a
l u x u r y
l i f e s t y l e
e x p e r i e n c e
w i t h
a
s o c i a l
c o n s c i e n c e
C U R A T E D
c o n c e p t
d e v e l o p m e n t
p l a n
alysha emma davis ma fashion management & communication 2017
front cover | fig. 1 rose quartz w. gold | fig. 2 & fig. 3
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT PLAN
four | foreword
eight | so whats the big idea & why am i the woman for the job
fourteen | the cost of having a conscience
eighteen | of all the places
twentytwo | the visual connection
twentyeight | we, the people
thirtytwo | all architechture considered
thirtysix | the shape of things to come
thirtyeight|references & images
forty |appendix
contents | one
two | contents
contents | three
four | foreword
FOREWORD the purpose of this paper is to outline the development undertaken during the thought process & evolution of curated; a luxury lifestyle experience with a social conscience. development is explored through the concept of the marketing mix with the overall document acting as the concept development plan for the business.
foreword | five
C U R A T
product | seven
gold on cement | fig. 4 curated ‘brain storm’ | fig. 5
social enterprise move away from the preconceived
business ran with the intention
ideas that people have of ‘charity’
of donating a % of profits to social causes
store
recycle reuse reclaim reinvent reduce repair
E D
supporting womens causes (period poverty, tampon tax, homelessness...)
engage & educate bring disadvangtaged girls and women into the womenswear & lifestyle
work place to gain skills and qualifications
focus on womenswear collections in the store curated shopping experience galleryesque spaces with the intention of providing an experience rather than chore
product | seven
SO, WHATS THE BIG IDEA & WHY AM I THE WOMAN FOR THE JOB? experience as the product. ethics & values. market analysis
o take something that is destructive and turn it into something that’s sexy and cool, how can that not be luxury
eight | product
stella mccartney
brouillard rose | fig. 7
it’s my aim to develop a trendy, fashion forward, socially conscious, curated boutique and meeting place for a key consumer, that supports local and national causes in the form of a social enterprise concept store.
i am the daughter of a miner’s daughter, a once rainbow mohawk supporting punk; a freed pharmaceutical monkey babysitter; an ex-member of the national anti-vivisection society + anti-fur activist. activism and political activity in my family spans back decades, it’s almost genetic.
the business will be sectioned into three
my mama, who was raised in part by the women of the family (my
parts of a whole. a boutique, a café bar
great aunt and my great grandma) raised me and my three younger
and a gallery.
siblings on her own. we struggled to be able to venture overseas so we travelled around england vising as many historic places,
the main focus of the project will be the
galleries, museums. we discussed culture & politics and had a great
boutique. the boutique will support
extra-curricular education that paved the way for my interest in
female driven issues such as period
fashion & politics.
poverty, tampon tax, female
so i gained a ba (hons) in fashion and textiles, completed a post
homelessness, gender equality, youth
graduate certificate in education (pgce), worked in charity retail for
disaffection.
two years and then began my ma in fashion management communication which led me to this exact point.
the issues and causes will be supported through profits generated by the business, but also by employing and training disadvantaged women with an aim to engage, educate and empower them to move forward confidently onto new careers or into education.
whilst supporting the global women’s march against trumps anti-women manifesto 21.01.17, i had a metaphorical discussion with my boyfriend about the concept store we had dreamed of. with a strong history of political and cultural activity, an adoration for fashion, a keen interest in education and an allegiance to my gender, the idea behind curated was born.
product | nine
ten | product
amber metallic texture | fig. 8
PRODUCT & SERVICE CORE VALUES & ETHICS
ethical fashion: concerns human rights sustainable fashion: concerns the environment slow fashion: concerns the clothing piece itself
curated aims to be a sustainable, & ethical brand promoting slow fashion. the intention behind this is to produce individual products of high quality that are human, animal and envirnmentally friendly.
the boutique will provide curated womenswear and lifestyle products. it will also provde an education aspect focusing on engaging disadvantaged women into the workplace.
essentially experience is the product.
product | eleven
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ISN’T ONLY AN INDIVIDUAL PASSIONATE
UNDERTAKING. IT’S ALSO A
SOCIAL PHENOMENON THAT’S
SURFACING
DURING A SPECIFIC MOMENT IN HISTORY INCREASINGLY, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS SEE THEMSELVES AS
MEMBERS OF A VERY
CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL MOVEMENT CONSISTING OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING AND NOT JUST COMPLAINING A SORT OF UNION OF CHANGE AGENTS WHO ARE DEDICATED TO TRANSFORMING BUSINESS AND THE WORLD.
frankel & bromberger (2013)
twelve | product
hammered copper | fig. 9
MARKET ANALYSIS social enterprise in the UK contributes £24 billion to the economy through ost 74,100 altruistic businesses, accounting for over two million employees. 24.7% of all social enterprise perform as retail, 8.7% operate in yorkshire + the humber & 13.9% are women-led (bmg research, 2017).
the domestic value of the fashion industry currently stands at £66 billion (t. hounslea, 2016). the uks fashion network is estimated to support 880,000 jobs, providing more opportunities to minority groups than any other industry. womenswear retail sales were valued at £27bn in 2015 & has been predicted by mintel to increase by 23 per cent to £32bn in 2020.
the pressures on retail stores is growing (c.keller et al, 2017). profits are decreasing due to larger store sizes, declining traffic & competition from new formats. with consumers more likely to shop online, there is mounting pressure on the retailer to consider their in-store experience.
sustainability & eco-friendly fashion are no longer niche concerns (sharma, 2017), but rather mainstream. brands are expected to be green or ethical in some way or another and consumers are likely to boycott those who don’t adhere to the new ‘conscious consumer’ ways.
worldwide, the fashion industry does not perform well on sustainability. its overall pulse score (appendix one) is weak, with a score of just 32 out of 100, and some dimensions are far below that figure (Kerr and Landry, 2017)
product | thirteen
THE COST OF HAVING A CONSCIENCE competitors . positioning . cost
to create something exceptional, your mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest detail
fourteen | price
georgio armani
frayed linen | fig. 10
COMPETATIVE ANALYSIS whilst pushing ethical & sustainability in a brand is nothing new, the concept store in the uk is relatively alien. stores such as dover street market, modern society, couverture & the garb, goodhood and clerkenwell are all ineffable, every-changing and stylish emporiums filled with treasures and teamed with a coffee shop. with the majority of concepts store residing in london (graham, 2017), the rest of britain is wide open for this business style to slip into the niche gap.
burberry recently opened a cafe (named thomas after the founder) in their regent street store. chief creative and chief executive officer christopher bailey (alexander, 2015) stated that with thomas they ‘wanted to create a space where customers can spend time relaxing and enjoying the world of burberry in a more social environment’. with designer brands stepping on the heels of the concept store, its imperative that their is a usp and competative edge. for curated this will be the social enterprise aspect of the business.
there is not much competition north of london.
price | fifteen
POSITIONING as the business is only in the conception phase it is difficult to identify its accurate positioning within the industry. however, having considered it ‘s competitors & brands that I feel have a similar vibe, i have placed it initially at mid-high fashion and mid cost.
sixteen | price
COST CONSIDERATIONS the cost a launching a business is likely to be incrdibly high. consideration must be given to the finances involved in all areas of the business, these will include but won’t be limited to, sourcing materials; rent; wages; utilities; & insurance promotion; store architecture & layout
as this is a social enterprise it would be sensible to consider online fundraising outlets; low cost council availability & small business funding to back a % of the business.
price | seventeen
OF ALL THE PLACES e x p l o r i n g s h e f f i e l d,
the steel city
always keep your eyes open, keep watching, because whatever you can see can inspire you
eighteen | place
grace coddington
the cheese grater | fig. 11
fargate & orchard sq sheffields high street stores are all located here i.e river island, h&m, m&s, topshop kelham arcade & peddlers night market the original ‘steel city’, sheffields influence can be felt around the world due to the steelworks. although there are 17 other towns globally (made in sheffield, 2017) ‘made in sheffield’ means it was made here in humble yorkshire.
despite its industrial name and concrete jungle around the forgemasters, sheffield is the greenest city in england, with four trees to every one person (iteam, 2017).
it is a city full of culture, with a great collection of museums, galleries & theatres as well as hosting an array of festivals, incl upcoming music festival ‘tramlines’. sheffield also houses some amazing architechture and inspiring street art.
the it place. indulge in delicious street food, craft beers, cocktails and entertainment with a side of arts, craft & fashion. the moor home to theatre delicatessen & new cinema experience ‘the light’, the moor also houses a new market and a few high street staples mixed with a few eclectic stops antique quarter vinyl records, bespoke arts and crafts, handmade foodstuffs on abbeydale road division street & devonshire green the forum on division street and the corner of devonshire green has housed independant boutiques for over 35 years and is a trendy hipster hotspot fox valley a redevelopment of a 28 acre former steelworks site in north sheffield with a few independant retailers ecclesall road & shalesmoor a wealthy district that also houses a hearty student population. the boutiques here are wide ranging, from food to second hand bookstores, boutiques and sheffield steel crafters
place | nineteen
twenty | place
images clockwise the peace gardens | fig. 12 the moor market | fig. 13 west street | fig. 14 the winter gardens | fig. 15 the train station | fig. 16 kelham archade | fig. 17 weston park | fig. 18 peddlers night market | fig. 19
place | twentyone
THE VISUAL CONNECTION what is key where promotion is concerned
what you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick fashion is instant language
twentytwo | promotion
miuccia prada
pink water colour w. brown | fig. 20
THE AESTHETICS OF BRANDING “branding in fashion is key to helping the customer solve the problem of expressing their individuality within the context of assumed dress codes. if you can’t communicate who you are as a brand and the type of person who would identify with your core values and aesthetic, then you won’t be able to sell it to them” joey ng - vp of marketing for output. (winter, 2017)
“having a strong brand with compelling messaging helps customers connect to the clothing and accessories they wear. If a consumer relates to the brand, it creates a connection; the wearer feels as though the brand is an extension of themselves or at the least what the wearer would like others to perceive in them. gail mcinnes - co-founder, stylist box, president, magnet creative, editor-in-chief, the pull magazine (winter, 2017)
for curated it is very important to me to get the branding correct. i want to step away from the cliche jumble store charity shop and create a sleek and clean aesthetic. this allows for the minimal high end goal of the brand to shine through but also a stripped back branding makes way for the social enterprise message to come through clearer. to this end, i have chosen to keep text and imagery clean, minimal to reflect the galleresque clean and curated lines.
eveything has a specific and purposeful place.
promotion | twentythree
C U R A T
E
D
C U R A T e d C U R A T E D C U R A T E D C U R A T E D C U R A T E D
twentyfour | promotion
curated small ed | curated boxed ed | curated overline ed | curated plain | curated split ed | curated underline ed | david chipperfield architechture with curated logo |
fig. 21 fig. 22 fig. 23 fig. 24 fig. 25 fig. 26 fig. 27
C U R A T E D
promotion | twentyfive
#SOCIALMEDIA VS WORD OF MOUTH social media is one of the most important peices of equipment intodays designer toolbox. today 27% of the global population uses a social media channel (rasmussen, 2016)
social media allows for the conumer to see what is happening within the industry in real time (moore, 2017) for example fashion week used to be a closed door event, and now its globally observed via social media outlets such as instagram, twitter and facebook.
instagram is especially important as its the most visual of social networks & has tapped into the fashion world’s ecosystem to become an integral part of the conversation. new research shows that if you follow a brand on Instagram you are— finances permitting—53% more likely to shop with them (rasmussen, 2016) it also means the business can communicate with their clients directly too. not only does it make way for promotion but leads to quick and easy collaboration between a multidisciplinary outlets.
word of mouth cannot be counted out as a valid form of promotion though. 75% of people don’t believe in advertising but 92% will take a reccomendation from a friend (sukhraj, 2017).
twentysix | promotion
salone del automobile, milan design week 2016 | fig. 28 cos pop-up concept store by remy clémente & morgan maccari, milan | fig. 29
THE MOCK UP POP UP ”the pop-up concept is a great acquisition channel, branding technique and way to increase spend per person, additionally, it’s low risk especially now that retail real estate is not doing well — you don’t have to spend as much as you would in order to open a full store. retailers can use pop-up stores to test potential locations before fully committing” -michelle malison (jiang, 2017), a research analyst at euromonitor international.
promotion | twentyseven
WE, THE PEOPLE the people behind the brand, the people who inspire the brand & the people who consume the brand
everyone can do simple things to make a difference, and every little bit really does count stella mccartney
twentyeight | people
white and pink leather | fig. 30 alysha emma davis | fig. 31 damon culkin | fig. 32
THE CURATOR BLONDE alysha emma davis | 27 ba (hons) fashion & textile design post graduate certificate in education (pgce) ma fashion management & communication
6x years in hopitality 2x years in charity retail
instagram @alyshaemmadavis
CAPTAIN WEIRD BEARD damon culkin | 27 started ba (hons) in hospitality & business mangement, found it stifling. currently working as a sous chef for a large catering company.
10x years in hospitality
instagram @cptweirdbeard
people | twentynine
WHY WOMEN ? in the current political situations we face, women are still a particularly disadvantaged demographic worldwide. gender equality is still a very pressing issue, with constant barriers being put in place preventing us from having the same advantages as men, and discounting female only issues (such as periods and abortion). it is imperative we attempt to have an impact on these issues and force change for a better standard of existence. you only have to look at theresa may’s deal with the DUP – a sexist, racists and homophobic political party, to see that our governments are taking us back years and years in equality progress. it is particularly concerning that this party is also pro-life and aims to make abortions illegal – taking away a woman’s right to make choices about her own body.
This is not a problem only we in the UK are facing but it is happening globally!
thirty | people
‘glass ceilings are meant to be broken’ | fig. 33 laura in the une femme libre shirt | fig. 34
CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS it has been a time of momentous social, economic, and environmental reform. issues such as; climate change; same-sex marriage rights; immigration reform; women’s equality; and health care reforms are only a few of the major causes that have been passionately debated, and key market, the millennials, grew up in the middle of it all. issues such as equality, education and the environment are dramatically on trend with this philanthropic generation. many conscious consumers will not only purchase from socially responsible brands but will volunteer time and lend the force of their social networks to a cause that they believe in.
90% OF MILLENIALS WILL SWITCH PRODUCTS IF THE BRAND IS NOT SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE
42% WILL ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO BOYCOTT (Wessley, 2015).
*aged 20 to 37, millennials currently account for about 15 million people in the UK (75 million in the USA). *millennials have come of age during a time of technological change, globalization and economic disruption. *millennials are not overly influence by adverts believing most of it to be spin. *they are becoming more inclined to rent and subscribe rather than buy outright. *they are more interested in buying quality over quantity, *ost review blogs before purchasing. *they connect more with people over logos. *hey value authenticity over content. *they want to engage personally with brands via social outlets. *they want to co-create products. *they use multiple tech products. *they are brand loyal. *they expect brands to give back.
people | thirtyone
ALL ARCHITECTURE C O N S I D E R E D... real fashion change comes from realchanges in real life, everything else is just decoration tom ford
thirtytwo | physical evidence
pink paint peeling | fig. 35
ARCHITECHTURAL INFLUENCE key words: industrial, cement, paint, millenial pink, gold, gallery, curated, grey, steel, metallic, minimal, space, wire mesh, clean, glass, mirror,
key influencers: andrea tognon, bureau betak, bureau spectacular, christian hallerod, david chipperfield, denis kosutic, elena mora, farshid mousavvi, india mahdavi, nendo, reichii ikeda, snarkitecture, sophie hicks, studio jos van dijk, studio toogood, x+living, zaha hadid
physical evidence | thirtythree
images clockwise from bottom left studio toogood crate | fig. 36 sandrea tognon, c.o | fig. 37 snarkitecture, valextra | fig. 38 christian hallerod, acne berlin| fig. 39 studio toogood, mahani | fig. 40 andrea tognon, jil sander berlin | fig. 41 india mahdavi, valentino | fig. 42 thirtyfour | physical evidence
physical evidence | thirtyfive
THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME ideas for the future
even if i’m completely unsure, i’ll pretend i know exactly what i’m talking about and make a decision anna wintour
thirtysix | process
slate textures | fig. 43
FUTURE PLANS to summerise, this development plan outlines the key areas that must be considered when drawing up the proposal
curated is only in its concept phase, to successfully launch the business a thorough & considered launch plan must be created
a 5 year roll out plan will be produced which maps the complete launch over a series of phases and also touches upon the educational aspects of the business
process | thirtyseven
REFERENCES bmg research. (2013). social enterprise: market trends. www.gov.uk. retrieved 21 september 2017, from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/205291/social_enterprises_market_trends_-_report_v1.pdf graham, m. (2017). london’s coolest concept stores. luxury london. retrieved 22 september 2017, from http://www.luxurylondon. co.uk/article/the-best-concept-stores-london hounslea, t. (2017). uk clothing market to rebound in 2017. drapers. retrieved 21 september 2017, from https://www.drapersonline.com/news/uk-clothing-market-to-rebound-in-2017/7016153.article iteam. (2017). 10 bizarre facts you probably didn’t know about sheffield. inews. retrieved 23 september 2017, from https://inews. co.uk/essentials/lifestyle/travel/10-bizarre-facts-probably-didnt-know-sheffield/ jiang, e. (2017). has the pop-up shop bubble popped?. the business of fashion. retrieved 23 september 2017, from https://www. businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/has-the-pop-up-shop-bubble-popped keller, c., magnus, k., hedrich, s., nava, p., & tochtermann, t. (2014). succeeding in tomorrow’s global fashion market. mckinsey & company. retrieved 21 september 2017, from http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/ succeeding-in-tomorrows-global-fashion-market madeinsheffield. (2017). about sheffield. madeinsheffield.org. retrieved 23 september 2017, from http://www.madeinsheffield. org/about-sheffield moore, h. (2017). how social media is making luxury fashion available to everyone. bbc.co.uk. retrieved 23 september 2017, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/41326169/how-social-media-is-making-luxury-fashion-available-to-everyone rasmussen, t. (2017). how important is social media in building a fashion brand and business?. i-d. retrieved 23 september 2017, from https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/vbe8m9/how-important-is-social-media-in-building-a-fashion-brand-and-business safronova, v. (2017). would you buy a plastic suit from stella mccartney?. nytimes.com. retrieved 21 september 2017, from https:// www.nytimes.com/2017/06/06/fashion/stella-mccartney-parley-ocean-plastic.html?mcubz=0 sharma, n. (2017). fashion with a conscience: why sustainable fashion is the next retail frontier. wgsn insider. retrieved 21 september 2017, from https://www.wgsn.com/blogs/fashion-with-conscience-why-sustainable-fashion-is-the-next-retail-frontier/# sukhraj, r. (2017). 7 word-of-mouth marketing strategies you should try right now [infographic]. impactbnd.com. retrieved 23 september 2017, from https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/word-of-mouth-marketing-strategies-infographic wessley, t. (2015). why millennials’ socially conscious mindset is crucial to your innovation strategy. blog.spencerhall.com. retrieved 24 june 2017, from http://blog.spencerhall.com/blog/bid/404033/why-millen¬nials-socially-conscious-mindset-is-crucial-to-your-innovation-strategy winter, d. (2017). branding secrets from 14 fashion industry experts – shopify. shopify’s ecommerce blog - ecommerce news, online store tips & more. retrieved 23 september 2017, from https://www.shopify.co.uk/blog/121012741-fashion-branding-secrets-from-industry-experts
thirtyeight | references & images
pink water colour w. brown | fig. 20
IMAGES new beginning (2015) christine olmstead art [canvas] christineolmstead.com/product/new-beginnings-24x48/ | fig. 1 rose quartz w. gold (2017) anthropologie [photograph] www.anthropologie.com/ | fig. 2 & fig. 3 gold on cement (n.d) google image search | fig. 4 curated ‘brain storm’ (2017) alysha emma davis [digital rendering] image own | fig. 5 brouillard rose (n.d) by @libraokapa [photograph] instagram | fig. 7 amber metallic texture (2017) by beckas [photograph] olfactoria.files.wordpress.com/2012/05 | fig. 8 hammered copper (n.d) google image search | fig. 9 frayed linen (2017) rinne allen [photograph] www.rinneallen.com/textiles.html | fig. 10 the cheese grater (2000) jude hall [photograph] www.flickr.com/photos/39883532@N07/5468963855/in/photostream | fig. 11 the peace gardens (n.d) unknown [hotograph] google image search| fig. 12 the moor market (2013) unknown [photograph] fruitnet.com/fpj/article/160075/new-sheffield-market-opens-doors | fig. 13 west street [n.d] photo by @Kit Chan [photograph] instagram | fig. 14 the winter gardens (n.d) unknown [photograph] google image search| fig. 15 the train station (n.d) kilnoch services [photograph] wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sheffield_Station_from_Sheaf_Square.jpg | fig. 16 kelham archade (2017) alpine industries [photogrph] www.alpineindustries.co.uk/portfolio/ | fig. 17 weston park (2011) unknown [photograph] www.flickriver.com/photos/45777493@N06/5643108769 | fig. 18 peddlers (n.d.) rackha haq [photograph] hillsboroughtimes.wordpress.com/sheffields-peddlers-night-market/ | fig. 19 pink water colour w. brown [n.d] unknown [painting on canvas] google image search | fig. 20 curated small ed (2017) alysha emma davis [digital rendering] own image | fig. 21 curated boxed ed (2017) alysha emma davis [digital rendering] own image | fig. 22 curated overline ed (2017) alysha emma davis [digital rendering] own image | fig. 23 curated plain (2017) alysha emma davis [digital rendering] own image | fig. 24 curated split ed (2017) alysha emma davis [digital rendering] own image | fig. 25 curated underline ed (2017) alysha emma davis [digital rendering] own image | fig. 26 david chipperfield architechture w. curated logo (2017) alysha emma davis [digital rendering] own image | fig. 27 salone del automobile, milan design week (2016) marcus tondo [photograph] pinterest.co.uk/pin/449023025333623990/ | fig. 28 cos pop-up store (n.d) emy clémente & morgan maccari [photograph] pinterest.co.uk/pin/334392341057067068/ | fig. 29 white and pink leather (n.d) unknown [photograph] google image search | fig. 30 alysha emma davis (2017) alysha emma davis [digital rendering] own image | fig. 31 damon culkin (2017) alysha emma davis [digital rendering] own image | fig. 32 ‘glass ceilings are meant to be broken’ (2017) @lisapete91 [photograph] instagram| fig. 33 laura in the une femme libre shirt (2017) @lecoledesfemmes [photograph] instagram | fig. 34 pink paint peeling (n.d) unknown [photograph] google image search| fig. 35 studio toogood crate [2017] studio toogood [photograph] own collection pinterest.co.uk/alyshaedavis/architects | fig. 36 sandrea tognon, c.o [2017] tognon [photograph] own collection pinterest.co.uk/alyshaedavis/architects | fig. 37 snarkitecture, valextra [2017] ssnarkitecture [photograph] own collection pinterest.co.uk/alyshaedavis/architects | fig. 38 christian hallerod, acne berlin [2017] acne[photograph] own collection pinterest.co.uk/alyshaedavis/architects | fig. 39 studio toogood, mahani [2017] mahani [photograph] own collection pinterest.co.uk/alyshaedavis/architects | fig. 40 andrea tognon, jil sander berlin [2017] tognon [photograph] own collection| fig. 41 india mahdavi, valentino [2017] valentino [photograph] own collection| fig. 42 slate textures (n.d) unknown [photograph] google image search| fig. 43
references & images | thirtynine
APPENDIX ONE The Pulse Score
thirtyeight | references & images
pink water colour w. brown | fig. 20
CONTACT alysha emma davis @alyshaemmadavis | instagram @missalyshadavis | twitter alyshadavis@icloud.com http://alyshaemmadavis6.wixsite.com/aedavis/curated
references & images | thirtynine