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Streetwear and avant-garde; two words very rarely associated with one another. Streetwear, a market fuelled by cults and uniformity. Avant-garde, a market fuelled by individuality and breaking boundaries. Imagine a world where the two are combined, mixing bold colours and shapes with heavily branded garments and experimenting with layering and colour clashing. The vision? To blur the lines between the reality of the streetwear market and the fantasy that is avant-garde. Bringing more individuality, to a space currently so diluted in a look that is dominated more by its price tag than it’s originality. KLDSCPE, short for Kaleidoscope, is an interactive publication that aims to blur lines. A constantly changing market will be reborn, with a new and refreshed form of communication. An entirely androgynous result, which will be imperative for KLDSCPE in today’s society, essentially creating a safer environment, that is wholly inclusive and accepted by everyone.
INTRODUCTION My Final Major Project, which is part of
tioned channels but will also future proof
my Brand Management module, will be a
their brand!
three-dimensional campaign catered towards three different generations. The brand
I feel that creating this three-dimensional
concept will incorporate a multichannel
campaign for my Final Major Project will give
approach that will consist of social media,
a full 360 insight into the brand narrative
which is to be targeted towards the Millennial
and concept, ultimately achieving an ‘Alice
generation, fashion film and styling for Gen-
Through The Looking Glass’ feel.
eration Z and fashion gaming, for the upcoming Alpha generation. Targeting these three generations will ensure my brand concept is future proof, which is vital as I enter the fashion industry upon finishing my degree. I am going to develop a new way of marketing which will be created for the Luxury market, specifically the diverse, more contrasting brands such as Off White, Palace and Balenciaga. Many luxury companies often more than not experiment with only one communication strategy, which limits their audience and opportunities. I feel that approaching the Luxury Streetwear market with multiple communication platforms will not only make the marketing more inclusive to different generations, by incorporating the above-men-
THE CONSUMER Having stated earlier I have decided to not
Today’s youth are experimenting with multi-
just focus in on one particular consumer and
ple identities in the digital realm, according
instead want my FMP to be catered for three
to a new report by Havas, The Coming of Age
different generations; the Millennials, Gener-
report, which looks at the behaviour of 18-20
ation Z and the Alpha generation. It is im-
year olds in the UK, found that just half of
portant that I gage an understanding of their
these consumers believe that their online
values and how they interact with digital
persona represents their real self. What is
platforms as this is a key aspect of my FMP.
more, the report explores how the popularity of finstas continues to rise – 35% have multi-
With the oldest being 9 years old, the Alpha
ple profiles within the same platform. Demon-
generation are on the horizon. Children of the
strating the way these platforms can shard
Millennials, they’re tech-heavy and extreme-
consumers’ identities and allow them to try
ly connected. Born beginning in 2010, the
on new personalities for size, 28% say their
same year Instagram entered the market
online profiles show a completely different
and Apple debuted the iPad, these children
person.
are more comfortable swiping a tablet or communicating with a voice assistant that most of their counterparts. This makes them a critical gateway for marketers, which is why I have considered them as a potential consumer of my FMP. It will ensure my brand is completely future proof which is extremely important. According to an article by WGSN, the ‘rich kids’ of 2019 want streetwear, mostly with key players such as Supreme and Palace brands replacing traditional luxury labels such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci.
WHY STREETWEAR? From the skateparks to the runways, the youth-
and its no surprise that Generation Z turn to
ful progression of streetwear has influenced
brands that reflect what they see as cooler and
many different cultures around the cutthroat
have more authentic cultural associations.
terrain of fashion. This year, a joint report from
What’s more, this generation are digital natives
PwC and Hypebeast estimated that streetwear
and streetwear is more in tune with internet
makes up about 10 percent of the entire global
culture on multiple levels. First, there’s the
apparel and footwear market, demonstrating
graphic visual approach that reads so well on
just how massive this market is. However,
screens. Then there’s the sense of snark and
defining streetwear is extremely difficult, even
irony that also pervades the internet, such as
by those who wear it. This may be because, as
Virgil Abloh’s use of quotation marks and Pal-
its name suggests, streetwear is largely a grass-
ace’s utilisation of product descriptions.
roots fashion movement influenced by what is currently happening ‘on the streets,’ and is
There’s also the concept of drops, controlled re-
constantly evolving. It is possible to isolate a few
leases of new products at a clip that’s far faster
general principles of streetwear, however. First
than the traditional fashion cycle and designed
of all, it is usually centered upon heavily brand-
to drive consumer excitement with a constant
ed casual, comfortable pieces such as hoodies,
stream of newness that’s more in sync with a
tees, caps and sneakers. It is also heavily influ-
world where expectations and trends shaped
enced by hip-hop and skateboarding styles as
at the speed of Instagram. Adding to this,
well as 1980/90’s nostalgia and often features
streetwear’s culture of product collaborations,
bold colours and graphic prints.
too, is a powerful mechanism for driving newness at the velocity of digital media.
Streetwear’s rise was fast-tracked into the luxury sector by big names such as Virgil Abloh and Demna Gvasalia. Streetwear has completely captured the castle of luxury. At the heart of this movement is the new generation of consumers, Generation Z, who are the main growth engine of the luxury goods market, driving 85% of luxury expansion. Underlying the streetwear explosion is a wider cultural shift: the rise of rap music and the mainstreaming of street culture. Each generation has its cultural touchstones,
Right now, streetwear is continually hitting an
now, only clothing and capital. Streetwear’s
all-time high, it’s gone mainstream on both high
magic was in connecting creator with consum-
and low channels and the market seemingly
er. Now, it connects consumers with cash.
can’t get enough. However, will it stay like this forever? Bobby Hundreds, founder of label, The
Having always been interested in the
Hundreds, wrote an article titled ‘The Truth
streetwear market, and knowing this is the
About Streetwear’, in this he argued that people
market I want to work in, it only made sense
used to wear streetwear because nobody else
that I based my Final Major Project on it. I
wore it, yet today, they wear it because every-
initially started to think about how the indus-
one else wears it. Streetwear has formed this
try could be bettered, and what I could bring
‘uniform’ style cult, which is something I really
to it. I began by mind-mapping areas that the
dislike. It’s ruined the idea of people expressing
streetwear market could work on. Areas such
themselves through their clothing. In its begin-
as marketing and communication, and the gang
ning stages, streetwear, both designers and con-
culture were the two that became most promi-
sumers were drawn because it lived outside the
nent. Therefore, I decided to move this forward.
norms of prevailing fashion and contradicted
The lack of communication in the streetwear
the dominant order. However, now? Streetwear
market is concerning, however, upon reflection
couldn’t be anymore ubiquitous. Streetwear’s
I suppose they have never really thought about
appeal stems from exclusivity, it’s not a specific
focusing on this area because many brands are
look, it’s an attitude of conceit. The customer
fuelled by ‘hype’. The other issue I highlighted,
wants to stand apart by wearing unique cloth-
was the ‘gang’ culture that has been formed,
ing. However, in today’s industry, streetwear’s
which I think has damaged individuality within
exclusivity is less about knowledge or access
the market.
and more about price tag – it’s now about who can afford the clothes over the actual styling of the clothing. There is less of a sense of culture
PALACE X CHARLES JEFFREY For me, Charles Jeffrey very much blurs the
of extremely bright colours that will reflect
gap between avant-garde and streetwear. I
Charles Jeffreys’ aesthetic, in particular I want
have always had an interest in streetwear, but
to focus on the communication of Charles Jef-
the visionary elements of Loverboy excites me
freys’ collections, such as the editorial he did
and push me to explore this market. It inspires
with storyteller Tim Walker, who I extremely
me and helps me to understand that there
admire.
really are no boundaries and as long as you can create it, there is and always will be an audience. I feel Charles Jeffrey is a more inclusive brand than Palace, there is much less of a cult, whilst Palace is heavily followed by a community. I believe blurring the two could potentially eradicate this cult style following and increase individuality within the streetwear market. I have started to create croquis’ to see how this could potentially look, I feel that a lot of layering should be incorporated with the use
BLUR.TH BLUR.TH BLUR.TH BLUR.TH BLUR.TH
HE.LINES HE.LINES HE.LINES HE.LINES HE.LINES
FANTASY VS. REALITY
FANTASY VS. REALITY
SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL SEOUL
INFLUENCES Seoul is the leading South Asia fashion capital, characterised by high-impact logos with a hint of irony and completely driven by a youthful market. The fashion scene in this forward-thinking city is very much involved with street culture, there is a very domestic market meaning the clothing is rather commercial and therefore is very much led by logo hoodies and statement tees, hence why brands such as Supreme flourish here. Seoul is forever evolving and is constantly developing with more excitement looming with every season that passes. There is an eclectic mix of streetwear, vintage and finely tailored garments which are always styled in fresh new ways. In Seoul, as far as street style goes, anything Balenciaga, Vetements and OFF-WHITE remains popular. “Korea is now what Japan used to be in the nineties” Guram Gvasalia (Vetements CEO) said, “It has incredible pop culture.” In Seoul, brands use experimental ideas as a selling point, which generates a sense of relevance. I think it is about youth culture’s obsession with desiring to be both unique and ubiquitous and logos are streetwear codes that satisfy this paradox. I feel like a huge part of this is influenced by American and European cultures. A sense of humour is an important aspect to note on in Korean streetwear culture, subversive messages or salty remarks and shirts meant to mock pop culture are favourites. I think Korean fashion has developed a mix of minimalism, impeccable tailoring and an experimental spirit, which sometimes quite literally turns our perceptions upside down. This blend of strong individual convictions and traditional aesthetics is what resonates with an entire generation that extends beyond the borders of this Asian country. I believe this is what makes Korean streetwear such a large-scale phenomenon.
CONCEPT 1:
FASHION FILM AND STYLING
To keep up and stay ahead of the game, brands will have to look beyond traditional channels and develop new content formats to engage their audiences. How can brands create content that people seek out and actually want to consume? What are the new content formats to watch? Which are the hottest new social media platforms? I want to incorporate fashion film and styling within my FMP as this will be the most visually driven aspect of my concept and will therefore appeal to the Gen Z market. With it being proven that they are more visually led, 89% of Gen Z and 86% of Millennials watch video content at least once a week according to The Manifest. “Video is the richest form of visual content” said Joseph Rothstein, CEO of Social Media 55, a social media marketing agency. “It allows you to not only remember the sounds but also the sights.” This backs up my reasoning behind wanting to incorporate fashion film and styling.
I aim to mix futuristic themes with bright colours, streetwear and layering to blur the lines between avant-garde and streetwear, creating a more inclusive space for the current cult infused streetwear market. For the fashion film, I want it to be more avant-garde than luxury, as I really feel that this will create a more thought-provoking result. My inspiration for fashion film has come from the incredible Nick Knight, founder and director of SHOWstudio. In particular, fashion films The Deep Web, which encompasses the parallel between subconsciousness and the Internet itself – both vast, intangible spaces that despite our best efforts remain virtually untapped. Another film I particularly like for different reasons is Dolls, this is more expressionistic than The Deep Web, I feel that the film’s aim is to use movement to create impressions of ‘Dolls’ along with incorporating digital sketches. It’s an extremely conceptual film, which uses multiple layers and quick movements creating depth. It has a psychedelic style feel to it which I also really like the look of. I feel that I really need to push myself with this, I know I am a talented drawer yet never utilise this skill within my work, so this could be an effective way of incorporating this.
I asked Ellie to write me a description of how she perceives herself, this was her response; “My style to me resonates from my love of everything girly, frilly, colourful, comfy and fun- but with a modest twist from 17th/18th century style. I would describe it as ‘old lady chic’. My wardrobe is an adult size dressing up box, Patterns are a must, there has to be texture and colour must be clashing in some way. My influences are vintage films and photography alongside mid century paintings. Being a student and conscious of fast fashion, I only shop what I can afford, which often results in buying second hand. In some ways this limits my style being ‘modern’ but I am grateful as this is what makes me push my imagination to create exciting and eye catching outfits. Overall I do not want to look the same as anyone else, I aim to be an individual. I am able to express myself most through my style and art so take great pleasure in doing so every day. Clothing shouldn’t be seen as fast and disposable; it should be a collection of which you use to portray yourself.”
CONCEPT 2: GAMING
Video gaming culture is more visible now than ever before. The fashion industry, in order to stay current, must ensure it’s communicating in the most relevant and accessible way. Therefore, many brands are rushing to apply gamification within their strategies. Advancements in technology, coupled with changing consumer behaviours are bringing gaming into the mainstream. A huge 80% of internet uses (increasing to 92% amongst 16-24 year olds) say they have played a game on at least one device within the past month, according to a recent report by Global WebIndex. In the UK alone, gaming is more popular than Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter, therefore it only makes sense fashion brands take action as distinctions between virtual and real become ever more fluid. Members of Gen Z and Millennials, not even including the upcoming Alpha generation, make up some of the biggest gaming tribes. Brands that want to reach these consumers groups (essentially future proofing their company‌) should certainly consider gaming platforms as a form of communicating.
GAMING GAMING GAMING GAMING GAMING GAMING GAMING GAMING GAMING GAMING GAMING GAMING GAMING GAMING GAMING
DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL
CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING CLOTHING
INSPIRATION
THE FABRICANT.
A DIGITAL FASHION HOUSE
720 720 720 720 720 720 720 720 720 720 720 720 720 720 720 720 720 720 720 720
LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB LAB
INSPIRATION
NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE NIKE
Sims x Moshchino
Taking into consideration what I have spoken about above, it seems vital to incorporate a gaming element within my FMP. The gaming aspect is going to be mainly targeted at the Alpha Generation, as they are expecting interactive and responsive experiences according to Laura MacDonald, head of consumer of North America at Hotwire. My initial thoughts for my gaming concept is to create the concept of ‘choosing your own adventure’. Taking interactive storytelling to a whole new level. I will achieve this by collaborating with a gaming student and being the creative director, providing a brief with my vision and expectations. Alternatively, another option I am exploring is the digital clothing market, not only is it revolutionary but also aims to target the ever-evolving sustainability issue in the fashion market – a hot spot in the industry today. This will therefore result in not only a new and innovative way to communicate KLDSCPE but also ensure it is future proof, by identifying and fixing current issues. The interest in gaming for me is fuelled by our increasingly intertwined digital and real worlds. At the LDC x Interlaced: Why Fashion Should Play In The Gaming Sector panel discussion, Roberta Lucca, Co-founder of Bossa Studios and Beta Lucca, a hybrid retail technology agency, stated “Social channels have become an intricate part of who we are. We are them and they are us, and there’s no disconnection. People have become media. When I talk to Gen Z, I can see that for them there is no distinction between the real and virtual world. There’s no coming back.” I find this statement to be scarily true, and it’s a statement I certainly relate to, I spend so much time on social media that it’s difficult to distinguish between the virtual and real world. “Increasingly, our digital personalities are just as valued as our real-world ones. They might even become more valuable in the future.” Johnathan Chippindale, CEO of Holiton, a hybrid retail technology agency, added.
Louis Vuitton x League of Legends
CONCEPT 3:
SOCIAL MEDIA
In the earlier days, social media networks and other digital channels were the direct way in which brands could reach their potential consumers. Having a greater presence on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram meant that emerging fashion houses and brands could compete with industry heavyweight with cool wallets. Social media has been prominent within the
g i d i ta
Millennial generation which is why I think it is vital to incorporate this aspect. Facebook’s reign as the supposedly leading social media channel is coming to an end as younger generations
l
a
and relevant content that attracted followers, likes and
favour more visually driven platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat. A survey conducted by The Manifest found that only 36% of Gen Z report using
era
Facebook weekly in comparison to 89% using YouTube, 74% using Instagram and 68% using Snapchat. I feel incorporating social media into my campaign will enable consumers to be more receptive to my concept, the content published on social media will contribute to my brands personality and voice. In addition to this, I will use social media as a form
COURTNEY DAVENPORT - GLOVER