The Underground (Visual Campaign Book 7)

KEYWORDS

KEYWORDS

Below I have listed some keywords I have utilised throughout the next four books of my Visual Campaign. Please refer back to these to retain a comprehensive understanding of what they mean and how they complement to the success of my concept.

The Underground- A fictitiously devised youth subculture who have combined the non-conformist attitudes and unconventional styling of the 70’s Punk, 80’s New Romantics, and 1820’s radical Regency Era into their own defiant dressing. The Underground is the core of the collaborative narrative between John Galliano, Charles Jeffrey, and Dada Art, representing Generation Alpha in a future hypothetical form.

Le Sous Sol- A fictitious event to coincide with the collaborative process, taking place in Milan after the showing of The Underground narrative. Inviting Generation Alpha to come together as one to express their frustrations through movement, dance, and art in the home of a club, just like the 80’s Club Kids and New Romantics.

Strategy- “an action plan for a broad objective to take you where you need to go.” THE WHY

Tactics- “the individual steps and actions that will get you to achieve the strategy.” THE HOW

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to The Underground. Your youth of today, the rebels of tomorrow.

The following pages engulf you into the collaborative narrative of Charles Jeffrey, John Galliano, and Dada Art. Taking you on a journey of defiance, ahead of the curve thinking, and a contestation of real-world problems. This concept book acts as an overview of all collaborators involved including an in-depth analysis and contextualisation as well as a solid underpinning as to what their part plays in narrating the future that’s yet to come.

This is part one of four digital editions of an FMP Visual Campaign recounting the prospective of our youth today. As you progress through the books, you will discern my process to finalisation and how my strategies have come to successful fruition in order to accommodate a consumer of Generation Alpha and a market level of ‘luxury through a conceptual lens’.

CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

Through a comprehensive and collaborative blend of Charles Jeffrey, John Galliano, and Dada Art, a storytelling like no other will unfold the frustrations of a Lost Generation,

Unearthing John Galliano from his hiding spot and re-establishing his name in a new light, whilst pushing the margins of Charles Jeffrey’s brand by excelling LOVERBOY into new revenues and consumer audiences, this duo will work hand in hand in sharing their theatrical and flamboyant tendencies towards fashion to resonate with the newest cohort, Generation Alpha.

Infused with historical references of the 70’s Punks, 80’s New Romanticism, and the 1820’s Radical War, as well as themes of poetry, movement, and music- this collaboration will be shaking up the industry in the typically insubordinate approaches of all collaborators and periods involved. Portrayed through a revitalised visionary scope to imagery through a third collaboration of Dada Art- this fictitious wonder will be the only one Generation Alpha will want to watch...

KEY NOTES: THE WHY.......

• To diversify Charles Jeffrey’s revenue so he is known for more than just the Scottish, club brand. Pushing him towards a wider market through the assistance of one of fashion’s greatest-

John Galliano

• To return John Galliano as a singular brand- a showstopping

comeback over a decade later, receiving a new following of youth to his name and eradication of previous claims.

• To provide Generation Alpha with more than an avatar or NFT collectioninstead, an emotional connection where they can truly resonate with a brand and feel listened to.

T H E

CO LLABORATORS

My decision to take John Galliano forward into my final campaign was a natural one. When looking at the Maison Margiela AW/23 collection, I was enthralled how the Punk style could be construed in such a contemporary and luxury technique. It given me that light bulb moment almost to say- this is the one! From delving into Maison Margiela’s founding then to John Galliano’s, there was an instant connection to the storytelling and dramatical feel to a Galliano collection which resonated with my narrative notion and resolved my missing collaborator piece.

I intend to take John Galliano into this campaign as an individual collaborator because I think it delivers a Unique Selling Point to the succession! Since his decline in 2011, Galliano has supported the accomplishments of other leading industry brands but has no longer returned to his own. In bringing him back as a singular brand, it will invigorate an even bigger shock factor to enhance attention to the collaborative force and its challenging messages of youth frustration, aspired to be heard.

Some of my favourite collections from John Galliano came from his original label. They evoked incredible imagination and theatrical appeal, communicating strong stories through costume, hair, and makeup. It was these collections which inspired my narrative to be so complex and involve multiple eras and collaborators. My intentions from the start have been to make this campaign industry standard, and, although, Galliano’s masterful take on fashion cannot be reciprocated, I am following in his creative footsteps of histrionic ways to perfect mine as fervently.

HISTORY

John Galliano originated from Gibraltar, before moving to England where he was singled out for his flamboyant dress sense. Accepting his differences and keen interest for the arts, he went on to study Fashion Design at Central Saint Martins, where the success of his graduate collection Les Incroyables, gifted his name to be one to talk about in the industry.

His brand encountered numerous peaks and troughs before his talent was recognised by Bernard Arnault and he was presented Creative Director of Givenchy in 1995, then Dior in 1997 by LVMH.

John Galliano received numerous awards from International Designer of the Year in 1997 and British Designer of the Year in 1987, 1994, 1995 and 1997.

Amongst all the highs, the biggest low was one erupting internally, however. And in 2011, Galliano’s leadership title of Dior was eradicated due to claims of antisemitic remarks and drug and alcohol abuse. This news shocked the entirety of the fashion industry, tarnishing John Galliano’s signature name and brand identity instantaneously.

He returned to fashion but in a more

confidential address than his typical outlandish appearance. Working for the house of Oscar de la Renta in 2013, Galliano made his first steps back into the domain, avoiding the limelight and working backstage for the design team. “I am able to create. I am ready to create… [and] I hope through my atonement, I’ll be given a second chance.”

That second chance came in the arms of Maison Margiela, as John Galliano was appointed Creative Director in 2014, leading on the legacy of the fantastic Martin Margiela and opening the house up to a contemporary audience in his legendary dramatic facets.

Figure 1: (Fury, 2022)

STYLE INFLUENCES

John Galliano’s style has matured since his younger Dior days, it now embraces the values of Martin Margiela in deconstruction, strong silhouette, and androgynous appeal. This still conforms with Galliano’s alignments as his work has always subverted the fashion rulebooks and perceived gender as a statement rather than a person but has minimalised the flamboyancy of his own label and Dior shows.

His style will forever be ripe in storytelling and twisted romanticism, and this is shown currently through exaggerated contours of the body, copious layers of tulle, and traditional Galliano historical, fantasy fusions. His garments are daring and testing to the status quo, which is something I adore and will inject into this Visual Campaign.

John Galliano takes inspiration from that around him, as many of his stories are eccentric and engage deep issues like homelessness or gang culture, projecting them into distorted romantic mythologies. History is an element which has been prevalent in Galliano’s collections from the start and has been injected into his work for Dior and Maison Margiela.

The 19th century, is a continuous theme which fluctuates in and out of his work, including the French Revolution and the French Empire. This finding is what pushed me to discover my own 19th century influence in the form of the Radical War which fits seamlessly with my narrative of rebellion and projection of frustrated voices from the youth of today.

I sought the Edwardian era and the European aristocracy in many of his collections, showcasing his romanticism side and more elegant features within garments. I appreciate how John Galliano often seeks muses in the titles of these periods and they become characters in his work- a factor which has inspired my notions and assimilates with Charles Jeffrey.

The 80’s consumed a lot of John Galliano’s early adulthood, and the New Romanticism scene was where he released his flamboyancy and makeup visions, many of which can be perceived in his work too.

Figure 2: (Fury, 2022)

DIOR

John Galliano reigned Christian Dior from 1996 to 2011, making history as the first British Designer to debut a collection at a French fashion house since WWII (Rodgers, 2022). From analysing his collections at Dior, they evoked a heightened theatrical appeal in outlandish dressing, I believe a reflection of his playful mindset towards fashion.

Compared to his developments for Margiela, his Dior helm integrated a different perspective of romanticism, one which coincided with its founder’s message: to leave a legacy of beauty. There was an amplified glamour and opulence to the origins of Dior, which merged fantastically with the theatrical and feminine components Galliano added. His collections for the house scream ‘colour’ and I discern great notions of cultural dressing like Japanese and Edwardian through design, hair, and makeup.

John Galliano gifted Dior the brand renovation it needed, pushing its groundings of luxury and simplicity, and gracing it with his ingenuity and originality.

Figure 4 (Ahmed, @Diorinthe2000s 2018)

GALLIANO AT DIOR

GALLIANO AT MAISON MARGIELA

Figure 3 (Abad, Maison Margiela Is Thriving Under John Galliano 2019)

MAISON MARGIELA CONSUMER

“Margiela is ready for a new charismatic creative soul” (Martin Margiela, 2014) And John Galliano brought just that.

After his removal from Dior, John Galliano kept discreet until his acquaintance with Maison Margiela. He has optimised the Parisian luxury brand to a contemporary label, boasting its conceptual founding and unconventional dressing, climbing its revenues significantly. Maintaining his privacy since the accusations became mainstream, Galliano harmonised well with the brands values for anonymity and sole focus on garments.

Maison Margiela prides itself on the philosophy that fashion is an artistic expression rather than a cult for personality (OTB, n.d) which I believe deters Galliano’s original design principles for Dior which embarked outrageous personality through bold creativity. His collections for Maison Margiela envelop a greater technicality and precision, with a nod to futurism and how clothes are more than just a material.

At the atelier, John Galliano brings his theatrical and robust storytelling which has seen Margiela withdraw from the standardised catwalk. He still inhabits a rebellious flair through deconstruction and attitude in his designs.

Whilst helming Maison Margiela, John Galliano’s consumer is for the sophisticated, for those inspired by art, detail and technicality. Maison Margiela is a conceptual, luxury brand, meaning it isn’t for the ordinary and aims for a consumer on the wealthier side of the scale who appreciate value in garments and their quality.

It is proud to be an inclusive house which puts no label on gender, where the website holds a women’s, men’s, and an ‘all gender’ section, demonstrating their transparency for androgynous styling and welcoming of all individuals. Both John Galliano and Maison Margiela are familiarised for breaking down fashion’s norms, so his consumer is one who doesn’t care for the opinions of others and dresses for style, not trend. As the brand transcends into the digital realm further, John Galliano is pushing it to a more youthful consumer gradually.

S• A powerful and highly acknowledged force in the industry

• A master of storytelling

• Thinks ahead of the curve in his methodologies

• Unafraid to be daring and outlandish

• Knows how to meaningfully connect and evoke emotion with an audience

W• Galliano’s past taints a considerable part of his name- I must consider this going forward as to not cause offence or shadow Charles Jeffrey’s reputability

• His flamboyant tastes may not adapt to everybody’s liking

• Hasn’t been involved in a collaboration in his singular brand.

O• To-restablish his name in the industry, especially with a more youthful consumer who isn’t as such aware of his past afflictions

• To drive revenue for his own brand and Maison Margiela as he remains Creative Director here

T• His last appearance at his own brand was overshadowed by his drug and alcohol abuse and stress of managing two brands- could this re-occur if he helms his own label again?

• Such designers like Rei Kawakubo hold significant frames in the industry for their unconvetional approaches to fashion. Will his influence still reign over such other powerhouses?

Charles Jeffrey has remained one of my collaborators from the 360 campaign because his brand, LOVERBOY, pushed me to perceive fashion in a lens which defies the safety zones and houses a community for the inclusive. I had an instant connection with Jeffrey and resonated with how he put his emotions into his collections to amplify the narrative.

My campaign indulges on the upcoming frustrations of today’s cohort Generation Alpha, and I think this spans down to my inner angriness with societal problems too, from being young myself and observing the downturn of the world. I was initially drawn to his punk enthusiasm and how he infused this into his brand through fashion and music consecutively, however, as I have progressed my research I have found a passion for how he styles, and story tells like a younger Galliano- the emerging I call him.

HISTORY

From his teenage years, Charles Jeffrey discovered how fashion played a significant part for his identification as a queer person and similarly to John Galliano, moved to London to study Fashion Design at CSM. Identity is noticeably present within LOVERBOY, where it serves as community for one to be who they want to be, in what they want to wear, and I think this is special because it indicates how he has essentially devised the brand he wished for at a younger age when battling with his sexuality and the judgment it brought.

To fund his master’s degree, Charles Jeffrey established a club night, exhibiting his love for the 80’s club kid scene, which transcended into his brand title, embarking the same passion for club and gender bending qualities.

Charles Jeffrey attracted the attention of Lulu Kennedy in 2016, who presented him a place in Fashion East’s MAN line-up. A year later, he received the British Emerging Talent Menswear Award by John Galliano! His label was also shortlisted for the LVMH Prize too, pushing his brand into the spotlight even further.

Today, LOVERBOY is succeeding in pushing the boundaries of gender in fashion, whilst stepping into the depths of creativity through amalgamating industries from music, film, to arts.

STYLE

There is something special in a LOVERBOY collection, in that you can always assimilate its styling back to the brand. Many of Charles Jeffrey’s designs embarked the 80’s club kid scene, which the Scottish Designer was avidly influenced by in his university years. Here, diversity and gender fluidity were mainstream themes, as well as drag and conceptual silhouettes.

Today, they still embrace a tasteful youthfulness through colour and excessive patterning, but recently there has been more maturity in LOVERBOY, in my opinion. Makeup looks have toned down and the storytelling has progressed to higher standards- showing a young Galliano arising. There is a lot of experimentation in Jeffrey’s styling as he toys with historical components and costume, merging these with his signature stripes and illustrative designs.

Jeffrey’s style always incorporates tartan, an acknowledgment and pride of his heritage, as well as a firm association with the punk era too.

There are various Westwood-like connotations to his work through subcultural elements which are destabilising industry’s rules and tearing them down in a DIY state.

INFLUENCES CONSUMER

As mentioned, Vivienne Westwood has a clear influence on Charles Jeffrey’s non-conformist approach through fashion, as well as the conceptual use of shape, proportions, and eccentricity from British Fashion Designer Gareth Pugh.

Factors including history, music, club, and Scottish ancestry are keen inspirations I have delineated in his narratives too. “LOVERBOY’s visual identity is steeped in Jeffrey’s autobiographical primary research” (LFW, n.d) detailing how Jeffrey aims to re-contextualise past periods in a contemporary spin. This is evident from his recent AW23 collection containing a modern-day elucidation of ‘The Slab Boys’, which I believe staples a personal perception towards capitalism/classes too.

Charles Jeffrey has currently been looking closer to the music industry and former influence in The Horrors, to collaborate with band star Tom Furse.

The LOVERBOY consumer is of no denial, any individual who wants to find an escapism and loves to be expressive through colour, patterning, and art. In his runways, Charles Jeffrey acquires androgynous models, insinuating his work doesn’t require a gender. As the fashion domain is increasingly becoming more inclusive, this style suits a younger, Gen Z/Alpha audience who have little perturbance with gender-assigned ranges.

LOVERBOY is a luxury brand stocked in e-tailers like Dover Street Market, Farfetch, and Matches.com, therefore accommodates to a customer with disposable income, and likes to invest in unique products. Charles Jeffrey has announced his aspirations to make LOVERBOY more sustainable in their processes and has been engaging in ‘conscious practice’, this will suit a consumer wanting transparency from luxury brands.

LOVERBOY is massively popular in South Korea and Japan, where the garments embody a more streetwear style. Charles Jeffrey admitted how the Japanese card game, Pokémon, inspired his notions for characters and illustration, which insinuates as to why this market avidly loves his brand too!

Figure 5: (B, 2020)

• An emerging designer, therefore has an abudance of youthfulness, fresh ideas and knowledgability of what younger generations expect from brands

• A likeable person who resonates with many young people’s emotional values

• Inclusive and community spirited

• Popular amongst many markets across the globe, including Seoul and Japan

• Had many successful collaborations

• Becoming more of a concious designer

W• Typically known as ‘the Glaswegian club kid designer’- he is more than that and I would love to portray his theatrical and storytelling essences as these are strong attributes to his name

• Isn’t as well known in the luxury marketstill making his own way in the industry/

O• Recently shown his collections in Milanmassive opportunity to broaden his audience and brand acknowledment in this fashion capitol

• Continuously working alongside other brands and industries accentuates LOVERBOY further, attracting revenue and brand acknowledgment.

T• Brands like Matty Bovan are fairly similar to him with gender bending designs, therefore competition is expanding for LOVERBOY- meaning he will constantly need that WOW factor

• Charles Jeffrey is situated in London, where the newest designers are emerging with contemporary and forward thinking ideas (the likes of Central Saint Martins graduates, for example)

DADA ART

Dada Art was a movement formed during the First World War in Zurich as a negative reaction to modern Europe society and the horrors of the war (Tate, n.d). I felt it complimented with the non-conformist side to my work completely, joining the dots between the arts and fashion.

Dada art was founded by writer Hugo Ball, in his satirical night club, Cabaret Voltaire, which was sought as refuge and awakened the desire to question the present with new and surprising forms of artistic performance (The Official Zurich City Guide, n.d). This reminded me of the 80’s club scene and how I have interpreted this into The Underground. An array of talents from art, poetry and performance gathered here to vent their anti-war and antibourgeois opinions collectively, just as the basements did for the Punks and New Romantics, and how I intend to create Le Sous Sol for Generation Alpha.

Dada artists thrust mild obscenities, scatological humour, and visual puns (Essak, 2019) into an early form of shock art which focused on a surrealistic expressionism and a whimsical nature- an element which defied the traditional values of the time. Through assemblage, collage and photomontage, Dada rejected cultural authority and revulsed the public. With my campaign solely comprising of Generation Alpha and their frustration with political and societal affairs, I felt it reciprocated this era considerably. There is an uncanny similarity between my work and Dada Art, and I would like to take elements from this movement forwards and collaborate the arts and fashion together. Since Generation Alpha appreciate innovativeness and emotional connection, I believe they will align with this narrative, its strong rejection and voice for rebellion positively.

HANNAH HOCH

Whilst observing various compositions of Dada Art, I discerned a great resemblance between female Dadaist, Hannah Höch, and my visual identity.

Höch offered significant polemical ideas about gender, politics, and creativity during a tumultuous era in Western history (Cohen, 2019), however she wasn’t taken seriously due to being female. Personally, I think this accentuated her anger and provoked her to engage a greater frenetic energy into her work, as it has a noticeable feminist and queer influence amongst the chaos.

I admire Höch for being the only female Dadaist and representing the ‘New Woman’ – someone who confronted discriminative and political issues and used her talent to discover a radical freedom and expression. Her work explodes gender norms through deconstructing female and male body parts and intertwining them. I will be taking this factor into my imagery as both Charles Jeffrey and John Galliano inhabit a community which flouts gender traditions and pushes the boundaries of society’s expectations and have a chaotic essence to their collections.

(Rudick, 2004)

CHARLES JEFFREY ILLUSTRATION

Charles Jeffrey has a fond attachment to art, and I spotted this initially in my 360 campaign where I produced a primary imagery book of illustrative prints to resonate with his Noise Zine.

His illustrations are particularly unique and gravitated my attention due to their childlike features and character embellishments enhancing a youthful tone. I admire how these illustrative pieces can be translated to tell a story and compliment the narration of his collections.

Recently, Jeffrey ingrained small drawings on his imagery, and this was something I shared on my creative Instagram platform as inspiration- I felt it added a personal touch and naivety. Generation Alpha don’t want to be seen as the ‘adults’ of the world yet, they want to stay wild and free, and such characteristics like the latter empower an innocence, therefore driving me to believe they will correlate with his brand greatly and engage successfully with the collaboration of Dada Art.

The illustrations to the back are some of my own interpretations incorporating a mix of Punk and Dada concepts. These will be used within my later marketing strategies to filtrate a child-like and satirical essence to accommodate a Generation desiring their youth back and not the pressures of today’s societal environment.

T H E

CO NTEXT

70’s PUNK

The 70’s is the only element of my 360 campaign which maintained throughout my journey process. I delineated a great resemblance between society then and society today, in that the country was falling to its knees and the youth feared for their future in light of numerous strikes, economic recessions, and a corrupt government. The youth subculture of this period, the Punks, thus turned to music and fashion as a methodology for vocalising their anger. Through the employment of leather, bondage, and denim, this cohort presented their nihilistic attitude and strong defiance for civilisations rule book, supplementing safety pins, neck ties, and chains to further subvert traditions and accessorise these garments fearfully.

The Punks has translated into my final narrative due to this correspondence, as well as it being a substantial facet of Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY, which is rich in tartan and subvertive connotations. Jeffrey’s designs are a muse of the ‘Queen of Punk’, Vivienne Westwood’s work, so embodying the Punk era into my context only seemed fitting.

The collaboration of Charles Jeffrey, John Galliano, and Dada Art, will therefoe visually portray Generation Alpha’s similar frustrations with today’s climate, through the unconventional styles and rejecting attitudes of the 70’s youth subculture, yet in a conceptual and contemporary lens.

80’s NEW ROMANTICISM

Likewise, the 80’s also embraced a continued era of deprivation through financial difficulties, a Tory government, and a broken youth, mostly of whom, were unemployed. In this decade, the youth rejected the Punk dress sense, and opted for a whimsical and light-hearted approach to fashion, which engaged theatrical costume, bold makeup, and gender bending defiant traits.

Through layers of white face paint, pigmented eyeshadow and lavish layered fabrics, The New Romantics emerged on the London underground scene, infusing flamboyancy, glam and historical references into their styling, setting themselves far apart from the rest of society. Similarly, to the Punks, this subculture turned to music and the club scenes to vent their anger and seek an escapism where they could freely experiment with who they wanted to be.

John Galliano was a New Romantic and enveloped their energy and dress into his collections, which is why my narrative involves the 80’s alongside the 70’s. I believe the merging of strong personalities and underlying frustrations these eras hold, avidly defines how Generation Alpha will feel and act in years to come.

Do all the research correctly girls, and the dots will start connecting…

Leaning on my analysis of John Galliano and Charles Jeffrey and finding a notable similarity for historical references, inclined me to think much broader in my concepts. I appreciate the past periodical connotations of Charles Jeffrey’s work, but I greatly admire the depth of Galliano’s collections in which he correlates multiple historical styles of fashion to create a narrative in garments too.

For me, combining the 70’s and 80’s era sounded appealing, but I knew my capabilities could extend further in this sector. I want to take influence from Galliano and personally merge an array of historical components together for my Visual Campaign.

My Fashion Futures assignment showed a significant passion for dated periods in history. I wanted to home in on this and dissect an area in the past which has never be referenced before and translate it into today.

Considering John Galliano’s first graduate collection ‘Les Incroyables’ and his inspiration from the French Revolution drove me to discover eras which had a significant reflection of societal conventions today. This was where my *lightbulb moment* came in to play. If I could navigate a time alike the 70’s and 80’s movements, with an additional historical value and considerably different fashion style, how powerful could this final piece portray as a story?

I found just that.

1820’S RADICAL WAR

The Radical War of the 1820’s was where I discerned the final dot in my project.

The Scottish Insurrection was orchestrated by John Baird, Andrew Hardie, and James Wilson, a brave collective who demanded change in societal circumstances and political reform. Together, they led a generational minority of weavers, spinners, colliers, and manual labourers into a rebellion, using this as their voice of frustration. The 5-day revolt came soon after the Napoleonic Wars which observed similar years of societal disturbance, as well as the massacre of innocent people, thus heightening the angers of civilisation.

I sought many comparisons in this era of the 1820’s and the world presently. Humanity witnessed a drop in wages and an acceleration in prices, people felt failed by the government and since they weren’t listening to their peaceful cries, it provoked their radical nature to emerge. The first week of April 1820 consisted of strikes and a planned armed uprising North and South of the border.

The Radical War is a fitting addition due to its Scottish heritage; a firm relatability to Glaswegian designer Charles Jeffrey who looks to Scottish periodical references to inspire his own work. I also seek an essence of John Galliano within this era too, as the rebellion occured during the French Revolution- a facet in history he is greatly inspired by.

REGENCY STYLING

The Radical War is embedded into the contextualisation of my narrative as a cognisance of the similarities in society currently and then, in the 1820’s. Nonetheless, alike the other eras, it is their approaches to styling which will be translated visually into my concept. The 1820’s is categorised as the Regency Era, a romantic period, reflected in garment form.

I can delineate how fashion has been transcended through the centuries as lavish materials, bountiful frills and elaborate trims are perceivable within New Romantic fashion too, which coalesces my themes ideally. Exaggerated silhouettes were popular in this period, with copious layers, padding and 3D trims creating voluminous shapes to enhance cinched waists.

Male fashion engaged a flamboyant nod in ruffled blouses, corsetry, and printed pin stripe bottoms, and, although, it wouldn’t be pronounced in this era- these styles would be highly considered gender bending today and truly reflected a dandy man who appreciates suave styling, fitting with my target consumer who favours androgynous-wear.

My target market level for this hypothetical collaboration is luxury through a conceptual lens. Charles Jeffrey and John Galliano currently direct brands which market to a luxury consumer, who are unafraid to be excessive and courageous in their dressing. As I have centralised on their ostentatious and theatrical natures, whilst uniting these with Dada Art too, the conceptual market appeared a suitable fitting to supplement.

A study by a student in Hong Kong University, defined conceptual fashion as “fashion in finding yourself, in presenting the authentic nature of your internal and external self. Not reflection on the observation and evaluation of others, but instead personal sensation, and fashion as a medium to achieve this”. My primary research revealed how Generation Alpha seek the obscure and unique, meaning they will turn towards conceptual concepts which envelop such exclusivity, eccentricity, and defiance. This collaboration allows them to embrace themselves, where there is an injection of identity and fluidity and a resonation with their emotions with the world. T his cohort’s rebellious attitude will impel them to obtain an ‘I don’t care’ outlook, therefore money is no object to them in this mindset and their millennial parents can easily be influenced to consume into their buying habits to support in costs too.

According to a report by Bain & Company, the luxury markets consumer base will reach 500 million by 2030 with Generation Y, Z, and Alpha making 80% of the purchases (Business Insider, 2023) further emphasising how my consumer will purchase into my target market of luxury through a conceptual lens avidly.

TARGET CONSUMER

In my book ‘A Lost Generation’ you will perceive an in-depth analysis and primary study of Generation Alpha. This collaboration solely focuses on how the continual turmoil of the country will inflict their behavioural habits and seek them to find frustration through clothing. With my concept thinking into the prospective reaction of this generation, the following consumer profile will be forward thinking and placed in the year 2028 for example purposes.

CONSUMER PROFILE

Dylan is 18 and an older member of the Generation Alpha cohort. He identifies as male, referring to he/him/his pronouns but is currently toying with his sexuality and navigating his identity as a young adult. He is happy to embrace this, as LGBTQIA+ and gender fluidity is far more accepted in his generation and his young millennial parents conform with his changes.

Dylan derives from a middle-class family situated in Putney, London, where he is a short drive from the city in which he regularly goes shopping in local charity shops to find unusual garments which have an extrovert appeal and subvert the trends. Dylan shops from either gender section as he has an androgynous style in which he avidly experiments with volumes, proportions, and exaggeration.

He works a part time role in a nearby café on minimum wage, where he often listens to a range of eclectic music whilst on shift to sway his mindset away from the current fears of WWWIII and government alerts on his iPhone 20XYZ+. When not in work, Dylan socialises at nearby pubs and clubs, as well as connecting with other LGBTQ communities on online gaming platforms.

CREATING THE UNDERGROUND

I aspired for there to be a title for the youth within this fictitious narrative, just like the Punks, New Romantics and 1820’s Radicals had. Therefore, I culminated all their backgrounds and established ‘The Underground’, where these subcultures once used to congregate in times of adversity to be free in music and fashion. Generation Alpha appreciate personal connections with brands, and I believe they will resonate with this collaboration entirely if it possesses a community they can associate with and call themselves by too. ‘The Underground’ has an underlying power to its title, encompassing the strength of all collaborators involved, as well as the mightiness of its defiance and challenging of conventions. There is a grunginess to its tone, and I feel this reflects the frustrations the youth in the story, as well as, the consumers, portray.

Below I have devised some logos which will be utilised in marketing material within my further books. Employing colour theory within my decision making, I opted for a black background as it symbolises power and luxury (accomodating to my aforementioned market), orange/red because it encourages social communication and domination as well as conveying anger, and blue for trust, as this collaborative presence aims to form a strong brand-to-consumer relationship through empathising with their emotions.

CONCLUSION

As part one of four editions of my Visual Campaign process, ‘The Underground’ has solidly contextualised my narrative and the individuals, movements, and eras it embarks. There are many components to this storytelling, and it is my role to manage and communicate these all authentically. By segregating my consumer and target market, I have ensured that these audiences suitably align with what I am proposing.

As you now have a greater awareness of my strategy to fulfilling a gap in the market whereby Generation Alpha’s real voice and expectations from the industry will be heard and they will seek comfort in the non-conformist attitudes which resonate with their own through this collaboration, my next book will move forward into visually creating this narrative- through a conceptual lens.

UP NEXT: THROUGH A CONCEPTUAL LENS (VISUAL CAMPAIGN BOOK 2)

J86800

VISUAL CAMPAIGN BOOK 1