Dover Street Market Brand Report by JamesTustin

CONTENTS BRAND INTRODUCTION 4 BRAND IDENTITY 6 RETAIL SPACES 12 BRAND COMMUNICATION 18 BRAND POSITIONING 26 IMAGE REFERENCES 32 BIBLIOGRAPHY 36

over Street Market is a retail group and a subsidiary of Comme des Garçons International first introduced in 2004 to challenge what was previously viewed as a multi-brand store. The first Dover Street Market store was opened in London and attempted to create a multi-brand experience, giving both men and women access to the avant-garde wears of Comme des Garçons along with a curation of pieces from such designers from around the globe. Sometimes described as a ‘concept store’ the Market is often mentioned alongside similar retail spaces such as Colette and L’Elclaireur of Paris, however Dover Street strives to be at the cutting edge of both fashion and the overall retail experience. Something which the president of Comme des Garçons, Adrian Joffe points out “We just do what we think it good, exciting and new,” (Joffe, A 2013). The company now operates stores in Ginza, Japan as well as New York, alongside this there is a Dover Street Market store in Beijing which is operated by the Chinese I.T group. What makes Dover Street Market unique is its eclectic selection of garments and accessories from over 60 designers of which many are very different and yet presented seemlessly alongside each other. It is the only retail space in the world where one can buy pieces from avant-garde designers such as Paul Harnden and Elenor Dawson which adds to the exclusivity of and draw to Dover Street Market for many customers. Since it was opened as the first store from Comme des Garçons, Dover Street Market has pushed the boundaries of modern fashion retail and has often moved in completely different directions to many of its competitors. Shops-in-shops, specially curated art installations and rare-one off collaboration with the likes of Stephen Jones have all gone some way to setting Dover Street Market apart and creating an air of intrigue for many in the fashion world. Rei Kawakubo stated the aims of Dover Street Market stating “We hope to make DSML more and more interesting. I enjoy seeing all the customers coming to DSML dressed in their strong, good looking and individual way. I would like for DSML to be the place where fashion becomes fascinating.” (Kawakubo, R 2014)

BRAND IDENTITY Dover Street Market is a unique and conceptual brand created with the urge to push the boundaries of the overall retail experience. Under the stewardship of Rei Kawakubo and her husband and ‘International President’, Dover Street Market has put itself at the forefront of the modern retail experience. As a subsidiary of the overall Comme Des Garçons empire, Dover Street Market embraces the overall dark and avant-garde aesthetic of the Japanese label. As with Rei Kawakubo’s garments an unconventional approach of deconstruction and surrealism in monochrome. When it was first opened in 2004, Dover Street Market replicated the same approach as was taken in 1980s when Comme Des Garçons was first introduced, and thus evoked many similar reactions from both the press and public. Dover Street

Market has always depicted itself as a bastion of the ‘anti-fashion’ movement and the cornerstone of the Comme Des Garçons empire. Dover Street Market presents a brand image that clearly identifies itself with Comme Des Garçons as a flagship retailer whilst cementing themselves as a distinctive and modern multi-brand retailer. This sense of idiosyncracy is consequential to their overall brand image, something which is reflected through every inch of the ‘Market’s’ retail experience. Through its very name Dover Street Market attempts to put forward its structure and identity. As apposed to a store, it is a market, this is reflected by the way in which the retail space is arranged and garments are displayed. When an individual enters the

store a vast and eclectic array of garments, accessories and objects are arranged in a carefree and market-like manner. Although appearing to be effortless it is “uniquely curated merchandise that keeps everyone coming back” (Darwin, L). A market environment is also very well exemplified through a number of brand specific retail spaces within the store. The brand’s identity and brand image is conveyed through their simple logo featuring a black pointed roofed building and the words “Dover Street Market”clearly displayed in the font ‘Arial Black’ which is clear and bold which represents the philosophy of the brand. The black and white colourpallet again which reflects Rei Kawakubo’s philosophy, who once said “I work in three shades of black” (Another Magazine). The use of bold and clear

statement along with strong geometric lines shows the brands clear-cut yet avant-garde approach to fashion. It is important to note the name that Comme Des Garçons international selected when naming their store. ‘Dover Street Market’ was named as such, because the first store was built on Dover Street in Mayfair, London and the name has been applied to numerous other retail stores around the globe which have been opened since.

a plain black bag. Never the less the target audience is provided with and emotional experience but this is not simply achieved through branding.

Although in a modern market where competition continues to become more fierce branding is important, Dover Street Market aim’s to favour a tactic of differentiation. With little in the way of branding outside the store and with little branding on objects like shopping bags, especially for big ticket items where clientèle can expect to receive

POSNER, H. (2011)

VISUAL IDENTITY

Dover Street Market operates under the same aestetic concepts as the other brands under the Comme des Garรงons umbrella. Dark, monochromatic colors feature in all branding and through all brand touchpoints.

RETAIL SPACES

DOVER STREET MARKET LONDON

The Dover Street Market retail space is spread across six unique floors each with it’s own aesthetic identity. This approach is what makes shopping at Dover Street Market and experience and an adventure. Unlike other department stores there is no overt formula or structure to the way in which different garments are displayed at Dover Street, there is little distinction made between menswear or womens ready to wear. Instead garments are ar-

ranged not by their likeness but in what appears to be whatever the visual merchandising department of Dover Street Market desires. This isn’t to say that their retail approach is haphazard but further exemplifying how as a brand, they stray away from emulating their competitors do; instead following the stratagem of Rei Kawakubo and Adrian Joffe.

It is no secret that there is great importance to a brand’s identity, to evoke feeling from a customer when they enter the store. Although not in a way that is conventionally understood, ‘DSM’ does carry-out extensive visual merchandising in order to convey to the consumer, the brands identity. For example scaffolding displays and portable toilets are utilised within the store to further the unique nature of the retail environment.

TACHIAGARI

On a biannual basis Dover Street Market shuts its doors in-order to prepare the store of new-collections. Adrian Joffe states that seasonal Tachiagari’s are carried out because “It’s just the way it has always been and was the idea since the beginning, constantly evolving” (Joffe, A 2011). What this does do, is create a new wave of media hype around the brand each season and thus provides potential consumers with a reason to visit their retail stores. The process of the Tachiagari is also to is to allow Dover Street a way of introducing a metamorphosis of the designers and brands to the shop floor on a more consistent basis.

Tachiagari actually means the ‘beginning’ in Japanese and through by carrying out such great overhauls their retail stores it is perhaps easier to understand the philosophy of the Dover Street Market brand. Nothing within the store is permanent and it appears that no set ideology or theme within the brand is either. The brand seams to consistently be looking to the future, something that can be learned from Rei Kawakubo’s who once said “The future is two-dimensions” (Kawakubo, R 2012).

BRAND COMMUNICATION

Perhaps the primary use of PR strategy used by that of Dover Street Market is their extensive collaboration with external brands and artists. This allows the brand to enjoy a great deal of exposure in a number of different ways, without having to compromise ‘alternative’ identity. Such collaboration also allows the brand to stay at the forefront of fashion, culture and art, creating and cultivating relationships with brands and individuals at the vanguard of these fields.

Much like their approach to marketing, Dover Street Market puts little focus on traditional brand communication. Their Public Relations department is in house and reflects the sense of control, that is required to keep their brand identity. Many of the ‘market’s’ strategies are inward looking and focus far more on their aforementioned store experience, through the likes of visual merchandising than through traditional PR.

Raf Simons x Fred Perry at Dover Street Market Ginza

PRESS COVERAGE

“Dover Street Market Debuts New Installations” Style.com February 2015

“Dover Street Market’s New Beginning” Complex Online Magazine January 2015

“Dover Street Market celebrates 10 influential Telegraph Luxury Online September 2014

years”

“Dover Street Market to Dip Toes in Social Media, Open New Chapter” Business of Fashion August 2014

Dover Street Market is frequently and heavily featured in both fashion and mainstream media. Through looking indepth at a number of press features in both tradition print and online publications it becomes clear, Dover Street Market’s communication strategy is heavily focused on publicising: changes, new events, collaborations. As such the importance of the Tachiagari and collaborations is highlighted not only through the effects they have in-store, but also in how they are key to the Markets communications strategies.

The information provided in press articles is often ambiguous when discussing events at Dover Street Market. Journalists and authors both online and in print generally depict the company from the genre of ‘Opinion Journalism’ as opposed to the ‘Narrative’ genre. This is perhaps negative for Dover Street Market’s brand communication and the brand’s story isn’t always completely conveyed.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Dover Street Market could improve greatly on their overall social media content. However it is possible that they want to maintain their allure and sense of exclusivity by not becoming completely accessible, that is part of Dover Street Market’s brand personality. Improvement could be found through:

• Utilising their Twitter and Facebook accounts more effectively, by creating conversations and through interacting with their clientèle. • Appointing an individual within their communications team, to control and manage social media content. • Creating more access to their social media accounts on their website through links. • Inform customers when in the store about social media.

BRAND POSITIONING

Dover Street Market is unique as it doesn’t necessarily position itself within one market place or one sector of a marketplace. Customers are able to purchase luxury fashion items and fine jewelry under the same roof as mid-to-low price streetwear items.

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COMPETITORS

Selfridges is a competitor of Dover Street Market as it stocks a number of the same brands as them. It is also only a short distance away from the Dover Street Market store in Mayfair.

The Late-Night Chameleon Cafe is another concept Store located in East London. They stock unique designers and have the same conceptual and concrete constructed store as Dover Street Market.

127 Bricklane is a small independent multi-brand store in East London. They stock similar designers to Dover Street Market and also focus on unknown independent designers.

THE DSM CUSTOMER NAME: Geoffrey Huang AGE: 24 OCCUPATION: Fashion Student LOCATION: London/Beijing FAVOURITE DESIGNERS: Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto, Hedi Slimane EDUCATION: MA Menswear London College of Fashion INTERESTS: Contemporary Art, Music & Fashion

INTERNAL FACTORS

STREGNTHS

SWOT ANALYSIS

• Dover Street Market is the only retailer of all Comme des Garçons brands in the world. • Have exclusive distribution for a number of independent brands and designers such as Paul Harnden. • They are well respected as a luxury and inovative fashion retailer. • Posses a strong relationship with many brands and artists such as Ai Weiwei and can carryout exclusive collaborations. • They have a history and reputation in press for constant change which entices new customers.

WEEKNESSES

• They carryout little or no marketing and very few forms of direct communication with consumers. • The brand experience is constantly changing and the lack of consistancy • in buying and merchandising can put certain customers off. • Due to the unique nature of their products the store may struggle to gain • return custom and could appear as a tourist attraction. • The brand doesn’t possition itself in a specific marketplace this can confuse customers, due to the eclectic range of merchendise. • The brand does not fully utilise social media and their accounts do not portray

EXTERNAL FACTORS

OPPORTUNITIES

• To increase and further their digital innovation by expanding their e-commerce abilities and most importantly their social media presence. • Begin liasing with press to increase and control coverage of their new store opening in Haymarket. • Further their branding efforts with new shopping bags that properly convey the brand’s identity, this will put them on a level with their competitors like Selfridges.

THREATS

the brand identity which is promoted in the store. This is a dangerous communications tactic as social media is important in communicating your story to consumers. It can be difficult to see or understand the brands values due to the fact they do not publicise them clearly. They lack sophistication in their e-commerce endevours as only a small selection of products are available online.

• Competitors such as LN-CC have created new experiences centered around music if ‘DSM’ fails to diversify this could lead to a drop in sales. • Their artistic and futuristic style may be out of place and distant from potential customers in their current and new Mayfair locations, with much of the creative and fashion telent centred around East London. • Environmental factors such as reccession may effect consumer spend in ‘DSM’ and they could face pricing themselves out of the market.

IMAGE REFERENCES

BIBLIOGRAPHY