THE THREE F's: Festivals, Fashion & Feminism

The Three F’s: Festivals, F a s h i o n &F e m i n i s m megan crosby x babydol clothing

Megan Crosby | BA Fashion | Industry Report | megancrosby.co.uk

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co nt en ts 2. Learning Agreement 5. The Three F’s (Industry Report) - WHO AM I, WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT, WHERE DO I WORK AND WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? (Intro)

FR ONT PAGE - fig 1 - rainb ow dr es s m ade by m e for Bab ydol

10. The Three F’s - HEY BABY-DOL (Personal Forecast) 14. The Three F’s - RAISING A RESPONSIBLE INTAGRAM EMPIRE (Industry Forecast) 15. The Three F’s - GIRLS SUPPORTING GIRLS (Job Role Forecast) 17. The Three F’s - GIRL, BYE !

(Conclusion) 19. Bibliography 21. Appendix - An Interveiw With Megan 27. Presentation Plan 29. List of Illustrations

arts university bournemouth Name: Megan Crosby Course: BA (Hons) Fahion Level: 5 Unit: Design Enterprise & Innovation Unit Code: FAC556 Credit points: 40 Study hours: 400 hours Tutor(s): Karen Ryan

synopsis of study | for assesment

For assessment I will produce a 2000 word report based off my time and experiences at Babydol Clothing. “The Three F’s: Festivals, Fashion and Feminism” will be an informal, colourful and interesting report about Small independent brands, how they function in a competitive and saturated market place and how social media is a focal point for marketing. I will express how this area of the industry is so important to female empowerment and in counter to this, I will be assessing whether or not it is sustainable on a larger scale. I will also be looking at at how festival fashion has formed legitimate businesses, bloggers and trends, whilst also arguing it’s sustainability. Despite a throwaway attitude to the fashion industry as whole, festival fashion is liberating diverse and wide ranges of women, so does this counter-balance the issue? I will question the market sector of the industry; is it bespoke or does is melt into fast fashion? I will discuss the unsustainability of hand crafting garments for people to wear once at a festival.

If sustainably sourced and made, does this counter-balance the lack of versatility to the products?

learn ing agree ment 2

Furthermore, I will also explore the trends that have lead to so many festival brands and the rise of Babydol. If they were not only sustainable for the environment and ethically but for their own businesses year round. I will critically evaluate the market plus evaluate what I’ve taken away from the experience and my own view on the subject material.

Alongside this report, I will also write about the experiences I’ve had and the things I’ve learnt along the way. I will also produce a weekly blog documenting my time at Babydol. My personal development in garment construction, pattern cutting and all other areas including industry standard skills I will gain knowledge on, such as fabric sourcing, blogger relationships, PR and marketing and customer relationships.

learning agreement

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le arnin g outcomes: LO 1 Dev elop existing sk ills a nd ac quire ne w competenc es evid e nced through a comp rehensiv e body of work that will enaA 2 To d e monst rat e an b le me to assume sigu nde r s ta n d i n g of t he nificant responsibility h i sto r i ca l , cu lt ural, p ro - w it hin organisations. fe ssi o n a l a n d cont ex t ual fra me wo r ks , w hich in - LO 2 Demonstrate the ab ilit y to a pply unfo rm s my wo rk. d e rlyin g conc epts a nd A 3 To i ntrod uce my - p rinciples in relation to s e l f to th e care er and my sp ec ia list pra c tic e. fut ur e s tu d y p ossib iliti e s r e l eva nt to my sub - LO 3 Demonstrate the j e c t i nte r e s t t hrough t he q ualit ies and transferp ro m oti o n of se lf- eval - ab le sk ills nec essary employ ment re u at i o n a n d r eview as an for e sse nti a l p a r t of my p e r- q uiring the exerc ise of s o nal a n d profe ssional p e rsonal responsibility and d ec ision-mak ing. d ev e l o p m e nt. a i ms A1 To fu r th er d eve lop the c r e ati v e , int e llect u a l a n d pra cti cal ap p licati o ns of s pe ci alist st ud y to t h e a p pro p riat e leve l.

assessment req u ir ements: For a ssessment I wi l l produc e a 20 0 0 wo r d written report ca ll ed “The Three F’s: Fes t iva ls , Fashion and Femin is m ” based off my time a n d experienc es at B a b ydol Clothing. It wi l l b e about what I’v e le a r nt about the sec tor of f estiva l fashion, myself a n d how festival fashio n i s empowering to wo men. It will also que s t io n the susta inability of t h e ma rk et a nd the lon g evity of it. I will also p roduc e week ly blog p o s t s ev idenc ing my tim e a n d personal dev elopm ent s at the company. I w i l l also produc e a n upd ated CV inc luding m y n ew experienc es.

action plan/time plan

W e e k 1 : O bse rve and l e a rn a bo u t what I’ll b e d o i ng o n th e p lace ment .

Use th i s a n d come up w i t h i n i ti a l i d e as ab out w hat I wa nt to w rit e about

W eek 4 : Start putting toget her interv iew feedb ack a nd my persona l op inions.

Week 9: Continu e to p u t ev ery thing togeth er a n d improv ing. Chec k b i b liogra phy a nd all c it at io n s W eek 5 : K eep dev elop- a re correc tly refer en ced . ing t h ese idea s and fin - Week 10: Finish r ep o r t . ish an initial draft of re Ev ery week also b e p u t W e e k 2 : Fi n i sh Le arning p ort .

A g re e me nt wit h know l - W e ek 6: Get tutor feed - ting together blo g p o s t s e dg e of w h at I want to b ack and re-rea d report. of content showi n g w h at re se a r ch a n d look into. How ca n it be improv ed I’v e been doing in t h e Sp e n d s o m e t ime re- and what points could studio with Megan. se a rc h i n g top ics and b e ma de stronger? Am ma ki n g fi n a l d e cisions I hit t in g a ll of the a ims Plac ement - Mon d ay 6t h and learning objec tiv es? Ma rc h – Friday 13 t h May on the plan.

Put together 10am-5 pm in B rig h to n at W e e k 3 : Wr i t e up some W e ek 7 : B a by dol Clothing . Mo n b a si c s ta r ti n g p oint s and some layouts on inDeday , Tuesday , Th u r s d ay s o m e i mp o r tant q ue s- sign to start putting the a nd Friday. Ev en i n g s to ti o ns – r e s e a r c h and find re p ort together in a fun, work on resea r ch a n d the r e l eva nt b loggers e ngagi ng way that works dev elopment on t h e r e a nd bra n d s to cont act alongside the informa liport topics. i n re g a r d s to int ervie ws t y of t he written work .

W e ek 8 : Finalise all confo r sa i d q u e s tions. t e nt for the report.

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fig 2 - Georgia Digg ins c /o As os in a cus tom m ade B abydo l o u t f it , pat t ern cu t & mad e my m e

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The Three F’s: Festivals, F a s h i o n &F e m i n i s m W H O A M I , W H AT A M I TA L K I N G ABOUT, WHERE DO I WORK AND W H Y S H O U L D YO U C A R E ?

As someone obsessed with anything bright pink, rainbow, sparkly or (faux) furry I decided to do my placement with Babydol Clothing. A whirlwind of rainbow furs, s e q u i n s i n e v e r y c o l o u r- w a y i m aginable and holographic lycra so sparkly, so sassy, Baddie Winkle h e r s e l f w o u l d f a i n t … N a t u r a l l y i t ’s the perfect brand for me.

fig 3 - Babydo l x Pl us Eq u a l s ra i l at t h ei r co l l a boration photos hoot in Hack ney

7 What with having run a festival brand myself for over three years (Genoa), pre-university (which gained 19k Instagram followers on the account, when it was most popular, might I add) I think my experience in the field is extremely relevant and i t ’s s u b j e c t i n w h i c h I h a v e lots to consider, both as a reflection on what I have achieved and what I’m capable of achieving.

With the rise of online festival fashion brands and social media empires such a s LO M (O ’ M a h o n y , 2 0 1 7 ) and Easy Tiger (T Winifield, 2017), this seems the perfect time to dip my toe i n t o t h e s e a o f F e s t i - Fa s h (as I’m going to call it) outside of my own insights and get a real feel for how it works. As I’m writing this, I’m currently in week four of my placement and

absolutely loving it. A few things I’ve noticed so far; i t ’s c o m p e t i t i v e . T h e o n l y way to stay afloat in such an overwhelmingly busy sector of the industry is to A) be aware.

Social a w a r e n e s s i s c r a z y i m p o rt a n t ( Wa n g , 2 0 1 5 ) . W i t h s o many others running similar companies and doing similar things, you never want to look like a copy, so you need to have your eye o n w h a t e v e r y o n e ’s d o ing at all times (Borecka, 2016). Plus, if you have a great idea, work on it and release it as soon as possible before someone else does it before you. I suppose this is the same in all areas of the industry, but i t ’s s o m e t h i n g I n o t i c e d within my first few days. B) Support. Girls supporting other girls. As an industry growing off of the ideals of modern feminism (Pastore 2016), diversity and empowerment (Goedluck 2016), practising what you preach is vital above all else. After being at Babyd o l I ’ v e h e a r d s o m e h o rror stories about some of t h e p e o p l e ’s b e h a v i o u r i n this small industry (thou shalt not be named – I’m not allowed to tell). But, whilst being aware of the other brands and your fellow #GirlBosses, you need to equally support those women as well as have them as competition. A little competition is healthy, but girl on girl catfights… are not. Plus, i t ’s o n l y g o i n g t o m a k e you look better as brand, if you’re good to people.

But, I’ll get onto more

So , shal l I s ta r t?

OP P OS ITE PAG E - fi g 4 a sc reen sh ot of m y bran d in 20 14 wh en I was wor k ing on the brand f ull t ime T H IS PAGE - f ig 5 ima ge f ro m H ack n ey ph oto sh o ot

of t hat l ate r. For now , I ’ ll t e l l yo u m o r e ab out what yo u ’ r e a bout to be re a di n g . This one off re po r t i s w rit t e n, ma i nl y a s a n a ssess me nt co m p o n ent of my i nt e r n i n g u n it , b ut also to fe e db a c k and refl e c t o n th e rise of t he In s ta g ra m e mpir e s, fe s ti va l fash ion a n d th e imp ort anc e of th e s e b rand s for f e m a l e (a n d male) em pow e r m e nt, ce lebrat i ng di ve r s i t y and st a nd i n g fo r somet hi ng b a d a s s i n an indu st ry b a s e d off mainst re a m va n i ty. Oh, and in re g a r d s to m y t it le…

W hy sh o u l d yo u care ?

Be ca us e w h y would n’t you ca r e a bo u t imp ort ant a s s i s s u e s ?

personal forecast:

Let me tell you a bit m o r e a b o u t B aby dol. Founder, Megan May Wyatt gra duated from Fa lm o u t h Un iv ersity with her degree i n Fa s h i o n Design (spec ia lised in wo m en swear) in 20 15 . With a pl a cem ent at Hy pe under her belt, she’s a h eavy believ er in being her own #g ir lb o s s ( if you’re unfa milia r with t h i s t er m , google it or Sophia Am o r u s a f ro m N a sty Gal ( Amoruso 2017) ) . She c reated her c usto m , o n l i n e brand for sassy la dies t h at l i k e to rea lly say something w it h t h eir c lothing. K eeping well away f ro m fa shion maga zines a nd h avin g s eparate inspirations from th e i n d u s t r y ( mainly a rt a nd blogger s) is w h at ma k es her brand shine. S h e h a s a v ery different, refreshin g a p p ro a ch to design, k eeping high s t r eet a n d high fa shion trends well o u t of s ig h t and mind, she c reates tru l y o r i g i n a l piec es for her loyal c usto m er b a s e.

hey,

baby-d

f i g 6 , 7,8 ,9 & 10 a l l pro du c t s h ot s f ro m t h e r ec ent Dr eam er s collection - I m ade and contr ibuted to every garm

10 Base d i n a s ma l l s t ud io in t he Nort h L ain e s i n B r i g h to n, Bab yd ol release s 3 - 4 co l l ecti o n s a year, for fe st ivals a nd o c ca s i o n s , t he lat e st re lease ca lle d D r e a me r s .

I’ ve t ho ro u g h l y e n joye d my t ime at Baby do l . D e s pi te it not b e ing a high fashi o n bra n d , I gained invaluab le know l e dg e a n d clarit y on t he market s e c to r. I ’ m glad of t he ex p eri e nc e f ro m wo r k i ng for a lab e l like o ne I ’ d pote nti a l l y like to cre at e for mys e l f , s o th e th i ngs I’ve learnt are far mo re r e l eva nt. I’ve learnt t hings a bou t bra n d i n g a n d creat ing clot hing fo r yo u r ow n lab e l, t hat you just ca n’ t g et fro m u n ive rsit y.

dol

Du ring m y ti me here I’ve d ecid e d t his i s a b s o l u te l y t he care er p at h I want to g o dow n . F e st ival fashion def ini t e l y i s n’ t the p at hway for me a s it ’s not p a r ti cularly w e arab le or

e nt in the se ph oto s

or susta inable but it a lso doesn’t generate enough money all y ea r round ( Newbold 2015 ) . Hav ing sai d that, c reating my own la bel is. What I was most desperate to discov e r about myself when I started, wa s if this was the direc tions for me. D o I want to go into something a little higher fashion? Do I wa nt to design for a brand? I wasn’t sure. I ca n nev er ima gine myself designing fo r someone else and someone else’s name getting a ll my c redit So, looking at what I’v e learnt a nd realised…

I’m more than ca pa ble of ma k ing m y own high end, susta inable, ba d a s s la bel. I a dore the fac t that runnin g your own brand, you can really ma k e an impac t. It can go a ny where, yo u ca n stand for something importa nt and you ca n really mould your own future.

f ig 11 & 12 - BT S sh ot s f ro m t h e B a by do l x P lu s Equ als ph otos hoot in Hack ne

In a he avi l y s atu rat e d market sp ace, it’s inc re d i b l y di ffi cult to make a name for you rse l f i n a n In s t agram age . You need som et h i n g u n i q u e, a signat ure, or you’ll me l t i nto th e masse s (M orq ue cho 20 17 ) .

W it h t h i s m a s s consume rism b uilt off of p l at fo r ms l i k e Inst agram it b e gs the qu e st i o n of s u s t ainab ilit y. W here does it f i t i n?

20 15 ) . B loggers lik e Confetti C row d b e ing ma ssiv e influenc ers on t h e w h o l e ma rk et’s c ustomer. The grou p of f i ve hav e ov er 100k followers and s u p p o r t ev ery rainbow, festi bra nd th at t h er e is. Heidi and Heli hav e ev en wo r n m y stuff before. In a pa rt of the i n d u s t r y i n whic h sales only come from s o m e fo r m or other of soc ial media , it’s ab s o lu t ely v ital to sta nd out a nd hav e a l oya l cu s In a re a l m w h i ch crosse s b et w een be - tomer ba se. spo ke a n d fa s t fashion, it ’s hard to look at w hat th i s m arket se ctor could be - With the sheer a mount of p ot ent ia l come . It’s a n i nd ust ry run b y cool de- c ustomers, designers a re goi n g to b e sig ne rs, a dh e r i n g to d emand ing rainbow c homping at the bit to get i n o n t h e wea ri ng cl i e nts . A clie nt w ill request ac tion. Sadly , you end up fin d lot s of som et h i n g cu s tom mad e b y a sma ll de- brands ripping ea c h other of f , ju s t to sig ne r, b e ch a r ge d a lot for a made to ma k e some extra cash. It’s u n avo i d a me a sure s e r v i ce , w e ar it once, m ay be ble in this industry , but that’s w h y I s a id t wi c e a n d th e n le ave it in a wardrobe soc ia l media awa reness is c ra z y im p o ror t hrow i t away. It b rings to light a tant. It ca n happen by ac c id ent to o . qu e st i o n … Is th i s b esp oke or is it mov- Megan a nd I hav e been work in g o n w h at ing i nto th e r e a l m s of somet hing a little we think a re original ideas a nd t h en u nmo re fa s t-fa s h i on? If a custome r buys a loc k our phones to find some o n e’s ju s t compl ete l y h a n d mad e garment whic h, released something a lmost id ent ica l . lets b e h o n e s t, you can’t w ear often, That wa sn’t a good day. du e to th e i n - your-face - ne ss and then nev e r gets a ny wear out of it , is that a So, how do you build up that all d es ir ed t hrowaway atti tud e ? You could argue responsible and origina l empi r e? I b e bot h ways ; i t’s ob viously more p ositiv e liev e hav ing a brand signatu r e is k ey to sup p o r t s ma ll b rand s, it ’s d o ing a to suc c ess. Hav ing somethin g a p a r t of wo rl d of g o o d bet t er t han sup p or t the your bra nd whic h isn’t ava il a b le a nylike s of Za ra o r P rimark for t heir c rimes where else. B e it you, the bra n d ow n to fa st fa s h i o n ( Loeb 2017), b ut re ga rd - er, a print, a fa bric . Someth i n g w h ich less a n i nte r e s ti ng t hought . ma k es you, you. An air of tra n s p a r enOn a sma l l s ca l e, I can get my hea d c y helps, too. People lik e to k n ow h ow around th i s b esp oke-fast - ne ss, but it’s made and where it’s come f ro m a n d con si d e r th at i f a small b rand s’ sales a re in this pa rt of the industry , i t ’s a k ey mo st l y b u i l t off of custom work (Clark selling point to a partic ipating cu s to m 2 01 7), i s th i s posit ive environm ental er (Sc hiffer 20 15 ) . Oh, a nd be co n s is t out p ut ? I th i n k not . ent! Your c ustomer base is so d i f f er ent in this sec tor; they ’re involv ed i n ever y Alo ng i s de th i s que st ion of sust aina bility sta ge of it. So engaging with t h em i s in t hi s a r e a of th e ind ust ry, I also would absolutely v ital. I think this ar ea of t h e be a fo o l to n ot ment ion t he b lantant industry is just going to grow a n d g row. cop y i ng, to o .

Fashion c iv ilians a re becom i n g m o r e awa re of fa st fa shion a nd th e d a m a g e O rig i na l i ty i s k ey to st aying afloat (S male is can do ( B ak er 2015 ) , plus, ever yo n e’s 2 01 7). Wi th th i s Inst agram rise, thou - fa irly sic k of think ing they loo k b a d a s s sand s of p e o p l e flit t ing from IG feed, to in hea d to toe Topshop a nd t h en s ee I G f e e d l o o k i n g for somet hing new to ing someone in the exa c t sa m e o u t f i t a s wea r, t h ey s e e these cool fe st ival looks soon a s they step out the do o r o r u nand j um p o n i t. F est ival fashion has re - loc k their phone. K eeping peo p le i n ally bo o me d ov e r t he last fe w year s and formed, interested a nd engag ed is w h at wit h ri s e of bl o ggers and b rand s ( Win - will mak e this industry a nd yo u r ow n f iel d , L e s te r- C a r d , Pet it e and Rance festi-fa sh label.

r r i e

f ig 13,14 ,15 cu sto mer ph oto s in B a by do l

in d u s try for e cast :

raising a responsible instagram empire 14

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j o b ro l e for ecas t

gir ls sup portin g gir l s

D uri ng m y ti me at Bab yd ol, I’ve notic ed a h e av y fo cu s o n fe minism and e mpow erme nt .

N ot be cause M egan’s been sh o ut i n g a bo u t it , or has eve n men tione d t h e to p i c, b ut it ’s just an essenc e to t he bra n d . It ’s in t he d e signs, it’s in the way th e b rand s market ed . In the way t hi s w h o l e p art of t he ind us try is su ppo rti ve of one anot he r. Ob viously the re a r e m u l ti ple ex ep t ions and exa m p le s of exa ctl y w hat not to d o, but an ove r a r ch i n g th eme to t his p art of the ma rket i s a b o u t sup p ort ing each other and he lp i n g o n e anot her grow. Both a s p eo p l e a n d i n o ur ow n b rand s.

has a wonderful messa ge of em p ow erment; a plus sized sa ssy se q u i n l a b el with an amazing message of ow n in g it .

Megan and Ja smine often colla b o rat e i n photoshoots and help eac h ot h er g row as friends a nd businesses. It ’s s u ch a lov ely , fresh attitude to hav e o n a n i n dustry full of ‘bitc hy ’ a nd ‘na s t y’ s t er e oty pes.

So, my job at B a by dol ha s be en g en erally sort of a ssista nt lik e to Meg a n . I’ve been doing bits of ev ery thin g . Fa b r i c sourc ing, pattern c utting, m a k i n g o rders, sewing new collec tio n p ieces , pac k ing orders. Ev en usua l int er n jo b s M e g a n’s w h o l e b rand et hos is ab ou t be- lik e getting coffee, going to t h e fa b r ic ing who yo u want to b e. Anot her bril- shop, the Post Offic e, all of it. B u t I’ve liant bra n d i n th is sector, Plus Equa ls lov ed work ing at a small la b el a n d i t ’s

mad e m e r e a l i s e t hat M e gan’s job is exac t l y wh at I wa nt for myse lf. Working in su c h c l os e prox i mit y has t aught me differe nt ways I co uld d o t his for myself.

W hat to do a n d what not to d o, how to go a bo u t ex p o s ure … A ll t he t hings you need to be aware of. This p art ic ula r i nt e rnsh i p wo n’ t le ad onto any sort of emp l oy m e nt a ny t ime soon in Baby dol as Me g an’s a o n e wome n show , for the tim e be i n g , bu t it ’s d efinit ely showed me t hat e mp l oy ment w it hin a brand i sn’ t a bs o l u tey n ece ssary. I can be my ow n #g i r l bo s s .

W it h a n atti tu de sup p ort ing Girls for Girl s, I k n ow s et t ing up my ow n brand ties a nd b u i l di n g myse lf up as a label is key to getti n g to a re ally high leve l. I’v e

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done it before, without a deg r ee, I ca n do it aga in now I a c tually k now w h at I’m doing. It’s a ll a bout communicat i o n a n d colla boration.

Can I get a HEL L YAS?

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girl, bye! c

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W e ll, I hope you’v e enjoy ed this lit t le re p ort a bout festival fash ion. I’ve e njoy ed writing it, gett ing all my ideas down a bout this p art of t he industry and being re fle ct ive on my future. It’s a n a rea I love to t alk a bout and that I’d love to make my own sort of posit ive imp ac t on when I’v e graduat ed .

I’ve learnt a lot from this pla c eme nt and it’s been inva luable to my le arning experienc e. Now I’m finishe d with B a by dol, I’v e got t wo w eeks off before I’m off to anot her p lac ement with a differe nt b rand for my summer holiday.

W ish me luc k !

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b i b liogra phy A m oruso, S., 2017. Home. [online] Girlboss. Ava ila ble from: h ttp : //w w w.girlb oss.com/ [Ac c essed 9 May 2017 ].

B a k e r, J., 2015. The rise of the consc ious consumer: why b u s i nesses need to op en up. [online] the Guardia n. Ava ilab l e from: ht t p s: //w w w.theguardia n.com/women-in-lea d e r s h i p / 2 0 1 5 /a p r/0 2 / t h e - r i s e - o f- t h e - c o n s c i o u s - c o n s u m e r- w hy- b usinesses- need-to-open-up [Ac c essed 9 May 2 0 1 7] .

B o r e cka, N., 2016. The B est Fa shion Photography Career A dvice You’ll Ever Get. [B log] L isa L loy d Photogra phy.

Ava i lab le from: ht t p ://www.lisa lloy dphotography.co.uk / b l o g / t h e - b e s t - f a s h i o n - p h o t o g r a p h y - c a r e e r- a d v i c e - y o u l l - ever- get [A ccessed 8 May 2017 ].

C l a r k , J., 2017. lit t leegg1991 is selling a produc t on Depop. [o n l ine] Dep op .com. Ava ila ble from: https://www.depop. c o m / l i t t l e e g g 1 9 9 1 / l i t t l e e g g 1 9 9 1 - c u s t o m - l i s t i n g - f o r- a m b e r p ot t sx- b ard ot [A ccessed 9 May 2017 ].

C ro s b y, M ., 2015. G E N O A ( @shopgenoa) • Insta gra m pho to s and vid eos. [onlin e] Insta gra m.com. Ava ila ble from: h ttp s: //w w w.inst agram.com/shopgenoa / [Ac c essed 9 May 2 0 1 7] .

Go e dluck, L., 2016 . The greatest fashion div ersity moments of 2 015. [online] D az ed. Availa ble from: http://www.dazedd i g i t a l . c o m / f a s h i o n /a r t i c l e / 2 8 9 6 5 / 1 / t h e - g r e a t e s t - f a s h i o n - d iversit y- moment s-of-2015 [Ac c essed 9 May 2017 ].

Lo e b , W., 2017. Z ara L eads in Fa st Fa shion. [online] Fo r b es.com. Availab le from: https://www.forbes.com/ sites/walterloeb/2015/03/30/zara-leads-in-fast-fashi o n / # 207e 678d 5944 [A c c essed 9 May 20 17 ].

M o r quecho, J., 2017. How to Sta nd Out in a Saturated Mark et | Id ealust . [online] Idea lust. Ava ila ble from: http://idealustlife.com/how-to-stand-out-in-a-saturated-market/ [A cce ssed 9 M ay 2017] .

N e w bold , A., 2015. The pra c tica l guide to festiva l dressing. [o n l i ne] The T elegrap h. Availa ble from: http://www.tele g r a p h . c o . u k / f a s h i o n /s t y l e / t h e - p r a c t i c a l - g u i d e - t o - f e s t i va l - d r e ssing2/ [A ccessed 9 May 2017 ].

O ’ M a h ony, L., 2017. L.O.M • Louise O’Mahony Lom ( @l.o.m_ fa s h i o n) • Inst agram p hotos a nd v ideos. [online] Insta gra m. co m. Availab le from: https://www.instagra m.com/l.o.m_ fa s h i o n/ [Accessed 9 May 2017 ].

Pa s tore, A., 2016. 10 Times Fa shion Embra c ed Feminism i n 2 016. [online] W Ma ga zine. Ava ila ble from: http:// www.wmagazine.com/gallery/10-times-fashion-em b ra ced -fe minism- in-2016/all [Ac c essed 9 May 2017 ].

S ch i ff er, J., 2015. W hy It Ac tually Matters Where Your C l oth es Come F rom. [online] WhoWhatWear UK . Ava ila ble fro m: ht t p : //w w w.w howhatwea r.co.uk /why -it-mattersw h e r e- your- clot he s- come-from [Ac c essed 9 May 2017 ].

S m a l e, T., 2017. 5 St e p s to B uild Your Personal B ra nd. [on l i n e] Ent re p reneur. Availa ble from: https://www.entrepre n e u r. com/art icle/250924 [Ac c essed 9 May 2017 ].

Wa n g , Y., 2017. Brand ing Sec rets from 14 Fa shion Industr y E x p ert s. [ Blog] Shopify B logs. Availa ble from: https:// w w w. s h o p i f y. c o . u k / b l o g / 1 2 1 0 1 2 74 1 - f a s h i o n - b r a n d i n g - s e cr ets -from- ind ust ry- ex perts [Ac c essed 5 Aug. 20 16].

W i nfi eld , T., 2017. Easy Tiger ( @shopeasy tiger) • Insta gra m p h otos and vid e os. [online] Insta gra m.com. Availa ble from: h ttp s : //w w w.inst agram.com/shopea sy tiger/ [Ac c essed 9 M ay 2017] .

W i nfi eld , T., Le st er- C ard, H., Petite, H. and Ranc e, L ., 20 15 . co nfet t icrow d . [online] confettic rowd. Availa ble from: h ttp s : //w w w.confet t icrowd.com/ [Ac c essed 9 May 2017 ].

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21

“every brand has to have a signature�

an interveiw with Megan Inte r v i e w w it h M e gan M ay 3 1st believ e in but it’s not a c tively something I need to a dd in , it ’s Ma r ch 2 0 1 7 more something that just co m es - Gi ve m e an overvie w/b io of a longside. t he bra n d - w hat d o you d o & what - Are women’s rights and f em do e s th e brand rep resent ? inist issues importa nt to the way I ’ m n ot s u r e! Sassy ind ivid uals that you ma rk et the brand? l i ke to s ta nd out from t he c rowd – d o n’ t fo l l ow t re nd s. I’d like to Yes. t hi n k of mys e lf as a # girlb oss - How did you start out w it h - Is fe male e mp ow erment a nd B a by dol? di v e r s i ty s omet hing you activ ely After I gra duated from Fa lmou t h , I st ri ve fo r i n your work? ha d a n internship at B righton Fa s hY e a h , I ’ d s ay so.

It ’s ab solute - ion Week a nd sta rted selling piecl y s o m eth i ng I care ab out b u t not es on the side whilst I wa s d o in g so m eth i n g t hat always t hought it. It wa sn’t intentiona l. I need ed a bo u t w h i l s t d e signing a collec- a job and it sta rted to grow f ro m t i o n . D efi n it e ly somet hing I r ea lly there.

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f ig 16 - t h e t win s at B a by do l x P lu s Equ a ls sh o ot

a p pe ndix

23 - D i d yo u show your grad col - ing a bout where to find the m o n ey. l e c ti o n w h i l e you w e re workin g at Just sta rt. L iv ing at home h el p ed Bri gh to n Fa s hion W e ek? me when I first gra duated, to o , o n the money front.

No , n ot m y grad colle ct ion. I wa s a show co - o r dinator. Aft er I fini shed - How do you stay compet it ive m y d e g r e e I really want e d a break and k eep things origina l? f ro m d e s i g n work so I d id t hat.

K eeping origina l is hard, but s t ay - H ow d i d you get to w he re you ing away from what other peo p le d o a re a n d w h at ad vice would you giv e helps alot. Not look ing too m u ch to oth e r s tr ying to get to w here you at fashion maga zines a nd k eep i n g a re ? inspiration sepa rate from fa s h io n .

It’s diffic ult but you’ll end up co p Wo r k i n g r e a lly hard . T rust ing your y ing otherwise, ev en by a c c id ent . i nsti n ct a n d not follow ing w hat oth- I’m more inspired by blogger s a n d e r p e o pl e h ave d one. I’d say you re - art. I liv e in B righton now, so t h at ’s a l l y h ave to p ut yourse lf out there ma jor inspiration for me too . It ’s a nd ye a h , j u st work re ally hard. also really a mazing when som eo n e out of the blue does somethin g n ice - Is th i s w hat you always want- – you get a lov ely messa ge f ro m a e d to d o? c ustomer or some great feedb a ck .

It rea lly helps when you’re feel i n g Ye s . I ’ ve a l ways want ed to d o fash - down a bout what you’re doi n g o r i o n, b u t I wasn’t sure w hat . I had you’v e had a bad day. no m o n ey post uni and I know peo p l e s ay yo u can’t st art a b us iness - Would you consider the b ra n d w i t h o u t mo ney, b ut you can. I ha d as festiva l wea r? fa br i cs l eft over from my graduate Yeah, I’d consider B aby dol to b e co l l e cti o n ; m ake from fab ric you festival a nd oc casion wear. I tr y a n d hav e l eft a n d se ll t hat and k eep ma k e it wearable a ll y ea r rou n d . I b ui l d i n g fro m t he re. M oney h elps get a lot of orders for big ev ent s – to s ta r t bu t you can work around birthdays, parties, etc . i t . A s l o n g as w hat you’re mak ing i s re a l l y g o od .

P ut t he t ime in to - Where do you think fes t i va l m a k e i t g o o d, d on’t sp end it worry- fa shion has risen from?

I nev e r th o u ght of it like t hat . I guess, I don’t remember people dres s i n g up a s mu ch as t hey d o now when I was younger at festivals. B lo g g er s l i ke Co nfetti C row d re ally stood out when they formed a nd I think t h ey ha d a bi g i mp act on it .

- D o yo u t hink fe st ival fashion rea lly follows trends? On a larger s ca l e a s a s e cto r a s op p osed to just your bra nd?

So r t of. S o met imes I look at what people wea r to festiva ls –I don’t wa nt to l o o k at i t too much as I d on’t wa nt to copy. I lov e to look at th i n g s pe o p l e h av e mad e t hemselve s. I guess it’s a ll becoming quite sim il a r – ha rd to ma k e original t hings for festivals, as bra nds a re getting b i g g er.

A l t h o u g h every successful sm all bra nd ha s a signature. For exam p le Ja de Cl a r k has her vinyl, I have sequin catsuits and ra inbow fur. Is o lat-

t e d H e r e o s has t heir floor length se q u i n k i mo nos and jacket s. Easy Ti g e r h a s h e r aut he nt ic Ind ian aes t het i cs .

- D o yo u t hink fest ival fash ion i s sus ta i n a b l e?

I d o n’ t s e e w hy not . You can wear t he p i e ce s a g ain and again. It is occa si o n w e a r , but my customers are qui t e l oya l follow ers of t he b ra nd a nd t h ey te n d to w ear t hings again a nd a g a i n – somet imes only onc e but u s u a l l y i t ’s oft e n sold on and re c y cl e d , n ev er t hrow n away. As i t e m s a r e h a nd mad e to p erfec tly f i t c u s to me r s , t he p ie ce s are s pe c i a l fo r th e m, an invest ment too.

So defi n i te l y. It ’s hard to say as I so u r ce fa b r ics from all over the wo rl d , s o I ’ m not sure ab out w h ere t hey co me from b ut t he way t hey ’re use d i s defi n it ely sust ainab le .

- H ow d o you comp et e w it h big fa st fa s h i o n brand s? High st re et or bi g o n l i n e brand s?

I do n’ t. I d on’t re ally p ay at tent i o n to th o s e b rand s, t hey’re a who le di ffe r e nt b all p ark. Plus, it’s a tota l l y d i fferent customer. If you wa nt s o meth ing, you’ll st and out in yo u’ r e n ot g o ing to go to Top sh op.

I t ry to s tay away from b rand s lik e t hat .

wish it was, it’s not a ll sustai n a b l y sourc ed. You need to cater to t h e audienc e and what they ca n p ay for, plus what is ava ila ble for w h at I want to ma k e. I’v e nev er fo u n d sustainably made sequin fab r ics .

Although ev ery thing I can han d l e I do try and k eep susta inable. R ecy c ling of fabric sc ra ps, power m a in tenanc e etc .

- Does c elebrity or blogger endorsement help your bra nd?

Yes, Confetti Crowd a re my faves .

I’v e a lso work ed with Sophie H a nnah Ric hardson a nd Georgia Dig g i n s from Asos before, too. I’v e wo r k ed with others but I’v e learnt alon g t h e way that not a ll bloggers will h elp grow your business. It’s defin it ely worth it so long a s they ’re a go o d , relevant, blogger and their a u d ienc e is your c ustomer. If s o m eone ha s one million followers, t h at doesn’t nec essarily mean you’ll g et sa les if it’s not the right ty pe of a u dienc e for me.

- Do you see throwaway fas h i o n as a n issue?

A l ot. I d o n’ t have t hat many fol l owe r s , h ow eve r ob viously all my sa l e s co me from some form of soc i a l m e d i a b y it Et sy, D e p op , Fac ebo o k , In s ta g ram. Social me d ia is so i mp o r ta nt, but so hard to ke ep on to p of.

Yes, Prima rk etc is awful. It do es n’t la st. If you buy it, it’s c heap a n d it’ll brea k , it rips. N ot good. Peo p l e don’t rec y c le or care beca use i t ’s s o c hea p. I don’t shop that muc h , to be honest. I wea r the sa me stu f f a l l the time and I rec y c le ev ery th in g I don’t wea r. I giv e to c ha rity o r I sell things onto a new owner. I b u y a lot of my c lothes from Depo p , s o it’s a lrea dy pre-owned. I mean , It ’s fine to buy loads of c lothes , to o but I guess it depends what you d o with them. Throwing c lothes away without wearing them or rec y cl i n g them is just stupid.

- Is s u s ta i nab ilit y imp ort ant to t he b ra n d ?

Y e a h , to a n ex t ent . As much as I

- With these questions in m i n d , do you consider Fest Fash to be b e-

- H a s s o ci al me d ia effect e d your ri se ?

24

25 - Do you think on a long t erm ba sis festival B e spo k e .

B a b yd ol, at fashion brands ca n a ll lea st . It r e a l l y d ep end s last ? on t he bra n d – most are custo m ma d e , s o I would r e a l l y s ay be s p oke .

A I d on’t k now, there’s a custo m e r h a s to real- lot . P roba bly not all of ly wa nt i t b e cause t hey t he m. I think it comes th e n h av e to wait for it d ow n to the person run to be ma d e to t he ir siz e ning it a nd if you’re brand an d t h e n th ey p ay a lot , changed with the trends.

A s much as I don’t follow to o . t re nd s you need to k now - Is i t h a r d er to work w hat people wa nt. You in t hi s a r e a of t he ind us- ne ed to be think ing of tr y i n off- pe ak p e riod , ne w t hings and consid e ring brand growth a nd lik e w i nte r ? not d oing the same thing Ye s. It’s h a r d b ut you b a- eve ry s ingle sea son. s i ca l l y h ave to d o t hings th at a r e s ti l l d ifferent Where do you see an d re l eva nt to t he cus - - t his sec tor of the indus to me r , b u t p eop le can s t i l l w e a r. Fo r examp le , t ry going?

I co ul d n eve r b e selling m y seq u i n b ra s in an au- That ’s a hard question.

I tu mn w i nte r collect ion, You ca n’t rea lly tell. hop e it gets bigger.

I it’s co m mo n s ense. O bvi o usl y cate r i ng for b ig want it to get bigger. I ev e nt s h e l p l i k e NYE and like t hat more people a re Chri stm a s , bu t you ne ed b e com ing independent to p r e pa r e for an off and customers buy from s e a so n a n d yo u ne ed to ind e p endent designers. s av e e n o u g h m oney d ur- I t hink people are slowin g b u s y pe r i o d to ke ep ly b e coming more awa re yo ursel f g o i n g. Put t ing of fast fa shion a nd the on sa l e s a n d occasional d amage of it. Hopefully di sco u nts h e l p, too. I d o fast fashion will end and co mp eti ti o n s , too. Hav- it w ill evolv e into more in g sa i d th at, i t ’s nice to small bra nds, lik e this. h av e ti m e off.

I like to It ’s good that they show cha nge i t u p every sea- you at uni how to be sus s o n, I p l a n i t all as I go t ainab l e a nd getting the alo ng .

I o b s e rve w hat word out a bout removth e c u s to m e r want s each ing fast fa shion and a s e a so n s o I k n ow w hat to b et t er way. cha nge – I d o n’t b uy my fa bri cs i n bu l k up front , I Where do you see lik e to m a k e some sam- - pl e s fo r a co l l ect ion and your b ra nd going? s e e h ow th e customer I lit e rally don’t k now. I r e spo n ds . s po ke o r fa s t fashion?

don’t pla n that fa r a h ea d .

I hav e sma ll go a l s a n d then they add u p in a longer term.

My n ext goa l is to get sto ck ed i n some stores – ju s t g row ing gra dua lly a n d g etting bigger. I never wa nt to be some huge b ra n d , I just want a sma l l t ea m . I want to work w it h p eople who ca re – nice, li t t l e a nd friendly. Col l a b o rating with other cr eat ive people and other b ra n d s .

I’d lov e sell at f es t i va ls .

May be Gla stonbu r y o n e day.

- Who can yo u t h in k of ( be it bra nd, b lo g g er etc) who has ris en f ro m festiva l fashion?

Confetti Crowd i s t h e first group that p o p into my hea d.

Sh o p Wil d Thing, too.

Pr evio u s l y called Festival Fa s h io n – so definitely the m .

fi g 17 - Ba b y d o l l o g o

a n i nte r v e i w w it h me gan w yatt | ba by dol founder | ba by dolc lothin g .co m

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27

pre senta tion plan Part of my assessment components,a re that I need to p lan 10-12 minute presentation. So, here it is:

- 2 mins | WHO AM I, WHAT AM I TAL K IN G AB OUT , W HER E D O I WORK AN D WHY SHOUL D YOU CARE? (Int ro to t he b rand, who I am, introduc ing you to th e top ic of fe st ival fa shion. Slideshow to go alongside of p hotos of t he brand, what I’v e done etc , play in g t hrough t he entire presentation) .

-

3 mins | H EY BABY-DOL

(M ore in d ep t h info a bout the bra nd, what is festival fashion, my p ersona l goa ls a nd what I see my futur e b eing, in regar ds to what I’v e learnt from the expe rience).

- 3 mins | RAISIN G A RESPONSIB L E IN TAGRAM EM PIR E (W hy is social media importa nt to this pa rt of th e ind ust ry? How hav e i learnt a bout this? Show mor e ab out w hat I’ve done through my time at baby dol and ab out w hat I’v e lea rnt about this mark et sec to r) -

1 mins – SUMMARY

-

2 mins - QUESTIONS

f ig 1 8 - the Gyps y Shr in e at t he Babydol x P lu s E qu als sh oot

F ig u r e 1 - Cro sby, M 2 017. Own Photo F ig u r e 2 - Di ggi ns, G., 2 017. Rainbow Ba b yd ol ou tf it. [ im a ge] Ava ila b le f rom : h t t ps : // w ww.i n sta gra m.com/p/B Rkl_N2 g -P K/ ?ta ke n - b y= a s os _ge orgia [A cce s s e d 1 1 M ay 20 1 7 ] .

F ig u r e 3 – Cro sby, M 2 017. Babydol x P lu s Eq u a ls Ra il [ im a ge] Ow n p h oto F ig u r e 4 – Cro sby, M 2014. @ shopge n oa s cre e n s h ot f rom In s ta gra m . Ow n P h oto F ig u r e 5 - Wyatt, M . and M ar tin, E ., 2 0 1 7. Ya n a Ilieva in Ba b yd ol, s h ot b y E l l e M a rtin. [i m a ge] Available from: https ://w w w. in s ta gra m . com / p / BTn n D 2 Jlh bt / ? t a ke n -b y=b a b yd o lclothing [Accessed 1 1 M ay 2 0 1 7 ] .

F ig u r e 6 - Wyatt, M ., 2017. Yellow Sh a kira Bikin i. [ im a ge] Ava ila b le f rom : h t t p: // w w w. b a b y d o l c l o t h i n g . c o m / c o l l e c t i o n s / d r e a m e r s / p r o d u c t s / p o m p o m - e a r r i n g s i n-sh a d e-ro sy -apple [Accessed 11 May 2 0 1 7 ] .

F ig u r e 7 - Wyatt, M ., 2017. Babe Flare s in Holo Ice . [ im a ge] Ava ila b le f rom: h t t p: // w w w. b a b y d o l c l ot h i n g . co m / co l l e c t i o n s/ d r e a m e r s/ p ro d u c t s/ b a b e -f l a r e s - i n - h o l o i c e [Ac c essed 11 M ay 2 017].

F ig u r e 8 - Wyatt, M ., 2 017. Kendall D re s s . [ im a ge] Ava ila b le f rom : h ttp ://w ww.ba by d olc lot h i n g.co m/collections/dr eam e rs/ p rod u cts/ ke n d a ll- ra in b ow - d re s s h t t p: // www.babydolclothing.com/collections/dreamers/products/kendall-rain b ow - d ress [Ac cessed 11 M ay 2017].

F ig u r e 9 - Wyatt, M ., 2017. PT2 Conf etti Coat. [ im a ge] Ava ila b le f rom : h ttp: //www. babydolclothing.com/collections/dreamers/products/confetti-pt-2-rainbowfa u x-f u r-co at [Accessed 11 M ay 201 7 ] .

F ig u r e 10 - Wyatt, M ., 2 017. Pt2 Conf etti Coat w ith Ya n a a n d Lottie . [ im a ge] Ava i l ab le f ro m : h tt p ://www.babydolcloth in g. com / colle ction s/ d re a m e rs/ p rod u c t s/ co nf et t i- p t -2-ra i n bow-faux-fur- coat [Acce s s e d 1 1 M ay 2 0 1 7 ] .

F ig u r e 11 – Crosby, M 2 017. B ehind th e s ce n e s p h oto f rom th e Ba b yd o l x P l u s E q u a l s sh o ot. Own photo.

F ig u r e 12 - Crosby, M 2 017. B ehind th e s ce n e s p h oto f rom th e Ba b yd o l x P l u s E q u a l s sh o ot. Own photo.

F ig u r e 13 - Bowes, A., 2017. Custome r Im a ge in Ba b yd ol. [ im a ge] Ava ila bl e f ro m : h t t ps: //w w w. i nstag ram.com/p/B SEor0 b lycF/ ?ta ke n - b y= b a b yd olcloth in g [Acc e ssed 11 May 2017].

F ig u r e 14 - Pa rk es, L., 2 017. M odel in Ba b yd ol d re s s at a s h ow. [ im a ge] Ava i l a bl e f rom : h t t p s://www.instag ram.com/ p / BR G r_5 x FOSc/ ?ta ke n - b y= b a b yd ol c l ot h i n g [A c c essed 11 May 2 017].

F ig u r e 15 - In stag ram, 2016. Georgia D iggin s Ba b yd ol Cu s tom e r p h oto. [ i m a g e] Ava ilab l e f ro m: https://www.instagra m . com / p / BP M 0 3 92 Bb p V/ ?ta ke n - by = ba byd olc lot h i n g [Accessed 11 M ay 2017] .

F ig u r e 16 – Cro s by, M 2017. Own ph oto f rom Ba b yd ol x P lu s Eu q la s s h oot.

F ig 1 7 - Wyat t , M ., 2 017. Babydol Logo. [ im a ge] Ava ila b le f rom : h ttp ://w w w.ba byd olc lot h i n g.co m/ [Accessed 11 M ay 2 0 1 7 ] .

F ig 1 8 - Cro sb y, M 2017. Own photo f rom Ba b yd ol x P lu s Eq u a ls s h oot.

list of

illustrations

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a bi t more about me

megan crosby March - May 2017 | Babydol Clothing | Intern

07786632646 19.07.97 megancrosby@hotmail.co.uk Bournemouth, UK megancrosby.co.uk A passionate young person, looking to find and conquer personal challenges in a hands on work environment. Intent on being in the fashion industry, I have fast thinking, creative outlook on any task put in front of me.

I”m incredibly hard working, with a lot of passion and enthusiasm for everything I do.

EDUCATION A LEVELS - graphic design (A) english literature (C) textiles (B) Portsmouth College 2013 - 2015 FASHION DESIGN - womenswear Arts University Bournemouth 2015 - current SKILLS photoshop illustrator indesign microsoft suite pattern cutting garment manufacture embroidery communications graphic design fashion & trend knowledge ACHIEVMENTS - funding from UNLOC Student Enterprise I was given a grant from UNLOC’s Student Enterprise Programme at Portsmouth College for my fashion label, Genoa in 2014. The maxiumum funding for the programme, £200, was awarded to my student business for equiptment to build the label.

REFERENCES - Chelsea Rowe (ex manager at Peter Werth) 07841117244 Sarah Woolword - C/O Topshop Bournemouth Megan Wyatt (Babydol Clothing) - 07830931050

During spring 2017 I completed an internship with the festival fashion brand Babydol Clothing. My job role was assistant like to Megan, the designer. I pattern cut and made garments for her new collections (working with a lot of stretch fabrics and sequins), as well as pattern cutting and creating made to measure customer orders.

Helping with designing new products, writing professional product descriptions for her website, helping out on a big photo shoot (dressing models, organizing outfits and models etc), making accessories, making garments for bloggers, blogger/influencer relations, packaging orders and creating social media content.

April 2016 - present | Topshop | Sales Assistant As a key part of the Topshop team, my role is vital to keep our store standards, repuation and sales high. Working in different areas of the store I have to make sure that the store is tidy, work on stock loss prevention, keep customer service a key focus point and increase sales.

2014 - 2016 | Fashion Prescription | designer (www.fashionprescription.org @fashionprescription) For two years, I worked freelance with an online brand called Fashion Prescription. I designed handmade lingerie and sold my own label designs on their website, at their request.

2013 – 2015 | Genoa | self employed, own label (www.shopgenoa.bigcartel.com @shopgenoa) I created my own online label named Genoa in 2013, when I was almost 16. The brand grew substantially in only a few months, to having 19k followers on the Instagram and taking in over £15,0000 a year.

I was the only person involved so I took on all roles that a small business entails. It involved studying trends and seeing what customers wanted as well, designing garments, pattern cutting them, hand making all orders, packaging beautifully and posting out. Alongside using social media to market and sell effectively and doing all adminastrative work including web design and money management of the brand. I was officially self-employed and in 2014 the business was really popular. I now seasonally run the brand during my summer breaks from university.

megan crosby

thank you for read ing!

W it h t hanks to Megan Wyatt, for being a bad - a s s boss Industry report word count - 2 1 5 2 Pub lication designed and all words writte n b y Mega n Cro s b y blog - www.mega nc rosby.co .u k