to discuss the value creation among fashion apparel producers. We consider that fashion accounts for value creation and for value adding in new products. Fashion turns basic apparel items into more valued products. Relations between fashion apparel companies and their suppliers give evidence to support our theoretical discussion in Brazil. We conclude that the lenses of industrial production and global sourcing are not enough to explain the value creation and the value adding of apparel manufacturing and that the emergence of a local fashion belief and a creative economy can be explored as a source of value creation and value adding. In addition we realized that fashion matters on the configuration and coordination of the apparel industry.