Brand KA Designs are well made garments that are one off original pieces of high quality. Not one is the same. Exclusive eccentric pieces for customers who appreciate designer fashion that is incorporated with art. As our motto is that “why art should be confined to a canvas. We should wear our art�. None of what is made is mass produced. Perfect for people who love to make a statement with their clothing. (Fig1)
Fig 1: Authors own March 2015 As a brand we take into consideration at all times recycling and minimal wastage. Helping charities and the environment to enable a sustainable future. Asking for clothes that are no longer worn or never have even been work before and carefully selecting pieces and crafting them into beautiful pieces with new materials. Anything that isn't used is given to charity shops. In order to build the brand KA Designs I will be looking at the competition around me and the prices they sell at. How to market my brand looking at social networking and statistics in order that promotion is at the best it can be.
Customer In my dream customer profile I gave her the age of 32 and called her Victoria Hunting working in a gallery and an art buyer. This would mean at 32 she is bringing in a good wage of 45 000 a year. As statistics show that woman are high earners in later years when a career is established. So the age range for customers will be 23 to 60 as they will appreciate the art form of the clothing and be able to afford the pieces that are sold.
The customer/customers will be interested in hobbies such as going to art galleries and the museum. As there love of art will want them to dress dynamic and edgy. Like Victoria they have a unique individual style. She likes designer pieces that no one else will be wearing. She feels that art should not be conformed to just a canvas. She likes to express her feelings, emotions in what she wears. Lavish, full of volume garments that reflect her artistic lifestyle. Although she loves to express herself through her dress sense. She will spend over a 1000 pound or more a month. Picking outfits that have creative flare and are not the norm. And therefore when buying her art to buy or going to new functions, exhibitions around the world, she herself is an art form.
Statistics A woman will typically reach the height of her earning power at the age of 34, when she is earning around £13.19 per hour. National Statistics (ONS). This being my reasoning as stated above for my target age market. (Fig 2)
Fig 2: ONS National Statistics The UK median wage is £22,044 for all workers, full-time and part-time. Women in full-time jobs earn £23,889. .National Statistics (ONS) Where is pay the highest? Whitehaven in Cumbria comes out top, home to the Sellafield nuclear complex and a new marina. Employees there have a median salary of £37,910. It is followed by London where the median wage across all workers is £29,696. That is followed by Basingstoke (£27,760), Newbury (£27,287), and Reading and Bracknell (£27,430) - all in the Thames Valley area. .National Statistics (ONS) This being why my brand will not focus on purely one city and one area. In order to sell my brand from lowest of 30 pound for merchandise to 400 pound for one of exclusive avant garde pieces. The brand needs to be global. In order to thrive as a business. With the economy as it is. The brand will be placed in boutiques. Such as the Allotment boutique in Leeds. As I've designed for them their store exclusive t shirts. They allow me to place my stock in store. This saves me from over heads or renting a space working for the boutique so they owe me and this keeps costs down. Also my brand will have its own website by the Help of Ink on Cotton.
As the amount spent online increased by 11.2% in July 2014 compared with July 2013 but decreased by 1.9% compared with June 2014. Shoppers spent £91bn online in 2013 – and look set to spend £107bn in 2014. .National Statistics (ONS) with this ever increasing this will be the best avenue for success. And keep costs down for storage and not paying bills on a premise.
Collaboration http://www.inkoncotton.co Ink on Cotton is a up and coming business that provide the best quality screen painted art on the highest quality cotton. Like me they believe that art shouldn't be confined to a canvas. And should be expressed through what we wear. we encourage the most respected tattoo artists and other forms of art across the globe to work with us, offering you the highest quality ink on the highest quality cotton. Its ink you can wear out - without wearing it out. (Fig 3) Ink on Cotton is an exciting new start up, looking to shake things up & push boundaries in 2015. It is all about the art and cotton is the canvas. We are looking to bring our message to the world with limited edition, numbered, certificated art pieces using the best artists & best materials out there. , it is time to make a change and shift perceptions. (Fig4)
Fig 3: Ink on Cotton. April 2015
Fig 4: Ink on Cotton Logo. April 2015 They approached me and loved what I had posted on social media about my designs and fashion. I'm now Head of Marketing, Fashion and Design. Working with them helps me once again lower my costs. Use their graphic design team for my own website and use
their contacts. And because I'm working for them they help me as boosting my profile will boost theirs too. Getting on board with these up and coming artist and me as a designer that will launch our selves next year. It was also my business partners that helped me learn the business sides of building a brand I didn't know. Applying for my Intellectual Property which is run by the government to in order copy right. With a fee you process your name of your Company and logo and your trade number. My code was 25 for clothing, shoes and head wear. And in 3 months they will reply back if you can official use the name and logo and place it on your clothing for trade. So in three months I will have an official trading name KA Designs that is copyrighted. As well as this I've have my own business cards as well as my cards for IOC. And at marketing events, gallery nights and where ever we go I can give my own cards with my IOC gaining me extra promotion for my brand. We have just sent our products out to Dubai which means when my range for AW 16 is complete that is one of the connections I can use in a wealthy country. A winning combination in order to push my company forward and have a huge amount of help from professionals. (Fig 5)
Fig 5: Authors own May 2015
Other Brands My completion is my field is Vivienne Westwood and my style and inspiration John Paul Gaultier and Iris Van Herpen (Fig 6, 7, 8) their clothing is impeccable and simply stunning. Cat walk pieces that amaze you. And retail pieces that are quirky. How ever I want to make my brand even more exclusive than what Westwood. And as I am only starting out as a business I will be under cutting her prices and be bespoke and more eccentric than her clothes that feature in shops. Her prices as researched can be over 400 pound. As shown in (Fig 9) a pair of trousers is nearly 300 pound. I would definitely make this more affordable at 100 and make sure that my costing was kept at a minimal.
Fig 6: Iris Van Herpen
Fig 7: Jean Paul Gaultier
Fig 8: Vivienne Westwood
Fig 9: Vivienne Westwood site March 2015 At this stage in my Career only introducing my self to the fashion industry I don't want to be too pretentious. Plus my prices still be affordable designer compared to the Haute Couture prices of Chanel and Dior. As a brand you want people to aspire to be able to buy. Not the impossible.
Demographics I've all ready established that my location will be global by using a online shop and selected boutiques around the world to market my brand. London, Dubai, and Tokyo the possibilities are endless. As I'm marketing worldwide I will consider all religions. Not one will be marketed. So adaptations for where the brand is been sold will be made to the area. As my prices are not high street. The brand will be working women or aspiring students. But as their will only be a small majority that will saved target audience is woman who earn, have a deposable income at the end of the month to purchase my brand. And as stated above the age group being 23 to 60 due to income. Schooling there is no preference. Many people can leave school and go straight to work and work their way up in their Career. Other may study and take longer to acquire a job. The brand is open to all. Because of its style and uniqueness I would say the brand is for artistic, creative or women that like to make a bold statement in clothing. Therefore in
occupation you can not judge. As a lawyer or executive with a high paid job may be in suits in the week, but at the weekend want to show of a flawless piece of clothing art to socialise in and show off.
Social media Social media will play a key roll in advertising. Not only is this a free way to market KA Designs but is a great way to meet new connections. I've all ready been posting pictures of my work and gained attention from bloggers and other people in the fashion industry. Especially by using such things as Twitter and Instagram I use the accounts to make KA Designs a way of living! Not just another designer. Not only posts about my designs but fitness , Health and art. Showing that by buying a garment you are buying into the brand and a life style. A fast paced, exhilarating life full of new adventures. And it was through these medias that Ink on Cotton found me and others have asked about my work and skills as a designer. Another form of media I have been using is LinkedIn. These have gained me over 100 connections in the art, fashion ,business and media industry. All ready I've had people emailing me to collaborate with them. Therefore any help I give to others always using KA Designs and my name to promote me and my own work once again. Also free and a great way to connect with fellow professionals. And source out the best of the best. (Fig 10)
Fig 10: Authors own May 2015 I've yet to set up my web page and Facebook page. However this is part of my business plan that when I have made a full range for AW15/16 (Fig 12) will be photographed it and then I can release the site and images around the time that Fashion Week is happening so all eyes on are the fashion world and gaining me more publicity for my amount known to me that I have is established in the next month of June. A scheduled time tabled for making is August and will be made for mid September to launch. I’ve yet to have my final total for my budgeting for the launch. As I've yet to have a meeting for business funding and a business account in order to help push me forward as a designer. So there is no point in making a list of costing tills the full amount in known. Fig 11: Authors own Photo shoot March 2015
Bibliography Electronic Sources: • BBC online article of ONS wage statistic (2014), Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/ news/business-30112814 (Accessed 02/02/2015) • Ink on Cotton (2015), Available at http://inkoncotton.co/ (Accessed 25/04/2015) • Retail Sales, July 2014, Office for National Statistic, Available at http:// www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/rss.xml?edition=tcm:77-324899http:// www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rsi/retail-sales/july-2014/stb-rsi-july-2014.html (Accessed 02/02/2015) • Katarzyna Anna Suchecka Pinterest (2015) Available at https://uk.pinterest.com/ (Accessed 02/02/2015) (Accessed 01/02/2015) (Accessed 25/04/2015 • Westwood, Vivienne (2015) Women’s clothing prices, Available at http:// www.viviennewestwood.com/shop/womens/clothing (Accessed 01/02/2015)
Illustrations • Figure 1, Authors own collection photo March 2015 • Figure 2, ONS National Statistics wages 2013 • Figure 3, Ink on Cotton. April 2015
http://inkoncotton.co/
• Figure 4, Ink on Cotton. April 2015
http://inkoncotton.co/
• Figure 5, Authors own Business cards May 2015 • Figure 6, Vivienne Westwood 2015 • Figure 7, Jean Paul Gaultier
https://uk.pinterest.com/
https://uk.pinterest.com/
• Figure 8, Iris Van Herpen https://uk.pinterest.com/ • Figure 9, Vivienne Westwood site March 2015 http://www.viviennewestwood.com/ shop/womens/clothing • Figure 10, Authors own May 2015 LinkedIn • Figure 11, Authors own Photo shoot March 2015