Critical Journal For MKI MIYUKI ZOKU - Research

Critical Journal For Mki Miyuki Zoku Task One - Research.

Critical Journal For Mki Miyuki Zoku Task

One - Research.

Mki Miyuki Zoku intend to “create collections that offer quality, designer led garments at a modest price point” (MKI Miyuki Zoku, 2010, n.p). Based upon minimalistic streetwear and the changing trends within this subculture, MKI use inspiration from the Miyuki Zoku tribe with Ginza, Japan, 1964.

1.

The Miyuki Zoku tribe, name based off Miyuki Dori Street in Ginza Japan and Zoku meaning subculture, took their stance on traditional Japanese culture and changed this in order to fit with western influences after America took allied occupation of Japan after the Second World War. This influenced the Ivy League style which was distinguished in North-eastern America in the 1950’s. “The Ivy league fashion felt cutting edge and sophisticated to Tokyo teens and fit perfectly with Heibon Punch’s mission of giving baby boomers a style of their own.” (Ivy League Style, 2019, n.p) MKI aim to use this attitude of changing the dynamic of streetwear to something more minimal and cleaner cut in order position their brand with a larger target audience.

Even though many aspects of streetwear brands are similar, points of parity are important to MKI as many streetwear items are oversized which is a similarity however, quality and brand name/logo for each brand is the determining factor. “Symbols are the fastest form of communication known for mankind” (Wheeler, 2017), with MKI being a smaller brand compared to bigger streetwear brands such as Carhartt, logos are important as they fuel recognition. Competition creates limitless choice, meaning brands must increase loyalty to a brand through engagement and reassurance.

Instagram is a main platform for MKI as with 45.9 thousand followers they can reach their new lines to a large target audience. With this main streetwear articles such as Hype Beast and Vitruvian magazine are able to create brand profiles in order to use points of parity to differentiate them from rival brands. Also, with Instagram brands such as Comme De Garcons sells their products through the MKI flagship store and with this are able to boost the size of their target audience. With this Instagram videos which relate to task 2, MKI produce videos onto both their Instagram and website which is later reviewed and reposted by apps such as Facebook. Monochrome colours are essential within their Instagram and website layout. When researching into colours used in rival brands black was a common colour, displaying to the consumer a clean look which MKI intend to do within the reassurance of their minimalistic streetwear.

The brand in question doesn’t have a symbol that is easily identifiable like rival brands such as Carhartt and Collusion, many repeating patterns are geometric, and some are off the logo itself. The logo before the re-design from this brief, consisted of two similar yet polar opposite logos, using the name of the brand but different fonts. The use of these fonts gives the brand a clean cut logo as one consists of straight bold lines while the other is signature styled logo with small handwriting giving a more personalised look to the brand.

Reflecting on both the video and the Instagram layout, it was clear that main elements were based off the visual mood board, including aspects such as Japanese culture and colouring that was displayed within the mood board.

MKI is based on the Miyuki Zoku tribe and with this celebrating the change from traditional to individualistic style. However, it was essential to add some layers of Japanese culture to reference back to its origin, and this included the reference to the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. When reviewing this adding elements of the Ivy league style, including colouring and pattern such as the striped ties which were a staple, may have been a clearer way to link both the brand and its history and heritage. However, this wouldn’t of fit with the minimalistic look that MKI show through both their clothing, pictures and layouts of social media platforms. Creating a lot of different logos, which is displayed in the digital sketchbook, is essential in order to pick one that fit fully with the brand heritage and identity, while also changing it to make it unisex.

Reviewing upon these logos using flowers and nude colour, even though may relate to genderless fashion looked very feminine and didn’t fit with the new reviewed unisex brand so using the original colours, black and white, still kept the brand identity but with changing the positioning of the letters and using pops of colour such as green made it look more minimalistic instead of using bright colours which wouldn’t fit with their clothing colour pallet and may make it look cluttered.

4.

When reviewing upon the Instagram layout, the main colour used, this being black and white, fit with the overall colours of the logo and create a cohesive look. However, using pictures with many different layers, may have helped to appeal to the changing dynamic within Instagram today. Brands such as Jaded London and Finesse US use these pictures in order to give a technological view on the way photos can be displayed, and when reviewing this adding these elements may have made the audience of the brand bigger due to the marketing that would have been produced.

This links to the edited pictures within the video, reflecting upon them using brightness, contrast and exposure, helped add dimension to each picture and provide a shadow, as most pictures were taken outside. Also, zooming in the pictures provided a closer look into the quality of the clothing items, however this made some of the pictures look distorted and with this taking the pictures up close firstly would have been more beneficial. Alongside the music, fit well with the pictures and created transition points, but using a more rock style may have fit better, however in creating a new brand identity it would have strayed away from past videos that he brand has created. Rival brands such as Carhartt use similar music to what was displayed within this new video created and with these points of parity make it look different as the content within are polar opposites. MKI bases their videos from the clothes, while Carhartt bases it off workwear and the life stories behind it.

bibliography.

Image References

1. MKI Store [image from 1964], Miyuki Zoku tribe, [Online image]. Available from <https://www.mkistore.co.uk/blog/ the-miyuki-tribe> [Accessed 22nd January 2021].

2. MKI Store [2020], Mki Signature Green Baseball Cap, [Online image]. Available from <https://www.mkistore.co.uk/ product/mki-signature-ball-cap-green> [Accessed 4th March 2021].

3. MKI Store [20200, Mki twill ball cap in off-white, [Online image], Available from <https://www.mkistore.co.uk/ product/mki-twill-ball-cap-ecru> [Accessed 4th March 2021].

4. Jaded London [2021] Hanging out in Morpheus, 20th February 2021 [Online]. Avaliable from <https://www.instagram. com/p/CLglK8BB5Rz/> [Accessed 4th March 2021].

Academic resources

Ivy League Style [2019], The Miyuki-Zoku: Japan’s first Ivy Rebels: Ivy Leauge Style Website. Available from < http://www.ivy-style.com/the-miyuki-zoku-japans-first-ivy-rebels.html> [Accessed 4th March 2021].

MKI MIYUKI ZOKU (2010), MKI about us [Online], MKI MIYUKI ZOKU Store Website: MKI STORE. Available from <https:// www.mkistore.co.uk/about.php> [Accessed 4th March 2021].

Wheeler, A. (2017) Designing Brand Idenity: An Essential guide for the Whole Branding Team. 5th Edition. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.

Music Sources

Benjamin Tissot [2018/2019] All That. Available from BenSound <https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music/track/ all-that-chill-hop> [Accessed 31st January 2021]