CONTENTS// *BRAND PHILOSOPHY..............................................5 *WELCOME TO THE TEAM...........................................6 *LETS BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING: DETACHABLE CLOTHING..............8 *BY SEA, BY AIR, BY ROAD: THE PERFECT TRAVEL COMPANION.........10 *FREE LUMIERÉ.................................................12 *DESTINATION LONDON...........................................14 *TRAVEL BOX: CASE CLOSED.......................................16 *LIBERTY: RICHARD WESTON.......................................18 *SHEPHERD’S BUSH.............................................20 *NO.42 BERWICK STREET: THE CLOTH HOUSE............................22 *NEW DIRECTION: MINUS HARRY STYLES...............................24 *BEHIND THE NAME.............................................26 *FANZINE.....................................................28 *LOGO DEVELOPMENT: FACE FOR THE BRAND.............................32 *WHAT SHALL WE PRODUCE?.........................................54 *LOOK BOOK FLATS...............................................56 *THE IMPORTANCE OF MARKET RESEARCH............................60 *INTERVIEW: LEIGH, CLARITY SUSTAINABILITY.......................63 *COMPETITOR RESEARCH: HONEST BY...............................64 *COMPETITOR RESEARCH: STELLA MCCARTNEY..........................66 *COMPETITOR RESEARCH: EDUN...................................68 *MARKETING RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE..............................70
*GETTING TO KNOW JUSTIN BARROW...................................74 *UNDERSTANDING YOUR CUSTOMER...................................76 *PEEL’S CUSTOMER PROFILE.......................................77 *THE SOURCE: THE GLOBAL PLATFORM FOR SUSTAINABLE FASHION............78 *PREMIÉRE VISION..............................................80 *LONDON TEXTILE FAIR.........................................82 *SAMPLE SALE.................................................84 *FILM: INTO THE WILD..........................................86 *FRUIT FIGHT..................................................88 *HERE COME THE GIRLS............................................89 *LOOK BOOK...................................................90 *LOOK BOOK ATTEMPT: 1.........................................92 *TAKE 2......................................................93 *THE SAMPLE BOOK.............................................94 *DESIGNING OUR BUSINESS CARD..................................96 *THE FUTURE OF PEEL...........................................98 *SMYTHSON + PEEL............................................100 *MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA + PEEL...............................102 *MINI + PEEL................................................104 *JO MALONE + PEEL............................................106 *THE WORLD BEHIND THE WORLDWIDE WEB..........................108 *GOODBYE AND FAREWELL.........................................110
BRAND PHILOSOPHY//
The Earth is a delicate and fragile organism, and as human beings, we have a responsibility to care and preserve our world and those who inhabit it. We promote and support fairtrade, ensuring ethical practices and the least amount of waste possible; challenging social, environmental, cultural and political issues of our time. We strive for a fair world, a clean world, a better world.
5
WELCOME TO THE TEAM// During this project I have undertaken a number of roles within the group in order to achieve certain tasks that were needed so that we could successfully merge our concept with a hypothetical business venture. My roles include: *Fashion Feature writer – I wrote the features for our professional publication. *Co Website Designer – I partnered with Daisy and together we created mock layouts of a potential website that we would use for our PEEL brand. *Assistant Branding Designer – designing the business cards once our logo had been established. *Assistant Editor – Helping edit the Lookbook. *Assistant Creative Director – Helping direct on the photoshoot. These were all roles I was happy to fulfill , as these were careers I have an interest in pursuing after university.
EMMIE JAMES-CROOK
Throughout this project I had various roles mainly within the 3D side but gave help and input with the 2D side. I began with the concept research and market research at the begging of the project whilst the 2D people were working on the fanzine. I assisted with the fanzine and some of the photos taken were by myself. I also assisted in the photo shoot and imagery for the look book. I was textile and product developer and co-layout and content co-ordination of the sample book, which uses many of my own images. I also see myself as a Product developer, for I researched into natural dying, which helped when I created the samples.
6
HANNAH LITTLE
Throughout this project I have worked on various digital areas to enhance the branding and overall aesthetic of the brand. My roles include: *Brand photographer- for Look book and film shoots *Film director and editor- I organised and produced PEEL’s fashion film Art Director- I took responsibility for the look book and the group fanzine. * Co Website editor- I partnered with Daisy and together we created mock layouts of a potential website that we would use for our PEEL brand. *Assistant market researcher – Sustainable marketing Interview *Feature writer for Fanzine- I wrote some features for our goup fanzine. *Head of social media- I set up social networinkg pages for our brand, so that we could communicate and interact wwith our audience *Concept research- as a member of the team, I shared responsibility of researching our brand’s concept and feeeding back what I had learnt to the rest of my group. I really enjoyed being able to put my communicating skills to good use, as this is a possible career path I am really interested in. I beleive that, globally we are all part of a digital network, and I want to develop my skills so that I can make the best use of what the world wide web has to offer.
DAISY MORRIS
Through the project, I have had various roles within the group in order to fulfill certain areas needed to establish our group’s brand. My roles include: *Concept Researcher- Researched into the facts about the ethics and sustainability of cotton farming and manufacturing. *Graphic Designer- I designed the group’s ‘PEEL’ typeface and logo. *Fashion Features writer- I wrote various features designed to be used in professional publications. *Illustrator- I created a selection of illustrations to be used in various publications.
AMY NEWELL
As the group has progressed, my roles have also included: *PR & Market Researcher- my responsibilities involve me needing to identify effective PR and marketing opportunities, identify competitors and compile SWOT analyses in order to help the brand identify a niche within the market. Roles that I have kept throughout the project have been: *Graphics designer- adapting the PEEL logo. *Illustrator- creating aesthetic images to be used in various works created by the group. *Design Assistant- helping create products, which feature in PEEL’s Look book. *Assistant Editor- for the compilation of the group’s sketchbook and the compilation of the group’s mini research zine.
7
LETS BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING: DETACHABLE CLOTHING//
8
Something that we are all interested in is the concept of travel, but why travel, what can we offer, is there a niche, which we could utilise. One thing that we agreed was a difficulty when travelling was the increasingly strict luggage allowances, the daunting task of having to pack a pile the size of the Eiffel Tower into a shoebox. So how could we challenge this? How can we save space and endless hours of strategic packing time? An idea that was of interest was detachable clothing, versatile garments, that could be mixed and matched to create numerous outfits, suitable for all weathers, and eventualities. This was a very loose idea, and the concept of travel gave us plenty of scope for experimentation. Let’s hit the library!
9
BY SEA, BY AIR, BY ROAD: THE PERFECT TRAVEL COMPANION//
First tutorial with Anne was extremely enlightening, and apparent that we were trying to run before we could walk. Anne highlighted that detachable clothing was a product already available on the market, and that ultimately, they are quite out dated. As a group we were all of the understanding that we wanted to produce something that was versatile, functional, but modern, cool and chic. It was apparent that our brand name FREE LUMIERÉ would not be suitable as we had named ourselves before we had a true understanding of our concept, and we would need to evaluate this later on. Anne asked if we had thought about doing travel packs. A collection of items that travellers would take with them, which we could package so that it took up hardly any room I a suitcase, vacuum packaging for example, advising that we look at brands such as, Touch of Ginger and Merci. This fed some seeds in our brains, and so we retreated to the library to discuss our ideas. 10
Together we liked the idea of making tailored packages that would vary depending on what type of travel expedition the customer would be doing, the City package, the Festival package, the Ski package, Men’s packages, Children packages, Women’s packages, the list is endless and has the potential to be a continually adapting brand with new and exciting products and collaborations. Our products would vary from, herbal teas, flannels that expand when placed in water, stationary, compact mirrors, moisturisers and many more… The packing would be sophisticated and luxurious in order to appeal to upmarket cliental. We would need to consider, how we would communicate with our market. Highly excited by our new direction, further research was essential! Vicky has put Amy onto some really cool inspiration sites, Amble, which is a travelling app, a bit like a travelling scrapbook, created by Louis Vuitton. She did urge that we need more concept research, as the research we have conducted so far is a bit product-heavy, so she suggested we look at www.psfk.com, a site that shares stories about innovative projects and theories, and also research into the idea of psychogeography, “an approach to geography that emphasises playfulness and “drifting” around urban environments”, as this concept has loose links with Dadism and Surrealism. It would also be worth considering collaborating with ‘heritage’ brands our own ambitions are to be a cool and contemporary brand, and high profile collaborations, are usually yield positive results when it comes to taking a new slant on something that is already available on the market. We are reinventing, updating and forward thinking! 11
Amy had a go at trying a bit of logo development, for our travelling brand.
FREE LUMIERE// Travel evokes a sense of freedom, allowing an individual to break away from the everyday troubles, and venture into new and unknown territories. With freedom, there comes a light, a glint of excitement and opportunity. When playing around with the words ‘free’ and ‘light’, together they didn’t sound right, but when light was changed into the French translation ‘lumieré’, it flowed and rolled off the tongue better. We felt that FREE LUMIERÉ created the right sort of imagery that captured our idea of personal travel and adventure.
12
13
DESTINATION LONDON//
14
Our trip to London was an opportunity to interact with other retailers and research further into our brand concept. We would be able to tour the sights, speak directly to consumers, and submerge ourselves in the worlds of luxury retailers with the fruits of their labour. We did not have a definite plan as to where we wanted to visit, but we knew that we would probably benefit by visiting stores who market themselves at a the type of cliental we ourselves were interested in.
15
TRAVEL BOX: CASE CLOSED//
We headed down to Selfridges, & Liberty to explore the different brands we were considering collaborating with. In our sessions with Vicky, she had suggested looking into heritage brands, as these have an essence of luxury and sophistication, which is what we were interested in, and then putting our own updated twist. Selfridges & Liberty seemed the perfect starting point for our investigation but we quickly learnt that this visit to London, was not going to be a song and dance. Our aim was to directly interact with upmarket products, speak to their representatives and get a true feel of what the high-end market brands were doing in order to maintain their highly sought after status. We were still keen on our ideas of producing a package with a mix of beauty care products, herbal teas, fragrances and stationary, all the simple necessities you would imagine taking with you if you were to travel. As we trailed around Selfridges, in all its luxurious glory, it was apparent we were all feeling a sense of doubt. The representatives seemed to know nothing about the products or the brand when asked, and actually quite rude. Even after venturing around Liberty, inspiration was non-existent, and the group enthusiasm was slipping extremely quickly. We gathered ourselves together and stopped for a coffee where we discussed where we were heading. It soon became apparent we were not in the right place. We had chosen to start our research in places that were far too commercial, and retail orientated, when we were still in the stages of trying to realise a thought-provoking concept. The concept of travel was not exciting us anymore and we had become so focused on the product, that imagination and creativity had been forgotten about. We needed a philosophy, a selling point, something we all felt passionate about. That’s when we embarked a completely different journey and route of spur. In hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise, taking a break from product-orientated route and looking for colour, texture, and culture. It stemmed a new spark and attitude, which would be the foundations of our new brand.
16
17
LIBERTY: RICHARD WESTON//
18
Liberty is a hive of activity when we enter the infamous department store. A buzz resounds on every floor of the 137-year-old business, home to the infamous ‘Scarf Hall’. Famed for it’s expansive displays of designer brands, the Scarf Hall is literally what it ‘says on the tin’, a hall full to the brim of scarves! And most importantly we got to steal a quick interview with one of the employees of Liberty, who was able to shed some light onto one of the collections. A particular collection, which caught our eye, was Richard Weston’s collection of S/S 2014 silk scarves. These are beautiful, scarves! What is the inspiration behind these gorgeous prints? Thank you! They are gorgeous aren’t they? Well, Richard Weston is the designer and the concept behind these prints is all things natural. What he has done is taken highly microscopic images of beautiful minerals, fossils and stones and then printed these images onto the fabric. How has Weston printed onto the fabric? For these scarves, Weston has used digital printing for the collection. With digital printing it meant that he could create exquisitely sharp and detailed images on the fabric, which helps create these amazing prints. These scarves are 100% silk, which is not only amazing for printing onto, but also means that the fabric holds the colour really well. 100% silk! Does that make the scarves quite costly? No! Which is the amazing thing! Each scarf retails at £75. So not only are you paying for a beautiful print, you are also paying for beautiful quality too! Wow! I’m still blown away by the richness in the colour! If you had to choose a favourite, which would it be? That’s too hard! Well if I have to choose one it would have to be Weston’s Purple Agate scarf, which is an exclusive print for Liberty. I love the vividness of the pink, along with the purples and oranges. This particular print is magnified; high resolution scans of natural formations found in Agate minerals. Stop! I want one so bad! (Laughs). They are to die for! Our conversation draws to a close, but as a group we are left truly inspired by Weston’s use of natural elements in their truest and most organic form. We all agree that our current concept does not inspire or fulfil us with great excitement so we think it is worth taking a step back and re-evaluating what we want to achieve.
19
SHEPHERDS BUSH//
20
Outside Liberty was a small and beautiful flower market. Having agreed to go back to the drawing board, we were in desperate need of some stimuli, which would inspire and arouse our creative bugs. We could have used our Pinterest mood boards for starting points, as there were some similarities, however, our interests are so diverse, it was better to take advantage of being in an environment full of inspiration and take some photos. The bright colours of the flowers helped lift our mood and spurred us on. Looking back on the pictures that Daisy had collected, we thought it would be worth paying a visit to Shepherd’s Bush market, popular for it’s vibrant displays of fresh flowers, fruit and veg. Stepping into the entrance of the narrow street of Shepherd’s Bush market, Daisy’s camera seemed to have a life of its own, as she tried to capture every inch of our surroundings, colours popping out at us left, right, and centre. With an array of photos, we were beginning to build a concept of something that was both natural and organic, which we could transform into an ultra-modern and cool perception.
21
No. 42 BERWICK STREET: THE CLOTH HOUSE// “There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness.� These are the words of the quaint Cloth House situated off Berwick Street, Soho, London. From printed cotton, to woven wools, cheesecloth and muslin, every fabric is produced naturally. The cosy interior with washed white bricks and wooden staircase, complimented the perfectly tranquil atmosphere, the perfect setting for a treasure trove full of natural fabrics in an array of colours and patterns. Browsing through the eclectic shop a beautifully delicate necklace made up of little fabric swatches became the pinnacle of our visit. Speaking a sales representative, we were told that every fabric sold within the shop was naturally produced, and even the fabrics that were dyed were done naturally also. She showed us to a collection of fabrics that were vegetable dyed cottons, with an array of hues. To dye their fabrics, they cover the fabric in salt, which acts a fixative, and then the vegetables are added after. It sounded fairly simple, so simple that we could even do this at home! We think we have found a concept the group can rally around.
22
23
The group trip to London was extremely eye opening, it showed that research can not be done solely in a library, or on the internet, but it’s not until you step into the outside world and actually come into contact with your surroundings, that your original ideas can be somewhat, unimaginative.
NEW DIRECTION: MINUS HARRY STYLES!//
24
As a group, we agreed that we had an interest in pursuing a concept that is natural and organic. Ethics and sustainably, is a prominent issue within the fashion industry, and many businesses are beginning to challenge current manufacturing methods and preferring to opt for more ecofriendly roots. The word ‘eco-friendly’ sent shivers down our spine. There is still a stigma among current consumers that to be ecofriendly means that it will be hemp t-shirts, bland colours, long flowing skirts in hideous tie-dye patterns. But, we don’t have to be like that; I mean, look at Stella McCartney. An ecological brand, supporting numerous charities, associated with chic tailoring, ultramodern cuts, in a variety of colours and styles. We want to show businesses and consumers, that you can still be fashionable and profitable, whilst supporting ecopractices.
Now, we need a name...
Looking back at our images from Shepherd’s bush, and our trip to The Cloth House, we fell in love with the idea, of making or sourcing natural, organic fabrics that we would dye with vegetables, fruits, or indeed anything natural! We could look into creating simple tunics using eco fabrics that would dye with our own vegetable dyes, maintaining our need to be cool. We would create our slick image through the branding and marketing of our brand, so we would need to be innovative and adventurous when communicating with our audience. It became apparent that our brand would rely heavily on communication, and that any 3D outcomes would be a tactile object that would aid us in our quest to convey a message that being eco-friendly is cool!
25
BEHIND THE NAME// Our brand name is to be the first point of contact with our consumers. It needs to capture their interest and clearly relate to the concept of our eco brand. We like the idea of having something quite snappy, which has some relation to using vegetable & natural dyes. Amy quite liked the idea of using a Latin translation. Fruit and veg being natural and organic, part of the origins of the Earth, Latin being the origin of the English language. Vita/Vitae (Water) Terra Nova (New Earth) Terra (Earth) Nova (New) Fructus (Fruit) Naturalis (Natural) Orbis (World) It was a really good idea, but something just didn’t feel quite right, so we continued to brainstorm. Aqua Mother/Mothering Natural Preserve Harvest Zest Eden Utopia Desert And then‌.eureka! PEEL The birth of our brand!
26
Now that we have our name, how are we going to brand oursevles? We continually reminded each other, that we need to be innovative and contemporary. Clean and crisp. Most importantly‌keep it COOL! The branding of our venture is paramount when portraying our image, so we looked at a number of branding websites, in order to have a better appreciation as to how to approach our own branding dilemmas. www.septemberindustry.co.uk www.studio-family.com www.thenewgraphic.com But our favourite by far was Ro & Co Studio (www.roandcostudio. com). The layout of their webpage was orderly. The composition of the imagery of their packaging was beautifully crisp, and was exactly how we would like to photograph our own products, as it was fresh, sophisticated and methodical.
We were especially taken by the idea of engraving our PEEL logo onto Perspex for business cards! Of course plastic is far from natural, but if we were to use recycled plastics, it would still be in keeping with our being an ethical and sustainable brand. Ro & Co Studio captured the essence of being divinely high-end and up-market, the exact luxuriant persona we want to capture for our own brand. We would need to draw up some designs and get into contact with he workshop, if we finally choose to actually make some packaging for our products, so that we can allot our time effectively and give ourselves clear cut deadlines.
27
FANZINE// The aim of the zine was to relay or research that e had conducted, however, ours was lacking and was missing important details. This was partially due to our incredibly late decision to change our concept, leaving us only a few days to compile the zine itself. We successfully managed to summarise our conceptual research, but had failed to conduct sufficient market research, we is important, as we need to target a particular market sector. There are minor mistakes, but ones that can be easily rectified, if we had more time available to us.
28
Colour of the font is different to colour of the kiwi illustration. Would be better if they matched. Cover looks almost too plain.
29
Layout is quite nice. Having images overlap with the font and using, images in the centre helps break up the text.
Possibly use kiwi illustration as logo?
30
SPELLING! Need to be careful! Be worth having two people check future publications OR type up text in word, spell check, then copy and paste into InDesign publication.
31
LOGO DEVELOPMENT: FACE FOR THE BRAND// Amy took charge of the logo design, as she is quite a whizz in Photoshop, and she did not disappoint! The group was given an array of options, in different layouts and formats; a multitude of different colours. We all agreed that we really liked the use of plain and simple font, for our cool, sophisticated edge, and then using different colours or imagery in the background so that it would stand out.
The particular favourites were the logos, which utilised imagery of fruit, flowers, or fabrics, but it was felt that this could be quite limiting. We then had the idea of maybe just having the same layout but using different colours, to correspond with the seasons or our concepts for our products. Going on from the idea of engraving business cards, Amy suggested embossing, or even using foiling transfers, and we fell in love with the idea. Foiling transfers come in an array of colours and are really simple to do, meaning that foiling business cards, or flyers, or packing, is something we could easily do ourselves without having to break the bank and pay someone else to do.
32
We want to stick to very bright and popping colours to reflect the photographs that Daisy took on our London trip, so that all our design decisions are interlinked and relevant to the concept. The font used is Letter Gothic Std. Lines are smooth and sharp, similar to the style of products we would like to make. The square layout is cool, but we all prefer the simple text format and then using different colour foiling to add a bit of interest. The metallic quality of the foiling would be a really interesting juxtaposition to our natural/organic ethos and show that we are not your everyday eco brand.
33
The square layout is quite quirky, as it is more interesting to look at. By using imagery in the background, it adds colour and a greater visual appeal.
34
The imagery for this particular logo design, uses amy’s own phots of broken glass, which she has then reflected to create a really peculiar pattern.
35
As PEEL is all about it’s fabrics, it seemed suitable that our logo incorporated some sort of fabric reference. This image is a photocopy of some coarse weave and then photoshopped to enhance the colours.
36
What would a logo be, without a bit of denim? This is one of our favourites, as the colour looks really natural and also captures that we are a fashion brand who focuses on the details.
37
The original image, is sourced from Amy’s tumblr blog, but she has then photoshopped it so create a kaleidoscope effect.
38
She sells sea shells on the sea shore... Natural, organic, and a really nice use of colour.
39
This was an image in ETCETERA ETC. By Sibella Court. The composition and neutral colours, encaptured the image that we want for our own brand.
40
Roses are red, Violets are blue, but in this particular case, roses are pink! Soft, feminine. The cool pastel colours result in more tranquil image for our brand.
41
With a love for glitter, and all things sparkly, this tumblr sourced image is both fun and fresh! The perfect portrayal for PEEL.
42
The pops of colour and images of fruit, directly makes a reference to our natural dyes, but the feeling is that the imagery is too obvious in telling our audience what we are about.
43
Instead of using images, Amy experimented with using plain colours. We all agreed that we preferred the soft pastel colours as they seemed more natural.
44
The orange is really nice, as it has more of a visual impact. However the pea green is also really nice...decisions, decisions.
45
Same imagery used in the previous logos, but just using a different layout. The mutual favourite is the denim logo, as when we made mock web pages for PEEL, that particular image looked really sleek and professional.
46
47
Again, same imagery used in the previous logos, but different layout. We are not that keen on this logo layout, as the font of PEEL disappears in the imagery, we want to make our name rememorable!
48
49
For this layout, the use of plain colours is more effective compared to using imagery, as the PEEL typeface stands out more prominently.
50
However, it does still feel, that there is too much colour, so the group agrees that the best layout for our logo so far, is just the PEEL typeface which uses colour or imagery in the font.
51
Daisy had a really good idea, of using our naturally dyed samples as the back ground for the PEEL typeface. This sort of worked, but the colours are too bland, and I think we all prefer the idea of having a logo that is sophisticated, but pops out at you at the same time.
52
Using Amy’s suggestion of foil transfers, we are going to use this particular logo layout, but then use foiling lettering, as a bit of a juxtoposition with our natural concept, but also as it will create a really nice clean sheen. We can use different colours, but keep the same logo layout throughout, so that it is the anchor of our natural/organic brand. Minimalist font has been the most effective in creating a cool edge for our brand.
53
WHAT SHALL WE PRODUCE?// For PEEL, the most important thing is, how are we going to brand ourselves? How are we going to communicate with our audience. The world wide web is an essential tool within the 21st century, as it links people on a global scale. However, there is also a liking for tactile marketing tools, which can act a bit like a souvenir, when interacting with our brand. So we have decided to create a number of marketing tools to aid us: *Social media page, using major social networking sites with the greatest amount of users. The most popular at present being Facebook and Twitter. *A mock Webpage. This would be the face of our brand via the Internet, and would be our main tool of communication with customers. *A Look book. This could be a printed publication, which we send out to customers, offering the range of products we would sell in each collection. It would contain images and photos of our garments, as well as product information. The Look book and the website need to be of a similar layout and formatting, so that both remain related to the PEEL brand. 54
Amy brought in a lookbook from where she works, to help us get a better idea as to what is required in a lookbook, which is used in a professional business. We were able to see how the layout was presented, font, details included alongside images of the garments themselves, the use of a combination of photography and illustration flats. We can use this lookbook as a template for our own, but we must remember that the brand image that JOULES has, is very nostalgic, clebrating British heritage and British coutryside. With the PEEL brand, we want it to be clean, crisp, ultra-modern with an almost, urban-esque skew on a literal natural and organic concept.
55
LOOK BOOK FLATS// We asked Amy, if she would be able to draw up some basic illustrated flats in Adobe Illustrator, for the group look book, as she expressed an interest in wishing to develop her Adobe Illustrator skills. We were more than happy to let her, and were quite happy with the results. Like in professional retailers look books, their products are named to help them differentiate between each item. Amy has a really keen interest in history, especially ancient history mythology, so has named her illustrations after ancient greek and roman gods and titans. The garments help create the smooth, and ultra-modern style we want for our brand images, with very little fuss and clean cut lines.
56
HELEN DRESS//
DEMETER DRESS//
DIONE DRESS//
57
ATHENA DRESS// HERICLEES JUMPSUIT//
58
TETHYS TROUSER//
THEIA TROUSER//
GAIA TROUSER//
59
THE IMPORTANCE MARKET RESEARCH// Market research is paramount for any business. It calls upon a entire collective of figures, facts and statistics so that the business can shape itself into a viable and successful brand. There would be range of questions that PEEL would need to answer before we could begin any work on the branding and marketing of our business. *What are we trying to sell? Our product or our philosophy? *Who are we going to target our brand at? *Why are we aiming our efforts at them? *What will we offer which is appealing to Up-market customers? *Where is the money? *How will we get customers to invest in us? *Who are our competitors? *What do they do which makes them a threat to our brand? *Can we research into their mistakes and learn from them, so that we don’t fall into similar traps? The list is endless, but like any good research the best is source from first hand communication. Daisy was really successful and managed to get an interview with a gentleman who worked in the branding industry, and Amy conducted secondary research on a few high-end businesses that shared similar philosophies to our own.
60
BRUNO PIETERS
STELLA McCARTNEY
ALI HEWSON & BONO
61
62
63
COMPETITOR RESEARCH: HONEST BY// Bruno Pieters is a Belgian born fashion designer and art director who is highly regarded for his unconventional creations and sharp tailoring. After retreating from the fashion industry for two years and touring the globe. Pieter’s developed a new appreciation for ethical and sustainable fashion practices. He launched HONEST BY in 2012, the first brand that offered 100% transparency about their products from where the materials are sourced, the amount of materials used, manufacturing process and the costing of the entire process. The aim is to provide as much information as possible about the products, so that customers can make informed decisions about their purchases.
Strengths: *Website greets customers with the question of what colour they would like most whilst browsing. Able to choose from a page with bright colours or with pastels. Website was designed like this so that the shopping experience would be more interactive, customer friendly and personal. *Unique in communicating about the supply chain of its products and pricing. *Brand is extremely honest and open about its policies. Consumers can feel more informed about their purchases. *First company that shares a full cost breakdown of its products. *Extensive research on organic fabrics and suppliers. *Able to stay on trend by collaborating with new and innovative design talent. *Collaborates with a number of designers, so that there is a variety of looks and styles available to customers. *Limited number of garments in each collection means that brand is never over stocked. Have enough buyers to ensure collections sell out. *Does not have a store, or sell in a concession. Saves on costs (sales assistants/floor space fees). *Caters for Men and women. *Website is easy to navigate around. Information easily accessible, products colour coded depending on what criteria they fulfill, e.g. vegan, organic, recycled etc. 64
Weaknesses: *Only launched in 2012, still a new business. *Not a highly publicised brand. Not prominent in public eye. *Only has one office in a Fashion capital (New York. As business is not located near any other fashion capitals (Milan, London), consumers may struggle to access. *Does not have a store. Consumers unable to directly interact with brand physically. *Being part of the luxury sector, prices far exceed average working wages. Only wealthy can afford. Limited cliental. *Women’s fashion is incredibly saturated market.
Opportunities: *Collaborate with notable designer brands already prominent in the public eye, which share the same ideals, e.g. Stella McCartney. *Currently negotiating with brands that are interested in doing an ethical fashion capsule as a test price point would be more democratic. *Make ethical and sustainable fashion more affordable and available to the average consumer. *Heritage brands are out-dated. Time for the age of new and ground breaking brands. *Collect prolific celebrity supporters, so that brand is prominent in the public eye. *Branch into children’s fashion. Parents are proving to be more willing to spend money on their children rather than themselves.
Threats: *Ethical fabric suppliers are limited. Sourcing new and evolutionary fabrics = difficult *Still an unfair assumption that organic fabrics are worse quality. *Incredibly niche market = limited number of buyers. *Only able to purchase online. There is a consumer desire to see and feel the product before purchasing. *Online shopping detracts for the up-market prices, not really a luxuriant experience.
65
COMPETITOR RESEARCH: STELLA McCARTNEY// Born and raised in the UK, Stella McCartney signature style of sharp tailoring and femininity has seen the designer win numerous awards. The Stella McCartney brand was launched as a partnership with Kering as a joint venture with the first collection being launched in 2001. Stella McCartney is well known as a lifelong vegetarian, who does not use any leather or fur in her designs. Stella McCartney’s products range in women’s ready-to-wear, accessories, lingerie, eyewear, fragrance and kids. McCartney’s pledge to sustainability is obvious throughout all her collections and is a key part of the brand’s ethos as a brand that is responsible, honest, and contemporary.
Strengths: *An already internationally renowned brand. *Well-established image of ethical and sustainable practices. *Information about brand easily accessible (website, social media) *Quick to embrace new technologies to enhance PR & marketing (Facebook Twitter Pinterest). *Numerous prolific celebrity supporters, for example, Gwyneth Paltrow, Liv Tyler, Kate Winslet. All of who are keen supporters of ethical movements. *Celebrated British brand. Highly awarded & commended designer. *Positive image in the public eye. *Consumers more aware of the importance of caring for the environment, wildlife and human welfare, more willing to take active measures in the protection and preservation of the world and global communities. *Stella brand began October 2001 = strong foothold in business *Long-term partnership with Adidas. *Number of collaborations with artists, illustrators and fashion brands. *Supports a number of charities - enhances positive public image. *Needing to find new suppliers each season = brand continually evolving to stay prominent and current.
66
Weaknesses: *Difficult to get in contact with head office. No contact details available online. Unapproachable? *Expensive, prices far exceed an average working budget. Only the wealthy able to afford = limited market *Very few stores in the UK. Not easily accessible. Does have online store, but detracts from the upmarket experience. *Prices discourage younger consumers investing in well-made garments. Result = maintained funding of cheap retailers who use cruel & harmful methods of manufacturing. *Doesn’t cater for Men. *Doesn’t make own fabrics. Have to use what’s available on the market. *Designs limited- Colours can be very limited in organic ranges – often there’s not the same richness of texture. *Market has not yet caught up with demand for ethical & sustainable materials = difficulty in sourcing, continually having to find new suppliers.
Opportunities: *Encourage communication between brand and fans of the brand. Invite consumers to interact with brand. *Promote and encourage other businesses to embrace ethical and sustainable practices, prove that businesses can be eco & successful. *Branch into Men’s wear, new possible market?
Threats: *More businesses undertaking ethical & sustainable practices. McCartney brand, no longer has a unique selling point. *Other brands = ethical & affordable, McCartney could potentially lose customers. *Limited suppliers of ethical & sustainable materials. *Women’s wear = overly saturated market.
67
COMPETITOR RESEARCH: EDUN// Ali Hewson and Bono founded the global brand EDUN in 2005, as a business that promotes trade in Africa by sourcing production throughout the continent. EDUN has joined a number of campaigns, which supports this concept and also established the Conservation Cotton Initiative Uganda (CCIU) in 2008. The initiative provides funding, training and enterprise support for cotton farmers and helps promote sustainable business within Uganda. EDUN collaborates with a number of African artists and creative, but one of EDUN’s most notable collaborations is with the denim brand, DIESEL. This 2-season-collaboration, saw the first collection launch in 2013, and was made entirely of African cotton produced and processed through EDUN’s Conservation Cotton Initiative campaign.
Strengths: *International brand with stores spread across the globe. Consumers are able to experience the brand by interacting with tactile products before they commit to a purchase. *Partnership with DIESEL saw the brand become well known within the fashion industry. *Associations with well-known celebrities, these include: Mary Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, Alexander Wang, and even Patti Boyd. *For Spring 2014, EDUN aims for 85% of its collection to be produced in sub-Saharan Africa. A positive fact for ethically aware buyers *Sells collections within popular retailers, e.g. Liberty, ASOS.
68
Weaknesses: *Only offers women’s wear & accessories. Women’s fashion = incredibly saturated market. *Price points are extremely high, far beyond average working wage HOWEVER, When items are sent for end of season sale, the discounts are great, which brings to question, why sell products at such expensive prices, when the business is able to afford to make such a great loss? Ethics of the brand are questionable. *Website has no pricing. Buyers have to make an extra effort to locate prices on other retailers’ websites. Shoppers want convenience.
Opportunities: *Branch into Men & Children’s wear. Area of the fashion industry that has barely been explored. *Collaborate with other artists and creative from other ethnicities to show support of a broad array of cultures and lifestyles. *Look for more long-term partnerships with other fashion brands. *Rally a number of celebrity endorsers, who can advertise the brand and make more prominent in the public eye.
Threats: *Sourcing ethical and sustainable materials = difficult. Suppliers are limited. *Buyers more aware of their environmental impact. More dismissive of brands with negative profiles, (EDUN, 2010, most of the company’s manufacturing was in China, while on s few simpler garments were African-made. This gave some negative publicity to the brand). Consumers favour businesses that are open and honest. *Negative press can have a negative affect on the business. *Expensive pricing of products may deter new consumers.
69
MARKETING RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE// 2. As an ethical brand yourselves, did you come up against difficulties with the stereotypical image associated with organic, natural, eco-friendly? How did you avoid/deal with these problems?
1. We describe our brand as cool and sophisticated, and this is how we would like to promote our business, as we want to stay away from the stereotypical ‘bohemian’ image, which is usually associated with hemp, tie-dye and overly floral designs. How do you advise we do this? Amy made a PR and Marketing questionnaire to distrubute to various brands we deemed as competitors. Sadly, she recieved no responses, but at least we tried to get in contact with other businesses. Aim for the moon, because even if you miss, at least you’re among the stars!
70
3. What do you find are the best platforms of communication with your target market?
4. What are your opinions towards social media? Do you think this is an effective means of communication?
71
5. Selling our brand concept to our target market is incredibly important in order to achieve a good customer following. What would you advise is the best way to convey our brand?
72
6. How do you describe your ideal customer?
7. The process for producing ethical products is a lot more time consuming and costly compared to cheaper materials, how would you recommend we go about pricing our product?
8. In our market research, we have found that selling products online is proving to be more economical than setting up a store, but customers have said that they like to visit stores because they like to be able to touch and feel the products before purchasing. What is your opinion? Would you consider selling in department stores, or as part of a franchise?
9. Finally, what is your must have essential from this season’s collection?
73
We had the amazing opportunity to meet guest speaker Justin Barrow, of Barrow & Flux (B&W), who not only gave us the ins and outs of his own business venture, but also conducted group tutorials to help guide us in our own hypothetical businesses.
GETTINg TO KNOW JUSTIN BARROW//
B&W is Dorset based fashion brand that produces luxury wooden sunglasses, celebrating British craftsmanship, with hopes Their materials are all responsibly managed and sustainably sourced, which is something we could connect our own brand with. Being a highly luxuriant brand, to purchase a pair of B&W glasses, you almost have to audition for approval, as not only is the price on request, but B&W came across as a brand that only wanted to be associated with the crème de la crème of modern society. We questioned this approach to business, as it seemed incredibly limiting, and was not at all inviting to new potential customers. Justin relayed that their particular brand was more about an experience, and that the product received at the end was a souvenir of that experience. At present, the group was starting to feel a sense of loss within our concept, for PEEL, our aim is to promote ethical and sustainable approaches to fashion manufacturing, and although we were aiming to be an upmarket brand, we did not want to make ourselves unattainable, so it was difficult associate ourselves with what Justin was sharing, however, this is what made them a viable business and we ourselves, had nothing new to offer the fashion industry. Justin confirmed this, saying that it is key for any successful enterprise, to be different! Offer something fresh and exciting. Like any sort of fashion product, it is regurgitated products of fashions past, but it is how we reinvent those products and communicate with our buyers as being innovative, which will feed our success. Justin also fed back, that by focusing on Women’s wear, we were aiming ourselves at an already highly saturated target market, and that it would be worth us considering a slightly different avenue. He was interested in our idea of sourcing organic fabrics and using natural dyes, and as the fabric was the central focus of our concept, he asked if we had considered a target market that consisted of designers and buyers rather than the general public. The idea of being a fabric supplier was an idea we had not considered before, but seemed such an obvious route, we were quite struck that we hadn’t considered it before.
74
Social media was also something we asked Justin about, as some brands rely on networking sites more than others. He told us that B&W don't rely on social media, but use it as a tool in which they can relay their story, and journey. The biggest thing for B&W, was collaborating with other creatives, whether they be related to the fashion industry or not, as any sort of business requires a bit if creativity. "The most important thing is not just to tell your story, do your story", and on that enigmatic note, we departed. Justin was an amazing source of information, feeding us different and yet to be ventured paths. As a group, we completely agreed that our fabric should be the product of our brand, and that we should target ourselves at not only fashion designers, but any sort of business that would make use of fabrics, such as home ware furnishings or textile designers. But this would throw a new set of problems that needed to be addressed. Where would we source our fabric, before we dyed it? No sorts of fabrics are made in the UK, but are all imported. How would we present our brand, now that we were targeting business professionals? Where would we promote ourselves? Would we benefit by attending fabric textile shows/ fairs? All these questions needed to be answered and quickly, as to change tact this late in the project timetable, was cutting our time incredibly short, and we needed to set ourselves clear goals, now that we had found a sense of purpose again.
75
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CUSTOMER//
It is important to understand our cliental, as we want to encourage investment within our brand. We need to be able to identify a particular target market and identify them as a group, so that PEEL can be tailored so that it is relevant for what we aim to achieve. Being able to name our customer group is always beneficial, as this can help us identify spending habits, for example. Such as: Generation-Y is a group identified born roughly between 1977-1994, largest group since the Baby Boomers. They commonly associate shopping with socialising, investing in the present rather than saving for the future. Compared to the Baby Boomers, who at present, make up the majority of the earning population, liking to shop online, but visit brands mainly from a word-of-mouth basis. By having a better understanding of our customer, we can market our brand in an effective manor. We are aiming PEEL, at a professional market, at businesses who are in need of suppliers in order to fulfil their own production needs. The age of the company does not matter, but as organic/natural fabrics are not the cheapest, we believe that PEEL would have better success.
76
PEEL’S CUSTOMER PROFILE//
Our customer is ageless. Age does not limit our customer, for they all share a common interest in culture and enlightenment. They care for the protection and preservation of the world around them, ensuring the welfare of those who co-inhabit it. Their femininity and love of contemporary elegance, directs their style and taste towards modern simplicity, with a cool and sophisticated edge.
77
THE SOURCE: THE GLOBAL PLATFORM FOR SUSTAINABLE FASHION//
78
It would be a really positive attribute for PEEL if we could liaise with the Ethical Fashion Forum, which launched the SOURCE, a social networking enterprise that aims to aid developing countries and reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry. The platform was launched on 2011, and has a positive response from businesses across the globe. SOURCE is essentially a database of tools and services for fashion and textile businesses and aims to make it easier for fashion professionals and businesses to work together and promote ethical and sustainable working practices. Together, they are able to inspire and motivate other SOURCE members, share research and insight, and collaborate together, promoting virtuous ways of working. With time, resources and money saved, users of the SOURCE benefit from up to date information and contact details to enable and support honourable approaches to the fashion industry. We have struggled to find suppliers of organic/ethical fabrics, which we can then dye ourselves. Amy had got in contact with a number of businesses that used organic fabrics for their products, but found that they were unwilling to share their suppliers’ details. She found a supplier called Offset Warehouse, however, we doubted that they would be able to fulfil our needs on an industrial scale. However, if we were able become an active member of the Ethical Fashion Forum, we would benefit the professionally and support unprivileged communities.
79
PREMIÉRE VISION//
80
Premiére Vision is the world’s foremost fabric show. Exhibiting all over the globe, this famed textile extravaganza, a platform for the latest in textile design, showcasing in New York, São Paulo, Shanghai, and the most famous of all, Paris. The spectacle is held annually twice a year at the Parc d’Expositions de Paris-Nord Villepinte. The first show is in February/March for Spring/Summer collections, and in September for Autumn/Winter. For PEEL to exhibit its fabrics at such a prestigious event within the fashion industry, would provide the perfect platform to debut are latest in revolutionary textiles.
81
LONDON TEXTILE FAIR//
82
The London Textile Fair, brings together over 250 exhibitors, each displaying their new fabrics, and with the fair increasing in popularity, the show continues to expand and is fast becoming a influential entity within the UK fashion industry. The fair attracts a broad range of textile mill companies, accessories & trim suppliers, and many others, who are able to interact with exhibitors, mainly European, including companies from the UK, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal as well as some high-end manufacturers from Turkey. The London Textile Fair has recently invested in a new print design area, which draws in trend and design studios, far and wide. It is an opportunity to reveal beautiful collections by premium designers, be it digital, hand drawn, graphic or vintage. PEEL would benefit greatly by participating in this event. We would be able to interact with suppliers from all over Europe, and utilise prospects to network, interact and promote with other designers and buyers. Building a fan base, and joining in an occasion, which is rapidly building a global reputation.
83
SAMPLE SALE// HANNAH IS OUR FABRIC SPECIALIST, SHE HAS BEEN WORKING INDEPENDENTLY ON BUILDING UP A WIDE RANGE OF SAMPLES TO SHOWCASE IN OUR SAMPLE BOOK. THE PROCESS IS DONE BY PURELY NATURAL DYING WITH ONLY NATURAL MATERIALS, PRIMARILY FRUIT AND VEGETABLES, BUT ALSO PINE CONES AND BARK. THE PROCESS INVOLVED COOKING FABRICS IN A POT, USING MORDENTS TO FIX THE NATURAL DYES FROM THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE DYE. ONCE THE FABRIC HAS BEEN COOKED, IT IS TAKEN OUT OF THE MORDENT PAN AND PUT IN WITH THE VEGETABLE/FRUIT/BARK OF CHOICE. EACH SAMPLE IS UNIQUE ACCORDING TO COOKING TIMES, THE LONGER THEY ARE IN THE PAN, THE MORE DEEP AND VIBRANT THE COLOUR. HANNAH HAS EXPERIMENTED WITH A WIDE RANGE OF VARIOUS DIFFERENT DYING MATERIALS WHICH CAN BE FOUND IN THE SAMPLE BOOK SHE HAS ALSO INDEPENDENTLY CURATED.
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
the sample book// AS HANNAH HAD CREATED SO MANY PRETTY SAMPLES, SHE REALLY WANTED TO CREATE A SAMPLE BOOK TO SHOW CASE THEM. THE SAMPLE BOOK INCLUDES INSPIRATIONAL IMAGERY FOR OUR CONCEPT AND PHOTOS OF HANNAH’S DYING PROCESS ALONG WITH SWATCHES OF THE BEAUTIFUL SAMPELS SHE HAS CREATED. THE SAMPLE BOOK WILL BE RING BOUND AND COVERED WITH PERSPEX, RECYCLED PLASTIC AND WILL BE A5.
94
95
BUSINESS CARDS//
96
97
THE FUTURE OF PEEL// It is always good to have future goals, something to aspire to. Something that would be good for the future of PEEL is to collaborate with brands that can help enhance our image and elevate us into a more prominent position within British industry. It would not only have to be fashion related brands, but businesses that would have any use of fabric. We could collaborate with Symthson, a heritage British manufacturer of luxury stationery, leather goods, diaries, and fashion products. We could join forces with the creative team at Maison Martin Margiela, and produce a beautiful collection of entirely organic fabrics. Maybe even get in touch with Justin at Barrow & Flux!
98
99
100
SMYTHSON + PEEL// Famed for their luxury collection of stationary, leather goods, diaries and fashion products, the London based brand is situated on Bond Street. A location famed for its associations with the lavishness and extravagance. Founded in 1887, Smythson is a classic heritage brand, with clients that include, Queen Victoria and current Royal Family, many UK Politicians, Madonna, and Grace Kelly, and many more prolific individuals. PEEL + SMYTHSON have partnered together to bring a range of new and exciting merchandise to tease and tantalise, combining luxury pieces with a conscious. Not only are you investing in British heritage, but you are also investing in the new age of ethical and sustainable era.
101
102
MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA + PEEL// A brand referred to as radical, avant-garde and untried, Maison Martin Margiela, expresses creativity through reinterpretation, recycling the old, and transforming it to the new. Founded in 1988, Maison Martin Margiela aims to create unique twists to classic designs, breaking all laws and rules of traditional garment craftsmanship. Working alongside each other, together Maison Martin Margiela + PEEL have invested in future of ethical and sustainable fashion, creating beautifully crafted garments that encapture the style and aesthetic of Margiela in amzingly textural and luxurios fabrics, which makes this collection a stong representation of fashion with a conscious.
103
104
MINI + PEEL// MINI, is a British automotive brand owned by BMW, which specialises in small cars. MINI has seen a revival, and now has a broad range of car designs to add to its fleet. They are a brand at the forefront of innovative manufacturing techniques, combining sleek designs and beautiful aesthetics. PEEL has aided MINI in their aim for creating envirometnally viable automotives, that embrace that are as efficient as can be. The design teams at PEEL and MINI have united their talents, to create the MINI with 100% organic upholstery, as we continue to aim for our low emission targets in every aspect of our manufacturing process. PEEL have provided numerous colours and fabric oppostions so that MINI customers do not have to compromise on personal style. Every individual MINI has been individually teneded so that customers still recieve the best of luxury craftmanship. Don’t wait, be part of something big!
105
106
JO MALONE + PEEL// Aromas rich in elegance, and many glass bottles displayed in perfect linear fashion; I am indeed immersed in the world of the sweet scents by Jo Malone London. This bespoke perfumery, founded in 1994 by the legend herself, celebrates everything timeless and luxurious, capturing distinctly British qualities of elegant simplicity, not forgetting our fondness for all things witty and whimsical. Each of Jo Malone’s pieces has an incredible amount of care and devotion applied to each product. The Jo Malone candle can require 2 years of creative planning and development, involving intensive testing and blending. As many as 16 people will play a role in its handmade creation. No two fragrances burn in exactly the same way, and the waxes are custom-blended for a specific scent and then paired to the perfect wick; explaining why Jo Malone London has over 400 varieties of lead free wicks. These carefully orchestrated creations are wrapped meticulously in their own individual boxes, the black and ivory packaging optimising a sense of pure sophistication. Jo Malone’s continued presence is credit to their master perfumers and unceasing embracement of all things new and modern. This is reflected in their success, now known as an internationally renowned brand, identified with that, which is most enviable in British style. It is encouraging to see this bespoke heritage brand collate and collaborate with fresh creative talent and forward thinking style connoisseurs, which keeps Jo Malone London forefront in the perfumery world; and here at PEEL, we consider ourselves one of those fortunate few. Together we have created the ultimate balance between old and new, working with one another to create an organically natural scent. For Him, Her and the home, Jo Malone London + PEEL is the perfect indulgence for the ultimate statement in scented organic fabrics.
107
There is a whole world of possibilities available to us; but an essential part of any collaboration is COMMUNICATION! Amy got in contact with other businesses that utilise ethical and sustainable practices, and got some very positive responses!
THE WORLD BEHIND THE WORLDWIDE WEB//
COCCCON Good Afternoon, My name is Amy Newell, and I am a university fashion student from the Arts University Bournemouth, studying in the UK. Ethics and sustainability within the fashion industry is a subject I hold very close to my heart, and I came across COCCCON, whilst browsing the Internet, and I love the ethos behind your brand. I was wondering if you would be able to tell me, where you source your fabric before you dye/manufacture it into your beautiful textiles? I would be most grateful for any information you can share with me, and I thank you greatly for your time. Yours Sincerely, Amy Newell >>> Hi Amy Thanks for your nice email. I feel really touched when I see Young designing students like you have so much approach towards sustainable way of Fashion and life style. Basically we have a small cooperative project in India, where we provide work to rural artisans, so that in the world of globlisation and machine oriented industry, they and their century old Talent should not get vanished. We make our own silk sericulture and we make our own fabrics. We dye ourselves and we do stitching ourselves. In case of knitting, we outsource it to GOTS certified units in India. Let me know how can I help you. Feel free to ask me questions. Add me on Skype cocccon1. Prakash 108
AO TEXTILES Good Afternoon, My name is Amy Newell, and I am a university fashion student from the Arts University Bournemouth, studying in the UK. Ethics and sustainability within the fashion industry is a subject I hold very close to my heart, and I came across AO TEXTILES, whilst browsing the Internet, and I love the ethos behind your brand. I was wondering if you would be able to tell me, where you source your fabric before you dye/ manufacture it into your beautiful textiles? I would be most grateful for any information you can share with me, and I thank you greatly for your time. Yours Sincerely, Amy Newell >>> Dear Amy, Many thanks for your enthusiastic response to our company and the fabric we produce. AO Fabric is partnered with Gainsborough Silk weavers in Sudbury. They produce jacquard fabric and have the facilities also to dye using natural colours (madder, wood, weld etc.). Many of our natural dye plants are grown in the UK, so if possible we source locally. All made in the UK. Hope this helps, All the best, Karen >>> Dear Karen Thank you so much for your prompt reply, I am truly grateful. The work you are doing is truly inspirational, and I thank you greatly for taking the time out of your busy schedule in order to aid me in my research. Best of luck for the future, and many thanks, Amy >>> Hi Amy, You're most welcome. Any other questions please feel free to email me and I will try my best to answer. Good luck with your course, K 109
GOODBYE AND FAREWELL// What I have learnt most after these past few weeks is thatI need to be more confident and take hold of situations when I feel there is no leadership. I am not the most confident of people, I withdraw into myself when I feel unsure or unsafe in a group capacity, preffering to be on the side lines and serve people when they need my help, rather than being a dominate figure. I have been more than happy for my group to take control, and lead the group fowards, with myself being more of a supporting figure, but I beleive this may have frustrated my group. I have also found that organising a group timetable is far more challenging than having to manage my own time. This has proven to be difficult, as each individual’s working methods are different, but this can have a negative impact on the rest of the group who have deadlines of their own. On reflection, we would have benefitted by establishing our roles earlier on in the unit, so that we had a clear order of management, such as project manager, co-ordinator etc. But I have a fear of being disliked if I turn out to be too bossy, and I think my fears have hindered me in this particular unit.
AMY NEWELL
110
DAISY MORRIS
Initially I found this unit very challenging, working in a group proved quite hard for us to begin with, however towards the end once we had established our roles things became a lot easier and I grew to really enjoy myself. Throughout the project I made it a priority to stay motivated and encourage other members of the group when things went a bit pear shaped. I am quite a confident person and there were a few times where I took on a leadership role, however I always made it my best interest not to dominate and allow others to have a say. My time management skills have improved greatly. Working in a team has shown me a true insight in to the working world and working alongside others. I have had the opportunity to explore the areas I am most interested in, (photo shoots, look book, publications and film) and feel that this unit has cemented my desire to push these digital areas further.
Over the duration of this project I have learnt how to work alongside others and overcome the challenges that come with it. Initially I struggled with this project as I worked only on 3D, and had very limited 2D knowledge. I helped out with the research and provided images for the fanzine we created. Whilst the 2D members of the group worked on the digital side of things, I researched in to the process of natural dying until I was able to put the natural dying in to practice. I learned a lot about different dying techniques through this project. One of the main areas I feel I have thrived on is extending my 3D skills, prior to this project I had no experience in Adobe software, however I managed to independently create a sample book using Photoshop and InDesign, something I would never have been able to do before this unit. HANNAH LITTLE
Over the course of this project I have learnt a great deal about teamwork and how to try and manage my own work as well as help the direction of the group. I have developed some strengths as well as realizing my weaknesses. Learning to stay positive is something I think I have tried to achieve whilst working with others. I have definitely developed my skills on Illustrator and Indesign and have enjoyed the 2D side of this project very much, from the photoshoot to creating our website. I have also been taught the struggles of working when not everyone can agree or not everyone has the same enthusiasm about something as you do. However it all came together in the end and I am pleased with our outcome. EMMIE JAMES-CROOK
111
Amy Newell//Daisy Morris//Hannah Little//Emma James-Crook//Arts University Bournemouth, Wallisdown, Poole, DORSET, BH12 5HH