ANALYSIS OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF FASHION ARTICLES.

Objective: To analyze the creative process during the process of developing fashion articles, based on the perception of professionals who work in companies in the leather-footwear sector in the Vale dos Sinos region. Methodology: We opted for a qualitative approach and a field research strategy, in view of its exploratory nature. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and then analyzed through discursive textual analysis. Results: It was found that the creative process consists of stages of desire and intrinsic motivation, preparation, manipulation, generation, verification and validation of ideas. However, many external elements, such as the pressure to reduce the lead-time to create, and the responsibilities for sales success and cost reduction, are part of the whole that comprises the complex phenomenon of creativity at the organizational level. Theoretical implications: The results contribute to a better understanding and a new way of looking at organizational management studies, with a view to promoting adjustments in creativity management models. Originality: There is a need to apply creativity throughout the stages of the production process when referring to the fashion industry; this is in contradiction to fashion structures that often see the creative process alongside the production process. Therefore, it is opportune to contribute to an investigation that seeks to understand creativity as a complex phenomenon in companies in the creative fashion industry, more specifically in the organizational environments of the footwear sector in the Vale dos Sinos region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]