Romy Litchfield, The Future of Blogging by Romy Litchfield

BLOGGED.

An Insight Into The Future Of Fashion Blogging

BLOGGED. An Insight Into The Future Of Fashion Blogging

Romy Litchfield N0371464 Negotiated Project Stage 1 FASH30001

CONTENTS 01 03 05 07

Introduction- An over saturated market 5-12

The Revolution and Success of Blogging 17- 26

All about Image 33-38

A Reversion to Print 45- 50

02 04 06 08

Methodology 13- 16

The Blogging Backlash 27- 32

Video Based Media and Mobile Content 39- 44

Research Outcomes 51- 58

INTRODUCTION An Oversaturated Market

‘Fashion blogs are enjoying great popularity because they offer an alternative opinion for anybody to actively create or consume

fashion’ (Sedeke, 2012)

INTRODUCTION Web 2.0 has been one of the ‘buzz words of the 21st century’ (Tunney and Monaghan, 2010). The ability for anyone to have their say online and the democratisation of the internet has resulted in a multitude of self-publishing platforms where opinions can be readily broadcast. Web Logs or blogs have been highly influential in terms of fashion with an ‘average rise in applications of 25% season on season since launching blogger registration in February 2011’ (British Fashion Council, 2013) for London Fashion Week, proving that bloggers are no longer second class citizens within the industry. The original ‘influential tastemakers’ (Wilkinson, 2010) within the blogging world began their blogs around seven years ago, many have moved onto bigger projects and are now known as influential personalities within fashion, yet 7 years on, blogs are still going strong. In an era where technology is advancing at such rapid pace, it is surprising that the format of fashion blogs has largely remained the same since conception, with many bloggers stating that blogging as a communicative form is ‘at a tipping point’ (Jennings, 2014, App: 1.1) this prompted the question; is there any longevity in fashion blogging and what is next for the industry?

BLOGGER CASE STUDY T hroughout the months of August-September

2013 a case study was run (see app: 2.0) whereby a number of fashion blogs were followed on a daily basis via all social media platforms and then analysed in terms of content and writing, to gauge the current landscape within blogging. Whilst all bloggers uploaded different outfit posts on almost a daily basis a concurrent theme of both imagery and style ran throughout most of them, with image playing a vital role in follower interactions, and content showing glaringly similar themes. It is clear that an oversaturation in the market has become the biggest issue with fashion blogging in recent years. According to Technorati (a top index of blogs) ‘over five and a half thousand are listed as fashion blogs’ (Technorati, 2013) but with image after image of self-styled high street outfits, individuality and opinion is becoming harder to come by. In a generation where becoming ‘an internet fashion celebrity’ (Menkes, 2013) is the aim, blogs are beginning to lack individuality and substance.

Aims of Report

he aim of this report is to predict what is next for fashion blogging and what technology will influence the format of them in 5 years time. Through research from industry professionals in social media and blogging, as well as a look back at where the medium has evolved from, it will establish whether there is longevity in it, and what is next for blogging.

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METHODOLOGY

METHODOLOGY Using a range of appropriate methods, research was conducted to form profiles and find

the reasoning behind those both creating and consuming fashion blogs in an attempt to discover what the motives behind blogging are, and also to see where bloggers envisaged the industry going within the next five years. After initial findings and through primary research it became clear that a large number of bloggers and industry professionals seemed unsure as to where the format of blogging would go next. The question then opened up to explore where social media as a whole would develop within the next five years, and then from that conclusions were drawn as to how this would impact on the community of blogging. (Methodology table app: 3.0)

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Primary Research

Secondary Research

An online questionnaire (app: 4.0) was conducted using the website SurveyMonkey and was sent to 30 recipients via Facebook or directly to them, the majority of whom were either bloggers or fashion students as this proved to be the audience in the most direct contact with blogs. The aim was to try and gauge the readership of fashion blogs, and find the most popular social media platforms and blogs to provide a starting point for consumer profiles. Industry interviews were also conducted throughout the project, providing credibility and evidence to the theories explored and proposed. The Trend Boutique online vs. offline talk (app: 5.0) was referenced to throughout the project, with relevant theories and insider opinions providing the basis of many of the arguments. The aim of the primary research was to gain an insight into the consumers and creators of blogs, and also prove the hypotheses throughout the project.

Secondary research was primarily conducted online, with analysis of bloggers and the format of different fashion blogs being at the forefront. The internet also provided a wealth of opinions from journalists as to their views on fashion blogging and the effects on the fashion industry. Theories and history into the origins of blogging and the social effects of online media were researched through books and articles, used to underpin the facts discovered throughout the primary research. Online video interviews were also a large focus of the research and were used to gain a professional insight into future trend predictions within the field of social media from professionals who were hard to contact. The aim was to try and discover what is out there in terms of innovation, and looking into who will be the first adopters of this.

The evolution and success of blogging

History of Blog spontaneous eruption of populist creativity is on the verge of ‘What began as a

being absorbed by the media industrial complex it claims to demise’ (Hewitt, 2005)

To assess where blogging now stands today and to begin predicting what is next, it is imperative to understand the history and chart the development of blogs since the late nineties. Blogging as we know it ‘began in 1999 when blogger and other simple tools were released to the public’ (Stone, 2004).The phenomenon of reading content ‘saturated with the personality of their creators’ (Stone, 2004) was what really fuelled its success, democratising the internet and allowing voices to be heard among a sea of journalists was revolutionary. The creation of an online persona became a thrill and blogging took off among many fields, noticeably politics where presidential campaign blogs such as Howard Dean’s Blog for America was receiving two and a half thousand comments a day in 2003. The phenomenon can be likened to many trends throughout history. In the same way that during the women’s liberation movement in the sixties women were given the feeling of empowerment through the evolution of the mini skirt, blogging gives a liberation and the opportunity to be seen from a personal and unique viewpoint. During the 1960s ‘youth protests and demands for individual expression revealed that young adults were gaining a self-conscious awareness of themselves as a distinct and unified group that was able to respond to political events’ (Cawthorne, 1999) it is this same principle that came into effect with blogging. As long as there is a big enough group of people wanting their opinion to be heard then a phenomenon will occur, and this explains the trajectory at which blogging has escalated since its conception.

The ‘Wisdom of crowds’ (Surowiecki, 2004) is a theory which expresses the idea

that ‘the aggregated views and knowledge of large groups of people are more likely to produce truth’ (Hudson and Temple, 2010) and is a fundamental principle of blogging communities. At the same time this has also contributed to what is now an over saturation of the market, where blog content can rarely differ between certain types of blog notably fashion and also brings into question how truthful some blogs are, when accuracy can be compromised for immediacy(see app:2.0). ‘The field has become filled with too many bloggers who dress the same, share the same seasonal posts and runway reviews.’ (Robison, 2013) this is something explored throughout the project as it appears to be the biggest threat facing fashion blogging on the whole, with Scarlett of scarlettlondon.com also stating that ‘it feels like the world of blogging is stuck in a bit of a rut’ with ‘very little room for more growth, or for new bloggers to emerge’ (Dixon, 2014: app 1.3).

Fig.9-12

Fashion blogs came into fruition later into the blogging revolution with influential tastemakers such as Garance Dore starting her blog in 2006, and Susie Bubble in the same year. The same principles as political blogs apply, with user generated content being a communicated channel for opinion and documentation. Fashion blogs enjoy the same great popularity as other types of blogs as ‘they offer an alternative opinion for anybody to actively create or consume fashion’ (Sedeke, 2013) opening up the ‘cliquey and exclusive industry that has long been out of reach to most of us’ (Tahmasebi, 2011: BBC online). Bloggers meteoric rise to fame highlights the role ‘the internet has played in breaking down traditional barriers to entry’ (Wiseman, 2009) most fashion bloggers belonging to a concept Mark Prensky calls ‘digital natives’ (Huynh, 2013), born into a generation with new technologies, and know how to use them. Their success can be attributed to the fact that they have changed the fashion landscape allowing instant access to the latest trends posing threat to the glossies of the fashion world.

Blogs Today From the analysis of the original fashion bloggers and newer ones emerging today, the biggest difference appears to be that there are less blogs of speciality and the boundaries of fashion blogs are blurring as authors are reporting on lifestyle, beauty and cultural news as well (app:2.0). To gauge an understanding of why fashion bloggers continue to develop, profiles of popular fashion bloggers, including ones mentioned in survey responses (app:4.0) were compiled to see what bloggers gain from their work. The question asked was ‘What do you gain most from the publishing of your blog and what do you see the purpose of it as?’ (app: 1.0) and these were the answers received:

Fig.14

Fig.16

Charlotte Martin

Fig13 Emma Sheldon ‘I think the main gain is inspiring people, it’s lovely to receive emails of support from people who read my blog. It’s also great to be able to get my opinion out there and give an honest view of a product or a restaurant so that people don’t waste their money. I like to write about things so that people can have an honest opinion before they waste their money.’

‘I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t genuinely enjoy it, I don’t keep to a schedule like I know other bloggers do as I think then the content can become a bit uninspiring and redundant. I just blog when I want and if I like something then I’ll mention it. Also, obviously wanting to do something in the industry it’s a great way of establishing yourself and making content, it’s really almost like a portfolio reflecting your own personal aesthetic and a more effective way and sitting describing what you like.’

Emma Jennings

Fig.15 Scarlett Dixon ‘In many ways, it is a form of escapism for me - I know that whatever happens in my day, however awful it seems at the time, I can go back to the comfort of my blog (and even write about my bad day) and publish something. Originally, the purpose was to have an outlet to write but now for me, it has many more purposes - to gain experience, contacts, to earn money to put me through University (as I do earn a living from my blog and so although it didn’t start out as a way to gain financially, it now is however I do still write because I love writing).’

‘I used to write my blog just as something for myself but when I started to gain a few readers it started to turn into something I was writing for other people because there were people who were genuinely interested in what I had to say and post. So I get a lot of satisfaction from the feedback I receive and it’s a great way to meet people who also share the same interests as you. I also like blogging because it’s a great way to connect with brands that I don’t think I would have been able to do if I didn’t have a blog.’

‘Blogging, it is claimed, has challenged or even ended journalism’s reign of sovereignty’ (Rosen 2005) Through the responses gathered it is clear that fashion blogging is something entirely

personal, for most it is a tool to gain experience within the fashion industry and for others it is like a personal diary. It was interesting to analyse that all the bloggers questioned used their blog as a portfolio and this hints at the fact that any new developments in blogging should be aimed at those who foresee a future career within fashion, ensuring that blogging is taken more seriously as a social networking platform. Lily Melrose of llmlrs.com recently posted a poignant article about how 2013 was ‘the year blogging went editorial’ (Melrose, 2013) she follows with ‘Blogs are the new online magazines. Us bloggers are finally being taken serious by the industry that has shunned us for so long, but I can’t help but feel it’s damaged what blogging was all about in the first place’ (Melrose, 2013)also stating that bloggers should take a leaf out of bloggers and YouTubers books as content is more of an honest sharing process. This highlights the fact that there are many fashion blogs out there that remain out dated. The biggest challenge when predicting the future for blogging is to refer back to the revolution they have created, and focus on how, keeping the integrity of the profession, blogging can evolve. With many bloggers being unsure of the future of fashion it prompts the question, Will only the professional’s blogs evolve, and will this lead to an elitist wave of bloggers?

Fig.17

The blogging backlash

The Blogging Backlash Whilst revolutionary, and the birthplace of a wealth of emerging fashion commentators, blogging isn’t something always widely approved by the fashion industry. The emergence of new, inexperienced and novice authorities present at fashion weeks is something bringing the topic of blogging into question recently and has caused upset among journalists. Suzy Menkes’ article The Circus of Fashion illustrates this, with her expression of distain towards street style photography at fashion shows. Referring back to the previous chapter, and the argument of fashion blogs losing their way, Suzy Menkes echoes this sentiment with the claim ‘If fashion is for everyone then is it fashion?’(Menkes, 2013) As soon as something becomes mainstream, something else new will inevitably have to evolve and take its place, and in this case that something is blogging. Menkes argues that separate events should take place where these ‘preening peacocks’ (Menkes, 2013) can go and have their photo taken and the professionals will be left to their jobs. Whilst this is a valid argument, and a vital protection of fashion as a serious industry, it also runs the risk of making fashion something exclusive, when the role of bloggers now enable the industry to feel more accessible. That being said, although bloggers such as Susie Bubble and Leandra Medine (The Man Repeller) disagree with Menkes’ article, arguing that everyone has their place within the internet and in fashion, they also acknowledge the negative sides to have emerged from blogging. “We never should have accepted gifts in the first place. We shouldn’t have bragged about the free trips and cool events and recognition from our industry heroes. We’ve painted a picture portraying the circumstances of blogging that is inaccurate…. how can we really assume that we will cull the respect we think we deserve if we don’t even respect our own brands?” (Medine, 2013) Gifting has been one of the most highly debated topics surrounding fashion bloggers, bringing into question their reliability. Susie Bubble states that “The media thinks that bloggers are trying to be authority figures—when it’s just a girl in her bedroom, trying to put herself out there with the things she likes.” (Wilkinson, 2010) however it is impossible to now ignore the fact that blogging has grown far bigger than its means, and the successful blogger have become authorities, whether that was the intention or not. Gauging from the reaction of bloggers, there appears to be a general upset in the among the blogging community, as too much pressure is put on them as authority figures. All this points towards the fact blogging needs to be brought back to its original intention of fun and insightful fashion commentary, whatever the next technological advancement may be.

‘If fashion is for everyone, then is it

fashion? (Menkes, 2013)

The Effects of Street Style on Fashion Week Whilst blogging has opened up new platforms which promote exposure of new

designers, and insider access to fashion week, the emergence of street style bloggers has been the most detrimental to fashion shows and the coverage of these, thanks to the need for ‘fast fashion’ (Tahmasebi, 2011: BBC online) and the obsession with image based media (see chapter 5). ‘The fuss around the shows now seems more important than what goes on inside’ (Menkes, 2013) with as much demand for these images as those from the shows. The answer to why this is goes far beyond the collections and relates to the speed of fast fashion. Bloggers such as the Sartorialist whose work was ‘integral to the ride of the street style phenomenon’ (Business of Fashion, N/A) have been the pioneers for image based blogs, however since the emergence of social media platforms such as Instagram, everyone now has an opportunity and power to be an image curator. Industry- facing Fashion Weeks are now being turned ‘into large-scale consumer spectacles’ (Kansara, 2013). As the surge in mobile channels of communication continue, fashion week coverage is becoming a ‘digital stage that’s beamed across the world in realtime’ (Kansara, 2013) with Twitter being the main platform of communication. With thousands of bloggers all sharing the same image based content it undermines the work of the professional bloggers, whose reviews and own imagery can become lost in a sea of information. Through further research it was discovered that the attendance of bloggers at London Fashion week is something the British Fashion council are actively trying to control, after acknowledging the issue that with ‘an average rise in applications of 25% season on season’ (BFC online, 2013) bloggers are effectively taking over fashion week. To be accredited, ‘bloggers must have a wide reach, influence, engagement and evidence that they support the work of British designers’ (BFC online, 2013) a strategy that will ensure an insightful and well-rounded report of London Fashion week will be published. (see full case study app:6.0) It can be concluded that bloggers are a vital part of the fashion ecosystem; they provide a wealth of content, reporting on new designers as well as providing valid and insightful commentary on shows. It would be wrong to label all bloggers as attention seeking and the British Fashion Council’s new strategy to manage the quality of bloggers attending will be the initial step in regaining a serious industry feel to fashion week.

all about image

All About Image

The biggest change in blogs and social media within recent years has been from text based

content to a focus on ‘image based social media with a sharability factor’(Davis, 2013) which seems a very small change in format considering the time span blogging has evolved throughout. However this is not a new revolution, image has always been a key player within fashion documentation and has simply been having a revival. Bill Cunningham was the pioneer of this when in ‘1978 as a result of a chance photograph of Greta Garbo his street style column emerged’ (Iheartfb, 2012) and has been a regular fixture ever since. With the purpose of this column to visually tell stories and document the trends on the street, text was never the focus of his articles and images were illustrative enough to tell stories. Opinionated text based blogs which initiated the revolution have been replaced, in ‘a shift towards image based platforms’ (Davis, 2013). Pinterest and Instagram have ridden the wave of image based websites with Instagram reporting 150 million monthly active users, with an increase of 900% year on year (Nitrogram, 2013) and the ‘selfie’ making its way into the dictionary in 2013. The Instagram effect has been astounding, at a point where ‘Photo sharing is old hat’ (Thompson, 2012) they came in and amassed an astounding following, with their success largely due to the ease and simplicity and which people can browse and upload images.

Through the results of a survey (appendix: 4.0) it was found that 50% of 18-25 year olds followed bloggers on Instagram without actually following their blogs. Reasons for this varied with the majority of people stating that it was because they ‘like to see pictures’ and are ‘more interested in quick photos rather than scrolling through blog posts’. Research would suggest that new millennials are evermore keen for fast and mobile media, and image fulfils these criteria. This appears to have developed into something of a social epidemic, with millennials now a generation of ‘image flickers’ (Lawrence-Jones, 2013 Trend Boutique, app: 5.0) with ‘disposable imagery and a lack of knowledge as to the sources of images’. It will be important that whatever comes next for blogging attempts to eradicate this image obsessed media. With bloggers social media platforms gaining more interest than their actual blogs, it highlights the alarming fact that text is no longer relevant for keeping up with the immediacy consumers desire. Fig.21

The End of Image? M ost worryingly perhaps, is that the increased availability of image sharing media

has been linked to causing extreme narcissism and personality disorders among young generations. Personality traits of new millennium narcissists include the fact that they are ‘driven to please others’ (Shapiro 2006) which could be spawned from the ability to like and comment on online photographs. The fact that all images are carefully executed and uploaded to project an idealised sense of self, echoes the theory that new millennial narcissists are ‘obsessed with perfecting facades’ (Shapiro, 2006). For blogging to overcome this dangerous trend, it is important to steer away from image based content, and regain the focus on fashion.

16-24 year olds responded

3x More

A social experiment was run (app: 7.0) to prove the hypothesis that this generation are more receptive and responsive to image based communication than text based, through the medium of social media. The response was measured by the uptake from the number To image based interaction than text of participants contacted. From the findings people responded three times more to the image based response to filling in a questionnaire. Whilst there were elements of the experiment which could provide a slightly damaged response (app: 7.3), it was alarming to see the volume of people willing to share a posed image of their face than to fill in a survey. We are at a peak in a generation of image obsessed individuals, there appears to no longer be any relevance in sharing a selfie other than to receive a certain amount of likes. For blogging to evolve and regain its status as a respected form of journalism, it will be important that any advancements attempt to shun this Instagram culture. Whilst it is clear to see that a revival back to text is not going to be the next step, a reversion away from image is imperative.

Already there are signs as to the fact that the Instagram culture is showing signs of demise with the recent launch of the world’s first Instagram inspired hotel (see app: 8.1) being one of them. The creation of designated Instagram spots throughout the hotel, which claim to be innovative, are actually just helping to saturate image based sites such as Instagram with more of the same content. The fact that brands are now starting to pre-empt photo opportunities is crushing the spontaneity that first surged the popularity of these platforms.

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Video Based media and mobile content

Video Communication ‘The next big thing is everything all at once and integrated together’ (Altucher, J)

Throughout the process of researching the main conclusion that aimed

to be reached was uncovering what is next for the future of fashion blog formats. Through both primary and secondary research conducted it has been clear that not primarily just in blogging, but throughout social media as a whole, video is the next step of communication. LS:N global seed have dedicated a great deal of their research into finding out what is the next step, in an interview with Joel Davis (founder of social media agency 2) he expresses how he believes that as the evolution in social media popularity has shifted from text to image content, then the next logical step is video, as people are wanting to engage with ‘something that feels real’(Davis, 2013). Davis states that ‘social media won’t exist anymore because there isn’t a fundamental difference between a website and a social media network’ (Davis, 2013). If users are able to comment and have a say on everything, for example product reviews on websites, then text based blogs are redundant. With video there will be the ability to incorporate all forms of communication, with both image and narrative working simultaneously. ‘The next big thing is everything all at once and integrated together’ (Altucher, J) and this is something that video will be available to provide.

Fig.24 We are already seeing a movement towards video based communication strategies, with Dazed and Confused being a prime example of this (see full case study app:8.2).Dazed and Confused have recently developed a communication platform they have called Visionaries, which features a year long video strand, featuring weekly video takeovers focusing on fashion film. They are attempting to adopt video as ‘fashion has largely failed to harness the potential of online video’ (Kansara, 2013) they blame this on a ‘debilitating mix of underfunding, poor distribution and uncompelling content’ (Kansara, 2013). With consumers feeling the need for fast forms of communication it is clear to see why fashion film has failed to reach the audiences that apps such as Instagram have captured. Whilst this strategy by Dazed provides fast and up to the minute viewing experience, it misses out on the interactivity aspect and fast sharing of content that has become so popular among new millenials.

Bloggers have already begun utilising the power of video through the use of YouTube channels where content is both fast and visual in the same way that image is. ‘Video is the future and we’re living it and it’s our way of telling stories’ (Hack, 2013), a sentiment already echoed by bloggers with many of them already predicting this as the future (see app: 1.0). With future trends being predicted in personalisation and story-telling, video seems to be the next logical step. The question was posed to a number of bloggers during primary research asking where they thought blogging was going next. Emma Jennings of stylingemmajennings.com has already incorporated her YouTube videos onto her blog, seeing it as a ‘growing community, which isn’t quite as saturated as blogging yet’(app: 1.1). However as Charlotte Martin states, you don’t ‘really see any blogs that incorporate videos into their actual blog, most of them just have channels on YouTube’(app: 1.4). These opinions highlight a potential gap in the market, although it is important to recognise, that to make it differ from YouTube it has to be something that can be mobile, where users are able to generate and share fashion based content on the go.

Video goes Mobile ‘Combining social and mobile- there is a new wave of opportunities coming up, with a growth of users,

mobile internet is clearly the next major computing cycle’ (Shriram, 2013)

Mobile content is the next step for blogging. With 100% of 18-25 year olds interviewed owning a smartphone (app: 9.0) and the ‘UK app market growing 59% year on year’ (Mintel, 2013) mobile data is the next generation. The success of twitter has been testament to the fact that it is an ‘open technology’ adapted perfectly for mobile use, where people are ‘encouraged to be more transparent’ (Stone, 2013), spontaneity allows for a more accurate and genuine opinion. Advancements in mobile technology are the key to the future; they took a new turn in 2013 with the development of the pebble watch, a device which allows users to gain access to their mobile content, without having to even remove their phone from their pockets. The emphasis on making the watch ‘glanceable’(Metz, 2013)informed nearly every aspect of the design, and points towards the conclusion that faster and immediate forms of technology and communication continue to be the future. Video based apps such as Vine and Vimeo are the current innovators in mobile video technology, yet with an emerging market for niche apps, ‘that use Facebook’s login mechanism as a gateway to smaller, more focused social networks’ (It Business Edge, 2013) there could be further room in the market for something which shares fashion based video content. As Paul Sheehy the co-founder of Folk stated at the online vs. offline conference, ‘Anthropologists content that 70% of what we learn is through stories’ (Sheehy, 2013, see app:5.0) with storytelling being the best form of engagement. This is something which the image based platforms of today are lacking and video could potentially harness, bringing more meaning and thought to fashion based social media.

Fig.26

Reversion to print

Fig.28

Case Study of It’s Nice That

(full case study app: 8.3)

Reversion to Print In contrast to the previous chapter where it became evident that mobile video technology is the future for social media, another trend emerging is a reversion back to the form of print publication. Through research gathered at the Trend Boutique Online vs. Offline conference (app: 5.0) it became apparent that with consumers feeling the effects of the recession, future trends predict that importance in manufacture and quality of content and products will be of great importance. Whilst this is primarily geared towards the clothing market, this trend will also filter down into aspects such as print, where people will be looking for quality and authenticity of content. Brands and publications will be seeing a move from ‘online to offline’ (Denton, 2013, app:5.0) and with a lack of quality control within blogging as it is, seems something which could affect the industry of blogging. Many brands and publications are becoming aware of the importance of both online and offline content, with online brand ASOS innovators in this trend through the use of their print publication. A case study was compiled of the publication It’s Nice that as they are an example of a rare format of journalism, developing from blog to print.

A case study has been conducted on this company as their seamless blending of both online and offline content is crucial to their success. The offline content, as Alderson stated, is designed to remove the filter that the internet provides over choice of content, and enables the audience to have the sense of surprise and intrigue, something only print can provoke. (Alderson, 2013) It’s nice that began life as a publishing platform, similar to that of a blog format where various contributors would post articles on a daily basis, focused around art based news, reviews and ‘championing creativity across the art and design world.’(It’s nice that:online). It is one of very few forms of media which started life as a blog, then later developed to print, publishing a quarterly magazine and an annual book. This is a key business model to study, as when looking into the developments of online publications such as blogs it is also vital to acknowledge the developments of offline, and the link between the two, focusing on the coexistence of both formats.

Bringing Digital Offline

From the primary research gathered it was clear that all bloggers questioned had a strong passion for print, as creative individuals they recognise the assets of both online and offline publication but as Emma Jennings stated,

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;being published online is a lot easier to get in toâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Jennings, 2014, app:1.1). Through further secondary research it was found that Moleskine have recently provided the link that merges these two key trends together and bridges the gap between online and offline self-publication. They have recently launched a product where Ipad users who create digital designs, can transfer their designs into print format using an online drag and drop idea, getting their work printed in moleskin notepads. The success of this idea lies in itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simplicity, without overcomplicating it enables users to blend both worlds, and makes the hard to access industry of print publication, instantly accessible. It stimulates creativity and brings back a thought process to publication which is being lost with the generation of instant news consumers.

Fig.29

Research Outcomes

Back to Print As a backlash towards tchnological advancements, print will emerge triumphant in stimulating creativity.

Fig.31

Throughout the research process of this project the

question has broadened significantly, developing from looking at the future of fashion blogging, to exploring the future of social media as a whole, with all findings pointing to the fact that ‘everything is now social’ (Davis, 2013) and therefor within the time frame of 5 years, blogging and social media could no longer exist as we know it. Consumer interaction can be felt across every online platform, with people now able to comment on almost everything, from products to services. The key to finding the future of blogging is to find a way to make the content of it even more personal, and based around the idea of storytelling to encourage the imperative personal engagement. The most interesting point to emerge from research is the reversion back to the form of print media as a social media revolution occurs. The internet has left us ‘stuck in a filter bubble’ (Alderson, 2013) and something that still remains with print media, is the element to surprise and feed the reader something that perhaps on a computer screen they would simply flick past.

Research has thrown up the fact that endless technological advancements may not be the future, but as trend cycles easily occur, it could be print based media which provides the future. The online vs. offline debate has been of key interest throughout the project, and the general consensus from all sources acknowledged, is that it is not a case of vs. but more a question of coexistence. One format cannot exist without the other, and it is about finding a way to seamlessly blend these two worlds, an area where blogging falls flat. Publications such as ‘It’s nice that’ have successfully integrated both strategies into their communication, proving that a blogging platform can be easily translatable into print with the right audience. Through the recommendations an exploration into the prospect of whether blogging can be transferred to print will be imperative.

‘Video is the creative medium of the world, with video you

get more depth and engagement and more time with people when you tell a story’

(Creighton, 2013) Fig.32

Video and Mobile

With the initial move from text to image based media, the next step will be to video.

It is the element of sharing and personal story telling which initially fuelled the trajectory of blogging, something which Paul Sheehy (cofounder of Folk) sees key to the future of media as a whole. He states that ‘storytelling is the best way to connect’ (Trend Boutique, 2013) and this, combined with the predicted surge towards online video based content, which ‘by 2017 is predicted to account for nearly 70% of all consumer internet traffic’ (Kansara, 2013) leads to the conclusions that blogging may have room to become even more personal and video content will be the initial next step for fashion blogs. This is something echoed by bloggers themselves, video bloggers are ‘much more open to promoting each other’s content, collaborating and sharing their audiences. No wonder they’ve levelled up and blogging is just feeling a bit… stale.’ (Melrose, 2014). Platforms such as Dazed Digital who’s newly conceived video strand aims to harness the potential of online video and the power of fashion filmmakers, pave the way for the digital video era. The interesting thing that could be predicted to come out of a surge in both online video content, and a reversion back to print would be the potential demise of image based media platforms. Throughout research the vast adoption of image based social media has been something that has frequently cropped up and is something which would be naïve for people to ignore. It has spawned a narcissistic revolution of ‘endless visual candy’ (Alderson, 2013) but with video able to speak far more than image and just as much as text, there is the potential for this generation of ‘photo flickers’ (Lawrence-John, 2013, app:5.0) to be rendered obsolete. The first indication of this has already been made apparent with the launch of the Instagram hotel. With brands trying to pre-empt the taking of photographs, the spontaneity and creativity is immediately lost.

The End of Image With the emmergence of video, image based social media could cease to exist in 5 years time.

The final key outcome to emerge from the research is the attempt of

publications and companies to effectively funnel online content, setting aside the authorities within the industry and ensuring that quality fashion content is what’s being fed to audiences. The British Fashion Council’s blogger strategy is a key example of this along with the online forum ‘independent fashion bloggers’. In an oversaturated market it is becoming key that the advancements in technology and the sheer volume of bloggers doesn’t ‘damage what blogging was all about in the first place’ (Melrose, 2013). Through the adoption of strategies to group and acknowledge different authorities within fashion blogging, it will ensure that influential and relevant bloggers will be around for many years to come.

Fig.33

Recommendations

Overview of Predictions

The biggest debate which emerged throughout the research was the argument as to whether bloggers should be allowed as much access as they currently have to fashion weeks.

“Will Getting Rid of ‘Fashion Bloggers’ Return Fashion Week to Its Former Glory?” (Certo-Ware, 2014) I t is safe to say that despite the fact the industry has reached a tipping

point; there is definitely a future for fashion blogging. It is hard to pinpoint exactly where it will evolve next, with theories from social media being rendered obsolete within 5 years time, and the fact that bloggers themselves are unsure as to where their craft will take them. However, the most important factor that has stood out throughout the research is that whatever path it takes, the future is about ensuring quality of content, and making sure that the original sentiment of blogging being a medium of insightful and informed self-publishing , remains the most important factor, with storytelling and personal interaction at the heart of it. Drawing on the conclusions summarised at the end of the research part of the project, the recommendations will now focus on the areas of video and also at the possibility of blogs being translatable into print format. Sufficient research and evidence was compiled to suggest that the future of fashion blogging could go in one of two ways, or indeed both as either print or video would offer alternative personal communication strategies for a variety of bloggers. The biggest challenge will be to overcome the narcissistic name bloggers have been given, thanks in part to the effect of sites such as Instagram and the over population of bloggers at London Fashion Week, as well as acknowledging developing trends within technology. In the more long term the advancements of video apps is predicted to replace image based social media, so within five years time sites such as Instagram would be redundant. Focus will be instead on communicative methods for bloggers to enable storytelling and personality throughout their work to gain the most informed and meaningful content.

Despite the fact that there is concrete evidence as to the fact that fashion week is losing the design and catwalk based focus and has become more of a media circus, it would be impossible to undo the effects that street style blogs and social media have caused. Whilst the vast numbers of fashion bloggers can occasionally compromise the quality of fashion week, they do hold their place within the fashion ecosystem. Their reviews of new designers, personal commentary and public engagement with fashion are ‘a really positive thing, they have a great power to raise a profile’ (Issa, 2013: BBC Online) proving them to be ‘entrepreneurs in their own right’ (Kashanipour, 2013: BBC Online). The first recommendation being made as a result of this research is to build on the British Fashion Council’s newly conceived blogger strategy, and provide a video sharing, fashion focused app for accredited bloggers to use.

First Recommendation: British Fashion Council App

What? The concept for this recommendation is based on the research that ‘by 2017, video content will account for 70% of online traffic’ (Cisco, 2013), and it is important that the innovators within fashion communication begin a process to start rolling out this technology. The app will be designed to work alongside the existing blogger strategy and will provide a platform where the accredited bloggers can upload instant video content from the shows. The idea is that the content will not just focus on the catwalk shows themselves, but will capture the ‘circus of fashion’ (Menkes, 2013) that occurs outside, in an attempt to accurately report and document the buzz at the attendance of London Fashion Week. The blogger strategy has done the work of accrediting professional and influential bloggers, so already the number of ‘superfluous clingers-on’ (Certo-Ware, 2014) will be fewer at the fashions shows, whilst content will be informed and uncompromising, due to the blogging authorities reporting on it. Whilst the big debate has been arguing against the circus that evolves outside the show, it would be naïve to assume that this can simply be eradicated. This app will aim to change the way it is reported, with video content allowing for a less staged and false representation of the fashion week crowds. The app will be available to be viewed by all, however only the accredited bloggers will be available to post content, allowing for concise and professional coverage of the event. Video footage will be short but more substantial to that of Instagram video, which still encourages that fast flicking nature of the original image format.

By 2017

70%

of all online traffic will be video content

Sophie 2o, Fashion Marketing Student and former PR intern at Jigsaw

Who? The app will be available for use by the accredited bloggers to ensure that content is not oversaturated and of a high quality, adding value to the reporting of the event. The bloggers will each have their own personal accounts and it will act almost like a video diary, which will ensure that all content embodies the personal style of each of the bloggers, who already have existing followings of thousands. This taps into the future trend, expressed by Paul Sheehy from Folk Digital who states that ‘storytelling is the best way to connect’ (Sheehy, 2013, app: 5.0) with highly personalised content being the way of the future for bloggers. The consumers of this app will be avid Instagram followers, aged between 18 and 28. A generation of new millennials who are looking for fast and mobile content, who would love to, but don’t have the time to catch the live streaming of shows.

Fig.35

Whats in her bag: Iphone 5, Earphones, Ted Baker purse, diary, notepad, rimmel powder, keys Social Networking accounts: Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, Favourite Bloggers: Suzy Bubble, The Blonde Salad, Fashion Fois Gras Favourite live streamed brands: Burberry, Topshop Unique, Chanel Views on current live streaming of shows: ‘I absolutely love the live streams of fashion shows, in particular London Fashion Week. My favourite is always Burberry, however I rarely have time to fit in all of the shows I want to see mainly due to lectures at Uni. View on the idea of the app: Well unlike what appears to be the rest of the world, I rarely use my Instagram for actually sharing photos. The majority of my time spent on Instagram is looking at celebrities and brand photos which is always relevant to my course. I definitely think I would use this app, it would enable me to catch glimpses of all the shows I want to see at the times they are on no matter where I am. The only thing I’d question is whether I would bother following it all year round if it only reports during fashion week. It could also be useful if they regularly post a timetable of events or link it to your phone calendar so that I’d know when to log onto it.

Where and When? The app would be designed for most use throughout London Fashion

Fig,36

week to provide an alternative to live streaming, featuring up to the minute coverage of both inside and outside events, tapping into the consumers’ interest in street style. One of the biggest threats facing the adoption of this app is that live streaming is facing a down turn, with Rosanna Falconer, head of digital for designer Matthew Williamson stating that ‘When [live streaming] first worked, it felt like magic, it felt more digitally innovative than anything we’ve seen in recent years. But that novelty has worn off a bit, everyone is now doing it.” NYFW alone has over 250 shows and presentations in eight days, a significant proportion of which are live streamed. That’s a lot of content to expect the public to tune into. So is it even worth it?’(Falconer, 2013) It will be important that through the promotion of this app the immediacy and mobile aspect is pushed to ensure that it stands out from the original live streaming. By following the structure of Instagram it will present users with a comfortable and familiar format, which will help to build engagement.

Why This Will Work (See full SWOT analysis app:10.0)

The strengths of this idea lay in the fact that it will be working with a highly established authority within British fashion who state in their 2013 annual report that ‘Technology is

integral to the British Fashion Council. Using new technology as a launch pad to engage with a global audience, the BFC embraces digital innovation’ (BFC:

‘Fashion film is very artsy, which isn’t really about telling stories that people can share and talk about,’ (Creighton, A, 2013) The main aim of this app is to overcome the stigma that video within fashion has faced in the past, and provide a new platform for informed, engaging and story-telling coverage of London Fashion Week.

online 2013). The idea will work alongside their existing channels of communication which include Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Whilst they already upload video content via their Instagram account, this app will differ as it will offer the ‘personalisation that’s becoming an increasingly common theme throughout both digital and now other forms of media too’ (Mintel, 2013). Throughout the research is has been highly evident that video content is the next step within social media and personal blogging. Online video streaming has a huge market with ‘Some 73% of consumers have watched online streaming videos in the past three months, a figure that rises to 91% when looking at 16-24-year-olds. (Mintel 2013) The difference between this and other forms of live video streaming is the element of fast and personalised content, personalisation will also be available to the viewer, as they will have the option to follow their preferred bloggers and like and save content to their own profiles, reflecting the future trend of ‘collections and curations, to mobile content, and to different authoring tools’ (Hardaway, 2012). ‘Facebook’s ubiquity has led to the proliferation of the niche social network’ (IT Business Edge, 2012) something which is predicted to surge within the next two years, and this app will become an early innovator within the field of niche fashion streaming apps.

73%

Of Consumers

Have watched online streaming videos in the past 3 months

91%

Of 16-24 Year Olds

Have watched online streaming videos in the past 3 months

Second Recommendation: Blog to Print The second recommendation being made after research is the prospect of bringing blog formats to print. From the primary research conducted from the interviews with bloggers, it was clear to see that the majority of bloggers used their blog as a tool to gain experience and get a foot in the doorway in a career in fashion (see app:1.0). ‘Wanting to do something in the industry it’s a great way of establishing yourself and making content, it’s really almost like a portfolio reflecting your own personal aesthetic’ (Martin, 2013:app:1.2) with Emma Sheldon even stating that she was ‘advised to write one by the admissions tutor at the University of Leeds in order to enhance my personal statement’(Sheldon, 2014: app:1.3). It is this concept that will form the basis of the proposal, with the idea of being able to create a print published version of personal blog content to use as a portfolio. It will be a tool enabling serious bloggers to physically create something from their blog posts and will help to capture personal content in a physical self-published format.

What? This idea has been inspired by Moleskine who have recently launched a new service, whereby users can transfer their digital design work created on an ipad into print format, filling a moleskin book with digital content. The concept will remain similar but will be a programme where blog users or creators of online publication can print their work off into a self-published piece of print. The ethos behind this idea is to enable storytelling and personal work to have the opportunity to be brought to life in the tangibility of print. The programme will be able to be adopted via the use of tablets, as the importance of mobile accessibility was the most prominent outcome to emerge from the research. The aim of this is to echo the seamless blending of online and offline, demonstrated by companies such as It’s Nice That, Asos and now Moleskine, providing serious bloggers who use their publishing as a self-promotion tool, the opportunity to further showcase their creativity through the format of print. ‘Online publications are predicted to see a move offline’ (Denton, 2013, app:5.0) and if brands are predicted to be doing this then for bloggers to remain at speed with the industry, they should be provided with a platform by which to initiate this.

Who?

The main consumers of this product will be fashion, lifestyle or even food

bloggers, the majority of whom will be students, who use their online blog as a means of portfolio, looking to pursue a career in the subject that they document. Looking specifically at fashion bloggers, they are aiming to fulfil a career in an industry which demands a well-rounded knowledge of different creative mediums and methods. This product will allow users to showcase their skills of adapting online content to offline, enabling them to consider print, paper, cover designs and editing of content to create something which showcases a variety of talents as a self-promotional tool. As Anna Kerr (marketing assistant for art and design at Nottingham Trent) states, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;an understanding of online and digital technology

is extremely important to anyone in any field of Art and Designâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Kerr, 2014, app: 11.3) and so this platform will allow students to express just that.

Fig.38

Why This Will Work Throughout the research conducted it became clear that print was a format ready to emerge again after this wave of digital innovation which has left us ‘stuck in a filter bubble’ (Alderson, 2013). Only the tangibility and element of surprise, which print can provide will be the thing to get us out. The consumer set is perfectly targeted with a large number of serious bloggers stating that they feel their art form is under threat due to over population of the blogosophere and a lack of quality among content. A survey was conducted which was posed to fashion bloggers via Twitter and the survey results pointed towards the proliferation of this idea.(app: 11.1) One bloggers stated that

‘It would be cool although it would probably take more time that I have available’ and another claimed

Recent reports state that tablet usage is ever growing with ‘the number of people accessing the internet via tablets [having] doubled over the past 12 months, to reach 34% as of September 2013.’ (Mintel, 2013) ‘Tablets provide the bigger opportunity for most online brands, and a result it is even more important that companies develop tablet minded apps, websites, services and advertising campaigns.’(Mintel, 2013) It is clear through reports that by tapping into this emerging market you are setting yourself up for a higher growth rate within the next few years as you can achieve more than on an IPhone, but content will still be mobile.

‘As people become more confident with using tablets for a greater range of online activities,

the paradigm may be shifting – as tablets

take over’ (Mintel, 2013)

The idea will also be a success due to the market for students looking to create innovative and portfolio in a hard to break into industry. An interview was conducted with Anna Kerr, marketing assistant at the school of Art and Design at Nottingham Trent University to understand the importance of portfolios. Echoing the prediction that there will be a future for blogging she states that ‘a blog is a great way of showing that you take a big interest in the culture and ideas surrounding the course you want to study’ (Kerr, 2014, app:11.3) something which all of the bloggers interviewed agreed with. She went on to state that ‘there is nothing more personal in such an online society, than potential employers receiving something they can touch and hold, it means that you have gone that extra mile’(Kerr, 2014, app: 11.3). This is a key principle for the creation of this app as it will aim to provide a tool for students to showcase their talents over a range of media. Fig.39

‘I would love to see it adapted into a curated look book, though that would also require an online edition to remain relevant.’

These responses are positive and show consumer insight into the fact there is a market for this app. The biggest issues people had were time and a platform by which to do it, however this recommendation aims to address both of these issues by being both fast and mobile to enable users ease at which to transfer existing work/ blog posts to print. To say that this could be done on a mobile would be ambitious; an IPhone screen would not provide a big enough area for which to collate content into a visual format for editing, however this could easily be developed for tablet use, enabling it to be mobile.

Conclusion

In conclusion it is clear to see that a future will exist for bloggers, although perhaps outside of the world of Blogger and Blogspot. Social media is a revolution weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re currently in the midst of, but has reached a tipping point; throughout the research gathered it became apparent that a future for the format was unclear. The revolution will spawn two predicted outcomes, the re-emergence of print, and the evolution of sharable video content. The recommendations made for these two pathways share very similar attributes, focusing on the personalisation and story-telling aspect of communication that will be integral to future content, and the need for it to be mobile. With these recommendations, brands will be enabled to become innovators within these trends, making small steps to them becoming prevalent throughout the industry. Both recommendations are small and require minimal technological requirements, but will provide the initial next steps to enabling blogging to regain its respected name and authority, before advancements in social media and technology move the format on in 5 years time.

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Certo-Ware. (2014). Op-Ed|Don’t Write Off Fashion Bloggers. Available: http://www.businessoffashion. com/2014/01/op-ed-dont-write-off-fashion-bloggers-just-yet.html. Last accessed 12th January 2014. Issa, C. (2011). Fashion bloggers rival traditional magazines. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ technology-14982074. Last accessed 8th January 2014. Kashanipour, L. (2011). Fashion bloggers rival traditional magazines. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ news/technology-14982074. Last accessed 8th January 2014. Cisco cited by Kansara, V . (2013). With New Launches, i-D and Dazed Embrace Digital-Age Dynamics. Available: http://www.businessoffashion.com/2013/11/with-new-launches-i-d-and-dazedembrace-digital-age-dynamics.html?utm_source=Subscribers&utm_campaign=0ae3e79134-&utm_ medium=email&utm_term=0_d2191372b3-0ae3e7. Last accessed 15th November 2013. Menkes, S. (2013). The Circus of fashion. Available: http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/ the-circus-of-fashion/?_r=0. Last accessed 6th January 2014 Certo-Ware. (2014). Op-Ed|Don’t Write Off Fashion Bloggers. Available: http://www.businessoffashion. com/2014/01/op-ed-dont-write-off-fashion-bloggers-just-yet.html. Last accessed 12th January 2014. Falconer cited by Arthur, R. (2013). Live Streaming Fashion Week: Is It Worth the Cost?. Available: http://mashable.com/2013/09/04/fashion-week-live-streaming-roi/. Last accessed 14th January 2014. British Fashion Council (2013). British Fashion Council, 2012-13 Annual Review. London: Issuu. P.52 Mintel Group Ltd. (2013). Mobile Phone Apps, UK October 2013. Available: http://academic.mintel. com/display/638283/. Last accessed 9th January 2014. Mintel Group Ltd. (2013). Digital Trends, Winter 2013. Available: http://academic.mintel.com/ display/638324/#. Last accessed 9th January 2014. British Fashion Council (2013). British Fashion Council, 2012-13 Annual Review. London: Issuu. P.52

Mintel Group Ltd. (2013). Digital Trends, Winter 2013. Available: http://academic.mintel.com/display/638324/#. Last accessed 9th January 2014. P. 8 Mintel Group Ltd. (2013). Digital Trends, Winter 2013. Available: http://academic.mintel.com/display/638324/#. Last accessed 9th January 2014. P. 8

Fig. 1 Cover image, Unkown, 2013, Fashion Blogging [Digital Image] Available at: http://www.fashionavecpassion.com/fashion-blogs-are-all-the-buzz-fashion-forums-are-the-newest-buzz/ [Accessed 20th January 2014] Fig.2. Unknown, 2013, London fashion Week SS13: CHARLIE MAY [digital image]Available at: http:// alexloves.com/london-fashion-week-ss13-charlie-may/ [accessed 12th January 2014] Fig.3.Various, 2013, Blogger collage compiled by Litchfield, R [Digital images] Available at http:// www.fashioninflux.co.uk/, http://www.thelondoner.me/, http://www.llymlrs.com/, http://www.shewearsfashion.com/, http://www.mediamarmalade.com/ [Accessed 14th January 2014]

Illustrations

Fig.4. Nealy, R, 2013, Unnamed [digital image] Available at: http://fashbits.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/ stylista-rumi-neely/ [accessed 17th January 2014] Fig.5 Unknown, 2013, London Fashion Week Burberry Prorsum Show [digital image] Available at: http://www.showbizdaily.net/london-fashion-week-2013-review/ [accessed 12th January 2014] Fig.6 Evers, S, 2007, Bookshelves [Photograph] In: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nice That No.7. London. P98 Fig.7. Hagelstam, S, 2011, Unnamed [Digital image] Available at: http://news.creatorsofdesire.com/tag/ top5s/ [Accessed 18th January 2014] Fig.8. Unknown, 2004, Dean For America [Digital Image] Available at: http://margerynabors.wordpress. com/2008/11/08/dean-for-america-demonstrated-the-potential-of-a-decentralized-campaign/ [Accessed 18th January 2014] Fig.9. Chua, R, 2013, Naty Michele [Digital image] Available at: http://ryanbyryanchua. com/2013/09/10/mercedes-benz-fashion-week-streetstyle-day-two/ [Accessed 18th January 2014] Fig.10 Unknown, 2013, Young-Fashion-Bloggers-4 [Digital image] Available at: http://www.fashionsnewz.com/young-fashion-bloggers/ [accessed 18th January 2014] Fig.11. Lewis, S, Unknown, Unnamed [Digital image] Available at: http://helpmewhattowear.blogspot. co.uk/2013/01/how-fashion-bloggers-wear-black-coat.html [accessed January 18th 2014] Fig.13 Sheldon, E, 2013, The Mint Boyfriend Coat [digital image] Available at: http://www.emtalks. co.uk/2014/01/the-mint-boyfriend-coat.html#more [Accessed 15th January 2014] Fig.14 Martin, C, 2013, Wearing/ Little Motel [digital image] Available at: http://www.iamcharlottemartin.com/ [Accessed 15th January 2014] Fig.15 Starr, M, 2013, Polka Dot, Polka Dot. [digital image] Available at: http://scarlettlondon.com/category/what-i-wore/ [Accessed 15th January 2014] Fig.16. Jennings, E, 2013, Back With A New Camera [digital image] Available at: http://stylingemmajennings.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-max=2013-05-03T13:18:00%2B01:00&max-results=3&start=30&by-date=false [accessed 15th January 2014] Fig.17. Nealy, R, 2013, Unnamed [digital image] Available at: http://fashbits.wordpress. com/2012/07/16/stylista-rumi-neely/ [accessed 17th January 2014] Fig.18. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Doherty, 2013, Unnamed [Digital image] Available at: http://www.wildchildstories. com/2013/01/london-fashion-week-day-2-house-of.html [accessed 17th January 2014]

Fig.19. Oh, P, 2013, Street Style: New York Fashion Week Spring 2014 Part Two [Digital Image] Available at: http://m.vogue.com/fashion/street-style/article/street-style-new-york-fashion-week-spring-2014part-two/ [Accessed 18th January 2013] Fig.20. Glamour, 2013, Model selfies [digital image] Available at: http://www.stylelist.com/read/the-cutest-model-selfies-we-spotted-during-fashion-week/ [Accessed 17th January 2014] Fig.21. Infographic made using: Unknown, 2012, Calla, [Digital Image] Available at: http://originalslope. blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/spring-2013-ny-fashion-week-snap-shots.html [Accessed 20th January 2014]

Fig.35. Litchfield, R, 2013, Sophie Holloway Consumer profile [Photograph] Own image Fig. 36. Unknown, 2012, Lana Del Rey: Mulberry Show [Digital Image] Available at: http://www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/2724342/lana-del-rey-mulberry-show-london-fashion-week-02/ [Accessed 19th January 2014] Fig.37. Unknown, 2013, Moleskine, Capture[Digital Image] Available at: http://www.fiftythree.com/ book9 [Accessed 19th January 2014]

Fig.22. Unknown, 2013, The 1888 Hotel. [digital image] Available at: http://jonnymetbird. com/2013/09/16/1888-hotel-sydney/ [Accessed 15th January 2014]

Fig.38 Unknown, 2011, International fashion designer Zandra Rhodes demonstrates techniques for students from Coventry University [Digital Image] Available at: http://www.spaghettigazetti. com/2011/05/zandra-rhodes-invites-fashion-design.html [Accessed 19th January 2014]

Fig.23. Kent, J, 2011, Unnamed, [digital image] Available at: http://www.unlimitedbyjk.com/2011/09/london-fashion-week-ss-12-day-1.html [Accessed 19th January 2014]

Fig.39 Unknown, 2013, Moleskine, Gift [Digital Image] Available at: http://www.fiftythree.com/book [Accessed 19th January 2014]

Fig.24. Maul, A, 2011, Gold Digger [digital image] Available at: http://chicblowjobs.blogspot.co.uk/ [Accessed 20th January 2014] Fig,25. Sohail, 2014, Dazed Digital, [Screenshot] Available at: http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/2013/01/ visual-fuel-5-websites-worth-the-click-creative-inspiration/img_0074/ [Accessed 20th January 2014] Fig.26. Pebble, 2013, Pebble Watches, [Digital Image] Available at: http://www.imore.com/pebble-releases-official-public-watch-face-sdk [Accessed 20th january 2014] Fig.27. Rozendaal, R, 2009, A Conversation Between Me and Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nice That Magazine [Digital Image] Available at: http://www.newrafael.com/its-nice-that-magazine/ [Accessed 19th January 2014] Fig.28. Ballon, N, 2012, YCN Annual 11/12 [Digital Image] Available at: http://www.nickballon.com/index.php/portfolio/article/ycn_annual_11_12 [Accessed 19th January 2014] Fig.29. Unknown, 2013, Moleskine, Gift [Digital Image] Available at: http://www.fiftythree.com/book [Accessed 19th January 2014] Fig.30 Unknown, 2013, Bora Aksu SS 2013 [Digital Image] Available at: http://amormagazine.co.uk/fashion/london-fashion-week-2014/ [Accessed 19th January 2014] Fig.31. Unknown, 2013, Moleskine Fifty three [Digital image] Available at: http://www.fiftythree.com/ book [accessed 19th January 2014] Fig. 32. Lovekin, S, 2013, Jessica Alba IPhone, [Digital Image] Available at: http://www.businessinsider. com/jessica-alba-caught-with-an-iphone-2013-9 [Accessed 19th January 2014] Fig.33. Winkler, A, 2012, La Pulcinella for Valery Lingerie [Digital Image] Available at: http://socialwardrobe.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/fashion-bloggers-choice-la-pulcinella.html [Accessed 19th January 2014] Fig.34 Street, Y, 2012, A SURVIVAL GUIDE TO FASHION WEEK AND BEYOND [digital image] Available at: http://www.twentyyork.com/2013/09/20ys-fashion-week-101-a-survival-guide-to-fashionweek-and-beyond.html [Accessed 19th January 2014]

appendix

APPENDIX

CONTENTS

1.0 3.0 5.0 7.0 9.0 11.0

Blogger Interviews 99-108 1.1 Emma Jennings 1.2 Charlotte Martin 1.3 Scarlett Dixon 1.4 Emma Sheldon Methodology Table 113- 116

Trend Boutique Online Vs Offline Conference 121- 124 Instagram Experiment 129- 130 7.1 How it was carried out 7.2 Response 7.3 Findings

Mobile Survey 137- 138

Fashion Blog to Print

2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0

Case Study of Bloggers 109- 112

Online Questionnaire 117- 120

British Fashion Council Blogger Strategy Case Study 125-128 Case Studies 131- 136 8.1Instagram Hotel 8.2 Dazed and Confused 8.3 Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nice That 8.4 Moleskin Digital Artwork SWOT Analysis of Proposed App for the BFC 139-140

1.0

Blogger Interview Questions

Profiles of four popular and well followed bloggers were conducted to gain an understanding of why people choose to blog and what they get out of it. The aim of this research was to provide a starting point as to where to focus the project. From the responses it became clear that they all used their blog as a promotional tool or portfolio and this became one of the key lines of exploration throughout the project. The question was also asked relating to print publications as through initial research it was starting to become evident that print was having a regeneration.

she also has great style, she’s worked with a lot of brands too. Where do you see your blog going next? - I want to keep creating video content for my youtube channel as I think that is still a growing community, which isn’t quite as saturated as blogging yet and it’s a really fun platform to express yourself on. As well as that I want to continue posting my personal style diary on my blog and establish it and my youtube as one brand which represents me.

EMMA JENNINGS

On a whole how do you see the blogging world evolving? - I think the blogging world is at a tipping point and blogging has become quite over saturated, everyone has a blog these days and even now if you want to get a job in the fashion industry employees always look to see if you have a blog. But on the other hand now that blogging is so big I think it’s great that brands now pay attention

fig.2 What first influenced you to start your blog? - I had been reading blogs for years before I started one and I always liked the idea of having your own space on the internet where you could write whatever you like. So I had a few blogs over the years that I gave up on, but a couple of years ago I thought I’d give it another shot. I really like that I can document what I’m thinking, wearing and enjoying.

world grew a lot more popular it became a lot more popular to post outfit of the days, asI think readers found those posts a lot more personable. So it more evolved into a personal style diary for myself. I also branched out into youtube videos recently as I found they have become popular to watch, they are fun to make and it was a way to reach out to more people with the same interests.

What do you gain most from the publishing of your blog and what do you see the purpose of it as? - I used to write my blog just as something for myself but when I started to gain a few readers it started to turn into something I was writing for other people because there were people who were genuinely interested in what I had to say and post. So I get a lot of satisfaction from the feedback I receive and it’s a great way to meet people who also share the same interests as you. I also like blogging because it’s a great way to connect with brands that I don’t think I would have been able to do if I didn’t have a blog.

What blogs do you follow and who do you think are key influential fashion players to have come out of blogging? think that Kavita from SheWearsFashion is set for great things, her blog has grown hugely in the past two years and she’s worked with loads of brands and has a lot of talent. Leandra from The Man Repeller has done really well for herself I love the concept behind her blog, it’s great to see she’s gained an actual career out of it. I also like Erika Fox from Retro Flame as she has great style and I also admire her hard work and passion for achieving her goals. I always read her internship diaries when I need some motivation! I also really admire Olivia from What Oliva Did because I love the way she executes her outfit posts and

How has your blog evolved since you started writing it? - At the beginning I definitely was a lot more reserved with my blog and didn’t post pictures of myself mainly just style guides, trend reports etc. but as the blogging

to this instead of just fobbing bloggers off, they have a lot more influence now. A lot of bloggers and youtubers have made a career out of what was once a hobby which is great and I think it definitely has the potential to go further. Are you a bigger fan of print or online publishing and could you or would you ever like to see aspects of your blog in print? - I would have to say both, I feel like being published online is a lot easier to get in to and online publishing is more accepting of new creative talent. However I also love how magazines such as Company and Elle have started including bloggers in their print issues. I think it’s amazing how bloggers are now featured in magazines and have their own columns

Where do you see your blog going next? I’ve been thinking of maybe taking my blog in a different direction recently with more of the stuff I generally love like magazines and music etc rather than just clothes and shoes. I think I want it to be more of a visual diary than looking like the ‘whats new’ section on Topshop.

Charlotte Martin

On a whole how do you see the blogging world evolving? I think it probably lies in videos, I don’t really see any blogs that incorporate videos into their actual blog, most of them just have channels on YouTube which I’m surprised about. I think things like moving image are definitely a new and exciting route. I don’t think blogging as a whole will die out, it will just evolve and maybe move onto a different platform. I mean were people saying social networking was going to die when MySpace started to crumble? No, it just moved onto a bigger format and now every brand and their mother has a twitter page. Who’s to say that isn’t just the tip of the iceberg? fig.5 What first influenced you to start your blog? I basically just wanted somewhere where I could record what outfits I’d worn and different way to style multiple items, an online outfit diary if you will but then I started sharing my inspiration and it kind of all just went from there. I think I started on a website called ‘Chictopia’ which is sort of like a lookbook format, I went onto Lookbook, started discovering all these different bloggers I liked and thought why not?

How has your blog evolved since you started writing it? I’d say so yeah, I’m a bit over the really fashion focused outfit posts now, I do still like doing them now and again but they’re not really a focus. I also prefer platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, I’m not really a ‘wordy’ person so I find I’m better suited to them.

What do you gain most from the publishing of your blog and what do you see the purpose of it as? I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t genuinely enjoy it, I don’t keep to a schedule like I know other bloggers do as I think then the content can become a bit uninspiring and redundant. I just blog when I want and if I like something then I’ll mention it. Also, obviously wanting to do something in the industry it’s a great way of establishing yourself and making content, it’s really almost like a portfolio reflecting your own personal aesthetic and a more effective way and sitting describing what you like.

What blogs do you follow and who do you think are key influential fashion players to have come out of blogging? I follow a few fashion and style blogs now but I mainly follow more art and design based ones nowadays. It really depends on who you ask, I love blogs like Love Aesthetics that are more about one certain aesthetic applied to different areas of fashion, style, design, home etc but I also look at the more fashion focused blogs on a more superficial level, to see what’s new in at Primark etc…

Are you a bigger fan of print or online publishing and could you or would you ever like to see aspects of your blog in print? I don’t think it’s an either or situation, there’s room for both and I frequently use both online and offline publishing. I’m biased in the way that I absolutely love magazines but for me, if I knew I was in the magazine for creativity rather than ‘this girl has this many followers’ and there was a clear aesthetic to the magazine that I fell into then yeah, I’d love that but if it was just a mish mash magazine for £1.80 every Tuesday I don’t think I’d be too keen.

my writers. As you keep blogging, your readership steadily grows and PRs begin to recognize you and invite you to events (in the hope you’ll blog about it) so how it evolves is due to development of your own writing and your standing as a blogger.

Scarlett Dixon

fig.7 What first influenced you to start your blog? My interest in writing - and being able to document my writing online, was initially what inspired me to set up my blog. There are very few internships and work experience placements that you can apply for aged 17, so I decided to set up my own little portfolio and start promoting it on Twitter. I hadn’t previously read any blogs, but once I realized what a big community it was - I began exploring lots of websites and I now read about 100 blogs a week. I think if you want to work in the media industry, it’s often assumed that you already have an online presence, and in many ways - having a blog is the ‘stem’ of your online profile. It’s helped me get work experience and network with other like-minded and more experienced writers. What do you gain most from the publishing of your blog and what do you see the purpose of it as? In many ways, it is a form of escapism for me - I know that whatever happens in my day, however awful it seems at the time, I can go back to the comfort of my blog (and even write about my bad day) and publish

something. Originally, the purpose was to have an outlet to write but now for me, it has many more purposes - to gain experience, contacts, to earn money to put me through University (as I do earn a living from my blog and so although it didn’t start out as a way to gain financially, it now is - however I do still write because I love writing). How has your blog evolved since you started writing it? My blog has definitely evolved since I began writing it, I think largely due to the fact I was 17 when I started and my writing wasn’t as developed as it is now. Blogging daily has certainly improved the way I critique, judge and proof read what I write - which is great, I suppose. Similarly, whereas in the beginning I was essentially re-regurgitating content but adding my opinion in, the content I now produce is entirely my own. I will be at the event, so everything in the article has been gathered by myself of one of

What blogs do you follow and who do you think are key influential fashion players to have come out of blogging? Some of my favourite blogs are very fashion centric. I love The Londoner, as her lifestyle is very glamorous and ‘Made In Chelsea’ and unattainable for most of us, however the clothes she wears are very attainable and affordable. I love the cross over of high end and high street - and in the last few years, she has really been influential in terms of fashion. In fact, at one event - a PR told me that they quite happily send her whatever items of clothing she picks out, because one tweet or one post about them - ensures they sell out instantly. She’s very social media savvy and knows what she’s doing, but I really enjoy watching her blog evolve. Similarly, Fashion Toast and The Blonde Salad have become very influential, although I don’t read their blogs so much as it’s very fashion heavy, I prefer a little bit of lifestyle and personality thrown into the mix. Vloggers like Tanya Burr, Zoella and Lily Pebbles are also some of my favourites.

Where do you see your blog going next? I am hoping to grow my blog into more of an online magazine. I have a team of 15 writers, who keep the content fresh, engaging and exciting - and similarly, so that we can cover a wide variety of events up and down the country. Whereas my blog used to be very fashion orientated, I feel this is a very saturated market and you have to offer something really different in order to make an impact, which I’m not sure I have - so I am focusing on the variety of subjects I cover, and the way in which I cover them. I like to think my blog is chatty, colloquial and fun but also serious, informative and helpful. Hopefully I can play on this factor as my blog keeps going - and evolve it into a fully fledged magazine one day! On a whole how do you see the blogging world evolving? It’s very difficult to say, because I feel that the editorial bloggers are stuck in a bit of a rut at the moment - whilst the YOuTube Vloggers are practically celebrities in their own right, with views and opportunities through the roof. I think as blogging becomes more competitive, you’ll see even more of people’s personal lives opened up on the internet - we read blogs because we’re nosey and we enjoy looking into people’s lives, so perhaps we’ll play to this factor. Most bloggers have their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn pages connected to their blog, so there’s no-where to hide! I think that blogging will become more interactive, in the sense the readers comments/ opinions will play more of a part in the future. Many bloggers are turning to YouTube, and moving forward - working with bigger brands to make themselves household names, so it’s difficult to say how it will evolve exactly, but it’s definitely in the process of changing. Are you a bigger fan of print or online publishing and could you or would you ever like to see aspects of your blog in print? There’s honestly nothing more that I love than a cup of tea and a magazine, reading an online publication just doesn’t feel quite the same. However, with content becoming more and more freely available and accessible, it does seem silly to spend £4 on something you could view online. The instant nature of online publishing is more appealing to me as a journalist, because I think one of the main elements about journalism is how quick and instant it is, and the ‘hype’ surrounding a certain story. Similarly, the readers comments adds an interactive element to an article - I quite often read the comments before I read the article, as they are more interesting in many cases!

Emma Sheldon

Are you a bigger fan of print or online publishing and could you or would you ever like to see aspects of your blog in print? I love the glossiness of print and the fact that I can rip it out and stick it on my wall, but for ease and 24/7 accessibility and of course, price, blogging and online wins every time. I would have to pay £3.00 to read a good fashion magazine, but a good fashion blog is free to read - the only problem is, I can’t rip out the photos that I like and put them on my wall.

fig.9 What first influenced you to start your blog? I was actually advised to write one by the admissions tutor at the University of Leeds in order to enhance my personal statement. What do you gain most from the publishing of your blog and what do you see the purpose of it as? I think the main gain is inspiring people, it’s lovely to receive emails of support from people who read my blog. It’s also great to be able toget my opinion out there and give an honest view of a product or a restaurant so that people don’t waste their money. I like to write about thingsso that people can have an honest opinion before they waste their money. How has your blog evolved since you started writing it? It’s evolved massively, from 0 readers to over 40,000 unique readers per month after only a year and a half of writing it. I am really grateful that anyone at all reads it! It’s a crazy thought.

What blogs do you follow and who do you think are key influential fashion players to have come out of blogging? I absolutely adore Rosie Londoner, I think she is key when it comes to lifestyle. In terms of fashion, I love FashionInFlux (Lydia Rose) she’s got a gorgeous style. I think a key influential fashion player would have to be the blonde salad, with millions of followers, she really is going to take over the world soon. Where do you see your blog going next? I’d just love for it to grow and hopefully grow a lot!

fig.11

2.0

Case Study Of Bloggers

Throughout the months of August- September, a case study was compiled, comparing and analysing the content of a number of bloggers social media posts, blog content and style. This was executed due to the fact that after a small amount of general analysis, just of the bloggers personally followed on Instagram, there appeared to be a very similar feel to a lot of the bloggers updates, with similar outfits and products being worn and reviewed. The case study analysis has been compiled to visually prove the theory that the market of blogging is oversaturated and content tends to differ very little between a select area of bloggers. The bloggers chosen for analysis were The Londoner, Fashion Influx, Llymlrs, She Wears Fashion and Media Marmalade. Overleaf is just a small summary, narrowing down the vast content amassed by the 5 bloggers over the period of a month, which is most representative of the trends emerging through current blogs, and highlights the similarities between them.

These are only a very small collection of the images viewed over the period of a month. Whilst originally the idea was to categorize the images by blogger, mixing all the images, we are able to see that there is a very fine line between image and content styles between the bloggers. The editing in most of the images is very similar, with Instagram being one of the most prominent channels of communication, content wise, a lot of the blogs share similar features as well. Food imagery appears to be very popular, whilst preening images of outfits in unnatural or nonchalant poses dominate these blogs over the period of a month. Even the theme of ‘looking relaxed and summery in a park’ has been adopted by all the blogs in one form of another, with two bloggers even posting near identical images sitting on the grass with drinks. These images lack the opinionated fashion based content which the originators of the profession pioneered. Instead a narcissistic feel emerges, with content being shared almost as a tool to show their audiences ‘how great their lives are’.

3.0

Methodology Table

A methodology table was compiled to break down all the different forms of primary research to critically analyse the purpose of them and to map out the gaps in the report where research was needed to back up ideas. More industry professionals were contacted for primary research than are listed on the methodology table, for example Emma-Louise Gaskell from The British Fashion Council, however she wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t able to speak on behalf of the BFC so therefore primary research could not be compiled for that case study. The table set out to define the aims and objectives of each form of research.

Primary Research Blogger Interviews- In depth question of bloggers as to the purpose of their blogs, what they gain from them and where they think it will go next

purpose and aims of the research To try a gauge an understanding of why bloggers operate and where they think blogging as a creative form is going next. Interviewing the people who would be the innovators of whatever the outcomes of the project are was key as it enables the project to have a sense of direction, focusing on where bloggers want their work to be taken.

Online blogger survey- a survey was conducted via Surveymonkey to try to come to some kind of conclusion as to the readership of blogs.

Questions were sent to a variety of fashion students and bloggers to try and understand the readership of blogs. The aim was also to find out whether Instagram was more important to people than actual blogs.

Trend Boutique: Online vs. Offline talk

The Trend Boutique Online vs. Offline conference was attended to try and gain industry professionals knowledge as to the future of online and offline publishing, to use as evidence to form and back up my own personal hypotheses. Was also hoping to gain valuable information about the importance of print.

Instagram Experiment

An experiment was carried out via Instagram, whereby an image was uploaded asking for people to share their Christmas selfies, using the hashtag or direct contact. The aim of the experiment was to prove the hypothesis that 1825 year olds are more receptive to image based interaction than that of text (comparing it with the take up of participants on the online survey.

Fashion Blogger to print survey

As part of the recommendations section of the project, a further survey was carried out which was posted via twitter, with the hashtag ‘fbloggers’ to try and encourage fashion bloggers to complete it. The aim of the survey was to test the hypothesis of a format where blogs could be translated to print, seeing how fashion bloggers felt about the idea

Primary Research

purpose and aims of the research

Online survey to gain insight to smart phone user habits

An online survey was conducted using Surveymonkey to gain statistics to form infographics to back up the hypothesis that smart phones are the next generation of blogging.

Consumer Profile of consumer for British Fashion Council App

A consumer profile was conducted for the target consumer that the British fashion Council App would be appealing to. He was analysed in terms of profession, what’s in her handbag and objects in her room, and then also asked her opinion on the app to see if there were any suggestions.

In-store interview with Mr Blore from Jeremy & Westerman independent book shop

The aim of this interview was to gain an insight into the effects the internet is having on the sales of print, and also to try and underpin the argument that print media in the future will primarily be ordered or produced online and then transferred to print, making it more niche and less copies of products available. Whilst I’m not sure this was entirely beneficial for my projects it did throw up an interesting point as he stated that he does believe the internet will lead to the death of bookshops.

Email intervoew with Anna Kerr, marketing assistant, Art and Design at Nottingham Trent

The aim of the interview with Anna was to gain an understanding of the importance of both print and online portfolios within the fashion industry. By speaking to an industry professional I was able to see how portfolios are judged and what attributes form a good portfolio whether it be online or offline. The research was used to back up my recommendations for a blog to print platfom, to be used for portfolio use.

4.0

Online Survey An online survey was devised via surveymonkey.com and aimed to understand the market for blogs and blog followers. The survey was initially sent out before a bulk of the research had been done, so since gathering and finalising it all the survey was found to have not been as useful as previously anticipated. The idea had been to gauge the readership of fashion blogs in a small market sector, however the most useful statistic to come out of it was the amount of people who followed bloggers on Instagram but didn’t follow their blogs. This became the basis of many hypotheses throughout the projects and provided to be valuable information. Initially at the start of the project there had been focus as to the use of brand blogs (hence the question 9, however this became more of a tangent and the rest of the research didn’t lead down the same route so the facts from that part of the survey became redundant.

93.55%

32.26%

19-22 years old

Own a blog

6.45%

15-18 years old

100% female

67.74%

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CQFRTJV

Don’t own a blog

48.39% Don’t Follow Blogs

51.61% Follow Blogs

For what resons did you get into blogging?

50%

Follow bloggers on Instagram rather than their blogs

‘To voice my opinion and to share my thoughts on fashion and food’ ‘I have a blog as I was encouraged to by my uni course, however I’m not really into it anymore. Not updated it for approx the past year. Prefer the idea of an online portfolio.’

‘to stay involved in fashion and to benefit my cv’

‘if pinterest counts yes, like to have ideas, images in one place to see inspiration that comes from other people ect.’ ‘To help develop my writing skills I use it to voice my opinion, share fashion and food tips and post must have lists’

‘I use it to blog about my personal style and I got into blogging because it seemed fun to do’

‘Personal creative use, and because it was an easy platform to work from.’ ‘To express my personal style and enjoy reading others for inspiration’’

‘sharing, personal enjoyment, community and conversation’

‘I personally find it easier, check instagram and social media on my phone and on the go all the time.’

‘prefer to just check instagram/ twitter on my phone, just a lot easier to keep up to date’ ‘More easily accessible on instagram’ ‘I like how quick instgram is and their style of writing might not be easy to read.’

‘Easier to look at on phone’ ‘just like to see pictures for inspiration and choose my own ones to follow, not see there images every single time i scroll down on instagram.’ ‘It’s easier to see the updates instantly on Instagram rather than search through blog posts!’ Easier to access via mobile and easier format ‘generally’ ‘Easier as it comes up on news feed

and sometimes a photo is all you need’ ‘More interested in quick photo updates than reading through their blog posts’

5.0

Trend Boutique Online vs. Offline

Notes from the November 2013 Trend Boutique Online Vs. Offline Conference at the Broadway Cinema. This conference was attended as primary research to gain a better understanding of the online and offline environments in fashion. As part of the recommendations the prospect of print had already been thought about at this point, so the talk was timely and relevant to the project.

• Founded in 1977 by Mary Portas • Good business is about people- good relationships with customers and suppliers • Art against knives • Making change is about people- have to understand people to their deepest level • Online vs offline is the biggest thing to happen to marketing - It is not about vs. they play a dual role in business - Nothing beats a store for memorable brand experience and in that case offline reigns - Music and video is 80% online but other things will never reach that - Online is a great support system for offline business - Millenials prefer to shop instore - Retail is not dead but the imagination of retail is PX- new strategy people experience- understanding people is the most important thing will be a new strand of the agency The high street is no longer about shops, it is about a whole experience

- People are quick to give themselves a title without honouring their craft - Wanting the shot quickly stifles creativity- the same can be said for image making throughout other platforms - Volt pulls on people from different countries as voices

Ant Waller- PR

- Everyone is now able to comment but the big question is, is everyone’s opinion valid - Everyone is their own fashion editor- there is a constant battle about how much access you can give bloggers - They are a phenomenon which have taken over and have the power to critique and be detrimental to brands - Bloggers are a notoriously difficult media to control - Can luxury be luxury if it is attainable

Sally Denton - Trend and Cultural report Paul Sheehy- co-founder of Folk • Online vs offline is a ‘has been’ debate • Judging isn’t judging its story telling • Instagram gives anyone the chance to be a photographer, enabling stories to be told • Online vs. offline- the same story • Challenge is always how can you tell a story that engages people about a product that isn’t glamorous • Storytelling is the best way to connect both online and offline • Anthropologists content that 70% of what we learn is through stories  We speak not to the head but the heart  Look at fuji water experiment DIGITAL IS EVERYTHING • Look at the Dollar Shave club promotional video and Eurostar, they are campaigns that encourage storytelling

Cynthia Lawrence-Jones- Co-owner of Volt Magazine • Consume images and content too quickly and we are now a generation of flickers • The idea behind Volt magazine is that it is large scale and unbound, encouraging people to take time over looking at the images • Internet is about disposable imagery • Had to evolve to an online magazine as it champions younger contributors • The internet has opened up the world of film- Volt Café Film • Nobody knows the source of their images anymore- Google generations • You can’t get away with us much online as you can in print • Trying to bring the art back into photography

- - - - - - - - - -

Early 2000s and late 90s- a time of plenty, obsessed with designer Recession has made people stop and think what they want out of life We now have the technology to move things on at a much faster pace There is now no such thing as young and old Turbulent teens- no idea what is coming next, in both technology and fashion Brazil, Russia and China are the biggest growing economies Community, experience and connecting with each other are the biggest trends within retail Online are going offline We are going to be obsessed with manufacture Molecular manufacturing

6.0

British Fashion Council Blogger Strategy Case Study

The British Fashion Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newly concieved blogger strategy was of key interest throught the project as it is providing the first step to controlling the quality and repoting of the event. A case study was conducted looking into the strategy to gain a better understanding of how and why it has been designed, and what implications this will have on the fashion industry.

BFC Blogger Strategy Through further research it was discovered that the attendance of bloggers at London Fashion week is something the British Fashion council are actively trying to control, after acknowledging the issue that with ‘an average rise in applications of 25% season on season’ (BFC online, 2013) bloggers are effectively taking over fashion week. To be accredited, ‘bloggers must have a wide reach, influence, engagement and evidence that they support the work of British designers’ (BFC online, 2013) a strategy that will ensure an insightful and well-rounded report of London Fashion week will be published. This strategy appears to be the first step to managing and controlling the attendance and coverage of events at London fashion Week. Ella- Louise Gaskell from The British Fashion Council was contacted as a form of primary research, to try and gain further insight into what the blogger strategy is aiming to do, however she wasn’t able to comment on behalf of the BFC, but instead provided a link to the blogger hub. On the right are screen shots of pages from the blogger hub accreditation pack, they provide bloggers with a page of statistics for them to use when tweeting to add weight to their social media posts. This tackles the problem of uninformed tweets being sent out during the show, and offers to educate the people reading them. They also provide an unaccredited bloggers guide to ensure that a feeling of exclusivity doesn’t take over the event. This provides unaccredited bloggers as many ways as possible to get involved and how to tweet and interact with Fashion Week. It can be concluded that bloggers are a vital part of the fashion ecosystem; they provide a wealth of content, reporting on new designers as well as providing valid and insightful commentary on shows. It would be wrong to label all bloggers as attention seeking and the British Fashion Council’s new strategy to manage the quality of bloggers attending will be the initial step in regaining a serious industry feel to fashion week.

fig.13 fig.14 The accreditation pack provides accredited bloggers with everything they need to make the most of fashion week, and how to compile the most insightful and informed coverage of events. The List of accredited bloggers are: Krista Madden, beautyandthedirt.com & Handpicked Media Simon Glazin, The Very Simon G Joao Paulo Nunes, The Style Examiner Emily Johnston, Fashion Foie Gras Karen Hendry, Katie Chutzpah Ella Gregory, Coco’s Tea Party Susanna Lau, Style Bubble Danielle Wightman-Stone, Fashionista Barbie Navaz Batliwalla, Disney Roller Girl Steve Salter, Style Salvage Abisola Omole, Abi Marvel Ella Catliff, La Petite Anglaise Laetitia Wajnapel, Mademoiselle Robot Reena Rai, Fashion Daydreams

fig.15

7.0 Social Media Experiment

After initial secondary research into ‘The Instagram effect’ and the discovery of the narcissistic side to the image revolution which has occurred due to the ease at which everyone can become an online image curator, a small investigation was run to test the hypothesis that today’s generation are more responsive to image based interaction than that of text, via the medium of social media. The idea of the ‘selfie’ a word which found its way into the dictionary during 2013, was what was being played on with this idea, looking into peoples willingness to share a posed image of their face rather than respond in written format. An online survey (see app.4.0) was posted via Facebook encouraging people to fill it in to help out with a research project about blogging. There were 30 responses in total with 7 of the people who filled it in being directly contacted and asked to do so. Having been posted to an audience of round 750, this averages as 4% correspondence to the survey. An image was then generated to be posted on instagram see fig. asking for followers to share their Christmas selfies or outfit posts using a hashtag ‘my Christmas selfie’ or to directly contact or tag me.

fig.17

Posted to an audience of 132, 17 people responded with images, many of which had already been posted during the Christmas period, which averaged a response of 12.9%. These images were gained over the space of 3 days, in comparison to the survey which was posted repeatedly over the time span of about a month. Many factors could have contributed to the fact that the instagram response was higher including that fact that the post was more timely and relevant when shared, and that many of the followers it was posted to on Facebook would have no idea or interest in the field of fashion blogging. Another factor could also have been that it didn’t seem as much effort for people to share as they had already put pictures up which they were willing to share for the project, however the fact that some of those images were on there, does speak volumes when looking into the Instagram culture of people sharing photos of themselves, it is still telling that people seemed more willing to go out of their way to share an image of themselves than to fill in a questionnaire.

8.0

Case Studies

The 1888 Hotel

8.1

A case study of the 1888 hotel was chosen as it illustrates perfectly the argument that visual forms of social media have reached a peak, and helps to underpin the prediction that Instagram and other similar apps will die out by 2017. The hotel was named after the year Kodak released its first box roll camera and has been designed with photographic influences and Instagram addicts in mind. It features designated Instagram spots where guests are encouraged to take selfies, and features media hubs in every room.

“There has always been a strong, intrinsic link between travel and photography, but the advent of social media and Instagram has made photo-sharing an even bigger part of the traveller’s experience,” he said. “People not only want to visit and stay in beautiful places, they also want to capture and share it with their friends and networks as it happens.” (Fischman, 2013) Whilst the creators of the hotel state that the link between travel and photography is the key to this hotels success and its interactivity is a positive way to engage interactions, I can’t help but feel this is a narcissistic elitist form of interaction. With elements such as people with 10,000 Instagram followers being able to stay for free, they create a feeling of exclusivity, that not just rich people can access, but by people who are judged solely on their image. Instagram users gain followers, judged purely on the content of their images, the thought that now people can stay in hotel for free due to the image they perceive through a social networking platform is quite alarming, and will only fuel more narcissistic online commentary. It is also a showcase of the extent of how social media and the internet now dictates the lives of many. The idea of a holiday, meant for escaping and relaxing has been completely turned on its head, and now guests are sharing and Instagramming pictures as they holiday. Whilst the link between travel and photography is intrinsic as they state, the link between travel and social media is something entirely different. The hotel has created designated Instagram hotspots with areas where guests are able to take selfies, and stage images of the view. To me this is the first indication that image based platforms will be dying out in the imminent future. If brands and companies are already starting to pre-empt the taking of photographs, then the spontaneity that first surged the popularity of these platforms is effectively taken away. This will not only amass a vast amount of similar content on Instagram, but will also begin to have detrimental effects on people’s creativity. Instagram initially encouraged everyone to become their own image curator and photographer, and now that everyone is being urged to take photos of the same things, this will begin to inhibit personal creativity.

Dazed and Confused Video Platform

8.2

8.3

It’s Nice That

fig.20

Fig.19 We are already seeing a movement towards video based communication strategies, with Dazed and Confused being a prime example of this. Dazed and Confused have recently developed a communication platform they have called ‘Visionaries’ which features a year long video strand, featuring weekly video takeovers focusing on fashion film. They are attempting to adopt video as ‘fashion has largely failed to harness the potential of online video’ they blame this on a ‘debilitating mix of underfunding, poor distribution and uncompelling content’. With consumers feeling the need for ‘fast forms of communication’ (Davies, 2014)it is clear to see why fashion film has failed to reach the audiences that apps such as Instagram have captured. Whilst this strategy by Dazed provides fast and up to the minute viewing experience, it misses out on the interactivity aspect and fast sharing of content that has become so popular among new millenials. This platform provides a base for uncelebrated masters of fashion film, and it is this exposure of upcoming talent which is vital to the industry of fashion as it keeps it fresh and relevant. This is something that intends to be explored throughout the recommendations as it is platforms like this that keep the industry focused on talent and quality of content, an area where blogging is falling flat. Dazed have identified that trend that video content is the next step in digital communication and are early instigators of this trend, although newly conceived it would be interesting to follow up on how the concept is doing in a years time.

It’s nice that began life as a publishing platform, similar to that of a blog format where various contributors would post articles on a daily basis, focused around art based news, reviews and ‘championing creativity across the art and design world.’(It’s nice that). It is one of very few forms of media which started life as a blog, then later developed to print, publishing a quarterly magazine and an annual book. This is a key business model to study, as when looking into the developments of online publications such as blogs it is also vital to acknowledge the developments of offline, and the link between the two, focusing on the coexistence of both formats. Also as research has suggested that an offline publication for blogs could be a possibility this example was used as a case study. Founded in 1977 the business has grown rapidly, expanding to 7 online channels of communication as well as the annual and quarterly magazines previously mentioned. The online strand of the company attracts around ‘400,000 unique users a month’ (Alderson, 2013) with 25% of those from London. The idea began with wanting to come up with an idea to make the ‘art school experience more fun and accessible’ (Alderson 2013) and is something which still remains key to their ethos. A case study has been conducted on this company as their seamless blending of both online and offline content is crucial to their success. The readership of the offline content, as Alderson stated, is designed to remove the filter that the internet provides over choice of content, and enables the audience to have the sense of surprise and intrigue, something print excels over digital in provoking. The benefit of their print magazine, is that like the website it still features content from a large variety of contributors, and still features the high quality imagery that the website contains, it just offers the reader a hands on tactile experience, still in tune with the online brand they love.

It’s Nice That

8.3

Analysis of print content • There is a use of recycled uncoated paper on the whole, reflecting the ‘art school’ feel to the publication • For a couple of the contributors, glossy coated paper was used to reflect the feeling and aesthetic of their content, something that cannot be replicated online • There is a featured article looking into the benefits of independent publishing, article is timely, relevant and relates to the concept of the brand. • The price of £9 is towards the lower end of publication prices, however high enough that people feel it as an investment on a quarterly basis • With headings such as ‘interview’ featured at the top of pages, it provides the ease of flicking which online content captures, yet the imagery that goes with flicking is designed to stop readers engaging them in something they would miss online How this is useful: Through research gathered, it is clear to see that there is a reversion back to the form of print which is occurring. It’s nice that has proved a highly beneficial case study as they illustrate perfectly how collaborative content found online can translate well to print. As part of the recommendations the prospect of a translation of blogs to print has been a possibility. Using this as a study has highlighted the importance of keeping content similar and relevant to what is found online, but also pricing and marketing at a slightly more niche and professional market.

18-25 year olds

9.0

Mobile Survey A survey of 23 people was run to try and gain some statistics as to the ownership and frequency of use of smart phones. The survey was aimed at 18-25 year olds, as this is the age range of new millennials that the British Fashion Council App is being targeted at. The survey was composed of three questions: Do you own a smart phone? How often do you check your smartphone? And do you use your smart phone on public transport? The last question was asked to try and underpin the idea that an on the go fashion video app for fashion week would be a good idea, with people on the go all the time, they would want the news quick and concise. The results are displayed on the opposite page. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Y8KG787

Owned a Smartphone

52.17%

21.74%

17.39%

4.35%

Checked their phone more than every half hour

Checked their phone every couple of hours

Checked their phone every half hour

Checked their phone at night and in the mornings

Checked their phone rarely

100%

10.0 Swot Analysis of

British Fashion Council Proposed App

Strengths: • BFC are an established authority within British Fashion therefore people will already assume that content will be of a high calibre • The content will be mobile, and will differ from live streaming in the fact it will show smaller snippets of video content, appealing to those 100% of people questioned who use their smartphones on public transport and want fast and concise information • It will use the already existing blogger strategy so there is an approved list of bloggers who can use it • It taps into the trend of street style but in a more interactive, personal and engaging way

Weaknesses • Because it is only the accredited blogger who will be allowed to post content, there may be people who won’t follow it as they would be the ones wanting to share content • It could lead to elitist feeling coverage of London Fashion Week • As London Fashion week is only twice a year, this could lead to the app being redundant for large parts of the year.

Opportunities • There is an opportunity for other brands to take up on this idea as it allows personal and brand specific content • Depending on the success of the trial there would be opportunity for people to create accounts enabling them to save and bank their favourite clips for future reference, links to the idea of ‘collections and curations’ (Hardaway, 2012) becoming a future mobile trend. • The could be an opportunity to link it up to peoples phone calendars to give them updates as to when shows are and who will be blogging at what times

Threats

Fig.22

• Live streaming will always be a threat, with that able to be mobile as well it will be trial and error as to whether people chose to refer to this app rather than live stream content. • There is a threat of alienating other fashion bloggers who aren’t accredited, whereas the idea of it is to not create exclusivity, but to allow for quality concise content.

11.0 Fashion Blogs to Print

Three forms of primary research were conducted to explore further the idea of there being an online app where users can transfer digital publishing into print. Initially a survey was compiled which was posted on twitter with the hashtag #fbloggers to try and attract a response from fashion blogger. Although it only managed 8 responses, they were detailed and insightful answers which help to influence and underpin the recommendations. The results are posted on the folllowing page. The other research to back up the idea, were industry interviews, one with a sales assistant in an independant book shop, and another the marketing director of art and design at Nottingham Trent University. These were conducted to get an understanding of the wider print and portfolio industries and to use them as references to prove that a blog to print format will work.

11.1 Responses to the question: How long have you had your blog and how has it developed since you started? 1) Have only had my blog for a year but I use it more as an online style diary for personal reference and as something extra for my CV rather than to be attending fashion week and getting freebies. 2) I have had my blog since August and it has grown from 6 of my closest friends reading to over 21k views. I am started a webseries, fashion show and an online clothing store in the Spring. 3) 3 years 3 months. I’ve started to take my own photos and there is more of a personal style element. 4) 2 years. I started as just a bra fitting blog and now blog on other topics such as fashion, body image, and feminism 5) I have had my blog for about 3 months,and now have around 150 followers. I am developing new relationships and followers everyday 6) 3.5 years - it started off very small and remained so for a year. Took off more after the first year and is now fairly successful 7) I’ve had a fashion blog for about 3 years. I previously reblogged other bloggers’ fashion posts but over the last 2 months I’ve started creating my own posts including outfit of the day, nailvarnish ideas, product reviews and more!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SRCVG79

8) I have had my blog up and running since January 2011 but I have only been properly writing it for the past year. Before I would just write a post once every few months whereas now its more of a weekly thing. My blog has developed since it started as I have got more followers and comments from people and I have personally developed it by adding more content.

11.1 Responses to the question: Could you, or would you ever want to see your blog adapted into a print format? 1) It depends how? I would love to be able to print off some of my work and compile a book but obviously not as something to be published and sold, but for personal reference and to show people. 2) I would love to see it adapted into a curated look book. Though that would also require an online edition to remain relevant. 3) I like it digital because it’s simple and fast. 4) Yes, have thought extensively about writing a book. 5) That would be cool 6) Yes 7) It would be cool although it would probably take more time that I have available 8) I think it would be amazing to see my blog adapted into a print format, but I can’t see it ever happening. I can however see certain blog posts being printed in magazines/publications depending on the content and style of the publication.

Responses to the question: Would you be interested in a platform which would mean you could collate your favorite blog posts from multiple bloggers into a print format or mini zine? 1) I’m not so sure about that, Why would I want to get the same content that I can get online, in an offline format. 2) Yes, that would significantly help bloggers interact with each other and their readers. 3) Potentially. 4) Right now, no 5) Possibly, it would depend on easy the interface was to use 6) Yes 7) Yes sure! 8) I would personally be interested in this; it would almost be like a mini collage of all your favourite blog posts!

Analysis

From the responses it is clear to see that bloggers are interested in the idea of blogs being translated into print, however the idea of it being a collation of a number of other bloggers work was not so popular. The reason for this seemed to be because people could already view the content online, so why would they need to go to the trouble of paying to get it printed. However a number of the bloggers said they would be keen to see their work translated into print. One of the responses was that they would like to see it but it would probably take up to much of their time, this is a key area for interest, as the creation of an app which could use already existing content would take out the timely aspect of things.

11.2

Transcribed Interview with Shop Assistant at Jeremy & Westerman Books

Blore: Modern small print as you saying basically publication we haven’t seen, we might hardly ever see it to be honest because you’re looking at tiny print runs and in many cases with things like that people generally if they’ve gone to the effort to buy it they’ll keep it. People will buy a magazine and they’ll discard it very quickly, but when people have had to go to the effort of searching out a particular magazine article then for them to have it sent then they’re not going to discard it

Me: yeah, that’s interesting, do you sell online Blore: we do yes, I sell online, I’ve got about 9 and a half thousand books Me: oh ok, do you find sales are better online or offline? Blore: in terms of rate of sales, no I’d say its urm it’s not that it isn’t bad but the shop has probably still got a little bit a better rate of sale, so the number of books per sale items is probably still in favour, you know tipped towards the shop than it is towards the internet

Me: aaah ok cool Blore: that’s changing and who knows where it will go Me: That’s interesting that you’re not sure as to where it will go nect, what I’ve been looking into is the idea of people creating content online and then getting it printed

Blore: aah yes that happens all the time, mostly with the book trade it’s with out of print books.

There are modern authors where these days because of the limiting nature of publishers h4ey only wanting to publish people with they can guarantee money, lots of authors will print themselves and they’ll use the new format it used to be the case they’d go to small printers and then they’d pay however much, £500, £1000 and have a limited number printed, now they can do it themselves on the internet and print on demand

Me: yeh, do you think that’s the way forward? Blore: I think it’s going to move more and more that way Me: yeh Blore:I think it’ll limit the, it’ll effect the publishers

Me: do you think there’s been, have you noticed like with the rise of self-publishing and the internet have you noticed a decline in the sale of print?

Blore: no, no its not, it will happen I think, the issue say with this is because we’re second hand items is that on the internet were competing with other dealers with the same item but we’re now competing with companies who will print it on demand so a books out of copyright so it can be printed by anyone as a print on demand book if they want to. And so you have to, if you’re putting a book, if this was to go on the internet for example *points to book* you’d have to pitch it so its competing with not only comparative copies but also print on demand copies, so it’s made it a little bit harder to sell because that might sell to a collector and he’ll only want the original, but then again there might want to be someone who just wants it as a reading copy so they will be happy to get it as a print on demand copy which isn’t as high a production quality, so yeah in the end its going to affect us, because there’s going to be some people who are going to be, don’t need to you know, they’ve got more choice so you aren’t going to get everybody

Email Interview with Anna Kerr Marketing Assistant, College of Art and Design, Nottingham Trent How important would you say portfolios are when applying for art and design courses and what do you look for in student’s portfolios? – I don’t look at portfolios myself, as that is the course leaders jobs. However, I believe that porfolios are extremely important when it comes to art and design courses (dependent on the course itself). For example, creating a portfolio for a course such as fashion design or fine art or photography etc, not only showcases your skills, but it also reflects how serious you are when it comes to a career in that industry. Portfolios are a quick way of informing the person you are trying to impress, that you are serious about your degree and want to progress, meaning that it will be worth giving you a place. However, I do also believe that some courses do not necessarily need you to show a body of work, as some courses are like nothing you would have experienced at a College level, and therefore any work you would show would not necessarily have a specific relevance (eg. Communication/ marketing/ media courses). In these circumstances I believe that a blog is a great way of showing that you take a big interest in the culture and ideas surrounding the course you want to study. For me, a portfolio or a blog is about showing passion and interest, not necessarily about being an expert on something before you even start your degree. What would you say the biggest points of difference are between online and offline portfolios and which do you think are the best showcase of work and talent? Once again I believe it depends on the course itself. For example a fashion design student will want to show an understanding of fabric cutting or textures etc. and therefore for them, a portfolio you can touch is an asset. However, I do believe that times are changing, and an understanding of online and digital technology is extremely important to anyone in any field of Art and Design. Online portfolios have the chance to reach hundreds, if not thousands of people, and for someone who wants to promote themselves, this can only be a good thing. In my opinion, your online presence is the perfect way to get you noticed, and once you have been noticed, it is up to you where you go from there. There is nothing more personal in such an online society, than potential employers receiving something they can touch and hold, it means that you have gone that extra mile to create something specifically for them. Overall I believe that online portfolios are important to be taken seriously, and to mould yourself into your own brand. But offline work and personal branding (whether that be business cards or something more out-of-the-box) should not be forgotten, as they can be the difference between being noticed and then forgotten, or being noticed and then remembered. I think both are important.

11.3 Blogging has become a very saturated market and many students or prospective students use blogs as a platform to showcase their work, interests and talents. Do you see blogs as a viable form of selfpromotion or portfolios? Yes. I think that it is important in this day and age to be heard, to show that you are different from every Tom, Dick and Harry, and that you actually have an opinion. Of course you have to be careful what you are posting and make sure it is targeted to the right people. I think blogging can show your passion for your area of interest, and make you stand out. I also think that platforms such as linkedin. com are a great way of doing this, having your CV and social updates (usually the sharing of articles and opinions around your specialist area) in the same place portrays your strengths and opinions all in one area. Do you think it is important to showcase skills through both online and offline publication or should students keep their work to one format? I think that you should always use both, but lean more towards online. In my opinion your online portfolio is the chance to showcase your best work to the world, it is very easy to send a link to your portfolio to a prospective employer or tutor, and not so easy to send a body of work. However, going that extra mile and creating offline promotional material can be very affective, especially when it comes to networking or blagging yourself that interview. The thinking behind this recommendation is that by enabling students to curate their online blog, bringing their content offline they will also be able to factor in things such as paper quality cover design and page layouts and this should enable them to showcase a range of talents, Do you think this would be a useful tool for students and would this be something you would be interested in seeing get developed? I think this kind of offline activity would be good for students who are expected to create tangible objects in their chosen field. It may be hard for students who do courses such as Fashion Communication or Fashion Marketing to showcase social networking campaigns etc in an offline way, and these would be better viewed online. Also, this idea would be good if they had somewhere specific to showcase these offline porfolios, as many students don’t get the chance when it comes to attending interviews. If there was some sort of event that ran alongside this idea that allowed students to do this, I think it would help.

12.0 Forms, Feedback

Tutorial Sheets and Planning

School of Art & Design

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Declaration Form 2013/14 Module: Negotiated Project Stage 1 Module Leader: Tim Rundle Ref. no: FASH30001

I confirm that this work has gained ethical approval and that I have faithfully observed the terms of the approval in the conduct of this project. This submission is the result of my own work. All help and advice other than that received from tutors has been acknowledged and primary and secondary sources of information have been properly attributed. Should this statement prove to be untrue I recognise the right and duty of the board of examiners to recommend what action should be taken in line with the University's regulations on assessment contained in its handbook.

signed .................................................................................................................... date .......................................................................................................................

CONSENT FORM

Project Title: …………………………………………..

Please read and confirm your consent to being interviewed for this project by ticking the appropriate boxes and signing and dating this form

1. I confirm that the purpose of the project has been explained to me, that I have been given information about it in writing, and that I have had the opportunity to ask questions about the research

2. I understand that my participation is voluntary, and that I am free to withdraw at any time without giving any reason and without any implications for my legal rights

3. I give permission for the interview to be recorded by research staff, on the understanding that the tape will be destroyed at the end of the project

I agree to take part in this project

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School of Art & Design

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Tutorial Record Sheet 2013/14

School of Art & Design

Module: Negotiated Project Stage 1 Ref. no: FASH30001 Date: Name :

Independent Research Project Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Had to bring a critical path and week by week plan to analyse what we wanted to be completed and by when Visual research brought in to analyse and give feedback on

fcp3

Tutorial Record Sheet 2013/14 Module: Negotiated Project Stage 1 Ref. no: FASH30001 Date: Name :

Independent Research Project Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Visual research up to this point, including case studies Show some primary research or a plan for primary research, can be visual or written Bring laptop to share research methods and to show how research is being documented

Learning issues to discuss in session:

How to organize all the research we collect and looking at other peoples research methods and comparing them

How to conduct a case study, I was unsure of what went into it or if there were any specific requirements

How to create critical paths and manage time

How to come up with visual research

Discussion of when research should be completed and when we should start writing

Ways to store and file research for later dates and to help organisation

Feedback from session:

It was suggested that I look into the history of image and documentation of opinions in fashion throughout history to gauge where blogging has stemmed from

Need to think of some ideas for primary research as I currently have none

I should try and give deadlines and time scales for do do lists and break it down into a critical path

Look into how brands use blogs and social media, look further into the article from not just a label about high end brands wanting to keep their exclusivity

Watch the Diana Vreeland documentary Tasks for next session: Present a visual overview of where you’re at, such as mood boards or on screen Bring laptop to show how we’re working and talk through one example of primary research

Think about visuals and how your report will look Tasks for next session: Come with chapter plans and any questions you want to ask before the interim presentations Bring any books you’ve read to discuss and be prepared to share ideas

Show an example of part of your primary research Bring a list of case studies, either visual or verbally written List research methodology, explain what you’re doing and how and why Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

School of Art & Design

fcp3

Tutorial Record Sheet 2013/14 Module: Negotiated Project Stage 1 Ref. no: FASH30001 Date: Name :

Independent Research Project Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: This session was our interim presentations so we had to come prepared with all research and visual work we had compiled up until this point and had to give a ten minute presentation about our findings and explaining where we could see our projects going

Learning issues to discuss in session: How peoples projects were going, each had to fill in an advice sheet for everyone and then we each got one back so that we were getting nine different feedbacks from the rest of the group In my project the points for discussion were how to make the work visual, how to come up with some more primary research and what route to go down for recommendations

Feedback from session: Consider audience and consumer- from this I realised that although I had been coming up with good strategic outcomes they needed to be more focused and targeted to a specific consumer Therefore this linked to the fact that my primary research was quite weak and I need to get some more to underpin my ideas Need to explore further into the death of social media to try and look at a new generation of bloggers Tasks for next session: Go away and reflect on feedback and write up both peer and tutor feedback. Print out a draft of somme chapter plans to had in to receive feedback Prepare some ideas for visuals, come up with ideas of how I want the presentation to look

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

School of Art & Design

fcp3

Tutorial Record Sheet 2013/14 Module: Negotiated Project Stage 1 Ref. no: FASH30001 Date: Name :

Independent Research Project Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Bring a write up and analysis from our interim presentations from the previous week Bring a chapter plan outlining what we plan to do Bring some visuals in print out mood boards to get feedback on

Learning issues to discuss in session: How many case studies you need to include What was good about my presentation and what needs to be looked at further and researched into more How chapters are structured and what needs to be covered in the appendix Feedback from session: Feedback was mainly positive although the visuals of my presentation really need work There were some strong aspects of secondary research which can be looked into further and gather primary research to back these ideas up Overall grade for the presentation: High 2:2 Tasks for next session: Write up an introduction and bring a finalized chapter plan and any last questions before Christmas

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

School of Art & Design

fcp3

Tutorial Record Sheet 2013/14

School of Art & Design

Module: Negotiated Project Stage 1 Ref. no: FASH30001 Date: Name :

Independent Research Project

fcp3

Tutorial Record Sheet 2013/14 Module: Negotiated Project Stage 1 Ref. no: FASH30001 Date: Name :

Independent Research Project

Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session:

A detailed chapter plan outlining what will be covered in each chapter

Bring everything we have compiled so far, I’d finished my writing but wanted feedback on visuals so brought my laptop and all the work for feedback

A first draft of an introduction Any questions we might have before Christmas

Learning issues to discuss in session: How to structure an introduction, tenses, what needs to be included, how long they usually are Learning objectives What amount of work needs to be completed over Christmas and how to plan our time

Feedback from session: Session was really useful and by sharing my introduction with Becca and Alana I realised that it needed to be written in third person rather than first person to create a better tone of voice and make it slightly more impersonal

Learning issues to discuss in session: Needed more primary research source so wanted to see if I could get feedback for any ideas Feeling unsure about infographics so that was an area for discussion Wanted to know how much detail to go into in the recommendations section

Feedback from session: Feedback was generally very positive, Matt said that my research outcomes sounded very strong and it was just about making sure that I make it really clear how I’ve reached those outcomes throughout my research project

Was really useful to see chapter plans too and I got good feedback on mine

I was very unsure with the visuals because I don’t feel that that is an area of strength for me so Matt looked at my Pinterest boards and told me that the ideas were good and just to keep it simple

Tasks for next session:

Next session is after Christmas so just to bring everything we have done so far for feedback

Get it printed

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor)

Signed (student)

Visual Inspiration Fig.24 In terms of visuals I knew straight away that I wanted the project to have a very simple monochrome look with a strong editorial feel. I wanted it to have an almost exhibition space or independent magazine aesthetic to reflect the strategic outcomes I refer to at the end. I also wanted it to echo the very monochrome, simple layout that most blogs today feature, and so with all of those components decided I compiled some Pinterest boards as inspiration for the design process. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want the project to be very graphics based with lots of colour, but with more photo content to appear like a blog format almost. As infographics were a requirement within the project I tried to incorporate them into my appendix, and throughout the projects but in a more text based design. I wanted the front cover and binding to look like that of a hardback book as this links to the recommendation but also the research I have done into print. I pinned a variety of images for front cover inspiration and eventually decided on a neutral canvas cover with minimal detail and imagery.

Fig.23

Fig. 25

Fig.1. Collins, B, 2013, Unknown [Photograph] In: Elle Collections Autumn/ Winter 2013. London. P39 Fig.2. Jennings, E, 2013, More Monochrome [digital image] Available at: http://stylingemma jennings.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-max=2013-05-03T13:18:00%2B01:00&max-results=3&start=30&by-date=false [accessed 15th January 2014]

Illustrations for Appendix

Fig.3. Jennings, E, 2013, Back With A New Camera [digital image] Available at: http://stylingemmajennings.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-max=2013-05-03T13:18:00%2B01:00&max-results=3&start=30&by-date=false [accessed 15th January 2014] Fig.4. Jennings, E, 2013, Masculine Monochrome [digital image] Available at: http://stylingemmajennings.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-max=2013-05-03T13:18:00%2B01:00&max-results=3&start=30&by-date=false [accessed 15th January 2014] Fig.5. Martin, C, 2013, Found/ New Balance 574 [digital image] Available at: http://www.iamcharlottemartin.com/ [Accessed 15th January 2014] Fig.6. Martin, C, 2013, Wearing/ Little Motel [digital image] Available at: http://www.iamcharlottemartin.com/ [Accessed 15th January 2014] Fig.7. Starr, M, 2013, Polka Dot, Polka Dot. [digital image] Available at: http://scarlettlondon. com/category/what-i-wore/ [Accessed 15th January 2014] Fig.8. Starr, M, 2013, Beach Break. [digital image] Available at: http://scarlettlondon.com/category/what-i-wore/ [Accessed 15th January 2014] Fig.9. Sheldon, E, 2013, Summer Style Lookbook [digital image] Available at: http://www. emtalks.co.uk/2013/05/summer-style-lookbook.html#more [Accessed 15th January 2014] Fig.10. Sheldon, E, 2013, Spa Trips [digital image] Available at: http://www.emtalks. co.uk/2013/05/summer-style-lookbook.html#more [Accessed 15th January 2014] Fig.11. Sheldon, E, 2013, The Mint Boyfriend Coat [digital image] Available at: http://www. emtalks.co.uk/2014/01/the-mint-boyfriend-coat.html#more [Accessed 15th January 2014] Fig.12. Various, 2013, Blogger collage compiled by Litchfield, R [Digital images] Available at http://www.fashioninflux.co.uk/, http://www.thelondoner.me/, http://www.llymlrs.com/, http:// www.shewearsfashion.com/, http://www.mediamarmalade.com/ [Accessed 14th January 2014] Fig. 13. Screenshot, 2014, Blogger Accreditation pack [pdf document] Available at: http://www. londonfashionweek.co.uk/uploads/media/17/16472.pdf [Accessed 16th January] Fig.14. Screenshot, 2014, Blogger Accreditation pack [pdf document] Available at: http://www. londonfashionweek.co.uk/uploads/media/17/16472.pdf [Accessed 16th January] Fig. 15. Unknown, 2013, MATTHEW WILLIAMSON SS14 AT LONDON FASHION WEEK, SEPTEMBER 2013 [digital image] Available at: http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/content/2340/Bloggers-Hub

Fig.16 Litchfield, R, 2013, Instagram research picture [Digital Image] Available at: http:// instagram.com/romylitch25 [Accessed 19th January 2014] Fig.17. Litchfield, R, 2014, Instagram research collage [Digital Image] Available at: http:// instagram.com/ [Accessed 19th January 2014] Fig.18. Unknown, 2013, The 1888 Hotel. [digital image] Available at: http://jonnymetbird. com/2013/09/16/1888-hotel-sydney/ [Accessed 15th January 2014] Fig.19. Unknown, 2013, i-D Homepage. [digital image] Available at: http://www. businessoffashion.com/2013/11/with-new-launches-i-d-and-dazed-embrace-digitalage-dynamics.html?utm_source=Subscribers&utm_campaign=0ae3e79134-&utm_ medium=email&utm_term=0_d2191372b3-0ae3e79134-417162901 [accessed 16th January 2014] Fig.20. Parr, M, 2007, Front Cover [Photograph] In: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nice That No.7. London. P107 Fig.21. Bachmann, N, 2007, Nobrow [Photograph] In: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nice That No.7. London. P71 Fig. 22. Unkown, 2013, Pre Autumn/Winter 2014 Erdem [Digital Image] Available at: http:// www.britishfashioncouncil.com/gallery_album.aspx?albumid=232 [Accessed 16th January 2014] Fig 23. Litchfield, R, 2014, Screenshot of Pinterest Boards [Screenshot] Available at: http://www. pinterest.com/romyellena/layouts/ [Accessed 16th January 2014] Fig. 24. Litchfield, R, 2014, Screenshot of Pinterest Boards [Screenshot] Available at: http://www. pinterest.com/romyellena/layouts/ [Accessed 16th January 2014] Fig. 25. Litchfield, R, 2014, Screenshot of Pinterest Boards [Screenshot] Available at: http://www. pinterest.com/romyellena/layouts/ [Accessed 16th January 2014]

The End