Fashion range planning and buying principles

Range Planning For an independent retailer

For this task I have chosen the Liverpool based independent retailer, Boudoir Boutique. The screenshots to the left were taken from Cavern Walks website- it states that the brand is in a shopping centre in the heart of Liverpool city centre. As there is only the one store around this makes my chosen retailer independent.

The quote to the left gives a brief description of what Boudoir Boutique is about- the main description which stuck out to me about the boutique store is that ‘divine decadence is our style’.

To me the word ‘divine’ used to describe clothing conveys the feeling of luxurious and combined with the word decadence which is defined as ‘excessive indulgence in pleasure or luxury’ (Google.co.uk, 2016) means to me that the brand provides stand out ranges which are aimed at the Liverpool girl customer.

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‘Liverpool is England’s ‘’magpie shopping’’ capital, as the city’s fashion pack is the most likely to flit from store to store in search of outfit perfection.

A study of shoppers across English cities […] found that both male and female Scousers are the most style conscious in the country.

The survey also revealed that Liverpudlians are the most likely to say that they follow designer styles in glossy magazines and then recreate the look.’

(Liverpool BID Company, 2016)

When researching into Boudoir Boutique there wasn’t much said about it on their blog or Instagram page.

The brand are currently in the process of building an online website but for now they connect through Facebook, Instagram and their blog. There most prominent source of connection with customers online is Instagram. Boudoir Boutique only reveal that their mission statement is ‘IN HERE LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL’ and that ‘No ladies Day is complete without a stunning show stopping dress from Boudoir Boutique’. The brand is a tailored experience to each individual customer which is why they are so private about their company. Even in there mission statement ‘In here is beautiful’ reveals something different and feminine about their brand which can only really be discovered in-store rather than over the web.

Boudoir Boutique currently sell a selection of dressy occasion wear for women. They aim towards ‘the lady who has almost everything’. Their style is quite stand out and bold which means they have a niche market and this is likely why they only have a blog, an Instagram account and one grade C store. They currently do not offer online order but orders can be placed via the phone.

This makes their very unique and in a way classic as its old fashioned in the way that their service is offered on a personal level through over the phone contact and face to face purchases. I feel that because they offer dressy, occasion wear for women that it is a good idea to keep contact personal as people want to make the right decisions when purchasing occasion wear. It is also a bonus that not many people will have the same outfits as they are not available to order offline like almost every fashion brand can be now.

Boudoir Boutique sell top branded names such as Kevan Jon, Urban Code, Terry De Havilland and especially Forever Unique.

With them stocking a lot of Forever Unique items I decided to have a look at the Forever Unique ‘about us’ section to have an idea of what they are about and why Boudoir Boutique stock a lot of their items. ‘Forever Unique is a luxury fashion brand specialising in ladies occasion wear […]

Seema Malhotra’s (owner of Forever Boutique) inspiration came from the glamorous supermodels of the late 1980s, including Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford. This gave her the drive to set out to reinvent the glamorous woman of today’. (Unique, 2016)

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE

Being a Liverpool based boutique store Boudoir Boutique are fully aware of how celebrity endorsements will attract Liverpool girls who are known to re-create their favourite celebrity looks. A survey that I had spoken about earlier had actually mentioned how ‘scouse’ girls and boys will go out and hunt for celebrity influenced styling.

The screenshots here are taken from Boudoir Boutique’s Instagram where they have taken high influence from Kylie Jenner and Nicole Scherzinger. You can see how popular the Kylie Jenner tux mini dress has been just by the likes and comments left on the page.

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE Boudoir Boutique’s store is located in Cavern Walks which claims to be ‘home of Boutique shopping in the heart of Liverpool’. As boutique’s are known for being unique and hold an appealing interest about them Boudoir Boutique’s store layout is as intriguing as expected. As you can see from the top left screenshot the boutique has a glass door and glass windows making the clothing almost look like a display of fashion rather than a standard store. The merchandise as shown in the other two images is kept tidy and gives a classy type of feeling.

The boutique store is tucked away in Cavern Walk’s building making it personal and homely to those who become regular customers.

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE Below I have built a descriptive customer profile of a typical Boudoir Boutique shopper. This is fundamental to ensure I am targeting my range at the correct customer and gives me a strong sense of who my customer is, what their personal interests are, what occupation they have to determine how much disposable income they have to spend on products. It is also important for me to have the right information on where they like to shop so that I can keep up with competitors on the market.

KADY

This is Kady who is 28 years old and is an events manager from Liverpool. Kady often works in co-operation with Hilton Playhouse, Ex-Directory and newly opened cocktail bar The Alchemist. Kady arranges events around Liverpool for all different social occasion's such as Business meetings, business parties, wedding parties and all round event social gatherings.

Kady has to be present at quite a lot of these events so has to look appropriate and fresh all of the time. Kady likes to come across as sophisticated but fun at the same time which she thinks is quite unique.

Sometimes Kady deals with celebrities such as the Hollyoaks crew and organises staff events for them in Liverpool city centre in places such as 30 James Street’s roof top bar.

Kady enjoys shopping and will splash out a little extra on designer names. Her favourite type of clothing is dressy/ occasion wear as she spends a lot of her time working at events making sure they all go smoothly and can be caught on cameras a lot of the time where the images are then uploaded on social media, newspapers and business webpages to promote her company for event managing.

Kady usually shops in designer boutiques such as Francesca Couture, Sarah Alexandra, Topshop Unique and various stores in Cavern Walks.

Kady likes to keep herself involved with fashion trends and new designs and will get herself and 2 friends tickets to some fashion shows such as The Clothes Show.

This is the mood board I created to represent Boudoir Boutique in Liverpool’s famous cavern walks.

The clue is in the name: ‘Boudoir’ meaning ‘a beautifully decorated room used in the past by a woman for sleeping, dressing, relaxing, and entertaining’ (Dictionary, 2017) .

Inside of the shop as I have shown on previous slides it is feminine and in a way quite classic vintage. The store boasts its ‘boudoir’ feeling and is a place for women to feel glamorous and feminine.

I wanted to get this across in the mood board which is why I chose to predominantly bring through rich colours of sapphire pinks and rosy red. I had adjusted the opacity to make the images look a little less vibrant and create the look of the past through imagery.

The store is quite individual and isn’t as modern as high street stores as it does stand for ‘boudoir’. Hence why I chose certain images such as the black chic lamp to emphasize this type of vibe.

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE

Business Plan Business summary: I am going to introduce a wedding/occasion wear collection for Boudoir Boutique in Liverpool as I have noticed a niche in the market and decided to build a range to target a new customer. Boudoir Boutique stocks designer (dressy) labels for women. I will be bringing in a menswear and girls children-wear collection also. I am going to create a range that is as stand-out and luxurious as the current stock at Boudoir Boutique but this range will reach out to a family basis to bring more custom and establishment to the brand name. I do want to keep it as personal and tailored as it already exists to be in the current situation of Boudoir Boutique. For example, I will keep the services based in-store only and post images on Instagram and Guest Of Trend’s very own blog about the new and upcoming range. I like the idea of people making bookings to come into store and have full fittings into the clothing and having someone there to talk through purchase decisions.

Cavern Walks is considered as Liverpool’s ‘high end’ boutique community where prices are higher than standard high-street RRP. I would stick to this type of pricing to keep in line with Boudoir Boutique’s particular customer market.

Business Aims: I have implanted some business strategies below to have plans for factors such as expansion, marketing and overall profits.

Short- My short term aim will be based on marketing. As Boudoir Boutique do not have any ad campaigns or major website influences (most of their marketing is done purely on Instagram) I would have to focus on interacting with my new customers (i.e., men). In order to do this I would think of creating pocket sized business cards and leaving them around men's barbers in the city centre such as Voodoo. This way they can be handed the card when they pay at the till. As part of negotiation any customer who is recommended through Voodoo would receive a 10% discount from their first order. When men come into the store we would also recommend going to Voodoo for their haircut before their special occasion.

I will also be creating a g.o.t@boudoirboutique account on Instagram as well as an email account so that current followers can also follow this page and hopefully bring attention to new customers also. I want the Instagram page to boast about the luxurious designs and ‘divine decadence’ that Boudoir Boutique already does but in a way that will focus on this new collection.

I plan on having an event day launch at the store a month before the collection is ready for sale and bring samples to show existing and potential customers. To make this successful and more interesting I would include celebrity endorsements such as Steven Gerrard and Alex Curren who are major icons in the Liverpool town who are now globally recognised. This way my event would bring masses of attention to my collection and also spread the news faster without having to use advert campaigns etc.

Mid- I will be introducing a loyalty scheme. When a customer signs up to the Guest of Trend newsletter and online marketing they will be entered into our customer loyalty pack. This pack will contain a loyalty card that add up ‘jewels’ and then can be spent in store. The pack will also include 10% off exclusive ranges that only they will be able to see prior to future garments launching in store.

Long- Boudoir Boutique do not currently ship to overseas countries as there is not an only website to physically do this. I intend on eventually doing this over the next 3-5 years. I would like to build an online website for loyal customers who have the loyalty pack who would then be able to order online and have items delivered. This would still keep the name of Boudoir Boutique as personal as its personality has always showed but also give loyal customers a chance to feel valued.

One of my major long term aims is to introduce a boys-wear range also to complete the full family outfit. As I am just starting I have chosen to just do a girls range for now and based on like-for-like data from merchandise spreadsheets I will predict the outcome of a boys-wear range.

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE THE NAME: I have named my range ‘Guest of Trend’ the reason for this is because my range is being designed for people attending wedding/special occasions over summer who want to be the ‘guest of trends’. I feel this is modern, simple and makes the point clear about what the range id designed for.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO SELL?: My business is going to sell a collection of styles for wedding wear and it will be provided for women, men and girls. I will also provide my customers with services on the shop floor to potential/new customers. I want my customers to have an experience they will remember from the moment they walk over to the section of where Guest of Trend will be located. It is important that sales assistants talk customers through the features and benefits of products in order for them to make there eventual decision.

WHAT PRODUCTS WILL YOU HAVE? As my collection is based on wedding guest attire and occasion wear I want my garments to look stand out, but sophisticated as well. I want my clothing to make an impression on the city of Liverpool and live up to the cities stylish reputation. My size range for women is is going to be from size 8 to 14 (which is the same size range as Boudoir Boutique’s current products) and designed for young women around the ages of 20-35. the size range for men's will be consist of Small, Medium and Large, and kidswear will be age 5-10 years.

As is it for S/S17 I plan on using shades of nudes, creams, cold white , greys and navy for menswear. However, I will use WGSN and Vogue to research predicted colour pallets for S/S17 and tailor this to my range . I want it to be fresh, modern and desirable so that my target market are intrigued by the freshest trends for s/s17.

WHEN WILL THE PRODUCTS BE SOLD?: I will create a collection purely based on spring/summer 2017. However, I want my brand to carry on into autumn/winter 17 if hopefully successful. The brand name would stay the same as would the idea, although like any other change in trend and season the colours and patterns would change to suit winter weathers. Data and figures taken from the merchandise team will allow me to determine how well my range will sell and predict future sales. I would use similar items such as dresses for women, suits for men and cute frilly clothes for the kids-wear. I feel like this type of collection for Boudoir Boutique would be continuously throughout the year.

WHAT ARE MY BUSINESS STRATAGIES?: It is important that in the long term business aim I reach out to a national target market. For the time being Boudoir Boutique is a Liverpool based business. In order for me come in contact with a national market I would have to look at partnering up with different boutiques around the country in desirable locations. It could also mean that I would eventually open up my own boutique for Guest of Trend- maybe with a store grade D to ship to the UK and the E.U . This would be something I would focus on in the next 5 years once fully established and sales/profits are high enough to allow me to do this. Financial planning would be significant for me to keep up to date with to ensure I am able to maximise profits for the brand. Again, this would mean working closely with the merchandise team to statistically look at data and figures realistically. As my brand is a small name, it is likely that I would be the buyer and merchandiser and work with a small amount of people to set out our critical path and suppling management.

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE In order to see my competition and what's already on offer and at what price to my target market I have carried out a comparative shop. This will enable me to compete with others on the same market and offer something different to the same customer to give a fresh twist on occasion wear. I have also looked at Boudoir Boutique’s current collection to see what they have on offer, how much for and if its selling well.

Although Boudoir Boutique are known for their ‘standout’ occasion wear, it is only available to women. I plan on introducing a range that is applicable to young families who are attending weddings and special occasion's in S/S17. I will start by producing 5-8 garments each for women, men and little girls. I plan on starting to offer little girls some outfits and then eventually branching out and introducing little boys wear. I feel that it will be better to start of with girls. The reason for this is because little girls tend to enjoy shopping with their mums and it would be interesting to see how well the childrens-wear will sell.

As you can see the current styles for Boudoir Boutique are all quite short and dark colours. As my collection is for S/S17 and focussing on wedding guest wear I will be introducing longer and less fitted garments which look sophisticated. I also want my full range to have a flow throughout so that the women's, men's and girls section all connect and you can see the ‘family’ outfit.

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE As I am targeting women, men and girls-wear I am going to do three separate comp shops on all categories. This is to show me what is available in different boutiques/brands to each of my customers.

I will have a broader sense of what is on offer and how to keep-on-top of my competitors.

There is currently no boutique who offer wedding guest wear for the ‘family’ base so I already have a niche in the market which is a good start.

All of these styles taken from Mabel Doll’s Instagram page show how they focus on the standout outfit for young women. These outfits are occasion wear but more for the likes of 21st birthdays which makes them different to my unique market.

However, Mabel Doll does offer a variety of styles/colours rather than darker bodycon style dresses like Boudoir Boutique. This would mean they would compete with the younger customer of Guest of Trend in terms of price, style and colour.

However, as mentioned my collection will be based around wedding guest ranges rather than party ranges.

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE

Similar to Boudoir Boutique Cricket is located in the heart of Liverpool City Centre’s home of boutique ranges and ‘high end’ fashion. Cricket also only uses Instagram as their only source of social media communication. All orders must be put through the phone or visiting the store which is the same as Boudoir Boutique. One of the advantages Cricket has over Boudoir Boutique and potentially Guest of Trend is that they offer women's, menswear and a ‘mini me’ collection for both girls and boys.

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE

Francesca Couture is a luxury boutique designer based in Liverpool. Different to Boudiour Boutique, Mabel Doll and Crciket; Francesca Coture has an online website that customers can buy straight from.

However, not all items which feature on their instagram page are available to order online so this means they still offer a individual tailored service likewise to the three competitors in Liverpool.

One of the major disadvantages between Francesca Couture and Boudoir boutique is that they not only aim towards the same target market but also offer similar garments at a similar price.

Francesca Coture tend to use nude/beige colours which is a colour I estimate to be in my S/S17 collection for Guest of Trend. I will have to look closely at this and see how to make my garments differ to Francesca Couture’s.

An advantage for me is that I plan on bringing in a mini me and menswear collection which is something that Francesca Coture do not offer.

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE

Here is part of cricket’s ‘mini me’ collection.

As you can see the brand bring in top designer names such as Missoni, Versace and Sophia Webster amongst some of the most popular brands out there for adults and kids. Their prices for childrens-wear are quite high, but understandable because of brand. Cricket claims to be ‘Liverpool’s ultimate luxury retailer’. This is something which would be hard to compete against because they are so well known in the city.

However, their ranges for children are for quite basic wear. My range will be targeted towards young girls who need wedding/ocoasion wear. The only outfit that was quite similar to the style/pricing of my range was the Young Versace pink dress in the top right corner. However, when searching through Cricket’s Mini Me Instagram there was only the one similar dress; giving me (Guest of Trend) an advantage.

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE

Kids Cavern is probably my main competitor in terms of age, pricing and location. They are also primarily targeted to the ‘scouse family’ which Guest of Trend will be also. However, Kids Cavern tend to offer casual wear for children of many different designers which can be bought online. My range will be for occoasion wear and something the whole family can participate in.

Kids cavern offer world wide shipping which means they are a massive success to come from just three stores in Merseyside. With saying that though, my range as mentioned again is targeted for occasion wear which differs our markets slightly.

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE

Strawberry childrenswear is a fairly new designer boutique for children on the map. It has a store in Liverpool and also has its own website with Instagram page which customers can order from. Strawberry has a unique selling point which is their ‘payment plans’. This means that their customers have a 4 week period to pay off thei childrens clothing. This is a really good business idea which I may take influence off. Especially with my range being offered to mum, dad and young.

Their girls range is pretty similar in style, colour and shape to my initial ideas for Guest of Trend. However, their boys wear collection is quite casual which is something I don’t tend on using.

Their pricing is quite similar to what I expect my products will be priced at so I would have to concentrate on using marketing strategies to appeal to the customer.

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE

Cricket menswear had no price anywhere to be found. I did try and go on the individual websites such as Saint Laurent, Dsquared and Valentino for the pricing but I could not find these particular styles which are selling from cricket.

I imagine that the suit jackets and trousers are around £300£500 going off product knowledge and that the shirts are based between £150-£250.

I would have to physically go into the store and check out the prices to give me a better idea which I plan on doing.

The advantage for me is that Cricket only seem to have these three styles for formal wear and everything else is much rather casual or for a night out in town as opposed to occasion wear. Therefore, Cricket menswear is not a major competitive force against Guest Of Trend.

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE

As I was searching for competitors to Guest of Trend it became a little difficult to find menswear boutiques which sell suits for occasion wear. As this was an advantage for me I decided to take a look at some designer high-end high street brands. I decided to look at Ted Baker as they are known for luxury, occasion wear for both men and women and are particularly popular for their contemporary men's shirts.

Ted Baker provides an almost tailored service as men can still have shirts, trousers and blazers altered to suit their shape.

Ted Baker does not use advertising campaigns which I plan on using which would differentiate the two brands again.

BOUDOIR BOUTIQUE

Grand Frank are a unique online only website for men who are based in Sweden. They do ship worldwide to the countries screenshotted above which makes them a strong competitor for my range. They produce occasion wear for men in the form of suits, ties, cufflinks etc. which are of good quality and are young and modern.

I have looked into their price range quite extensively and they have a similar price range to me.

I feel that this brand is a type of online boutique which makes them modern and on top form on the competitor scale.

Pure Trade Show

(Purelondon.com, 2017) ‘Pure London Womenswear is defined by new and exclusive brands showcasing the latest trends and movements within the fashion industry.

Our curated show sectors Pure Premium, Allure, Aspire, Spirit, Footwear, Accessories and New Brands, deliver a stunning range of styles. With such variety, we have what you’re looking for.

So whether you are after coveted designer pieces from our Pure Premium section, edgy, vibrant styles from Aspire, or classic and effortlessly elegant pieces from Allure, Pure London is the place to source your must-haves for the upcoming season’. (Purelondon.com, 2017)

Researching into Pure Trade Show has given me much interest in wanting to visit their huge variety of exclusive brands who are know to showcase the ‘latest trends and movements within the fashion industry.’ I believe that it would be good for me to go down in February 17 and take some inspiration for my collection Guest of Trend.. Pure Tade Show mention that Allure is the place to be for ‘classic and effortlessly elegant pieces’ which would be convenient for my range and provide me with significant influence on factors such as style, shape, fabric and colour analysis.

‘’ Anna Ruohonen

‘’ (Purelondon.com, 2017) Profile ‘THE BEAUTY OF SIMPLICITY Anna Ruohonen collections follow the tradition of Finnish design. The forms are architectural, the cuts are considered, simplicity is intentional. Her ambition is to bring beauty to everyday life with elegant, high quality clothing.

Being destiny or a coincidence, living in Paris has given to her style a touch of femininity and elegance. Together with minimalist and functional Scandinavian style of design, she creates a clothing line, that is strong, interesting, personal and recognizable.

Ready-to-wear AR by ANNA RUOHONEN -collection is hand-manufactured from material to garments in small series in Finland’. (Purelondon.com, 2017)

Anna Ruohonen’s Finnish inspired collections focus primarily on simplicity in forms of elegant, high quality clothing. She is also described as ‘recognisable’ which makes her brand strong and gives it a real personality. Anna Ruohonen’s designs are a high inspiration for my Guest of Trend collection as I also want to become ‘recognisable’ through design and comfort giving me a lead on competitors.

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‘’(Purelondon.com, 2017)

Darling London Profile ‘Feminine, vintage inspired and quintessentially ‘English’, Darling’s unique brand identity lies behind its success and popularity. Rich colours and classic silhouettes in the collection are signature to Darling’s ‘English Rose’ character.

Every season is punctuated with new look styles in on trend prints and shapes. Luxury items at an accessible price ensure that Darling is a highly coveted brand in every fashionista’s closet’.

(Purelondon.com, 2017) Darling London establishes a feminine casual vibe of people who are attracted to ‘English’ styles. The brand are recognised for their ‘rich colours and classic silhouettes’. This is something I found influential towards my own range as the colour and attention to detail are really important when creating a ‘feminine look’. Darling London have luxury items at an accessible price which means they are more affordable than what my range will be. However, this doesn’t concern me too much as they are part of Aspires collection which focuses on casual styles for everyday wear.

‘’ Crayo

‘’ (Purelondon.com, 2017)

Profile ‘A leading spanish company in prêt à porter sector. We design and manufacture innovative collections focused at the modern woman who likes to dress in comfort with quality garments at competitive prices but even always chic’. (Purelondon.com, 2017) I have been very much inspired and influenced by Spanish leading designer Crayo. They focus on the modern woman which is what my range also focuses on as well as the modern young man & modern girl.

Their proucts pay close attention to comfort as well as styling which is something I want to achieve through my range Guest of Trend. They are more competitive on the market through price, but still has the same idea in mind as me for Guest of Trend.

Researching the different brands available at Pure outlined to me the variety of styles, ranges and brands they have which would appeal to people from all over the world.

Even though my range will not include accessories or footwear I had a look at their more exclusive branded footwear and accessories to look at factors such as material and price.

My target market is likely to shop with brands similar to this as they would be going for classic, elegant styles.

Footwear

(Purelondon.com, 2017) Accessories

(Purelondon.com, 2017)

Nero Giardini is an Italian brand who produce footwear, clothing and accessories. On their profile they pride themselves for being ‘identified by design, high quality and Italian style.’ I would be takin a look at the Italian designs to see if I can find any global influences through their design and pattern as I am also creating a luxury range made of fine material and will be recognised for style and design.

3Chic is also an Italian brand who produce leather accessories. Similar to Nero Giardini focus on ‘quality and exclusivity.’ they are a very feminine driven brand and offer luxury products at a higher end price. There products are something I would take influence on in terms of material, fabric and styling. I have been very intrigued by the Italian branded designers as they seem to boast luxury, a focus on design and more quality for money.

Women

Women

SARTORIAL PURITY: ‘’Tailoring is stripped back and raises the bar on design by minimalizing features and shaping edges, as from Matthleu Belin. The finished product is gracious yet functional. Quality is key and a focus on fabrics takes the story to the next level.’’

Women

The PAUSE trend forecast for women & young women of s/s17 points out mainly the shift from A-line silhouette into the more extreme cone shape. This is something I feel would influence me majorly in the choosing of garments for women in s/s17 looking on outfit choices for weddings etc. I think that the look would be a perfect trend for my customer attending weddings who want the classy, ‘out there’ look.

As for colours and fabric it has been forecasted that cold white and grey provide a calming, minimisation effect which is something I would consider for Guest of Trend. It is a little different to what Boudoir Boutique offer but this is about introducing something new to the brand and widening its customer profile.

Sophie Buhai’s wooden chocker looks elegant and is the new luxury piece. This would inspire my collection for simple accessories to go along with smooth fabrics of cone shape silhouettes.

Fabrics have been described as ‘fragile’ in the Pause S/S17 forecast meaning fabric is as light on the skin as ever. Giving the feeling of quality whilst bringing out modern femininity in the form of ultra-fine mesh and delicate organza. I think that in colours such as cold white, grey and soft nudes this would look perfect for a wedding occasion in the summer.

The shaping of edge and tailoring for s/s17 has raised the bar this season and the finishing piece looks effortless and gracious. This type of material (silk based_ would feel spacious and functional for an event such as a wedding going from day to night.

WGSN makes a strong point about ‘restfulness and relaxation‘ and states that this has been taken into account with ‘subtle comfort details that snuggle up to the body. Wrapping and draping as shown by Aijla Ayidan add a subtle beauty in viscose and sand-washed silk that feel calming on the skin.’ this is definitely a strong influence on my s/s17 collection for Guest of Trend as I want my customers feeling comfortable and elegant all day and night at their summer occasions.

Ellie Balwako has introduced exquisite refinement with caging style lace on lingerie. I thought this type of look looked expensive and stand out which would suit accessories such as heels and matching clutches to bring out the outfit.

Women Main Focus Point: Key Shapes & Colour for Women (Cone, Square, Layers) (Colour: neutral, minimal) This is my concept board related to my Guest of Trend collection. My inspiration was taken from WGSN’s SS17 trendeforcasting: PAUSE. The forecast looked at key shapes and colour as well as fabric and design.

As my collection is going to be available for my target market in Spring/Summer 17 and focused on occasion wear for events such as weddings; I wanted my fabric to be light, breathable and soft. This is why I chose to use quite soft imagery to relate to this.

I chose to make my images quite square and ‘cone’ like to represent the shape of my future garments. The cone shape will be as popular as ever in s/s17 and is taking over the A-line approach. I feel that this look is classy and perfect for weddings something I feel my customer would appreciate at a day-to-evening wedding guest outfit.

I didn’t find it necessary to add a picture of a colour pallet as the images are kept to quite minimal cold whites, greys and neutral to portray my ideas.

My fabric and material will be light-weight, silk-washed and have a luxurious feeling which will hug the skin in the forms of drapes and wraps etc.

I feel that the title ‘pause’ is appropriate as at a wedding guests will pause to take in the event of the day and be comfortable all day and evening in their soft clothing.

Men

As my collection is designed for a ‘family basis’ I wanted to ensure that my inspiration was driven from similar trend forecasting. Therefore, I was lucky enough that WGSN had another PAUSE S/S17 trend forecast for men. The colour pallets were similar which is better for me in terms of making a connection between the garments and making them look professional.

As my season is spring/summer17 I wanted light material/fabric that is smooth on the skin and feels light all day at an event such as a wedding.

WGSN predicted that crepe fabric was going to be popular and give contemporary menswear an update through fibre blending.

The fabric also looks premium and luxurious which would make it more beneficial for my range as it will be in the higher end pricing scale. With it being lightweight and breathable I think this would be the best type of fabric for me to go with as my target market is men who need shirts in summer.

Shadow prints and block weave patterns were predicted as popular also. This would work well in colours such as grey and navy for a sophisticated approach. I would use block weaves on accessories such as ties and pocket squares to add a subtle, but sophisticated detail to an outfit for men.

Men Main Focus Point: Key Shapes & Colour for Men (Shapes: Slimfitting, tailored suit look) (Colour: Greys, navvy, neutral) This is my concept board related to my Guest of Trend collection. My inspiration was taken from WGSN’s SS17 trend forecasting: PAUSE. The forecast looked at key shapes and colour as well as fabric and design.

As my collection is going to be available for my target market in Spring/Summer 17 and focused on occasion wear for events such as weddings; I wanted my fabric to be light, breathable and soft. This is why I chose to use quite soft imagery to relate to this.

I chose to make my images quite square to represent the shape of my future garments. All of my suits including shirts will be tailor made and slim fitting. This is why I chose to add on the picture of the zoomed in sewing machine to represent fine detail and appreciation of tailoring.

I have added a colour palet to the bottom right to show what colours my range will be using. My fabric and material will be light-weight, silk-washed and have a luxurious feeling which will hug the skin in fabrics such as crepe.

You will also notice black and white dots. This is to represent woven weaves which will feature quite heavily in items such as ties to give the outfit detail and make it a bit more stand out/unique compared to what is already out there on the market.

Girls

Girls To find inspiration for young girls I went onto WGSN to take a look at the trend forecasting. As there was not much information for S/S17 I looked at both s/s17 and 18.

The trend forecast ‘Girls Apparel for S/S18’ made it clear that girls outfits were taking much influence from young women & women. The gaucho pant seemed to be really popular and stood out to me. I feel predicted that sportswear influence this would be a strong influence over my collection for Guest of Trend as the garment looks classy, age appropriate and also comfortable for a young girl between the age of 5-10 to wear at a day long event. I also think that whilst adding influence from young women & women it doesn’t look too old or ageinappropriate for a child between the age of 5-10. As WGSN describes ‘the extreme loose fit and oversized bow add a sense of play’.

Further to girls clothing taking influence from womenswear I had seen a lot of this on WGSN with the frilled off the shoulder dress, the bell-sleeved top and the tailored square looking wrap dress. All of these particular styles are on trend as well as comfortable making them accessible for 5-10 year olds.

WGSN had mentioned that the use of ‘reflective finishes feels futuristic, industrial and slightly space-age, with structured fabrics that seem to have a liquid quality’. Thus engaging with comfort and movement for all day long.

WGSN have unexpected ruffle detailing in sports influence garments in the form of ruffle dresses and delicate tops to add an ‘edgy feel to key shapes’. This again is quite important for me as I want my customers and target market to feel comfortable, relaxed, age appropriate and stylish.

The fore cast of ‘milky neutrals and tinted pastels’ are a pefect blend for s/s17 colours for a girls outfit for a wedding/special occasion.

Girls Main Focus Point: Fabric (Soft, breathable, comfortable) This is my concept board for my girls wear range Guest of Trend for s/s17. I wanted my images to portray an innocence about dressing fashionable at a young age. Even though some of my garments are heavily influenced from women’s clothing I didn’t want to take away the innocence of children by making them older than their years. To achieve this I will be using soft milky tones and pastel colours to make garments seem young and appropriate.

I will be going for floaty shapes and nothing that it too figure hugging. For example I have added cads of bell-flared sleeve tops, oversized clots and shorts with flippy material which seem quite playful.

This range is being designed for s/s17 so fabric and texture has to be breathable especially for children between ages 5-10. I plan on using the theme ‘slick modernity’ when putting together my range.

I have used soft, natural backgrounds to defy the materials which will go into my clothing. Colours will be kept quite minimal and in shades of nude, light pink and whites etc. this again is more appealing towards younger girls and doesn’t use any harsh fabric on the skin.

Guest of Trend

Rochelle, Marvin & little Aliyah The Humes family are a perfect example of my customer profile for Guest Of Trend. This is the type of family I will be marketing and focusing on when trying to reach out to my customer.

Rochelle & Marvin are both extreme fashion icons and always look classy, sophisticated and stylish wherever they go.

The kind of attire they both choose is similar garment's compared to what I will have in my range or Guest Of Trend.

Rochelle & Marvin always have their daughter dressed age appropriate but always chic.

I think If I approached the family as celebrity endorsements this would appeal well to my target customer. This would be something to definitely consider and think of some kind of advertising campaign to introduce my line with the Humes family being a central selling and attraction point.

Forecasting Before I begin to choose my own range and collection for Guest of Trend it is important that I research s/s17 forecasted trends such as key shapes, colour and patterns, and style and cuttings of garments.

I am going to be researching men's, women's, and young girls from leading fashion experts Vogue and WGSN.

(British Vogue, 2017)

Forecasting The trend ‘Make and Make Do’ forecasted by WGSN have inspired me in terms of taking it back old school with ‘mid-century homemade dresses and self-taught sewing’. I feel this kind of look looks classic and chic making occasion wear more personal for a personal event such as a wedding.

The images are portraying frills and ruffles something I feel is really elegant and feminine. It also shows the historical features of fashion and how we can go back in time to re-create fashion.

Forecasting

‘Spring/Summer 2017 is the season of the dress. Every occasion, style and silhouette the runways have it covered. But with so much choice, what to spotlight now? Stella McCartney's khaki utility or Bottega Veneta's printed midi city dress will be our workwear go-to, so too an oversized white cotton smock dress that will see you through the weekend (favourites at Ellery and Jacquemus). The colour to be seen in?

Pink. There's nothing sugary about it, the only shade it wear now is a shocking fuchsia to make Schiaparelli proud. When it comes to florals, it's all about retro prints - keep them bold, psychedelic even. And yes, it's true, the eighties are bac;, oversized, OTT everything - languid elasticated jersey at Vuitton or liquid lame at Isabel Marant and Saint Laurent were all standout hits. So whether you play it safe or branch out, this is the season to dress it up’. (British Vogue, 2017)

Forecasting Men S/S17

The trendforecasting prediction ‘Pause’ from WGSN expects s/s17 menswear to encourage a look of luxury with colours such as champagne and washed-blue. They have also mentioned that ‘spice and espresso are added for a heritage twist. This to me would work perfectly with garments such as tailored suits, and fitted shirts.

WGSN also talk about ‘soft angular’ on tapered and pleated volumes on garments such as tailored suits. This to me feels right for my collection of s/s17 as it gives tailored looks a fresher, lighter feeling and looks contemporary for stylish men and young men.

Forecasting Men S/S17

The bonded pocket shirt is looking popular for s/s17. I would look on embracing detailing such as this into my collection for Guest of Trend to add something unique and tailored to occasion wear.

The work-wear suit is also becoming stylish and modern for all aspects of events.

With jackets having a straight hem and a soft shoulder construction I think this would be perfect for my target market who will require comfortable clothing for all day-to-night wear.

Forecasting Girls S/S17

‘’Ruffles have recently emerged as a key feature in girlswear, and now the ruffle yoke is defining necklines for girls. Add dimension and interest […] for an overtly feminine update.’’ (Wgsn.com, 2017)

Detailing’s such as ruffles and patterns with pretty flock birds are the next seasons key trends. I think these styles are cute, fashionable and age appropriate. I will be using the ruffles but not as exaggerated as the images above. I would use slightly ruffling on garments such as blouses to add a subtle feminine effect. I will also be using neutral/light colours to make the ruffles appear more pretty and girly.

WGSN have mentioned that flocks of birds prints/patterns are fine illustrations. This is the type of handwriting I would be going for in the design of my garments so they look pretty and detailed. I also think this is the best type of way to design garments for young girls to keep their outfits young, innocent and sweet. I will be using these details in forms of cotton on crepe materials to avoid irritated skin on young girl.

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Board Women S/S17

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Main Focus Point: Premium Fabric, Sophisticated comfort for Women S/S17 For inspiration for my womens s/s17 mood board I took a look at WGSN’s PAUSE which went into detailed description of how soft, lucury fabric will play a key role in s/s17. The key points focused on was ‘quality and enhanced performance of modern minimal direction. Sophisticated classics and simple basics to focus on everyday comfort, utilising discreet texture, optimum blend yarns and innovative finishing, taking casual and formalwear fabrics to an aspirational and premium level.’

(Wgsn.com, 2017) PAUSE concentrates on the effect of smooth crepe yarns which will create refined silk garments that are smooth to touch on the skin. This is the kind of fabric I will be using on my garments for Guest of Trend for my customers to feel smooth and comfortable all day and evening.

I focused on portraying my fabrics in this mood board as I predict it is the fabric that will be a key selling point from my range. I have used soft imagery with light neutral colours to represent the fabric.

You will notice that I have turned down the opacity on all of my images and blurred out corners of the mood board. The reason for this is to represent the smoothness of the fabric I intend on using. I wanted my board to have a light, feminine feeling about it and this is how I thought it would look best to represent this idea.

Board Girls S/S17 Main Focus Point: Colour, Print & Pattern for Girls S/S17 I created my mood board for girls s/s17 on Photoshop to allow me to manipulate imagery and colours to the way I have envisioned my ideas.

One of the key prints I picked up from WGSN’s ‘trend alert’ was the printed bird pattern for young girls. I found this design sweet, effortless and appropriate for the summer season.

The print looks innocent and portrays ‘free as a bird’ as I have clearly imported onto my mood board. My range is being designed for children who are attending wedding events in summer with their mums & dads so I will be taking great influence from this pattern as I think it suits pleasantly.

I particularly wanted to outline the colour pallet which is predominantly cream, nude and light pinks. To get this message across along with the printed bird pattern I have eye-dropped the light-pink colour from the colour pallet and used this to manipulate the birds on the top corner to make the print and pattern stand out.

I have used one image of a little girl in the right hand corner who is in a garden on a summers day looking quite plain and innocent as this is the kind of target market I will be focusing on.

I didn’t want my range to look too old for the age of the girls I am targeting towards and I think this particular pattern and colour is perfect for that reason.

Board Men S/S17

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(Wgsn.com, 2017) Main Focus Point: Shape (crisp shoulder line) This is my mood board for men's s/s17 Guest of Trend. As you can see it is very minimalistic and doesn’t feature a lot of detail. The reason for this is that I am going for the ‘classic’ look suit which is clean, crisp and structured. I have used a lot of square imagery to portray the shape of my future garments for menswear.

I will have tailored suits available at my range and the main focus point is suit jackets. You can see on all 4 images the suit jackets are firm to the body and are made for slim-fit style.

I have used the eye-drop tool so I could pick up the exact colours the colours from the images at the bottom into the three squares at the top too represent my main colours of the pallet for my menswear range.

WGSN mentioned in their future trends that s/s17 menswear jackets would give a ‘crisp shoulder line and neat hip length.’ this is definitely the image I have in my mind which I will use as inspiration in choosing particular garments for my range Guest of Trend.

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My Fashion Blog As part of this unit I have created a personal blog which I can post and write all things about fashion. I wanted to keep my blog plain and easy to navigate. This was my first time using WordPress and it took some time to set up and layout the way I wanted.

I have added some quotes to make it personal and fashion orientated.

If you take a look I have screenshotted my Denim Street Style posts which are ideas and current trends I find interesting and inspirational.

I find this blog a really good source to collect images of styles and trends that I find inspirational and can talk informally about how they inspire my choice in fashion.

To take a closer look at my blog click the link below: https://misspaigebakerbailey.wordpress.com

My PinterestBoard Further to my blog I have also created a Pinterest account.

The reason for this is that it allows me to pin ideas and trend inspiration to specific boards. I have used this to my advantage for my product range Guest of Trend. As I have stated, I am creating a wedding/occasion range for s/s17. to get some modern ideas of styles and trends I made three separate boards: Women's Wedding Guest Wear, Men's Wedding Guest Wear and Kidswear.

Boudoir Boutique £245 Boudoir Boutique do not provide any information on their online blog or Instagram about what materials/fabrics have been used.

They only provide the price via their blog. Because of this I am limited on comparing and contrasting materials used during my direction shop.

However, I will be able to look for similar designs/shapes/patterns and compare prices with higher end designers.

Shop Victoria Beckham £625

Self-Portrait £475.00

David Koma £1,060

•David Koma lace and stretch-crepe mini dress •Exposed zip fastening at back •Round neck, long sleeves, geometric lace at sleeves, sides and back bodice, darts at chest, fitted skirt, fully lined •52% acrylic, 45% viscose, 3% elastane; 100% polyester; lining 98% acrylic, 2% lyocell •Dry clean •True to size

•Self-Portrait mesh and knit mini dress •Exposed button and zip fastening at back •High neck, cold shoulders, long diamond lace sleeves, all-over knit-inspired guipure lace, fitted, keyhole detail at back, ruffled trims, detachable slip dress •100% polyester; lining 97% polyester, 3% elastane •Cool hand wash, wash inside out, do not soak, do not bleach, cool iron on reverse •’Please note: This style tends to run small, so you may wish to go up a size’

Valentino, £1,195 •Valentino wool and cashmere-blend dress •Slips on •Round neck, long sleeves, gold-toned studs at front, sheer floral lace at back •90% wool, 10% cashmere; 71% cotton, 21% viscose, 8% nylon •Dry clean •True to size

•Victoria Beckham sequinned and crepe dress •Concealed zip fastening at back •Collar, long sleeves, buttoned cuffs, sequinned front, one slip pocket at each side, contrasting trims, straight hem, fully lined •100%nylon; 100% polyester; 100% cotton; lining 100% silk •Dry clean •True to size

Shop Boudoir Boutique £185

Balmain £1,815

Maje £260

Area £865

•Balmain knitted dress •Exposed zip fastening at back •Deep V-neck, padded shoulders, long sleeves, fitted, leopard print motif at front, lace-up detailing at front, gold-toned hardware, closed-knit, striped trims, straight hem •100% viscose •Dry clean •True to size

Paper London £395.00 •Paper London woven romper •Concealed zip fastening at side •Strapless, darts at bust, elasticated back, all-over shiny finish, self-tie overlay at back, fully lined •60% viscose, 40% rayon •Dry clean •True to size

•Area silk-satin dress •Exposed button fastening at front •Notch lapels, long sleeves, textured cuffs, loose-fit, two flap pockets at front, darts at back, single vent at back •100% silk •Dry clean •True to size

•Maje knitted dress •Slips on •Crewneck, long sleeves, openwork detailing, bodycon-fit •62% viscose, 38% polyester •Hand wash •True to size

Ted Baker £169 •Ted Baker woven playsuit •Exposed zip fastening at back •Strapless, boned bodice, v-slit at front neckline, fit-and-flare silhouette, all-over geometric pattern, high-rise at front, skirted detailing, fully lined •49% viscose, 46% polyester, 5% metallised fibres; 95% polyester, 5% elastane •Dry clean

Rachel Zoe £410

•Size selection: British sizing (USA sizing) •Fits true to size, take your normal size •Slim fit •70% cotton, 30% silk •Dry clean only

Boudoir Boutique £248

Forever Unique £490

Shop David Korma £1,060

•Fit Advice: This garment is best ordered to your size •Material: Shell: 100% Polyester, Lining: 100% Polyester (excluding trims) •Care Instructions: Wash separately, Do not soak, Due to the use of natural dye is it normal to experience loss of excess colour during wash, Hand wash carefully in cold water, Do not bleach, Cool iron, Do not wring, Do not tumble dry, Dry flat, Professional dry clean

Boudoir Boutique £248

Forever Unique £275 •Fit Advice: This is a very fitted style with thick stretch fabric to hold you in and best ordered to your size.

•Material: Shell: 90% Rayon, 9% Nylon, 1% Spandex (excluding trims) •Care Instructions: Hand wash with cold water, Do not dry clean, Do not bleach, Do not tumble dry, Cool iron on reverse, Dry flat, Do not wring

Balmain £2,065

•David Koma lace and stretchcrepe mini dress •Exposed zip fastening at back •Round neck, long sleeves, geometric lace at sleeves, sides and back bodice, darts at chest, fitted skirt, fully lined •52% acrylic, 45% viscose, 3% elastane; 100% polyester; lining 98% acrylic, 2% lyocell •Dry clean •True to size

Celeb Boutique £129

Top Length: Approx 33cm Bottom Length: Approx 57cm Materials: Bandage (90% Rayon, 9% Nylon, 1% Elastane) Mesh (95% Polyamide, 5% Elastane) Stretch Type: Very Stretchy Gentle Dry Clean Only

•Balmain knitted dress •Exposed zip fastening at back •Deep v-neck, padded shoulders, long sleeves, fitted, all-over abstract pattern with metallic accents, fitted waistband, gold-toned hardware, closed-knit, ribbed trims, straight hem •89% viscose, 11% nylon •Dry clean •True to size

Celeb Boutique £129

Top Length: Approx 38cm Bottom Length: Approx 64cm Materials: Bandage (90% Rayon, 9% Nylon, 1% Elastane/Elastano) Stretch Type: Very Stretch

Shop Analysis When looking through for similar designs/shapes/fabrics from upper end designers compared to the styles available at Boudoir Boutique I found that many of them are all dry-clean/hand-washed only. This is something I believe I would also be doing with my range as it is for wedding occasions and would want the care wash to be kept prim.

The prices were a lot higher compared to what I will be selling my range out which means they are not as high in competition for me but more so influence.

However, these styles are much different to what my product range will be offering meaning I am only taking in account the competition for Boudoir Boutique.

S O

*Staff morale and knowledge of products plays a big part towards strength as it is the staff members who work together to see things through such as V.M and customer experience.

Working for Boudoir Boutique especially the staff need to be aware who is the most popular designer right now with the popular trendsettting styles to see who and what they need to buy in. *Having as many sizes visible on the as possible. Maybe having more than 1 in popular sizes such as 10-12. *Location: Boudoir Boutique has a high-end central location in Cavern Walks which is Liverpool’s high end place to be. With designers such as Vivian Westwood also in Cavern Walks it gives the location a certain desire and aspiration. *Boudoir Boutique was the winner of Retail Fashion Awards in 2015 *Semi-famous cliental (Hollyoaks cast) *Boudoir Boutique stock a range of designer labels, Liverpool’s favourite Forever Unique is also vastly stocked in the store. *Boudoir Boutique buy in all of there stock from designer labels meaning there is no issues with unfair ethical trading in the manufacturing of garments. *Boudoir Boutique’s supply chain management and critical path would be quite straight forward as they are a team of around 6 people so they would all make sure they agree on a plan to see the best interests of the business.

*Boudoir Boutique could start up a customer loyalty scheme and allow loyal customers to have first sites on new stock. This is something their competitors (Cricket, Mabel Doll & Peal Boutique) haven’t thought about yet which would give them a chance to boost expansion . * With me bringing in Guest of Trend to the name, they could also think about offering a graduation collection for Liverpool girls to tick the box for all occasions. * Bring in a celebrity endorsement. Steven Gerrard and wife Alex Gerrard would be the perfect type. * Bring out promotions/discounts around bank holidays when people are more likely to splash out to go out.

W T

*Boudoir Boutique currently only stock for women. Me brining in a menswear and girls-wear collection should boost awareness and bring in more cliental. *A lack of eye-catching V.M is a potential weakness as the V.M is what draws the customer into the store in the first place and as Boudoir Boutique is located within Cavern Walks it has to be eye-catching to make them stand out. *Ill-trained staff who don’t know much about products can put customers off. *Digitalisation within the fashion industry is such an important factor to consider and makes customers a lot more likely to shop. Boudoir Boutique only take card/cash and do not offer online purchase or ‘quick buy’ through Apple pay.

Boudoir Boutique

*IT and online stores are becoming rapidly popular and we as a 21st century population are known to online shop more than ever. This continuation can become a threat to independent boutiques. Boudoir Boutique especially as they do not offer an online service. *Economy issues e.g. existing the e.u will put people at an uncertain perspective and people will be less likely to spend on upcoming trendsespecially those which cost higher prices. *Competitors are a big threat to Boudoir Boutique as they are all located really closely and sell similar items. It is about offering the right service to attract customers. *Boudoir Boutique is a single channel business which can put a potential threat on them and my range as they are not available to order online or through an app.

S.W.O.T Evaluation By doing a SWOT analysis on my chosen retailer Boudoir Boutique, I was able to visually see the frame work required to review investigative information. By seeing out the potential strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the retailer allowed me to see where I am, where I need to be and what the business overall is achieving and what needs developing.

By carrying out a full SWOT analysis I was able to determine internal and external factors that could become potential threats so that I can avoid any issues and develop strategical plans to overcome any discrepancies.

One of the main weakness within the business is that Boudoir Boutique do not offer menswear or childrenswear giving their main competitor Cricket an advantage over Boudoir Boutique. However, range Guest of Trend is bringing out an occasion wear style for men and girls. Also, my long-term business aim was to bring out a boyswear collection also once I have seen successful figures within the girls-wear department.

I have also said that as an opportunity to overcome competitors I will be offering a in a customer loyalty scheme for customers of Guest of Trend who can accumulate points with every purchase made from the range and can then use these points to spend on the range in store. I am also going to be taking details such as emails so that when new items are arriving, customers who are signed up to the loyalty scheme can view products first and are then able to request them before available to everyone else.

As one of their main weaknesses is not offering menswear, I have said that in the short-term I will partner up with Voodoo so that my customers can receive a 20% discount when going for their hair cut/style at Voodoo. This in a way makes shopping a little more beneficial and exiting for my customer. Also, my target customer would be shopping for occasion wear which means if they enjoy the service and experience of my retailer they are likely to come back again and recommend it to their friends as occasion wear shopping can be something people take time with rather than just buy for the sake of it.

Also as part of the opportunities during my S.W.O.T analysis I mentioned that it would be a good idea for Boudoir Boutique to bring out some promotions/deals around bank holidays. It is known that a lot of of people go out and plan things around the bank holiday as they are off work and tend to buy outfits for the occasion. This way, by Boudoir Boutique having a promotion on items/ranges they are more likely to entice the customer over shopping at their competitors. I would probably introduce things such as 20% off dresses and suits trousers or buy 2 and get one half price on girls accessories. Little incentives like these are what boost sales as well as customer loyalty and keep Boudoir Boutique above their competitors.

Decisions *Earthquake/Volcano (Example: Tsunami in Thailand) This would put the critical path behind which becomes inconvenient towards retailer It would also mean deliveries would be late and the garments are not delivered in time which costs time and money. Also if you were working for a fast-fashion retailer trends could already be behind the time.

Damage to stock and equipment is a factor that would be a disadvantage towards the retailer.

*Having more than one supplier is an advantage in terms of sourcing decisions. It is best for bigger companies to have more than one choice of supplier so they can receive cheap deals on more than one place. It also means that if anything does happen such as natural disasters they have access to other suppliers.

*War Depending on where your supplier is located it is important to be globally aware of what wars are taking place and where they will be. Especially in countries such as Pakistan, Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt who are all common sourced suppliers for fashion retailers but also known for on-going wars. This is for the safety of the suppliers and the retailers own staff as they have a responsibility to go out and check everything it going to plan.

*Sickness and wellbeing Poorer countries are commonly known for disease and illness due to poverty and the lack of cleanliness facilities. Deadly illness such as ebola, swine-flu and bird flu can effect the retailer in terms of staff wellbeing and also the buyers going over can become infected. It is significant to check hygiene levels before choosing a supplier and going out to meet suppliers.

Mind map of sourcing ideas *Brexit/Exchange Rates Looking at the terms of cost from a UK retailer point of view, Brexit has a huge shadow over sourcing decisions. Currently being in the dark about how strong the pound will be it has to be engaged with and thought about exchange rates and how our currency will transfer into other currencies. For example, if you were buying branded goods from the U.S trading costs may rise significantly and it would be harder to receive a good deal even with suppliers you have a good relationship with.

*Advantages- having one supplier to source from means that there would be a really good relationship: almost guaranteed to receive good deals and a healthy negotiation.

It also has strong efficient levels as the retailer and supplier will be aware of how each other work and manage time. Being aware of the quality is something the retailer would be confident with. *Disadvantages –On the other hand, the retailer doesn’t have the opportunity to negotiate different prices at a cheaper rate which could effect a UK based retailer because of Brexit.

If a disruption occurs such as a natural disaster, the retailer looses out as they only have the one supply chain.

*Advantages- being a retailer with multiple sourcing choices you have the advantage of having multiple relationships and not relying on the one supplier chain. Meaning they have options and more back ups in the case of natural/local disasters.

You have the option to change depending on price and quality of fabric/design. Someone new could come on the scene and you have the change to take advantage of starter prices of outstanding quality. *Disadvantages –The other side of things may mean that having multiple supplier relationships can mean you don’t have as strong a relationship compared to a single sourcing retailer. This could mean your not top of the list for business.

Negotiating price can be a risk taker- you can be compared to their more loyal retailers and not receive that much of a good discount.

Decisions ‘The collapse of the Rana Plaza building is, to date, the deadliest disaster in the history of the garment industry worldwide.

Some 3,639 workers toiled in five factories housed in the Rana Plaza building producing clothing for some ## U.S., Canadian and European clothing labels and retailers. Eighty percent of the workers were young women, 18, 19, 20 years of age.

Their standard shift was 13 to 14 ½ hours, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 or 10:30 p.m., toiling 90 to 100 hours a week with just two days off a month. Young “helpers” earned 12 cents an hour, while “junior operators” took home 22 cents an hour, $10.56 a week, and senior sewers received 24 cents an hour and $12.48 a week.

On Wednesday morning, April 24, 2013 at 8:00 a.m., 3,639 workers refused to enter the eight-story Rana Plaza factory building because there were large and dangerous cracks in the factory walls. The owner, Sohel Rana, brought paid gang members to beat the women and men workers, hitting them with sticks to force them to go into the factory. Managers of the five factories housed in Rana Plaza also told the frightened workers, telling them that if they did not return to work, there would be no money to pay them for the month of April, which meant that there would be no food for them and their children. They were forced to go in to work at 8:00 a.m.

At 8:45 a.m. the electricity went out and the factories’ five generators kicked on.

Almost immediately the workers felt the eight-story building begin to move, and heard a loud explosion as the building collapsed, pancaking downward.

1,137 confirmed dead at Rana Plaza. A year later, over 200 remain missing’.

Decisions ‘Of the 41 people charged, 35, including Rana, appeared before the court and pleaded not guilty, Mannan told reporters. The other six are fugitives and will be tried in absentia.

If convicted, defendants could face the death penalty.

The collapse of the complex, built on swampy ground outside the capital Dhaka, sparked demands for greater safety in the world’s second-largest exporter of readymade garments and put pressure on companies buying clothing from Bangladesh to act.

Duty-free access to western markets and low wages for its workers helped turn Bangladesh’s garment exports into a $28bn-ayear industry that is the economic lifeblood of the country of 160 million people.

The minimum monthly wage for garment workers in Bangladesh is $68, compared with about $280 in mainland China, which remains the world’s biggest clothes exporter.

The Rana Plaza tragedy prompted safety checks that led to many factory closures and the loss of exports and jobs, but the industry had begun to recover strongly despite sporadic attacks in Bangladesh claimed by Islamic State and al-Qaida. These have included murders of liberals, gay people, foreigners and members of religious minorities.

But a targeted attack on a restaurant in Dhaka on 1 July that claimed the lives of 20 people including 18 foreigners, many of whom worked in the garment business, could pose a fresh threat to the industry.

Islamic State said it was responsible for one of the most brazen attacks in the south Asian nation’s history, although that claim has yet to be confirmed’.

A tragedy such as the collapse of ‘world’s second-largest exporter of readymade garments’ (Rana Plaza) is a strong guide to buyers of what factors they should take on board when making sourcing decisions. It had taken a disaster such as the Rana Plaza for UK, EU and American based retailers to open their eyes a little more and see things for what are really happening and give themselves the responsibility to go over to the overseas countries and make regular checks on their chosen suppliers.

The loss of lives and extremely low cost wages are a global shock. There is an image of a young boy with the poster ‘I don’t want to die for fashion’. This stuck out to me the most- as a buyer you should be sourcing the right suppliers which are making a positive impact on the well-being and lifestyle of workers. Creating jobs and a healthier profit margins for the workers are factors fashion retailers need to take into serious consideration.

Decisions

Click link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuwkiM8c9V8 (YouTube, 2017)

Not all retailers are part of the tragic circumstances as what happened in Bangladesh back in 2013. Here I have found a recent positive example of healthy, mindful fashion sourcing from retailer MIMCO. Mimco are a an Australian based retailer who create handbags, small leather goods and jewellery.

MIMCO employed a group of women from Kenya as their suppliers to produce beading goods.

The video in the link about is a clear indication of how Mimco have supported their suppliers in the best way as workers comment on how Mimco has changed their lives, brought out their confidence and helped them pay for their childrens school fees. This positive relationship between the suppliers from Kenya and Mimco is an influence to all fashion retailers of all sizes- big and smaller companies.

I had a look at what Mimco offers on their online website and I found that they typically find inspiration from African culture which makes the relationship between supplier and retailer more realistic and true.

At the end of the video on YouTube I have screenshotted the message ‘from hand and heart crafted lovingly in Africa.’ this to me is a really positive effect on the retailer, and as a consumer would encourage me to purchase from them knowing they take a genuine care & interest in the workers from Kenya. This is how I, myself as a buyer would source my products.

Cathedral Hardcase £182 Enthral Open Cuff £24 (Mimco.com.au, 2017)

Beaded Wrist Bracelet £25

Trafalgar scarf £90

Sourcing forArcadia

‘Our ethical trading work is wide ranging, multi-layered and involves different stakeholders. We have a number of on-going areas of activity, many of which have seen good progress this year’.

On the Arcadia website about fair ethical trading. These screenshots to the left outline the safety and regulation checks they have in place to ensure supplier well-fair, quality and safety in the workplace.

Arcadia had even mentioned in No:7 Prohibited Activities how they had banned Sandblasting – ‘a process used to give denim a worn or faded look –[…] due to the potential health hazards faced by workers if they breathe in the fine silica particles used’.

Following up from the Bangladesh tragedy back in 2013 Arcadia have made a clear distinction in the safety of their suppliers who are based in Bangladesh: ‘Bangladesh remains an important sourcing country across Arcadia. We remain committed to our role in driving safety and sustainability within the Bangladesh ReadyMade Garment (RMG) industry, having signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.

Continuing our work in this important area, we are active participants in the UK regional working group, helping to steer improvements in Bangladesh up to and beyond the dissolution of the Accord in 2018. We are the lead brand on ten factories in Bangladesh currently, meaning we are committed to providing guidance and support to these factories’.

Sourcing Fashion Trade shows are occasions where fashion buyers and sellers will attend to trade a selection of fashion constituents from textiles to finished garments.

Trade shows generally happen twice a year in the months of February and August.

The shows display the collections for the following season. In turn, buyers will purchase their products usually, at least six months ahead.

Being a fashion-led 21st century, there are many more shows available to the calendar year. Meaning that buyers can visit as many shows as possible. This is specifically good for fast-fashion buyers to get in the latest trends and get them straight out and available to their consumer.

Shows are split into separate categories as shown below. The good thing about them being split is that buyers are able to attend the appropriate show for their retailers needs and requirements. *Yarn (Around January) *Textiles (Around early February) *Branded (Around late February)

‘Pitti Filati presents world-scale excellence in yarns to its audience of international buyers and designers from the biggest names in fashion who come to Florence looking for creative inspiration, in a unique atmosphere that makes doing business a pleasure, offering a new, original entertaining take on the many ways that fashion, art, sport and design come together’. (Pittimmagine.com, 2017)

‘Pitti Immagine Filati, the key international event featuring yarns for the knitting industry, will be held at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence from 25 to 27 January 2017.

Both a dynamic research lab and a unique global observatory that looks onto the lifestyle trends of the future, Pitti Filati presents world-scale excellence in yarns to its extraordinary audience of international buyers and designers from the biggest names in fashion who come to Florence looking for creative inspiration. The protagonists of this 80th edition will be the world previews of yarn collections for the knitting industry for spring-summer 2018. All presented within a continually evolving geography that greets visitors in a climate that is both unique and unmistakable, yet always different’.

Pitti Filati is based in Florence, Italy.

They tend to have shows early January & July . The show has over 1,000 exhibitors. They are specialists in knitwear and show trends in colour and yarn development. They tend to reveal new and upcoming designers.

‘An exceptionally rich offer 790 exhibitors. Each exhibitor has been selected on the basis of their creativity, present collections to match all needs, in a wide range of price levels: embroideries, lace, suiting's, silkies, woollens, knits, colour-wovens, technical fabrics and more…

The forums The Première Vision Fashion team provides a clear and precise view of the season. A concentrate of trends, major directions and key themes to design and develop collections.

(Première Vision Paris, 2017)

Premiere Vision takes place in Paris, Moscow, New York, Sao Paulo and Shanghai..

They tend to have shows early February & September . The show has a total of over 2000 exhibitors.

The Forum, Hall 6 A true fashion event, this space plays on synergistic media, for a great big mix of fabrics, images and words. A cutting-edge selection of fabrics and colours invites you to discover the fashion convictions for the spring summer 18 season.

For a quick and efficient reading, to spot indispensable products and locate the exhibitors proposing the season’s new products.

EVENING FOCUS: Hall 5 Fabric selections dedicated to very dressy outfits for evening, cocktail or weddings’ (Première Vision Paris, 2017)

(Ubmfashion.com, 2017) ‘Footwear SOURCING at MAGIC: Footwear SOURCING at MAGIC is the only show created for brands and retailers to source their footwear production directly from factories around the globe. Conveniently located alongside our international footwear show, FN PLATFORM, Footwear SOURCING at MAGIC allows designers, product development teams, and private label marketers to connect, shop, and expand their businesses on a global scale’. (Ubmfashion.com, 2017)

Magic takes in Las Vegas and exhibits US brands in menswear, womenswear and Kidswear.

They tend to show events twice a year around February and August.

My Sourcing Decision Textiles Trade Show: EVENING FOCUS: Hall 5 As I am creating a range for an independent boutique I feel it would be best for me to visit trade shows such as Premiere Vision in Paris who are popular for ‘Fabric selections dedicated to very dressy outfits for evening, cocktail or weddings’ (Première Vision Paris, 2017). This would be extremely vital and significant for me to gain ideas in what next seasons trends are going to be and I could also buy in some fabric examples to take to my supplier team for the garments.

Womenswear S/S17 £45

£45 £55

£100

£150

£120

£120

£50

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£60 £25

£75

Written analysis of Womenswear range: I feel that my range is clear in its targeting of young women who are searching for simple, sophisticated pieces for s/s occasions such as all-day wedding events. I have used WGSN for my trend forecasting to look up on the seasons colour analysis, texture and cut. Soft fabric such as crepe and light neutral tones which I have gone into quite some detail on previous slides was my main colour pallet. The textures I had chosen to use where described by WGSN as ‘skin soft’ which is something I wanted my range to re-create. I also looked quite deeply into key shapes for S/S17 which focused on the cone shape, floaty material and oversized coats and wide leg trousers. I wanted my range to make young women feel like they are able to find sophisticated, modern styles which are comfortable for all-day wear. Most independent boutiques tend to stock firm, short dresses which are not as suitable for occasions such as weddings and I feel my range has brought a niche to the market- making my customer feel individual as they would if they wear to shop in an independent boutique.

Girlswear S/S17

£70

£65 £45 £15

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£35

£35 £45

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£40

Written analysis of Girlswear range: I feel that my range is cute, age appropriate and on trend for young girls.

When choosing my collection it was majorly important for me to take out safety checks especially with the girlswear. For example, you can see that my range is manly simple pieces with the odd frill. I didn’t want my range to be full of zips/embellishment or anything harmful towards young children. I have kept my colours light, neutral but pretty to give a nice vibe for s/s17. I didn’t just use any colour pallet however, I did carry out extensive research as you can see in previous slides from WGSN. Similar to womenswear, girlswear focused on soft fabric such as cotton which is perfect for children to keep cool during long-day events such as weddings in the summer with their families Trend alerts such as the off the shoulder dress and frilled hemlines were something I found particularly interesting from WGSN so I wanted to recreate this look for my own collection which I predict to be popular due to the following of key trends for girls. I also looked quite deeply into key shapes for girls S/S17 which focused on the loose fitting, but shorter garments to give a fun, young, playful vibe.

I wanted the girls range to be a carry on from womenswear with similarities in terms of soft colours and plain, sophisticated styling. However, I didn’t want to make the girls wearing my collection older than their time by creating a ‘mini me’ look similar to what River Island do. This is why I chose to add slight details to the garments such as the bird print and floppy headbands to remain age appropriate and dress children like children in an exciting, modern way.

Most independent boutiques tend to stock adult-only clothing, apart from Cricket who offer casual clothes for children. Therefore, I feel that my ‘occasion wear’ section for girls ay Boudoir Boutique will be a successful niche in the market.

Menswear S/S17 £240

£85

£120

£120

£120

£85

£40

£35

£80

£35 £110

£55

Written analysis of Menswear range: For my menswear collection I wanted to create simplistic, sophisticated but a different approach to mens tailoring. As my collection is designed for s/s17 I wanted to use lighter tones such as blue, dark sea-green and grey as opposed to harsh black and dark navy which are always the option for mens suits whether it be summer or autumn. my shirts are all white backgrounds with slight splashes of colour in the three main colour waves in order to give a little boost of colour to match their outer suit but remain cool, classic and smart.

I have added accessories such as tie-pins and sunglasses to give a different look to the usual ‘suit look’. I have made the outer rim of the glasses a sea green which I find would compliment all suit pants/jackets and adds something a little different for men to accessorise with also for ocoasions such as weddings.

WGSN had recommend shades of grey but I feel this colour pallet works a lot better with the idea I had in mind and I think this range would be quite successful for young men.

WGSN had said that fitted shirts were a must which is something I agreed on and all of my shirts for the GUEST OF TREND menswear are fitted for a neater look.

I have also included two sets of brogues- one in black and tan. I thought it was best to stick to classic looks when it comes to men's shoes as I wanted my range to look classy and smart.

Independent boutiques are known for stocking menswear but more so casual designs such as designer t-shirts and trainers. Therefore, my range has a niche in the market and a head-start on all other competitors in terms of boutiques.

The significance of the buying cycle: To the right is a screenshot of how every buying cycle will work. However, this is not to say that every cycle works the same.

The buying cycle is an extreme significance for any type of fashion buyer. However, the roles do vary depending on the different types of fashion buying retailers.

The buying cycle allows the buyer to determine what season they are buying for and then they can plan trips/visits to trade shows and overseas to source their products well in advance. Buyers usually work within a 6-12month advanced period and this gives them time to keep on top of next seasons trends and sort out production, delivery and how much they will be spending with estimates of how much the company will make on a whole from the products.

During the buying cycle the buying team will work with the merchandise team (sometimes, in smaller companies these teams are merged into one) to view last seasons performance- what worked well, what trends sold the best and then they can come to an agreement on how much cost will be planned out for all of the financial side of buying in products.

The business also have to take into account customer feedback which is a little more detailed than just looking at what sold well previously. Its about getting genuine feedback from loyal customers and seeing what their demand is. This can be done by working closely with the retail team and sourcing information about what customers are asking for/wanting when they come into store.

During the buying cycle the buyers and merchandisers will discuss average price points and the retail selling period- it is usually around 8-12 weeks but this can vary depending on the type of retailer.

For me, being part of an independent boutique I would have my stock out for at least 10 weeks as it is more tailored to occasion wear rather than everyday essentials or trend crazes.

1)The company will need a revised business plan outlining targets, projections, short, mid and long-term aims.

Effects on company and consumer: It’s important the company have a business plan in order for the success of company and ranges. It keeps the buying cycle on track by allowing the company to meet targets and deadlines. Having a business plan has the tools for the company to grow and expand. If the business didn’t have a business plan it would mean that they have a lack of organisation which can lead to a tarnished reputation and a loss in customers: resulting in a loss of profit. This is a requirement of the

organisation as they should have a logged business plan that they abide by to all of their staff.

2) The company will require staff who have the correct skills and abilities to fulfil the job role.

Having the correct product knowledge and the ability to see through excellent customer service leads a positive effect on the company overall with sales being boosted from service and knowledge.

This is the responsibility of the organisation.

3) There is an internal personnel policy put in place (recruitment, introduction, training).

By having the correctly trained staff this means the company are fulfilling the needs of the customer which leads to positive reputation. It also creates brand loyalty between the organisation and the consumer. The effect of having ill-trained and negative staff would lead to competitors winning over customers and therefore a loss in profit would occur.

This is the responsibility of the organisation.

4) The company will need to ensure it can meet production goals and health + safety requirements.

If the company does not use ethical sources in order to supply products this can lead to a really bad reputation. They are likely to use customer if they are not having sure the warehouses they chose for their goods are not to a fully equipped standard. This is in responsibility of both parties to ensure workers are safe and paid accurately for the work they produce. It is also in both parties’ priority to ensure safety of buildings is equipped to a high standard.

5: The company will need a fully developed marketing plan: Most big companies will have a marketing team dedicated to this department which in result of knowing the brand well will expand the company and reach out to a bigger audience; rather than sticking to a local demographics. This is a responsibility of the organisation.

6: The company will need equipped offices or premises in the correct locations: The importance of this is that the company will be able to have products shipped out if it is close to a motorway and easy to locate. If the company didn’t consider this it is likely that they would lose out on business and time which would have an effect the buying cycle. Apart from having goods imported, it is also important for the company to have good logistics so that they can invite potential clients/business partners down to head office which is convenient for them.

7: The company will need experienced and reliable distributors: This means good communication between the company and distributors to ensure everything is being seen to and on time. It is down to both parities to make sure goods are ordered and delivered on time.

8: There is clarity about finances (accounting, policy, merchandising and sales reports): this has to be considered heavily in every company and the buyer will need specific data from the merchandise team to see what trends are in, what is selling well and how much the buyer has to source new and upcoming trends for the company. If they were not successful in doing this the company would loose major profits and customers would be more likely to move to competitors. This is the responsibility of the company.

9: There is a communication system- for example, varied language speaking buyers which communicate face-to-face, through skype, telephone and email: this ensures that everything is on track for the buying cycle and there is no confusion between organisation and production/suppliers. This also creates strong relationships which will result in good deals in terms of cost and product samples. This is the responsibility of the organisation and production.

10& 11: There should be a clear decision-making structure within the company’s business plan/ Managerial roles within the organisation should be clear. For example, there are clear moments of evaluation of coordination/leadership: a company should have dedicated board rooms with a lead-senior member of staff who works with heads/supervisors of departments where they can discuss company policy, expectations and what is going on generally in the business. Especially a large company who needs rules set in place to filter through the rest of the business so all of the staff are on the same page making things smooth and organised. This is the responsibility of both the business and production.

12: Fabric testing should be carried out before production: Safety is a vital part of the buying cycle to ensure the samples are all equipped to high standards before all the other products are delivered to head office. This is so that when they are sold to the public they meet the requirements of quality and safety levels. If this isn’t seen to thoroughly it would end up in the business loosing massive amounts of profit. It is the responsibility of the organisation and production to see through to this.

13: All sample garment development is carried out in a centralized product development centre and dedicated sample room: This is similar to no:12 and it also means by having a dedicated sample room the buyers have a place to test and approve garments. This way there is no room for errors and everything should run smoothly. This again is a responsibility of both the organisation and production.

14: Technical knowledge and international experience is integral: Staff should be trained thoroughly to ensure that garments are fit for purpose. This is extremely important, especially for those dealing with kidswear. They should also be aware of what is happening globally. This is down to both the organisation and production to make these checks and have the right knowledge.

How do lead times impact the critical path?:With the critical path having deadline and strict time scales it is vital that companies have a lead times in place so that they can work out when goods will be arriving at their head office. The shipping lead times, approvals and samples are all based off what the lead times outlines for the buying and merchandise team (s).

Each supplier will have different lead times depending on factors such as product, location, size of factory etc. If the company plan ahead with their lead-times, their critical path will be accurate and they are on track to get their goods out on time and make profit.

Explain and analyse how the lead times can affect profits for a company?: Lead times refer to the amount of time from placement of an order and delivery in the supply chain. Therefore, if the lead times are miss-communicated or not seen through thoroughly the company would be at a loss for profits by falling behind schedule.

Lead times is made out of the following (see below for description) Pre-Processing: This means that time is required for planning, research sampling, fabric buying and negotiation. So this is all the important bitswhat are the buying in in terms of trend-forecasting and how much it will end up costing. The buyers can then work with the merchandise team to come to an agreement on budget and what money can be spent on what.

Processing: This is where the item is being processed by the supplier. The buyer(s) are responsible to maintain regular interaction via visits, telephone & email communication to ensure everything is going to plan and that products are going through the correct stages to meet deadlines and safety.

Post-Processing: This process is the time which is needed for dispatch of products, transportation, customs, delivery of goods to warehouse. The buyer is responsible to ensure checks are taken out on this process to again make sure everything is being seen to on the buying cycle and critical path and that everything is running as smoothly and on-time as possible to get the goods out to the customers asap. This is especially important for fast-fashion companies who need the trends there and then because of customer demand.

Lead times: Depending on where the supplier is shipping from and to they will vary and cost differently. It is important that the buyer(s) source the cheapest, most effective method to gain the results their company needs in terms of profit and customer demand. Shipment to the UK could take up to 12 weeks from China and 10 weeks from India - this is a cost effective way to transport goods including port costs & duty. Although European suppliers can take only 7 – 15 working days delivery via truck to the UK; it is highly likely that the manufacture is a lot more expensive than Far East suppliers.

Warehouse-Store allocation 1 week 22/02/17

Product Launch in Store 01/03/17

Planning 4 weeks 30/03/16

Research 2/4 weeks 24/04/16 Design 3 weeks 25/05/16

Bulk Production + Shipping 1+12 weeks 23/11/16

Pro Samples+Costing 2/4 weeks 15/06/16

Trim & Colour Approval 4 weeks 26/10/16

Pre-Range selection meeting 1 week 13/07/16

Fabric Order 6 weeks 14/09/16

Garment Fittings 4 weeks 17/08/16

Place Order 1 week 10/08/16

Final Range Selection Meeting 1 week 03/08/16

Negotiation/Trips to factories 2 weeks 20/07/16

Critical Path analysis: I have allocated more weeks in certain departments of the critical path compared to others and this is down to priority and the most significant areas.

For example, I have put aside 4 weeks to plan out everything I will need to do in order to make my range a success. If I didn’t spend the right amount of time planning and researching it would be likely that my range would be off course and then could result in me loosing profits and establishing my brand to the public. Planning and researching is the most vital as it sets out to me what is coming in trend wise and what the latest brands are to take influence from. For sections such as meetings, placing orders and store allocation I have only allocated one week as these are sections that can be seen to promptly and wont need much time to sort out. This is so I have more time throughout the year to see to more vital factors such as garments fittings and safety checks to ensure all samples are up to high standards before the full range is sent. If this was avoided then it could be that I am sent a faulty batch of garments which wont sell and then time and money has been wasted.

Factories, Warehouse, Head office

*Boxes/containers (for shipping) *Plastic wrapping (to protect goods) *Promotional packaging (gift bags, wrapping paper)

*Ships to transfer goods *Aeroplanes for big deliveries from overseas *Trucks/Lorries

*Staff *Machinery (Sewing machines, cad machines, I.T Pc’s) *Sample rooms *Fabric dying rooms

*Ideas for design *Sample fabric *Sample colour *Fabric room (protection of goods)

*Design team *HR *Finance team *Quality control team *Health+Safety *Sample room *Money & budgets

Evaluate how these resources are used and what is their importance?: All of these resources are extremely significant for every business within fashion retailing.

Having the correct premises to store, distribute and organise stock is one of the most key factors for a business. There needs to be an accessible head office for goods to arrive into, somewhere for clients/suppliers to access when arranging meetings etc. it is also important that a company has the right people employed in certain departments to see to that departments needs and requirements.

Having budgets set in place allows the company to determine how much they have available to spend on all things such as fabric, suppliers, distribution and initial buying in. Packaging is also a vital resource for any company as they need this to ensure protection of goods, have something available to ship goods out and also have the right promotional packaging to draw attention from customers.

One of the most crucial part of the critical path is when your garments/products will arrive and you have to take considerate time planning as to when the products will arrive depending on where they will be shipped from. This is the reason why deadlines are set so that the buyer can achieve a smooth running of the buying cycle and critical path. The buyer must have fully equipped negotiation skills and ensure that they are getting the cheapest price for the most efficient delivery service in order to maximise profit.

DESIGN ISSUES

SHIPPING

As a buyer it is crucial that a substantial amount of budget is agreed on with the merchandise team to put aside for shipping- this also includes the packaging of goods to avoid damage prior to arrival. This ensures that the products are in perfect condition to be sold to the target market. I will be getting my garments from fabric trade shows such as Pure and Premier. This way they wont have to travel far and I wont have to worry about exchange rates/tax charges.

Therefore, I would be able to allocate more of the budget towards packaging and ensuring the products are kept in perfect condition throughout the journey of being delivered to the stockroom in (Boudoir Boutique who will allocate space for my collection).

Design issues can occur if the supplier does not go off your exact layout/cads. As my range is quite plain with high quality fabrics, it is significant to get the blend of colour and textures right as there is no print/design/embellishment to distract any errors such as this. The fabric has to be perfect with no areas for mistakes.

FABRIC

Fabric is one of the main qualities a consumer will analyse before they make the decision to purchase the item or not.

As I have chosen to mark my RRP at a higher end to suit in with the market and the independent boutique ‘profile’ I will need to source fabric of high quality. It is also important for me to look at each individual garment to predict how and when it will be worn rather than the range as a whole. This is to make sure each fabric sourced is the right decision for the garment and customer.

COSTS As a buyer it is crucial that a substantial amount of budget is agreed on with the merchandise team to put aside for shipping- this also includes the packaging of goods to avoid damage prior to arrival. This ensures that the products are in perfect condition to be sold to the target market. I will be getting my garments from fabric trade shows such as Pure and Premier. This way they wont have to travel far and I wont have to worry about exchange rates/tax charges. Therefore, I would be able to allocate more of the budget towards packaging and ensuring the products are kept in perfect condition throughout the journey of being delivered to the stockroom in (Boudoir Boutique who will allocate space for my collection).

WAREHOUE STORAGE Most retailers will have a warehouse located near head-office for garments./products to be delivered to. The staff will then monitor stock intake and distribute it out to stores in certain quantities. The cost of this is usually pretty high for companies when they consider rent of the building, shipping costs and staffing, However, luck for me I am only stocking a small amount of garments for an independent boutique in Liverpool. This means, my stock can be sent straight to Boudoir Boutique will they will hold the stock on the shop floor and parts in their stock room. Boudoir Boutique do not offer an online ordering service which mean all stock must be bought and sold from within the store.

FABRIC To make my designs cheaper I could have considered using different materials for my range.

For example, I had used 35% cotton and 65% polyester for my tops. I had chosen cotton to make The material lighter and smooth on the skin. As I am ranging my styles for a tailored service I would keep to the slightly more expensive fabric to get the right look, feel and fit.

However, if I were to consider cheaper production I could use 95% Polyester, 5% Elastane on my tops . Miss Guided tend to use this material for their tops. However they are known for being an affordable fashion brand whereas I am collaborating with an independent boutique offering luxury garments at a tailored serviced level.

SUPPLY One major method I could consider to save money is sourcing my range from over-seas in places such as Bangladesh, Turkey etc. as all of my range was sourced from trade shows such as Pure and Premier.

However, in the long run I believe I have saved on heavy-loaded shipping costs and time as the garments were all ready to wear rather having the long process of having them supplied and made from scratch. If I were to create a bigger range and want my range in bulk I would have considered overseas suppliers to buy in bulk.

DESIGN ISSUES

COSTS

Even though my designs are plain with neutral tones used and it shouldn’t be too difficult to get the right blends and textures. I need the suit jackets and trousers to be made of a strong Italian wool to ensure that they are of a strong quality especially for the high price customers will be paying.

The shoes are made from 100& leather so it is significant that the suppliers don’t over-stretch material where it looks creased or out of shape.

As buyer it is crucial to consider the shipping times and costs especially when receiving goods from overseas. As I will be using Italian suppliers for wool blends it is important that I take into consideration the time, price and tax rate that will outline the shipment process as a whole and how much it will cost me altogether.

FABRIC The fabric is especially important for menswear as menswear tends to be plain rather than full with prints and embellishment. Therefore, the fabric has to be of an exceptional quality as this is what men will concentrate on more.

PROBLEM AREAS AND CONSTRAINTS Technical problems may occur with machinery especially when designing something as heavy and bulky as a suit jacket. I do want my suit jacket and trousers to feel lightweight which means as a buyer I would have to keep up regular contact and make checks to ensure the garments are being designed in the way I planned out and also request a number of samples to try out before getting the whole collection produced and distributed.

SHIPMENT

SOURCING

Tax and exchange rates could be a potential problem for my menswear collection as I will be sourcing wool from Italy for the best quality fabric to design suit jackets and trousers. With Brexit coming into action, I am going to be under pressure to ensure I spend the accurate amount of money on supply and shipment; alongside considering tax. Having strong relationships with suppliers from overboard will help this situation out a lot.

DESIGN + SUPPLY To lower my costs I could have used an overseas supplier to produce the men's suit blazers. As you can see the pocket holds material detail (cotton wool blended). This is a luxury fabric item. If I still wanted this look for a cheaper price I could have just had the pockets died a different colour rather than using 100% cotton wool blended. I could have also gotten this produced overseas at a factory rather than a trade fair. However, again, as mentioned on the previous slide I have saved on time and shipping costs from making deals and buying at European & UK based trade fairs.

SHIPPING PROBLEM AREAS & CONSTRAINTS As my children's wear range does feature some prints on specific garments I have had to be extremely careful with copyright issues. For example, if another retailer is currently using the same print on their brand it could be a breech of copy right laws. However, I chose to use subtle prints such as shadow birds and little yellow hearts which make the prints subtle but still there and pretty for the collection. This could even become a signature feature for my Guest of Trend range for girls.

DESIGN ISSUES The process of design for childresnwear is a lot longer and needs more assistance than any other range. This is down to extensive health and safety requirements for garments.

Issues such as high levels of flammability or factors such as sewing that could lead to a child chocking is a very serious and vital aspect. To avoid any issues such as this, I have attempted to design my collection as basic and simple as possible by concentrating mainly on key shapes, colour and tiny bits of print which are used through colour and design rather than things being stuck onto the garment.

As mentioned on my previous assessment slides for womenswear and menswear: the same applies for childrenswear. I have used the same suppliers for all three collections so there is a similar outlook for the range and they then look more ‘family orientated’ rather than indifferent. This will also make consumers feel better about purchasing as the good have all came from the same or similar background. As mentioned, I have got my garments from trade shows such as Pure and Premier. This way they wont have to travel far and I wont have to worry as much about exchange rates/tax charges. Therefore, I would be able to allocate more of the budget towards packaging and ensuring the products are kept in perfect condition throughout the journey of being delivered to the stockroom in (Boudoir Boutique who will allocate space for my collection).

COSTS FABRIC Fabric in childrenswear is especially important due to high and extensive safety risks assessments. As a buyer I needed to ensure that all the correct procedures were carried out on sample fabrics before I could buy them and use them with my suppliers. For example, fabric needs to be tested for flammable levels and how safe it is for children's sensitive skin. Also, as mentioned my retail price will be marked at a high end so consumers will expect a good quality fabric which would reflect from what I have spent in my costings.

FABRIC The childresnwear costs could have been considerably lowered with factors such as using plastic for the sandals rather than 100& real cow leather. It would still have looked as it does without the real leather and it wouldn’t have made a difference to young girls. However, as I am creating a unique range for children in Boudoir Boutique I want my range to stand out and make an impression on the parents buying the items. It is likely that these sandals would last a lot longer from being from real leather especially when children play around.

DESIGN & PRINT One major cost I could have saved on is the embroidered bird print on the two dresses & jacket. I could have chosen to have these dresses made overseas and had the print physically printed on. Rather than paying more for the garments which a higher price for having handembroidery on the design.

‘Inventory optimization models are put in place to help the company to determine the quantity that should be delivered to every single one of its retail stores via shipments that go out twice every week. The stock delivered is strictly limited, ensuring that each store only receives just want they need. This goes towards the brand image of being exclusive while avoiding the build up of unpopular stock.

This quick in-season turnaround, from production facilities located close to Zara’s distribution headquarters in Spain, allows Zara to ship more often and in smaller batches. If the design Zara hastily creates in an attempt to chase the latest trend does not in fact sell well, little harm is done.

The batch is small, so there’s not a ton of unsold inventory to get rid of. And because the failed experiment is over in a jiffy, there’s still time to try a different style, and then a different one after that.

Fast fashion success: ‘This brand’s success story shows the strength of its operations. Its crossfunctional operations strategy, coupled with its vertically integrated supply chain, enables mass production under push control, leading to well-managed inventories, lower markdowns, higher profitability, and value creation for shareholders in the short and long term.

Zara is all about staying on top of the hottest trends, and exuding an exclusive feel, but its supply chain is the real star of the show. These rockstar-level logistics take it from being just another fashion retailer to an industry example of fast fashion done right’. (Lu, 2017)

The main point this article stresses about the success of Zara’s supply chain methods is due to Zara having quick and simplistic supply chain methods close to their headquarters. This means they are able to remain on top form in terms of trend and exclusiveness from their fast response to recent catwalk trends for a more affordable price. Their supply chain methods allows the majority of their consumer to keep up with ontrend styles all of the time. With new styles being produced every two weeks and having deliveries twice a week its much easier for Zara to remain on top of their competitors with so much choice for consumers.

Zara is the perfect examples of fast-fashion going the right way. It also looks very different to the rest of their competitors quite a lot of the time as their designs are always on trend as soon as trends are created they are delivered to Zara stores for consumers to enjoy, spend little on and get ready for the upcoming styles.

‘Zara has maintained it’s stand as a leader in the apparel industry and what makes it so profitable is it’s unique supply chain strategies. Zara uses the following principles to increase their net income and maintain a standing of being a brand that is both fashion forward and affordable.

•Quick response to Demand – Zara follows a pull model in their inventory and supply chain management. They create up to 1000 designs every month based on store sales and current trends. They monitor customer spending’s in the store to evaluate and understand what types of designs are being consumed and then accordingly iterate on their next designs.

•Small Batch Productions – Zara has a fast turnover, they produce small number of quantities for every product. This gives them the opportunity to quickly understand what designs are successful. It is also a great way to explore new designs and understand its acceptance rate in the market. This also heavily reduces the risk of producing large quantities of something that the customer does not want. Even though it might seem like a bad idea to invest in different designs, Zara optimizes by using the same material only in different ways.

•Central Distribution Center – Zara has very strong IT systems that back it’s distribution. All the clothes are shipped back to Spain, the central location. From here, it is distributed to different countries and stores is based on individual requirements and needs of the particular locality’. (Somaiya, 2017)

Continuing on from the previous slide, this article also boats of Zara’s ‘unique supply chain strategies’. One that stands out significantly to me is that they only send out ‘small bath productions’. As stated ‘Zara has a fast turnover […] producing small number of quantities for every product.’ This to me, keeps Zara quite similar to genuine catwalk brands as they also only produce quite small amounts- what is necessary rather than an overload. This keeps Zara quite exclusive and high on the market- if its there, people want to buy it there and then in case it sells and they miss the opportunity.

‘No Bells, No Whistles: The Simple Case of Primark The fast fashion retail model pioneered by companies such as Zara and H&M has been taken a step farther by Primark, the U.K. and Irish retailer offering clothes at rock-bottom prices. IESEs Julián Villanueva, José Luis Nueno and Julie Ziskind examine the secrets of Primark’s success in a new case study.

Consumer habits have changed significantly since the onset of the financial crisis in 2007. Value takes priority over snobby attitudes about labels and brands. This development has been termed The Primark effect, in honour of the company that has earned a nationwide reputation for bargain shopping.

The ability of the chain to sell jeans for £3 or flip-flops for £1 is due to the stores no bells, no whistles business model, built around three cores’. (Ieseinsight.com, 2017)

Similar to Zara, Primark engage with the same idea of ‘when its gone its gone’. This seems to be successful by pushing consumers into buying products there and then rather than debating on purchases.

Their niche of really low, affordable prices beats all competitors as you can sometimes not believe how cheap items can be. It focuses on really fast-fashion, and makes cheap garments from man-made materials.

The title of the article screenshotted to the left and above says it all ‘no bells, no whistles: the simple case of Primark’. This in itself shows the success of Primark- it requires to frilly bits. The simplicity is that is produces garments for a really affordable pricing. Again, similar to Zara it seems Primark do not stock tremendous amounts in each size as when its sold it has been sold. Even if there is a blur from one trend, it wouldn’t matter as much because of the low prices Primark continuously serve to consumers.

Merchandisers will spot best sellers and frequent trendsetters through the use of a merchandise spreadsheet which in effect develops the buyers decisions and future choices. It also gives them the chance to identify what is and isn’t going right and what needs changing. An EPOS system is used for this where the company will then decide what's best to do with failing stock. For example they could markdown the price to try and sell on the products or even sell to another company.

Doing the merchandise spreadsheet has helped me understand the importance of how sale figures impact the retail industry and profitability.

Factors such as cost price and RRP to then how much it made is a big important factors for the buyers and merchandisers to get right.

Replenishment of stock is usually 15% of the overall quantity, which means the amount of stock to replace stock that has been sold if in high customer demand. During this task I discovered that it is important to have an OTB (open to buy) fund for fast purchases of fast selling stock to keep to the demand of customers. Buyers will find themselves buying fast fashion in cases like this to keep customers interested and the sales at a high figure. The OTB is usually around 30% of the budget.

Like for like data of products informed me to forecast sales of each garment which allowed me to work out how much I would need to purchase.

From the data I collected I could see that one of my highest sellers was the jumpsuit which is estimated to sell 2,220 over an 8 week period. This is likely to be because of its soft fabric, comfort and design. It is simple but classic for a wedding and can be paired with almost any shoe which is also available at my range due to its natural colour.

My lowest figure was the structured cream & pink skirt which stands at 1840. Maybe this is because it’s a very structuced compared to the rest of the pieces which are quite floaty and simple. It would also depend on what top you wore with this. I think the two crops would be a nice outfit paired with the skirt for sizes 8/10. As a small independent boutique it would be myself who took care of both merchandise & buying so I would need to balance out my time and see to both jobs whilst checking on levels of stock to see what we need more in of and on the other side of things what we would need to do if stock wasn’t selling as well as expected.

I found that my profit margins can differ slightly depending on the cost and manufacturer. It all depends on material and demand.

As I researched Boudoir Boutique the brand I discovered that it is a Liverpool based brand and doesn’t have stores open within the UK. It also doesn’t ship out as it doesn’t have a website to do this. Based on this data I found it would be best to have the following store grades: B B, C C, D. I think that majority of my stock would sell well in the city of liverpoool but I would also like to have another store outside of Liverpool. I am also planning on creating an online website for my range as I feel it would be successful online for people searching for unique outfits.

It was significant for me to see what was selling well, how much was selling and in what store grades it was selling best at. To the left are screenshots of the sales and figures of my jumpsuit. It tends to continuously sell well in all 3 store grades but predominantly has higher figures in concessions. This is what I predicted which is why I thought it was best for me to have two e grade C stores for the 8 weeks that the range was on sale for. My idea behind this is that I am targeting towards people who enjoy finding independent boutiques to differ from the high street.

Components that will build into a range I have produced three ranges for Guest of Trend: womenswear, menswear and girlswear. I have selected the garments in my range for the purpose to wedding guest events in s/s17. each range has between 12-15 pieces and includes the following: Women: Jumpsuit, trousers, skirts, tops, shoes, bag and jewellery.

Men's: Tailored suits (jackets & trousers), shirts, ties, shoes, sunglasses and a belt.

Girls: dresses, tops, shorts, jacket, shoes, bag, headbands.

When doing my research on WGSN to look at the latest trend-forecasts I was interested by the ‘cone shape’ and structured, but floaty styles for womenswear. I adapted this into my collection as I thought it would be appropriate for s/s17 in styles such as crepe and light fabrics on the skin. To portray this to my consumer I created concept boards for each of the ranges to specify what areas I would be concentrating on.

For example, I wanted girlswear to be fun, relaxed and age appropriate so I thought that fun flares/flippy hemlines with small bits of embroidery printed on certain garments would achieve this. When my range was put together I felt that this stood out the most for girlswear.

Fabric and colour I wanted my fabric to be light on the skin and cool for all day wear in all three ranges for my Guest of Trend s/s17 production. The reason for this is that I wanted my customer to feel that the fabric was suitable for their event. This in turn would make them likely to return back with such attention to fabric being paid. Especially for men. Men are expected to wear full suits at weddings so I wanted to make shirts out of cotton for coolness and relaxation.

Discuss the results from your comp and directional shops and how these have influenced your decisions My comp shop outlined to me that I had a niche in the market. Looking at other competitors I came to the knowledge that nowhere else offered a full range for women, men and children. It was also apparent to me that there was a gap in the market for wedding guest outfits. Boudoir Boutique is a really popular independent boutique in Liverpool’s famous Cavern Walks so I think now having a wedding guest range for women, men and girls will make profits boost whilst growing in traffic.

Pricing architecture – difference in prices across the range My prices are a little different but stand in the higher market for an independent boutique. Menswear is considerably the most expensive out of all three ranges as I have used 100% cotton wool blended for the suits. Tailoring does take more time and effort which is why the RRP of menswear is higher than womenswear and girlswear. My girlswear range is the cheapest as its for younger girls and the material isn’t as much to buy for younger children.

Margin - how much you are making per garment My average margin price is between 50-60%. This is a really good figure and shows no minuses. This would give me spare money to place in my OTB in case of high demand and I may need to buy in more products before expected. It also leaves me with more disposable income to extend the range for the season after and maybe even introduce a boyswear collection since the girls margin seems successful.

Merchandise space – Where and how it will be displayed in store I have decided to make a part for the wedding guest wear within the store to make it look exclusive and stand out from the rest. Boudoir Boutique tend to have there garments laid out in a square and more like a dressing room. I want my range to change this look so that it will attract the right customer and make it feel as unique as it is.

I have made my advertisement for my range Guest of Trend as simple as possible. This is to entice my customer into being intrigued by not having too much on the advert campaign. This also represents my range as it is simple, sophisticated and wedding appropriate. I have added the colour of yellow to it and this is to represent summer and tiny bits of colour against neutral background.

I would post this image online and also on Cavern Walks building to attract their specific customer.

I am aware of how social media reaches out to customers these days so I plan on making an Instagram, Facebook & twitter page with this image as the logo for the time being to spread awareness and interest.

The clipart imagery shows a classy, simplistic outfit on a woman who is clearly dressed for an occasion.

Underneath I have added the text ‘women, men & girls’ so the intended customer is aware of who Guest of Trend is aiming towards.

Before all of my garments are shipped to their location and offered to the customer to be bought; some serious tests need to be taken first in order to check that everything is running smoothly, up to standard and most important of all- it’s completes health and safety regulations in a dedicated room for all checks to be taken out thoroughly and with care.

On the slides following I have outlined the possible Fit for Purposes, Fabric Testing and Organisational Requirements. This is so I have a strategic plan for each garment to ensure they are fully equipped and good enough for consumer purchase. If these safety checks were not taken into consideration and there was something wrong with the garments; for example when washed they shrunk or even worse case scenario the fabric was highly flammable I would be accountable for this. In the long run it would result in my brand loosing a lot of money and could even have a tarnished reputation. Therefore it is in the best interest of the consumer, and the brand, that these checks are mandatory.

FIT FOR PURPOSE

FIT FOR PURPOSE

The material should be stain resistant.

The zip should be big enough and have a wide enough space between the neck to not chock the child when wearing it.

Being made from cotton it should be comfortable and cool to wear all day.

Must be comfortable to wear over clothes and not restrict the child's movemet.

The garment should allow free movement.

Must be easy enough for the child to zip and unzip their jacket.

FABRIC TESTING

FABRIC TESTING The garment should be free of any harmful chemicals or toxins.

The garment will go through variable washes to determine a suitable method and temperature to wash at without damaging or shrinking garment.

Organisation Requirements

Fabric should be waterproof and keep the wearer cool not too hot.

Flammable tests need to be taken out to ensure safety of children.

The supplier’s must be aware of the increased safety checks which need to be checked with childresnwear garments.

The measurements for each size must be clear and all samples must be tested and checked at one focused space in head office to ensure safety is at its highest level.

FIT FOR PURPOSE

FABRIC TESTING Both garments should be stain resistant. Would make it more likely considering the fabric but this would be printed on the tag/label so customer was aware of the potential of staining.

Has to be shower resistant. Even though the garments are designed to keep customers cool in summer they should be tested that they don’t loose colour/shape in rain. Also has to dry and not stay wet in case of rain.

The garments should be water tested to see if they can be machine washed and at what temperature. If not I will need to print labels that clarify dry-clean only. This test would also determine if the garment will wash well with other colours and if so determine om the label what it can or cant be washed with.

Both garments must fit the customer demand & profile (suitable for their occasion/lifestyle).

ORGANISATION REQUIREMENTS Must be a designated room/space for testing to be carried out properly under health and safety regulations. This also makes results reliable.

Fabric test should be taken out to ensure that the garment will not shrink or stretch once been washed.

When testing fabrics and using substances to make them colourfast/water resistant, the company must abide by the correct rules and regulations. This is in the best interest of workers and customers.

FIT FOR PURPOSE

FABRIC TESTING

The drawstring should be functional enough to reduce the waist size if necessary.

Fabric should be tested in various washes to see how it can be washed and at what temperature. Whether the drawstring is likely to last or not.

The garment must be cool and relaxed as it is designed for summer and all day duration.

Fabric should not shrink when washed. The drawstring waist in particular.

Fabric should be skin soft.

FIT FOR PURPOSE

FABRIC TESTING

Should be comfortable around the neck and not make the person feel as though they are chocking.

Garment should be tested for being water proof. Should not change colour in rain or cause itchiness to skin.

Should not irritate the neck line and cause rash or itchiness.

Organisation Requirements

FIT FOR PURPOSE

FABRIC TESTING Garment tests should check that the shoes are breathable, while still retaining their water resistance, in order to avoid any sort of foot infections.

Garment should be soft and comfortable to wear both on its own and underneath another garment i.e. suit blazer.

The stitching should be strong enough to endure all day wear.

Fabric must be light enough to keep the person cool and relaxed even if it is fitted.

The fabric will be tested to ensure the leather does not tear, and the colour doesn’t fade or wear away easily.

Stain resistant and easy to wipe clean.

Garment should allow free movement and not feel restrictive.

Cuffs must be tight enough to hold the sleeves rather than bagging. However, mustn’t be too tight to the point of restriction.

ORGANISATION REQUIREMENTS A prototype should be made for a model to test the fit and durability for both garments.

My Brand: My collection is made up of styles for wedding wear and it will is provided for women, men and girls. I also decided to provide my customers with services on the shop floor to potential/new customers. I want my customers to have an experience they will remember from the moment they walk over to the section of where Guest of Trend will be located. It is important that I advise sales assistants how to talk to customers through the features and benefits of my products in order for them to make there eventual decision.

Why have I chosen specific trend ideas and how does this appeal to the customer? As my collection is based on wedding guest attire and occasion wear I wanted my garments to look sophisticated and of luxury value. My clothing had to make an impression on the city of Liverpool and live up to the cities stylish reputation. My size range for women is from size 8 to 14 (which is the same size range as Boudoir Boutique’s current products) and designed for young women around the ages of 20-35. the size range for men's is Small, Medium and Large, and kidswear is age 5-10 years.

The PAUSE trend forecast for women & young women of s/s17 pointed out mainly the shift from A-line silhouette into the more extreme cone shape. This is something I felt was sophisticated, comfortable and stylish for s/s17 weddings. I think that the look is a perfect trend for my customer attending weddings who want the classy, ‘out there’ look.

Sophie Buhai’s wooden chocker looked elegant and is the new luxury piece. This inspired my collection for simple accessories to go along with smooth fabrics of cone shape silhouettes.

WGSN influenced me a lot through fabrics being described as ‘fragile’ in the Pause S/S17. I wanted to reinforce this trend within my range plan and give my garments the feeling of quality. I think that soft colours went perfect for a wedding occasion in the summer.

WGSN also made a strong point about ‘restfulness and relaxation‘ and states that this has been taken into account with ‘subtle comfort details that snuggle up to the body.

Wrapping and draping as shown by Aijla Ayidan add a subtle beauty in viscose and sand-washed silk that feel calming on the skin.’ This definitely showcases throughout my range as I wanted my customers feeling comfortable and elegant all day and night at their summer occasions. Especially with me having a chidrenswear range for girls, I had to ensure comfort was at the top of my priorities.

What research did you use to help you form decisions? : In order for me to produce realistic RRP and have an idea of how much things will cost I took out comp shops and directional shops. The reason for this is to see what is on the market in my area and how much its being sold a. fortunately for me, I did have a nice in that I was producing garments focused on wedding wear. Most of my competitors from independent boutiques had ‘dressy styles’ for going out on nights out rather than wedding occoaions.

They also didn’t seem to offer occasion wear for young girls. This is what influenced me to start up a girls-only range for now to see how sales and profits work out and then I may consider designing a boyswear range also.

Information on volume, RRP and size ratio: I decided to keep my sizes as minimal and easy as possible. I went for size 8-14 in womenswear; small-large in menswear and age 5-10 years for girlswear. The reason for this is that my brand has been designed for an independent boutique (Boudoir Boutique) who use similar sizes. This is because it is only a small store and only has space for varied products. I didn’t order a huge amount of volume as most independent boutiques only have limited amount of stock to make their stock more exclusive which is something I wanted to do and have the same exclusivity.

Highlight any other information that you think is particularly important or interesting to address how you range will be profitable, e.g. best seller: As I have designed a collection focused on wedding wear I think my range is a good idea for customers as the clothes are minimal and sophisticated but exclusive. It definitely implies ‘less is more’. Most independent boutiques in Liverpool tend to offer close-fitting garments which sometimes can be too restrictive/uncomfortable for all day wear so this is why I think my range has a niche. The best seller for womenswear based from the like-for-like data is the jumpsuit. The reasons for this is the fabric its composed of, true to size and flattering around all the right areas. It is the right length to wear a heel with and can be paired with almost any colour and fascinator due to its neutral tone. This would be an investment for customers as they could purchase this for multiple wedding occoaions and dress it differently each time.

For menswear, (also based on like-for-like data) my best seller is the tailored 100% cotton wool blended suit. The reason for this is the quality of fabric and lightness of material. The colour is versatile and can be mixed with any shirt from the range with all the accessories to wear. The shirts are also a good idea as they have hints of colours such as green, navy, and black. The reason for this is that multiple shirts can be dressed with the suit and again similar to the womenswear jumpsuit, can be worn multiple times and dressed differently making the purchase an investment.

This I think gives me a good reputation and would encourage customers to return for a/w styles to see them through their winter occasions.

In my personal opinion, my girlswear range is probably my best out of the three. The reason for this is I was able to be more creative with simple embroidery and colours.

The colours blend well to create a story and flows through the range pleasantly. I wanted my girlswear range to be dressy but appropriate for their age. This is why I chose flippy and frilly styling so that their outfits were cute and fun rather than ‘ahead of their time’. I added a little pink structured jacket with embroidery and a bird print to tie in with my concept board and this went really well with all my range. I choose to offer two pairs of shoes: sandals and ballerina shoes. This is to suit the particular age of the girls and what their parents would prefer them in. all material/fabric was composed of the finest to ensure comfort and avoid irritation on young skin. I kept the fibres to a minimal and carried out extensive safety checks to ensure child safety when wearing the garments.

Going back to S.W.O.T: How will external factors determine how I will develop my range?

1) One of the opportunities I discussed during my S.W.O.T was introducing a customer loyalty scheme and allow loyal customers to have exclusive first looks on new stock. This is something competitors (Cricket, Mabel Doll & Peal Boutique) haven’t thought about yet which would give both my brand Guest of Trend and Boudoir Boutique them a chance to boost expansion and profits. It would devlop the sales in my range particularly as it would encourage customers to buy from my range in order to receive points on each buy and give them a feeling of exclusivity on new and upcoming garments.

2) Another opportunity for me was thinking about introducing a graduation collection for Liverpool girls. This in turn would determine my brand as an exclusive occasion wear range and would give it a boost in the market above other competitors.

3) One factor I have to consider is that Boudoir Boutique are a single channel business which could put a potential threat on my range as they are not available to order online or through an app. Because of this I have decided to also represent my range through Instagram where people are able to visit my stock online and make reservations so that they can come into store and try on their resered item. In the future I will be planning on making my own website were customers can also directly order and still collect V.I.P points with their personalised code and login.

Task 22: During task 22, I discussed how I could make my production cheaper by reducing costs. I analysed how cheaper fabrics would make my production a lot less cheaper. However, as I want to create a luxury brand this defies the object and doesn’t make my garments as desirable for my consumer as fabric is main quality within all three of my ranges.

I also discussed how sourcing from overseas suppliers could deduct my prices. However, when considering tax and shipping costs I defend my choice of being supplied from trade fair shows as these were taken from the UK and close destinations such as Paris and Spain. Meaning the costs of shipping+packaging was lower.

Première Vision Paris. (2017). Fabrics | Première Vision Paris. [online] Available at: http://www.premierevision.com/en/presentation/the-shows/fabrics/ [Accessed 8 Feb. 2017].

Ubmfashion.com. (2017). Footwear SOURCING at MAGIC | UBM Fashion. [online] Available at: http://www.ubmfashion.com/shows/footwearsourcing [Accessed 8 Feb. 2017].

Lu, C. (2017). Zara supply chain analysis - the secret behind Zara's retail success. [online] Tradegecko.com. Available at: https://www.tradegecko.com/blog/zara-supply-chain-its-secret-to-retail-success [Accessed 28 Feb. 2017] Somaiya, M. (2017). Zara’s Supply Chain Strategies – purchasing, supply chain management and logistics * i-procure.com. [online] I-procure.com. Available at: http://www.i-procure.com/zaras-supply-chain-strategies/ [Accessed 28 Feb. 2017]. .

Ieseinsight.com. (2017). IESE Insight No Bells, No Whistles: The Simple Case of Primark. [online] Available at: http://www.ieseinsight.com/doc.aspx?id=1274 [Accessed 1 Mar. 2017].