MILLY's Fashion Democracy

MILLY’S FASHION

DEMOCRACY

Embracing size-inclusivity in the oversaturated fashion industry Lauren Lockhart Savannah College of Art and Design M.A. Luxury and Fashion Management Final Project Proposal

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Abstract ...

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Background ...

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About Milly ...

Marketing Mix

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SWOT Analysis ...

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Methodology ...

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Deliverables ...

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Timeline ...

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Glossary of Key Terms

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Annotated Bibliography

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References ...

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Biographical Statement ...

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ABSTRACT

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n the United States, plus-size women represent 67 percent of the population, yet only nine percent of the fashion and apparel industry is made available in their sizes. This makes the plus-size market an area of huge untapped potential—one that top-tier designers and mass market brands alike should grasp if they want to remain competitive in the saturated apparel industry. This M.A. final project proposal explores the economic potential of embracing the plus-size market by proposing a new, size-inclusive marketing mix model for American womenswear brand Milly.

It will first analyze the plus-size apparel market as a whole, and then it will analyze the current marketing mix and SWOT of Milly that make it a choice fit for size inclusivity. The final project will delve deeper into the wants and needs of the plus-size consumer, the future outlook of the apparel industry, and the necessary strategies for the successful long-term inclusion of this lucrative consumer market.

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BACKGROUND

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hristene Barberich, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the popular lifestyle website Refinery29 has said, “Plus-size women are not niche, but the norm; not just a lone column in a magazine, website, or community--they are the community itself.”

In this day and age, 67 percent of American women identify as plus-size—wearing a size 14 or higher—yet they are still vastly underrepresented in the fashion industry. Excluding plus-size-specific stores like Lane Bryant and Torrid, the majority of designers and clothing brands size their garments up to a size 12, leaving two-thirds of the female population struggling to find clothing that not only fits, but makes them look and feel good.

So, why do brands continue to disregard a huge portion of the overall consumer market? It all comes down to a prevailing attitude of condescension, one that is deeply rooted in superficial and outdated notions of beauty. The general stance from designers on the plus-size customer is “I don’t want her wearing my clothes [because] she won’t look the way that I want her to look.” By ignoring the majority of the female population, brands that assume this close-minded perspective are ignoring—and oftentimes insulting—a huge portion of their potential customer market. The fashion and apparel industry is a consumer-driven business, and in order to thrive, brands must listen to and appeal to the needs their customers—and that means all customers, regardless of the size on their dress label.

swelnus.com

Women in the U.S.

plus-model-mag.com

Apparel in the U.S. 9%

67%

Plus-size

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alfemminile.com

Straight size

Plus-size

Straight size

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Year-over-Year Growth of Fashion Industry Total apparel sales Plus-size apparel sales

The NPD Group/Consumer Tracking Service

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ithin the oversaturated fashion industry, the plus-size sector remains a white space in the market, presenting massive lucrative potential for brands who choose to embrace--rather than ignore-women who wear larger than a size 12. While the overall fashion industry has seen sales decrease in recent years, the plus-size market has outpaced overall industry growth for the past three years. Plus-size women are contributing to high apparel sales out of the basic need for clothing their size, yet the demand still far exceeds the supply. On average, plus-size clothing represents just 9 percent of the overall $190 billion fashion industry— that means that over two-thirds of women in America have less than one tenth of manufactured clothing available to them. This clear neglect of plus-size women—often referred to as the “invisible majority”—starts at the top with designers.

So how does the stigma that plus-size fashion is undesirable get broken? It requires a cultural shift—and while that does not happen overnight, it can be accelerated when the new standard of acceptance and inclusion starts with industry influencers. A 2015 Euromonitor report explains that with the right investment in a manufacturing and marketing strategies, top apparel brands can change the fashion landscape for the plus-size customer. At a time when body positivity messaging has never been more prevalent than it is now, the industry currently sits at the ideal precipice to finally cater to the long-neglected plus-size market. plus-model-mag.com

In order to prove that established fashion brands can include the plus-size consumer, a handbook of size-inclusive guidelines will be created on how to successfully capitalize on this gap in the market. This “How to be a Size-Inclusive Brand” handbook will then be utilized to build a new, size-inclusive marketing mix for Milly, an American contemporary womenswear brand. The project will detail the recommendation for Milly to alter its product, placement, price, and promotion to accommodate extended sizing and how this alteration can improve the brand’s bottom line.

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| Average size U.S. woman wears

100 million | Number of plus-size women in the U.S $20.4 billion | Value of plus-size fashion industry $12-14 billion | Est. amount lost per year from not servicing plus-size customers

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PRODUCT

ABOUT MILLY

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ounded in 2001 by Michelle Smith, Milly celebrates the female form through bold, custom-designed prints and flattering silhouettes. It is a private, independently-owned LLC that does about $29 million in sales each year. Milly’s current marketing mix is detailed on the following page.

Milly manufactures and sells contemporary womenswear with the influence of Smith’s experience working in French ateliers. As such, all Milly apparel is manufactured in New York, NY. When the brand launched, it offered ready-to-wear apparel in sizes 0-12. Since then, the size offerings have not changed, but Milly has introduced several brand extensions including outerwear, swimwear, handbags and accessories, eveningwear, and limited-edition tees.

The Milly customer is often a reflection of Smith herself: an ambitious young professional turned hip working mom who seeks versatility in her wardrobe.

Says Smith, “I design clothes that I myself would want to wear.” As such, the Milly customer ranges in age from 16-60, but tends to target the younger end of the spectrum around age 20-40.

PLACEMENT When Milly first opened, collection pieces were only sold wholesale to department stores; this remains a large distribution channel for the brand, with retail partners including Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Harrods. The brand can also be found via a handful of online retailers such as Net-a-porter.com.

Milly owns and operates three freestanding stores: the flagship Manhattan store, an East Hamptons store, and a Toyko store. Milly also sells directly via e-commerce at Milly.com. Competitors include fellow brands at the lower end of the designer price bracket such as Diane von Furstenberg and 3.1 Phillip Lim.

PRICE Milly was first created when Smith saw a gap in the market—in 2001, few contemporary womenswear brands that were affordably priced, yet luxurious in quality, existed. Accordingly, the brand has always taken a premium pricing strategy, with the average prices per apparel category listed to the right.

Limited-edition tees: $90 - $155 Swimwear: $180 - $210 Tops, Sweaters, Shorts, and Skirts: $195 - $350 Pants: $295 - $450 Dresses: $350 - $695 Outerwear: $435 - $850 Eveningwear: $725 - $1,395

PROMOTION

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Despite the wide range of product offerings, Milly remains a brand with which many consumers are unfamiliar. Milly utilizes promotion via traditional advertising efforts as well as social media marketing through platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. However, the engagement on these pages is quite low; the quality and quantity of postings indicate that social media marketing is a low priority for the brand.

Recently, Milly has taken an edgier, more youthful approach to its promotional efforts. For its Fall 2016 ad campaign, the company hired Sagmeister & Walsh to create a new brand image showcasing bold, CGI-enhanced depictions of models with provocative, women-empowering attitudes. These latest marketing efforts indicate a desire to appeal to the Millennial market, a demographic rapidly growing in size and spending power.

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• Atelier-influenced manufacturing

• Sizes limited to 0-12

• 100% of apparel manufactured in the U.S.

• Low brand recognition

• Many brand extensions

• Poor social media marketing

• Privately owned by Michelle Smith and husband/ Milly president Andrew Oshrin • Apparel features custom prints and figure-flattering silhouettes

O • Strengthen brand identity to connect with consumers • Gain market share through extended size offerings

T • Oversaturation of apparel industry • Prevalence of masstige brands that replicate designs at a much lower price point

• Appeal to the attitudes of the Millennial generation • Imbue forward-thinking retail strategies into freestanding stores

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METHODOLOGY

SECONDARY RESEARCH Further research in the following key areas will be conducted for the final project:

PRIMARY RESEARCH Personal interviews

Plus-size consumer needs Emerald Insight, WWD, News publications (e.g. The Washington Post, WSJ)

A number of one-on-one interviews with plus-size consumers will be conducted to better understand their unfulfilled wants and needs regarding apparel and retail shopping experiences. This intimate form of research will provide more personal insight to support the already existing secondary sources on plus-size market needs.

Future outlook of the fashion and apparel industry

Influencer feedback

Milly.com, OneSource, Business of Fashion, FashionBi

There are numerous plus-size fashion bloggers who not only know, but have the power to influence the fashion industry. Several of these bloggers will be contacted with the aim of getting their insight on size inclusivity in the industry. These bloggers are listed below

Business Source Premier, Euromonitor, WWD, WGSN

Milly company research

Marketing mix adaptations Emerald Insight, WARC, Refinery29, Droptheplus.org

Liz Black: P.S. It’s Fashion | www.psitsfashion.com Jeniese Hosey: The Jenesaisquoi | www.thejenesaisquoi.blogspot.com Nicolette Mason: Marie Claire | www.instagram.com/nicolettemason Chastity Garner: GarnerStyle | www.garnerstyle.com Gabi Gregg: Gabi Fresh | www.gabifresh.com

Contacting Milly With the goal of acquiring more information on the mission and business goals of the company, the Milly corporate office will be contacted.

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DELIVERABLES

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“How to be a Size-inclusive Brand” handbook with universal methods for sizing, pricing, and marketing apparel for female customers of all sizes

A new marketing mix for Milly implementing size inclusivity: • Product strategy • Placement strategy • Pricing strategy • Promotion strategy

A forecast of potential market and sales growth from launch of size inclusivity at Milly

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TIMELINE Pre-spring Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Primary research Consumer interviews Blogger interviews Contact Milly corporate Secondary research Plus-size consumer needs Future industry outlook Milly company research Marketing mix adaptations Strategies Goals and objectives Product Placement Pricing Promotion Final deliverables "How to" handbook Marketing mix final book Design presentation Present M.A. final project

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GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS Plus-size - refers to any customer or clothing item that is size 14 or higher NOTE: the term “plus-size” has been used throughout this proposal, as this is the familiar and current term for this sector. However, the term is widely recognized as stigmatic, and the accompanying final project will present reasons why this term should be eliminated from the cultural dialogue.

Straight-size - refers to any customer or clothing item that is size 0-12 Size-inclusive - not differentiating or excluding any one “size” group, but rather offering apparel for women of all sizes Premium pricing - products are rationally priced according to relevant quality.

Premium products are generally considered best in their category in regards to style and quality.

Contemporary (apparel) - modern apparel made for a woman’s everyday life Brand extension - launch of a new product category under a company’s existing brand name with the goal of increasing sales from existing customers Atelier - a designer’s workroom where apparel is created Ready-to-wear - clothing that is “off the rack,” or manufactured and sold in standard sizes Masstige - refers to products with a premium or prestige feel, but are readily accessible to the public Millennials - generation in the current age range of 20-35 with commonthread beliefs and attitudes

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ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Alati, Danine. (2912, August 4). Milly’s Michelle Smith Relaxes in Water Mill. Hamptons Magazine. Retrieved from http://hamptons-magazine.com/millys-michelle-smith-relaxes-in-water-mill Because Milly is a privately owned and smaller fashion brand, articles on the brand are limited. This piece provides a great interview with designer Michelle Smith about the inspiration behind her design and her target customer. The article is a few years old, but the information within it is relevant.

Banjo, Shelly and Rani Molla (2016, May 10). Retailers Ignore Most of America’s Women. BloombergGadfly.

Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2016-05-10/plus-size-could-save-retailers Contrary to the overall struggle for growth amongst retailers, the plus-size market sales are on a steady increase.

Despite these statistics, the article explains the dearth of plus-size clothing options at many well-known retailers, such as Nordstrom, J.C. Penney, and Nike. The article further details some of the common issues designers face when creating plus-size garments, as these styles require a sharper focus on fit, patterns, and fabrics than straight-size garments.

Big is Beautiful: Plus Size Gathers Momentum. (2014, January 21). Euromonitor. Retrieved from http://0-www. portal.euromonitor.com.library.scad.edu/portal/magazine/homemain Euromonitor offers a wealth of information about the future of the fashion and apparel industry. This article discusses the market gap of plus-size apparel and disputes several of the common reasons brands give for not branching into the plus-size market. It further mentions several companies with proven success following plussize inclusion.

Drop The Plus (2015). Retrieved from http://droptheplus.org/ This website is dedicated to the #DropThePlus campaign that started trending in 2015 on social media. The project explains that the distinction of clothing sized 14 and higher as “plus-size” indicates it is somehow different, or lesser, than clothing sized 12 and under. It further explains the negative effect this distinction has on the average plus-size customer, and it urges the public to join in pushing for the cultural removal of the “plussize” label.

Edelson, Sharon (2016, March 30). Target’s Ava & Viv Speaks to Plus-Size Women. WWD. Retrieved from http://0wwd.com.library.scad.edu/business-news/retail/targets-ava-viv-plus-size-10399783/ In a forward-thinking maneuver, Target has recently launched a plus-size brand extension called Ava & Viv. Instead of its usual tactic of appealing to large market groups, Ava & Viv specifically targets the niche market of plus-size women who crave style. A large part of Target’s success with this line has been its utilization of input from well-known plus-size fashion bloggers, which provided them with personal insight on how to meet the unique needs of this market.

Fernandez, C. (2015, April 30). How Milly’s Michelle Smith Continues to Grow in the Contemporary Market.

Fashionista. Retrieved from http://fashionista.com/2015/04/michelle-smith-milly-contemporary This article goes into several of Milly’s business strategies, including its penchant for brand extensions are decision to manufacture its apparel in the U.S. It also provides valuable insight into the contemporary womenswear market and how it has changed since Milly’s founding in 2001.

Bogenrief, Margaret (2012, December 21). Retailers Can’t Ignore 100 Million Plus-Size American Women Forever.

Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/why-isnt-plus-size-bigger-2012-12

Givhan, Robin (2016). How a plus-size clothing label dug out of bankruptcy: Body pride, diversity and Instagram.

The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://wapo.st/2bVCq2e

Bogenrief’s article for Business Insider highlights the new normal for women: the majority of females wear plussized clothing. She analyzes the main factors preventing fashion designers from catering to this market, including the difficulty in fitting clothes, the accepted norm of retailers relying on accessories and shoes to sell to plus-size women, and an overall attitude that “plus-size” doesn’t meet the conventional standards of beauty. These three factors lead to many designers and retailers simply ignoring this market segment.

This article digs into the failure, then resurgence, of clothing store Ashley Stewart, which targets plus-size African American women. After reporting millions in losses for several years, Ashley Stewart’s new CEO James Rhee was able to turn the brand around, reporting an annual profit of $20 million. This article details several of Rhee’s marketing successes, including an increased focus on social media, a greater customer-driven stance, and an emphasis on great-looking fashion, no matter the size of the customer.

Daugherty, Alexis (2016, August 8). Research reveals plus-size women are forced to cross-dress to workout.

WMAZ. Retrieved from http://www.13wmaz.com/news/health/research-reveals-plus-size-women-areforced-to-cross-dress-to-workout/291265906

Gunn, Tim (2016, September 8). Tim Gunn: Designers refuse to make clothes to fit American women. It’s a disgrace. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://wapo.st/2euB7Nf

This article reveals a staggering new statistic from Washington State University’s Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design, and Textiles: athletic apparel options for plus-size women are so limited, that many women have to purchase and wear men’s athletic apparel. It further supports the immense frustration plus-size women experience when shopping for clothing for themselves.

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Gunn compiles data from many reputable sources to illustrate the massive discrepancy in supply and demand for plus-size clothing. He explains the huge moneymaking potential for designers and brands who decide to include, rather than ignore, this affluent and fashion-conscious market, and he urges the fashion industry to make plussize inclusion the rule, not the exception.

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Kuchinski, Andrea (2015, August 20). Selling plus-size clothing isn’t just good for business. It’s also the right thing to do. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://wapo.st/2f6z4La Kuchinski shares her personal experiences of struggling to find plus-size athletic clothing. As a result, she created her own size-inclusive line of athletic wear called From Thick to Thin. Kuchinski provides great insight into manufacturing plus-size clothing and well as the style and cost needs of the plus-size consumer. She further provides anecdotes from designers and brands on how they have approached—or in many cases, ignored—the plus-size market.

Lockwood, Lisa (2014, November 25). Panel Laments Plus-size Challenge. WWD. Retrieved from http://bit. ly/2g428Ik This article discusses a 2014 breakfast panel called “Fashion Without Limits: Changing the Face of Fashion,” which was moderated by plus-size model Emme and featured panelists who run the gamut of the fashion industry. The panel agreed that changing the behavior of department stores is incredibly difficult, yet the financial potential is worth it to them. It also mentions Emme’s “Fashion Without Limits” initiative, which encourages college fashion students to design for plus-size women in hopes to breed more size-inclusive designers for the future.

Lubitz, Rachel (2015, October 2). Here’s How “Hard” it is to Actually Design Beautiful, Stylish Clothes for Plus-Size Women.” Style.Mic. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2g8hhYu

Romeo, Laurel Dawn and Young-A Lee (2015). Exploring apparel purchase issues with plus-size female teens.

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 19 (2). Retrieved from http://emeraldinsight.com/doi/ full/10.1108/JFMM-02-2014-0012 The researchers took an in-depth approach to exploring the attitudes of plus-size teenagers towards clothing and shopping experiences. Through personal interviews with a small sample of teens and their parents, the researchers found overwhelmingly that these teens experience frustration, exclusion, and disappointment when shopping. They also discovered that plus-size teens and their parents would be willing to spend more on clothing if there was more availability in their size.

Seckler, Valerie (2005, March 9). A Plus-Size Embrace. WWD. Retrieved from http://0-wwd.com.library.scad.edu/ business-news/marketing-promotion/a-plus-size-embrace-580882/ Though written more than a decade ago, this article illustrates the longevity of plus-size exclusion in the fashion industry. Marshal Cohen, a chief industry analyst for market research firm The NPD Group, offers valuable insight into the economic benefits that department stores could attain if they increased their plus-size offerings. He makes several projections regarding increases in spending and data about women’s specific sizing needs.

The 67 Percent Project (2016). Refinery29. Retrieved from http://www.refinery29.com/67-percent-project-plussize-body-image/

This article delves into the practical implications of manufacturing clothing for plus-size women. It interviews several niche designers and retailers who are size inclusive. For example, one designer, who mentions that others complain about the increased fabric costs of sizing up, chooses to price all garments according to a size 1X-instead of the typical size Medium. The insight from these designers is helpful in determining how a company would practically adapt to producing a plus-size brand extension.

The website landing page for Refinery29’s “67 Percent Project” explains the popular site’s campaign to include more plus-size women in its mainstream media. Refinery29 partnered with Getty Images and spent months shooting new stock imagery featuring plus-size women; for one week in September 2016, it then saturated its own media, making sure that 67 percent of its posted photos featured plus-size women. This page includes several interesting statistics and quotes regarding perceptions of plus-size women in the media, and it serves as an example of the growing trend towards greater plus-size inclusivity.

Milly LLC (2017). One Source. Retrieved from https://app.avention.com/company/ebf57b13-71fd-3118-abc6fb6b230648e9#report/company_summary

WWD Staff (2003, August 4). Maximizing the Plus-Size Potential. WWD. Retrieved from http://0-wwd.com.library. scad.edu/fashion-news/fashion-features/maximizing-the-plus-size-potential-723554/

The database One Source provides company details for a wide range of public and private companies. The page for privately-owned Milly is brief, but valuable. Not only does it provide contact information for several corporate employees, but it also notes that the company does about $29 million in sales each year.

This article specifically focuses on the plus-size potential in the hosiery industry. While it does not apply to all aspects of women’s fashion, it does demonstrate the economic potential of including more plus-size options, even when done within a niche area. Considering that about 35% of women are sized for plus-size hosiery, and considering the hosiery business is valued around $3 billion, capitalizing on the plus-size market needs could be a $1 billion industry. This data is useful in considering plus-size brand extensions in other niche areas, such as denim, athleticwear, or undergarments.

Milly Rebrand Campaign by Sagmeister & Walsh. (2016, August 22). Retrieved from http://theinspirationgrid. com/milly-rebrand-campaign-by-sagmeister-walsh/ This online article discusses the recent rebranding campaign Milly underwent starting with its Fall 2016 campaign. It is important because it reveals the brand direction the company is envisioning for itself, and it will be useful in creating size-inclusive marketing deliverables. Many of the campaign images shown are also used throughout the proposal.

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REFERENCES Apparel Industry Price Point Definitions: Terms of Interest to the Fashion Industry (2016). Apparel Search.

Retrieved from http://www.apparelsearch.com/terms/a/apparel_industry_price_point_definitions.html Are plus-size women more sensitive? (2009, June 2). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/ blogs/freeexchange/2009/06/are_the_plus_size_more_sensiti Ashdown, Susan P. (1998). An investigation of the structure of sizing systems. International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, 10 (5). Retrieved from http://emeraldinsight.com/doi/ full/10.1108/09556229810239324 Black, Liz (2016, November 12). ModCloth’s First Store is Exactly What Shopping Should be. Refinery29. Retrieved from http://www.refinery29.com/modcloth-brick-mortar-store-opening Bosomworth, Danyl (2013). The Top 10 Most Meaningful Brands in the World. Smart Insights. Retrieved from http://www.smartinsights.com/online-brand-strategy/brand-positioning/most-meaningful-brands/ Chan, Lauren (2016, October 17). 4 Things I Learned While Designing Plus Size Clothing. Glamour. Retrieved from http://www.glamour.com/story/what-i-learned-while-designing-plus-size-clothing Cheng, Andrea (2016, May 10). Christian Siriano on How His Lane Bryant Collection Breaks All the Plus-Size Fashion Stereotypes. InStyle. Retrieved from http://www.instyle.com/fashion/christian-siriano-lanebryant-runway-show

Lockwood, Lisa (2016, August 8). Fullbeauty Brands Launches Ellos as Plus-Size Brand for Online and Catalogue.

WWD. Retrieved from http://0-wwd.com.library.scad.edu/business-news/retail/fullbeauty-brandslaunches-ellos-as-plus-size-brand-for-online-and-catalogue-10502410/ Lockwood, Lisa (2015, April 23). Michelle Smitih Celebrates Milly for DesigNation Launch. WWD. Retrieved from http://0-wwd.com.library.scad.edu/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/michelle-smith-milly-for-designationkohls-10116428/ Lubitz, Rachel (2015, September 11). These Plus-Size Models Are Coming for Fashion Week — and Starting With This Gorgeous Ad. Style.Mic. Retrieved from https://mic.com/articles/125179/these-plus-size-modelsare-coming-for-fashion-week-and-starting-with-this-gorgeous-ad#.70dXoMHbJ Mason, Nicolette (2017, January 6). What Got Left Behind When “Body Positivity” Went Mainstream?

Refinery29. Retrieved from http://www.refinery29.com/2016/01/133672/plus-size-models-bodydiversity-experiences#slide Milly (2017). Instagram. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/milly/ Milly Designer Michelle Smith Recalls the Toughest Moment in her Career (2013, December 19). Fashionista.

Retrieved from http://fashionista.com/2013/12/milly-designer-michelle-smith-career Milly: Insights (2016). FashionBi. Retrieved from https://fashionbi.com/brands/milly/insights

Company Overview of Milly LLC (2017, February 11). Bloomberg. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/ research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=118162645

Peoples, Landon (2016, December 19). What It’s Like To Be A Plus-Size Transgender Model. Refinery29. Retrieved from http://www.refinery29.com/transgender-model-shay-neary

Edelson, Sharon (2013, January 7). Michelle Smith, Banana Republic Team for Milly Collection. WWD. Retrieved from http://0-search.proquest.com.library.scad.edu/docview/1269738512?pq-origsite=summon

Roumeliotis, James D. (2012, September 7). Luxury vs. Premium vs. Fashion: Clarifying the Disparity. Retrieved from https://jdrazure.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/luxury-vs-premium-vs-fashion-clarifying-thedisparity/

Edelson, Sharon (2011, May 13). Retail: Michelle Smith Opens 1st Milly Store. WWD. Retrieved from http://0search.proquest.com.library.scad.edu/docview/1434355049?pq-origsite=summon Edelson, Sharon (2015, January 21). Target Launches Ava & Viv Plus-Size Line. WWD. Retrieved from http://0-wwd.com.library.scad.edu/business-news/retail/target-launches-ava-viv-plus-size-line8126857/#icn=wwd-hyperlink&ici=10399783_link1 Gurung, Prabal (2016, October 19). Fashion for All: On why diversity in the fashion world matters. Lenny.

Retrieved from http://www.lennyletter.com/style/a583/fashion-for-all/

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Larson, Kristin (2016, April 2015). Michelle Smith Takes Milly to Neiman’s in Chicago. WWD. Retrieved from http://0-wwd.com.library.scad.edu/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/michelle-smith-milly-neimanschicago-10418166/

Stylebook snapshot: The labels for plus-size are out. (2015, October 25). Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1RI9E3c The Making of an “It” Dress (2016, June 1). WSJ. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/video/the-making-of-an-itdress/2070D54C-1D61-4E7F-A3EC-0781A4F1D81D.html The Marketing Mix and the 4 Ps: Understanding How to Position Your Market Offering. Retrieved from https:// www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_94.htm

Joseph, Jim (2013, July 19). The Art of Positioning Your Brand and Why You Can’t Afford to Screw It Up. Entrepreneur. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/227445

Wang, Connie. (2017, January 13). What’s Stopping the Most Relevant Style Subculture From Going Mainstream.

Refinery29. Retrieved from http://www.refinery29.com/2017/01/134958/modest-clothing-fashiontrend

Kabas, Marisa (2016, October 3). There’s a ridiculous lack of flattering plus-size clothing--and this might explain why. Fusion. Retrieved from http://fus.in/2lEu9oC

Yahoo Style Staff (2016, October 24). Our Survey Reveals the Complicated Relationship Between Women and Clothing Size. Yahoo. Retrieved from https://yhoo.it/2eCqupC

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LAUREN LOCKHART

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BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

n speaking to her past, Diane von Furstenberg said, “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew the woman I wanted to be.” This mantra has guided me in my journey towards SCAD, and ultimately, the professional future I envision for myself. In 2013, I graduated summa cum laude from Birmingham-Southern College, a prestigious liberal arts institution, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Within two weeks, I had embarked on my post-grad path with B-Metro Magazine, a city and lifestyle magazine in my hometown of Birmingham, AL. I used my talents and tireless work ethic to build the magazine’s social media marketing platform, ultimately earning a promotion to Marketing Director and winning a national marketing award for a campaign I executed. My greatest reward from this job, however, was the clarity that my heart was calling me to fashion—the field for which I have had a lifelong passion. My decision to invest in myself by entering the master’s program in Luxury and Fashion Management at SCAD has been the best professional choice I have ever made. I plan to use the rich education and industry experience I have gained through SCAD to make a meaningful, lasting impact on the business of the fashion industry.

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