Contextual Studies for Fashion Retail
Cultural Influences-
War/Military
•Africa- Tribal/Animal Print •ChinaOriental/embellishment
Women’s rights/returning to work
Milestones•Man on the moon
Eco-Friendly materials•Organic cotton •Tencel •Recycled Polyester
Fashion through History, 1900Present Day
Music•The Beatles •Nirvana
Designers70’s•Woodstock •Vietnam •Civil Rights movement
•Chanel • Dior • Versace
90’s•Rave scene •Grunge
Celebrities•Marilyn Monroe • Elvis Presley • David Bowie
1900 1906
Accessories such as lacedraped parasols can frequently be seen during
The 1920's bought a more relaxed approach to fashion bringing with it the 'flapper' style. Women's clothing in particular became more shapeless and rid of the clinched waist silhouettes. Music was a profound influence on this change. Women not only gained the right to vote but slowly progressed to the workplace, a feminine revolution arose as women chose boyish bowl cuts and masculine attire including the wearing of pants. Coco Chanel was a arguably the biggest figure of this time.
this era Drawing from the artistic movement of cubism, using bold, block colours and geometric shapes Poiret strayed from the comfort of Edwardian pastels.
1920 1911
1920
(Uk.pinterest.com, 2016)
Extravagant fabrics mainly consisting of layered laces Appearance of a small waist was deemed of great importance so corsets were a must for the woman of the 1900’s.
Paul Poiret drew inspiration from the influence of the eastern styles conjuring the first designs of the Kimono Jacket and tunic dresses. Essentially he was famous for ‘liberating’ women from the constricting corsets previously required. (Authors: Harold Koda, 2016)
The appearance of the Kimono is echoed still in modern fashion with the influence of Eastern design still central.
Movie costumes and their incorporation into general wear was arguably the biggest influence on 30's fashion. Some notable pieces reflecting this include the broad shoulder look, the velvet tipped hat and the 'barbecue dress'.
The two primary silhouettes of the 50's era was the full skirt and the pencil skirt, reinstating the previous importance's of the thinness of the waist. Dior's 'new look', developed and introduced in 1947 is a prime example of the clinched waistline however also showcases the new, luxurious materials available post-war following rationing. Research into new fabrics became important in the late 50's, the introduction of synthetic fibres such as rayon and Dacron was also marked here, known particularly for its stretch properties, vital for swimwear.
1930's
1950's Mary Quant was said to be the pioneer of the “The 1950s moved Britain from the austerity of the 1940s miniskirt however she said that it was her customers to the prosperity of the 1960s.” that created it as they asked for shorter hemlines, similar to the ones she herself wore.
Paris couture designer, Madeline Vionett influenced modern fashion greatly with her popularisation of the 'bias cut', and the development of the halter top/halter neck, still largely popular today.
The bias cut items are 'different to the ordinary' cuts as they 'cling to a woman’s curves' and offer a 'sexier' alternative to the traditional cuts of fabric.
Fashion in the 1960's reflected the current events of the time and the fight for women’s rights and civil rights. It was a time of exploration and the pushing of boundaries. This is shown through the Mini Skirt. Initially the skirts hem reached above the knees but developments of the piece rose to mid thigh, this was more commonly known as the micro mini.
80's fashion was influenced by TV and music, Madonna was known for her use of layering, messy chic aura and bouffant, highlighted hair. These concepts were taken on-board during the 80's.
The 1970's was a fashion watershed. Both colour and design changed drastically, not only did clothing change but body shape, hair cuts and frame of mind changed with It. The skinny, boyish body became coveted.
Madonna was also an advocate for the aerobics craze of the 1980's whereby women would typically wear spandex, thick belts and leg warmers, I necessity of the times.
1970 1970's psychedelia was also a big influence in the 70's with the rise of the 'hippie' and the 'groovy' bold style. The style was known for being showcased at music festivals in particular Woodstock. The bohemian fashion encapsulated the music and it's individual sound.
Tassels, paisley designs, flares and plat formed shoes were notable at this time.
'The prevalence of tactile fabrics in hippie fashions spoke to the senseenhancing properties of the acid trip.'
1980
New wave fashion of the 1980's was another huge concept. This was described as an 'anarchic statement of punk anti fashion'. The Romantics fashion included flamboyant and often dramatic looks, ruffled sleeves, broad shoulders and tapered baggy trousers.
The 1990’s saw the creation of the grunge style, this consisted of printed t-shirts, mom jeans and flannel shirts. It was led by the fashion icons at the time, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana was a prominent exhibitionist of the grunge style. This then led into other sombre styles, leathers and buckles on all types of clothing particularly jackets.
This also saw the introduction of the androgynous look as it was not just men following this style, but women too. Baggy jeans and loose fitting shirts were the most popular among women.
Many popular accessories also were made popular in the early 2000’s. For example the hoop earing, trucker hats which have seen a big comeback in 2016, and also the timeless ugg boot.
2000
1990
Slip dresses were also made popular during this time seen worn by celebrities and fashion models like Kate Moss.
The slip dress itself however also went on to do great things for fashion especially in the 90’s with the concept of layering becoming increasingly poplar. Turtle necks and baggy tops would be worn under the flimsy dresses allowing the piece to become transitional.
The 2000’s in fashion has been described as a ‘mashup’ of different genres and styles. These including metallic, mesh tops, halter necks, distressed jeans and trench coats in pleather. These have continued to be prominent styles followed through to the present day however some 2000’s trends have been let go, in particular the low rise jean and exposed thong.
Task 1-‘Sophisticated Heritage’
Emporio Armani can be seen to emit the ideas of sophisticated heritage and echo the styles of wartime seen primarily through the use of fur and choice of colouring within the clothes. AW16 colours focussed on the ‘grey of stone, the brown of brick and the dark green of Milanese moss’, sombre colours associated with wartime. This has allowed the collection to capture the ‘melancholy’ of conflict but also through the exploration of durable materials shows the practicalities of wartime wear. This includes leathers and furs, seen during both of these era’s.
AW13
Overall the campaign shows how positives are drawn through fashion from hard times, Tim Blanks commented on the collection, stating ‘And if they were melancholy, that was because beauty is melancholy too’.
AW13
AW15/16
Emporio Armani FallWinter 2015-2016 Ad Campaign
The classic military type boot, worn initially for their durability during war-time has been adapted to appeal to a new era of both material and design. The typical leather has been paired with a grey, sombre suede increasing the wear ability of the boot.
AW15-16
The garrison cap, usually tailored in military style colours namely khaki, beige or dark grey, was named in 1912 as a practical head dress and to this day is still recognised as a classic piece of war uniform. A modern take on the garrison shows a less stiff material allowing more comfort and wear however the original military colours can be kept remaining fashionable in modern times.
Similarly, the trench coat is often chosen for its practicality with its full length coverage paired with a down lining, fur or sheepskin, keeping heat in, essential during cold wartime nights. However the obvious elegance and bold appearance of the trench coat has been adapted for not only the modern man, but also woman being altered to an often thinner material allowing it to seemlessly flow from a/w to s/s.
Task2-The 1950’s
Military style
Postwar Feminism
Women’s workforce
Liberation of women
Playboy First edition-1953
Rock and Roll
Celebrities Pinup Girls
Glitter Elvis Presley
Bikini and Swimwear
Marilyn Monroe Bandanas Grace Kelly
Leather Elizabeth Taylor Body positivity
Blonde Bombshell
The 50’s-Influence of playboy/liberation of women The introduction of the men’s lifestyle magazine ‘Playboy’ in 1953 brought forth a new vision of women, presenting them as ‘sexually aggressive’ and liberated individuals with the rise of the swimsuit and other swimwear. Starlets such as Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor promoted this new look resulting in it becoming accepted and accessible to the average woman, introducing ‘fashion trends that reflected a more permissive attitude in the American culture.’ (Scholarcommons.usf.edu, 2016) However, as well as promoting gender equality and body positivity, the sexual liberation of women influenced fashion to allow for the development of gender fluidity and androgynous looks drawing from practicality of clothing and not a constricted view of fashion, confining women to dress to their role of the housewife. Coco Chanel led this development of women’s clothing understanding that ‘a dress must function’ and not simply just appeal to the human eye. The introduction of her post-war collection bought a new look for women, comprising of two piece suits. The two piece suits consisted of jersey blazers with functional pockets worn with a blouse and a fitted skirt. Contrasting to the similar ideas of freedom in women’s fashion, manifesting itself in the form of bathing suits and bikinis, the concept of women’s clothing running parallel to men’s produced a positive impact allowing women freedom through comfort. Elegance in clothing gained a new notion, women no longer were confined to lace, tight collars and extravagant sleeving as it was agreed that ‘Elegance in clothes means freedom to move freely’. (LoveToKnow, 2016) Despite the new found freedom of loose blouses and wide skirts the necessity of a tight clinched waist was still an important look, shown through Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’. Although it did touch on a ‘slightly more masculine edge’ with pieces like the ‘Bar Suit’, he still felt that women’s fashion must concentrate on forming an hourglass figure to an extent that can be described as ‘beyond the mere nipping in of waists’. (Lady JoJo's, 2011)
1950’s-Post War Post war fashion as led by an increased affluence amongst households allowed for a more extravagant look than the conserved look of the war however also ‘saw the introduction of many new styles’ many of which were conflicting as ‘some women really liked the snug fit of the Dior dresses while others liked the dresses with no waistline, often referred to as the “sack dress”. (Retrowaste.com, 2016)
Dior ss11
‘Dior became much more extreme in his designs as rationing and the war became a distant memory he used fabric in excess and his styles oozed opulence.’ Dior ss13 Dior 1950 Following the war rationing was no longer necessary which was a leading point for new fashion trends. The concept of a surplus of material was taken on board by designers of the time such as Christian Dior. He felt that women had been somewhat stripped of their femininity during the war and felt he must ‘bring back beauty, feminine clothing, soft rounded shapes and full flowing skirts’. It wasn’t until later on during the era that the development of shapeless pieces were fully accepted.
Chanel 1950
Dior ss13
1950’s-Rock and Roll Other influences to fashion included the current music led by Elvis Presley whose style of ‘flashy suits’ consisting of ‘brighter’ ‘sharp’ colours were said to have ‘struck a chord with the teen market’. Being a widely recognised and celebrated figure Elvis led the rock and roll revolution influencing mainly ‘young men in the 1950’s’. (wiliam, 2016) Amongst teens during this time, style was also led by the desire to rebel with names like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash at the forefront of the revolution. Rock and roll deriving from multiple sources, namely blues, jazz and country, bought several cultures together allowing a new trend altogether of bright, bold colours and prints worn alongside wide bouncy skirts, allowing the freedom of movement when dancing . This strayed from the conserved look and allowed the energy and nonchalance of the music to exert through fashion. The concept of clothing for pleasure and a sense style amongst peers became important to youths during the 1950’s as teenagers no longer had to take inspiration from their parents as technologies like the TV and of course music were readily available muses. The ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ look in fashion remains even in modern day with current music artists such as Alex Turner and ‘The Arctic Monkeys’ adopting the bad boy look with leather jackets, gelled back hair and a tight Jean pant not too dissimilar to those worn by stars of the 50’s, James Dean and Marlon Brando. This shows how through music, the expression of fashion trends can also be created and clearly seen.
Task 4
Blush Distinction
S/S17
Pink/Nude Tweed jacket White blouse w/ pussycat tie
White Camisole
Quilted chain bag
Frayed Tweed Skirt Nude block heel Pink slip dress
White Culottes
Evaluation Ideals in society in conjunction with equality in the workplace have not changed too drastically from the 1950's to the present day. Both during the 50's, when woman fought for equal pay in the Ford car factories, and in today's society, with the gender pay gap at 9.4%, women can clearly seen to be somewhat oppressed in the workplace. My collection allows for feminine celebration and aims to empower the modern day business woman. The conservative style celebrated in the 1950’s is one that comes through specifically in formal environments such as the workplace, this includes the classic Dior and Chanel suit, the A-line style skirt and the block heeled shoe. Office wear is required universally for the working woman in many different areas of work and therefore has a large target market to appeal to. The collection would be marketed and sold as a high fashion range. The modern day business woman requires a versatile wardrobe working not only in the office but also off duty, at formal events, meetings and other engagements. The collection I have put together offers a transition from formal wear to smart evening wear. For example, a culotte pant is a safe, smart daytime look however when paired with a small block heel, it can transform into an edgy evening outfit. The presence of the tweed suit jacket has continued to be seen throughout the 1950’s and onwards to the present day. The jacket can both be used as formal attire but also can dress up a casual look. The high quality tweed material is robust and permeates opulence. The initial concept of the two piece women’s suit included a tight midi skirt, usually the same material as the jacket. A more modern take on this I felt was the a line mini skirt however by keeping the original tweed material, the elegance of pairing materials remains.A longer tubular skirt would may be a more environment appropriate, comfortable choice however. Classic neutral colours such as nudes, pinks, apricots and creams echo the formal look while allowing elegance and femininity to be shown.
Accessories A compact quilted bag with a chain strap is ideal for portable use, small enough to not overpower or detract from the outfit but spacious enough to cater for a woman's needs. This is similar to Chanel's original 2.55 quilted bag released in 1955. She developed the bag as she 'became tired of carrying her handbags in her arms and decided to design a handbag that freed up her hands'.
Task 5 High Street Product
Description
Era
Links
Fabric composition- 73% Polyester, 25% Cotton, 2% Elastane Price-£36.00 Shop- Topshop
1960-1970 Notable designers- Mary Quant
This links to the miniskirt and Mary Quant. The miniskirt, also known as the micro mini, became popular in the sixties-late sixties. The first concepts were just above the knee however due to popular demand the hem was bought up several inches and often ended mid thigh. The use of animal print also hints towards the late 60’s linking to the bohemian movement.
Fabric composition-66% Cotton; 30% Polyester; 4% Elastane Price-£59.00 Shop-House of Fraser
1950/1970/1990 Notable designers- Christian Dior
The denim skirt was first developed in the 1960’s when hippies recycled old jeans, opening them up into skirts often with a slit down the back. However, this product also has strong links to the 50’s and the creation of the pencil skirt by Christian Dior in 1954. The choice of black denim not only is slimming with a high waist giving the appearance of a narrower waist, it also links to the 1990’s and the concept of grunge fashion.
Fabric composition-100% wool; trim: 100% leather (cow); lining: 100% silk Price-£295.00 Shop- Burberry
1960-1970
A tartan design is renowned for its androgynous look worn both by men and women, this has links to the 1990’s when the barrier between male and female fashion first became blurred. This again has a very short hemline ending mid thigh, very much like the mini skirts of the 1960’s. The addition of a buckle on the exterior gives a punk look to the typical safe look of tartan clothing. This again links to the 1990’s.
High Street Product
Description
Era
Links
Fabric Composition-99% Cotton, 1% Elastane Price-£24.99 Shop-New Look
1930present day
Culottes have been seen throughout history but debuted in the 1930’s as sportswear. Developments into the fabrics used show us a denim culotte, different from the initial concept of the sportswear pant but allowing a modern take on jeans. This item is very versatile and has properties of both S/S and A/W, being cropped it allows for cool wearing however the thickness of the material means it can be worn in the colder seasons also.
Fabric composition- •69% Polyester, 24% Viscose, 3% Elastane, 2% Metallic, 2% Nylon Price-£58.00 Shop- Abercrombie and Fitch
1970
Flared pants were primarily popular in the 1970’s running parallel with hippie style fashion typically paired with a bold print design such as stripes, whirls and even paisley. Paisley design became most popular in the late 1960’s in the psychedelic fashion movement notably seen at festivals like Woodstock. However in the present day the flare has been reintroduced in a toned down design with basic colours used rather than bold prints.
Fabric Composition- Material: 95% Poylester, 5% Elastane Price-£15.00 Shop- Rebellious Fashion
1950/1990
Stripes in fashion often evoke the idea of a nautical style however during the late 80’s90’s, wearing stripes was seen as rebellious seen on Grunge artists such as Nirvana's Kurt Cobain but also other notable rebels through history, movie star James Dean in the late 50’s.
High Street Product
Description
Era
Links
Fabric composition- 100% Cotton Price-£15.00 Shop-Missguided
1990’s
Band tshirts are often associated with the alternative fashion of the 1990’s. Grunge clothing was worn in response to music for example Nirvanna and Guns n Roses, two popular bands of this time. The look was an androgynous one worn by both men and women.
Fabric composition- Mixed Fibres Price-£19.00 Shop- Urban Oufitters
1970’s
Retro t-shirts often had a plain and simple design on the front. The most notable designs from the 70’s are the classic Rolling Stones tongue and lips and the yellow happy face still popular today. A simple coloured stripe design adds a splash of colour to an otherwise plain black t-shirt.
Fabric composition- 51% Polyester, 1950 49% Cotton Notable designersPrice-£22.00 Anne Fogarty Shop- ASOS
The concept of a seamless, shapeless dress was first developed in the 1950’s with the idea of the ‘sack dress’. The t shirt dress or oversized t-shirt allows for optimum movement and suits most body shapes. The material used is usually loose fitting.
High Street Product
Description
Era
Links
Fabric composition- 100% Leather Price- £69.00 Shop-Topshop
1950/1960
The mule was an unpopular shoe until popularized by stars like Marilyn Monroe in the 50's. The shoe combines two concepts, the slip on an easy going shoe and a block heel, sometimes a third idea of a peep toe is also presented. This makes it a versatile shoe able to be worn from S/S through to A/W. The metallic sheer leather used links to the futuristic style of the big 60's and America's interest following the moon landing.
Fabric composition- Sole Plastic, Upper PU Price-£48.00 Shop-River Island
1970
Fabric composition-Suede Price-£260.00 Shop- See by Chloe
1990/1970
This shoe has a leopard print pattern which reminds us of the 70’s when bold prints and patterns, animal prints in particular were first widely worn. The mule again is similar to those worn in the 1970’s by many female figures.
The deep midnight blue suede material of the shoe reminds of the grunge era of the 1990's. The base of the shoe also has a slight platform to it. This is similar to the plat formed clogs seen in the 1970's, however a smaller platform may be more practical for day wear.
Task6-Catwalk Trends
trippy
Baggy
Club Culture
A/W18
Critical Evaluation
My initial era I chose to come through this particular mood board was the 1990’s and I took the concept of club culture and acid house fashion. At this time recreational drug use in underground rave groups was not uncommon and thus the concept has a rebellious feel surrounding it with bold colours and prints straying away from the norm. A bright colour palette consisting of oranges, bright blues, reds and hot pinks encapsulates the fun and general coolness of the times, contrasting greatly to the alternate ‘grunge’ fashion occurring alongside it typically consisting of dark colours, grey, black and dark denim. Maser street art was also a big influence in my concept board as it involves geometric, vibrant, contrasting colouring and the concept also reflects the daring rejection of societal norms that can be seen through club culture clothing. The images I sourced came from various places, however WGSN was a big provider for the mood board. The images are current and relatable. The overall links within the images comes from the bold vivid colouring especially through the use of fabrics. For example the idea of denim being a big influence during the 90's, shown in the mood board, however this idea has then been developed with the addition of the bright daring colours to the denim. Further the style itself of the clothing also represents the fun and controversy of the 90's acid house inspired fashion shown in the hot pink denim dungarees and the slogan print tops. The style of the clothes also echo the laidback, blasé attitude of the 90's as they are baggy and loose in appearance.
Club Couture
Romantic
Elegance
Evaluation
The era that inspired this particular concept board was the 80's and aimed to develop the idea of the new wave romantics and the dramatic style regarding this time. The manner of clothing associated with romanticism includes designs that typically are extravagant both in their uses of material, in such an abundance it could be seen as wasteful, but also in their overall appearance. The clothing must be appealing to the eye, using ruffles, laces and silk, associated more with a female style however at this time it was the men who tended to adopt this particular style drawing masculinity from it. It was described sometimes as nautical as it drew on 1800 century pirates with ruffled collars and smart button embroidery jackets. The images I sourced linked well to the era as they not only show examples of the style at the time, Adam Ant a famous singer wears a dramatic ruffled shirt with bold daring make-up, but also involve current images showing how romanticism is still very much alive, especially in S/S16 . The look also is reminiscent of the romantic movement in the early to later 19 th century. This era had an almost dreamlike feel to it, meaning the colouring of the clothing was primarily softer tones; apricots, beiges and creams, similar to those shown on my mood board.
S/S17
Futuristic
M e t a l l i c
Christian Dior 1955
Task 7- Artefact The Carnival of Venice originated as a form of pleasure for the people of Venice following their victories in the late 12th century. It was said to be a way to protect the Venetian people from ‘present and future anguish’. The importance of the Venetian mask cannot be understated in Italian history. The mask makers, mascherari, were given their own laws and guild enjoying a high place in society. The use of glass and intricate 3D detail reflect the ideals of the time. In the renaissance era, the exploration of the 'new world' now known to us as the America's, had just begun. Therefore the availability of raw materials like gold and silver had become for readily available for noblemen and even the lower classes. ‘Venetian masks can be made of leather, porcelain or using the original glass technique.’ This demonstrates the hard wearing materials the original masks were made of showing their practicalities and durability's often lasting lifetimes. Originally, the masks were simple designs with a minimalist décor, but slowly have become more dramatic and extravagant over years with masks now decorated with feathers, gold leaf and painted golds and silvers.
Decadent Facade
Artefact Mood Board-Evaluation The artefact I chose was a venetian mask, highly decorated and embellished. This is clearly linked in my mood board as there are two types of embellishments bordering the board itself, lace, originating from Venice, and baroque style gold architecture. This mimics the embellishment seen on my mask not only directly with the structured gold image, but further exploring the same patterns in a loose and delicate material of the lacing, used both in the masks and clothing. I used images from Dolce and Gabbana A/W12 collection. This worked well with the artefact as they are an Italian designer featuring Italian concepts like baroque influences. This was obvious in the contrasts between light and dark show in their black and gold clothing, the same petal like gold structures could also be seen embellished on the clothing, similar to that on my mask. I also found images of masks used in fashion, particularly on the catwalk. Givenchy put their models In masks saying it was ‘softer’ and more ‘elegant’ than makeup. The collection itself would reflect the idea of the beauty of the incomplete using cut out styles, similar to the cut out of the mask. It also would focus on the structure of the mask using structural and boxy pieces like the skirt and dress shown in the concept board. The lace bralet brings in the idea of a similar effect of structure that can be created more subtly using delicate materials adding a softer piece into the collection. The clothing also reflects the season S/S as it small clothing with a sandal heel also included.
Deconstruction the artefact
During the renasicanse era, society was in constant fear of an economic collapse and from this stemmed their obsession with jewellery gems and trinkets. It allowed them to express themselves but was also seen as a 'precautionary way of concentrating wealth' allowing people to know of their status in an easy, visual way. This is shown in the volto masks as they often contained beautifully cut glass and were embellished in golds and silvers, extravagant dĂŠcor for a simple mask.
Although the floral patterns on the Volto masks were usually achieved by glass-work or more currently though the use of paper mache and gold leaf paint, the effect can be compared to the floral shapes of lace. Lace, much like the mask, is able to shape around the body clinging to curves achieving an elegant look seen particularly used by Itallian designers. Lace also was thought to have originated from Italy first being made and traded in Venice, like the Volto masks.
Baroque was a style originating from Italy in the 1600's, it was thought of as an extravagant style with attention to detail giving the overall effect of elegance and grandeur. It could be seen in all walks of life, through the architecture, jewellery and can even be seen in modern day fashion.
The aim of Baroque architecture was to create spectacular forms with 'new explorations of form, light and shadow, and dramatic intensity'. Although not as obvious in fashion, the baroque style is still seen used in many collections in fashion. The exploration of light and dark can also be seen similar to the architecture however not so much by manipulation of shape but through the use of contrasting colours, primarily black and gold. The stark black background allows the for the eye to concentrate solely on the beauty and elegance of the golden stitching and embellishments giving the piece an overall opulent, dramatic appearance.
Task 8
Current societal ideals- Feminism influences fashion allowing women to take back their sexuality through small clothing or even through androgynous styles. By creating a gender fluid style, fashion becomes equal whether you’re male or female. This is shown by models like Cara Delevingne who often swaps dresses or stereotypical female wear for suits and pants. By blurring the border, this brings both genders to the same level which in todays society is necessary as a result of problems such as the gender pay gap. Through fashion, women can be allowed to be viewed as equal to men, even if in society they are not treated as such.
Target Markets: Religion Specific bodies of cultures require focussed clothing pieces for example many Muslim women require a headscarf. This has been catered to in recent fashion trends e.g. Indonesian designer Anniesa Hasibuan walked the first full collection with models wearing hijabs. The designer said that her inspiration came from her home town of Jakarta. A fashion reviewer, Maha Syeda wrote: “The Indonesian designer brought together the perfect elements of her cultural home country and the metropolitan western fashion world to create a beautiful harmony of fashion and modesty, because, yes — they don’t have to clash.” (Fenton, 2016)
Culture in Fashion
Art- Fashion and art have throughout history ran parallel to one another, complimenting and inspiring. Many designers find that artwork can work as a muse for their work. For example Yves Saint Laurent’s Mondrian dress, inspired by Dutch artist Piet Mondrian. The designer enjoyed the idea of the geometric, vibrant coloured shapes so much he used them in his designs.
Female EmpowermentDuring the 1920’s, in the art scene, male painters were held more highly in society and deemed more successful painters. O’Keefe supersedes this stereotype, empowering women shown through her recent achievement, even after death, of worlds most expensive painting by a woman with her Jimson Weed.
Floral’s Pastels- Lilac, powder blue, cream
Art-Georgia O’Keeffe Summer Days- Sold to Calvin Klein in 1983 for £100,00,00
Minimalistic clothingDespite the clothing of the time during the 1920’s O’Keeffe rejected the feminine lace and extravagant clothing and wore simple kimono jackets, cigarette pants and v neck blouses. She also preferred flats opposed to the normal heels of the time.
New MexicoAfter moving here in 1929 she found the tradition and spirit of the landscape would become her muse. She describes it as being a ‘Such a beautiful, untouched lonely feeling place’.
Georgia O'Keeffe Georgia O’Keeffe was an artist celebrated now as the originator of ‘female iconography’ and is loved universally as a feminist painter. Her influences included flowers which were often seen to have multiple readings, seen by many to be female genitalia. This in itself was a way for women to be empowered as it normalised female sexuality which at the time of her painting in the 1920’s was rejected. The pieces have just received their largest viewing at the Tate modern with over 100 of her paintings being shown. The hopes for the instillation is for a new reading of O’Keeffe’s paintings to be put forward allowing people to interpret the art for themselves and for them not to be reduced to an ‘outdated’ and ‘gendered’ reading assumed by male critics of the time. (Fenton, 2016)
O’Keeffe was also influenced by nature and landscape, in particular, New Mexico. During the 30’s and 40’s this was were she lived and worked and was said to take on the ‘spirit’ and ‘tradition of the area. This permeated through her work especially in pieces like, Ram's Head White Hollyhock and Little Hills, Pelvis Series Red With Yellow and Black Mesa Landscape, New Mexico, pictured below.
O’Keefe’s Style She was described to have had a ‘dark, stark, androgynous style’ that, like her art, was way ahead of her time. (Ferrier, 2016) She was minimalist not only in her paintings enjoying this style throughout her lifetime, but her clothing also reflected this. Her masculine aesthetic stemmed from her constant comparison to men in the art world at the time of her painting in the late 20’s onwards. She was constantly held up to be judged to fellow male artists whom were seen as better, more ‘profitable’ artists. Her clothing style was depicted by flats, V-necked tops, little or no shape and typically colourless, completely going against the fashion of the time . After time her style changed again and became a ‘uniform’ of sorts with ‘hyper-minimal kimonos, wide-lapelled shirts and cigarette trousers for the most part in black or white’. This minimalist style can be seen presently on the runway with Celine and Calvin Klein amongst many other designers. The rejection of what men and society perceive women to wear and to act is everything that O’Keeffe stands for, encouraging us to find meaning in ourselves.
Celine S/S16
Jigsaw Collection Autumn/Winter, pre-collectionThe hands of Georgia. The collection was inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe and not only her paintings, but her fashion and style through her life. The creators of the collection said that their inspiration came from’ seeing her always dressed in black and white, in these simple clothes, with the kimono and the layered white lapels, and her canvases in full colour behind her’, noting this as ‘a really interesting contrast.’ (Jigsawonline.com, 2016) Like all good artists, they thought of her style as a uniform, including even her trainers and tennis shoes. The collection itself reflects this and includes scarfs created in the image of O’Keeffe’s hands, the muse for many of her husband’s paintings, classic layering achieved with kimonos and open neck blouses, and long sweeping coats similar to ones worn by O’Keeffe herself. The influence of O’Keeffe’s art is therefore evident even in high street fashion.
Georgia O’Keeffe
Gareth Pugh Spring 15
Jigsaw
Prabal Gurung Fall ‘12
Tessellations- The term tessellation means a pattern that covers an entire surface, leaving no gaps and often involves a mathematical aspect to its creation. This was used in Islamic art and Islamic patterning is renowned for using tessellations. Today, many adopt the design in fashion as it produces an aesthetically appealing pattern.
Pastel colours- The religion believes that a woman’s appearance should be conservative therefore a colour scheme of pastels, beige and neutrals is befitting in their fashion Graphic artist, Sam Kerr, became interested in tessellations and aimed to create cool designs using patterns based on everyday shapes for example an equilateral triangle. He is known for creating the design for the Paul Smith dove tshirts shown in the above picture.
Religion-Islam Headscarf/HijabThe religion of Islam states in the Quran, their holy book that women are required to cover their heads necks and bosoms with a scarf.
Topshop Unique's S/S14 collection was influenced by Islamic shapes and showcased colourful geometric designs
Islamic Patterns- These designs involve geometric shapes made up of overlapping squares and circles made intointricate and detailed designs. A shape used in particular in Islamic art is the eight pointed star seen in not only their art, but also their architecture
The Islamic religion originated in the 7th century in Mecca, gradually spreading across the Arabian peninsula. The largest populations of Muslim’s can be found in Indonesia, South Africa, and the Middle East. Islamic fashion primarily concentrates around modesty and therefore most of their clothing involves long sweeping dresses and head scarves. There are two contexts of Islamic fashion, everyday clothing and specific clothing required for religious reasons. In Islamic history, clothing was simple and basic however additional fabric would be used as inserts to create shape where necessary. While tailoring the clothing, ‘the protective formula bismillah’ meaning in the name of God, would be said to deflect any evil for protection of the wearer. To reinforce the protection, some would also wear talismanic designs including verses from the Quran and other symbols. The Quran states ‘tell the believing women to pout their khimar over their bosoms’. The khimar refers to a scarf that is usually worn around the neck however does not state that a scarf must be worn around ones head, as seen worn by Muslim women and men usually referred to as a hijab or a bhurka. Materials used for these are usually wool, linen or cotton however some wear silk.
The most prominent of the Muslim fashion traditions that has shaped modern fashion, seeping into mainstream clothing, is probably the hijab or headscarf. Many middle Eastern designers aim to educate people on the hijab as western society misinterprets its presence as a submissive piece of clothing to women when in reality is a way to celebrate and follow their faith and tradition. Designer Windri Widiesta Dhari said that ‘the modest hijab is not actually a restriction’ and that its actually ‘how you cover yourself and look more elegant in a way that has a loose fit."
The wearing of hand art, Mehndi is also a prominent fashion statement throughout Muslim culture history. The art uses henna, applied in intricate and detailed designs on the palms and hands. In tradition this would be applied to brides before their weddings however in Pakistan in more recent years, wearing Mehndi has become a sign of coming of age. In todays society is not uncommon for the non religious person to get a henna tattoo however originally, this was Muslim tradition.
Gold Lace
Pastels
Embroidery
Anniesa Hasibuan, an Indonesian based designer made history at NYFW being the first designer to send all her models down the runway wearing a Hijab. Designers have adopted the look of the headscarf on runways before, but Hasibuan chose to consistently showcase the piece. Her aim with the collection, which she named D’Jakarta after the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta, was to ‘educate people about her country’. (Piedra and Piedra, 2016) The collection contains 38 high fashion pieces, and 10 couture gowns. It has been described as ‘a strong bridge between religion and fashion’ and acts as an educational movement helping to DE stigmatise the wearing of traditional Muslim headwear. This has been supported by designers like Dolce and Gabana who have begun to offer high fashion hijabs and abayas for Muslim women, diversifying their ranges allowing for an accessible, fashionable yet traditional collection for the Muslim community.
Subcultures within Japanese street fashion: •Lolita- This in itself has different categories some of which include gothic, sweet, punk and classical. It consists of baby doll dresses, short hemlines and other Victorianesque clothing • Ganguro- This was dominant in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s and includes brightly coloured outfits, mini-skirts, and tie-dyed sarongs. •Kogal- This is based on high school fashion and appears like a uniform. Wearers of this style refer to themselves as gyaru, translating to ‘gals’. •Oshare Kei- Arguably the most popular of the Japanese fashion, this comprises of many contrasting patterns and aims to be visually stimulating to the eye. Vibrant and provoking colours are used to create a unique look. •Kimono style- This is more traditional and focusses on culturally appropriate wear. The younger generation adopt this however have a modern twist usually pairing the kimono with high heels or clogs. Designers such as Issey Miyake endorse this.
Japanese street fashion
There are many variations within Japanese street fashion ranging from the Lolita style including baby doll dresses and pink colouring, to the anime inspired Bōsōzoku consisting of baggy trousers tucked into boots. The clothing is a mix and match of styles including wide leg pants, v neck tops with an often shapeless silhouette. Or alternatively wide short skirts and oversized denim jackets. There is not a singular design or genre to Japanese fashion as it aims to be unique meaning it is ever changing in the fashion world.. Many of the designs and styles are influenced by past, traditional Japanese clothing, for example kimonos with oriental designs and patterns, frequently using floral or fluent shaping made up of vibrant colours. This is an example of traditional Japanese clothing. The flared arms and wide lapels are typical of Japanese fashion.
The street fashion itself is often incoherent and no actual style is shown through the clothes. Many patterns and colours are paired together, the more contrasting, the better. This style has influenced Western society, in particular though, the Japanese anime has been adopted in western fashion.
Japanese fashion permeates in our everyday wear through styles such as the pleat, made big by Japanese designer Issey Miyake who prefers to work with art concepts such as these. Not only this but many designs that come from Japanese fashion and culture such as Hello Kitty and other animated characters are present in our clothing.
Anime Anime is Japanese animation and is typically vibrant and dramatic with colourful characters and graphics and ‘fantastical’ themes. These components are reflected in the fashion.
Louis Vuitton Nicolas Ghesquière’s S/S16 ready to wear collection was heavily influenced by the manga/anime Japanese style. The images on the right show the muses his designs were based around and they include the Japanese cartoons; Sailor Moon, Ghost in a Shell, and Death Note. (Kim, 2015)
(Kim, 2015)
High fashion brands such as Moschino also adopt an animated, Japanese style enjoying applying cartoon and animation in their fashion.
The collection would be S/S and would consist of small smock dresses, loose A-line skirts and baggy pants, being primarily shapeless clothing. The colouring would be bright and vibrant, reds, yellows and pinks as this reflects the outgoing feel of Japanese fashion while also adhering to a spring/summer colour palette. Pleats, ruffles and applique can be seen, with cartoonesque logos. The target market would be young women aged 15-18 but could also appeal to an even younger age group, 8-12, as the animated prints have a visually fun appearance. As it would comprise of mainly basic cottons, the price range would be between ÂŁ10-30 a high street fashion price.
From Jaden Smith becoming the new face of Louis Vuitton’s womenswear range, sporting dresses and skirts on the daily, to Cara Delevingne’s love In the 70’s, unisex fashion of the tuxedo from really began to take off with day wear to night bell bottomed jeans, wear, the modern platforms and even ‘his n day genderless hers’ ponchos were worn fashion hype is both by men and women alive and kicking alike. in both men and womenswear.
Task 9- Social Influences on Fashion; Gender Fluidity Genderless fashion throughout history Iris Apfel, in the 40’s was most definitely an influential fashion icon in the movement from a feminine style into an androgynous outlook on women’s clothing. She famously said ‘In the ’40s I was probably the first woman to wear jeans’. At this time, jeans were for men and men only but she shunned away from this ideal. (PureWow, 2016)
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2016
1966 This was seen as the first women’s tuxedo, it was an ‘interesting alternative’ to the popular LBD. It came at a time when women wearing pants was seen as inappropriate and therefore opened doors to a whole new style for designers to explore.
1977 In 1977. the film Annie Hall showcased the androgynous style although it was often referred to as an ‘Eclectic.’ style. The actress Diane Keaton portrayed the fashionable protagonist and even in modern day, people reference her style as being influential in genderless fashion. Her signature looks, seen in the picture on the left consisted of men's shirts, waistcoats with a full tie and brogue shoes. (Medine and Medine, 2016)
High Street Fashion Ungendered Even high street brands are adopting this new notion, allowing for a wider range of consumers from their clothing by creating genderless ranges in their stores. One of these stores in particular is Zara. Zara’s genderneutral range came this year calling it ‘Ungendered’ and it was added to their preexisting range TRF. ‘The 16 items range from T-shirts and sweatshirts to denim and Bermuda shorts — unisex basics in neutral colours, constructed from comfortable cottons and cotton blends. On the website, pieces from the inaugural collection are photographed on both a male and female model.’ (Binary, 2016)
Agender Selfridges’ ‘Agender’ concept is arguably the most fashion forward take on a genderless range. The company has not only aimed to give fashion a genderless touch, but also have built their whole ranges, developments, including advertising and even jewellery in a way that appeals to both genders simultaneously.
From face value, genderless fashion may appear to simply be girls wearing boys clothing and vice versa, however to the consumer it holds a whole different meaning. It allows the customer and the individual to choose a whole new plethora of silhouettes, styles, fit and colours allowing them to express themselves in their clothing, such an important concept. Some people may feel that they are defined by their gender; Girls- Pink, dresses, frills, heels. Boys- Blue, trainers, jumpers, jeans. By creating a genderless range, these restraints dissolve allowing you to dress for what suits you, what you as the consumer feels is comfortable for you to wear ultimately creating a sense of being in fashion.
Celebrities RIHANNA The attitudes towards genderless fashion has loosened over the years and has become a widely accepted concept in fashion. This is been aided by both celebrities and designers alike. Rihanna said in a recent interview ‘I love baggy things. I wear men’s clothes, men’s shoes, oxfords, creepers.’ (Plum Sykes, 2014) It’s largely the influence and endorsements from celebrity figures that encourage people to express this style almost giving approval to change things up.
CARA Cara Delevingne is also a big name in fashion when it comes to an androgynous style. She opened up in a recent interview stating her views on fashion and life in general. 'I think everyone has a right to be whoever they want‘.(Anon, 2016) She can often be seen in a full tailored tuxedo or even a blazer paired with jeans and a large print tee. These are clothing styles usually associated with men and are very masculine however we can see her small, shapeless frame may be more fitted to men’s clothing, so why should she not dress for her shape?
Son of actor and actress, Will and Jade Smith, Jaden Smith exerts androgyny and then some. He recently was appointed the new face of Louis Vuitton’s womenswear range and was used in the S/S16 collection to showcase the new designs. It has been commented on saying he is ‘not a man in transition’ as has been done in fashion before with transgender models. But he is a ‘man who happens to be wearing obviously female clothing’. This has affected fashion significantly as it has blurred the lines of masculine and feminine making us question our clothing choices daily and perhaps encouraging us to branch out in terms of fashion.
The Rihanna Effect: Fashion’s Most Exciting Muse, On Her Third Vogue Cover With her power pipes and full-on attitude, Rihanna has become fashion’s most exciting new muse. So how does it feel to have her dress you for a day? Plum Sykes finds out.
Mr. Ford declares from his London studio, “She can throw on combinations you can’t imagine other people could possibly wear, and look great. In the fashion world she has inspired a very, very loose mix of random items.” Peter Dundas, on a train ride between Pucci offices in Milan and Florence, calls her “a very talented dresser, in the way that Kate Moss is. She’s an amplified version of what a lot of girls want to look like, but she’s always a step ahead of the game.” “I’d never want to dress anyone exactly like me. I just want you to be you with some Rihanna inspiration. Girl! You need to be sassified!!!” Rihanna is straight out of Pygmalion “Plum! You will never be stylish if you don’t take risks,” for the ‘Umbrella’ video I wore lots of leotards. I took it to the stage and then added it to the collection I did for River Island”—a British brand for which she designed four collections. “I like shirts that are really formfitting and that don’t come out of your pants.”
(Plum Sykes, 2014)
Social Influences on Fashion- Rihanna
Arguably Rihanna's most influential fashion movement is her endorsement of creepers, a thick gum soled shoe, usually with a rounded toe. She can be seen integrating them into her everyday style both dressing them up and down. She is so passionate about creepers, she recently led a collaboration with Puma, creating her own line of creeper shoes. This has helped both Rihanna and Puma as a brand giving them celebrity endorsement thus increasing sales. Rihanna being an icon in music but also fashion, means that she does not only create trends, but then can also develop them further
Rihanna doesn’t solely influence the young generation of today, but also has an effect on high
street fashion. Zara’s recent mustard yellow bubble jacket can be seen as the one worn by Rihanna in the bellow picture. Although not designed by Rihanna herself, the popularity and success of the item has been facilitated by Rihanna's choice and wearing of the coat.
Recent trends that Rihanna can be seen to wear and endorse is the baseball cap and the choker. The baseball cap is usually seen as a masculine boyish accessory to wear, not really worn by women however on a number of occasions Rihanna has been seen doing this. This again shows us her individual style and her uncaring attitude towards social norms or what people think of her style, which arguably is what fashion is all about, freedom of self expression. women.
Rihanna stands for individuality and is an icon that allows for complete self expression. Through her fashion she combines a plethora of styles an designs to produce her own unique style. I feel that she stands for the ability to find your identity through fashion and your own unique style. This influences consumers as they see her and her ability to exert her personality through her clothing and they too aspire to do so. Whether she is creating a new range, her Fenty by Puma shoe range or her 2013 collaboration with River Island, or just showcasing someone else’s designs, her comfort and confidence exerted through fashion lures in the consumer, encouraging them to follow in her lead.
Social Influences in Fashion- Women's rights Fashion and the fashion industry has been influenced largely by women's rights and equality. This has been seen throughout history, Christian Dior’s New Look, giving women power through wearing a suit and being seen as a business able woman, and again in the 60’s, Mary Quant’s mini skirt took back our bodies, giving us a shorter hemline and a higher sense of empowerment. This is continued even in todays society with women having zero boundaries when it comes to their fashion and personal styles. Since the dawn of fashion, our style has been used as an outlet to express our social views, one of which, prominent always, is feminism. Virginia Wolf famously said that clothes are
The Chanel spring/summer 15 'protest' Even among designers themselves in their personal clothing, feminism can be seen permeating. Designer Victoria Beckham was recently seen making the transition from And this view Indeed can be seen. In the early 1900’s, we saw the reign of heels, to trainers and a more comfortable flat shoe, not allowing what people think a the suffragettes, the post war power women, hungry for equality. Even these woman should wear (her usual stiletto shoe or heels in general) dictate what she actually wears. She commented saying “I think people saw the real me when I came women knew that the way they dressed could influence, encourage and out in a pair of men’s trousers, a roll-neck and trainers.” This shows us that fashion exert their personal feelings towards their cause. Jewellery in the colours should not be influenced by what is expected of us as women, but what a woman feels green, white and purple were wore among the group of women, said to most comfortable in. Harriet Hall stated, ‘a shift in fashion has occurred that has taken represent dignity purity and hope. This in turn, in the Christmas of 1908, encouraged Mappin and Webb to launch its range of suffragette jewellery. into account the reality of women’s lives in 2016: feminism and fashion have started to collide once again.’ (Stylist Magazine, 2016)
Task 10 The product being advertised here is the shirt and jeans, the clothing that the man in the forefront of the image is wearing. This is clear as this is the first image we see when looking at the advert, but also, the car is a clear link as the colouring is similar. There is an obvious link wanting to be made by the consumer from the car to the man however as the car appears run down this portrays a negative persona of the man also. In the way that the car is only half finished the man therefore also has an unpolished look. This gives the overall message of a clothes range that will not give you a flawless look and may in fact have the opposite effect. To improve the popularity of the advertisement I would first get rid of the car or exchange it for a model that exerts beauty, as the advert wants to do.
This car also gives the impression of a laidback attitude without making the clothing look slobbish, it represents strength and wealth without looking too dramatic.
By using the term ‘ I hate ugly’ the consumer could be offended therefore deterring them from buying the product. The effect intended by this graffiti is to show that when you wear these clothes, you will not be ugly however it is intimidating and hostile, making consumers uncomfortable. I would swap the text for a snappy phrase for example ‘a fine car for a fine man’. This shows a clearer link between the product and the advertisement and also plays to a mans typical love of motors, automatically making the whole image more appealing to them. There are many contradicting messages coming through. The product appears to give the effect of a beautiful polished man, contrasting from the car but the clothing in the image also appears unpolished so this contrast is not seen. To change this I would have the model’s shirt buttoned to the top, representing confidence and a business like look. Not only this but the flat cap typically is one worn by older men, not ‘a new model’ of man, therefore he would not wear a cap as it appears unprofessional
This advertisement is successful in its showcasing of a Chanel dress, seen worn by the model. The product is obvious to us as the consumer as it is of bold colouring especially contrasting to the dull, colours of the models surroundings. The message of the advertisement appears to be having confidence in what we wear and not allowing ourselves to be taken aback by bold colouring and prints. The quote is befitting of the image as firstly, it comes from designer, Chanel. This makes the idea of the image appear more legitimate because it is even being endorsed by such a famous fashion figure. It states ‘I don’t do fashion’ suggesting that fashion is more than a hobby or activity, ‘I am fashion’ this is an imperative statement exerting confidence like the girl in the image. Confidence is often synonymous with beauty and therefore is appealing to the consumer. The confidence is also seen in the models stance. She is draped across what appears to be a chest of drawers. Even though this is an unusual setting, she seems entirely at ease and in a natural environment. This gives the message that by wearing this clothing you will be able to conquer anything, and be in your comfort zone in any situation.
The target market seems to be young women. This is clear as the model is also a young female, by choosing an attractive model with typical blonde hair this is appealing to other girls as they may feel if they wear this outfit, they could appear as beautiful as the girl in the image, they can identify with the model. The image is provocative as the girl looks at us with a defiant stare and is lying in an almost suggestive way. This works well with the idea of confidence in fashion as she is not afraid of showing off her body or with the idea of being centre of attention. The image also has a certain sex appeal as she is grabbing onto the door of the chest, and her dress has ridden above her right thigh. This makes the model look sexy again appealing to the young women’s fashion market as although the dress itself is not particularly suggestive or this, you can still look appealing in other senses while wearing it.
However, by adding sex appeal as a selling point his may put off certain consumers seeing it as demeaning. It could be interpreted that the model is overcompensating for the modest style of the dress with her stance and sex appeal. I would change this by having her standing in the forefront of the image with hands on her hips. This still exerts confidence and a sureness in what she is wearing which still puts across the message.
Although the message of the advertisement is clear, the way that it is visually shown is not as effective. The colours are dull not only in the background of the image but those ones chosen to be worn by the models. These colours are not associated with winners and If I were to choose new colouring golds, bright whites and royal blues would be among them. The gold is obviously the colour of a winner but by using a royal blue this gives the impression of richness and successfulness, also appealing to the egocentric individual.
This piece of writing is highly effective and appealing to the consumer. The double entendre of the term to ‘score’ is banterous among men, especially a younger target market as it suggests you’ll be successful with women if you wear Jockey's clothing.
The product being advertised here is men's sports clothing. This is obvious as in the image we are drawn to is a man, lying across a table taking up the majority of the advertisement. This is good because it automatically grounds us to the style, target market and the clothing actually on sale. The message the advertisement gives is that you can be a winner if you wear our clothing. The slogan ‘win or loose you'll still look the best player’ gives men self assurance and draws them in as through their fashion and clothing they can find be attractive to women even if they can’t do typical manly things like sport. The female model in the image has her attention solely on the man and appears to be putting her lips in a suggestive way, pouting at him, she is overwhelmed by his beauty and his appearance she cant even take her eyes off him to look at the camera for even a second. This puts emphasis on the attractiveness of the product as it appears irresistible to the woman. Although an exaggerated version of events, the subliminal message of looking the part in place of being the part is obvious throughout the advertisement and in its presence, it does attract the will of the shallow fashion conscious male. As this is supposed to appeal to a younger man, I would swap the middle aged model for a younger man, perhaps ages 25, by doing this I can appeal to a wider range of men as it’s a transitional age.
The product being advertised in this image is foot wear and the target market appears to be the younger generations both male and female. This is obvious as the image is distorted so that it zooms in on the footwear, a brown trainer in the centre of the image and also the turquoise trainer worn by the girl. The target market is also obvious firstly because of the setting. The area is urban and in a city perhaps New York. This gives the product a hip and current stance as this is a fashion capital. It also may appeal to younger people due to the rebelliousness of the image. The car they’re seated in is placed in a no parking zone giving off the impression that the pair are breaking the rules. This is attractive to young people as they are typically at an age of pushing boundaries, especially in fashion terms. The language used is playful and the way its presented in the image is also. The slogan 'choose your play ground’ is spelt in text language, a young style of language and is also placed on a sticker like image.
This advertisement has a target market of aged 20-28 males, appealing to the modern business man. The whole advert appears futuristic as the setting is a high tech, glass unit. This suggests that the clothing worn is fashion forward and perhaps ahead of the game. This paired with the gold colouring suggests futuristic fashion and the fashion of smart clothing. The men appear business like and polished which in turn makes them appear like they are good at what they are doing and efficient in what they do. The clothing is tailored menswear however some of the clothing in the branding is not coherent with this particular area. For example the man on the right is topless, already exerting an unprofessional appearance, but his pants also are similar to an astronauts. Although this could be implying while wearing this clothing you can achieve whatever you want, even be an astronaut, it does not fit with the overall business, smart collection. Instead I would change the males clothing to a pair of golden tailored pants and to retain the sex appeal of the bare skin, add a matching golden tie.
Task 11
The image was dubbed ‘Gang rape or fashion?’ To make the advert more coherent with the product that is being sold to the consumer, I would have the image in colour, maybe contrasted against a dark brick wall really emphasising the classic jean colour. Not only this but I would have the models separate, shown in different positions showing the durability and flexibility of the jean, encouraging the purchase as they appear to be comfortable. I would also make it less provocative and intimidating to women by including other female models in the campaign. This also increases the target market as more women may show an interest as a result of this.
Calvin Klein’s Jean ad campaign on 2010 was one of the most controversial in fashion for its message of rape, violence and vulnerability of women. It has been described as ‘demeaning to women by suggesting that she is a plaything of these men. It also demeans men by implying sexualized violence against women.’ This is weak advertising as it is using taboo and harmful influences to sell its product. The target market they are appealing to seems to be young females and males, this in itself is dangerous as it normalizes and even glamorizes the idea of rape and gang violence. Even though it is made to appeal to these, with beautiful young men with chiselled muscles, no young woman is going to look at the ad and think that she would enjoy being in that position. This takes the attention away from profit as it turns the customer off the product. The product itself is not even obvious as the jeans are not exposed but covered by the girls head and hair. The colour also takes away from the product as jeans are renowned for their blue colour however by having the ad in black and white the clarity of the product is removed and the attention is again diverted.
Over-sexualisation of women
Lacoste’s S/S9 ad campaign was everything that a fashion advertisement should be. The season is clear shown by the colours and styles, the colours are reminiscent of sunshine and summer flowers and the loose, revealing clothing suggests comfort in the heat and nothing more. The clothing is the product and our attention is constantly on this as it takes up the majority of the image however the eclectic mix of styles, colours and genres mean that this is not tedious but instead informative of the range. The target market is female and males aged 16-20 but the fitted pants and modest colours allow for a potentially older consumer. The message that is portrayed from the ad is wearing their clothes is fun and makes for a good summer. It also suggests that their clothing is not only fashionable but also practical. The fact that they are mid air combined with the use of the fan as a prop suggests that the clothing is as light as air and loose enough to stay comfortable in the hot summer days. However their French slogan ‘un peu d’air sur terre’, a little air on earth, also hints towards the coolness of the clothing, not physically but visually. The styles are current, short skirts and dresses and loose shirts and pants, meaning that you aren’t restricted to either comfort or fashion, here is a range that is both fashionable and a joy to wear.
Sisley’s 2007 advertisement for their clothing range was offensive, promoting drugs and tarnishing the model industry. The idea and message of the ad was that their fashion and clothing is so good that it may appear to be addictive and you as the consumer almost become a ‘fashion junkie’ as suggested by the slogan in the centre of the image. This is a ridiculous and dangerous concept to base advertising on as it glamorizes drug addictions to a potentially young audience. Not only this but it adds to the pre-existing reputation given to models of being drug addicted, skinny girls, a complete fabrication. The product is the dresses seen on the two models but also the one strewn over the table which the models appear to be ‘taking’. Not only is the product barely visible and not obvious enough, but the metaphor of clothing as a drug is not desirable meaning the consumer may be put off shopping the range. The colouring used un the ad is sombre and dark giving a washed out view of the clothing with the black dress on the left barely even noticeable. The target market appears worryingly to be females aged 18-mid 20’s, giving them a complete false perception of drug taking and implying that wearing their clothes somehow will become an addiction, not something people want.
I would change the ad completely. I would have both the girls standing up, dresses in full view so the consumer can actually have a visual of the range. By having them carrying several Sisley bags each, you can achieve the same idea of addiction of fashion without putting out a harmful message to young girls. A white background would also be used as this would contrast to the gothic colouring of the clothing, putting complete emphasis on the collection. This would also give the message that you can and will stand out to the crowd if you wear our clothing.
Similarly to using Rihanna, by including Usain Bolt in their advertising they’re suggesting that their sportswear is so good, the fastest man on the earth wears it. By using a male and female model they broaden their target market for both genders.
The product being advertised here is obviously sportswear, as seen worn head to toe by Rihanna. This is good advertising as it shows the collection from several different angles giving a complete and detailed view of what the consumer is buying. Not only this but they have moved the model into different positions, arms up, legs apart, this is showing its flexibility, a design needed specifically for sportswear. There are two messages that come through the image I feel. The first being shown by the slogan ‘FOREVERFASTER’. The slogan is in capitals, demanding attention and causes us to read it in an exaggerated way. Also it gives the impression that their sportswear will improve your performance, almost enhancing you physically and indefinitely, forever faster. The second message is shown through the chosen model. Rihanna, a singer, designer and fashion icon is used to model their clothes however they also refer to her through text stating ‘Rihanna trains for the stage in the new ignite XT’. By saying this it allows the consumer to believe that they are wearing and training in the same clothing as Rihanna, therefore they will be as successful in these areas as her. This works as she is renowned for her energetic performances. The fact that Rihanna herself is also in shape, toned and physically attractive also benefits the branding as its sportswear that they’re advertising and she appears to be a sporty individual. Thus another message to customers may be you can look as fit and toned if you buy our clothing, as if it will aid their physical abilities.
The product in this advertisement is young women’s clothing. This is obvious as the two female models are wearing the American Apparel clothing, jeans and a top and skirt combo. The ad is visually boring as it features washed out walls and a white sheet spread. Although putting emphasis on the product, this makes the ad visually unstimulating and therefore boring to look at, making it an unsuccessful ad. Another way in which its unsuccessful is the fact that they’ve sexualised young women. The ad reads ‘School’s Out.’. This establishes a target audience to be school aged girls, 12-18. However they’ve then shown the two models posed in provocative and sexually suggestive ways. The girl on the left is semi naked and the younger girl on the right is strewn across a bed. This is an unsuccessful way to advertise clothing as it is a concept that is unaccepted in todays society and could upset and offend the consumers.
I would change the advert by giving it a more sociable feel. This would appeal to younger girls more as it’s a concept they can relate to. I would have the models on the grass in a park with friends also wearing American Apparel wear in bright colours. This would make the advert stand out with its vibrant colours meaning it would get much more attention, for good reasons.
The product being advertised here is Kurt Geiger shoes. This is obvious as she has placed her foot on top of a bench as if she is giving us a clearer view of the product. The colours work well, especially to show the season of the shoes. The red chosen for the shorts is vibrant almost an orange colour but also compliments the red ruffle seen on the front of the shoe. The model chosen is also good for the advert because she is a well known and loved high fashion model, Karlie Kloss meaning that people can identify with her. Not only this but she is well known for her love of sport so she does not look out of place wearing sports wear. The message of the image appears to be that you can be strong when wearing these shoes, maybe this would help them to appeal to a more sporty women, showing them that you don’t have to choose sports or femininity, that you can be both simultaneously.
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‘At River Island we are renowned for our stylish, affordable fashion. The unique touches we bring to our collections help us standout from the rest of the High Street. Our customers can always rely on us for great going-out looks and occasion wear, amazing denim and fabulous bags and shoes. We pride ourselves on being the perfect store to pick up everything you need for a brand new head-to-toe look. At River Island we always aim to bring new and original fashion to you, with great design at the heart of everything we create.’
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Some of the initial ideals are outdated, originally they aimed for ‘affordable’ fashion. With more affluent youths around than before not everyone is shopping for this affordable fashion as disposable income has increased. Therefore I think my collection of higher quality outerwear, although more expensive than the average River Island item, will be more desirable to this target market. Not only this but as my collection will exert the concepts of couture fashion, it most certainly adheres to the ‘stylish’ aspect of River Island clothing. From 2005-2010, River Island was a sponsor for Graduate Fashion week, supporting young designers and offering jobs to graduates, a notoriously difficult task. This shows they stand for young people that are interested in fashion and nurture them in their skills. This should not differ from the clothes they offer and the collection must also nurture them in their style and clothing.
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River Island
Lily-rose Depp is a prime example of a teen with a lot of disposable income to spend but also is conscious of her style, image and what she is wearing. Preferring to keep up to date with the latest fashion and trends she can be seen daily wearing designer items. This is the type of teen the collection would be branded towards as they often can become frivolous with their spending, indulging in good quality items for an elevated price.
Retailer/Price/Fabric Composition River Island £55.00 3% Acrylic, 20% Cotton, 60% Polyester, 17% Viscose
Topshop £85.00 59% Polyester,22% Acrylic,14% Wool,3% Nylon,2% Viscose
Zara £69.99 76% modacrylic, 24% polyester
Product
Retailer/Price/Fabric Composition
Product
Retailer/Price/Fabric Composition
River Island £58.00 28% Acrylic, 53% Modacrylic, 19% Polyester
River Island £60.00 100% Polyurethane
Zara £49.99 OUTER SHELL 77% acrylic, 23% polyester LINING 100% polyester
Zara £99.99 OUTER SHELL 100% sheep leather BODY LINING 100% polyester SLEEVE LINING 100% polyester
New Look £58.00 100% Acrylic.
New Look £29.99 100% Polyurethane.
Product
Retailer/Price/Fabric Composition
Product
Retailer/Price/Fabric Composition
River Island £45.00 31% Polyester, 69% Viscose
River Island £60.00 100% Polyester
Zara £29.99
Topshop £69.99 95% Polyester, 5% Elastane
OUTER SHELL FABRIC 100% polyester SECONDARY FABRIC 95% polyester, 5% elastane
H&M £24.99 Polyester 100%
H&M £24.99 •Lining: Polyester 100% •Padding: Polyester 100% •Polyester 64%; Viscose 36%
Product
Retailer/Price/Fabric Composition
Product
River Island £110.00 100% Polyester
River Island £85.00 1% Elastane, 89% Polyester, 10% Viscose
Topshop £79.00 100% Polyester
Topshop £59.00 97% Cotton, 3% Elastane
H&M £199.99 mitation fur: Polyester 72%; Modacrylic 28% Shell: Suede 100%
H&M £39.99 Cotton 100%
Retailer/Price/Fabric composition
Product
Retailer/Price/Fabric composition
River Island £100.00
River Island £38.00 74% Cotton, 17% Polyester, 9% Viscose
H&M £99.99 Lining: Polyester 100% Suede 100%
New Look £39.99 75% Polyester, 14% Wool, 11% Viscose
Zara £79.99 Outer shell-100% pig leather Main Lining-100% Polyester
Topshop £28.00 53% Cotton, 47% Polyester
Product
Retailer/Price/Fabric composition River Island £55.00 100% Polyester
Zara £49.99 72% polyester, 21% viscose, 7% elastane
H&M £29.99 Viscose 56%; Linen 44% Lining: Polyester 52%; Viscose 48%
Product
Top 3 most popular fashion brands of 2015
Ăą
MAC&TRENCH t
Shearling/ Sheepskin
OVERSIZED
LIKES
Materials
Cotton
Faux Fur
Quilting
Rugged Shearling Leather
Key Shapes, Styles and Colours
Ad Campaign River Island- A/W16 To market my new collection I would combine several marketing strategies, taking a holistic approach to advertise and sell the new range. Firstly I would have my celebrity endorsement in Rihanna and use this for a double page spread in several fashion magazines namely, Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan. This would feature snapshots of various situations and the most befitting coat or jacket in the collection that would suit the situation. For example, she would be shown having drinks with friends wearing a fur lined leather jacket but also would show the bigger more extravagant coats for example showing Rihanna on the red carpet at the next big event wearing a luxurious item from the A/W collection. I would also access the social media though Rihanna, asking her to post the most iconic of the collection, the Red Faux Fur knee length coat on her personal account with the hashtag #FA. Fashion has become in recent years increasingly social media orientated, by utilising this platform the effect of the campaign would be more widespread, reaching more people and potential consumers. There would also be a secondary poster/promotion for the collection and would be called 'Be fair this fall' with the double meaning of fur and fair. This would focus on the use of faux fur in the collection, appealing to the new ideas of animal cruelty and the drastic change in the industry concerning this and uses of materials such as real animal fur. This would appeal to a larger range of people widening the target market. The poster would have the slogan on it and also Rihanna holding a baby leopard or other animal fur that was used in the collection.
Size
Fitting
6-8
XS
8-10
S
10-12
M
12-14
L
“Be fur this fall.�
fair
LOGO, SLOGAN, MISSION STATEMENT
LOGO + NAME
SLOGAN MISSION STATEMENT
A/W16
LOOSE FITTING FUR TRIM ANIMAL PRINT OPULENT ATTITUDE
River Island
FALL ATTITUDE A/W16
Red Faux Fur Coat £199.99
Leather Self Tie Cream Jacket £99.99 Suede Shearling Mittens £60.00
Grey Plaid Oversized Coat £110.00
Knee Length, Mixed Fur £160.00
Fur Mittens £39.99
Black Leopard Print Fur Wrap Scarf £50.00 Deep Green Fur Lining Scarf £45.00
Leather Shearling Knee Length Coat £150
Light Suede Shearling Jacket £150.00
Rust Red Suede Shearling Calf Length Coat £180.00
Leopard print Lined Trench Coat £119.99
Rust Red Suede Mid heel Boot £80.00
Concept Board-Evaluation
The concept board I created for my collection was befitting of my initial ideas of luxury and quality clothing. The materials shown in the catwalk images are mainly furs in vibrant colours and patterns, an individual style showing River Island’s original mission statement on unique style. My collection is for A/W16, this is clear through the colours in my colour palette. These are creams, rust reds, cool blue/greens and browns, these reflect the fall colours but also compliment the fur trim colours. The trends I chose to utilise in my collection were oversized, clear in the runway images and fabrics used in the background of my concept board, two different types of furs, a material used frequently in the collection in the trims and accessories. The shape and concept of the clothing is also obvious in the concept board through the wording showing the feel, shape and design of the clothes. For example the oversized trend I wanted to display in my collection can be seen in the images of previous coats designed by river island, both of which are oversized and use a lot of material, this means that the River Island design is not lost in the collection. There are clear links between my concept board and my collection. The concept board was based mainly around fur coats and jackets, in my collection most of the items have either fur or shearling either in their lining, trim or the whole item itself. The coats range from jackets to calf length coats, this means they can transition from autumn to winter. The most iconic item in the collection is the Red Faux Fur coat as it not only stands for the rejection of use of proper fur, looking similar to the A/W11 fox fur coat by Gucci, but also is a unique looking coat, striking in its appearance but also practical for the cold winter months. The accessories bring a new style to the collection, the suede boots allowing the wearer to mix and match suede in different colours and the dark green fur trim scarf means they can add fur to any outfit. The colours in the collection include cream, light brown, green/blue tones, red and leopard print. These are colours associated with A/W however the bright red coat adds a vibrant twist, adding personality to my range.
Evaluation What overall did you feel that you learnt through unit 1? In Unit 1 I feel that I learnt about fashion in terms of designs and how they fit with both concepts and advertising. I have also learnt skills in Photoshop and other online tools, this has helped me to visualise the collections I made in unit 1. I also learnt about the history of fashion and the changes, and how these changes influence us even today. However I learnt also that its not just the past that influences fashion but current cultural and societal concepts also influence the clothes that we wear. I've also become more informed on the pricing of clothing in conjunction with the materials used. For example, some shops may establish a higher RRP on a piece of clothing however may not have a higher quality of fabric composition, this differs throughout shops even for similar pieces of clothing. Explain how you deconstructed the artefact and chose what meanings or hidden messages you incorporated into your collection/concept? I chose the most obvious shapes and styles from the artefact to base my collection on. The first idea that I saw was the large cut out on the top of the mask and from this I took the idea of cut out clothing, a prominent style in fashion. I also took the materials of my collection from here as I included lace in some of my clothing, an idea that came from the floral shapes that embellished the masks. After further research I found out that lace actually originated in Italy, as did the mask. In advertisement and branding, why do you feel the relationship is important between the product and the concept? In advertisement, the selling point used to push the range or clothing item is usually taken from the concept. For example in Puma’s recent fashion campaign they advertised by using Usain Bolt as a celebrity endorsement. The original concept was sportswear and therefore it seems natural that they should use a sportsperson to advertise and push the range. This is because the target market is only interested in the concept as this is what draws them to the clothing, so they need a visual aid of the same kind if the piece is to appeal to them. This is the same with age/gender, to sell children’s clothing you would not have an adult displaying the collection. In my collection it was important to link the concept to the outerwear because my selling point was to appeal to teens love of luxury items and high fashion clothing. By using Rihanna they would make the link that the coats and jackets were high fashion as she is a fashion icon, and also that they were getting high quality products as these usually are more expensive and Rihanna definitely has the money to be spending. Overall what do you feel are your most successful pieces of work in this unit? I enjoyed the mini branding task and feel that I did well in this piece as I successfully linked my brand to my store. I kept River Island’s original mission statement of unique style in teens as I included vibrant pieces that would stand out in anyone's wardrobe. Not only this but I feel that I really understood my customer and the research I did on teenagers in this day and age allowed me to develop my original concept. Initially I was going to keep the idea of the ‘affordable’ clothing for the customer however by finding out about the target market of young women I found that they no longer required affordable clothing so I was able to develop my range further as more fabrics of higher quality were available to utilise in my range. I also feel that my interest into the cultural influences on fashion allowed me to excel in this task, really focussing on perhaps less obvious but still prominent influences on fashion, I researched the influences in depth and their links to fashion In todays society and learnt a lot about how even designers are influenced by different cultures in a very focussed way. What areas do you feel you still need to develop? I think that I need to work on my translation from concept board to collection as I sometimes don’t establish a clear enough link in the clothing to the concept that I've chosen to use. This is important though as it aids in the design of the clothing themselves with the fabrics and shapes that you use in the final collection. It also helps in the advertisement of the product as the concept has to be desirable to the target market so the collection itself also needs to include influences from the concept board. Also I feel that I need to develop my visual skills on how I format my work but also using online resources such as Photoshop.
Bibliography
Timeline Slide 3 •http://designhistorypaulpoiret.blogspot.co.uk/ •https://uk.pinterest.com/ukrainianeyes/la-belle-epoque-edwardian-era/ •https://uk.pinterest.com/mlm26/lace-parasolsand-fans/ [Accessed 6 Sep. 2016]. •http://www.fashion-era.com/1950s_glamour.htm lhttp://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-bias-cut-garment.htm lhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1930%E2%80%9345_in_Western_fashion http://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/fashion-history-eras/psychedelicfashion#UVOpp5Xu2SRmt7ZX.97 http://www.fashion-era.com/new_romantics1.htm
Task 1- Sophisticated Heritage •https://focusonstyle.com/giorgio-armani-menswear-fall-2013-fashion-show-photos/ •http://fashionfav.com/fashion/emporio-armani-fall-winter-2015-2016-menswear-ad-campaign/ •http://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2015-menswear/giorgio-armani
The 50’s- Task 2 •http://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/fashion-clothing-industry/fashion-designers/gabrielle-cocochanel •https://ladyjojosboutique.wordpress.com/2011/07/13/christian-diors-new-look-of-the-1940s-and1950s/ •https://williamsushistory.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/rock_and_roll.gif?w=450&h=360 •https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley
My collection- Task 3
•http://visual.ons.gov.uk/what-is-the-genderpay-gap/
Evaluation •http://www.the-looker.com/coco-chanel
Task 7- Artefact
•https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_of_Venice •http://www.historyofjewelry.net/jewelry-history/renaissance-jewelry/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque_architecture • http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/givenchys-spring
Task 8- Culture in fashion
•http://www.vogue.com/13371037/georgia-o-keeffe-style-fashion-influence/ •http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/new-york-fashion-week-hijab-collection-muslim-designeranniesa-hasibuan-djakarta-a7310796.html#gallery •https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/mar/01/georgia-okeeffe-show-at-tate-modern-to-challengeoutdated-views-of-artist •http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/north-america/united-states/articles/new-mexico-landscapesthat-inspired-georgia-okeeffe/ •https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2016/jun/30/tate-modernist-how-georgia-okeeffe-shaped-feminist-style •http://www.intothefashion.com/2010/01/cultural-influences-on-trend.html
Task 9 •http://www.refinery29.uk/2016/03/105331/zara-genderless-clothing-line-2016 •http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/07/fashion/jaden-smith-for-louis-vuitton-the-new-manin-a-skirt.html?_r=0 •http://www.vogue.com/slideshow/celebrity/rihanna/#13404201 •PureWow. (2016). 5 Things Iris Apfel Taught Us About Style (and Life). [online] Available at: http://www.purewow.com/arts/5-Things-Iris-Apfel-Taught-Us-About-Style-and-Life [Accessed 26 Sep. 2016]. •http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/fashion/fashion-news/news/a33387/the-language-offashion/ http://www.stylist.co.uk/fashion/i-just-can-t-do-heels-any-more-victoria-beckham-flatstrainers-fashion-week-new-york-designer-style-phoebe-philo
Mini Branding task • PRLog. (2016). 16-18 Year Olds Have More Disposable Income Than Any Other Age Group. [online] Available at: https://www.prlog.org/10821742-1618-year-olds-have-more-disposable-income-than-any-other-age-group.html [Accessed 4 Oct. 2016]. • Cartner-Morley, J. (2013). How Zara took over the high street. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2013/feb/16/how-zara-took-over-highstreet [Accessed 4 Oct. 2016]. • British Vogue. (2016). How Shearling Coats Came In From The Cold. [online] Available at: http://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/celebrity-trend-shearling-jacketspring-2016 [Accessed 4 Oct. 2016]. • Ruddick, G. (2014). Rihanna boosts River Island sales. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/1110719 0/Rihanna-boosts-River-Island-sales.html [Accessed 5 Oct. 2016]. • goHenry, the smart approach to pocket money. (2013). Spending habits and trends by teens. [online] Available at: https://www.gohenry.co.uk/blog/teenagers-and-money-how-are-things-goingto-change-for-your-12-year-old/ [Accessed 4 Oct. 2016].