ALLA MODA
THE TOP SUMMER
LOOKS THE LATEST HIGH FASHION MUST HAVES
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AFFORDABLE
AND SLEEK
OPTIONS FOR
vancouver issue
ENGAGING CONSUMERS WHY YOU ARE NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE
HIGH AND LOW
QUALITY CLOTHES
HOW YOU CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE
ANY OCCASION ARITZIA, ZARA, AND MORE!
TRENDY STYLES
SUMMER 2021
FAST FASHION JULY 2021
THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE
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CONTENTS INJUSTICE OF FAST FASHION
FRONT COVER BY ELIA PELLEGRINI OUTFIT DRESS: ZARA SUMMER TRENCH
TRENDY SUMMER LOOKS
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FASHION TO ENGAGE CONSUMERS
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
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HIGH AND LOW QUALITY CLOTHES
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OUTFIT DRESS: GUCCI BOMBAY DRESS
BY ELIA PELLEGRINI
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THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL
INJUSTICE OF FAST FASHION BY RACHEL BICK
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ast fashion is a term used to describe the readily available, inexpensively made fashion of today. The word “fast” describes how quickly retailers can move designs from the catwalk to stores, keeping pace with constant demand for more and different styles. With the rise of globalization and growth of a global economy, supply chains have become international, shifting the growth of fibers, the manufacturing of textiles, and the construction of garments to areas with cheaper labor. Increased consumption drives the production of inexpensive clothing, and prices are kept down by outsourcing production to low and middleincome countries (LMICs). Globally, 80 billion pieces of new clothing are purchased each year, translating to $1.2 trillion annually for the global fashion industry. The majority of these
products are assembled in China and Bangladesh while the United States consumes more clothing and textiles than any other nation in the world. Approximately 85% of the clothing Americans consume, nearly 3.8 billion pounds annually, is sent to landfills as solid waste, amounting to nearly 80 pounds per American per year. The global health costs associated with the production of cheap clothing are substantial. While industrial disasters such as the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire have led to improved occupational protections and work standards in the United States, the same cannot be said for LMICs. The hazardous working conditions that attracted regulatory attention in the United States and European Union have not been eliminated, but merely shifted overseas. The social costs associated with the global textile and garment industry 5
are significant as well. Defined as “all direct and indirect losses sustained by third persons or the general public as a result of unrestrained economic activities,” the social costs involved in the production of fast fashion include damages to the environment, human health, and human rights at each step along the production chain. In the two decades since the fast fashion business model became the norm for big name fashion brands, increased demand for large amounts of inexpensive clothing has resulted in environmental and social degradation along each step of the supply chain.
OUTFIT TOP: GUESS BALLOON SLEEVES SKIRT: ARITZIA PLAID MINI BOOTS: BROWNS SHOES LEATHER BOOTS
BY JASMIN CHEW
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OUTFIT TANK: ZARA PLAIN TANK BLOUSE: ZARA BLISS PANTS: ARITZIA BELL PANTS
BY MARK ADRIANE
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OUTFIT DRESS: PRADA SICILY DRESS
HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE
HIGH AND LOW QUALITY CLOTHES BY DALE HARRIS
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he fashion world is everchanging. That’s what makes it so exciting — there are new trends and new patterns being introduced to the fashion arena every day, propelling the industry forward at a fantastic rate. However, one thing remains constant in the industry. There are low quality clothes and there are high quality clothes. The gap between the two is often significant. The problem, however, is that it isn’t always the easiest thing in the world to know at first glance whether a piece of clothing is of good quality or not. Everyone can find their own style. And the best Part Is that fashion, like you, evolves. It pulls you into different direction and makes you discover new yous. Thankfully, the information you need to make educated purchases is increasingly accessible - and, if you can’t find it, demand it from a maker before you buy their products. It pays to be skeptical.
NATURAL MATERIALS Synthetic materials are far more susceptible to wear and degradation over time than natural materials. This includes piling, ripping, stitches going out, and more. Natural fibers will also feel cooler and provide better ventilation as you wear them. This will ensure that your body temperature is regulated at a safe level for your optimal performance.
STRONG STITCHING Another way to tell the quality of a piece of clothing is to take a look at its stitching. If the stitching is strong and binds the folds in the fabric together well and holds them, then you’re likely handling a high quality piece of clothing. If, on the other hand, the stitching in question looks weak and sub-par for the folds and creases that it has to keep in line, then chances are that those stitches will rip before you know. >>> 8
BY ELIA PELLEGRINI
METAL ZIPPERS The low strength of plastic makes it extremely easy for you to accidentally exert too much force and ruin the zipping mechanism. The strength of metal allows it to remain far more durable in the long-term, no matter how poorly you treat your zippers.
BETTER FITS Good clothing designs know that fit is the most important thing when it comes to clothing. They’ll offer a range of sizes for every body type, rather than just giving clothing in a single size that needs to be further tailored to fit your body well.
TRENDY PATTERNS Quality clothes have trendy patterns that are at the top of the fashion industry. If it looks like something out of your grandmother’s closet, why would you wear it? If you ever decide to make clothes on your own, then an essential step to learning the fundamentals is taking a pattern making course. You’ll learn about how to create whatever pattern you like, allowing you to implement the many changing trends that you see in the industry.
THE HIGHER THE BETTER High quality clothes are definitely the way to go. They have more trendy patterns that are at the top of the fashion industry and strong stitching. Armed with this info, you now know what sets that standard of clothing apart from that which you want to avoid. 9
THE MISTAKE: NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF
FASHION TO ENGAGE CONSUMERS BY STACY LORRAINE JONES
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ashion and design partnerships are one of the strongest opportunities being leveraged by brands to market products to those cutting edge trendsetters and influencers that closely follow - and lead - today’s fashion trends. Fashion partnerships result in an enhanced image and an overall sense of innovation and hipness to the brand. These partnerships are typically different enough to break through the clutter, gain consumer interest, attract press, and generate consumer buzz. In fact, fashion, like music, is globally one of the most popular categories in terms of online consumer interest as it too transcends culture. No longer are fashion events and content limited to fashion brands
- today you see brands of all types leveraging fashion, ranging from title-owning Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Subway’s runway dress made out of wrappers, Moët & Chandon on the Golden Globes Red Carpet to Intel and HP’s multiyear long partnership with fashionthemed television series Project Runway. A fashion initiative has the ability to elevate the brand and provide the perception of appearing out-of-the box and cutting edge to consumers. It is important to remember that there needs to be a rhyme or reason behind the partnership. By looking at the core fundamentals of the brand’s objectives and messaging, a mutually beneficial campaign will result in success for both 10
the brand and the partner when identifying the common ground in messaging. For savvy brands and marketers of all types, opportunities are available at a wide range of fee levels to create noteworthy partnerships that will get noticed by both media and consumers, while also providing content to significantly drive social media conversations. Brands no longer need to go to Paris to find success with fashion, and almost any brand can create a successful and sales-impacting organic partnership through one of these four platforms. >>>
OUTFIT DRESS: CHANEL CASUAL GOWN
BY ELIA PELLEGRINI
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OUTFIT DRESS: GUESS SILK SLIP DRESS
BY JASMIN CHEW
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PARTNERING WITH FASHION DESIGNERS
PARTNERING WITH FASHION EVENTS
PARTNERING WITH FASHION BLOGGERS
Fashion event opportunities exist with large scale events, such as the “official” partnerships with Mercedes-Benz NY Fashion Week to smaller Fashion Week offshoots that are often just as press worthy and impactful, including runway shows and celebrity gifting lounges. There are fashion weeks held in cities all over the world, the most prominent in the U.S. being New York Fashion Week and Los Angeles Fashion Week held twice a year, in February and September. Also included in the fashion event category are fashion designer showcases held at locations year round or celebrity driven award shows where the red carpet is often the highlight of the night.
Whether brands want to establish themselves as risk-taking and groundbreaking, or more proven with long-standing character, custom alignments exist with fashion designers and events whose personality reflect those same valued traits. Celebrity and newly emerging designers offer opportunities to create endorsement partnerships and to liven up brand campaigns, trade events or event point of sale.
Fashion bloggers provide a very strong platform to share brand fashion driven strategies, and can include consumer sampling and sweepstakes components.
Fashion events provide immense traffic and engagement in social media. Based on data gathered by Social Curation and Analytics company Curalate, it was found that during New York Fashion Week 2013, there were 100,000 related Twitter and Instagram shared by more than 33,000 unique users. On average, the top NYFW brand photos generated 37,448 interactions per photo, most of which were productdriven. Marketing campaigns are extremely effective when they take place in real-time, live at an event or location. Out of the 100K+ posts that drove the most engagement, 90% were taken on site at the NYFW. As an example of this social success, Harman-Kardon created a NY Fashion Week partnership 3 day event to launch their fashionfriendly white headphones, based on their ‘beautiful sound’ platform. During and following the event, the brand’s social media traffic increased by 970%, and they received over 19 million social media impressions and 370 million national press impressions.
PARTNERING WITH FASHION TV SERIES Fashion in Television is a constant theme, with series devoted to covering and showcasing fashion trends. Networks such as Lifetime (Project Runway), E! (Fashion Police), Bravo (Rachel Zoe), NBC (Access Hollywood, Extra) all offer sponsorship opportunities as well as options to integrate brands directly into the content. Even daily talk shows typically have a fashion segment, which brands can creatively become part of. Additionally, scripted series can provide the basic storylines of fashion similar to the previous hit Sex In The City format. The targeted viewer is typically the coveted female demographic, with an average age 25 to 49. Pilot Pen created a 4 month long digital partnership with NBC’s Fashion Star television series. A branded customized fashion trivia game was developed with a grand prize trip to NY Fashion Week, supported by ad units across the NBC platform along with the series website and print. Additionally social media drove conversations both from the show’s designers and the brand’s fan base. The partnership reached more than 14 million consumers, with website visits 184% over goal and sweepstakes entries 85% over goal. 13
Once upon a time, New York Fashion Week was only for a very exclusive group consisting of the fashion elite and insiders. Today, largely with the help of fashion bloggers - “everyday” girls who have managed to become big time influencers - everything is much more accessible with wider public appeal. In fact, fashion - above technology, food, sports, travel is one of the most popular blog categories, with 3 million Google searches a day, second only to music. The proper strategic alignment within the fashion world can elevate and solidify a brands image, while tapping into a following that is enthusiastic and eager to engage online. To create a partnership that is relevant and makes sense, it is important to work with industry experts who understand the landscape and what kind of opportunities are out there to identify and activate exactly how your brand can harmoniously and successfully partner with a fashion initiative.
OUTFIT DRESS: PRADA BILLOW DRESS
BY ELIA PELLEGRINI
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jennagasbarro.designs Jenna Gasbarro jgasbarro1@gmail.com
DESIGNS
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