CHARLOTTE NICHOLS
POrtfOlio
ABOUT ME
CHARLOTTE NICHOLS FASHION COmMUNICATION & PROMOTION STRONG INTEREST IN TREND FORECASTING
CONTENTS
01.
THE FUTURE LABORATORY
02.
AW13 TREND FORECASTING REPORT
03.
THE BESpOKE LOOK
04.
GRAPHIC TREND MOODBOARDS
THE FUTURE LABORATORY
01.
Hunter Gatherer
The Future Laboratory Stage One THE BRIEF
My team and I were set a brief from the Future Laboratory investigating the future of the retail landscape within the next 5 years. We were asked to research and predict three key macro trends which we believed would be impacting the future of retail. To gain trust and communication as a team we chose to create our own trend forecasting agency which we named, Hunter Gatherer. Hunter Gatherer are a trend forecasting agency investigating the future of the retail landscape within the next 5 years for The Future Laboratory. We investigated social, cultural, technological, economic and political trends which are likely to change consumer behaviour and shape the retail industry. By broadly researching across all sectors, we devised 3 Macro Trends which we believe will shape the future of retail. Furthermore, we chose an area of retail we believe our trends will h ave the greatest impact, which is The High Street. Through thorough investigation and we predicted three macro trends which we believed would impact the future of the UK high street, these trends are:
PANTOMIME OVER PRODUCT
BlURRED LINES
THE CONVENIENCE STORE
Re-brand
The Future Laboratory Stage Two
We are hunter gatherer We are Hunter Gatherer, a trend forecasting agency aiming to predict to future of retail within the next five years. The ‘Hunter Gatherer’ name takes its reference from the ‘hunter gatherer society’, which was the first known society of Humans before the ‘agriculture society.’ Displaying a forward thinking and innovative approach to researching trends, we have taken references from the past and the present in order to predict an intriguing future for retail. Working for the Future Laboratory we have meticulous researched and narrowly developed relevant trends which we believe can be implemented into the retail market sector.
Contents 1.We are hunter gatherer 2.Trend Overview 3.Blurred lines 4.The Convenience store 5.Pantomime over product 6.why pantomime 7.Retail Theatre 8.telling a story 9.setting the scene 10.Why Independent
Menswear
Case Study: Present The Ultimate Hipster Menswear Recommendations
Womenswear
Case Study: Bottega The Social Spender Womenswear Recommendations
Bookstore
Case Study: Magma The Creative Reader Bookstore Recommendations
Homeware
Case Study: Labour and Wait The Ideal Man Homeware Recommendations
Record Store
Case Study: The Music Exchange The Record Collector Record Store Recommendations
Food
Case Study: Almost Famous The Urban Singletons Food Recommendations
THE REBRAND Moving into Stage 2 of the project we as a group decided Hunter Gatherer should undergo a Rebrand, to really stand out from other agencies. We decided to take on a woodland theme, with earthy tones as we felt is best fitted with the name of our agency. Hunter Gatherer is also known as the first known society of humans, so we wanted to strip back all futuristic elements of our branding.
IMPLEMENTING OUR TRENDS During Stage 2 of the project we were briefed to ‘bring our trends to life’ and implement them onto the sector of retail we had chosen. We chose to implement our trends onto the Independent High Street. We narrowed down our trends and decided the best trend to go forward with onto the Independent High Street Market was Pantomime Over Product. This trend revolves around putting on a show, telling a story, setting a scene and creating sensory experiences through the use of retail theatre. We decided this is best suited for Independent Stores, but also the stripping back of technology was best suited for our agency.
We decided to break down the Independent High Street market into 6 sectors. Womenswear, Menswear, Homeware, Record Stores, Bookstores and Food Stores. We broke down these different sectors applying appropriate case studies and consumers to each. From this we then made a set of recommendations for each sector, from our trend prediction research, applying the Pantomime Over Product trend to each sector.
The Ultimate Hipster
The ultimate hipster belongs to the generation-Y consumer, consisting of generation of males becoming more ambitious and forward thinking. A generation of consumers facing high tuition fees, high unemployment rates and the burden of carrying the aging population. The ultimate hipster is more optimistic and socially conscious, craving constant communication and connection with their peers. A generation after an experience they are able to share and relish, a curated and personalised consumer experience is vital for these consumers. Transparency is essential to this consumer; they crave to connect with simple, honest brands with a traditional approach to retail.
Homeware
Labour and wait Labour and wait are a hardware and clothing brand, with a simple and honest approach to design where quality and utility are intrinsic. The brand was founded by Rachel Wythe-Moran and Simon Watkins, both designers coming from a background in menswear. The store is situated in the Victorian terrace of Cheshire Street, in the heart of east London’s market district. With a traditional and contemporary in store environment, they aim to celebrate functional design. The brand also has a concession in London’s Dover street market, along with a number of concessions stocked in Bshop throughout Japan. Labour and wait stock everyday classics which are timeless and improve with age, preventing the brand from having to re-design products and ranges each season.
Menswear Case Study: Present The Ultimate Hipster Menswear Recommendations
Womenswear Case Study: Bottega The Social Spender Womenswear Recommendations
Bookstore Case Study: Magma The Creative Reader Bookstore Recommendations
Homeware Case Study: Labour and Wait The Ideal Man Homeware Recommendations
Record Store Case Study: The Music Exchange The Record Collector Record Store Recommendations
Food Case Study: Almost Famous The Urban Singletons Food Recommendations
AW13 TREND FORECASTING REPORT
02.
THE BRIEF In this project we were set a brief to research and predict three key trends in different sectors of the retail experience for AW13. These were, creative direction, VM & In-Store Layout, Print and Graphics and Menswear. We then had to apply these trends and implement them in a store of our choice. We chose to implement these trends and create recommendations for Ted Baker.
MONOCHROME
BOXED IN
HANDCRAFT
URBAN ROOTS
RECONSTRUCTED REALITY
THE STORYTELLER
MATTE BLACK
ENCASED
PERSONAL TOUCH
RETURN OF THE GENTLEMAN
SPORTS DETAILING
GRAPHIC NEGATIVES
CURRENT MARKETINg
CURRENT VISUAL MERCHANDISING
RECOMMENDATIONS
TaILORING
Recommendations HANDCRAFT
ENCASED
SUIT YOURSELF
03.
THE BESPOKE LOOK
RESEARCH
manual
for a stylish
Life 6
What's going on
Welcome
I
magine starting a new job and technology being able to filter the social media profile of the company you’re joining using your preferences and different stores inventories to suggest appropriate looks personally styled for you, all with the use of your smartphone. Now technology is evolving at an epic rate; soon your smartphone will know you better than you know yourself. Traditional retail tricks and advertising tactics are fast losing their grip on the ever-growing tech savvy consumer. Empowered by the digital revolution, consumers are immersed in an online world driven by social exchange and emotional connections. The most successful concepts emerging now and in the future will be those focused on mobile devices. From smartphones to portable devices that digitally transport consumers to virtual environments, systems, services, products and projects must be accessible on the go.
Fig. 1
"if we are so mobile savvy and use them )) 1%" 1&*" 4%6 !,"0 1%&0 * ,**"/ " movement seem so new to the high street weeklies”
Consumers are changing, they are searching for seamless experiences, personalisation and mobile access. Furthermore technology is ever changing, ever adapting. Throughout researching it is clear to see technology is, right now, the biggest influence on the high-street. It’s becoming clear that m-commerce is the next generation movement in retail, which can’t come as much of a surprise when we think about how dependent we are upon our mobile phones. But one sector we see not taking advantage of this m-commerece movement is the print media, specifically high street fashion weeklies. But if we are so mobile savvy and use them all the time, why does this m-commerce movement seem so new to the high street weeklies.
7
P
Why look
art of Look magazines success has to be the close relationship with its readers. Look always listens closely to the readers needs and desires to create a magazine that makes them feel good, whatever the size age or budget. High Street is the key focus but it is always presented in an authorative and aspirational way. Looks unique relationship with their readers makes them incredibly loyal. One main advantages of Look is their ability to reach a broad range of consumers in their magazine. Their readership varies from younger Generation Z consumers all the way to the younger Generation X consumers. Introducing an interactive trend app for Look Magazine allows the brand to tailor trends and styles specifically towards individual users. This allows Look to broaden their digital presence and keep on top of the demands from the fashion conscious savvy consumer.
10
11
THE BRIEF The aim of the big idea is to offer a mobile service that puts Look Magazine ahead of the competition. The focus of the app suggests and styles users in current high street trends which are also directly shoppable on the app. The app creates a personalised trend service tailored towards each individual. The user inputs personal data, the app then filters suggested looks to that specific user. Look Magazines readership covers three different generations, and so will the app.
A
main influence of the production of this trend app is convenicence. Many wider social and ecoomical factors play a role in producing a service that helps consumers everyday lives by making it easier for them.
Drivers Social Trends -Men are spending more time with families while women are becoming more ambitious with work -Social shopping -Social media – the ability to ‘share’ everything -Urban living – more people are moving to the city – shops offer more, products and services in one location -People wanting to get fit and be healthy -People want to shop less and live more -Trust is becoming more and more important – brands must prove they have nothing to hide and be more transparent -Growing ethical concerns – consumers are responding to brands that care about the environment and fair trade – giving something back -Targeting older consumers – ‘The Aging World” people are living longer
Economic Trends -Baby Boomers can’t afford to retire -Europe and Global credit crisis -Growing population
That was easy
The Quantified Self The quantified self movement, the idea that tracking metrics about yourself can lead to self-improvement, appears to be really taking off. The concept of the quantified self allows individuals to monitor, measure and track their daily lifestyle behavior to observe certain patterns in the way they act and behave. The quantified-self movement is best found in apps that track your fitness or expenditure for example. Which relates to consumers wanting to adopt onto this trend due to ethical concerns like the growing population or general social trends like having a healthier lifestyle. However I feel this movement could be used in fashion trend to. If the user of the trend app takes pride in their appearance, they could log in exactly what they wore each day, the app could then gather data about the users personal style to suggest similar looks, or, could lead the user away from that style to try something new, similarly the log could stop users wearing the same outfit over and 21 over.
Fig. 4
20
Innovators Now global companies like Amazon are serving as role models in creating strong relationships with their customers. Amazon is taking technology one step further to create a real convenient experience for its consumers. Amazon Prime Air is a concept, which allows purchases made, to be delivered to the consumers doorstep within 30 minutes. Amazon is testing delivering its parcels using flying drones, the company’s CEO has revealed the company hopes to have the scheme up and running within five years (Jabour, B, 2013: online). Clearly Look Bespoke won’t be introducing flying dromes to drop users suggested items to their door. But the app will create an easier way for consumers to search for trends, which will be available to use whenever the user wants to (See Appendix).
Drivers Technological Trends -The emergence of 2013’s Big data -Face Tracking -‘Smart Cities’ with facial recognition in stores -Data breaches trusting companies with information -Customisation & Consumer involvement
Political trends -Government can watch what you do – loss of privacy -The Disaffected Youth – Facing high tuition fees, lack of employment + the burden of supporting the aging population.
Social Trends The social butterfly
I know something you don't know
Fig. 8
Drivers
I
24
t’s All For You revolves around personalisation. Consumers now are more travelled, cultured, affluent and better educated. They are savvier than they have ever been before and demand more in exchange for their data. The rise of mobile technology will create an environment of individuality where consumers expect a service or experience tailored towards them.
Cultural trends More people are choosing take years out before beginning work, living abroad and travelling mid-way through their careers, bringing different cultures with them.
Technological Trends -The emergence of 2013’s Big data -Face Tracking -‘Smart Cities’ with facial recognition in stores -Data breaches trusting companies with information -Customisation & Consumer Involvement
Big data
Innovators Mobile apps are fast becoming an indispensible tool for sales staff to communicate with customers out of hours, or out of town. Recasting personal shopping for the digital generation, such innovations are helping to bring luxury- sector services to the high street. More personal one- on- one communications make for effective consumer engagement, while providing retailers with plenty of useful information about consumer preferences (See Appendix). PS Dept (Personal Shopper Department) a mobile app that grants consumers access to personal shoppers without the need to visit a physical store. “Customers’ raised service expectations go hand in hand with the growth of e-commerce, since people want the access when it’s convenient for them” (Good, M, 2013: online).
28
New technologies can potentially be one step ahead of the consumer. Being allowed access to view users social media profiles means the app has the power to suggest looks for events users haven’t thought of yet. The app can also be used as a very important tool. For example, deciding what to wear for a job interview. The app can scan the companies social media profile and suggest appropriate looks.
Innovators
Fig. 6
It's all for you
80% of shoppers are directly influenced to purchase items by friends posts and 78% are swayed by posts from the companies they follow. Showing peer recommendations has a tremendous impact on purchasing decisions (Baron, K, 2013: online).
The emergence of 2013’s Big Data gives insight into how brands and individuals can share data to create a more personal trend service to each user. Big data describes our recent ability to collect and analyse much more data about a particular issue than ever before to gain new insights and offer innovative products and services. In the age of big data, data itself becomes the good that’s being traded. This shift happens as we realise that the value of data is not exhausted when it’s used for the purpose it was collected. Fundamentally, it is about making predictions. It’s now possible to leverage large amounts of messy, realworld data to build predictive models that can find patterns, establish correlations and infer probabilities with enough accuracy to help us do things, like identify emerging fashion trends. (Kansara, 2013, online). As technology makes our world more transparent, handling customer data is both a risk and an opportunity for businesses. While the foremost concern must be to protect the data and privacy of customers, a smart data strategy also encourages responsible sharing of relevant 29 data, benefiting both the brand and the consumer.
Look at me: Everyone’s an influencer. Net-A-Porter has homed in on the seductive value of sharing. It’s new feature, Live, transforms every consumer into a potential influencer by allowing shoppers to see what others are buying in real time. When a product is added to a virtual shopping basket or wish list or is shared with a friend via a social network, it appears on a news feed (See Appendix). “Understanding the key influencers in your market has become hugely important to success in todays marketing communications” (Chaffey, D, 2013: online).
25
APP DEVELOPMENT
Send a message via the chat icon about what kind of style you are hunting for a one to one chat with a trend consultant. The trend consultants will take a look at high street store inventories and share photos of items they find for you. The user can directly purchase shoppable items from the app. The chat icon gives the user a very direct relationship with the brand.
The users suggested items will be stored in your wardrobe. Simply click ‘X’ if you want to disguard an item that you do not like or alternitavely you can ‘tap-to-buy’ shoppable items from the wardrobe. Once these items are purchased they will disappear from your wardrobe. You can also try an item on in-store and disguard or keep later.
App Features
Be Unique. The hunt icon encorouges users to be unique and try out small up and coming brands. There is also an option for users to upload a photo and the app will try to detect if the item is from the high street inventory on the app.
The search tool allows users to filter specific trends by entering key words such as ‘business’ or ‘casual’ so the app can filter specific items more suitable for occasions that they are being worn. There is also an option to search hashtags. This allows users to see what other app users have been suggested via the ‘share’ option in the app.
Be Brave. This icon allows users to see items that may not be specifically tailored directly towards them, but gives users the option to be braver and try something different to their usual style. The items are updated regularly so users can browse through new items daily.
48
49
shop The shop icon allows users to shop items straight from the Look catalogue. This allows users to shop anytime, anywhere in a much more convenient way. An alert will appear on the shop icon if the user comes into close contact with an item viewed in their ‘wardrobe’ that are available in-stores, through the use of Geo-Fencing and NFC tags.
share
Allows users to edit their original data input to refine trend filter.
Users are given the opportunity to share trends suggested to them and hashtag key words so fellow app users can easily search styles through the hastag. Looking at succesful e-commerce start-ups, they tap into a sense of narcissm and giving users the option to ‘share’ outfits helped styled by the app taps into this sense of narcissm. The people power of digital communities is increasingly important, especially for the Late Majority consumers They tend to adopt a trend if they have seen enough examples of it among the early majority, and among, on or with people they respect and whose opinions they trust.
send Look Bespoke wants to provide a luxury sector service for the high street. As luxury consumers expect a certain level of service, the app will provide them with this. Providing users with a easy way to submit feedback means Look Bespoke is not only gaining valuable insight into consumer sentiment, but also creating an improved view of customer service.
50
51
VISUALS
App Inspiration A main aim of this app is to set out to create a luxury sector service for the high street. And because of the advances in mobile technology, it is more possible for us to do this. Looks key focus is the high street, but they communicate this trend and style information in a authorative and aspirational way. I created a moodboard of images that took inspiration for the look of my app. The AW15/16 Print and Graphics trend- Flawless- was a big influencer. The straight lines and negative space create a clinical effect, that connotes a sense of luxury. I also drew inspiration from the cultural calander, looking into upcoming exhibits. The five years exhibition by Colophon Foundry’s use of grey negative space, lines and thick fonts were also an influencer.
I took influences from my app style inspiration board to lay out images of how the app could potentially look. Here I created a moodboard of SS14 style items that were influenced from my Flawless moodboard.
58
59
‘Be Flawless’ is an example of a trend suggested to a user. Its name takes influence from a popular and current song title, paying homage to pop culture, but it is also a play on words as the ‘Be’ also refers to the Be in Bespoke.
The app visuals will reflect each season’s trends. I have created the app layout based on the current SS14 colour palette. I used white negative space with the hint of pastel colour. Every season the colour on the app will change to fit directly with the colour palette of each season. I must keep the app language playful to reflect Looks tone of voice and keep users engaged. Nod to pop culture through Beyonce song reference.
The app presents a collection of styles to the user that are directly shoppable with a ‘tapto-buy’ function. The ‘Not For Me’ icon will disguard a trend from the users profile if they are not interested in it. If the user chooses the ‘Save For Later’ icon the shoppable moodboard will be stored in the users ‘wardrobe’ to look back at and access whenver they want.
Not For Me
Save for later
60
The hover option allows users to see more specific details of shoppable items. Using the allure of exclusivity and peronsalisation, the icon gives users the option to be directed to unique details retracing the products journey, including possible original sketches of the items.
61
GRAPHIC TREND MooDBOARDS
04.
THE BRIEF Last year as part of our development into our self promotion, we were asked to look at upcoming trends in print, graphics and typography. I chose to look at two trends in print and graphics and two trends in typography. From this I collated a collection of images to create moodboards to reflect those trends.