Progress Journal
Name: Claire Tan Cheng Lean UH ID: 14108780 Class: BGD1305-1 Lecturer: Hooi Chiat Subject: Visual Communication
Research about SME
SME: Katastrophy Korsets • Online business: Corset Making • Business type: Modern, experimental, artisanal • Target audience: People who are into authentic corsetry and practice proper waist training. • Product: Semi custom-made corsets, ready-to-wear corsets (to be launched)
Problem faced:
How to solve this? • Make waist-training corsetry more approachable to the general public by educating the customers
• Clients are majority international • Waist-training is a rare practice in Malaysia
• The brand is currently working on a Ready-to-Wear line, for a wider audience
• Public still have the same mind-set that corsets are bad for the body/for fetish purposes only
• Brand should reflect identity and professionalism of SME.
• Customer opt for cheaper corsets without solid support which is bad for body
• More direction in product photography (Reference example: Dita Von Teese)
• SME’s brand does not depict a genderfluid identity
Corporate values of SME Vision
Mission
• A corset brand from Southeast Asia that tailors to international and local needs/wants of the best quality authentic corsets.
• To create a movement to protect, educate and encourage tight-lacing community and LGBTQ community.
Goals
Objectives
• Improve people’s perception about corsets to prevent misunderstandings among practitioners and general public as well as realising the benefit of corsetry • Encourage acceptance of people’s sexuality and passion, and not be weirded out by them.
• To provide true and curvaceous corsetry to the masses • To create a healthy/positive environment among customers and brand as well as practice acceptance/confidence in their bodies. • To educate customers about benefits of good corsets • To encourage an open-minded and respectful environment • To create good quality corsets that does not harm customer’s body/health
Target Audience Experienced practitioners General corset/ waist training enthusiasts Irregular corset wearers High-income group Men, Women, Genderqueer and others Everyone
Brand Positioning Generic Corset Me
Corset Story
Conventional
Modern **Katastrophy Korsets
Queen Chloset
Professional
Environment, Technology, Trend
Customers
Products
• Environment: - An open minded environment where people can accept differences of others in interest, race, opinions. - A healthy environment that encourages self-acceptance. • Technology: -Having a website may aid customers/clients to be able to order more efficiently -Improves the relationship between the brand and customer • Trend: -Corsets are more accepted as either an undergarment fashion or normal accessories wear - A more educated approach towards the use of steel-boned corsets/ training corsets -”Anyone can rock a corset” mindset for customers. Men can wear feminine corsets, women can wear masculine corset.
International and local competitors
Alice Corsets
Corset me (local)
Queen Chloset (local)
Isabella Corsetry
FairyGothMother
Corset Connection
What Katie Did
Email with the SME owner
Research about SME Brand name analysis • Brand name “Katastrophy Korsets” is derived from the corsetiere’s pseudonym, KathTea Katastrophy and the word “catastrophe” • “Catastrophe” -Definition: a terrible disaster -Origin: Greek word katastrophē, from katastrephein to overturn • Preferred personality of brand: - Fierce and disastrous - Extreme - Rebellious - Adventurous - Androgynous - A movement for a cause
Kathy Chin aka KathTea Katastrophy
Corset (briefly from Wikipedia) • A garment worn to hold and train the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it or with a more lasting effect) • Fashion industry borrowed the term “corsets” for tops which mimics the look of a corset. Its feature on boning or lacing is to copy the historical style and does not have effect on the wearer’s body unlike genuine corsets. • Genuine corsets are usually custom made by corsetiere/corsetmaker to fit individual wearer. • The term is derived from the Old French word corps and the diminutive of body, which itself derives from corpus (Latin). • The word “corset” was used in The Ladies Magazine to describe a "quilted waistcoat" that the French called un corset. It was used to differentiate the lighter corset from the heavier stays of the period.
• Corsets are known for 3 uses: -medical (spinal problems // injuries) -fashion (slim down // hourglass body) -fetish (sexual) • Constructed of a flexible material (cloth) stiffened with boning(also called ribs or stays) inserted into channels in the cloth or leather. • Corsets are held together by lacing. Tightening or loosening the lacing produces corresponding changes in the firmness of the corset. Victorian corsets had a buttoned or hooked front opening called a busk. • By wearing a tightly-laced corset for extended periods (tightlacing), men and women can learn to tolerate extreme waist constriction and eventually reduce their natural waist size. • Corsets were and are still usually designed for support, with freedom of body movement an important consideration in their design.
Moodboards
(choosing direction)
Old Eng
Monalisa
Edwardian - Victorian - Traditional - Dramatic - Antique - Elite - Romantic
- Polka dots - Vintage - Girly - Cheerful - Pin-up
Everglow
ANDERS
Moon
Facile - Free-spirited - Nature - Tie-dye - Florals - Hipster
- Basic - Classy - Minimal - Formal - Sophiscated
- Timeless - Compatible - Less is more - Mysterious
VINCENT SQUARE721
ENGRAVES
Liquido Armament
Harlow -Genderqueer -Neutral -Androgyny -Rebel -Cis-gender
-LGBT -Masculine -Feminine -Two-spirit -Drag
Chosen, but need to refine Change it to : -less offensive -less sexual (remove S&M elements) -focus on the edgyness and strong personality
Finalised Moodboard Katastrophy Korsets -LGBTQ -Two-spirit -Drag -Genderfluid -Neutral -Androgyny -Rebel -Cis-gender
Liquido Armament
Harlow
Sketches
Digital sketches
The previous designs (above) looks more feminine and less gender neutral as proposed . The curves makes it look more friendly and “princess�-y than edgy and fierce. It does not look rebellious either. Therefore I went to the design on the right. I tried to play with fonts as well as a circle around it to look more friendly. However, it now looked more old-school than modern.
Consultation with lecturer
Finalised logo
Making of stationeries not final
*** Have to change because black ink is unable to print on it. ** It is also not practical to use white sticker in order for postage (for the company) each time they want to send out letters.
*Design looks good, but can try vertical layout instead of horizontal layout, which is widely used in many companies.
**The continuous pattern (>>>) can be a bit annoying ** Avoid using icons for a cleaner and slick look ** The layout does not allow much space for body text, as the top and bottom is taking up a lot of spaces
**The pattern (>>>) can be used. Refine it. ** Avoid using icons for a cleaner and slick look ** The layout does not allow much space for body text, as the top and bottom is taking up a lot of space.
Make the “Dear customers� sentence align with the Katastrophy Korsets logotype.