Trend Journal Paige Homberg
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Table of Contents Entry 1 ...........4 Entry 2 ...........6 Entry 3 ...........8 Entry 4 ..........10 Entry 5 ..........12 Entry 6 ..........14 Entry 7 ..........16 Entry 8 ..........18 Sources ..........20 3
Moving Towards The Mule
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March 26, 2015 The Mules have remerged once again on runways and on the street. We have all seen these styles on the runways many of times. Designers have been showing variations of the mule for a couple seasons now, but it seems as though this 90’s trend has finally stuck with consumers. Mules come in a variety of heel shapes and weights making it easy to fit into the everyday lifestyle of almost all consumers. With a variety of colors, shapes, and textures, the mule adds a touch of minimalistic edge to any wardrobe. Bloggers have taken a liking to the mules, pairing them with a pair of ripped jeans or a simple shirtdress. The slip on ease of the mule has grabbed the attention of consumers and has caused fast fashion retailers to recreate these designer looks for less. Now the question for any merchant is: why now? Why have these mules finally stuck with consumer when we have seen these styles for decades? Well, sometimes consumers have to view things over and over again before they finally understand it. It is obvious that the odd shape of the mule at first made the consumer uneasy. Now, consumers are ready to hit the streets with confidence in their heeled mules. 5
Ready-toWear Rut
Prada FW15 RW
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Michael Kors FW15 RW
April 3, 2015 As we all know, the business of fashion is not about creating a product that the consumer needs. Fashion is about making a product that the consumer wants to have, and believes that if they don’t buy this article of clothing they can simply not live any longer. Although this might be an exaggeration, high-end luxury designers are struggling to work around this concept. While designer luxury bags and accessories are still selling fairly steadily, the problem lies with the clothing department, specifically ready-to-wear designer collections. Consumers are more likely to buy a Prada bag than a Prada blouse because the bag has the logo on the front of it. The logo on that purse symbolizes luxury and status. Everyone who sees the consumer holding that Prada purse automatically associates them with those characteristics. Where as if the same consumer was to buy a Prada blouse, the logo is stitched on the inside, and people will never know if it’s Prada or not. Consumers are more likely to spend their money on bags and accessories rather than clothing because they feel they are getting the most bang for their buck. The issue of high-end clothing has sparked a success in “accessible luxury jaugernauts” like Michael Kors and Tory Burch. Because these brands are very accessible to people and they are mildly priced, people are more likely to buy their everyday clothing from them. It seems as though high-end luxury designers need to revualate their ready-to-wear collections and how they market them. Maybe lowering price points on ready-to-wear and heightening the price points of designer bags and accessories would help boost sales in the clothing department and boost revenue in the company as a whole. There is no key solution, but designer companies need to keep this ready-to-wear rut in mind when planning their sales according to consumers.
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Ballet-esque Active Wear
Sia’s “Chandelier” music video
Oysho 2015
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adidas Originals X Kanye West
April 12, 2015 A recent love for contemporary dance has caused designers to take a turn towards dance inspired active wear. Dance-fitness classes and the model of a strong feminine woman have caused people to reinvent the way we think of dance, especially ballet. Dancewear has been featured in music videos such as Sia’s “Chandelier” video and Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” video. The videos’ views have sky rocketed into the millions and feature characters in leotard like looks. Not only has YouTube taken a liking to ballet inspired pieces, but also designers. Recent active wear lines from Under Armour and Nike incorporate 1980s silhouettes of dance inspired pieces. Kanye West’s Adidas line has a huge influence of dance wear. His line features a palette of soft neutral pales and combines body-con basics with layers of cover-ups. Other designers such as Oysho have also created garments inspired by ballet. Oysho’s designs incorporate tight under garments paired with loose, flirty feminine over pairings. With the fitness lifestyle hovering over the fashion industry, this ballet inspired trend fits right in. In the upcoming seasons, people are sure to see these contemporary looks. Breathable fabrics and pale pastels are noted to be seen in dance wear but will also be seen on the active wear runways. Consumers are bound to show attraction to this gym to street style attitude. With dancewear comes the idea of freedom and self-expression, which could not have come at a better time in fashion. 9
Coach, The Turn Towards Teens
Stuart Vevers
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April 16, 2015 It is no a secret that Coach has been struggling to radiate sales and boost demand for their products in the past few years. By appointing Stuart Vevers as Executive Creative Director in 2013, Coach has the optimism of renewing their once loved brand. It is obvious the Coach is making efforts to rebrand but is it enough? They have reduced their discounts and created a full redesign launching new products in the hopes of catching the eyes of their once committed consumers. Coach used to be the handbag retailer of choice, before names such as Michael Kors came around. Michael Kors has a high presence in the teenage world, but are also in a bit of a slump. Although Kors’ sales are steady, the high accessibility and inclusiveness of having a Michael Kors bag makes it less appealing to consumers. With this in mind, Coach might have a pigeonhole to get ahead. It all starts with the older consumers, the ones whom the teens look up to for fashion inspiration. If Coach is able to win back the hearts of their older, well-off customer than they may be able to also become appealing to teens. It is now up to Coach to pull the brand out of the slum and come forth with new marketing that showcases the product appealing to older generation women. Once they have reached the teen world, Coach might be seen as a force to be reckoned with. This turn around by Coach would be seen as huge in the marketing industry, and other affordable luxury brands would need to watch their backs. Only time will tell if Coach will be able to withstand the changes happening in the industry. 11
Sneaks Hit the Street
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April 24, 2015 The modern lifestyles focus on fitness and health has caused a rise in demand for fitness inspired women’s wear. With everyone on health kicks trying to reach their fitness goal it is important for the women’s footwear to fit in with an active lifestyle. Consumers have gravitated towards high fashion sneakers in the hopes of hitting the street and the gym in the same day. While the sneaker business is booming, retailers are stocking the shelves with the latest and greatest sneaker designs. Retailers are finaly coming to the realization that they should put more emphasis on sneakers. Luxury department stores are starting to revaluate the way they merchandise and plan for buying sneakers. The London department store, Harvey Nichols, recently opened a space decicated entirely to the adidas’ luxury edit, the first of its kind for the brand in the UK. The space offers a few pieces of the newest collections as well as adidas’ series of designer collaborations. The sleek and modern space is designed to not only show the styles of sneakers but also to convey the aesthetic of the current collection on display. The question now is: will this reconfiguration of luxury department stores be enough to drive sneaker sale or will consumer simply go to a designers e-commerce site to purchase their sneakers? If stores put enough time and energy in making displays equipped to show off sneakers, they will drive foot traffic and create revenue. Customers like to go into a store if it is visual stimulating. If displays are high energy customers will feel that energy and be more inclined to purchase sneakers.
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Customer Needs Catalog
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April 31, 2015 With the technology driven lifestyle that we live in, there has been a push towards e-commerce. Although e-commerce is striving, catalogues are still present in many retailers’ forms of advertising. Many retailers such as Neiman Marcus, J.Crew, and Bergdorf Goodman still use catalogues as a way to connect with their customers. Although it is difficult to measure how effective a catalogue is to boosting sales, where as e-commerce sites can be analyzed quite easily, retailers still see catalogues as a vital tool for them. The idea of a customer actually physically being able to touch and interact with a brand’s designs through a catalogue is important. People love to shop online, but when they can hold a magazine page filled with a brand’s identity and aesthetic, a catalogue is most effective. Recently retailers have switched the way their catalogues are styled to cater to their customers needs. Neiman Marcus’ “mag-alogue”, The Book, features not only merchandise to order but also drives customers to buy on e-commerce. After seeing a product on the Book, Neiman Marcus’ customers will go online to find out more information and even consider ordering that product. Catalogues are the stepping-stones for customers to interact with the brand. As a retailer, it is important to be having a relationship with your customer, not only through advertisements and e-commerce but also in a physical form. Retailers who have gone without their catalogues should think about bringing them back. Keeping the omni-channel presence between a customer and a brand is important. A catalogue will provide a physical and sometimes personal way for retailers to reach their customer.
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Fashionable and Functional
Leandro Manuel Araujo
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May 9, 2015 “There’s much more emphasis on aesthetics and appearance of fabrics this season, as sport consumers demand greater ‘fashionability’ from their sportswear, and as more fashion brands move in to fitness sector. We are also in the middle of something of a ‘tech pause’ with truly new textile innovations few and far between” (Clare Varga, Active Director at WGSN). This quote from Clare Varga, Active Director at WGSN, is quite timely as Performance Days were just held providing their 14th season of fabrics. Performance Days hosts 127 exhibitors from 21 countries and provides a wide variety of innovative materials across all layers and functions. Textile buyers who attended Performance Days were looking for textiles that are versatile and yet still fashionable. Consumers have seen performance materials time and time again and now they are ready to see something new. Attenders of the Performance Days were drawn to the textiles, which displayed the trends of aesthetics, patterns, surface effects, responsibly sourced wool, and comfort and elasticity. Consumers are looking for something that not only provides comfort, but also dries fast and eliminates odors. Fabrics from Leandro Manuel Araujo were quite popular at the Performance Days because they were soft to the touch while also providing some texture. Fashion merchants need to be conscience of the recent rise in active wear textiles. Healthy lifestyles have really helped push the idea of textiles being comfortable yet fashionable. Consumers now have high expectations for performance fabrics. They want something that is breathable and still provide some flare through geometric and organic patterns. 17
Adventurous Atmosphere
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May 13, 2015 The recent emerging trend of “kidult camps” and an adventurous lifestyle has really caught on with consumers. Although technology has changed lives for the better, sometimes people just want to unplug and enjoy the good ole outdoors. Whether it’s a weekend getaway camping with friends or a day trip to the nearest trails, consumers are all in. With shows such as “Man vs Wild”, “Dual Survival”, and “Alaska: the last frontier”, it is no wonder people are going crazy over an outdoors lifestyle. People want to let loose and breath in the fresh air, which is exactly what outdoor brands are providing for them. New outdoor recreation lifestyle brands such as, Home Camp and Ketum are up and coming. Both brands provide an interesting combination mixing traditional camping gear and contemporary fashion. Sales in the camping industry have been at an all time high. According to WGSN, “Over 140 million Americans collectively spend $646 billion per year on outdoor recreation, and according to a recent survey, US consumers are “spending more on bicycling gear and trips ($81 billion) than they do on airplane tickets and fees ($51 billion)”. These statistics go to show that consumers’ mindsets have change. With the new thought of eco-therapy in mind, retailers might want to change their way of thinking too. Contemporary brands should consider designing product that will cater to the needs of their target customers whom want to participate in the camping trends. With statistics showing that the camping industry is booming, it is only fitting that other brands start to accommodate this type of lifestyle.
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Sources Moving Towards Mules: http://www.wgsn.com/content/search/#/mules Ready-to-Wear Rut: http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/opinion/troubleready-wear Ballet-esque Active Wear: http://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/57908/page/3 Coach, The Turn Towards Teens: http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/ michael-kors-teen-fashion-idol Sneaks Hit the Street: http://www.wgsn.com/content/reports/#/Business+&+Strategy Customer Needs Catalogue: http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/indigital-age-catalogues-still-drive-business Fashionable And Functional: http://www.wgsn.com/content/reports/#/Materials+&+Textiles Adventurous Atmosphere: http://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/58382
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