contents
introduction..................................................................................................2 Brand Statements........................................................................................3-6 USP.................................................................................................................7 Brand Identity...............................................................................................9-10 Packaging....................................................................................11 Moodboard and Color Palette..........................................................13-14 Textural palette.........................................................................................15-16 Customer profile.......................................................................................17-18 Visual range.................................................................................................19-24 Range Costing............................................................................................25-28 Financial forecast..................................................................................29-30 product development............................................................................31-32 csr....................................................................................................33-34 Swot Analysis.............................................................................................35-36 Pestle analysis..........................................................................................37-38 competitor analysis....................................................................................39 positioning map................................................................................................40 marketing mix.............................................................................................41-50 conclusion.............................................................................................51 Appendix..................................................................................................53-56 bibliography.........................................................................................57-58 photo by emily freund
Introduction (Paullange.com, 2019)
After Five functions as a sustainable loungewear line, emphasizing the dual-use of being able to wear the line on the streets in addition to the comfort of our own homes. The design of this line and of future products exemplify clean, refined cuts which allow for people to feel comfortable strutting down the street in their comfiest clothes while looking put together and stylish. Our brand prides itself on sourcing the most comfortable yet sustainable fabrics and practices a completely sustainable business model. While the fashion industry shows a growth in its efforts towards environmental and social sustainability, it is not keeping up with the fast pace nature of the industry itself (Kent, 2019). In order to reverse or halt the dangerous effects of the fast fashion industry, sustainability in every aspect of a company is crucial in order to do so. A lot of After Five’s competitors take action towards social sustainability by providing a transparent and responsible supply chain for its workers, however none of them provide environmentally sustainable ideals. This is where our brand will fill this market gap but take it further by also donating to organizations that help clean up the earth and preserve our precious, natural resources. After Five’s business model will be flexible and willing to experiment with new sustainable technology, in order to keep up with the ever-changing society, but in a way that helps the environment using advanced technology rather than hurting it.
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mission offering an environmentally conscious range of clothing which is not only seamless to wear, but perfectly blends street style and lounge wear
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Vision We are committed to solving the environmental crisis caused by the fashion industry
(Summer Adams, n.d.)
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values We believe in feeling guilt free when putting on our favorite items to get comfy, after a long day
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Aim we want to be memorable and build a sustainable community for our customers
photo by emily freund
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USP photo by emily freund
our USp, Unique Selling point, is that each garment in our range is made of sustainable textile, ethically grown and sourced. Our fabrics are also hand-dyed using what nature offers us, such as plants, flowers, roots, spices, and herbs. as part of our csr, we will not only be encouraging the use of natural materials that don’t harm the environment, but also be 100% transparent in each process of how our clothing is being made. This ensures that our workers are being treated responsibly in safe and clean working conditions with fair wages. There will be no overtime allowed with our workers, to make sure that they aren’t being overworked with upcoming deadlines (Copenhagen Fashion Summit, 2018). we believe that in being a sustainable clothing brand, we will do more good for the environment, not just less harm. included on our website and in all of the packages we send out, there will be information on what our brand does for the environment and the process of how each item is made. This not only educates our 7 customers, but spreads awareness of the environmental crisis at hand.
photos by emily freund
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Brand Identity (SustainYourStyle, n.d.)
“after five” refers to the time after a “9 to 5” job where it’s time to wind down and get comfortable on the couch. we wanted to capitalize on the fact that loungewear for after a long work or school day can be comfortable and cute but also save the environment. our Womens wear logo includes a pink and blue wash in the background, looking like dye in water. The colors represent our color palette and the items in our visual range. “AF” in script is inspired by an olay whips Advertisement in which the script made it look soft and wispy, like a cloud. We took that idea because we want our clothes to feel light, airy, and soft, like a cloud. While keeping our clothing able to wear in public by creating a refined idea of what loungewear is, we emanated this with the sleek “after five” below it. This logo will appear as a header to our Womens wear website page. 9
Our product development includes expanding into a menswear line. This will be the Logo for the menswear part of our website, once created
each item in our range will have the basic “After five” logo with care instructions on the back of the label.
(SustainYourStyle, n.d.)
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Packaging
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every one of our packages is made of 100% recycled paper and cardboard. each parcel includes wrapping paper that is biodegradable in addition to an information card that gives a brief synopsis of what our brand proudly does to benefit the environment and help create a more sustainable way of creating fashion. We also include a waterproof sticker sheet to increase brand expansion through free marketing tactics. Our laser cut stickers can be put on computers, water bottles, phones/cases, and more!
photos by emily freund
Moodboard & Color Palette
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(Lulu & Georgia, n.d.)
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Textural Palette
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(Maako.tumblr.com, n.d.)
Customer profile
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photo by emily freund
Demographics
Name: Francesca Glasgow gender: Female age: 18 Years Old Occupation: Fashion Student allowance from parents: ~ £210 per week place of residence: shoreditch hobbies/social life: shopping, Baking, Gardening, hanging and going out with friends, eating at new, popular restaurants, travelling, going to the gym favorite shops: Urban outfitters, Depop, free people, lulu lemon, gymshark, Brandy Melville
PsychoGraphics
Customers of After Five, like francesca, want to make a difference in the world by helping the environment. They may not realize that sustainable textiles can be so comfortable until they discover our brand. Our customers range from 18 to 30 years old and are students, newly-graduates, full-time associates, and anyone with a 9-to-5, because our company markets to those who want to relax after a day of work or school. After work or school, our customer likes to put on their comfiest clothes, like a sweatshirt and sweatpants. However, they want to be able to wear their comfiest clothes outside the house as well, but also look cute and put together for a day out. When our customer has a day off, they like to meet up with friends and catch up on their lives. Being comfortable yet stylish is what our customers really value and are interested in, so after five provides just this but goes further and makes it sustainable.
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VIsual Range (JERUSALEMFABRICSINC, n.d.)
Make a Social statement with your fashion statement Our visual range consists of a small selection of styles with a variety of pink, blue, purple, and grey hues. Each fabric will be hand-dyed using herbs, spices, roots, and flowers so each item a customer buys will be unique to that piece. All of the garments will be made from sustainable textiles like bamboo, bamboo silk, organic cotton, modal, silk and lyocell. Inspired by the sustainable clothing brand, Carcel, the way our company will tackle mass production is by conducting pre-orders to calculate how much of each item to make. Carcel also doesn’t dispose of the clothing once the calender season is over, we think this is an effective solution to the amount of clothing not being sold, resulting in being burned or put into landfills (Copenhagen Fashion Summit, 2018).
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Top Range
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Bottom Range
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Matching Set Range
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Intimate Range
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Range Costing
our range consists of a limited amount of products in order to diminish the effects of mass producing garments, such as water, energy, and textile waste. The cost of our range is dependent upon the amount of preorders we get, so these are estimations of how many units will be preordered the first time we launch our products. Due to Primary RESEARCH (SEE APPENDIX 1.1) WE FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE WOULD RATHER WEAR SWEATSHIRTS, SWEATPANTS, LEGGINGS, AND A TSHIRT WHEN THEY WANT TO GET COMFORTABLE SO WE ESTIMATED THE AMOUNT OF UNITS TO PRODUCE, ACCORDINGLY. BECAUSE AFTER FIVE BELIEVES IN A COMPLETELY SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PLAN, OUR WORKER’S WILL BE PAID ABOVE MINIMUM WAGE, SET BY THE NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE ACT OF 1998 (En.wikipedia.org, n.d.). This results in higher prices, because they will be paid fairly and will only be allowed to work for 8 hours a day, the standard hours per day.
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photo by emily freund
labor costing: ~ £9 per item (Hills, n.d.) sales commision: 20% cost of Material used estimated number of units Estimated Amount of Meters Needed The asymmetrical Jumper
The flare mock long sleeve
The two-toned tie tank
The cropped flare Jumper
The waffle tee
The muscle fitted tank
ToTal Added
Cotton Tubing: £25/meter organic cotton: £30/meter Bamboo Jersey: £18/meter
Fuji Silk: £35/meter Lyocell: £3/meter (www.alibaba.com, n.d.) cotton tubing: £25/meter cotton: £30/meter bamboo jersey: £18/meter
bamboo modal: £45/meter
200 units
150 units
50 units
50 units
200 units
50 units
450 meters
300 meters
lyocell: 1000 meter min. fuji: 25 meters 112.5 meters
400 meters
100 meters
total costs
£13,250
£5,400
£1,100
£3,312.50
£7,200
£4,500
9 × 200 = 1,800 1,800 + 13,250 = 15,050 20% × 15,050 = 3,010 15,050 + 3,010 = 18,060 18,060 ÷ 200 = 90.30 9 × 150 = 1,350 1,350 + 5,400 = 6,750 20% × 6,750 = 1,350 6,750 + 1,350 = 8,100 8,100 ÷ 150 = 54 9 × 50 = 450 450 + 1,100 = 1,550 20% × 1,550 = 310 1,550 + 310 = 1,860 1,860 ÷ 50 = 37.20 9 × 50 = 450 450 + 3,312.50 = 3,762.50 20% × 3,762.50 = 752. 50 3,762.50 + 752.50 = 4,515 4,515 ÷ 50 = 90.30 9 × 200 = 1,800 1,800 + 7,200 = 9,000 20% × 9,000 = 1,800 9,000 + 1,800 = 10,800 10,800 ÷ 200 = 54 9 × 50 = 450 450 + 4,500 = 4,950 20% × 4,950 = 990 4,950 + 990 = 5,940 5,940 ÷ 50 = 118.80
wholesale mark up price:
£95
wholesale mark up price:
£65
wholesale mark up price:
£45
wholesale mark up price:
£95
wholesale mark up price:
£65
wholesale mark up price:
£120
£34,762.50
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cost of Material used The side stripe jogger
The patched jogger
The zipper legging
The triangle bralette
The wireless bralette
The asymmetrical bralette
ToTal Added
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Cotton Tubing: £25/meter bamboo jersey: £18/meter
estimated number of units Estimated Amount of Meters Needed 200 units
modal: £38/meter
100 units
lyocell: £3/meter
250 units
bamboo jersey: £18/meter
50 units
milk: £25/meter
50 units
bamboo jersey: £18/meter
50 units
450 meters
200 meters
lyocell: 1000 meter min.
50 meters
50 meters
50 meters
total costs £8,450
£7,600
£1,500
£900
£1,250
£900
£20,600
9 × 200 = 1,800 1,800 + 8,450 = 10,250 20% × 10,250 = 2,050 10,250 + 2,050 = 12,300 12,300 ÷ 200 = 61.50 9 × 100 = 900 900 + 7,600 = 8,500 20% × 8,500 = 1,700 8,500 + 1,700 = 10,200 10,200 ÷ 100 = 102 9 × 250 = 2,250 2,250 + 1,500 = 3,750 20% × 3,750 = 750 3,750 + 750 = 4,500 4,500 ÷ 250 = 18 9 × 50 = 450 450 + 900 = 1,350 20% × 1,350 = 270 1,350 + 270 = 1,620 1,620 ÷ 50 = 32.40 9 × 50 = 450 450 + 1,250 = 1,700 20% × 1,700 = 340 1,700 + 340 = 2,040 2,040 ÷ 50 = 40.80 9 × 50 = 450 450 + 900 = 1,350 20% × 1,350 = 270 1,350 + 270 = 1,620 1,620 ÷ 50 = 32.40
wholesale mark up price:
£65
wholesale mark up price:
£110
wholesale mark up price:
£50
wholesale mark up price:
£35
wholesale mark up price:
£45
wholesale mark up price:
£35
cost of Material used estimated number of units Estimated Amount of Meters Needed the blocked matching set
the twisted matching set
Cotton Tubing: £25/meter bamboo jersey: £18/meter bamboo jersey: £18/meter
150 units
150 units
675 meters
600 meters
ToTal Added
total costs £12,675
£10,800
9 × 150 = 1,350 1,350 + 12,675 = 14,025 20% × 14,025 = 2,805 14,025 + 2,805 = 16,830 16,830 ÷ 150 = 112.20 9 × 150 = 1,350 1,350 + 10,800 = 12,150 20% × 12,150 = 2,430 12,150 + 2,430 = 14,580 14,580 ÷ 150 = 97.20
wholesale mark up price:
£130
wholesale mark up price:
£115
£23,475
34,762.50 20,600 + 23,475 78,837.50
Materials Used in Production labor costs (cutting, stitching, press, trim, packaging) production Facility Costs (rent, insurance, utilities, etc.)
78,837.50
50,300 + 60,000 £ 189,137.50 (saunders Maresh, N.D.) (Saylordotorg.github.io, N.d.) (hills, n.d.) (businessplanhut.com, N.d.)
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Financial forecast our financial forecast takes into account every cost of creating the line, including when and how long preorders will be taking place. The forecast also estimates how much income the brand will be making through Sales and Company Partnerhips. Sales start after preorders are made and increase towards the end of the selling period due to the brand gaining recognition within this time period. each estimated sale is calculated from the range cost sheet which estimates the amount of units that will be sold and how much each item will cost.
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all projected in £
at the end of our first year of manufacturing and sales, we have around £200,000 left over. This will be used in the next year of sales for wages, office/factory rent, to pay off loans, and to source more materials for the next collection drop. while not projected in this forecast, we predict the increase of sales and company partnerships due to our expansion strategy of developing the product to include a larger target market.
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Product Development As a startup company, after five will start with a womens wear line. Once Our brand gains recognition, we will then be expanding into a larger target market. Our product development plan will consist of menswear & kids wear lines, collaborations, capsule collections, as well as college apparel. Our menswear line will feature more muted tones of peach, blue, and grey and our kids wear line will include bright colors with embroidered and beaded patches throughout the range. Collaborations and capsule collections are a way for our brand to reach mass amounts of people when collaborating with celebrities, well known bloggers & influencers and creating special edition collections with renowned brands. College apparel not only appeals to the younger customer, but also can be worn by our older customers, either representing their alma mater or a family member’s college. we will achieve these collegiate designs by screen printing them onto our apparel, to create a personalized and unique design to each garment made.
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kids wear patch samples
photos by emily freund
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corporate social responsibility
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photo by emily freund
as our usp as well as our csr, our brand will be environmentally and socially sustainable. Our range features garments made of natural textiles, that are sustainable throughout its whole life span. we source all of these fabrics from local and sustainable outsourcing warehouses. some of the Fibers that we use in our ranges are organic cotton, silk, lyocell/ tencel, sustainable bamboo, modal, and bamboo silk. These fibers have a production process that has a low impact on the environment which means they use less water, low energy needed, made of waste materials, no gmo’s, and biodegradable SustainYourStyle. (n.d.). Another part of our csr, we will also be donating to organizations that help build a balanced environment and help reduce the amount of waste the fashion industry produces. Once we start selling our products, we will ask our customers what they think is most important about saving the environment, and will chose an organization accordingly. This is so that our customers aren’t just doing less harm to the environment by buying sustainably, but also more good by contributing to the preservation of our natural resources. In addition, all of our leftover textile scraps, will be sewn together to create a quilt and be made into tote bags, that customers can buy exclusively on our website. Not only will our preorder plan tackle textile waste, but reusing and recycling the textiles that happen to be leftover, will be another successful way to do so.
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Swot strengths Strengths
photo by emily freund
1. After five is an environmentally conscious, sustainable company. 2. The brand shows transparency in the growing, dyeing, and making process of the garments as well as the
conditions the workers are working in.
3. The use of e-commerce as the apparel is sold online, which is a popular and growing industry.
weaknesses Weaknesses weaknesses 1. The business hasn’t been established yet, so there is a lack of reputation. 2. After five needs to be competitive with the quality of the sustainable fabrics in order to be considered a mid to high
end brand.
3. The clothing isn’t being mass produced which means less merchandise to make a profit off of.
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opportunities Opportunities opportunities 1. The sustainable market is growing in today’s society and is gaining a lot of recognition. 2. the brand can collaborate with other brands/designers to create capsule collections and with bloggers and
influencers to widen the brand’s influence (Lawley, 2018).
3. Being able to be sold in well-known department stores to expand the buying of these products.
threats threats 1. Competition with other loungewear brands that are already well established and known. 2. The sourcing of bamboo fabrics in large amounts is difficult and the growing process of the plant spans over many
seasons (Lewis Bamboo, n.d.).
3. Hand-Dyeing large amounts of fabrics requires a lot of time, as seen in primary research (see appendix 1.2).
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Political Political
PESTLE
photo by emily freund
1. The UK government encourages people to recycle and reduce packaging (Environmental Audit Committee, 2019) WHICH HELPS WITH OUR BUSINESS MODEL OF RECYCLED
PACKAGE MATERIALS
2. The Uk has signed up to tackle environmental and social sustainability efforts sets by the united nations (Environmental Audit Committee, 2019). 3. BREXIT will increase taxation on imports, so the government will encourage the use of local fabrics (Tobin, 2019). This positively affects our business because we
pride ourselves on using locally and ethically sourced fabrics.
Economic Economic 1. ‘Hard Brexit — where existing trade deals disappear, and designers, retailers and manufacturers would have to pay to trade with the Eu would mean clothing and
footwear tariffs of about 11 per cent, or just over £1 billion more each year.’ -Richard Lim, chief executive of analyst Retail Economics (Tobin, 2019)
2. Brexit’s uncertain outcome has decreased business investments because businesses have become weary to the prosperity of the UK (David, 2019) which negatively
affects after five by decreased investments to start our company
Social Social 1. After work, People like to relax on the couch or in bed (After work - what do you do?, 2014). this furthers the point for our clothes because everyone does the
same thing when they get home from work or school.
2. Influencer marketing creates a genuine and direct connection between brand and consumers (Lawley, 2018).
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Technological Technological 1. Due to the garments being hand-made and not mass produced, advanced machinery in the production process won’t be used until new technology that is
considered a sustainable manufacturing process can be obtained.
2. because hand-dyeing fabrics is time consuming, new dry-dyeing technology may be necessary
Legal Legal 1. The UK Government passed the climate change act in 2008 to reduce the country’s carbon footprint (Environmental Audit Committee, 2019) which furthers our
brand’s cause of helping and saving the environment.
2. Fashion companies must abide by the tariff and taxation laws when importing and exporting goods which could make international shipping more expensive for
our customers. HOwever, this won’t hugely impact imports of fabrics, which could be very expensive, because our brand uses locally grown and
manufactured fabrics.
Environmental Environmental 1. The sustainability movement positively impacts brands that already have an established sustainable business model 2. “Textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of clean water globally, after agriculture ... Cotton growing requires high levels of water and pesticides to prevent
crop failure, which can be problematic in developing countries that may lack sufficient investment and be at risk of drought” (Perry, 2018). This is why After
five will use techniques of hand-dyeing textiles to stop the water and chemical waste from current, fast fashion methods.
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Competitor Competitor analysis analysis competitor #1 Splendid
summary
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competitor #3 spiritual gangster
competitor #4 roots
competitor #5 lulu lemon
yoga and athleisure Yoga and athleisure loungewear brand loungewear brand brand that is known known for their comfy brand famous for their brand known for their known for their fuzzy, for creating garments clothes with their comfortable leggings “good vibes” attire soft fabrics with soft fabrics canadian heritage sweatshirts: $98 - $168 Bottoms: $68 - $106
activewear: £45 - £100
sweatshirts: £57 - £98
bottoms: $48 - $148
facebook, instagram, twitter, pinterest, tumblr
Facebook, instagram, twitter, pinterest, youtube, blogs
facebook, instagram, twitter, pinterest, youtube
facebook, instagram, twitter, pinterest, youtube
- transparency in - recognizable supply chain designs, easy to know - sold online, in when celebrities are department stores, and wearing the brand in own stores - sold online & in department stores
- donates meals to fight hunger in the US - sold online & in department stores
- Easy to recognize brand - many celebrities have sported the brand
clothing price range
loungewear line: $54 - $168
general marketing strategy
facebook, instagram, twitter, pinterest
strengths
competitor #2 wildfox
- some clothes made - doesn’t mention any - doesn’t mention any with 100% imported cott kind of sustainability efforts toward weaknesses efforts sustainability - sizes run large, some items look schlumpy
- Sustainable strategies & efforts - easy to recognize - detailed design technology for the active person
- Doesn’t mention any - sizes run small sustainable efforts - only sold online and in their own stores, which are in canada
positioning map photo by emily freund
the positioning map of our competitors show that many loungewear brands are very comfortable and have a higher price because of their fabric quality. However, our usp of being an environmentally and socially sustainable brand sets us apart from our competitors. While our brand prides itself on using the most comfortable fabrics as well, we hold the title of using soft and sustainable textiles. our products will also be competing with our prices because they will be similar to those brands that are already established. however, our prices represent fair waged workers, a completely sustainable supply chain, and responsibly growing and sourcing of every fabric we use. After five would be placed closest to the brand splendid on the positioning map.
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Marketing Mix Product The design of our loungewear will be a refined and smart take on what being comfortable looks like. this is so that our customers can wear the clothing either in the house or on the streets while still looking fabulous and put together. each garment will be of high quality considering the sustainable methods used and being hand-made by our valued, in-house workers. the packaging of our products will also be sustainable, using only recycled materials to do so. benefits of buying from our brand include a guilt-free shopping experience, knowing that being cute, comfy, while helping the environment with a sustainable and transparent supply chain is possible.
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photos by emily freund
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price Our products will be priced according to the fabrics used, amount of fabric needed based on preorder sales, labor costs, and production facility costs. Our products will be marked up because sustainable fabrics are more expensive to source, our factory workers will be hand-making every garment, and our workers are being paid above minimum wage. All of these factors affect the price because more effort is being put in to making our limited range than brands that mass produce their items using advanced machinery [see range costing for more details]. Our pricing will be considered high/ premium pricing due to quality of our goods and services. a promotional Discount of 10% will be offered to our customers if they sign up for our emails and they will be able to gain points for every purchase they make. The point system will encourage buyers to continue to buy from us and at a certain amount of points they will be able to get free items. Some points will get the customer a free tote, but if they wish to build up their points, they could get a free item, that has yet to be determined.
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Place our brand will mainly distribute merchandise directly from our website, using eco-friendly courier services, such as Green courier. E-commerce is beneficial to our customers because it’s convenient, they can access information about our brand, and it uses less energy than traditional retail. we will also be available in department stores, like bloomingdales, selfridges, john lewis, and Nordstrom. This will be beneficial to our brand because it gets a larger amount of people purchasing our products, especially if they can compare between other brands and be able to feel our soft, natural fabrics.
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promotion Advertising and marketing will be crucial to the success of our company by having our customer base understand every aspect of this sustainable loungewear idea. using a perfect combination of below-the-line marketing, above-the-line marketing, and especially social media marketing will get the purpose of our brand to wide ranges of people. WHEN OUR CUSTOMERS USE OUR SITE, THEY CAN SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAILS, TO GET AN INITIAL 10% OFF THEIR FIRST PURCHASE, WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE LATEST IN THE SUSTAINABILITY WORLD AND HOW OUR BRAND IS CONSTANTLY INTERACTING WITH the market to evolve into a company that does more good, not less harm. when our customers create an account with us, using their email, they have the option to save their address , which will be used to send our look-books, using only recycled paper of course, which show how to wear our items for a night in or either a day out. the social media age is a thriving trend, that doesn’t show slowing down anytime soon. advertising on platforms, such as instagram, facebook, twitter, and pinterest will be imperative to expanding our brand to younger generations and connecting directly to our consumers through these outlets, as well as through the use of influencer marketing. in addition, we will be creating videos on youtube that show every step of the manufacturing process of the clothing in each line. This is so our brand is completely transparent and our customers can get to know our valued workers.
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advertisements on instagram and facebook
After five will be available on social media sites such as instagram, facebook, twitter, pinterest and youtube. Having our brand span many of these sites will increase customer awareness of our brand, our values, updates on our collection drops, as well as our collaborations. As of April 2019, facebook has 2.32 billion users, youtube has 1.9 billion users, instagram has 1.0 billion users, twitter has 330 million users, and pinterest has 250 million users (Statista, 2019). This shows that social media is a great portal to connect our brand to our customers, making Social media marketing a smart way to advertise.
collaborations with influencers and bloggers
our example includes fashion blogger, Arielle Charnas, who found and runs the Something Navy brand and instagram account. She is a very influential person on instagram, with 1.2 million followers on her personal account. she collaborates with brands that she truly believes in and her followers really value that. Her instagram and website boast a mix of designer and affordable clothing, which is perfect for our higher-end quality and priced clothing.
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people a customer relationship management (CRM) system helps us keep customer contact details up to date, track every customer interaction, and manage customer accounts (Salesforce.com, n.d.) our brand will be using A CRM system to get a better understanding of our customers. our customer service will be available to reach directly through our website, where our customers can talk to a live helper. Customer service can also be contacted through our social media platforms which will generate a response within five minutes. after our customers end the live chat on our website or finish a conversation through a social media outlet, we offer a quick survey of their customer service experience, to make sure the people we hire are understanding, trustworthy, experienced and most importantly helpful.
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photo by emily freund
photo by emily freund
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process Customers can purchase our items through our website www.shopafterfive.weebly.com. They can browse through our womens, mens, kids, or capsule collection sections. If the season collection has not yet dropped, they will have the option to preorder these items, which gives us, as manufacturers, an idea of how much of that item to create. When they click on the item they want they will choose their preferred size (included will be a size guide) and their desired color. Our customers are aware that each item is unique to itself, so the picture shown is one sample of what they will be getting. If our customers have a question, they will be able to live chat with a representative from our customer service line, regarding anything about the purchasing, delivering, or returning process. Once items are added to their cart, they can then purchase directly on our site through the use of a Credit Card, Debit Card, or Through Pay-pal. They will get an email confirmation once order has been placed, shipped, and delivered, making the purchasing of sustainable and cute clothing so easy, that they don’t even have to think twice about buying from After Five.
physical evidence Our website delivers a clean, simple design where it will be easy to navigate through each item and category. The tabs located at the top of the website offer options to read about the brand, read our blog and the press, and be able to contact our brand through many different outlets.
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website home page
search or scan QR Code to view an interactive website available at: www.shopafterfive.weebly.com
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conclusion After Five is a completely sustainable loungewear brand, able to wear when our customers want a night in on the couch or a day out on the town. This brand deems necessary in the industry due to a lack of sustainable loungewear brands in the market; this is how After Five out-competes other well-known comfort wear brands. We want our customers to feel their most comfortable when they put on our clothes, while still looking cute; being a couch potato doesn’t mean you have to look like a potato. The After Five brand has a well-thought out extension strategy of developing the products to include menswear, kids wear, as well as collaborations with influencers and famous designers. This will ensure that our customer base is always buying something from us, increasing brand loyalty. After Five isn’t a temporary fix for the environmental crisis caused by the fashion industry, it poses as a glimpse of what the future could hold for a balanced environment if everyone can be a little more conscious when purchasing clothing.
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photos by emily freund
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1.1 Market Research
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Appendix
*
*the larger the word the more times it appeared in the answer comments
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1.2 Primary Research - Mare Street Dye Gardening
Calendula
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photos by emily freund
Red valeria
photos by emily freund
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