My name is Helen Birkett and i am currently in my second year studying Fashion Promotion at Manchester Metropolitan University.The elements of the course that i enjoy are creating visual campaigns for brands as well as looking into cultures within fashion.I do really like how my course provides a wide range of skills from the business aspect but still having the creative option. I am not sure what i want to do when i graduate but elements of styling interests me as well as potentially working for a magazine .
My proposed idea where i will be using the visual merchandiser role will be creating a pop up for the brand Damson Madder. It will be based in a city centre where it will attract the right audience.The pop up will be promoting a new size inclusive collection for the brand launching in summer. The pop up will be created by using re-used woods and crates to stand or drape the sample of clothes over. The crates can be painted with colours that represent the brand. Vintage mirrors will be used that will be dotted around the store.The idea of the pop-up is that people can come and see a sneak preview of the collection as well as try on the clothes.They can then write over the mirrors about how the clothes make them feel.Also around the pop up there will be a lot of greenery and flowers as well as florists making bouqets to give to the customers. There will also be hashtags on display to encourage customers to post on social media using the hashtag.
Mood board for inspiration for the potential outcome for the pop up including a range of flowers and outdoor inspired landscapes with the use of re-used wood and crates and vintage mirrors.
Damson Madder is a London based sustainable brand.The brand began as the founder realised there was not a lot of choice when it comes to sustainable fashion brands.The brand began in 2020,during lockdown which was risky however the first collection did really well. (Green,Georgina.2022). The sustainability element is the important ingredient of the brands ethos and image and materials are made originally from plastic bottles as well as cotton used is taken from textile waste.(Green,Georgina.2022)
The brand uses a lot of sustainble elements such as recycled and repurposed fabrics as well as orga nic cotton and everything they use is ethically sourced.They have a ‘damson Pledge’ which is continuing to evolve and grow to do the best for consumers and the planet. As a brand they are committed to working alongisde suppliers to minimize impacts, this includes a code of conduct which ensures everything is going the way it should and meets the brands guidelines. They check to ensure workers are supported in healthy,safe places to work in as the fashion industry is notorious for problems within this so they want to help eradicate these industry issues (Damson,Madder.2023) .
The target audience for this pop up event it will be aimed at those who are interested in sustainable clothing brands and those who have an interest for Damson Madder as a brand ,especially now that they are launching a more inclusive size range. Mainly aimed at females aged 27-35, these millenials most likely live in urban cities with a full time job, living in rented flats. (Acorn,2023)They will also most likely have a job within the creative industry and be passionate about sustainability and climate change. They will also be living comfortably financially hence why they can afford to spend a bit more money on sustainable clothing.(Acorn,2023). However they will also be cautious of spending so alternatives such as Vinted will be widely used as second hand alternative as they are more consciously aware of the benefits of buying second hand .
The focus for this new collection is inclusivity as Damson Madder currently only go up to size 16 which in this modern society is not satisfactory. The average UK women size is a 16 and mosts brand tend to only go up to this size, therefore many brands are missing out on the opportunity to produce more of a inclusive range , for example size 18 plus(Turner,2019).As Damson Madder only go up to size 16 they will benefit from going up to size 18 onwards as it will attract a different demographic as well as increasing their customer base, making them more appealing to consumers who struggle to find cool and unique clothing in bigger sizing .
There are currently many brands that do provide a wider range of sizing.One in particular is a UK small business called Hissy Fit. Hissyfit is a small business that started in Birmingham that is ethically and sustainably sourced. They use deadstock or vintage fabrics and make use of what they can hence the limited number of items they can make. As well as this they start from size 2XS to 6XL which is really good to see considering a small business. (Hissyfit,2023). Another example of a size inclusive brand is Lucy&Yak who’s sizing starts from a size 4 and goes up to a size 32, which is a really extensive range and not many uk brands will go up to this size. If Damson Madder were to go up to this size they would become more appealing and more people would consider shopping there .
The Collect is a brand new space giving up and coming brands that are passionate about sustainability and inclusivity a chance to showcase their collections. They take over vacant retail spaces on Oxford Street London (Hardy,2021)They support local creative talent who use design as a tool for change.Some examples of artists and designers are Archive Six, Bleagq,Loop Generation and Rebel Blends. (Muir,2022) .
Converse launched a sustainable shoe so they opened a pop up store in London.The store involved locally sourced recycled materials as well as eco conscious work from local students and artists(Brown,2021). I like how they have used recycled materials to create this pop up and it shows that sustainable materials can be used and still look good.
A circular store is a partnership with Madewell and thredup which includes an immersive shopping experience.It is aimed to educate consumers on the impact of circular fashion.The consumer can shop a range of second hand items,there is also QR codes spotted around the store to provide more information about the concept(thredup,2021)
The sustainable fashion brand launched a pop up on Regent St to mark its new ‘Clean Power’ campaign.It highlights the importance of renewable energy as well as looking towards building a greener future. (Taylor,2021) .I think this is a good way to bring awareness to climate change and sustainability .
Online brand, Glossier launched a sensory escape room that used light, sound and smell. This took place in a green house inspired setting.( Brown,2021). I really like the idea of using more of a sensory experience as i think it engages the customer.
Consumers are now wanting ex periences and connectiviy when it comes to retail experiences this is a result and impact of Covid19 and consumer behaviours and experiences are changing, (Malholtra,2023) Consumers are now wanting more of an experience when it comes to retail rather than just a transactional experience. Retailers need to adapt to what consumers want in order for them to continue their demand. Retailers must also become much more sustainable and experiential and have some interaction for the consumer to experience. (Balchandan,2023)Brands are now taking more risks than they use to and making use of pop ups and temporary stores which will help attract new novelty seeking consumers as the excitement of the pop ups and stores bring excitment and attraction for the consumer.(Wahi&Medeiros,2023).
Visual board showing the different variety of flowers that i would use inside the store as well as the mural for the window display and the walls inside.
Inspiration for the bunch of flowers that will be given out at the pop up.
Some of these photos i took myself to gain some inspiration for the design of the pop up.
My inital ideas for the pop up concept is to use an abandoned shop that is no longer in use so then i am not creating a new space.The pop up will launch well ahead of the collection launch and be open to the public a month before the collection is released.This is so that it will give the consumers a sneak peek of the new range and slowly bring excitement to the new collection, especially to those who love the brand.My concept for the pop up is the idea of vintage mirrors being spread out across the floor so that when the customers arrive they can go and try on then
they can write on the mirrors how the clothes make them feel, hopefully they will take pictures to post on social media which will bring more awareness to the pop up. The theme of the pop up will be floral and there will be a wide variety of flowers and dried flowers over the walls of the store as well as a mural filled with flowers in the front window.Whilst people are attending the pop up there will be a florist making bouqets of flowers to hand out. I also want to have diffusers hidden in the room that release scents of the outdoors as well as a floral scent as this will provide a bit more of a sensory experience for the consumer.
Inspiration for how the flowers and greenery will be arranged in the pop up.
These crates here will be like the ones used for the pop up and an idea is to maybe even spray them a colour too.
The centre photo reflects the kind of space that i would like the pop up to take place, somewhere open with big windows so that the room is bright and more appealing.
More inspiration for how the pop up will look like. Taking inspiration from previous pop up stores that incorporated re-used wood and crates as well as a lot of floral.
HASHTAG IDEAS FOR POP UP.
#EmpoweringBodies
#MadderInclusive
#Sizesforall
#DamsonPlus
The start date will take place on the 1st June and a launch party will take place in the pop up store with influencers and people in the fashion industry so they can get first access. People like Poppy Almond, Hollie Mercedes . It will then be opened up to the public and will stay open throughout the month of June in preparation for the launch of the new collection in July. To begin with it will be just a limited number of samples to try on and gradually more will be added as the month goes on. After week one a florist will start at the pop up where they will hand out bouqets for customers.This will also be a local independant business so they can have the opportunity to increase there customer base and brand awareness.The final day of the pop up will be the launch day of the collection and the full collection will be available to try on and preorder.
The flowers were drawn from inspiration i found on pinterest that are on the visual boards previous,I also think that the hashtags will be good to have on display as words of empowerment as well as a way for cosnumers to use them on their own social media.
Here are some mock ups i created that will be part of the mural design/display for the pop up event.I began by drawing flowers on my ipad then started to arrange them into this kind of design.I thought i would try it again and add some greenery to it as well.it worked out well and this will be all over the pop up store including a variation of it in the front display window as well. The hash tag will also be somwehere on display as it will hopefully encourage consumers to then use it on social media when posting about the pop up.
Here is another mock up of the mural that will be in the pop up store but this time i added some greenery to it as it was looking too similar in colour so the green breaks it up.
Overall, i am happy with the outcomes of this pop up and i think the concept works really well with the brand and also the brands values as well as what they represent. I think it is important for brands to grow and develop especially in this modern day society where consumers opinions are very different and can easily impact brands and their identities if they are not careful.
