Brand Strategy Manual
READYTOWEAR 2020
CONTENT S Brief History .....................................5 Brand Values ....................................7 Collaborative Partner ......................9 Repositioning Map ..........................10 Target Consumers ...........................12 Trend Research .................................13 Brand Identity ..................................21 Communication Strategy ...............23 Bibliography .....................................36
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Brief History An exquisitely sophisticated and cultured woman of her time, Elsa Schiaparelli shaped the look of fashion and style in the 1920s and ‘30 through her innovative creations, referencing illustrations, mythologies and literature in her work. The Italian designer was heavily influenced by the Dada and Surrealist movements and established collaborations with artists such as Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau, transferring elements from their paintings to her garments. Some of her most emblematic creations as a result of their collaborative work include designs creating optical illusions, the shoe hat, the Lobster, Skeleton and Tear dresses. Schiaparelli introduced numerous innovations to the fashion world such as a bathing suit with a built-in bra, a wrap dress, a see-through raincoat, as well as the use of visible zippers, detailed buttons, costume jewellery and a range of fragrances that was included to the extensions of her brand. Although being Paris based, her impact was mainly felt by the European and American fashion markets and influenced other significant designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Charles James, Comme des Garçons and Jean Paul Gaultier who have all cited her as a remarkable inspiration. (Elle Timms , 2014) Elsa Schiaparelli is a vivid example of the way a daring and creative persona is capable of reshaping the already established perceptions of style and the heritage of her artistic imagination still lives today through the revived couture collections since Diego Della Valle, the President and CEO of the Italian leather garments company, Tod’s, officially reopened the fashion house in 2012. (Schiaparelli) 5
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Brand Values The relaunch of Schiaparelli’s 2020 ready-to-wear collection will be focused on providing its customers with something more than luxury fashion - its pieces are aimed at connecting the targeted market to the rich heritage of the brand and quirky, adventurous nature of its founder designer, all presented in the form of a contemporary fashion art pieces that speak loudly for the vivid personality of their wearer. Erasing the boundaries between religion and ethnicity, background and skin colour, culture and lifestyle, the brand will build up a vision reflecting the love of fashion, art and the willingness to differentiate from the mass. Challenging bright colours, art-inspired prints and motifs, as well as bold, original accessories will all contribute to building up the vision of the modern, educated and sophisticated young woman, daring to create a vision that speaks for her before she does so.
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Collaborative Partner In order to preserve the quirky aesthetic of the brand and create a modern update suitable for the millennial consumer, Schiaparelli will establish collaboration with the New York based multidisciplinary artist Rashaad Newsome. His work incorporates numerous practises, among which sculpture, collage, music, video, performance and computer programming, which altogether create a new field. The visually fascinating collages housed in custom frames are among Newsome’s best known work, which is deeply engaged with the way images used in media and popular culture convey distorted conception of power. His abstractive crafts highly resemble the surrealistic world Schiaparelli was connected to, which will be beneficial for modernizing the original motifs of the brand and connecting to the targeted audience.
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Repositioning Map As some of the main competitors of Schiaparelli are other haute couture brands, which also produce ready-towear products such as Chanel, Dior and Giambattista Valli, as well as names, which have already seized the modest market like Dolce&Gabbana, Alberta Ferretti and Max Mara, Schiaparelli will differentiate its collections using its strong connection to Surrealism. This will be implemented not only in the product range, but also in the print ads, teaser campaigns and the packaging of the products. Positioning some of its boutiques in the most famous and luxurious shopping centres and laying out their interior as Schiaparelli’s original fashion house will help the consumer feel more connected to the brand’s heritage. However, an important step will be to restrict the stores to one per city in order to retain exclusivity. Further engagement can be achieved by featuring some of the loyal customers on the official Schiaparelli’s website the same way the brand does now with the celebrities who have chosen its products for important social events.
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Target Consumers One of the target audiences for Schiaparelli’s readyto-wear campaign is the millennial consumers, whose oldest representatives are entering their peak earning years and will be able to afford luxury experiences, with annual marketplace spending estimated to reach $1.4 trillion by 2020, equating 30% of all retail sales. (Donnelly, C., Scaff, R.) As the modest wear market is expected to reach $327bn worth by 2020, the brand is also focusing on the Islamic consumers, particularly from the Middle East and South East Asia. The target audience of Schiaparelli represents the ambitious, educated, fashion savvy and modern young woman who is willing to invest in the quality, flattering pieces building up her own unique style.
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Trend Research As celebrity endorsement is one of the most efficient ways to introduce a new trend on the market, powerful millennials such as the Hadid sisters, Taylor Hill and Kendall Jenner popularized the street style of wearing premium leggings in the daytime without appearing underdressed. (Morgan, 2017) The once popular long skirts and dresses from the 50’s or 60’s are coming back on trend after many of the Middle Eastern fashion icons reminded the public how stylish this classic look still is. (Harn, 2017) Layering the clothes is another way the lovers of modest fashion express their personal style which allows them decide the amount of their skin they want to cover while creating their own special vision. (Harn, 2017)
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Brand Identity In order to protect the legacy of the innovative fashion movement Elsa Schiaparelli started, the brand will continue to use a range of some of the most emblematic features on her designs, which are also preserved in the already released couture lines. “Elsa Schiaparelli is an enchanting couture house. I have always been fascinated by its exceptional legacy, its luminous and intimate story, its quirky and poetic world, its ultimate chic and its endless creativity,” shares Bertrand Guyon, the current design director of the fashion house. The 2020 ready-to-wear collection will make references to some of Schiaparelli’s trademarks such as the graphic knit and lobster patterns, the trompe-l’œil bow, sunburst embroideries, interspersed stars, butterflies, pierced hearts and the emblematic shocking pink colour, with further development of the designs, making them suitable for the youthful target market. The mission is to extract the spirit of Schiaparelli to re-invent its fashion,” also adds Guyon (Mansour, 2017). The process will resemble “a game between graphics and shine”, like the designer describes his work on modernizing original pieces by Jean Cocteau. (Menkes, 2017)
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Communication Strategy Striving to provide its demanding customers with the best shopping experience they need, Schiaparelli will use numerous online and offline touchpoints to maintain a stable presence on the market and seize as many opportunities as possible to promote its products. Schiaparelli’s offline presence will consist of valuable interactions between the consumers and salespeople, who will establish a reliable sense of trust and loyalty. Using various fashion magazines such as I-D, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, as well as building up a strong appearance in the public space in the form of impressive billboards, posters and leaflets will all contribute to creating excitement and desire towards the brand. The online presence of Schiaparelli will continue to attract more customers with regular updates on its official website and active presence on its most followed social media platforms among which are Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. The brand can also advantage from the video platform Youtube, as it has recently become one of the most popular channels for modest fashion with a lot of famous social media figures taking part in make-up tutorials and vlogs, discussing the latest trends. (Harn, 2017)
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Styling Inspiration 29
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Lighting Inspiration
Poses/Mood Inspiration
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Model Mood Board
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Photo shoot Mood Board
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Bibliography Donnelly, C., Scaff, R. (n.d.). Who are the Millennial shoppers? And what do they really want? | Accenture Outlook. Retrieved from Accenture.com: https://www.accenture.com/ gb-en/insight-outlook-who-are-millennial-shoppers-what-do-they-really-want-retail Elle Timms . (2014). Buro 24/7. Retrieved from Haute Couture Spring/Summer 14: Schiaparelli: http://www.buro247.me/fashion/news/schiaparelli-haute-couture-ss14. html Harn, J. (2017). 11 Things You Need to Know About Modest Fashion Trends in the Middle East. Retrieved from Culture Trip: https://theculturetrip.com/middle-east/united-arab-emirates/articles/11-things-you-need-to-know-about-modest-fashion-trendsin-the-middle-east/ Morgan, P. (2017). What You Should Wear In 2017. Retrieved from Vogue Arabia: https://en.vogue.me/fashion/middle-east-fashion-trends-2017/ Schiaparelli, M. (n.d.). Maison Schiaparelli - The History of the House. Retrieved from Schiaparelli.com: http://www.schiaparelli.com/en/maison-schiaparelli/the-story-of-thehouse/#annees2k Mansour, L. (2017). Welcome to the World of Schiaparelli. Retrieved from A&E Magazine: http://aeworld.com/fashion/in-focus/welcome-world-schiaparelli-bertrand-guyon-creative-director/
Schiaparelli 2020 Ready - To - Wear