Contextual studies for retail fashion

CONTEXTUAL STUDIES FOR RETAIL FASHION Laura Sheldon

Victorian Era, pre – hoop (1840-1855) During the early Victorian Era, full skirts were supported by a vast array of petticoats which were made of horsehair; stiffened with a cane or padding. Day dresses during this time had bodices which were of the shoulder line, ending low below the shoulder, pinning the arm of the wearer down. Evening dresses had bodices low off the shoulder, often covered with folds of fabric or a bertha.

Day Dresses

Evening dresses

1890’s Skirts in the late Victorian Era became a lot more slim in the front and were full from behind, without a lift, a lot plainer than previously. This is the decade the focus slowly changed from the skirt to the bodice. Bodices exploded with layers and frills, where the shoulders began to expand, frills and collars would widen the shoulders, while hems were padded and held out with petticoats. Tight corsets were needed to achieve a fashionably small waist, fullness was added to the bust and by 1899, the corset shape had changed to an “S” curve, giving the beginnings of the full breasted – pigeon look.

Sleeves began to expand slowly, they were stuffed and boned, below the elbow, the sleeves remained fitted.

Corsets During the 1800’s, corsets were used to give the illusion of a small waist and a bigger bust. Today, in 2015, the “waist trainer� has taken the internet by storm due to the necessity some people have, especially celebrities, to have a tiny waist. Two centuries on, the new trend is to be curvy; with a tiny waist. The waist trainer, is apparently the way to achieve this.

1910 In 1910, fashion began to loosen up, French designers like Paul Poiret encouraged the trend after 1907 by designing women’s clothing for a uncorsetted figure. Dresses were softer in line and followed a woman’s body rather than wearing a corset which forced the body to conform.

Between 1908 and 1920, the tubular silhouette, emphasised on slimness and natural motion of the body. John Singer Sargent, a late Victorian painter, also influenced these changes due to a woman and the dress he painted, called the “portrait of Madame X”, Sargent shows a woman posing in a black satin dress with jewelled straps, a dress that reveals and hides at the same time. The portrait is characterized by the pale flesh tone of the subject contrasted against a dark coloured dress and background. Paul Poiret, known in America as the “King of fashion”, was also famous for creating “the lampshade” tunic in 1913. Poiret loved bright colour and introduced brilliant hues whilst the sweet pea colours of the Edwardian Era were still very fashionable. His lampshade tunic was vibrant glowing shimmering colours, with beaded embellishment.

Lampshade Tunic The lampshade tunic in 1910 was a change in history for designing women’s clothing. As you can see in the image below, to this day the shaping is still being used on the catwalk during fashion week. The image I have selected is none other than Alexander McQueen, whom has used a similar structure to the dress in the image from 1910. They both tailor at the waist, however the Alexander McQueen version has used the lampshade effect for under the dress, which you can see through a type of lace or mesh material.

Alexander McQueen, 2014

1910

First World War The effect of the war on fashion was military braiding, belts, with buckles and shorter skirts seen everywhere. The fashion industry shows that clothes got shorter during the first world war due to practicality. Bright colours faded from sight and only sober colours were worn as the war dragged on. Everyone was affected by the death of a loved one and so subdued dresses were simply a matter of good taste showing patriotism. By 1917 over 700,000 women were employed, wearing a working uniform of blouse and peg top trousers accessorised by scarves and fashion items. As a recognition of their efforts it was later replaced by a uniform of khaki overalls and caps.

Tailored Khaki Clothing Tailored Khaki clothing first appeared during the first world war and recently made a comeback.

Khaki is a great colour for a winter coat, as seen in the image below, tailored in at the waist, similar to the image on the right. The tailored khaki clothing is a reminder of the times when the first world war was where the fashion industry dramatically changed.

Next, 2015

First World War, 1918

Private White V.C The Private White V.C brand, based in Manchester, pays tribute to its namesake World War One hero, Private Jack White. The clothing line, designed by Laura’s Ashley’s son, Nick Ashley, has a subtle nod to Jack’s military legacy.

Many items are based on classic wartime pieces, with a fresh twist for the modern man. Designs are also influenced

by Nick Ashley’s love for Motorcycle and car racing.

Materials are local, where possible, with the majority of cloth being supplied by mills in the local area.

Sophisticated Heritage

Weavers Door Based in Liverpool, Weavers Door was created with a desire to offer the finest menswear apparel and related products.

Weavers Door’s aim is to continue to strive for the best and nothing less, in a world swamped by poor quality goods. The store seeks to inspire and to be inspired. A great item becomes a part of you, a trusted friend. Such as a great jacket, is a comrade in arms for many years. A fine pair of shoes will walk with you on many adventures. They are mavericks who champion the “true brands”, leading the way and breaking the rules, who lead and not follow.

Weavers Door ensure authenticity and quality is never diminished, which continues to excite long after the initial conception.

Weavers door is a collective aimed at: - Promoting freedom of mind - Seeking style over fashion - quality over quantity - Every item is carefully considered - The cloth the cut and the final stitch - Each aspect is vital to the garment - A maverick approach to all things cool

In the next three slides, I have chosen three designers which have been selected via the Weavers Door website, reflecting sophisticated heritage.

Barbour Now a 5th generation family ran business, originally founded by John Barbour, a Scotsmen in 1894. He saw the need for waterproof, reliable, hardwearing outer gear.

In 1908 Malcom Barbour, John’s son, produced the first mail order catalogue. In 1917, the accounted for 75% of Barbour’s business including international orders from Chile, South Africa, and Hong Kong. These catalogues prove to be fantastically important, they inspired the creation of new products derived from the stories in our rich heritage.

The international motorcycle all – in – one suit, developed specifically for the 1936 international Six Day Trials (ISDT), the international suit was designed with pivot race sleeves to give the rider greater arm movement. Made in wax green cotton, the international motorcycle all – in – one suit had belted cuffs on the sleeves and legs to make them wind tight. The short stand on the velvet cotton collar was practical ensuring that it did not interfere with the riders helmet.

The “Ursula” Jacket - A Submariner commander, Captain George Phillips was so impressed by the waterproof protection of his officer’s all in one motorcycling suit, he asked the Barbour factory to make a two piece prototype. The result was a two – piece uniform for submariners throughout the Second World War. The “Ursula” jacket is continuously being recreated, due to the practicality of the jacket, casual style and colour. As you can see in the image from 2015, the jacket is a lot thicker, with more pockets, no hood and a wool lining. Barbour’s target market is for people who want to have a smart, comfortable and practical look.

1940

2015

Universal Works Universal Works began in 2008, founded by David Keyte working from his kitchen table with an aim to make real, honest clothing based on good fit and design, though never over designed.

Universal Works is about the mixing of ideas, understanding heritage and context underpinned by contemporary needs and aesthetics.

Universal Works champion skilled, small – scale production. They produce garments in the right place, both in the UK and overseas, working only with factories they trust, admire and are proud to be associated with.

I have composed an outfit via the Universal Works website reflecting “Sophisticated Heritage” with a modern twist. I have swapped the usual big coat for a baseball jacket, however, to give a “sophisticated heritage” twist, I have selected the padded gilet to wear over the jacket. The grey trilby also reflects sophisticated heritage, as the “trilby” was extremely popular among men during both wars. It makes this casual outfit more sophisticated and smart.

Grenson Grenson shoes was started by just one man, William Green. In 1866, William stopped producing shoes and boots in his house and instead became a “factor”. This essentially meant he went out to get any orders, find the materials and employed craftsmen to fulfil these orders. The next step was for him was to formalise and set up a company, which became William Green & Son. The business was badly affected by the depression, but like so many businesses, they were called into action during the war, to make shoes and boots for British soldiers. By the end of the 1940’s William Green & Son was producing more shoes than ever before and employed over 400 people.

As you can see in the black and white image, are pairs of boots worn by soldiers possibly waiting to go into battle. They’re laced up, soles look sturdy with good quality leather for the time of the picture being taken.

In the second image, are a more modern version of the previous image. Unlike the boots that will have been worn to go into battle during the world war, these boots will be used to complete a sophisticated heritage look, with a pair of jeans or chinos, padded navy gilet and an oxford shirt. The modern version of the boots have been mastered over the past 7 decades, which will therefore reflect on the boots that are produced today.

1970

Fashion in the 1970’s was carefree, daring and diverse. For women, skirts ranged from extremely long to drastically short and fabrics were bright and boldly patterned. As the women’s liberation movement took hold in the 1970’s, women’s fashion broke free from convention. Bra’s and corsets were denounced as symbols of oppression and conformity and were disregarded by women. Women also flouted their new found freedom by wearing traditional male clothing like baggy trousers, men’s jackets, over-sized shirts, ties and hats.

Men’s fashion become more bold, and daring throughout the 1970’s. For men, this meant wide, colourful ties and bright, fitted shirts with big collars. Many men grew short beards, side burns and side burns or moustache and let their hair grow long. Flared trousers were popular with both men and women throughout the decade, ranging from a subtle flare to huge, flapping bell bottoms. However, by the end of the 1970’s trouser legs eventually straightened again.

Television, film and music in the 1970’s exerted a powerful force over fashion. The television programme “Charlie’s Angels”, spurred the demand for flared trousers and the rough, flicked back hairstyle worn by the shows star – Farrah Fawcett. Later in the decade, movies like “Saturday Night Fever” popularised the “disco” style dress. Music stars like David Bowie and the band TRex influenced the glittery style of glam rock.

1990 1990 was the decade office wear went casual. The wide shouldered “power suit”, fell out of fashion, technology was more accessible therefore more people were working from home. Office wear evolved, becoming more casual, comfy and low – key. There was a lot of “mixing and matching”, combining a tailored skirt with a stretched fabric top and a smart jacket.

The alternative “grunge”, was the most significant trend of the decade. “Grunge” was an eclectic trend that combined two very different forms of rebellion from previous decades, 1970’s hippies and 1980’s punk movements. The grunge movement was driven by a rejection of the consumerist, image-obsessed style of the 1980s and featured a diverse range of styles that soon filtered through to mainstream clothing. Typical grunge fashion for young women may have included long, straight hair and flowing, feminine skirts, combined with punk influences like heavy, black Doc Martens boots and body piercings. Young men also wore their hair long, and sported shabby, baggy pants, ripped t-shirts and flannelette shirts.

Another popular trend during the 90’s was sports clothing, which was a trend that carried through from the 1980’s. Comfortable, stretch clothing, fleecy tracksuits became everyday attire. Sports attire brands such as Nike and Adidas was considered as highly fashionable. The sudden interest in sports attire were also influenced by the rise in American rap and hip hop artists.

Compare & Contrast Looking at both decades, the hippie movement in the 1970’s and movement of grunge in the 90’s compare as they are both a form of rebellion. They both had the attitudes of being “carefree”, however the “grunge” movement was more of a rebellion of the 80’s, which was a decade that was filled with showcasing what fortune you had, and grunge was a complete contrast from that. Both decades were also two important decades for women’s rights, such as the “woman’s liberation movement” in the 70’s and the fact more women were wearing more comfortable clothing for work in the office such as wearing pants, as well as being treated remotely like how men are treated in the workplace in the 1990’s. Both decades contrast, though, in a sense of the genre of music and clothing that were big in both decades. The 1970’s had artists such as Diana Ross and David Bowie, with the big hair and loud clothing. Men and women were wearing kimono sleeves, bell bottomed jeans, and had really long hair.

Whereas the 1990’s “grunge” scene was a lot darker clothing, darker makeup, short hair & oversized clothing. One of the most influential artists during the 1990’s was Nirvana, with lead singer Kurt Cobain. As previously stated, he wore a lot of flannel shirts and band t-shirts, basically paving the way for young people in the 1990’s.

Cosy

Market Research on the high street A/W15 Product/Price Topshop Lace cut – work peplum top £38

Topshop A-line pelmet skirt £36

Topshop Tiger crinkle plisse tee £26

Era

How they link

70’s boho 90’s grunge

This top links to the 1970’s era, this is due to the floral patterns and lacing on the neck line. It also links to 90’s grunge when young people were inspired by the rebelliousness of hippies in the 70’s, the top being in black and in a mesh material, creates a gothic and grunge vibe.

60’s

This skirt links to the 1960’s era, due to the slick, straight A – line cut and embellishment of the buttons on the front. The A-line skirt was big during the 60’s as it was much shorter and smaller than the midi high waisted skirts typically worn by a 1950’s housewife.

Women were more empowered and taking control of the way they dressed when wearing skirts in the 60’s.

70’s

This top reflects the 1970’s era due to the high neck, and cropped kimono sleeves. The kimono sleeves and bell sleeves are typically known to be from the 1970’s, which could symbolise the freedom and peace which accompanied the decade.

Market Research on the high street A/W15 Product/Price Topshop belted crepe pegged trousers

Era

How they link

The First World War (1917)

These trousers link with their first debut for women during the First World War. They were made for practicality, women working, doing men’s jobs while men were away fighting for their country. Since being first introduced for practicality, they have been reinvented, decade after decade. From wearing a pair of plain black office pants and a basic t-shirt to work in the 90’s, to wearing light pink, pegged trousers with a black blouse for work or even a night on the town.

£40

Topshop cord borg western jacket

70’s

This cord jacket with a fleece lining, links with the 1970’s due to how big textures were during this time.

Cord was extremely popular during the 1970’s, and this jacket would have been a great alternative to a coat.

90’s

This Topshop boutique coat is perfect for work, adding a cool yet comfortable look to any office gear. This coat compares to the laid-back office wear introduced in the 90’s, introducing the quality of a dressing gown with the “wrap belt”. This compares to how in the 90’s more people were working from home, therefore with this coat, you’d be as comfortable on your journey to work.

£58

Topshop Boutique belted wool wrap coat £225

Market Research on the high street A/W15 Product/Price Topshop kimono sleeve jumpsuit

Era 70’s

This Topshop kimono sleeve jumpsuit reflects the trends of the 1970’s. The kimono sleeves reflects the trend of loose and flowing sleeves and wide leg trousers, which compares to the culture of young people during the 70’s. Especially hippies.

90’s

This Topshop “super soft” checked shirt, compares to the popular “grunge” style of the 1990’s. This is due to the subdued colours and the oversizing. Checked, over sized shirts were extremely popular with the grunge, young people of the 1990’s. This is due to popular bands such as Nirvana, the lead singer Kurt Kobain in particular was never seen without a flannel shirt.

90’s

This Topshop faux leather gilet also reflects the 1990’s grunge style. Leather jackets and leather gilets have an association with being rebellious and an edgy style, which is what the trend of “grunge” is.

£75

Topshop super soft checked shirt £30

Topshop faux leather gilet £45

How they link

Market Research on the high street A/W15 Product/Price Topshop LISA croc – effect platforms

Era

How they link

70’s

These Topshop LISA croc – effect platforms reflect the style of the 70’s as platforms were extremely popular during this time, with both men and women, with a pair of bell bottomed flares.

60’s

These Topshop patent Chelsea boots reflect the style of the 60’s. this is due to how popular the Chelsea boot was during this time with women, especially when worn with a mini skirt.

70’s

Floppy hats were also extremely popular during the 70’s. everything was floppy and big, such as bell bottoms and kimono sleeves. Floppy hats have recently taken the modern market by storm and aren’t showing any signs of going anywhere,

£56

Topshop MARY patent Chelsea boots £75

Topshop floppy wool hat £28

Market Research evaluation After a lot of extensive research of the market today and what is on trend, I have found that the 70’s era has been the inspiration and centre of all high street store collections, the catwalks and all over internet shopping. Everything from bell bottom pants, wide legged pants, kimono sleeves, floppy hats and platforms and no one can get enough of it. This is also due to looking at the Autumn/Winter catalogues and collections online, it doesn’t look like the vibe of the 70’s is ready to die out just yet. A lot of dark, indigo and dark flowered pants, tops and dresses, dark floppy hats, high knee boots are ready to hit the high street.

High - end fashion High-end clothing involves clothing at the best standard and quality. High – end fashion is usually draped over slender models trapesing the catwalk, clothing that is way too expensive for the average person. This type of fashion, though, is where originally high street stores sourced their previous trend forecasting's, making cheaper and more affordable pieces.

High Street Fashion High Street fashion is a lot more easy to come by for the everyday customer, stores such as Topshop, H&M, Zara and River Island are included in “High Street Fashion�.

These stores all sell extremely affordable clothing, usually at the best quality and keep up to date with the latest fashion trends. Topshop, however, is the only high street store to take part in any fashion week, London and New York in particular. This is due to the companies high status and celebrities constantly being seen in Topshop clothing.

Mass Market Fashion A company that sells affordably priced products that appeal to a wide variety of customers. Mass market retailers are not necessarily known for selling durable, high – quality merchandise or for having exceptional customer service, but they do meet consumers’ wants and needs, at reasonable prices. Examples of mass market retailers include stores such as Primark, brands such as Levi Strauss and Gap, and eretailers like Amazon. Supermarkets and pharmacists, warehouse chains and mass merchandise are all considered mass market retailers.

GEEK REVAMP

“its already in your wardrobe”

Trends for SS16 The two trends I have chosen from the catwalk for Spring/Summer 2016 are “Geek Revamp” and “Its already in your wardrobe”. These two trends are particularly significant for me as for the past five years, to be “geek” is to be considered as “on trend”. Yet, this hasn’t always been the case. Previous to 2010, the definition of “geek” was “a fool; a person uncultivated; a dupe.” Geeks were considered as “freaks”.

Freaks = geeks = ultimate outsiders The definition has recently been changed, though, due to the recent trends of the past five years to, “a person who is knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about a specific subject.”

In films from particularly the 1990’s, such as “never been kissed” and “she’s all that” emphasises the typical geek being alienated until someone takes the geek under their wing and makes them “cool”.

The other trend “its already in your wardrobe” is significant due to this is how Coco Chanel first became a successful designer – she wore a jersey jumper because she was cold one day and the rest is history. The trend includes reworking things in your wardrobe, such as bringing out your trusty leather jacket, old ballet pumps etc.

Current High Street Trends SS16 has yet to debut, the current high street trends include velvet and fur. Both of these trends have elements of the 1980’s. Fur and velvet was extremely popular during the decade as they are extreme statement pieces, and the 1980’s was a decade about showing off how wealthy you are with big coats, a lot of different textures in your clothing etc. The velvet, however, has elements of 1990’s grunge, due to the gothic elements such as extremely dark colours such as black and teal.

MERAK I

Asian inspired

(v) To do something with soul, creativity, or love; when you leave a piece of yourself in your work

cool

natural

Couture tops

jumpsuits

Laid back

kimono

MERAK I For this task, I have chosen the object “palm trees” for my concept board. I first collected a few sceneries

that included palm trees, which reflect a relaxed mood. Thinking alternative to palm trees and more along the lines of the leaves and colours, the theme I have chosen is green, with an Asian twist, including other colours and flowers such as pink orchids, which is shown via my colour pallet. Firstly, I have chosen to call my collection “Meraki”, which by definition means “to do something with soul, creativity, or love; when you leave a piece of yourself in your work”. Secondly, I thought about what style of clothing my range would include. I have chosen garments such as; wrap kimonos, wrap halter neck tops, jumpsuits, duster coats, high - waisted midi skirts and smart, wide legged pants. I have found CAD images which portray the items I have selected for my concept. I have also included a few images from Shanghai fashion week, this portrays how my line would look on the catwalk. Each garment will be made with natural materials, which reflects the natural growth of a palm tree. Materials used will include silk, satin and cotton. The style of this range will therefore be suitable for any type of occasion, such as work or a shopping trip in the spring/summer. It will be cool and laid back, yet chic with inspirations from Asian culture.

Berets Timeless style Baguette s

Eifel tower

LBD

Christian Dior

France

Coco Chanel Trademark suits

sexy

Pastries Sophisticat ed

French Culture & Fashion Most people associate French culture with Paris, which is a centre of fashion, cuisine, art and architecture. However, life outside of “the city of lights” is very different and differs by region.

The word “culture” actually comes from France. “Culture” derives from the Latin “Colere”, meaning “to tend to the earth and grow, cultivation and nurture.”

Paris is known as the home to many high – end fashion houses, such as Hermes, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Chanel. Many French people dress in a sophisticated, professional and fashionable style, but isn’t overly fussy. Typical outfits include; nice dresses, suits, long coats, scarves & berets.

Coco Chanel D.O.B: 19/08/1883 Death: 10/01/1971 Coco Chanel, born Gabrielle Chanel, was born on the 19th August, 1883 in Saumur, France. As a child after her mother’s death, she was admitted to a orphanage by her father where she inevitably found what would be her passion in life and began to sew. Gabrielle Chanel opened her first store along Rue Cambon, Paris, in 1910, selling hats, to which they sold out instantly. She later opened other stores and began making clothes, which was where she first shot to fame for the dress she fashioned out of an old jersey on a chilly day. In 1925, she took her successful business to new heights, she launched her first perfume “Chanel No.5”, which was the first to feature a designers name.

In 1925, she first introduced the first legendary Chanel suit which was a collarless jacket and well fitted skirt. This suit was revolutionary for the time. Chanel was borrowing elements from menswear, emphasizing comfort over constraints such as bodices. Another revolutionary garment created by Chanel was the LBD (Little Black Dress).

She took the colour mostly associated with mourning and showed just how chic it can be as evening wear. Coco Chanel died on the 10th January 1971 in her apartment in Paris. A little more than a decade after her death, designer Karl Lagerfeld took the reigns of her company to continue the Chanel legacy.

“My fortune is built on that old jersey that I’d put on because it was cold in Deauville,” she once told author Paul Morand.

Vivienne Westwood

Fish and chips

Red Double Decker Bus

British Comedy The Royale Family

Britain

The Royal Family

The Tube

Queen Elizabeth London

Oyster Card Big Ben

Camden Locks

British Culture & Fashion British fashion has been evolving over the last century and is ever changing. 1910 was the era of the “bright young things”, where clothing became more risqué and this was the time music upped it’s tempo and dancing became virtually acrobatic. There was freedom to indulge in “casual” relationships – along with an idea to look fashionably fabulous. In the 1950’s, Teddy Boys adopted a look inspired by the artists at the time performing a new sound – “Rock ‘n’ Roll”. They had a reputation of being violent and troublesome. Drape Jackets, drain pipe trousers, skinny ties and creepers were compulsory attire. “New Romantics” were a fashion marriage of the neoclassical and glam rock. The movement evolved throughout the 1980’s. A generation of Bowie and Roxy & the original punk kids fell in love with Bowie’s scary monsters incarnation and designers such as Vivienne Westwood went to town with flouncy shirts with balloon sleeves and wild prints. When “Acid House” emerged, the subversive t-shirts and colourful footwear allowed brands like “Red or Dead” to flourish. By the 1990’s, acid became rave and trainers replaced shoes and the pea whistle gained new status.

Vivienne Westwood Born Vivienne Isabel Swire on 8th April 1941, in the English town “Glossop”, in Derbyshire. She came from humble beginnings, her father was a cobbler, while her mother helped the family make ends meet by working at a local cotton mill. As Vivienne would later recall, her childhood years were far from the London high life. “I lived in a part of the country that had grown up in the industrial revolution.” She once said, “I didn’t know about art galleries, I’d never seen an art book, never been to a theatre.” By the 60’s, Vivienne’s life seemed established. She had married Derek Westwood, with whom she had a son, Ben, and embarked on work as a teacher. During this time, Westwood began making jewellery on the side and was introduced to a new world of creative freedom and the power of art had on the political landscape.

Her first marriage dissolved and she met Malcolm McLaren, an art student and future manager of the Sex Pistols. With McLaren, Westwood had a second son, Joseph. "I latched onto Malcolm as somebody who opened doors for me," Westwood said. "I mean, he seemed to know everything I needed at the time.“ In 1971, McLaren opened a boutique shop at 430 Kings Road and started filling it with Westwood’s designs.

While the name of the shop seemed to be in constant flux – it was changed five times – proved to be an important fashion centre for the punk movement. When McLaren became manager for the Sex Pistols, it was Westwood’s designs that dressed the band and help carve out its identity.

Vivienne Westwood has constantly been ahead of the curve by influencing and dictating fashion. Her styles gave included the mini – crini of the 1980’s and the frayed tulle and tweed suit of the 90’s. Coupled with Westwood’s unconventional style sense, is an outspokenness and daring that demonstrates a certain level of fearlessness about her and her work. In one famous incident, she impersonated Margaret Thatcher on the cover of a British magazine. To do so, she wore a suit Margaret Thatcher had ordered but not yet received, an act that made Thatcher irate. Westwood’s influence is hard to deny, she has been named twice British Designer of the year and awarded an OBE in 1992. For more than 30 years, even after her long made fortune and fame, Westwood lives in the same small South London apartment paying just £400 a month and rides her bike to her studio in Battersea.

“Vivienne’s effect on other designers has been rather like a laxative,” English designer Jasper Conran once explained. “Vivienne does, and others follow.”

Vivienne Westwood has shaped the fashion industry for the past 40 years and she has no intentions of stopping just yet. During a lot of extensive research into the fashion industry, I have noticed how racist the fashion industry is – it isn’t discussed, though, because fashion is considered as “art”, and this somehow makes designers to think its O.K to hire a white female model, and painting her black for an “African” themed fashion campaign, instead of simply just saving the money on all that black paint and just hired a black female model.

In this report I have included, it shows how Vivienne Westwood took to the streets of “Nairobi” and encouraged an “Ethical African” campaign, aiming to empower black, female workers.

The Dame designed a range of bags, which were made by women in the capital city, under ethical labour conditions (using discarded maerials such as safari tents and old shirts).

Although she was dismissed by some as poverty porn, Westwood described her actions as “not charity, just work,” noting that the project “gives people control over their lives,” unlike charity, which “makes them dependant.”

Rome Architecture Florence

The Vatican City

Coliseum

Gondola

Pizza Venice Food

Italy

Bruschetta Pasta

Michael Angelo Wine Galileo Galilei

Italian Culture & Fashion The story of Italian fashion began on the 25th February 1951, when Count Giorgini staged a fashion show for an international audience in Florence. Giorgini rekindled the myth of the noble gases by opening up his palace for fashion shows, providing a fantastic, courtly setting steeped in history for the presentation of fashion collections. Members of the nobility themselves were often the ones who wore the dresses, for reasons such as; only princesses and noblewomen, could, by their education, customs and culture, wear these fine clothes properly, and would end up presenting them in the courtly rooms of their own abodes or in museums alongside sculptures of fame, the epitome themselves of beauty. Cinema too was influenced by Italian fashion: a classic case was the wedding of Linda Christian and Tyrone Power in 1949, for which the bridal dress was chosen in Rome. The dress took on the role of a charm for just like in ancient fairy tales, it was the magic means that made transformation possible.

In the Sixties everything changed: social roles and status changed in these years of protest and industrial boom. It was now clearly understood that through dress every woman could share the magic and interpret the myths of her own time, meaning that dress had now to be seen as creation and design. New styles in manufactured garments came onto the market and women across the world began to dress stylishly at a low cost. International acclaim for ”Made in Italy” fashion reached its height with the triumph of “Prêt-à-porter” in the Seventies and Eighties when Milan became a fashion landmark, continuing through into the current trends of recent years inspired by avant-garde art and cultural movements of the XXth cent.: from Haute Couture to “Prêt-à-porter”, from the mini-skirt to blue jeans, fashion advances in a tireless process of regeneration and alternating of styles.

To sum up, the story of Italian fashion unwinds like a fairy tale for its purpose is fundamentally different from that of fashion in Paris, London or New York. For Italians, fashion is an instrument of social redemption whereby class is determined according to what one wears; elsewhere all of this is inconceivable: beyond the confines of Italy, fashion is only a tool for confirming social status.

Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani started out in fashion as a window dresser, and is now known as Italy’s most successful designer, worth $4.1 (£2.1) billion in 2007. He is a fashion grandee with numerous franchise lines: from the famous jeans to a Pat McGrath – designed makeup line, over 2000 emporia worldwide and over $1 billion sales per year.

Born in Piacenza, Italy in 1934, he studied medicine and photography before completing a military service. In 1974, Armani launched his menswear label, the following year introduced his first womenswear collection. Giorgio Armani was cemented in the public imagination for dressing Richard Gere in American Gigolo in 1980.

Armani masterminded his own soft – shouldered suit silhouette that remains a staple of todays designs. Another renaissance man, his designs retain their popularity and aged elegance.

“I design for real people. I think of our customers all the time.

There is no virtue whatsoever in creating clothing or accessories that are not practical.”

Italian influences on the fashion industry In the 1950 and 1960 decades, Americans were greatly influenced by Italian automobiles, film producers and fashion designers. Italian trendsetters dictated what Americans drove, what they wore and how they looked. The American public was buying items that originated in Italy. The First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, loved fashions by designer Oleg Cassini. People were greatly influenced by the hats, suits and jackets worn by Jackie.

Italian film producers had a great impact on American's interest in the European lifestyle. The Italian carefree lifestyle and it can wait till tomorrow attitude appealed to American moviegoers and they swiftly began to copy these characteristics. Al Martino, Dan Martin and Mario Lanza's songs were at the top of the music charts. Even Walt Disney's Lady and the Tramp, was influenced by Italian music in the scene where the two canines shared a meal of spaghetti and meatballs. Bella Notte, a song composed especially for the film, played as the dogs shared a meal and a kiss. Both the scene and the song were a great hit with American audiences.

Social Media Influences

Social Media influences on the Fashion Industry Social media has become part of our globally connected world in multiple ways, and most recently the fashion industry is seeing a major shift in it’s inspiration for designs and trends. All thanks to social media and blogging sites such as; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. One major shift that social media has had is simply that the average person can now influence fashion in ways never before possible. Consider Zac Posen’s SS15 “Ready to wear” collection; influenced by comments and suggestions from his over 640,000 Instagram followers.

It all began when Posen began to receive comments on his uploads of his vacation, asking for prints of these hues, and “through the comments and pictures we got a perspective about our creations”, said Posen in a recent article for the NY times. As a result, the final product includes a maxi dress in hues of the sunset from that Instagram image as part of his 2015 collection.

Its not just the inspiration and influences on major fashion designers that social media is evolving; it’s also the way we view fashion and the industry as a whole. For decades, a few big names dominated the fashion industry as a whole. For decades, a few big names dominated the fashion industry as a very top – down fashion but now the average fashion blogger can influence major designers via social media outlets. Reality television shows like “Fashion Star” and “Project Runway” have also lead to a shift in the way we view fashion designers, but social media has acted a catapult to push these “unknowns” into situations where they can make their designs and ideas known to millions. Social media sites act as a platform for the average person, and major fashion designers know these people are out there so they can reap benefits by reaching customers on a new level that is more intimate and interactive, rather than the fashion runways.

Zac Posen SS15 “Ready to wear” collection

Pro’s of Social Media Influencing Fashion - Immediate Access to information Apps such as Twitter and Instagram is the place for fashion hungry bloggers, where they can find out the trends from the latest fashion week. As well as a space where a normal, everyday girl can voice her opinion and inspire millions of followers by newly uploaded selfies via Instagram. Street style is where most brands and designers find their trend forecastings originating from. Social media is also very helpful for expanding sources of content as a whole. With so much being blogged and written, then curated and shared proactively, the volume of content has grown exponentially. Now, there is no shortage of viewpoints and sources from which we can draw out our own conclusions about what is really happening in the world of fashion. Its less important to have a magazine interpret it on our behalf.

-Globalized Voices Twenty-five years ago, it was extremely difficult to access a globally reaching platform where someone could share their opinions or findings. Early in the 1990’s, it was a huge deal to send a letter to the editor of the local newspaper, and wait to see if they decided to include the letter in the paper. Today, however, all we have to do is login to our platform of choice. We can post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest until our heart’s content. For those who can write, it only takes a few minutes to create a new blog and start putting thoughts into words. It is far easier to do something remarkable and noticeable in general life and in the fashion industry, and have it reach people across the planet, than it has been at any time in history. We now truly have “Globalized voices”.

Con’s of Social Media Influencing Fashion - Too much misinformation With the advent of the web, people started to create their own websites and blogs. While many of those blogs were just basic diaries, a few of them were about topics like health and politics while others were “how to” blogs. Many blogs have turned into rumour mills spreading misinformation that people tend to believe just because its on the web. Websites such as Wikipedia as also included in this.

- The possible end of fashion magazines Due to more and more people using their phones for everyday tasks, such as keeping up to date with the latest news, this is eventually going to see the end of fashion magazines since you can access all the information in them without moving out of the house or spending any money at all. This will therefore make a knock – on – effect with magazine companies such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Elle.

- Lack of social development Online interaction can become a substitute for actual meetings, which can hurt social development and isolate internet users. As a buyer, you need to make sure you have a firm and good relationship with brands and designers by travelling to different countries for meetings, social media sites such as “Skype”, can connect people from different parts of the world – and could therefore make an impact on sales and merchandising.

Celebrity influences

Kim Kardashian West Born in 1980, Beverley hills, California, Kim Kardashian West is a model, actress & entrepreneur, socialite and star of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. After her second divorce, she became involved with famed rapper Kanye West. Now married, they are expecting their second child. She is the most googled celebrity, and has a 49.5 million Instagram following. Therefore, this makes her incredibly influential on the fashion industry, she also makes appearances at New York, London and Paris fashion week. She is typically seen sat in the front row of Balmain, Givenchy and Balenciaga.

Pro’s and Con’s of celebrity influences on the fashion industry Celebrity endorsement Celebrity endorsement can be the most powerful way of advertisement for a clothing company. For example, if Kim Kardashian West was seen wearing “Topshop”, this would therefore send the sales and demand for Topshop to never reached before levels of sales. Another example is the Duchess of Cambridge, she likes to wear clothing from the high street, such as Whistles, therefore whenever she is seen in a particular dress, it is sold out in less than an hour, and perhaps then sold via EBay for double the original price.

Eating disorders 10 in 100 women suffer from an eating disorder and the most popular is anorexia. Anorexia is an eating disorder that causes people to have fear of becoming fat and having a distorted image. Due to celebrities having the money to be able to change any imperfections and appearing on magazine covers and posting flawless selfies online due to great Photoshop – this is giving young girls an incorrect idea of what “perfect” is and what is considered as “normal”.

48% of women say celebrities impact strongest on personal style

Women’s Rights

Women’s rights effects on the fashion industry An example of this would the oral contraceptive, the birth control pill. It was introduced in the UK in 1961 for married women only, it is now used by 3.5 million women between the ages of 16 and 49.

That means that a quarter of this age group are using the pill, which now comes in 32 different forms. the pill was introduced in a society where women were terrified of abortion and the pill was a way for young women to keep their family’s integrities. This development in medicine created a new lease of life for all young women in Britain, they had control on whether or not they wanted to have a child, and this was the decade the demand for mini skirts went off the charts. Women could be more provocative, they had more control over their outfits. The pill was hailed as playing a major role in the women's liberation movement, it was associated with the swinging sixties and greater sexual freedom.

But it has caused much controversy over its short life span due to health scares and concerns about teenagers taking the pill. Take-up of the pill was fast. Between 1962 and 1969, the number of users rose from approximately 50,000 to one million. In the USA, around 1.2 million women used the pill within two years of its launch in 1960. Now the number of users is around 11 million, worldwide, around 100 million women take the pill.

Pro’s and Con’s of Women’s rights on the fashion industry Developing fashion Without the development of the birth control pill, fashion wouldn’t be where it is today, women also wouldn’t have the control over their lives as much as they do today. There wouldn’t be any women who can have an extremely successful work life and family life, without the birth control pill.

Lingerie

As previously stated within my PowerPoint, the corset was particularly restricting, which could reflect the views towards women during the early 19th and 20th century. Lingerie now is much more free and sexy.

Women have the option of wearing a padded or none padded bra, thong or briefs, it is also a trend to be able to see a lace bra through a mesh top.

Masculine clothing Feminists constantly fighting for women’s rights sometimes forget that it is a fortunate quality of a woman to be feminine, as when it comes to things such as being payed equally for doing the same job as a man, in some respects, it is nice to still be treated as a women, such as being spoilt by a potential boyfriend.

Allen Solly Glancing at the image of the “I hate Ugly” campaign, there isn’t a clear selling point or clear target audience put forth

by Allen Solly.

As you continue to look at the campaign, you see a male model in a blue checked shirt and jeans, standing in front of an old car which has been painted blue. Thus insinuating by the “I hate ugly” text, you would be considered as what Allen Solly calls “ugly”, until you perhaps wear this blue checked shirt, or anything blue for that matter, due to the lack of focus within the campaign.

If Allen Solly’s selling point is indeed the blue checked shirt, I would remove the colour from the car – as it diverts the attention away from the shirt/clothing he is trying to advertise. I would have also used a different coloured pair of pants for the model to wear, such as a pair of darkly coloured chinos, or dark pair of jeans would have matched nicely. I would also remove the text “I hate ugly”, as this would receive a lot of criticism and backlash from self conscious people on social media and in real life, if this campaign was to ever hit billboards on busy motorways.

Customer Profile: Looking at the campaign, you can see the target audience is for men ages 25 – 30, due to the style of clothing the model is wearing, plus the age the model is appearing as. Also due to using an old car that has been “revamped”, it also seems to be aimed at the sophisticated, quirky man who likes to head to Camden for a drink with his friends.

Coco Chanel Glancing at this image, I wouldn’t have expected it to be the classy, sophisticated and indescribable Chanel. This is due to how the model is positioned, the entire campaign as a whole comes across as quite aggressive, instead of the delicate, and inspiring campaigns usually promoted by Chanel.

The slogan “I don’t do fashion, I am fashion.”, written in capital letters and in bold, emphasizes how Coco Chanel doesn’t follow the typical fashion trends, the brand speaks for itself and sets the fashion trends. This campaign doesn’t show a specific item they are trying to promote. If the item is the dress they are trying to promote, the target audience of this campaign cannot see it, and therefore won’t sell.

Looking at the campaign, I don’t think it fits the purpose or addresses the target audience in the correct way. I would first change the positioning of the model, have her standing up instead of lying down. I also would change the font and boldness of the slogan and make the “Coco Chanel” stand out more – as the brand speaks for itself.

Customer Profile: Looking at the campaign, the target customer would be for classy, trendy women aged 20 – 30. it seems as though, due to the aggressiveness and trendiness of the campaign, Chanel are trying to grab a younger audience, not just the regular, classy women who usually purchase Chanel clothing.

Jockey Looking at the campaign, the men's clothing is the clear selling point.

First glance, you can see the style of the clothing is aimed at the middle class due to calling the collection “Jockey”. This is due to being a “Jockey”, is considered an occupation among this particular class. This campaign is also extremely negative due to the positioning of the models on the advertisement. The gentleman is laying in front of the woman, while the female model has her hand placed upon the male model, like she is admiring him, suggesting men should be admired by women and highlighting sexism of the time of this advertisement.

The slogan “Win or lose, you’ll still look the best player”, is also extremely appealing to young men during this time, especially with the use of the word “player”. Which could mean both a player in a physical competitor, or a man being regarded to as a “player”. Also the tag line says you’ll “score” with Jockey clothing. This sums up the attitude men had towards women during this time of the advertisement, they were simply just prizes to be won. The advertisement addresses the stereotypical rivalry between men and women – women were not treated as equals. This advertisement is made to feel men as though they’re the superior sex. I would change the sexist profile of the campaign, the slogan, remove the woman looking admiringly to the male model and focus all of the campaign onto the menswear clothing, perhaps the male model could be riding a horse, representing the brand of the clothing.

Customer Profile: This campaign would have been targeted at gentleman of the middle class, typically British men, as being a jockey is known to be a British occupation among the middle class. Typically 18 – 30 year old men who are also looking for a girlfriend or life long partner, and who also likes to keep up with sport.

“choose your playground” Looking at the campaign, the company has a clear selling point and clear target market. At a first glance, you can see it is aimed at the younger generation due to the “text” language, as well as referring to their young lives as the “playground”. As you continue to look at the campaign, you see notice the sports car the models are sitting in and where they are situated, which is New York City. This is the perfect way to attract the potential target market, as every teenager wants a car and to either live in New York City, or take a trip there. The shoes they are trying to sell, are in the front in the centre of the campaign and your eyes immediately go to the shoes.

The campaign will give the potential customer an idea that they will get a girlfriend or a girl will kiss them if they wear these shoes, and they will look just as cool as the male in the image. The only thing I would change about this campaign would be the size of the companies name, and slogan. This is due to wanting the potential customer to remember where they saw the advertisement and who is advertising it.

Customer Profile: This campaign would have been targeted at a young, fashion conscious teenage boy. (14-19 year olds) who likes socialising and talking to girls who could be potential girlfriends.

Dolce & Gabbana Glancing at the advertisement, there isn’t a clear selling point put forth by Dolce & Gabbana, however it gives the impression it is aimed at a particular male who likes to be noticed and takes care of his appearance.

The target audience is probably aged 20 – 40, a mature and sophisticated male group, who enjoys wearing a lot of loud, designer clothing. If the clothing is the selling point of the advertisement, perhaps there should be more focus on the clothing instead of showing off the male model’s physique and sculpted body.

If I were to change anything about this advertisement would be perhaps not to use as many models, and focus on the clothing.

Customer Profile: This campaign would have targeted a man who likes to take care of his appearance and likes to be noticed.

Levi 501

This is a successful advert because there are spoofs being made of it even now. It was revolutionary for the time it was brought to the television screens, it sexualised men and brought a sense of excitement to an everyday task, such as going to the laundrette. The steamy advert was targeted at the younger generation, by using a hunk to strip off and young female models looking on admiringly.

“A diamond is forever”

This is such a successful advert as it appeals to the potential target customer; men buying their girlfriends or wives a present for their birthday, Christmas present or valentines day. They appeal to both men and women as the advertisement describes what men want and what women want. The company are therefore suggesting that men will get what they want if he “negotiates” by buying a diamond necklace for his girlfriend or wife.

Nike

This advertisement although does target men, as it is showing a football player, the slogan of the advertisement offers a variety of potential customers. This is due to everyone wanting to keep fit, and therefore suggesting that you’re being lazy if you’re not working out – therefore “just do it.”

Volkswagen

The same legendary DDB that you saw above helping out poor Avis was also at VW's side during the most legendary advertising campaign of all time. From then to now, every company has measured the success of their advertising campaigns against the Think Small campaign.

Volkswagen had plenty of success with the Beetle in Europe, but wanted to bring it to the U.S. They hired DDB to helm the advertising effort.

However, the impact of its ad campaigns revolutionized advertising forever, and, even now, when you see a VW ad on TV or in print, you can't help but be captivated.

Coca - Cola

This is a successful advert due to how it is a reoccurring advert every Christmas. Everyone waits for this advert when its leading up to Christmas, which is a great way how coca cola have captivated their potential customers by associating the colour of the coca cola tin with Father Christmas. Another great advertising technique is also showcasing the van from the advert in cities, which is what is known to happen when its getting close to Christmas. The people who travel in the coca cola vans all hand out cans of coca cola.

Tango

This tango advert was extremely unsuccessful due to how it included a man dressed in an orange costume, slapping people in the face. Children being children, were copying what happened on this advertisement which inevitably lead to it being taken off the air and never used again.

Marmite

This marmite advert was banned due to how the marmite was portrayed as being ill – treated. This was comparing marmite to dogs held in captivity and abused children. This advert had a bad backlash and therefore has had to be taken off the air.

Flora

This advertisement called “wrestlers” by Flora, was banned due to it involving children walking in on their parents whilst in bed, and their naïve minds call it “wrestling”. This caused outrage and therefore had to be taken off the air.

Nivea

The music used for this campaign was a song by Rihanna, which was deemed inappropriate as she mentioned parts of the body, and didn’t really relate to what they were trying to sell, which then lead to it having to be taken off air.

McDonalds

With this campaign, Mcdonalds wanted to address their key demographic, which is young people who are constantly eating fast food. In the case of their unfortunate “I’d hit it” ads it seems like they started with the edgy concept “sex,” then corralled a bunch of frat boy interns into the room to fill out the rest.

The Four Earth Elements For this branding project, I have decided to use the four elements of the earth as inspiration for my range. Including each of the four elements; Fire, Water, Air and Earth, I have decided to create four mini ranges and have decided to call the entire range “Elements�. This range will include environmentally friendly garments, this is due to the range being inspired by the earth’s elements. I have selected to sell my range in Zara. This is due to the type of customer my range will be aimed at, and the type of high quality clothing that will be also included.

Zara is one of the largest international fashion companies. It belongs to Inditex, one of the world’s largest distribution groups. The Customer is at the heart of their unique business model, which includes design, production, distribution and sales throughout their extensive retail network.

Inditex is one of the world’s largest fashion retailers with eight brands and over 6,600 stores throughout the world.

Dating back to 1963, through its history the group has evolved to become the business it is today reaching many notable milestones along its journey. The company has always remained focused on listening closely to its customers to offer them the fashions they desire. This strong customer orientation would come to a rise, years later, to the launch of the first Zara store in 1975. This was followed by the brand’s international expansion at the end of the 1980’s and the successive launch of new retail concepts including: Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home and Uterque. This customer focus underpins an organisational structure that encompasses all stages of the fashion value chain (design, manufacturing, distribution and sale proprietary stores).

The customer promise is also the driving force behind the integration of our sustainable and environmental policies used throughout the group’s supply chain.

The group’s brands strive to sell fashionable products of the highest quality. Inditex is committed to its customers which means that its 137,000 – strong workforce is focused on staying true to its word. A state of the art logistics system centre in Spain helps deliver new products to all of the group’s stores twice weekly to meet their customer’s needs.

Their Mission Statement: Environmental policy

In-store

They save energy in their eco – friendly store by; having an eco-friendly management model in their stores to reduce energy consumption by 20%, introducing sustainability and efficiency criteria. This management model sets out measures to be applied to all processes, including the design of the store itself, the lighting, heating and cooling system and the possibility of recycling furniture and decoration.

They produce less waste by recycling hangers and alarms, which are picked up from their stores and processed into other plastic elements. Millions of hangers and alarms are processed each year and both the cardboard and plastic used for packaging are also recycled.

Their commitment extends to their staff by hosting specific multimedia – based training programmes to educate their staff in sustainable practices, such as limiting energy consumption, using sustainable transport and modifying behaviour patterns.

With the product

They use ecological fabrics, particularly Organic cotton. Zara supports organic farming and makes some of its garments out of Organic cotton (100% cotton, completely free of pesticides, chemicals and bleach). They have specific labels and are easy to spot in-store.

In Transport

They use biodiesel fuel. Zara’s fleet of lorries, which transport more than 200 million items of clothing a year, use 5% biodiesel fuel. This allows them to reduce their CO2 emissions by 500 tons.

Their Animal Welfare Policy All Zara products, including materials of animal origin, comply with the applicable “Inditex Animal Welfare Policy�. This policy requires the products to come from animals treated in an ethical and responsible manner at all times. Under no circumstances may animal products deriving from animals slaughtered exclusively for sale of their skins, shells, horns, bones, feathers, down or any other material be used.

Zara, being a member of the Fur Free Alliance under the Inditex group, does not sell products containing fur, thus following the principles of the Fur Free Program.

No cosmetics sold by Zara, nor their ingredients, have been tested on animals.

Elements

Elements at

I have chosen to sell my “elements” range within Zara. This is due to how environmentally friendly they are as a company, and I would like to bring more of their attitudes towards the environment through their clothing ranges, not just by selling “organic cotton”. Looking at the regular target customers within Zara, they’re usually sophisticated women and men who like to keep on trend, wanting high quality clothing, however not burning a hole in their pocket whilst doing so. I have noticed that there is a niche in the market regarding Zara, although they have a section of the company called “TRF”, which is typically aimed at students, young people under the age of 25, it isn’t a typically wide selection and therefore needs more promotion and TLC. As the planet is currently in desperate need for us as humans, to make a big change by the way we make our clothes, what materials we are using to make clothes and what we’re wearing on our bodies, I have decided to bring new “elements” to Zara, by including more environmentally friendly materials and fabrics for my clothing. As this is only a small project, I will be including an outfit for each mini range within my “elements” range for a starting point.

Bringing new “elements” to Zara Our Mission statement: “Element” mission statement is to strive for fashionable products of the highest quality, while using environmentally friendly fabrics.

Elements

Laura Sheldon Assistant Buyer

Email: Sheldon_laura@Hotmail.co.uk Phone: 01512545869

Bringing new ‘elements’ to

Elements

This is the idea I have for my advertisement for my range. It will be set in a city, perhaps Paris or Venice, with Alexa Chung wearing some of the range, during a trip to the city and enjoying perhaps a hot chocolate. As Alexa Chung is so naturally beautiful, reflecting my natural range, she won’t be wearing any eye makeup – and if she does, it will be a touch of eyeliner and a touch of mascara. Alexa’s natural beauty speaks for itself, like my range “elements”. During the advert, perhaps she will whisper “elements”, and there will be text introducing the collection and of course some recognition of Zara. Alexa will also have her hair the way she usually wears it, wanded with perhaps it pinned up like the image above to showcase the clothing. I have chosen my advert to also be shown in black and white – to add a sense of sophistication to the advert and my range. Therefore attracting my target market.

Customer Profile My target customer is called Olivia, she is 24 and is studying Fashion Journalism at the University of London. She has a studio apartment in the city centre and is just a 10 minute stroll away from an underground station. Olivia loves to go out with her friends on a Thursday or Saturday night in Shoreditch or Camden.

Olivia’s hobbies include; going shopping, hanging out with her friends, updating her daily blog, reading and keeping up with the latest fashion trends. She has a Pomeranian called teddy, and always co-ordinates her outfits with him and snuggles with him in bed. Her favourite movie is Breakfast at Tiffany’s and loves to keep up with the Kardashians on E!. Even though she loves fashion, she is extremely fashion savvy and doesn’t burn a hole in her purse when going on shopping sprees. This is due to shopping in high street stores such as H&M, Topshop and of course, Zara.

Olivia is also single, this is due to feeling like a man would distract her for striving what she needs to achieve in her developing career.

Warm

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Store Layout at As you can see via the images that I have included, Zara

has a simplistic and appealing store layout which makes it easy extremely easy for the customer to shop. The layout has the exact same spacing on all A tables, standing fixtures and wall spigots, allowing the customer to see each item of clothing and pair of shoes individually.

As you typically walk into a Zara store, you are first greeted by a couple of mannequins wearing the new arrivals into store, or items that need to be driven and therefore need more customer attention if they aren’t selling as expected.

This is where the first glimpse of my collection will take place.

There will be 4 mannequins standing at the front of the store, wearing each statement piece from each of the mini ranges within my “elements” range. However due to the simplistic ways of a regular Zara store, the mannequins won’t be made to be over powering and therefore scaring off my potential target market. As you walk through the store, you will find promotional adverts of my collection on the televisions that are located behind the tills, as well as posters directing my potential customers towards the

Wall fixtures & spigots “A” table for “Earth”

“A” table for “Air”

M

M

“A” table for “Fire”

“A” table for “Water”

M

M

Standing Fixture

M = Mannequins As you can see via my floor plan, I have given each of the mini ranges their own “A” table, mannequins and standing fixtures. This is due to wanting the customer to see what each invidual piece of clothing looks like in outfits that have been put together. Each mannequin will have also have some sort of 3-D art on the box, such as synthetic flames or synthetic leaves, which they are standing on in order to grab the potential customer’s attention and to add a different dynamic to Zara as a store. On my next slide is a glimpse of how much shop wall would like showing my garments.

Evaluation

To conclude, I have learned how to conduct research quickly and effieniently on different companies, trying to find out which company would have portrayed my idea perfectly. I feel as though Zara would portray my range better than any other store due to how simplistic and environmentally friendly it is as a company as a whole. I have also learned how to portray my range visually in-store, which is a skill I hope to take forward and utilise in my future career. Also from that, I have learnt that you need to look at the store layout and think about how it will be portrayed to a customer when choosing a range and putting it together. However, if I were to do this part of the unit again, I would focus more on the materials that would be used within my range, and research more ways to help the environment. I would also include and focus on the information given and make sure I write as much detail about each part as much as possible. I feel these improvements would make a huge impact on the development of the range; as you cant have a range without materials and fabrics, as well as if you don’t know where the ideas have came from, you can’t give out the first intended message when starting to think up the “four elements” idea. I feel that the range would appeal to the customer market as I feel that there is a current niche especially in Zara where young people are concerned.

They haven’t focussed on that part of the store and I feel that my range would emphasise TRF and bring more younger customers into store. When I was looking for my concept, I looked at the latest trends on WGSN, and saw there was an “element” trend that will be ready to land in SS17. I took this idea and applied it to more of a ecological type of concept and came up with “the four elements”.

This will obviously help me in my future career, as this is what I will be doing on a daily basis, looking at trend forecasts, going to different countries looking for inspiration for the new trend for whom ever I am working for in the future.

Peer Assessment

The artefact in the collection on the previous slide, a Rubix Cube, links to their collection due to the colour blocking used on the concept boards and clothing. The shape of the CADs that are used, such as the sharpness and edginess reflects both the edginess of a cube and the style of clothing.

There is also an extremely strong concept of “Sport Luxe”. There is sport shaping within the CADs, yet the clothing are of a “luxe” quality and material good enough to wear everyday, rather than just to the gym for a workout. Aspects of the concept board I feel that are successful, is the layout and the colour. The layout screams shape and colour, which adapts a rubix cube. The CADs I would add to this concept board would be a few pairs of pants to give an idea of what the range would look like.

This is due to how the concept board hasn’t included any pants and only has tops. Therefore is quite hard to imagine the entire line as a whole. Via the concept board, and looking at the block, clean colours, it gives you an idea that the concept board is for Spring/Summer. I would include tops of a light material, and trainers to go with an outfit constructed out of the clothing. The typical target customer for this concept would be for the younger generation, due to the rubix cube, suggesting the younger demographic. I have described in detail the typical customer to shop at “sports luxe” on the next slide. Some of the images don’t work on the concept board, as there isn’t a lot of sport images included, and where there are, they have been slightly cropped out so your eye doesn’t really draw to “sports”. I would include more images of sports enthusiasts, and more sports images. If I were to produce a slogan for this campaign would be “give them a reason to remember your name”.

Customer Profile The “Sports Luxe” target customer is called Niki, she’s 18 years old and finishing her last year of Sixth Form. She lives in Manchester, loves keeping fit by going to the gym and going out with her friends on the weekend. She loves listening to music by Drake on her iPhone and has a cheat day on a Saturday when she can eat whatever she wants.

Her favourite junk food is pizza and Chinese food, although she loves to eat healthy too, she loves a bit of salmon. She has a beagle called Sammy, and likes to take him walking through her local park. Niki also likes to go shopping. She likes to shop at primark, h&m and river island.

Evaluation of the Unit At the beginning of the unit, we were asked to research previous trends that made an effect on the fashion industry, and having little experience within studying retail and fashion, I didn’t really feel as though I knew what I was doing, or where I was going with my research. I thoroughly enjoyed researching all about fashion and where and when the first big milestone in fashion was. As the research went on, though, we were asked to research “sophisticated heritage”, which was also incredibly interesting, as we had to look at companies that were inspired by the sophisticated heritage and find high street stores that were selling sophisticated heritage. I ensured I found particularly unique brands, that somehow either supplied for the world war, or have descended from the relatives who fought in the war. After the sophisticated heritage, we had to conduct more research from decades of fashion, I chose the 1970’s and the 1990’s, as I felt that they were two incredibly significant decades in fashion history. As I continued through my research I came to find that both decades were actually not all that different, as they both included a form of rebellion by young people. The skills I have learned throughout the entire module are endless. I have learned to Photoshop, which will benefit me greatly within my future career. I have learned how to create a mood board, concept board and range plan quickly and effiently, which is another skill I will need in my future career. Things I would improve in this unit would perhaps to include a bit more detail on particular slides, as well as making sure I finish a task before starting another, which can lead to a snowballing effect with work.