Brandy Melville Menswear Range AW 17/18

Menswear A/W 17/18

Rachel Jolley- U1558403

Contents Page

Introduction

1

Role of a Fashion Buyer

1

Role of a Fashion Merchandiser

1

Proposal

2

Rationale and Target Market

2

Creating a Range

3

Brand Identity

4

Customer Profile

4

Fabrics and Silhouettes

4

Mood Board

5

Customer Profile

6

Primary Research

7

Competitors

8

Trend Research

9

Sourcing

10

Ethical and Environmental Issues

10

The New Range

11- 14

Range Analysis

15

My Skills Compared to a Buyer’s

16

Reflection

17

References

18

Introduction This project shows and explains the creation process for Brandy Melville to create a menswear collection. The aim of this is to create a successful menswear range, with the use of a widespread amount of resources, that will fit in with Brandy Melville’s current range, and that will also appeal to the target market. Therefore the objectives are to understand the brand, product category and market, to make the range successful. Also to reflect on the skills learnt throughout the project, and how they compare to that of a real buyer.

The Role of a Fashion Buyer According to Shaw & Koumbis (2014) a fashion buyer is someone who must be aware of the ‘latest fashion trends, colours, styles, and brands that will appear to their target consumer.’ They are tasked to make sure that they buy products and have them in store at the right time and season that will appeal to their customer and that will in turn out sell out quickly, reaching sales and profit targets that are set within the company (Shaw & Koumbis, 2014).

The Role of a Fashion Merchandiser Gaworek (2006) states that the role of a merchandiser is to ‘maximise a retailer's profitability by ensuring that selected product range is delivered to stores in the right quantity at the right time.’ They are required to and responsible for ‘budget planning, placing orders with suppliers, reviewing the progress on current ranges, and overseeing the allocation of stock’.

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Figure 1. White Jumper, (n.d.)

Proposal

Rationale and Target Market The menswear market has been increasing recently, with new menswear ranges appearing in New Look and Boohoo, to name a few fashion brands (New Look, n.d.; Boohoo, n.d.). With this it seems that Brandy Melville may be missing out on a portion of the market that may help them gain a higher profit. According to Mintel (2016) the menswear market has been growing and the percentage of total sales in the clothing market was at 27% at the end of 2016, which was higher than the previous year of 26%. This higher sales percentage has grown because men’s thoughts of being well groomed and on trend have simply increased, and this may be because of a number of reasons, a possible high one is suggested by Mintel (2016), which is the men’s London fashion week. Men too also want to be able to get their hands on fast fashion, it is no longer something that is just wanted by women, and as Brandy is a fast fashion company, it makes sense for them to reach out to this market. According to Mintel (2016) young men aged between sixteen and twenty-five have become the new ‘keenest shoppers’, overtaking the young women where 91% of them were purchasing in store regularly, compared to men at 95%. Overall 59% of men are shopping online, and 74% of these are aged between sixteen and twenty-five according to Mintel (2016). All of this means that the menswear market is ‘driving growth and is estimated to account for 27% of the total market in 2016, which is up from 26% in 2015’ (Mintel, 2015). All of this means that several brands have begun to start up their own menswear range, some of these include: ‘New Look, River Island, and H&M (Mintel, 2015; S. Neville, 2015). With this information alone, it can be seen that the idea of Brandy expanding their range to also suit men, is something that may be more beneficial for them, compared to how it may have compared in previous years.

As mentioned before, as Brandy is a fast fashion retailer it means that they need to have the ability to produce clothing at a fast pace, which is something that will be reflected in the new range. Shaw & Koumbis (2014) show a fast fashion response cycle which can be seen in figure 2. This cycle shows the different processes and stages required to create a new garment, and for these stages to be started quicker it would be the buyer's responsibility to decide on the next trends at an earlier date,but as this is already done early, it is hard to make this happen. The advantages of being a fast fashionretailer is that stores are able to change their collections quicker, resulting in frequent changes, keeping their customerinterested and returning regularly, but alsomeans that they are able to be inspired by what is onthe runways,and have items mirror that, making their customers feelas though they are able to have that little bit of celebrity life (Shaw & Koumbis, 2014).

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Figure 2. Fast Fashion Cycle, (2014)

Figure 3. Billabong Beach, (n.d.)

Creating a Range Shaw & Koumbis (2014) stated this about creating a menswear range ‘Menswear has far fewer different product types than does womenswear. Internationally, the formal tailored suit has given way to more casual dressing. Unlike women’s fashion buying, men’s fashions tend to be less extreme. The three main types of menswear are, however, essentially similar to those of womenswear, and consist of outerwear, accessories and underwear.’

When it comes to creating a new range there are many different elements that buyers need to think about to make sure their new range is successful. They need to ‘understand the motives behind their customers and their shopping behaviour in order to best capture their intended retail market’ (Shaw & Koumbis, 2014). A theory used by buyers is Maslow’s theory of needs, starting off with ‘physiological/ psychological needs, to safety and security, love and belonging, self esteem, and finally self actualisation’ (Shaw & Koumbis, 2014). Buyers need to be able to take these needs and transform them into want for items, in this ranges case, menswear clothing. Another theory is the decision making process, which begins with ‘awareness of need, to information seeking/ research, to assessment of alternatives/ risk evaluation, decision to purchase/ to not purchase, and finally to reflection on product bought’ (Shaw & Koumbis, 2014). For this theory buyers need to make sure that the need of the customer can be met by their products, but not only do they need to make sure that the want is met by them, but also that the only place the consumer thinks of when they think of the want or need, is them. They want to be the go to place, and also they want to make sure that their customers are loyal ones, by meeting this want every time.

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Figure 4. Store Layout, (n.d.)

Figure 5. Pink, (n.d.)

Figure 6. Shirts, (n.d.)

Brandy Identity Brandy has quite a strong brand identity. This has been created due to their ‘one size fits most’ sizing strategy, and their store ambiance which has filtered through onto the instagram account (Brandy Melville, n.d.; Instagram, n.d.). Both of these platforms have a Californian beach vibe, with ‘bleached wood and a muted colour palette’ (Racked, 2014), with all of their clothing and lifestyle images imitated by what appear to be models, with long legs and long blonde hair, but are actually just normal girls. By having real girls modeling, instead of actual models makes Brandy appear a more ‘attainable aspiration’ (Fashion Law, 2016), it makes their target market feel as though if they buy the clothing and accessories in store, then they too can look and have a life just like the Brandy Models. Along with this they are very well known for their incredibly soft and comfortable garments, and this is likely to be something that every girl who shops in their stores is likely to notice, and consider when weighing up the options of where to buy their clothing (Racked, 2016). They have a very simple logo, of just simply the store name with a soft pink heart in between, and this reflects their stores and clothing, letting customers know what to expect before they even get into the store (Brandy Melville, n.d.). Their customers are early adopters which can be seen from the diffusion curve, and also by the fact that they sell the latest trend in stores, but do not create them (Shaw & Koumbis, 2014).

Customer Profile Brandy’s target consumer according to Businessinsider (2014) is an ‘ultra- skinny, long- haired white girl’, which has come about due to that being the following on their instagram account. Along with this they are the types of people that are on their instagram account, promoting the clothing and accessories that are being sold by the brand, which of course results in girls who want to look like them, and who actually look like them following the account, as they want their lives to be as cool and as fun as the models’ appear (Racked, 2014). Overall they are targeting at young skinny student girls who are after the Californian vibe, and who have a reasonable amount of disposable income, as their prices are a little higher than average (Brandy Melville, n.d.).

Brandy Melville’s store ambiance is that of an old Californian beach house, the walls and floor are covered in old wooden panels, and this is reflected in their Instagram posts, they make sure that similarity is kept throughout all of their platforms (Instagram, n.d.) Because of the vibe that is given off in Brandy currently, a men’s collection would fit in quite well, other than the women’s clothing and accessories, there is not anything that is overly feminine and would make a man feel uncomfortable in store. This means that the stores would only need to put the new range in rather than have to re-decorate. However not all the product range will be in stores, due to space allocation and how some areas may not sell certain items as well as other locations.

The full range will be on their website though, meaning that consumers will be able to purchase products from the comfort of their own home, or on the move, which replicates how Brandy already operates.

Fabrics and Silhouettes When it comes to Brandy’s current line, their materials are based around their softness and ableness to drape, and fit comfortably.

These all mean that their range of fabrics is not overly broad, their most common ones are: cotton, micromodal, terylene, nylon, wool, and polyamide (Brandy Melville, n.d.). All of these will also be used in the new menswear range, as they are suitable for menswear garments too. The casual relaxed fit is a silhouette that works well for both men and women, which is another reason why Brandy branching out into menswear is something that suits the brand well. The CADflats chosen will consist of mainly comfy baggy fitting jumpers and hoodies, and soft comfortable jeans, making sure the warmth and relaxed fit is really shown.

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Figure 7. Shoppers, (n.d.)

Customer Profile This is Luke

Age: 19 Gender: Male Occupation: University student in London Studies: Photography Hobbies: Swimming, football Music: Mumford & Sons, Imagine Dragons TV show: Game of Thrones, Friends When it comes to clothing: Early adopter Luke looks for: comfort, simplicity, not too expensivestudent loan and part time job in bar Prefered fashion brands: Urban Outfitters, Pull&Bear, Hollister Inspiration: Streetwear, blogs, magazines Dreams: To become a fashion and lifestyle photographer for a men’s magazine Figure 8. Hobbie Stuart, (2016) Page 6.

Primary Research When talking to A. Roberts, the head buyer and merchandiser for Two Seasons, he mentioned that there are several features that are selling well in the men’s market currently, and which ones will be carried over for next year. These things include: a broader colour palette compared to previous years, such as pinks and pastels, washed out tones, long sleeve t-shirts, 90s elements such as small centre logo positioning, oversized, athletic vibes, denim, and shorter leg length when it comes to jeans and trousers (A. Roberts, personal communication, January 4th 2017). As Two Seasons sell several ranges of streetwear it means that the menswear range for Brandy will able to incorporate a lot of these trends, as they too are more of a streetwear brand, rather than high end, they are both very casual and comfortable to wear.

Whilst the range was being created A. Roberts gave it feedback, he said that the colour pallette suited Brandy well, and that the light bright blue is something that sells well in Two Seasons in their Billabong range, as it too has a Californian beach vibe, and consumers like that blue incorporated, as it portrays that vibe well (A. Roberts, personal communication, January 10th 2017). Also he felt as though the range worked well together and that the prices reflected the store well, however were a little lower than what he anticipated due to the fact that the prices sold at Two Seasons are slightly higher than the new range (A. Roberts, personal communication, 10th January 2017). Due to this feedback there will be a few items in the range that contain the lightest blue to keep the Californaian beach vibe, but as it is an A/W collection there will not be a large amount of it.

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Figure 9. Element, (n.d.)

Competitors Brandy have quite a few competitors all over the world, such as: Hollister, Pull&Bear, White Stuff and Fat Face, to name a few. However when looking at their UK competitors, it can be seen that the items sold are more mature, which shows that there are different wants and needs from their competitors market in different parts of the world (Hollister, n.d.; Fat Face, n.d.; A. Roberts, personal communication, 5th January 2017). Even though these are slightly different in market as such, they are still Brandy’s competitors as they still follow the vibe that Brandy does, but they are just a little more mature in their items, along with slightly higher prices. When it comes to the less common UK competitors, such as Hollister and Pull&Bear, these markets are a lot closer to Brandy’s and also have very similar price points.

The comparison shop below shows in more detail the differences and similarities when it comes to Brandy’s competitors.

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Trend Research WGSN (n.d.) alone shows that for menswear A/W 17/18 that there are many different garments, styles, and colours that are on trend, and many of them are suitable for the new range, however some of them or not. To decide if they are suitable for the new range, the concepts have been reviewed against what Brandy currently sell, and if it is something that could potentially fit in, then it is included, and if not, then it is excluded.

Breaking WGSN (2016) down into the different stories for menswear A/W 17/18 , the first being ‘Buyer's Briefing: fabric and details’, the key trends that are being used in the new range are, the soft piles, such as brushed wool, used for outerwear joggers and sweatshirts. Which are being influenced by 90s leisure wear, coloured in washed pastels and neutral tones (WGSN , 2016). Blocked contrast will be used on several garments on the new range, with the colour blocking being mixed with brights and neutrals, as suggested on WGSN (2016). However a trend that has been suggested on WGSN (2016) is distressed garments, however looking at what Brandy currently sell, none of their items are distressed, so to keep similarity between the two ranges there will not be any distressed items.

The ‘Buyers Briefing: colour and print’ (WGSN 2016) shows that greys, golden tones, olive greens, intense blues, baked pink, ecru tones and faded checks, are all going to be on trend. All of these colours are going to be included in the menswear collection, with an emphasis on the blues, grey and pinks, as they are colours that are widely used in the current range.

The key items shown on WGSN (2016) are: bomber jackets, luxe trucker jackets, elevated coach jackets, sportif anoraks, parkas, joggers, roll necks, grunge hoodies, brushed overshirt, and finally dark check shirts.

Premier Vision (2016) has a very similar explanation to the trends for A/W 17/18, they too have said that subtle colours will be on trend, along with deep dark blues with light pinks. Also for coats and jackets they have said they will be made from supple woolens, they will be warm but not too heavy to wear and carry (Premiere Vision, 2016).

Element (2016), Vans (2016), Billabong (2016), RVCA (2016), and Brixton (2016), are all showing similar themes in their A/W 17/18 collection, and these are all streetwear brands which means that the new Brandy range will be able to take features of what these retailers are putting out, and incorporate it. Some common recurring themes are: checkered shirts/ flannel shirts, with the majority in dark colours, oversized t-shirts and hoodies, with graphic centre prints, both on the front and back of garments (Element, 2016; Vans, 2016; Billabong, 2016; RVCA, 2016; Brixton, 2016).

All of the research above will help to create the new range for Brandy Melville, however not all of the research is suitable for the new collection, such as the centre prints, as Brandy do not commonly have large prints on their clothing. However, a lot of the other research is suitable, and will help to create a successful well suitable collection of menswear.

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Figure 10. Bright Jacket, (n.d.)

Sourcing A lot of the current Brandy range is manufactured in Italy or America, but as the new range is designed for the European market only, as the European and American market differ, it makes more sense for the new range to only be manufactured in Italy. Therefore saving money on transporting the garments from Italy to Europe, rather than from America, keeping the lead time reduced, along with less pollution from the garments being shipped from one part of the world to another. Agriculture and Rural Development (2017) shows that ‘Greece is the main cotton grower for Europe, with 80%’ so with this the cotton for the range will be grown in Greece and then transported to Italy, where it will be made into garments. As Greece is covered by the EU Cotton Policy it means that all of the workers receive several benefits and payment, which makes sure that the new range will be sourced ethically and environmentally friendly way (Agriculture and Rural Development, 2017).

The man made fibres used in the range will also be manufactured in Italy, keeping a lot of the manufacturing process in one place, again keeping costs as low as possible when it comes to distribution (Fibre Source, n.d.) If there were any problems with these suppliers in Italy and Greece, then the manufacturing would be moved to Turkey, as it is within Europe, and are able to produce clothing quickly.

Ethical and Environmental Issues Information about where Brandy sources and manufactures their products is quite difficult to find, however they are a brand that has a concession in Pacsun, and they state that all of the brands they work with need to make sure that they apply to the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010 (Pacsun, n.d.).

Pacsun believe that with this act they can help encourage their customers to make informed decisions when it comes to purchasing products, but also believe that all of those working within the supply chain have the ability and freedom to ‘choose where they work and to be treated with dignity and respect’ (pacsun, n.d.).

Therefore when looking at what them and what they have stated in their supply chain act, the new range will also follow these guidelines, to make sure that the garments created will also be able to be sold in this store.

From doing this they will not be committing any ethical offences. To combat the environmental issues, the cotton for example will be sourced from areas where the cotton is picked ethically and the growing of it has not caused any damage to the environment.

Hartshorn (2014) said that Brandy is unable to disclose any specifics when it comes to information about the company, however all of their factories are met by the health and safety standards of the country of which it is in. This in turn insures the safety and wellbeing of all of the employees (Hartshorn, 2014).

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Figure 11. Shoes, (n.d.)

Range Analysis The items in the range have been selected to continue on the current themes in Brandy so therefore all of the items have a comfy and cosy vibe, especially as it is an A/W 17/18 range but also because the brand is known for having soft and cosy clothing. However there was not a wide range of CADFlats that were suitable for the brand, which made the choices very restricted. The colours chosen are from the Design Matters story on WGSN as it contains colours that are currently sold in Brandy, which are very muted, and this story reflects that well, as it too contains very muted colours, but also has a few vibrant brighter colours, which have been used for detailing, and highlights of the range. Looking at the current range it is noticeable that there is not any camouflage or distressing to items, so because of this there are not any in the new menswear range, mirroring what is currently being sold, even though there are elements of it on WGSN (2016).

A lot of the range plan has had influence from RVCA, Brixton, Billabong, Vans and Element’s A/W 17/18 collections, as all of these brands are also streetwear. Even though there are some differences between these brands and Brandy, there are some similarities, especially Billabong as they are a surfing based company, and Brandy has a surfing vibe, which can be felt in stores and can be seen throughout their social media, especially Instagram (Instagram.com, n.d.).

The key items in the new menswear range are the luxe trucker coat, (description number 19), the woolen hoodie (description number 15), graphic roll neck (description number 9), and finally the brushed cotton, fleeced lined checkered shirt (description number 6). These are they key items as they reflect the key items that have been stated in the Buyer’s Briefing A/W 17/18: Menswear Key Items in WGSN (2016).

All of the garments for the range were sourced from WGSN from the A/W 17/18 sections (WGSN, n.d.). Altogether there is a total of twenty-three garments, broken down there are; one t-shirts short and two long-sleeved, four shirts, eight jumpers/ hoodies, five jackets/ coats, and three bottoms. Percentage wise 30% of the range is tops, 35% jumpers/ hoodies, 21% jackets/ coats, and 14% bottoms. The range is quite top heavy, but this is because when it comes to the range Brandy currently sells they are quite top heavy, but also their bottom half clothing consists of mainly shorts and tracksuit bottoms, so for this to be suitable to men, the shorts have not been included, mainly because it is a range for the colder months, and have been replaced by several pairs of jeans and a pair of tracksuit bottoms. Even though there are only a few choices for bottoms, they do come in several colours, and will be in all stores, which means that consumers will be able to purchase trousers.

As mentioned previously, the new range contains many tops; this is so the customer has the option to buy several different tops to match with a pair of bottoms. As the range is for A/W there is the option for them to layer several items, from long sleeve tops to jumpers to jackets, encouraging more garments to be bought. The range has been created so that several of the items are able to be worn with several of the other items, a mix and match, again encouraging the customer to buy a whole outfit rather than just one item.

-Colour The new range contains quite a few pink elements, which has been chosen due to the recommendation of A. Roberts who stated that pink is a high seller in Two Seasons, and also that particular pink long sleeved t-shirt was a best-seller when it came to menswear (A. Roberts, personal communication, January 4th 2017). Also in Brandy’s current range they are selling a lot of muted pink, even though it is for women, adding it to the menswear range means there is a higher amount of symmetry between the two ranges. However there are other muted colours within the line, which sells well for both genders, and again keeps to Brandy’s theme.

-Price The prices for the new range are similar to those that Brandy already sell, however due to men’s clothing usually being priced higher than women’s, the new range will be the same, reflecting the current market. Also Brandy does not stick to any particular pattern when it comes to their prices other than using whole numbers not .99s, which is something that will be continued (Brandy Melville, n.d.). Overall the prices at Brandy are slightly higher than Page 15.

Reflection Personal Reflection using Gibbs Reflective Cycle (Oxford Brookes University, n.d.).

The aim for the fashion range project was to be able to successfully create a fashion range for a brand of choice. The brand I chose was Brandy Melville as it is a brand that I like and enjoy purchasing from, and felt as though a menswear range is something that they would be able to create successfully. Within the project I had to research and decide on the trends and colours that would work for A/W 17/18 in Brandy, along with fabrics and prices. Where I was going to source the fabrics from and where they were going to be manufactured.

From completing this fashion range project for Brandy Melville I have found that overall I have enjoyed creating my own range for a brand that I like and purchase myself. However there were definitely areas that I felt that I enjoyed more than others, and these were researching the upcoming trends and actually creating the range, picking the CADflats and colours that the garments would come in. I felt that I enjoyed this more because it was the more creative side, however I did sometimes feel as though I could not decide what colour a few garments should come in.

Parts that I did not enjoy so much were things like finding and choosing where to source the garments from and where to have them manufactured, as Brandy do not let a lot of their information out, so finding something like this was really difficult as they are a private company (The Fashion Law, 2016). Other areas that I felt I struggled with were the pricing side, more specifically when it came to guessing the cost prices. I think the reason for this was because I did not like knowing how much a garment actually cost to make, so I felt as though I was making quite an uneducated guess when it came to that area. However, after speaking to the men’s buyer at Two Seasons, he gave me a rough explanation of how much their garments cost them, so I was able to edit my prices if needed.

If I were to do this project again then I would research further into the menswear market and have a look at what other menswear retailers are selling, not just the brands competitors. Also I may have looked at other CADFlats from previous A/W trends as I felt as though there were not that many to choose from, especially when it came to jeans, and because of this it has resulting in my range being quite top heavy, and this is something that I am unhappy about, however I did not want to not have an authentic A/W 17/18 collection.

Overall I did enjoy this project as it enabled me learn more about the brand than I would have done otherwise, and found it interesting to learn about how they operate and attract their target consumer. Even though they are very careful to not have lots of information about them released online, which made research a little lengthy. Also creating a detailed range plan was another element I found interesting, and am glad I was able to develop my skills in this area and getting buying and merchandising experience in another way.

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Figure 12. Sunglasses, (n.d.)