Roksanda by Maggie Ho

Maggie Szu-Ying Ho HOS11344982 BA Fashion Public Relations and Communications

Content 6

About

Internal Environment

External Environment

SWOT

Issues & Opportunities

Aim & Objectives

Target Audience and Publics

Appendix

Bibliography

About

Roksanda Ilincic graduated from Architecture in Belgrade and carried on finished her MA womanswear degree in Central Saint Martins. She started her own label in 2005 and since been showing her collection on the London Fashion Week schedule. With her unique inspirations taken from architectures and signature use of bright colours and geometric blocks in her collections, she soon becomes the top go-to for celebrities’ red carpet look and has high-profile women as her loyal VIP. The brand started with only womanswear collection, followed by adding swimwear collections in 2010 and later on in 2012 she launched her childrenwear collection: Blossom. The Designer has won several awards the Red Carpet Award at the British Fashion Awards in 2012, the Red Carpet Designer award at the British Elle Style Awards in 2013 and was named Businesswoman of the Year at Harper’s Bazaar UK’s Women of the Year Awards in 2014.

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I want the dress to appeal to a woman’s sense of femininity, but also her sense of mystery and imagination. -Roksanda Ilincic

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Roksanda’s name can be found in the globel indes of the people shaping fashion industry - Business of Fashion 500. With the designer’s enthusaistic about the brand’s mission statement: Feminine Allure, Roksanda Ilincic insures that it has been reinforce into her collections, to make every women who she has dressed feel confident and comfortable. Not only did the brand featured in Victoria & Albert museum’s exhibition Ballgowns: British Glamour since 1950 also participate in their Fashion in Motion series. Herself as a designer, her collections are currently still on display in Design Museum for their Fashion Woman Power exhibition, With her growing business, Roksanda opened her first flagship store on Mount street, Mayfair in 2014, collaborating with architect David Adjaye who designed the boutique, marked a milestone in her namesake brand.

9 left - Fahion in Motion: Roksanda Ilincic (Victoria & Albert Museum 2008)

After launching her childrenswaer collection: Blossom in 2012, inspired by her new born daughter, Roksanda has currently three lines under the brand: Womenswear, Swimwear and Childrenswear. Not only the brand design desire looks for women but also created the one and only unique style that can’t be seen else where for her swimwear and childrenwear collections. Reading through interviews with the Roksanda Ilincic and scrolling through the brand’s social media platforms, you can clearly see the unique selling proposition for the brand - Architectures and Spacial Arts inspirations behind those collections. But only in the past few years, this has slowly become a clear brand image to the publics, which the press has decribe the brand in 2014 “Strong move in a new direction for Roksanda” for her SS14 collections and opening of it’s independent boutique. It also went under a rebrand project with dropping the designer’s surename “Ilincic”, due to the oft-mispelled. Also redesigned it’s new logo when the brand opened it’s first flagship store in Mayfair, London. “Looking back at her earlier collections you can see a distinct difference in her style. The use of bright colours and her background in architecture didn’t seem to become part of her signature style until 2012. Prior to this, her designs were primarily made from more fluid fabrics for draping” said Elysia Smith who worked in the design department in the company back in 2012.

Internal Environment Brand Peformance

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11 All images above - Vogue.co.uk (2005 - 2015)

Internal Environment Financial Peformance

Business Of Fashion - (2014)

In 2014, Indian business woman Eiesha Bharti Pasricha has joined the brand as a minority investor on the board. Which has first, generate the brand appointed it’s first CEO Carmela Acampora, who was formerly a CEO of Aspinal of London and previously in Burberry for 13 years. Second, opened it’s own boutique in London’s high-end area - Mayfair. The amount of the investment was undisclosed but it was made very clear that this would be the beginning of longterm view to aid the brands to expand and develope globally. “Carmela’s appointment is a hugely exciting and significant step in the continued growth of my label. I am delighted to bring on board someone with the vision, energy and expertise to propel the evolution and expansion of the Roksanda brand on a global level.” - Roksanda Apart from opening her first boutique store, the brand looking to gain brand’s performance not just through wholesales but also to secure strong partnerships with key franchise operators, that will give brands more visibility and expand their customer base.

Internal Environment The Flagship Store

The grand opening of Roksanda’s first flagship store, she collaborated with architecture David Adjaye to build this milestone with. The design of the store are composed with the three elements - graphic flourishes, colour blocks and geometric patterns which created a space that speaks Roksanda’s aesthetic. This doesn’t just helped to push the brand’s performance in to the next level, to purchase the collections not only through stockist with limited selections but the whole range, it’s also a strong reinforcement on it’s brand image and position. Walking into No.9 mount street in mayfair is like stepping into the world of Roksanda, surrounding by all the details that are recreating her brand status

left image - vogue.co.uk (2013) Above - Roksanda Instagram (2014)

“ Harpar’s Bazaar (2015)

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When I started my label, I wanted to make it for busy women, I want them to feel that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designed by somebody who really understands them, who is really helping them to feel better. I want to make their daily life a bit easier. - Roksanda

Internal Environment Brand Image Roksanda’s aesthetic only start being it’s signature around 2012, showing in her collections that are inspired by various of architectures and geometric lines and shapes. Market research with current consumers who are aware or currently buying into the brand has been asked to describe the brand in three words, it came back highly consistent firstly with “Colourful”, follow by “Unique”, “Bold”, “Feminine”, “Modern”, and with one interesting adjective “architectury”. This says the brand has embedded it’s image thoroughly with the publics. With the designer taking advantage of her architecture background and consistently infused feminity in her collections. The “architechtury” style and strengthening womanhood are Roksanda’s unique selling point.

Harparâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bazaar (2014)

Internal Environment Competitors With the similar price range, styles and same high-profile celebrities following. These are the competitors that have been conclude - Victoria Beckham, Celine, Acne Studios, Mary Katrantzou, Jenny Packham, Marni, Vivienne Westwood, Jonathan Saunders. Consumers who has been purchasing Roksanda are also buying into those brands. Research has also discovered some of those competitors also posit Roksanda as their competitors. However the brand seems eagerly wanting to push itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brand position into a higher sector of the industry more high-end, more couture, the brand are looking at big fashion houses aiming to be theirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitor such as Balenciaga, Prada, Chanel.

From London to Paris With the brand trying to hop onto the train towards the Haute Couture sector, they held their 10th anniversary dinner in Paris, which they believe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where Haute Couture started and where they gather, - Paris is the signature city for premium fashion luxury. The brand is looking to shift the show from London Fashion Week to Paris Fashion week in the future.

21 Buro (2015)

23 google.co.uk images (2015)

Internal Environment Social Media & Offical Website The brand uses several social media platforms to engage with the publics - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. With their activities on social media platforms, the brand has it’s unique way handling it’s Instagram, with their PR, which is handled by Starworks group, they post images of architectures and art pieces that are inspirations behind the collections following by the garments which the consumers can clearly see the links between. Also using each post spot on Instagram posting parts of one images creating a big image like a puzzle which you can see on the right. Apart from Instagram, the other social media platforms aren’t frequently posting compares to their competitors. Comparing to competitors, their followers on social medias are drastically behind, which shows they are not interacting as much with their consumers. However, the brand hasn’t develop it’s own Official website and e-commerce, which is it’s goal in the 1st quarter of 2015 that is half year behind the company’s development schedule.

All images - Roksandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instagram (2015)

Both: Roksandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Instagram (2015)

Internal Environment Collaborations & Events Roksanda has done numbers of collaborations with various brands and events, exhibitions with department stores / museums. From garments with Debenhams and Whistles, shoes with Nicolas Kirkwood and ALDO and Collaborating with Sennheiser for runway sound equipment to participate in exhibitions with Victoria & Albert Museum and Design Museum. The brands are willing to open to with wide range ideas and be experimental. However the publics are not familiar with those brand involved collaborations and events.

28 Resort Collection (2015)

External Environment Trend Forecast & Market Trend forecast predicts 17/18 collections with bright colours and with simple lines/geometric prints, which is advance opportunity for the brand. The brand’s signature style can perfectly fit into the market. As designer childrenwears growing to become a billion-dollar industry. Market research also shows Childrenwears is a rapid growing industry. With Harrods increase the budget of promoting it’s children’s department, big fashion house stating children line are 40% of their brand incomes and looking to put in more effort of pushing the line. It’s a open door for Roksanda to push the childrenwears in the market, a opportunities for the brand to increase brand performance and widen it’s market.

External Environment Opponents The brand has been using animal fur in few collections in the past year, with no future plan of stopping. Which is a main threat towards the company from animal right group and publics that are against fur. Article states that even that the fur has slowly come back onto fashion runway, it is still not a popular demand in the market. In fact the press describe the fashion fur industry - “The only fur that’s flying off the shelves is fake” As a niche market with a high possibility of such negative public opinions, this can be draining company sources and reputation.

31 A/W Collection (2015)

32 nconixo.com (2015)

S trength

O T

As a brand, Roksanda got a very solid foundation for it’s brand’s strength starting with it’s unique selling point - strong brand image for the consumers, using the designers architecture background creating architectures inspired quirky collections and aligned art direction. And with the brand’s quirky and uniqueness, Roksanda takes bold actions on collaborating with various brands and organisations, also creating The brand also got high-profile following as well as loyal VIP. The brand also have one of the most important values from it’s consumer - Loyalty. 80% of the brand’s current customers claimed to be a loyal consumer to the brand. With the brand opening it’s flagship store in London’s high-end area and receive investment it’s a core strength of securing the brand’s position and also pushing it onto the next level in fashion industry

W eakness

O T

The brand having weak social media engagement with it’s consumers, comparing to it’s competitors, there is a significant gap of followers. Research into Roksanda’s stockist in the UK, finding the brand has low availability of their products. Visiting the brand’s stockist in Selfridges, Harrods, Browns, Harvey Nichols, Liberty, they each only have one or two stalls of the collections in store, with no more than 20 pieces. The only place to have access to all pieces is the flagship store on mount street. On top of that the brand hasn’t develop their official website and e-commerce, which decrease more on the brand visibility. With weak engagement with consumers and low visibility, the brand is has lower recognition in the sector.

O pportunities T With the growing industry of Childrenswear, Roksanda really has the opportunities of pushing it’s children line. To take advantage of the uniqueness of the brand’s Childrenswear to attract parents that are fond of the style. With no other designer doing similar style for children, it is a big potential for the brand to introduce themselves to new customers and raising the brand’s recognition from Childrenswear market. Coming from a architecture and art background rather than a fashion design background, the brand had collaborate with architect, surprisingly getting coverage in architecture magazines. There’s a great opportunity working with art museums creating events and exhibitions to attract art and design base costumers.

O T hreat With the brand regardless of Animal Rights group and bad press towards itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usage of fur, it is a concern that creating fur collection can damage the brands reputations. With small market for fur, it also can be costing the company rather then bring in profits.

38 google.co.uk images (2015)

Issue & Opportunities Consumer Research shows that people who shopped for the brands in same sector hasn’t heard or known about Roksanda, and there are several reasons that can be find leading to weak brand awareness 1. Weak Social media performance Comparing to their competitors, Roksanda’s social media platforms Facebook and Twitter aren’t frequently posting. The brand doesn’t interact with their current followers as much as their competitors. Take example of one of Roksanda’s competitors - Jonathan Saunders. Similar style, brand started around the same time, same price range, and got investment from the same business woman - Eiesha Bharti Pasricha. Jonathan Saunders post at least one post a day on twitter, while Roksanda posted every other day, the gap between each post can be up to five days apart. On the other hand Roksanda’s Instagram are handle in a unique, creative way and posting frequently which still comparing to her competitors there is a significant difference of the followers. Mary Katrantzou, who are a younger brand than Roksanda got almost five times more followers on Instagram. 2. Low brand visibility and availability With Roksanda just opened her first flagship store last year with all lines included in the stores, however the availability of the Womenswear collections is not high throughout London. From Selfridges, Harrods, Browns, Liberty, Harvey Nichols, Matches their are only no more than two stalls in store for consumers to browse and purchase, and with the items availabilities online the average is no more than 20 pieces. Only with online retailer Net-A-Porter got most items on the website - 45 pieces. With the childrenswear : Blossom, it’s only available in flagship store and Liberty. With such limited selections and no e-commerce it willeffect brand’s recognitions and financial performance. 3. Weak interactions with consumers With Roksanda’s competitors, often held events for their consumers, from hashtag competitions on social medias, brand’s newsletter send out to their VIP and followers, and private view of up coming collections. Consumer explain they would likely to attend events hold for costumers or getting newsletter, with consumers that follows Roksanda are mainly working, business woman the only way they engage with brand’s news on social media’s or news article which is establish earlier the brand doesn’t post frequently on their social medias.

Roksandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Instagram (2015)

Issue & Opportunities

With Roksanda’s unique style and art backgrounds, the brand can take advantage of various opportunities 1. High-Profile Celebrity & VIP With high-profile celebrity followings, the brand can take advance of getting press coverages and posts on social media to gain more followers 2. Take advantage of brand’s bold and quirkiness With various collaborations with brands and museum Roksanda got potentials to do bold and quirky collaborations with anything/brand you can imagine that related to the brand, as long as to it fits with the brand’s image. This can also be the foundation of creating eye-catching / fun campaigns for the brand. 3. Childrenswear market There’s a opportunity for the brand to push it’s childrenswear, as it is a growing market. With the brand bright and bold style, it can be a direction for the brand build playful and fun campaign including events or collaborations with other children related brands/organisations.

Aim For my 12-month PR campaign, is to aim to increase brand awareness and recognitions in UK

Objectives 1. To improve brand social media performance, and gain more followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest 2 .To improve brand visibility and availability online and in store 3. To establish brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official website and e-commerce 4. To promote Childrenswear

Roksandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Instagram (2015)

S.M.A.R.T Specific: The brand aim to increase brand awareness and recognition in UK

Measurable: To reach 250K followers on Instagram at the end of 12 months, and to set up one more store rather than a stall in department store

Achievable: With the right strategy of handling social medias, and current followers on other competitors the number of followers can be achieved. Before planning on setting up on more stores in one of Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s department store, needs to figure out how it works in progress and if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financially doable.

Realistic: Need to measure the money that needs to be put in established a website and e-commerce. And to research into more facts on Childrenswear market, to be realistic about putting in money promoting childrenswear can benefit the company in different aspect - From raising brand awareness to increase brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial performance.

Timescale: The time spread of will be 12 months, aim to achieve the objectives within the time period.

Target Audience and Publics The current audience for Roksanda are woman that are mainly 25 - 40, mostly working in Fashion or design related industry. The incomes of the brand’s audience can be £18000 to more than £45000 annually, for those who has bought Roksanda’s collection more than once are earning more than £28000. The brand’s public will be press from fashion industry, architecture industry, children industry, and consumers from these fields. The aim of my campaign is to target current consumers, and also gain audience from business mom and parents. To gain coverage to Children Industry and other children brands from clothing to toys.

47 Roksandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Instagram (2015)

48 Google.co.uk Images (2015)

Appendix Primary Research 1. Fashion Brand Awareness Research - 33 Samples, Collected in October 2015 The purpose of this four survey is to find out how well known Roksanda is comparing to other brands in similar price range. To conduct this research, I stood outstide selfridges and ask consumers to fill in the forms. The result in this survey shows that in the same price range, Roksanda are not as well known as other fashion brands. 2. Roksanda Consumer Research - 12 Samples, Collected in October 2015 This is a survey designed for consumers that are aware of the brand, I reach out to the respondents by sending them direct message on Instagram and Facebook. The result shows that Roksanda has clear brand image to the consumers. 80% of the them consider themselves as “Loyal” audience to the brand, even some of them doesn’t purchase item from brand, but once they knows about the brand they follow it. However, only one of the respondents remembers one collaborations from Roksanda (With Debehnems), this shows that Roksanda didn’t promote enough of her collaborations with other brands. And 100% of them would like to attend brand events that held for customers and recieve newsletters, which Roksanda aren’t doing at the moment. 3. Shop and stockist visit Visiting the brand’s flagship store and stockist in London gave me an idea that the availibility of the brand’s collection are very low, as well as the brand’s visibility. 4. Interview with Former Design Assistant Got an idea of the company structure back in 2012, compares to how the brand has grown in the past few years, the team of Roksanda remains around 10-15 employees til date. The interviewee confirmed that the current signature style didn’t come through until 2012 when Roksanda start using architechture as her collection inspirations.

5. Interview with Current Design Intern Got the current company structure, how does the design process work. And knowing out of all three lines Roksanda currently has, the company still mainly focus on womenswear collections. During the interview, I asked about how the brand feels about the using fur as material, the interviewee said they doesn’t really seem to have a problem with using fur, and currently not planning on stop using it. She also said during the interview that the brand is looking into Paris Fashion Week trying to see if there’s any chance scheduling their show their instead of London, as they think Paris is more of a traditional fashion city, and that’s why the company held their 10 year anniversary dinner party in Paris instead of London. Most importantly the brand is very eager to expand it’s company. 6. Interview with Fashion Blogger One of the respondent of Roksanda’s consumer is a fashion and lifestyle blogger who got a daughter. I interviewd her about Roksanda’s chilrenswear line and she gave me really positive feedback about buying Blossom collections and gave me an idea of how her friends working in Harrods are putting in a lot of money into childrens department and childrenwear is actually a big market in fashion industry. 7. Interview with Fashion Student Interviewed one of the fashion student who works in luxury fashion house that got childrenwear, and that is is the main income of the brand which they are looking to putting in money to promote it’s children line. As well as the childrenswear stockist who stocked their childrenwear told them that their business has been growing rapidly.

Future Research Who? I will like to actually get a chance to interview with the PR of the brand, which I didn’t get to do it this term. And also the sales team in the brand to know more accurate informations about the brand. I will also like to get intouch with Lego the company and ask them few questions about their company as I am thinking it can be a good idea collaborating with Lego for Roksanda’s childrenswaer. Last it will be getting more opinions from consumers about the brand speically on it’s childrenswear

Where? The interview and research will maingly be in UK, as my brand and my campaing are based in London. It will be either face to face interview, telephone or online via Emails or social media platforms message.

When? I am going to start to reach out to people that I want to interview from Christmas break and that will give me more time to arrange as normally people in the industry are busy. With doing mainly interview and survey it would not be as difficult as doing a focus group.

How? I will be recording interviews and typing them into transcripts then later on analyse them, as well as survey. For a large amount of survey I will be likely to use survey monkey and pay for it’s advance tools to analyse the data, also allows me to put in more than 10 questions.

What?

The main research for the next stage will be backing up my ideas for collaborations for the brands, to know whether it is realistic and achievable.

Schedule December 2015 - Febuary 2016 Carry out research through out the period as well as working on Disseration. Start writing contents in mid febuary and collect all data by the end of Febuary Mocking up campaign visually and any other add ons to present my final project, e.g Photoshoots, Video campaign, mock-up products..etc

March 2016 - April 2016 Executing the plan, producing photoshoots, mock-up producst, start working on layout of the final project in early march and carry on. Aim to proofread and double check layout end of April and get it print out and bind 1st of May, as the printer and bindery I am in contact with need 2 weeks to produce it.

May 2016 Finish mock-up campaigns, products before 10th May. Double check everything, and start working on powerpoint presentation while waiting for final copy of my project. Hand in on 18th May.

Collaborators Potential collaborators will be product designer to mock up products, spacial / architecture designer to mock up shops and runways that compliment my campaign, and stylist for photoshoots.

Bibliography 1. The Business of Fashion, (2014). Roksanda Appoints Carmela Acampora First CEO. [online] Available at: http://www. businessoffashion.com/articles/bof-exclusive/roksanda-appoints-carmela-acampora-new-ceo [Accessed 24 Oct. 2015]. 2.Ilincic, R. (2015). David Adjaye Designs A New Boutique for Couturière Roksanda Ilincic | Architectural Digest. [online] Architectural Digest. Available at: http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/rocksanda-ilinic-david-adjaye-london [Accessed 28 Oct. 2015]. 3.Gobal Blue (2014). Exclusive interview: Roksanda Ilincic. [online] globalblue. Available at: http://www.globalblue.com/ destinations/uk/london/exclusive-interview-roksanda-ilincic/ [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015]. 4. Teather, C. (2015). Roksanda Ilincic: My biggest goal is to find a balance in work & life. [online] Evening Standard. Available at: http://www.standard.co.uk/fashion/partiesandpeople/roksanda-ilincic-my-biggest-goal-is-to-find-a-balance-inwork-and-in-life-a3107321.html [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015]. 5. Vogue UK, (2015). Child’s Play. [online] Available at: http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2012/07/04/roksanda-ilincic-launches-childrenswear---interview-and-collection [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015]. 6. Craik, L. (2015). Children’s fashion: small people, big business. [online] the Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/feb/15/childrenswear-childrens-fashion-prince-george-suri-cruise-harper-beckham [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015]. 7. Wgsn.com.arts.idm.oclc.org, (2015). University of the Arts London WebLogin. [online] Available at: http://www.wgsn. com.arts.idm.oclc.org/content/board_viewer/#/62407/page/1 [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015]. 8. Fashion.telegraph.co.uk, (2015). The only fur that’s flying off the shelves is fake - Telegraph. [online] Available at: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/columns/tamsin-blanchard/TMG11500211/The-only-fur-thats-flying-off-the-shelves-isfake.html [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015].

9. Vogue UK, (2015). Roksandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Whistles. [online] Available at: http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2010/09/07/roksanda-ilincic-for-whistles-autumn-winter [Accessed 24 Nov. 2015]. 2.Ilincic, R. (2015). David Adjaye Designs A New Boutique for CouturiĂ¨re Roksanda Ilincic | Architectural Digest. [online] Architectural Digest. Available at: http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/rocksanda-ilinic-david-adjaye-london [Accessed 28 Oct. 2015].