Statement of intent

A xnfell Go hiking and look badass

Extended Practice Statement of Intent Jasmine Richings

Contents Time Planning Schedule, Page 3 1. Brand Philosophy, Page 4-5 1.1 Brand Identity, Page 6-7 1.2 USP, Page 6-7 1.3 Objectives, Page 6-7 1.4 Aim, Page 6-7 2 Market Level/Position, Page 8-9 2.1 Relevance, Page 10-11 3 Contemporaries, Page 12-13 3.1 Competitor Positing Graph, Page 14-15 3.2 Competitor Analysis, Page 14-15 4 Narrative, Page 16-17 4.1 Customer Profiles, Page 18-19 5 Outputs, Page 20-21

Time Planning Schedule Weeks 1-3: Research on blog and statement of intent Weeks 3-5: Sketchbook of design and development and toiling Weeks 5-6: Make final garments Week 7: Plan photoshoots Week 8: Photoshoots Week 9-10: Editing Images and creating lookbooks Week 10+ Focus on brand identity, store interior plans and packaging details

1. Brand Philosophy The brand that I intend to create in the Extended Practice module works towards option 1, ‘Brand & Micro collection,’ and is aimed at male and female youths and young adults. The brand aspires to promote healthy living and community through the interest of sport; hiking/walking in particular. I have chosen to work around a target market of 18-30 to attract a younger audience into hiking as it is an activity often known for a older crowd. My brand aims to make hiking ‘cool’ and attractive for a younger audience through mixing traditional hiking styles and materials with current youth streetwear. Combining influences from practical active wear brands such as Patagonia and The North Face with more interesting silhouettes and shapes that can be seen in designers work such as Craig Green and Y/Project. Wearing such brands as Patagonia, The North Face and Berghaus has become increasingly popular within youths but not necessarily for their purpose but because of the brand and image attached. Want I want to do with my brand is make young adults love the clothing and brand but also want to engage in the activity attached to the clothing. I hope to engage consumers in the sport by creating a community in which people can connect with like minded individuals to organise and take part in hikes; they would be able to do this in the stores of which will be around the UK in a number of locations.

The stores would sell the brands merchandise such as hiking clothing and accessories and also include a cafe of the same name and branding that would sell drinks and snacks etc. Combining a shopping and eating/drinking experience has become increasingly popular within fashion brands due to customers staying in the store for longer and therefore getting more familiar with the brand and more likely to return following a good experience. This concept is particularly important to my brand as it gives a space to encourage and invite individuals to form relationships over a love of hiking, creating a community. Hybrids like this can been in seen freqently in the cycling community; ‘Rapha’ is a cycling brand that combine a shop and cafe spaces and have stores all over the world including two in the UK. ‘The Commute Coffee House’ combines a bike hire shop with a cafe and bike store, located in Ilkley. Many hybrids like this exisit but I can see a clear gap in the market for a brand of a similar style for the hiking/walking community that encourages a younger audience.

1.1 Brand Identity Inspired by my surroundings living on the Isle of Man, where a main area of tourism is outdoor activities including hiking and walking; because of this I have chosen to name the brand after a plantation on the Island, a place where people go to walk, cycle, etc. I decided on the name ‘Axnfell’ after considering other options, as I felt it sounded the best and would look good in a logo and branding.

I aim to create a consistent brand indentity through using the same logo, colours, font, etc through all branding and aspects of the brand from clothing, cafe and store interior. People need to be able to look at an Axnfell piece and instantly know the brand.

1.2 USP Axnfell’s USP is how it mixes practical active wear with current trends and streetwear creating clothing that youths and adults want to wear, while also providing the community to connect with other individuals to enjoy sport together.

1.3 Objectives 1: Target youths/young adults through use of combining trend/streetwear and practical active wear.

2: Create a community through using webiste and social media for individuals to connect and organise ‘meet up mornings’ at stores for people to meet and organise hikes, etc.

3: Build presence on social media through brand website and instagram and explore the possibility of other social media platforms.

1.4 AIM Through combination of the objectives I aim to create a brand that inspires youths/young adults to get into and take part in sport (hiking/walking).

- Creating trend/streetwear active wear that young adults want to wear - Creating a community young adults want to be apart of - Use social media to connect indiviualds and promote brand

2. Market Level/Positio Axnfell falls into the commercial brand category as it would sell practical activewear. As Axnfell aims to mix both streetwear/trends with practical activewear materials and is still ultimately purpose sport wear; it would sell in both sports/outdoor activity stores and also sports streetwear stores, such as: :END-Newcastle, Glasgow :MKI- Leeds :Voo Store- Berlin :Goodhood- London :Dover Street Market- London, New York, Singapore, Ginza, Bejing :Blacks- UK locations :ASOS- online worldwide As well as being stocked in the above stores Axnfell would also have a have its own hybrid stores (clothing and cafe) across the UK in the following locations: : Douglas, Isle of Man :Glasgow :Leeds :Manchester :London I have selected mainly city locations as most people live in or close to a city.

People who live closer to the countryside are already more likely to be going walking/hiking as their in the environment, so by putting the stores in city locations it encourages people to arrange trips to their local hills or further afield.

I’ve selected these specific city locations because hybrid stores like Axnfell are popular in all locations and do well in these creative and cultural cities.

Opening an Axnfell store in these cities would add to the independent creative scene while bringing something new in terms of the hybrid stores they already have as their is not currently a brand that focus’ on contemporary hiking/walking wear that attracts youths and young adults.

I have also added an Isle of Man Location, in the capital of Douglas, because not only is the island my inspiration for the brand but it is also a popular tourist destination for hikers and general outdoor sports. An Axnfell store in Douglas would bring a much needed edge to the town while being an ideal stop for tourists.

ion UK Locations Glasgow - END -Axnfell Store Newcastle - END Douglas, IOM -Axnfell Store Manchester -Axnfell Store

London -Dover Street Market -Goodhood -Axnfell Store

Leeds -MKI -Axnfell Store

2.1 Relevance Although their is obvious focus on clothing in my brand, what really relates to my career aspirations is the branding and packaging side of the brand. I aim to design, toile and make my garments within the next few weeks so I can spend alot of time perfecting the brand identity and branding details such as packaging for both clothing and cafe as this is my main area of interest and want to be able to show this within my portfolio. As well focusing on branding I will also build a website and social media for the brand, and mock up the interior of the stores as being able to build a whole identity for a brand is important in the area of work I wish to pursue. I aim to create four garments such as a cagoule/jacket, waterproof trousers, t-shirt and sweatshirt, made using sports/active wear fabrics, overall creating a whole outfit that can be worn all together.

Although I aim to use mens streetwear and sportswear trends to inspire my garments they will all be unisex, if I had more time and were to fully create my brand beyond hypothetically, I would create garments using separate mens and women’s pattern pieces, however as I wish to spend time creating the brand identity beyond just the garments I will just create the garments using mens patterns pieces as I know I want to shoot the garments with a male model and will do the second shoot with a female model; I’m using male pattern pieces as they will fit loosely on a female model and look okay for a photoshoot, however using female pattern pieces wouldn’t fit as well on a male model.

Branding and Logo Inspiration

3. Contemporaries In terms of practical hiking wear Axnfell’s garments would sit alongside brands such as Patagonia, The North Face, Napapijiri and Berghaus; all of which sell active wear between £30-£500 selling basic t-shirts to highly engineered and state of the art hiking trousers and jackets.

Axnfell’s garments would retail at similar prices, between £20-£300 for active wear, what sets my brand apart from the brands previously mentioned is how it combines sports streetwear/trends with practical sportswear materials that are still appropriate for hiking and outdoor activities; while the brands mentioned above just take the practical materials into consideration and sell basic logo t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc.

As well as the sports brands mentioned above, Axnfell will take inspiration from designers like Craig Green, Y/Project and specific Vetements collaborations such as with Champion and Supreme. Looking into such brands aim to inspire silhouettes, panelling and colour while also looking into WGSN menswear trends to also inform these details and ensure that the target audience of youths/young adults will want to buy, while using practical materials allow the clothes to be used for activities.

As Axnfell also aims to provide a community for individuals to connect through sport I have also researched into brands that do the same, such as cycling brand Rapha and LA skateboard brand, Skateboard cafe; both brands have stores that sell their products/garments and have a cafe to encourage people to connect over their hobbies. By researching into these brands I will take what they’ve done and specialise in a way that suits the Axnfell brand and its customers; such as the travel option on the Rapha website where customers can pay Rapha for a specialised cycling trip; Axnfell will instead encourage it’s customers to meet up with each other and plan their own trips through advertising meet up mornings in it’s stores and through website and social media; profit will come from attracting people into the store and them buying food/drink etc and therefore hopefully revisiting and buy products/garments etc. Small travel guides will be sold in stores for no more than £2 to inspire customers to go on hiking holidays together and therefore buy hiking clothing/ gear from the store.

Craig Green The North Face

Craig Green

Vetements

Brand Inspiration

Travel guides and poster inspiration

3.1 Competitor Positioning Graph

Vetements

£1000+

Price

£500

Y/Project

The North Face Berghaus Napajijri

Patagonia END

Axnfell

Rapha Rains

Low

Creativity

Craig Green

MKI

High

3.2 Competitor Analysis Patagonia- Around £500 for highest priced items, High end of creativity because of advertising techniques and sustainability ethos The North Face- Around £500 for highest priced items, middle of creativity, basic design using high technology fabrics Berghaus- Just under £500 for highest priced items, lower end of creativity as basic styles and colours Napajijri- Just under £500 for highest priced items, lower end of creativity as basic styles and colours Rains- Lower end of price as highest price items around £170, and basic traditional styles in creativity Craig Green- High in both price and creativity in terms of pattern cutting, silhouettes, etc Vetements- High in price, middle of creativity as many collaborations with other brands Y/Project- High in both price and creativity in terms of pattern cutting, silhouettes, etc Rapha- Middle for both price and creativity, highest items around £300 and creating durable cycling wear END- Stocks many brands of varying prices and styles but overall around £500 at highest and high creativity in terms of buying and store interior MKI- Stocks various brands and own line of varying prices and styles but overall around £250 at highest, high creativity in terms of buying and store interior Axnfell- Axnfell aims to produce garments with a highest cost of around £300£350, a more accurate price can be given after further costing research and is at the higher end of the creativity because it mixes contemorary streetwear trends with durable fabrics as well as having a contorary brand that strives to create a community

4. Narrative Axnfell’s target market is youths/young adults between the ages of 18-30; the Axnfell customer could be anyone from a 19 year old backpacker, to a 28 dad who loves hiking and wants to meet other individuals who share his passion.

Overall want I want customers to take away from experiencing the Axnfell brand is a sense of community where they feel comfortable to reach out to others who enjoy the same hobby, and most of all to bring people together through creating cool hiking wear that inspires them to take part in sport.

I hope to achieve this through the use of mixing streetwear trends with traditional hiking fabrics to create durable garments, as well as having a consistent and contemporary brand identity shown through use of current social media trends, well through out interior layouts and sleek modern branding and packaging.

bring people together through creating cool hiking wear that inspires them to take part in sport

4.1 Customer profiles

Sarah. 20. Backpacker Sarah love the way Axnfell mixes trend and durable material, this allows her to wear Axnfell garments and products while she backpackers over the world exploring various terrains while looking good and getting the correct protective materials hiking garments need.

Jason. 2 extereme

DJ Jason likes how he can w his extreme hobbies becaus also can wear them for DJin aesthetic appearance, maki

n. 28. DJ and eme hobbiest

he can wear his Axnfell clothing for s because of their sports fabric and for DJing work because of their cool ce, making Axnfell his go to brand.

Tom. 24. Creative Tom is a recent creative graduate and appreciates the community that Axnfell offers that allows him to connect with others who share the same passion for hiking as well as provide clothing he can wear both on and off the mountains.

5. Outputs I aim to product 4 garments that will make up a whole outfit, compromising of a jacket/cagoule, hiking trousers, t-shirt and sweatshirt. I have chosen to make these garments because the will work for both make and female, can be worn as a whole outfit and as single pieces; of which I will experience with in the photoshoots of the lookbooks. I aim to shoot both male and female wearing the garments and am also interested in shooting both together with both models wearing two garments each; this is something I will explore further throughout my project on blog.

As mentioned previously I will make the garments using menswear patterns pieces as they will be more accessible for both genders to wear in this way, however if I were to fully realise this brand clothing would be made to fit both male and female well.

I will research into sports fabrics to find the most appropriate materials for my garments and explore the options of using screen printing and digital print in my garments.

As I also aim to produce physical branding material such as travel guides and packaging I will research and explore the use of screen printing for these outputs as I like the crisp finish screen printing give and believe it works well on branding.

Oversized arms & hood

&

Jacket inspiration and inital ideas

Axnfell