’The Rick Edit’ ASOS DESIGN X Rick Owens Brand Collaboration Book
Contents
Chapter one Chapter one Chapter one Chapter one (INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT) Overview ………………………………………………………………. pg. 3-4 Rick Owens & ASOS DESIGN Consumer Profile ……………………. pg. 5 SWOT Analysis ………………………………………………………... pg. 6
Chapter two Chapter two Chapter two Chapter two (IDENTIFYING THE COLLABORATION) Brand Narrative ……………………………………………………...... pg. 7 Generational Marketing ……………………………………………….. pg. 8 Pricing …………………………………………………………………. pg. 8-9 Visual Concepts & Styling …………………………………………….. pg. 9-10
Chapter three Chapter three Chapter three (THE CAMPAIGN) Packaging ……………………………………………………………... pg. 10-11 The Shopping Experience …………………………………………….. pg. 12 Product Design ………………………………………………………... pg. 13-14 The (visual) Outcomes ……………………………………………........pg. 15-19 Bibliography Bibliography Bibliography (TEXT AND IMAGE REFERENCES) Bibliography ………………………………………………………...... pg. 20
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OVERVIEW
rview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview
Upcoming generations’ set idea of masculinity is more fluid than the ones before. The changes within the way men represent themselves in this current day and age can be perceived as more individualistic as we are moving away from the times where traditional gender norms were dominating fashion. The new menswear consumer pays special attention to the way they take care of themselves, their skin, their physique, hair and the way they dress. At a time where selfcare and self-image is so heavily influenced by popular culture and a new femininity is explored and accepted by male shoppers, companies are put to a test whether they can keep up with their changing target markets. From Love Island to the models we see in a recent Ralph Lauren campaign, there are more and more unachievable expectations placed on men which has a significant impact on their shopping pattern, the labels they buy into and the garments they purchase in order to construct their image. This perhaps could be the reason why in recent years the menswear business has grown in such a quick manner and is predicted to outperform womenswear by 2020 based on research carried out by drapersonline.com. (Geoghegan, 2017) In response to the brief I have chosen to create a collaboration between global online fast fashion retailer, ASOS, in particular their own line, ASOS DESIGN and luxury designer label Rick Owens. I have chosen ASOS as my fast fashion brand as throughout the years they have made constant efforts on bettering themselves in terms of their environmental impact and have always been vocal about their aim for a more sustainable fashion landscape, as I am mindful that sustainability is at the heart of the brief. It inspires me how a company that has such a global reach manages to use their exposure to educate people and connect them on this sustainability message but from my research I have gathered that ASOS DESIGN is at a tough spot as their efforts to establish a strong voice and brand identity in this highly competitive industry have not brought them the most success. Rick Owens has a very loud voice as a designer and a distinctive aesthetic that does not align with trends and do not necessarily reflect on the current times. A collaboration between Rick Owens and ASOS interests me greatly as the two labels are so contrastive to each other, not just because of the level of the market where they are positioned but because of their differences within the design too. ASOS, a company that revolves around trend and its elements and one that has never had to compromise its vision and doesn’t follow trend it at all.
I believe that ASOS DESIGN would work well as a collaborator to Rick Owens as they have two completely different clientele and a different take on sustainability. I have learnt that Rick Owens positions themselves at the higher market level and inspires consumers to purchase clothing from the label that they will use, cherish and love for a long time. This psychology is quite common for luxury brands as consumers tend to respond to luxury products differently, they tend to have more of an emotional connection with their purchased items and intend to ‘make the most’ of the pieces’ lifetime. On the other hand, ASOS’ stance on the sustainability message revolves around the idea of buying and recycling: purchasing clothing that meets certain ethical standards as far as the making in concerned and at the end of their lifetime are turned back into a circular economy. I believe that if you cross these two ethos you are able to achieve a higher level of consumer consciousness which is one of the biggest driving forces in overcoming the issues raised by the irresponsible actions of the fashion industry. The following two pages are consumer boards for both ASOS DESIGN and Rick Owens and are presented in this brand collaboration book for the purpose of illustrating the similarities of these demographics. A quality that Rick Owens and ASOS has in common is their aim to challenge gender norms and embrace subcultures which -in their different ways- is something that they both managed to perfect for their own target markets. Compared to ASOS DESIGN the way Rick Owens buyers consume product differs greatly. As discussed earlier, ASOS DESIGN consumers have the budget to allow themselves to purchase from the website and are more trend and quality conscious compared to the average fast fashion buyer. They may use ASOS DESIGN pieces to mix with their branded luxury items but do not necessarily form an emotional attachment with the garment. ASOS’ pieces are still considered throwaway fashion as they are one of the largest corporations of the fast fashion game. ASOS DESIGN consumers have a much higher return purchase rate compared to Rick Owens consumers due to the lower price points of the items and the accessibility that comes with the culture of this market level.
OVERVIEW
view Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview Overview O
RICK OWENS
Consumer Profile Consumer Profile Consumer Profile Consumer Profile Consumer Profile Consumer Profile Consumer Profile Consumer Profile Consumer Pro
The Rick Owens consumer is the type of person that enjoys the confidence luxury items give to him, he wants to be acknowledged and does not want to blend in the crowd. He is the person that wants to be the main attraction at all times and wants everyone to know about his entrance to a room. As described by The Psychology of Fashion “Rick Owens collections cater to individuals who do indeed want to redefine the norm. These individuals are iconoclasts who use fashion as a bold expression of who they are. “ (Palmer, 2018) I have found from my extensive research that often times journalists and fashion critiques blame Rick Owens’s ability to establish a cult following on the originality that roots from his creative thinking and the challenge this sense of individuality has on the social construct of fashion. On the right hand side, I have placed my consumer profile board for ASOS DESIGN so that comparisons between the two demographics can be made.
Peter
ASOS DESIGN consumer
Peter is an 18 year old fashion marketing student who regularly shops at ASOS as it fulfills his basic needs in terms of clothing for his busy every day life. Peter enjoys the convenience of next day delivery and relies on the student discount he receives from ASOS as his income is limited due to his age.
Peter regularly purchases from Asos Design as he appreciates the heavy influence of current trends on the designs.
Peter likes to invest in smaller designer pieces
wearing aphs of a young man Figure 1&2: Photogr agram.com . Retrieved from Inst hing clot ens Ow k Ric
Juggling full-time education and part-time employment Peter’s busy everyday lifestyle requires him to be sufficient and quick when it comes to shopping.
RI CK OW EN Sswot
+ WEAKNESSES
+ STRENGHTS -
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Large cult following Considered to be one of the most influential fashion designer of the times with a distinct aesthetic and take on life. Throughout the years the brand has integrated into a variety of fields: from Tshirts to skirts to fine furniture, the Rick Owens label could be found on a wide range of product. This integration inspires consumers to spend money in a multitude of different ways. Exclusivity is strongly related to the label.
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+ THREATS
- Lack of innovation in technology on its digital platforms: the modern consumer would prefer to gain a thorough understanding of what the product looks like still, what it looks like during movement, what it feels like. The Rick Owens website does not cater for those consumers as the only information available is still image and a simple written descriptor.
+ OPPORTUNITIES -
Could widen their target market and capture the fashion-obsessed 20somethings. Could use more contemporary means of communication to achieve successful communication (e.g. TikTok, etc.)
ASOS X Rick Owens
analysis for
// STRENGTHS
// WEAKNESSES
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Well established within the industry, managed to create space for themselves on the market successfully. Over 20 million active customers up to date. Able to recognize trend and water it down to fit appropriate markets in terms of product Able to curate an additional 5000 styles each week as well as a wide variety of in-house designs and partner brands Has excellent understanding of the ASOS consumer Communicates consistently, clearly and directly to its customer over all media platforms Trans-national corporation that covers over 200 countries
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// THREATS -
ASOS X Rick Owens
SW O T ANA LYS IS
Misses out on the opportunity of converting younger generations into consumers due to lack of advertising and lack of interest in associating the label with mainstream popular culture The Rick Owens product does not take an influence from trend, this for some mainstreamers could be quite alienating. Extremely specific aesthetic – does not leave much space for variety of product
Could alienate a portion of their targeted demographic due to their higher prices (in comparison to other ecommerce businesses)
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Does not have physical retail space which could limit business opportunities Free shipping & advertised returns policy benefits the consumer but causes loss of profit for the corporation Due to the type of business ASOS is by functioning as a corporation in a way they promote and normalize the business model of a fast fashion retailer which – at its current state – could be seen as problematic as far as their environmental damage is concerned
// OPPORTUNITIES -
Could work on product display on its digital platform to ensure that the consumers get a clear idea of what their order is going to look like (could lead to less returns for the company as 30% of ASOS packages globally get returned to the appropriate warehouses annually)
After completing my initial market research, I intended to explore possibilities for the collaboration and using the SWOT analysis method to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to both labels and the collaboration. These analysis can be found on this page.
BRAND
rative Narrative Narrative Narrative Narrative Narrative Narrative Narrative Narrative Narrative Narrative Narrative Narrative Narrative Narrative
‘The Rick Edit is created for the ‘It guy’ whose part of the gen-z or millennial demographic, wants to stand out of the crowd and uses fashion to self-express, not to blend in. The narrative of this capsule revolves around creating garments that possess multiple layers of meaning, something that the consumer can cherish and incorporate in their everyday life in a way they have not done before. This means clothing that has a digital persona, clothing that holds its value, clothing that is an investment that you can easily turn back into the cycle, whenever you choose to. I aim to achieve this by taking the best parts of both of my collaborators and infusing their DNA for a broader target market. Why would the collaboration work? If I imagine Rick Owens at a collaboration meeting with ASOS DESIGN I would expect him to ask questions about the values of the company and where they imagine the collaboration to sit in terms of its market level as I expect him to want to keep the capsule collection as far away from the fast fashion level as possible in order to protect his brand and its integrity. Rick Owens would get exposure to the already existing, returning consumer base of ASOS DESIGN who are mostly part of the GEN Z and millennial generations and, according to ypulse.com, have an estimated, combined spending power of $3 trillion in 2020. (ypulse.com, 2020) From looking into the Rick Owens consumers and questioning my peers I have identified that unless you have a general interest in fashion you would not necessarily be familiar with Rick Owens, the fashion label as it is not targeting the younger, upcoming segments of consumers. ASOS DESIGN, on the other hand has earned a place in the common knowledge of shopper of all description. The fast fashion label could use Rick Owens as the band aid to get out of this broken place and re-evaluate where the future of fast fashion is and focus on achieving that.
GENERATIONAL
keting Marketing Marketing Marketing Marketing Marketing Marketing Marketing Marketing Marketing Marketing Marketing Marketing Marketing Ma An issue I have identified with Rick Owens is that within his designs he is still exploring shapes and fabrics that his original following, the baby boomer generation resonates with more. The cultural meanings behind his designs such as the use of leather which could refer to the punk rock movement and the repeated use of black tones connoting elements of the goth subculture are semiotics that younger generations may not necessarily be able to decode the same way older consumers would and they may not understand the relevance the return of these designs have today. Rick Owens still has a significant appeal to the baby boomer and millennial audiences who have through the years become a large chunk of the designer’s cult following. Although these generations may contribute to the label’s returning customer base, due to the segment of their life they are in their disposable income is significantly lower than the generations’ following them, making their spending power less compelling. By partaking in a collaboration with ASOS DESIGN Owens would have the opportunity to use this dynamic fast-fashion platform to capture a segment of the gen-Z consumer who has more money to spend due to their lack of financial implications such as a mortgage, children, etc. Research has shown that the upcoming generation, born between 2010 and 2025 will respond to product and marketing notably differently as they will be the first age group to be completely immersed in the digital world, therefor decoding subliminal messages communicated through the use of digital platforms will be first nature to them. With this understanding they are more likely to build loyalty with brands from a younger age. Companies now, in 2020 are already on the search for the most effective methods that could be applied to this generation as a gen-Z consumer could potentially be ‘captured’ by a brand at age 5-6 and could be buying into their product till the end of their lifetime. My marketing method applied to the ASOS DESIGN X Rick Owens collaboration will borrow ideologies from this concept. A diffusion line, or in this case a collaboration is a perfect starting ground for generationZ consumers to buy into the label at an early age, purchasing fragrances, small leather goods or basic apparel at a budget-conscious price. As their disposable income grows in the following few years these shoppers will have the financial freedom to buy from the main brand, in this case Rick Owens and continue to return until they reach either retirement or a demanding economic state in their life such as settling down or starting a family. At that stage the main label (Rick Owens) should be able to water down its product once again, marketed to the appropriate demographics, resulting in customer satisfaction based on inclusivity. The main focal point for this strategy is to maintain a new level of customer loyalty underpinned by brand extensions and products of different quality levels that align with the shopper’s needs at all stages of their life resulting in a business lifecycle that benefits the consumer and the corporation.
PRICING
cing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing Pricing
In terms of the pricing new product will need to exist on a middle ground as there is a quite significant gap between the produce of both companies with ASOS DESIGN pieces ranges £20£30 and Rick Owens going up to the high thousands on average. In order to be respectful of the
inclusive feel of the shopping experience the ASOS consumer loves, I aim the price architecture to stay around the £200 mark in order to prevent ASOS consumers to feel alienated by the big price ticket. This price point will allow the Rick Owens element to still stay quite prominent in the collaboration and for it not to feel too ‘watered down’ for shoppers coming from the luxury background.
VISUAL As I have found the previous physical collages I have produced for my 20x20x20 brand analysis a success, I have decided to follow this route and continue to explore different ways to visually communicate my ideas. Taking inspiration from stylist Anne Bellinger I have put together some Rick Owens inspired digital styling boards. These looks were created using images of model who have walked the Owens catwalk before, and the clothing was selected by me from both male and female designs to reinforce the genderless, androgynous quality of Rick Owens pieces. I have also payed special attention on trying to shine a different light on the product and explore how the timeless designs could appear more appealing to the generation Z consumer. In other words, this styling is ‘Rick Owens through the eyes of ASOS DESIGN’. Later on, further into the process I decided to create the reverse of these, ‘ASOS DESIGN through the eyes of Rick Owens’ which has helped me understand what form the collaboration could take visually.
ASOS S A S N E W O RICK
ASOS AS RIC K OWENS
oncepts & Styling Concepts & Styling Concepts & Styling Concepts & Styling Concepts & Styling Concepts & Styling Concepts & Styling Concepts & Styling
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gn three I intend the collaboration to be exclusively sold on the ASOS website and do not aim to restock the collection once it has sold out completely as this will add resale value to the items. I believe that this could be a way forward for the fast-fashion industry as this concept does not only encourage customer loyalty but also pushes for a more sustainable fashion landscape.
PACKAGING
Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging P
Concentrating on keeping up the cohesivity of the brand image I intend the values of ASOS DESIGN and Rick Owens to be visible throughout in all aspects of the collaboration. This brings us to packaging, a pivotal part of the shopping experience, an aspect which’s importance often gets overlooked and disregarded. Staying on brand with the sustainability message conveyed through the ethos of the collaboration I aim to design all swing tags, labels and packaging used during trading to be 100% biodegradable this way the impact on our environment and the ecological footprint can be reduced. As part of the SWOT analysis I have completed for my fast fashion brand one of the threats identified was its negative impact on our environment when it comes to packaging. ASOS is responsible for sourcing over 71 million plastic mailing bags and 5 million cardboard boxes annually with only 10% post-consumer waste being introduced into these materials and only 25% recycled content used overall. (Ferguson, 2020). Unless actions will be taken to correct this weakness of the label the problem will get bigger and bigger as the corporation does. On the following page I have included my final sustainable packaging designs with visual identifiers from both parties.
aging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packaging Packag
SHOPPING
hopping Experience The Shopping Experience The Shopping Experience The Shopping Experience The Shopping Experience The Shopping Experience The Sh
One of ASOS DESIGN’s downfalls which I have recognized from my 20x20x20 analysis is the fact that the product they are selling primarily serves a functionality purpose, is renowned for its wearability but does not communicate a narrative through the design or has any additional, complex levels of meaning attached to them. I intend to challenge this by extending the functions of the garments through the use of digital platforms in the following way: a core value of my targeted gen-Z consumer is transparency regarding the production of goods they purchase. This next page is a visual demonstration of an application I have designed which could be accessed by entering the personal serial number, specific to your garment into the login space which opens up a variety of services available to you. From specialized maintenance (washing) instructions to a resale value calculator which helps and encourages you to turn your unwanted pieces back into the cycle you are given a 360 experience that extends beyond just a transaction and a physical item. On the application you will also find a ‘look up’ function which has been developed using the example of ‘Snap Maps’ on the popular social media platform, Snapchat. With this service you have the opportunity as a customer to access an interactive map that shows you the exact place of production of your purchased item, the stage the construction it is at, the first name of the person producing the garment and the expected dispatch time. You are able to track your order from the factory to your home with each location used by the company giving you relevant data about their environmental impact. Being able to access this sort of information at an early stage and learn about the fabrics used, the way they are made already encourages the consumer to form an emotional bond with the garment. This extension of the shopping experience provides the gen-Z consumer a personalised, luxury service that is designed to please their curiosity and transparency.
Product design: One of the similarities I was able to identify between the Rick Owens and ASOS DESIGN product is the purpose they serve in the consumer’s wardrobe. They are all fashion staples in their own way. ASOS DESIGN mostly design essentials that the male consumer can easily integrate into their wardrobe and style with their more expensive, branded clothing. Rick Owens products tend to be more like investment pieces for the individual, but they still are wardrobe essentials that are not heavy on branding in any particular way. Both label’s muted aesthetic and simple colour pallet make it easy for the consumer to wear confidently, in a multitude of different ways as wearability is at the heart of the designs. When considering the products of the capsule I intended to create a range of products that satisfies the ASOS consumer’s needs in terms of their functionality purpose. At the beginning of the product design process I paid a substantial amount of attention to recognising brand identifiers from both factors as my aim was to capture these within the design. Although it is not my responsibility as a marketer to produce the garments for the collaboration I found that the detailoriented nature of the task allowed me to communicate a certain level of cohesiveness on a range of platforms which has helped me with the processes to follow. ‘The Rick Edit’ capsule collection consists of 5 items all together, the illustrations on the right-hand side of this page are hand drawn sketches created by me, exploring my finalised ideas for the pieces. From my research into the changes within the menswear market and trend I have found that the way street style is perceived by the masses has shifted as some of the influential figures from the market such as founder of Off-white, Virgil Abloh have declared that the genre is considered dead. A new way of casual dressing has been popularized: tailoring. I intend to acknowledge this change within my product design by including a suit jacket in the collaboration. In my interpretation this is a nod to ASOS DESIGN due to the trend-led factor of the piece which the gen-Z consumer is going to appreciate. The design-oriented quality of the collection is where Rick Owens comes into play in terms of the collaboration. One of the threats I have identified within my SWOT analysis is the fact that ASOS DESIGN is not advanced enough in terms of the construction of their garments and that Rick Owens is not open-minded enough to take trend on board with his designs. ‘The Rick Edit’ is the opportunity for both parties to progress, it is their common ground. The selection of five items can be worn together to achieve one cohesive look or could be used as individual pieces to mix and match with your own apparel. My decision making regarding this issue is heavily influenced by my profiled consumer’s needs: design that serves function, is adaptable and fits in the everyday man’s wardrobe. Although my supporting visuals include mostly male models due to the requirements of the brief, all five of these garments could be worn by any gender as they are designed to be equality flattering on any consumer. The rest of ‘The Rick Edit’ products are the following: a pair of loose fitted, statement trousers with personalised graphics, screen printed along the side, a statement piece that helps my identified consumer, the ‘It guy’ stand out more from the crowd. A long fitted, off-white T-shirt with graphics on the front, specifically personalised with a serial number to each piece. It will also feature Rick Owens’-esc canvas details on the neckline, exposed seams which will create an overall look that the luxury buyer will be able to identify as the Owens aesthetic. The fit of the garment will resemble the fit of an extreme, oversized women’s T-shirt dress in order to align with the rise of ‘new femininity’ within the menswear market. The following marketing pyramid graph was created by me to demonstrate the rest of the collection and where each item produced for the collection would sit in relation to Rick Owens’ main line, DRKSHDW, its diffusion line and ASOS DESIGN products.
The (visual) Outcomes On this journey I have found a challenge in infusing the commercial aspect of ASOS DESIGN and the design-led, anti-fashion nature of Rick Owens as I did not want to paint an unrealistic picture of what the collaboration would look like knowing that Rick Owens would not agree for his label to be too watered down. ‘The Rick edit’ is a playful, youthful fraise that embodies the commercial aspect of ASOS and is directly aimed at a gen-Z consumer. This generation will be able to decode the message behind the name as they possess a cultural awareness of the specific language used to attract them within the ASOS brand. With the title I have rebranded the original luxury label with a fast fashion flair, but for the rest of the collaboration the luxury aspect will be more dominant in terms of branding. I have chosen to use this specific angle to shoot my campaign as the wider perspective reflects on the 360 approach I am taking to this collaboration. The expanding shots are representative of the nature of the capsule collection which continues to push the boundaries and challenge what is expected of the common ground of these labels. As physical collages have been a method I have used throughout the project to visually communicate my ideas it is fitting for me to include this aspect in the final exhibition images. This unique, artistic quality of the promotional images will also help differentiate the collection from the rest of the items stocked on the ASOS website. It will be refreshing to see something other than the basic, studio-lit e-commerce images the ASOS shopper is used to.
During this journey I enjoyed immersing myself in both of my chosen brands and exploring ways in which I can develop my visual storytelling. This has also become quite a personal project for me as in the starting stages of the process I identified myself with the ASOS DESIGN consumer as I have always considered myself a commercial character. The further I got into the project the more I realised that the conceptual, luxury market level appeals to me more and I communicate my ideas on that particular market level in a more intuitive way.
Creating ‘The Rick Edit’ has challenged me as I aimed to create an emotional experience for my consumer and use my problem-solving skills to come up with something that relates to culture, now.
The original promotional photography was shot on Iphone 6S.
Bibliography
Bibliography Ferguson, M. (2020). Packagin & Waste. Retrieved from asosplc.com: https://www.asosplc.com/corporate-responsibility/ourbusiness/packaging-and-waste
Geoghegan, J. (2017, January 9th). Menswear growth to outstrip womenswear by 2020. Retrieved from drapersonline.com: https://www.drapersonline.com/news/menswear-growth-to-outstrip-womenswear-by-2020/7017443.article Palmer, N. (2018, May 20th). Behind The Cult Following of Rick Owens. Retrieved from The Psychology of Fashion: http://www.tpof-thepsychologyoffashion.com/features/fashion-psychology/rick-owens-brand ypulse.com. (2020, January 9th). Millenials & Gen Z Teens' Combined Spending Power Is Nearly $3 Trillion in 2020. Retrieved from ypulse.com: https://www.ypulse.com/article/2020/01/09/millennials-gen-z-teens-combined-spending-power-is-nearly-3-trillionin-2020/
Text References Figure 1 & 2:https://www.instagram.com/p/B5f7OdHps5S/ All other imagery presented in this book are original photography by me.