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Implementation project by Hollie Furniss Team mates Tina Relf and Loren Aldridge FASH10003 STAGE 2 N0321232 Tutor Lucy Norris Word count overall: 12,420 Word count for quotes and refs: 6,995 Word count without quotes and refs: 5,425
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IMPLEMENTATION: EMPOWERING A NEW PHASE OF FEMALE E-COMMERCE The creation of an online womenswear brand dedicated to the modern woman
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Contents 1. Introduction 2. Methodology 3. The Big Idea: New Phase of Female E-Commerce 4. Consumer Profiles 5. A Dawn of Change: Product Offering 5.1. Retail Turbulence 5.2. Mediocrity Opposition 5.3. Conscious Selectivism Trend 5.4. Form Follows Function 5.5. Evolution of Commodities 6. Transitional Virtues: Delivery Service 6.1. The Need for Sustainability 6.2. The Art of Surprise 6.3. Surprise Consumption Trend 6.4. Market Overview: Competitors 7. The Creative Idea: Brand Story and Values 7.1. Anthropomorphising Branding 7.1.2. The Rise of Womanhood 7.1.3. Diversity Embraced 7.2. Humanised Homogeneity Trend 7.3. Anti-branding: The Paradox 7.4. A Utility shift 8. Digital Development Mega Systems: Website and Marketing 8.1. Marketing Strategy 8.2. Printed Media 8.3. Physical and Meta Physical 8.4. Globalisation of e-commerce 9. Executions Includes time sequencing, campaign development and press kit 10. Costings 11. Conclusion 12. Bibliography 12.1 Referencing 12.2 Illustrations 13. Appendix 13.1 Time management 13.2 Transcripts 13.3 Ethical consents
Fig 1
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Dig ital invasion
Investment p urc hasing
Such digital developments, despite their inherit benefits portability and sharability, are in turn generating a counter lifestyle trend of homogeneity and authenticity.
Fig 2
As a consumer society we will begin to feel suffocated by multi-national branding and fast-paced retail. Instead the future of buying is moving towards investment pieces that last.
Introduction
1. ‘Until the last girl gets to be everything she wants to be, then we cannot rest’ (Woodard, A: 2013).
It is 2013, and the power of change is radiating. Generations are born into a world fuelled by electronics, gadgets and applications, never knowing a life before digital. Technology has now become so intrinsic to life that it has created an augmented society, ‘traditional theories of reality are now powerless to explicate the difference between the real and the hyperreal’ (Mann, D: Anon) blurring the boundaries of reality. Such digital developments, despite their inherit benefits of nowness, portability and sharability, are in turn generating a counter lifestyle trend of homogeneity and authenticity. The future is digital but in respect to consumer’s fundamental desires, it needs to adopt more humanistic and experiential methods of communication in order to tap into the emotional necessities of the modern psyche. Specific to commodities, society will begin to feel suffocated by multi-national branding and fast-paced retail. Instead the future of buying is moving towards investment pieces that last or have been to some degree influenced and adapted by the consumer for the consumer (Wallman, J: 2011). Essential to this are brands and companies that evoke an ideal of the bespoke, creative and conceptual (Wallman, J: 2011) which cater to an offering that conveys genuine and trustworthy qualities but also allows for a reflection of the consumer.
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Introduction
Delving deeper into such values of trust and realness is the idea of more sustainable products and brands. These are important qualities which focus upon a degree of transparency, a slower manufacturing pace or environmentally friendly production. It seems that consumers are becoming increasingly aware of their buying habits and its effects. In a truly savvy sensibility, they are beginning to transform their relationship to fast product consumption into more effective decisions that benefit both their pocket and their pride; as investing in more sustainable, quality products means buying less and less often. This is a direct result of the recession, as consumers tighten their purse strings in a bid to salvage their income, ‘the recession has forced people and brands to reconsider how they engage with consumers’ (Wallman, J: 2011). However, despite such financially turbulent times the retail market seems to be remaining generally resilient; the ‘clothing market has seen solid growth despite the recession and has grown (by) 17%’ (Mintel a: 2011). Specifically, a market segment which seems to be evolving rapidly with vigour is the luxury fashion sector, a league which was at one phase reluctant to board the digital surge due to fear of losing the desirability and exclusivity of their bricks and mortar stores. ‘Recent statistics (claim) that 98% of affluent consumers are shopping online’ (Holmes, J: 2013). The prospect of such aspirational markets lies within ‘those that ensure their brands maintain their allure and integrity in a world that has become price-led and driven by unsustainable short-term gain’ (Holmes, J: 2013). However, the very notion of what is considered luxury today seems ambivalent. When it is contextualised, it is thought of in terms of its quality and experiential brand package rather than the archaic associations of price-point and high-end marginalisation. In response to this market overview and its effect on consumers, it seems apparent that there lies a gap in the market. The change of consumer behaviour in relationship to consumption, the increasingly important themes of homogeneity, transparency and sustainability and finally, the concept and stance of luxury brands all combine for a potentially unique brand offering. Throughout this report, the interpretation and response to such aspects are built upon in the form of a new womenswear brand. This new brand aims to utilise the digital scope at hand but with great consideration and attentiveness to the humanisation of the package, accessibility of the brand story and purity of the product offering.
For the evolution and development of this brand refer to app end ix (page 138).
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Ne e d for d ifference
Sustainabi lity
Sustainability is a welcomed theme in a very unhealthy industry where our relationship to fast fashion and mass consumption has become too extreme, in order to be sustainable.
Surprise has long been an effective marketing tool to generate word of mouth and consumer enjoyment, which can lead to stronger bonds with consumers through emotion.
Fig 3
2. Methodology Both primary and secondary research has been fundamental to the development of this project. A varied and reputable accumulation of research has been undertaken, in the hope that it shows a range of different research methods from creative to traditional. Mixtures of quantitative, qualitative, ethnographic, observational, exclusive and inclusive means have been used to aid the primary research process. Only the most appropriate sources have been used throughout to generate authoritative outcomes that could best inform decision making. A thorough literature search into the markets of this research area has been extensively undertaken also. In addition, speaking to professionals within the industry has provided expert opinions and insights. All research has been iterative and piloted to ensure outcomes are sufficient and applicable. All research carried out and the reasons why are as follows; Method: Secondary research Member of team: Hollie Furniss Explanation: It is vital for the underpinning and influence of any concept or new beginning. Respondent: Platforms such as WGSN, Mintel and E&T. Films and documentaries on form follows function, influential new campaign videos and live Conscious talk. Websites covering topics on surprise marketing, anti-branding and humanisation e.g. thedailybeats and Guardian. Magazines on minimalism and the internet, for instance i-D magazine and Stitches. Books on sustainability, E-commerce and the future. Context: All aspects of this report needs to be supported by secondary research, proving the ideas discussed are timely, relevant and viable. Throughout, it has always been tried to use only the best and most credible sources of those with opinions that are respected. Evaluation: Although, online can sometimes prove to be a unreliable platform for information, choosing the right websites with trustworthy content was an objective to outweigh this issue. Also, trend forecasting agencies such as WGSN were only s starting point to the evolution of trends discussed in this report as their predictions are just one of many. Date: On-going through entire process Method: Email interview Member of team: Loren Aldridge Explanation: Email interview was chosen as it allowed for clear communication with ease. Respondent: Tom Hayden, designer Context: Hayden started his own T-shirt business fuelled on bespoke, quality designs. Evaluation: It was great to get insights into the world of business start-ups and the motivations behind Hayden’s brand. He shed light on his concerns about starting a new brand such as hitting the right market and how important adopting sustainable methods of production are to his ventures. Date: 14/05/2013 Method: LSN: Global Trend Briefing Member of team: Tina Relf Explanation: It is an event which is influential on a global and professional level. Respondent: The Trend Boutique event, The Future Laboratory LSN: Global Context: Employees from The Future Laboratory discussed the future social, cultural, behavioural and contextual predictions for the evolution of consumer and retail trends; in specific Strange Days (the digital immersion) and new Generation Intuitive. Evaluation: Very informative and inspiring talk and presentation that covered a very dynamic and varied set of trends. It gave way to ideas for case studies and secondary research to apply to our idea development. Date: 24/04/2013
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Method: Email interview Member of team: Loren Aldridge Explanation: Email interview was chosen as it allowed for clear communication with ease. Respondent: Marc Goldenfein, Co-founder of Svbscription. Context: Svbscription is a recent online luxury subscription service.
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Methodology Evaluation: As Svbscription was a main case study in this report it was great to get additional and more personal information for one of the founders of the brand. Goldenfein’s interview responses have really coloured the idea of subscription services being built on surprise, quality and experience. Date: 20/04/2013 Method: Email interview Member of team: Tina Relf Explanation: Email interview was chosen as it allowed for clear communication with ease. Respondent: Victoria Buchanan, The Future Laboratory LSN: Global Context: Buchanan is a Trend Researcher for the very influential trend forecasting agency LSN: Global. Getting insights from such a renowned and well-known agency is a very credible and trustworthy. Evaluation: Buchanan was very helpful and insightful on areas on cultural, social, micro and macro trends that have really underpinned and shaped the development of our findings with direct regards to the evolution of subscription services and what brands / companies are innovating the e-commercial landscape. The next phase was to get more insights from those higher up in the company at The Trend Briefing. Date: 16/04/2013 Method: Email interview Member of team: Loren Aldridge Explanation: Email interview was chosen as it allowed for clear communication with ease. Respondent: Melanie Moore, Co-founder of Elizabeth & Clarke. Context: Elizabeth & Clarke is a subscription service for purely shirts and tee’s in America but at a lower and more accessible price-point. Evaluation: It was really beneficial to get feedback from an existing subscription service brand that has gone through the processes of start-up to fully fledged business. Moore spoke about how for subscription services to really work, their content has to be able to stand alone and therefore needs to be quality driven. Subscription services are to faddish and so the only way the best can withstand the trends of the market, quality is paramount. Date: 05/04/2013 Method: Other Stories field research Member of team: Tina Relf Explanation: Hands-on experience of a new brand. Respondent: Employees of Other Stories Context: The launch of a much anticipated storytelling brand. Evaluation: The store visit visually was very influential, for instance the D.I.Y aesthetic and behind the scenes feels with the use of imagery and props. However, staffs were too busy to give in-depth and quality interviews. An interview was sent out in order to rectify this however, in a response email it was said that they lack the time and team size to dedicate to an interview. Date: 04/04/2013 Method: Email interview Member of team: Hollie Furniss Explanation: Email interview was chosen as it allowed for clear communication with ease. Respondent: Hilary Peterson, is the VP of Business Development for Lyst.com Context: Lyst.com is a social shopping site that is changing the way people shop for fashion online. Hilary has also worked for DDB Worldwide doing Business Development for Asia Pacific and has consulted on various branding projects for Estee Lauder, Waterford, and Omega making her an excellent source for interviewing. Evaluation: Peterson is a very knowledgeable working professional with a host of relevant work experiences that make her perfect for an interview. She shed valuable light on all aspects of marketing and branding for a new online brand. Although these responses were beneficial, an in person interview may have revealed even more. However, as she is a busy individual living in London, an email interview was Peterson’s preferred method of choice, and has allowed her to think about the clarity of her responses beforehand in her own desired time. Date: 30/03/2013
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Method: Email interview Member of team: Hollie Furniss Explanation: An email interview was chosen as it allowed for clear communication with ease. Respondent: Cara Webster, Showroom Assistant at Elisa Cavaletti Context: Webster works at a relatively niche and high-end clothing label’s showroom which entails liaising with clients, attending tradeshows and actively taking part in range plans. Evaluation: Beneficial to get thoughts from someone in a different job position to others, Webster gave great feedback on trends from a more buying perspective. Webster shared great ideas and it was good to get the perspective of someone emerging into the fashion world. Even though this is why Webster was targeted, speaking to the founder of Elisa Cavaletti could have underpinned additional opinions, but the founder was too busy to respond to an interview. Date: 28/03/2013 Method: Email interview Member of team: Hollie Furniss Explanation: An email interview was chosen as it allowed for clear communication with ease. Respondent: Sian O’Flaherty, Ex Style Editor at Lyst.com, current Marketing manager for ShopStyle.com Context: O’Flaherty was targeted for her expertise in the modern online retail market within companies which offer a unique or original service and proposal. Evaluation: Unfortunately Sian was unable to carry out with her email interview in the end due to time restraints. Date: 28/03/2013 Method: Email interview Member of team: Hollie Furniss Explanation: An email interview was chosen as it allowed for clear communication with ease. Respondent: Amber Wood, Founder and Director of Emslie Creative PR Company Context: Wood is a professional networker in the world of fashion and PR. Having set up her own company she offers a personal and direct approach to the subject matter at hand. Evaluation: The interview was revealing of Wood’s position on the most important aspects within online retailing and how brands can utilise such platforms. As Wood is the founder of the PR agency her expertise was really the main one we wanted. However, in future it could also prove integral to interview her team who are more emerging to see how their responses differ. However, this was attempted by due to an impending Press Preview her team was unable to commit to interviews. Date: 26/03/2013 Method: Email interview Member of team: Hollie Furniss Explanation: An email interview was chosen as it allowed for clear communication with ease. Respondent: Lewis Gowler, Studio Apprentice at Albam Clothing Context: Gowler, as a designer has educated and hands-on knowledge of the retail industry from a design-led point of view. Something much needed for the creation of a brand and its stock. Evaluation: The interview proved most interesting as it gave understanding to the manufacturing process and Gowler’s personal opinions on the future of fashion on all levels. Gowler’s views were very revealing and significant as he is a growing, new designer with fresh ideas. Gowler’s boss was also targeted for interview but exchanges unfortunately didn’t lead to an interview. Date: 26/03/2013
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Methodology Method: In-person interview with Dover Street market shopper Member of team: Loren Aldridge Explanation: Dover Street market is an alternative shopping method that would appeal to the sort of consumer we want to attract, therefore getting their insights is helpful. Location: London Context: Jen was targeted as she was shopping alone within the quiet store, used customer service. Evaluation: Jen discussed her ideas on luxury and its meaning, deeming it more about the experience of unique places and brands. She revealed that when paying a lot for products, experience was expected. She said however, she shops the majority of the time online as she is a busy person. A follow up email allowed for Jen to go into her thoughts in more depth in her own time, about what important experiences such thinks brands need to consider like sense of service and seamless navigation. Date: 20/02/2013 Method: Email interview Member of team: Hollie Furniss Explanation: An email interview was chosen as it allowed for clear communication with ease. Respondent: Georgina Martin, Freelance photographer for Stylist and LFW Menswear Context: Martin has a unique stance being a working freelance photographer. She has the perspective of LFW and magazine editorial but also, this isn’t overtaking of her own opinions. Evaluation: The interview was in-depth and allowed for Martin to express her personality and photographic style, what influencers her work in and out of fashion. She also was highly inspirational with the brands and trends she chose to discuss and analyse. Georgina was also our photographer and film maker for our shoot and to an extent her responses could then be seen as biased. However, she wasn’t told about the concept in-depth before her interview. Date: 20/03/2013 Method: In-person interview Member of team: Hollie Furniss Explanation: An in-person interview gave immediate and instinctive answers in a busy, creative environment. Respondent: Emma Hamshare, Fashion and Textile Designer, Pure attendee Context: Hamshare has recently begun her own fashion label so getting her opinion was relevant and appropriate for a similar venture. Evaluation: Hamshare shared her opinions on what she felt was lacking in the retail market, how best to attract new consumers and what she felt were most important aspects of an online brand. A follow up interview asking whether she wanted to collaborate of accessories and initially, this was unsuccessful in gaining a response. However, a phone interview was then established which resulted in Hamshare agreeing to be our collaboration for the first brand offering. Date: 21/08/2012 Method: In-person interview Member of team: Hollie Furniss Explanation: An in-person interview gave immediate and instinctive answers in a busy, creative environment. Respondent: Danielle Boam, Fashion textile student, Pure attendee Context: Boam is a learning student and potential consumer and so her thoughts on what she searched for in an online retailer were valuable insights in the development of the brand. Evaluation: Danielle shared her opinions on what she felt was lacking in the retail market, how best to attract new consumers and what she felt were most important aspects of an online brand. The interviews were intentionally short so that the consumers didn’t feel that the interview was taking up too much of their time. A longer interview could have generated some interesting finds but under the circumstances it just wasn’t feasible. Date: 21/08/2012
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Method: In-person interview Member of team: Hollie Furniss Explanation: An in-person interview gave immediate and instinctive answers in a busy, creative environment. Respondent: Cara Moore, Fashion buyer student, Pure attendee Context: Moore is a learning student and potential consumer and so her thoughts on what she searched for in an online retailer were valuable insights in the development of the brand. Evaluation: Cara shared her opinions on what she felt was lacking in the retail market, how best to attract new consumers and what she felt were most important aspects of an online brand. More attendees from Pure could have been interviewed to get varied responses however, due to time constraints in wasn’t possible. Date: 21/08/2012 Method: Focus group Member of team: Hollie Furniss Explanation: A focus group allowed for communal discussion with a laid-back approach. Respondents: Helen Hindley owner of Beach Hut and lecturer at London College of Fashion, Pure guest speaker, Nikki Raraport director of Bernard Boutique, Pure guest speaker and Giulio Cinque owner of Giulio Man and Woman, Pure guest speaker Context: These guest speakers and industry professionals have a combined and varied wealth of knowledge and expertise to offer new entrepreneurs, in the same field of work. Evaluation: Each respondent had something different to offer which added to the richness of the information shared. The relaxed nature of the focus group made it possible for them to bounce ideas off one another, giving greater depth to the discussion. They gave really influential advice, including their view of the online retail market trends and the importance of the range. Date: 21/08/2012 Method: Pure Tradeshow attendance Member of team: Hollie Furniss Explanation: Visiting Pure felt like an essential activity for building a brand as it unites a host of creative minds and professionals under one roof. Location: London Context: The catwalk shows, exhibitors and talks would offer a rounded view into the future trends of retailing and marketing. Evaluation: WGSN talks covered topics such as creating a fresh brand mix, effective transactional sites and driving footfall, all vital learnings for the creation of a brand. Date: 21/08/2012 Method: Bread and Butter Tradeshow attendance Members of team: Hollie Furniss, Tina Relf and Loren Aldridge Explanation: Visiting Bread and Butter felt like an essential activity for building a brand as it unites a host of creative minds and professionals under one roof. Location: Berlin Context: The catwalk shows, exhibitors and talks would offer a rounded view into the future trends of retailing and marketing. Evaluation: Some exciting new brands and trends were showcased that offered inspiration. Would have been great to get some interviews from exhibitors but some brands showed a reluctance to talk, which was probably due to a lack of trust as to our motivations. However, the stock and branding on offer visualised offerings and values effectively. Date: 18/01/2012 Creative Research Method: Consequence game Member of team: Tina Relf Explanation: A more humanistic method of sharing and forming stories Respondents: 10 players Context: The game is played by writing words on paper and folding the paper to hide the previous words before passing it to the next player from a given theme or structure. Evaluation: As the formspring method of generating stories lacked an interactive and hands on approach, the consequences game was a different way of story generation. It allowed for a more imaginative response on the given theme of ‘unfading’ and was interesting to see the various interpretations of such a vague topic. It documented how personal a
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theme or word can be to each individual, underpinning our interwoven tale element of the branding (having universal appeal by uniting people on shared experiences). Date: 10/05/2013 Method: Formspring ‘The Tale of’ campaign Member of team: Hollie Furniss Explanation: Formspring was used as it matched our social question and answer strategy. Respondents: 10 anonymous female respondents. Context: ‘Women, What is Your Tale? What are your ambitions in life? What are your proudest moments? What are your life highlights? What difficulties have you overcome? Tell us the tale of you, titled ‘The Tale of (your name)’ and get sharing anonymously!’ The link to our question was linked to social networking platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter in the hope of giving everyday women an opportunity to share their story and identify shared commonalities. Evaluation: It was successful in that a respectable amount of women engaged with the campaign during the time frame and gave in-depth and often touching accounts of their life. Which were beneficial in learning from a branding and consumer analysis point of view. There wasn’t a huge amount of responses which was probably due to our brand not being heard of before, or that it was only advertised on three platforms. Therefore, it would be beneficial to re-do this campaign if the brand became better known. Date: 29/03/2013 Method: Instagram ‘Talem Staples’ campaign Members of team: Tina Relf Explanation: Instagram is a popular platform for visuals and as it is a social network is offered a unique method of sharing and engaging with consumers, digitally and on the-the-go. Respondents: 5 anonymous female respondents. Context: The hashtag #talemstaples was linked via the @Talembrand Instagram page and asked people to take images of their staple items and link back to Talem through the hashtag. Evaluation: The hashtag was a very efficient method of accumulating photos of people responding to the campaign as Instagram can refine searches based on hashtags, like Twitter. Therefore, people’s staples could be viewed simultaneously and evaluated. There wasn’t a huge amount of responses which was probably due to our brand not being heard of before, or that it was only advertised on three platforms. Therefore, it would be beneficial to re-do this campaign if the brand became better known. Date: 15/02/2013 Method: Branding production creative day Members of team: Hollie Furniss, Tina Relf and Loren Aldridge Explanation: In order to build the branding for Talem, a creative day of D.I.Y, visual analysis and collecting, drawing, writing and brainstorming was essential. Respondents: Secondary sources such as Pintrest proved valuable in building the ‘branding wall’ for example. Context: The day was a hands-on creatively fuelled exploration of design and branding influencers. We fine-tuned and refined our visual inspiration into 3-D and 2-D manifestations in order to define our ideas and thoughts. Evaluation: It was an integral activity to do as a team in order to establish an effective brand, taking into consideration our ideas, secondary influencers and primary research. Date: 14/02/2013 Method: ‘This or that’ blog study Explanation: A blog felt like the best platform to interact with consumers in a visual way as it is sharable, recognisable and undemanding. Respondents: 50 people in total commented on 10 different this or that style posts. Context: Each day for 10 days images of design aesthetics to do with clothing, branding or lifestyle were uploaded and link to social networking platforms in the hope of establishing a clear favourite visual outcome. Evaluation: This activity was helpful in getting external feedback from consumers on their aesthetic and tonal tastes. Which could then be applied to the design and brand building process. A blatant visual code was unearthed through this study and has combined to inform the implementation section. However, despite its influence we are aware that consumers aren’t qualified in branding and visuals and therefore their opinion it’s the definitive answer. We have taken a degree of authority and control in these aspects from an intuitive and educated position. Date: 03/02/2013
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Fig 5
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The Big Idea: A New Phase of Female E-Commerce Tale·m is an online womenswear brand with an exclusive and capsule subscription service for the modern, conscientious woman. More than just a fashion brand, it is a unique and luxury subscription service, curating a boxed fashion experience and changing the way consumers shop indefinitely. Tale·m collates the perfect staple garments that every woman needs from season to season whilst allowing consumers to also select accessories from inspiring visuals that encapsulate their personality. We strive to deliver quality, bespoke goods, where design is fundamental and interpretation is intrinsic, through establishing an original and sustainable online offering for those which yearn for refinement and a humanised approach. Driving a more regulated and refined turnover of stock all wrapped up in a campaign that celebrates the stories and diversities of the contemporary women of today. The brand name translates to empower in Latin. A crucial message that caters to those tired with extremist brand offerings that speak to them rather than with them. It strives to give fulfilment to those annoyed with the velocity of trends that dictate their wardrobe rather than enhance it. It is a brand that gives a voice to those in angst over marketing that attempts to target a nation rather than the individual. The ambition is a womenswear brand which achieves three things. Firstly, change the online experience into something far more personalised and engaging through an original method of shopping, secondly create an offline experience which is humanised and unique through its marketing and sensory collections and thirdly, establish a sustainable offering of small, limited and regulated deliveries through a subscription service.
The name Talem
Ne gatives - How to pronounce - An unknown word
Positives - The name is personal to the consumer and their interpretation. - Less familiar / used word means it is more likely be at the top of the search engine when searched for. More optimised search for direct traffic. Fig 6
Surprise
Humanisation
Slow Sensibility Staples 22.
Brand Values
Exclusivity
Quality & Luxury Fig 7
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Fig 8
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Consumer Profiles
‘Youth is not a time of life — it is a state of mind; it is a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, vigour of the emotions, a predominance of courage over limidity, of the appetite for adventure over love of ease. Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years; years wrinkle away the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul’ (Iainclaridge: 2013). The profiling of consumers is something which is evolving from the grouping of age boundaries to the grouping of like-minded attitudes and values. As the world’s population has increased and the effects of digital have made it easier for consumers to choose their paths and desires, targeting consumers has in one respect become harder. This is because the once easily formed parameters and characteristics of certain tribes are now crossing over into other tribes. People are engaging with luxury brands, even if they can’t afford them. People who are ‘too old’ or ‘too young’ for certain products are buying them anyway, because they can. The internet has empowered consumers with an ultimate freedom to shop as they desire. This means that now more than ever profiling for new businesses should no-longer include ages but emphasise on the attributes of the consumers they hope to reach. Age is not a defining quality; it is the way people act which really matters to brands.
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Clara: meaning Bright and Clear Sh e is ou r m i n dfu l an d consc ientious consu m er.
Clara is a representative to the consumers which are consuming more sustainably. Those which don’t want to compromise their possessions by total eco-domination but are taking the steps to a more thoughtful and considered level of consumption. Clara portrays statistics which convey the distinction of these types of consumers. ‘With basic environmentally friendly actions, such as switching off unused lights, recycling and washing at 40 degrees or lower now deeply ingrained. For example, virtually all those over 16 years old undertake at least one environmental or ethical action regularly’ (Confino, J: 2012). As they buy investments they will be particularly interested in the accessory pieces of the collection, as they are pieces which can be mixed with many outfits and styles. This makes them flexible and interchangeable. Clara is educated and fairly wealthy, one of the ‘70% of readers and users of the Guardian and Observer, who tend to be more eco-conscious’ (Confino, J: 2012). Clara is a powerful consumer as she can influence others to follow in her footsteps, being a committed sustainably aware individual that can impact the behaviour of others. (Refer to appendix for details into the increase of sustainably driven consumers, page 151).
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Consumers
Fig 9
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Daria: meaning wealthy
Sh e is ou r q uality a n d luxu ry d riven consu m er.
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Consumers
Daria is a representative to the consumers which buy for quality rather than quantity, ‘consumers more driven by service, quality and convenience since recession began’ (Verdict: 2013). They crave experiences and sensorial additions to their purchasing in order to keep them engaged. These are consumers which are highly intellectual, perceptive and demanding of their experiences with brands. This is stemmed from them being technologically confident and aware of their personal importance and impact to trends and companies. They are the bloggers, reviewing products and refining trends, craving style attention by promoting their look on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Their style is low-key, simple and modest but with an air of understated trend appeal. These fashion followers are not drawn to labels and expensive price tags despite their knowledge of the best aspirational lifestyle brands in the designer market. Instead they search around for the best price and quality, using sites for the majority of their purchases but when they do extend to the high-street they buy from stores like TK Maxx and more independent labels. These consumers are very influential; they will spread the word of new brands and generate hype around them, mostly online. ‘Retailers are now using a rich stream of consumer data to micro-target their offer to customers. In the future consumers will expect hyper-convenience, simplicity and speed from their online purchase experiences’ (Buchanan, V: 2013).
Fig 10
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Novus: meaning new
Sh e is ou r lea der of i nn ovation an d n ewn ess.
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Consumers
Novus is representative to the consumers of the digital world, those which demand all that is new and exciting in the retail and experiential world. Novus portrays statistics which convey the prominence of these types of consumers. ‘Sales of online fashion have soared, increasing to a staggering 152% over the last five years alone (...) over one in three Brits bought their clothes at the flick of a switch’ (Mintel, 2011, Online). Also, ‘one in three social network users say they talk to their friends online more than face to face’ (Mintel, 2011, Online).
These are multi-users tapping away at their phones, tablets and laptops. They are slaves to technology, choosing Apple over its competitors for its sheer desirability. They want immediacy, impact and immersion with brands, responding to unique offerings and the digital presence of companies. These are important consumers as they will absorb themselves within a brand and are most likely to become loyal.
Our interpretation of consumers following the Novus group are influenced by a recent consumer trend analysis deemed the Rendering Reality consumer. ‘The tribe associated with the Rendering Reality trend is called Data Believers. They believe in the truth of statistics and are beginning to track information about themselves, particularly in the field of health and wellness. They are pragmatic and seek to take control of all the informational trails left behind them and make practical use of this intelligence’ (Lohan, S: 2013). (Refer to appendix for a trend overview of this, page 152). Fig 11
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Fig 12
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A Dawn of Change: Product Offering
The Tale路m product offering follows the theory of form before function. Built on the values of quality, minimalism and simplicity they are staple garments which can be worn through all seasons and by all ages. This level of neutrality makes them pieces which should suit a range of body types and tastes as they are free from the flamboyancy of trend motifs and designs. The capsule range which is interchangeable to the garments in other deliveries, results in a staple wardrobe of 12 pieces a year, that should form the basis of all wardrobes and last as long as the wearer deems appropriate. One of the unique selling points to the items is that they do not know what exact garments are inside the boxes, giving way to the infectious themes of secrecy and surprise. The collaborations within the boxes will add an element of personality and individuality as consumers choose what collaborations they want in their boxes. This is achieved by them selecting moodboards on the website which conjure up the visual interpretation of the collaborations. For each box consumers can choose this area but as they choose this through the qualities of the collaborations rather than images of the items themselves, there is still that aspect of mysteriousness. The boxes are split into two seasons, S/S and A/W. There will be four boxes a year, each containing the following items per delivery: 1: S/S one dress, top, skirt + 1 or 2 collaborations 2: S/S one dress (or two), top, shorts + 1 or 2 collaborations 3: A/W one outerwear, trouser, top + 1 or 2 collaborations 4: A/W one outerwear (or two) dress (or top and trousers) 1 or 2 collaborations Collaborations: Shoes = 1 item, bags = 1 item, Jewellery = 2 items, Accessories = 2 items
The first box, named Amara meaning unfading will include a dress, skirt and top alongside two items of jewellery through the collaboration. In addition there will be sensory items which are discussed in more depth in the delivery service section of this report. For the first collaboration we have linked with the talented designer Emma Hamshare, a London based accessories designer and guest lecturer. She has her own label called äelska, a ‘multidisciplinary exploration into ideas of purity, harmony and symbolism. A fascination with individuals’ differing perspectives on the world around them (and this) inspires beautiful fashion, accessories and artwork’ (Hamshare, E: 2013). Her dedication to female design and hand-made items gives her work a degree of sophistication, exclusivity and craftsmanship; qualities Tale·m collaborations will be founded on. Working with strong, intelligent and ambitious women is something which Tale·m will always strive for, as it underpins its entire offering and branding. It is important to note that this limited offering, although desirable and intimate could be seen by some as too selective and too small of an offering. However, the consumer base we want to attract, we feel, will appreciate the angle Tale·m is trying to fulfil with a regulated delivery service and reduced stock. Most of all we feel this will be more of a selling point than a hindering factor.
Fig 13
Äelska overview: The founder of the brand, Emma Hamshare is an award winning conceptual designer and a grad uate of the London Colle ge of Fashion. She sp e cialises in intricate latticeli ke pie ces c rafte d from c hains of phonemes that are hand drawn and cut with lasers. Her work ranges from large commissions for conceptual ar t installations to small wearable pie ces made using vintage lace. All pie ces are adoringly constructe d in the london stud io (Hamshare, E: 2013).
Product Offering
Collaborations
Throughout this proje ct we have collab orate d with many ind ustry professionals that include:
Emma Hamshare: Brand founder of Ă„elska and designer Lewis G owler: Designer from Albam C lothing G e org ina Mar tin: Fre elance Photo grapher from London Colle ctions C harli e Jepson: Dire ctor at Ogle Fi lm & Me d ia Amelia Par tridge: Mo del from Mo de Management Luke Foster: Mo del (Unsigne d)
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Product Offering
Simplicity Functionality Sophistication Durability Comfort
Fig 14
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Product Offering
We have collaborated with Lewis Gowler from Albam clothing for the manufacturing of our garments. Through design meetings and consultations we agreed on the first staple items for the Amara offering. The box is Spring / Summer and therefore the colour palette is light and soft. The aesthetic is simple but modern with subtle detailing in the hems and edging through a ribbed-like effect. The shapes complement the female form but has enough elestane to stretch and settle around the curves of the silhouette. The fabric, as it is to be worn during the summer is thin and airy for optimum comfort and wear. (Refer to page 142 for The Designer briefing pack).
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Fig 15
Fig 16
42.
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Fig 17
Retail sales in 'Greater London, increased 5.8%, and the West Midlands, was up 2.6%' (WGSN: 2013). Fig 18
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Retail Turbulance
'For the high street, one swallow does not make a summer, but these results might hint at the green shoots of recovery, or at least some stabilisation in the current environment' (WGSN: 2013).
5.1 . Retai l Turb u lance
When wanting to launch a new brand, the economy cannot be over-looked. However, despite the uncertainties of the economical climate the current statistics (opposite and above) prove promising for potential entrepreneurs wanting to enter the retail space. In order to get first-hand reassurance on the viabilities of starting a brand Pure Tradeshow (2012) was visited. It was felt the event’s catwalk shows, exhibitors and talks would offer good grounding into the future trends of retailing and marketing. WGSN talks covered topics such as creating a fresh brand mix, effective transactional sites and driving footfall. A focus group with three guest speakers from Pure tradeshow in London (Helen Hindley owner of Beach Hut and lecturer at London College of Fashion, Nikki Raraport director of Bernard Boutique and Giulio Cinque owner of Giulio Man and Woman) was generated in order to get their expert opinions on the retail market and its influencers. When asked the opening question ‘despite the recession it is still viable to introduce a new brand into the market?’ all responded unanimously, ‘absolutely’. With Helen continuing ‘I think it is time because people want newness’, Nikki exclaiming that ‘if you stay safe then you’ll just die’ and lastly, Giuilo claiming, ‘when is it a good time? (…) it’s the desire that you need.’ (own focus group: 2012). All of which shows that firstly, it is very difficult to say when the best time to launch a new brand is but above all in such a creative and demanding sector, the introduction of a brand is always welcomed. The most important aspect is how it is introduced, what it offers and what it is doing differently to its competitors.
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d n a r b a t r a t s o t k o s ’ n t o i s I s e c e r e h t e g n n i i l r n o du g n i t c e n n o c e r a e l p s r e Peo m u s n o c t u o b a l l e u A l a v f o n o i t p e perc s c i s a b t e g r o f t ’ n o D r a e w o t y d a e d n a R t s t i s e o d what y h t l for? a e h n u n a s e i c r e e r m e m o Th c o t p i h s n o i t rela Fig 19
Retail Turbulance
The second question asked, ‘what do you think brands have to embody in order to succeed in this economic climate?’ gave way to more insightful suggestions. Giuilo commented on the connection process, ‘for the first time in 30 years I totally believe in what is going on in the digital world, it’s the new entertainment (…)the new entertainment is digital. So we need to connect with that (…) what’s going to be really different is that you’re going to be connected (because) these people are already connecting.’ (own focus group: 2012). It seems that Giulo sees embracing digital capabilities is how brands can differentiate themselves in the modern world but Helen brought the opinion into perspective reminding us that ‘ultimately you have to understand the consumer (…) and what their perception of value is.’ (own focus group: 2013). The amount of digital implementation given to a brand is all dependent on its relevance to the consumer after all. It was interesting to note Guilo’s insights from a buyer’s viewpoint too, as instead of claiming that a brand’s success lies in its uniqueness, sometimes it’s the inclusiveness of design fundamentals which can give a brand most authority. ‘If you’re from the point of view of building a brand there has to be a structure of which you can get your core product and (…) your areas which are more interesting, just give it that flavour (...) don’t forget the white shirt for instance.’ (own focus group: 2012). Going back to basics is a really fascinating idea, especially in such an over-whelming artistic field of fashion where trend is the driving force behind most brand setups. It does seem that the industry, since the industrial revolution and commercialisation of ready-to-wear collections, has established a society obsessed by quantity rather than quality driven purchases. Ready-to-wear grew out of the theme of diversity and the idea of a unanimous and standardised offering and ‘advanced technologies and mechanisation processes played a major role in the emergence of this capitalistic business empire’ (English, B, 2007: pp 62). Lipovetsky (1994: 90) states that ‘whereas manufactured apparel was often characterised by defective cuts, careless finishes, poor quality and a lack of imaginations, ready-to-wear sought to blend industry and fashion; it sought to put novelty, style and aesthetics to the streets’ (English, B, 2007: pp 63). Although this was a fantastic progression for immediate and accessible fashion, it has unearthed some unhealthy and unsustainable attitudes and values on a cultural note. In order to conjure up a brand with a range that can stand up against the saturated fashion industry, with its integrity intact it seems that an investigation into both past movements and current brands which challenge such universal notions, is crucial for the development of this report.
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5.2. Me d io c rity Opp osition ‘There is much to support the view that it is clothes that wear us and not we them’ (Woolf, V, Orlando: 1928) is a famous and iconic phrase by Woolfe made in the late 20s. However, can it still be applied to today? More to the point, is it still relevant to apply it to today? What if this is an out-dated attitude of fashion that needs to be critically explored. Is it a contemporary thought that we are in control of our style. Clothes do represent the context of society and culture on a larger scale than merely their aesthetics, as all trends are influenced by external forces. However, as the fashion industry is so vast, consumer’s now have the luxury to search for brand’s that match their own values and tastes, despite the trends of the time. Some brands are building a reputation on their oppositions to fashion mediocrity and are gaining popular appeal to those searching for reputability and thoughtfulness. Brands that are quality driven with moral values and credible philosophises. It is such brands which prove most pertinent for examination, in order for their market opposition and originality to be appreciated and considered.
A.P.C: The brand is known for its minimalist designs. Its clothing features of clean lines and simple patterns and logos that are rarely visible are principles adopted by the A.P.C name, ‘simplicity rules in the paired down offerings, all of which are geared toward essential wardrobe needs’ (Fischer, D: 2009). Often, their clothing tends to incorporate the characteristics of military garments and is functional, comfortable and durable. The brand has become renowned and admired for their consistent nature and considered designs that are contradictorily bold through their simplicity.
Fig 20
Margaret Howell: Howell is a brand name that conjures up the themes of reliability, wholesomeness and heritage. The female designer claims that she enjoys ‘pulling these threads of British tradition, quality and skill together in clothes that are meant to be worn in the real world, where good design is about living with thoughtful style’ (Howell, M: 2013). Her aesthetic ethos has given way to a sort of neutrality that any aged woman would feel comfortable and content in wearing.
Against the mass
Our Legacy: The Swedish brand, also discovered at Bread and Butter was formed officially in 2005 and is now being retailed in many shops around the globe and is increasingly becoming the A.P.C. of the Scandinavian region. The look is authentic and evokes a refreshingly individual style. Cofounder Cristopher Nying describes the brand as, ‘to create timeless garments in a natural, well-dressed, and comfortable way… not over-strained, nor too fashiony; conservative but playful and relaxed in expression; sophisticated yet light and nonchalant; made to look thrown together in a perfectly natural way’ (Our Legacy: 2012), effective, sensible and desirable despite its impartiality. CLOSED: Going across the British border and overseas, one brand that proved inspirational during time at the Bread and Butter tradeshow in Berlin is CLOSED. The aesthetic is casual and ‘lived in’ something which is popular with lifestyle clothing (Closed: 2012). Their clothing is fantastically young and modern but their attitude for fashion is pertinent to today’s economy, that every piece has integrity. They have been made from fabrics with longevity and quality making them worthwhile and investable.
Going against the grain
YMC: Moving back to British brands, YMC (You Must Create) is another exceptionally respectable brand setup with a political bite too. ‘They have spent the last fifteen years successfully building a loyal following of like minds who are also swimming against a rising tide of shabby arrogance and gaudy mediocrity. The clothing, beautifully tailored, ingeniously understated and full of hidden details, speaks for itself’ (Marshall, B: 2011). YMC are honest on their strong viewpoints that they know their consumers will adhere too. Instead they see themselves as the outsiders and the minority leaders, sticking a finger up to the big cats of retail corporation. ‘Where others are increasingly concerned with the fleeting, the transient and the contingent, YMC follows the Corbusian precept that form follows function. The results, free from fads and fripperies, are as close to timeless as clothing gets’ (Marshall, B: 2011). An interesting edge, to offer something that is so against what society craves and expects. However, in offering simple fundamentals that aren’t driven by mass trends they are differentiating themselves from the market. The modernist principle of form follows function is a movement worth noting as it conveys similar parallels to today’s culture where artists are moving away from excessive tastes.
Fig 21
5.3. Conscious Sele ctivism It used to be about selling a product and making that product the main selling point in the marketing of businesses. However, now it is the values of brands and companies which are deemed most important to consumers. No longer subliminally persuaded to buy products based on advertising techniques, consumers are very specific and conscious of the relationships they choose to form with retailers. In a new ‘selectivist’ movement, consumers are buying into the lifestyle surrounding brands and the mantra’s they exude. They are reluctant to try and browse from brands if their personas and attitudes don’t match their own; shopping through a narrowed, refined and considered manner. The new marketing is essentially the branding; via a stance and story that speaks to specific consumer’s outlooks, wants and needs on a level that goes beyond the product offering.
Fig 22
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Conscious Sele ctivism
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Form Follows Function
5.4. Form Follows Function Modernists rejected the stylistic anarchy and eclecticism of the Victorian period on the grounds that a new age of machines and technology had been born. They argued that it was essential to create a new style; a modern style based on ‘form follows function’ and the dictates of new materials, machines and techniques. A leader of such an artistic and political direction was Le Corbusier (1887-1965). He was a pioneer in studies of modern high design and was dedicated to providing better living conditions for the residents of crowded cities. The change was pioneering although, arguably such utopian visions are not as realised in contemporary society, in relation to the concrete building blocks that London residents now inhabit as council flats (Utopia London documentary: 2011). Regardless the ideology was revolutionary and has changed design theory perpetually. Dieter Rams is a post-modern creative mind which adopted such an approach, stripping back the over-worked techniques of his competitors and reflected on what truly depicts good design. Rams was becoming increasingly concerned by the state of the world around him, ‘an impenetrable confusion of forms, colours and noises’ (Vitsoe: Anon). Aware that he was a significant contributor to that world, he asked himself an important question: is my design good design? ‘As good design cannot be measured in a finite way he set about expressing the ten most important principles for what he considered was good design, referred to as the Ten commandments’ (Vitsoe: Anon). During a conducted interview with Lewis Gowler (Design from Albam Clothing, Nottingham: 2013), Gowler confessed that he has ‘a poster up at work of Dieter Rams: Ten Principles for good design. The principle I like most is “good design avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated”. I try to ignore trends as much as I can (though am influenced almost subconsciously) and believe that well designed and well produced design will sell regardless of trends’ (own interview: 2013) proving Ram’s righteous word lives on. In the 21st century, it has come to a point where the fashion industry is unsustainable and consequently, change is needed. Ram’s longstanding interpretation of good design could be the foundation to such progression.
Good design is as little design as possible
Form Follows Function
• •
•
G o o d desig n is as little desig n as p ossi ble
Good desig n is i nn ovative
•
G o o d desig n m akes a pro d uct usefu l
•
G o o d desig n is envi ron m entally frien d ly
Good desig n is an a esth etic
Ten Commandments of G o o d Design • •
G o o d desig n is thorough down to the last detail
• •
G o o d desig n m akes a pro d uct u n derstan dable
Good desig n is u n obtrusive
G o o d desig n is longlasti ng •
G o o d desig n is h on est
Fig 23
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Staple case study
The shirt: A blank canvas: One of the true epitomes of good design and functionality is the white shirt. An item of clothing that has recordable dates stretching back to before the Middle Ages, when the shirt existed as underwear for men or as a night gown (Tailorestore: Anon). It evolved into a portrayal of prosperity and high-society until the end of the 19th century (Tailorestore: Anon). However, after the end of World War 1 the shirt went through a transformation and became a popularised fashion garment for all. However, observably tailored shirts are becoming more common and an increase in the quality of a shirt has become more imperative than its price.
The white shirt on a female made its first public appearance through art at the Salon in Paris, worn by a queen in a portrait: Marie Antoinette in a muslin dress. A style and a portrait - by Madame Vigée-Lebrun in 1793 which caused an uproar as it was far from the royal etiquette. In the 19th century it was embellished by bouffant details, and by the end of the century it became a symbol of wealth, since it was worn by those who didn’t work, so they couldn’t stain its whiteness. One of the most iconic moments was in the Twenties when Coco Chanel went against fashion rules and introduced a rather masculine shape. Consequently, women started wearing pants and loose white shirts adopting a extremely contemporary mentality. In 1938 Katharine Hepburn wore a white shirt in Holiday, Ava Gardner wore a short-sleeved version followed by Lauren Bacall in Key Largo in 1948. In the Fifties Audrey Hepburn made the white shirt with rolled up sleeves a trend .
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In the Sixties the white shirt took on an androgynous look. Twiggy wore a pinstriped suit, a white shirt and tie and Patti Smith practically became the epitome of adrogynous style. In the Seventies, ethnic prints, shapes and patterns dominated trends and so the shirt adopted a more kaftan inspired flowy silhouette, designed by the likes of Rykiel, Guy Laroche, Nina Ricci and Saint Laurent. In the Eighties, it was paired to RayBans and black jacket. Symbols of those years were the white shirts by Ferré, architectures with big collars and cuffs, rich in historic references, made in different fabrics and shapes, always featuring a dramatic structure. In the Nineties the white shirt morphed into a paradigm of minimalism, a simplified look that was clean and refined in an attempt to oppose the exaggerations of the previous decade.
The Noughties gave light to the styles of Jil Sander, the classic Hermès shirt revisited by Gaultier, the eco-friendly and avant-garde attitude of Stella McCartney, Celine’s purism by Phoebe Philo. The recent shows have brought the white shirt under the spotlight in different ways. A delicate world dressed white angels with Alberta Ferretti shirts; Herrera gave a dynamic, simple and chic version of white. Valli emphasized this color: the button-down shirt was paired to a tight bandage. Donna Karan embellished a plunging neckline with wide jabots, while Martin Margiela added a statement accessory to a buttonless shirt with boat neckline: a sort of tie clip, made of metal, to hold rolled sleeves.
Ultimately, now the white shirt can take on any form but its most timeless an d simplistic look will always remain a design fundemental. Parapysed (Sozzani. F: 2011).
Fig 24
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Ind ustry comments and thoughts on brand ing and clothing
How could an online brand that is new, influence you to shop with them without any insecurities? When shopping online with retail brands what three qualities do you look for?
Moore
‘Erm the aesthetics and the look of it is the first thing, I’d say ease to use definitely for the second and then I’d say online reviews (...) because people can say whether it is a big fitting, a small fitting or not the material they thought it was’ (Moore, C: 2012).
Boam
‘I would say fast and easy service, hassle free shopping and online reviews’ (Boam, D: 2012).
Hamshare
‘Ease in purchase, close-ups and erm measurements’ (Hamshare, E: 2012).
Moore
‘Free delivery’ (Moore, C: 2012).
Boam
‘Showing the models wearing it and the sizes of the models (...) so you feel reassured to choose the sizes before purchasing it’ (Boam, D: 2012).
Hamshare
‘Social media, definitely a big social media following and presence and they would encourage me to shop with them I think by being featured elsewhere. People are willing to go for something new, but they have to kind of been told its ok. So, if it’s come through as a reliable source’ (Hamshare, E: 2012).
Ind ustry insights
Why do think wardrobe staples are so successful? Would you be interested in a brand that had less stock but quality pieces?
Wood ‘We live and breathe in them for entire seasons’ (Wood, A: 2013).
Gowler
Moore
‘Because of the versatility of being able to wear them to any situation. They can be worn regardless of season and can also fit alongside any other trend. Also because of the current market, with the recession still affecting peoples spending habits, and therefore tastes, versatile items will get more wear and save money for the consumer’ (Gowler, L: 2013).
‘I wouldn’t put off by that sort of set up at all, I’d be more intrigued as it is such a different method of doing things as opposed to the fast fashion on the highstreet’ (Moore, C: 2012).
Boam
‘I think yeah because, you can always match it with other products like other garments from different shops. But you’ve always got that one piece that makes it look more expensive’ (Boam, D: 2012). Fig 25
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M inimalism
Fig 26
Low Key Luxury The white shirt is a staple item which has forever been embraced. However, in terms of fashion, it is interesting to look towards certain eras were the shirts themes of simplicity, durability and functionality were materialised into other trends. During the 70s a low key luxury approach was adopted. By the 1970’s ‘the independent woman required a simple, practical wardrobe’ (Worsley, H, 2011: pp161) and it seemed America would be the initiators of such desires. Elegant and frill-free designs were encapsulated by ‘fluid lines, simple cuts and lengths of durable fabrics’ (Worsley, H, 2011: pp161). New York became in particular known for its sophisticated prêt-a-porter designs that seemed to bridge the gap between high-end couture and mass-produced high-street, through a relaxed yet luxurious approach. However, it was a look that wasn’t widely worn. The relaxed and effortlessness of low key luxury was personified arguably, most greatly at the time by key designers; Roy Halston Frowick, Geoffrey Beene, Bill Blass, Calvin Klein and Jean Muir.
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M inimalism
The New Purity A couple of decades later a new purity remerged, ‘a less is more approach to fashion was to become one of the most important elements that defined the 1990’s style, particularly as it was so different from that of the previous decade’ (Worsley, H, 2011: pp193). Unlike the 70s, in the 90s there was more of a following for a purer style. ‘i-D magazine reported: “in 1993, fashion has subjected itself to a reality check. Excessive flamboyance is now seen as a touch distasteful. Interest has shifted towards a movement that rejects gloss in favour of an acceptance of the political and economic turmoil of the times’ (Worsley, H, 2011: pp193). This is underpinned through designers such as Rifat Ozbek with the New Age collection (1990) that conveyed ‘clean, rehabilitative and calm’ themes (Worsley, H, 2011: pp193). It was a breath of fresh air, a detox for the wardrobe which was surely embraced. Now, a similar cleanliness is being craved, with designer’s moving away from their 2007 palette of dark and ominous tones, revealing of the recessions gloom and instead becoming more inclined to milder colourways. ‘White – in all its dazzling glory – is one of the biggest trends of the season (...) it’s about a white-knuckle ride into the future (...) Christopher Kane’s near all white collection demonstrates new maturity (...) Jil Sander proved she still reigned supreme as the queen of minimalism with a collection of clean, straight lines’ (Dazed and Confused, Puritans Take Control: 2013). During the same time as the new purity trend, another movement was underway and would consequently effect fashion forever; the death of haute couture (refer to the appendix for an exploration into the death of haute couture, page 155).
Fig 27
5.5. Evolution of Commo d ities info graphic
The retail industry, society and culture are set to go through a drastic evolution. The ignition for this revolution is 3-D printing, ‘which creates objects by depositing or binding successive layers of material such as metal or plastic, is poised to shake up everything from manufacturing to medicine’ (Williamson, L: 2013).
3-D printing
It is still something which is still being experimented with for instance, in bio-printing where human organs are being printed in laboratories. Kevin Kelly, editor of wired magazine and former editor of Whole Earth Catalog argues that ‘the wholesale transfer of bio-logic into machines should fill us with awe’ (Kelly, K: 1995).
Fabricated
Bio-printing
Contrastingly, authors of Fabricated, delineate a very different opinion of a world built by a printer; ‘the first chapter of Fabricated is set a few decades in the future: In your kitchen a 3-D printer outfitted with food cartridges cooks up breakfast, while across the street a giant printing nozzle oozes out the concrete foundation of a new home. At work, you’re investigating the bioprinting black market, wherein counterfeiters sell sloppily printed organs for transplants. The scenario seems farfetched, but Lipson and Kurman make a compelling case that some version of it is not far off’ (Ehrenberg, R: 2013).
Fig 28
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Evolution of Commo d ities
It could be decades until 3-D printing is available on mass, but it could in time be damaging to the design industry for a number of reasons stretching from plagiarism to reduced need for high-street fashion. Oknyansky believes that 3-D printing will impact on niche business according to an interview in a recent E&T article, ‘3D printing will drive innovation in the industry by opening it up to small-scale designers’ (Oknyansky, B: Anon).
Oknyansky.
A concern for the environment is the use of plastic in the printing manufacturing process. The shoes designer is now showcasing a biodegradable range, which is made from a material that is derived from renewable resources, such as corn starch. For fashion, laser sintering could result in new shapes and less, if any, unused material as the method can create seamless designs. ‘Selective laser sintering (SLS) builds objects by laying down a fine layer of powder and then using a laser to selectively fuse some of its granules together’ (Barnatt, C: Anon).
Eco
Fast-forwarding to the fashion industry in a few decades time, how many brands will survive the involvement of the 3-D printer and what will collections be like when they have to respond to such new methods of creation? Will the system require staple template designs that consumers can customised at home for example? If this, or something similar does become a reality than the vast amount of ranges and collections we are fixated with now will prove almost obsolete.
Future
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Critical analysis
Positives It is a new brand on the retail scene, something that will get people interested and tempted to shop and try out. It is a different way of shopping, something that will get people excited and engaged. As consumers don’t know what is inside the boxes that get delivered they experience a mysterious, unexpected and entertaining method of shopping.
Ne gatives It is a delivery service from a new start-up brand that is unestablished in the market. This means a lot of compeition and also a struggle to built trust and confidence in the consumer’s mind. As it is different, consumers could find it difficult to grasp or appreciate. Because consumers don’t know what they are recieving they might not like the items inside the boxes.
Taking into account these issues, we have made sure we are addressing them by actively making strong bonds with industry in the hope that we can get them to spread the word of trust within our brand. As if we can get influential companies to feel confident in our offering then consumers are more likely to listen to their opinion. Also, the website will be very informative so consumers can fully understand the offering before purchases. Finally, consumers can opt out of the subscription service at anytime, so if they pay for a year’s service but aren’t satisfied after their first delivery they can get a refund for the rest of the year. This gives them peace of mind and makes them more inclined to try out the brand. Fig 29
6.
Transitional Virtues: Delivery Service One of the originalities to the Tale·m offering is the subscription service and the boxes experiential and sensory contents. This enhances the relationship between consumer and brand by bridging the online and offline borders; giving life and experience to otherwise ordinary and lacklustre world of online retail. Consumers subscribe to four boxes a year and as stated previously, each is named after a female Latin name that personifies the capsule collection inside and the collaborations. The process behind the female named boxes (instead of different trends) is that it supports the more humanised brand offering. The female’s names embody values and connotations that speak to all women, relating to each individual in different ways. Names unlike trends are timeless and will be something consumers can have a more engaging and personal relationship with. The box goes beyond typical brand parcel deliveries and instead integrates layers of experiences. Inside each one is a brandzine, lookbook, garments, collaboration accessory and sensory elements all relating to the boxes theme. The core collection is the same for all consumers throughout all boxes however, consumers get to decide which collaboration should correspond to their boxes giving consumers a degree of choice. But to keep the theme of mystery and surprise, the only way consumer can choose the collaborations is through moodboards and narratives that represent them either through colour, sound, shapes, motif or imagery. Allowing consumers to continue the feeling of the unexpected but through a more refined, creative and personal approach. The concept of the box offering has been conjured in response to the trends of surprise and subscription service offerings. Those of which, correspond to the idea of sustainability as the delivery of goods is refined to only four times a year, underpinning a slow pace of production and distribution. Those of which are all explored in-depth in the next part of this report. It is important to note that although it is felt that this sort of offering is very timely and relevant to contemporary demands and needs, a critical analysis of the possible pitfalls of such an idea are also addressed. Refer to the infographic parallel for such insights.
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Delivery Service
Sight, Sound, Scent and Taste All coloured by a theme: Sound: Links to online/ digital download, C-D, USB. Scent: Potpourri, incense, candles, sprays, defuses, perfume balm. Taste: Tea bags, cocktail mixes, sweets, mints. Sight: Lookbook of the collection and brandzine. PRICING: £275 per box For four packages a year, four collaborations and four core collections (including sensory items). £275 per box, £1100 a year which equates to £91 a month or roughly £22.75 a week. Pay plans that suit consumers – monthly, quarterly or yearly. If an item doesn’t fit – you can swap it for a different size however, no returns. If the membership isn’t to a consumers tastes they can revoke membership at any point. Delivered on a waiting list – only specific dates Which means there is more time to set-up and get packages together and also allows for events to be formed around the launch of boxes. It also creates a united community, all waiting for their package on the same dates. Fig 30
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Delivery Service
If consumers subscribe for the full year they get 10% off their initial years’ order and a code to ‘share the story’ with a friend for the same discount.
Fig 31
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6.1 The Ne e d for Sustainabi lity
Slow and steady wins the race Finally the leaders of the industry are taking note and questioning their methods as recently, H&M and Vogue held a talk on sustainability (Conscious talk: 2013). Hosting the talk was Simon Collins (Dean of Fashion, Parsons the new school of design) and on his panel ranged many influential fashion professionals from Jasmin Malik Chua (Managing Editor for Ecounterre) to Helena Helmersson (Global head of sustainability for H&M). Sustainability is a welcomed theme in a very unhealthy industry where our relationship to fast fashion and mass consumption has become too extreme. During the talk there were some interesting points raised. One suggestion was a collaborative initiative, revolving around the key players in the world of fashion joining forces and implementing sustainable methods, Helena Helmersson, Global head of sustainability for H&M: ‘Collaborate, its going slow but the impact is huge’ (Conscious talk: 2013). Another was making sustainability more trendy and appealing - thus making it become a trend in its own right and consequently create a following, Jasmin Malik Chua (Managing Editor for Ecounterre) said ‘make sustainability the cool hip thing to do’ (Conscious talk: 2013). And in order to make that happen, Collins advised it is ‘more about the story’ brands portray (Conscious talk: 2013). The topic of how marginal the fashion industry is came to conversion, Scott Mackinlay Hahn (from Loomatate) said, ‘we have very expensive and very cheap but we need to fill in the gap in the middle’ (Conscious talk: 2013), suggesting that their needs to be a push for quality driven garments that don’t come under the low or mid spectrum or the designer price range. Collins raised the interesting thought, ‘if we didn’t have fast fashion would people buy less?’ As excessive consumption has become a lifestyle and if we want to change that it will take us changing our behaviour with fashion. One point that kept resurfacing was the significance of the consumer and how largely they contribute to sustainability. The consumer does need to demand a difference for companies to really listen. If brands reduced their stock and the amount of collections they released in a year, consumers couldn’t over buy, ‘do we need a fashion revolution, do we need to stop buying clothes every (...) 2 weeks’ with Chua continuing, ‘make sure you’re not buying randomly (...) value yourself; it’s better to have a few pieces in your wardrobe that you love (...) than a million pieces that you don’t really care about’ (conscious talk: 2013). One of the final views made by Chua was, ‘every purchase is a vote for the kind of world we want to live in’ (Conscious talk: 2013) and if people had that mindset then the world would inherently be more sustainable. There seems to be a more ethical reasoning for timeless designs, as they are pieces with greater rewards for both our planet’s environment and our consumer’s finances. However, ‘research into environmental issues associated with clothing production, use and maintenance tends to treat all items in the wardrobe as one unit when establishing a use profile.’ (Black, S: 2012). But changing consumer’s entire shopping behaviour so that their entire investments are sustainable is a huge and often time consuming task. If someone could take the first steps into offering a more sustainable package which took the responsibility for selection, then maybe more ethical purchases would follow. After all it appears that, ‘in a world of continuous choice, the ultimate indulgence now is not having to choose.’ (Kelly, S: 2013). It is also important to point out that ‘there is not much point making a product last for decades if it is to be discarded in a month’s time and end up in landfill’ (Black, S: 2012) therefore, quality accounts largely for the sustainability of a garment.
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Sustainabi lity
Fig 32
H&M: H&M are taking the steps forward as a high-street brand to become more sustainable with their yearly Conscious collection and most recently their recycling incentive service. People bring in their old or unwanted clothes from any brand and in any condition and receive a voucher to spend towards new H&M clothing. It is part of their Reduce, Reuse and Recycle campaign that highlights the positives behind recycling. They claim ‘95% of these textiles and clothes could be used again’ (H&M: 2013) and they want to reduce their environmental impact.
Stella McCartney: McCartney is a designer known for her ethical stance in the fashion world. A life-long vegetarian she protests against the use of fur and leather in her design and is an ambassador for the PETA charity (PETA: anon). However, Stella does use wool, silk, and other animal-derived fabrics in her designs. McCartney has extended her expertise not just into fashion but perfume and most recently organic skincare with CARE (Sephora: 2007). She has been recognised for her eco awareness and commitment; in 2000, she received the VH1/Vogue Designer of the Year award and most recently she was assessed as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by Woman’s Hour on BBC Radio 4. (BBC: 2013).
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6.2. The Ar t of Surprise Surprise has long been an effective marketing tool to generate word of mouth and consumer enjoyment. Hoping to lead to wider exposure and also create stronger bonds with consumers through emotion. The ways in which surprise can be achieved go from guerrilla marketing to creating personal experiences. One surprise technique which is growing momentum and appeal is box subscription services (refer to infographic, surprise boxes). ‘Subscription-based e-tail – where consumers pay a fee to have a selection of products regularly delivered to them – has become the internet start-up success of 2012’ (Buchanan, V: 2013). Subscriptions used to be just for newspapers and magazines, but not anymore. The last 10 years have seen a dramatic increase in companies using the subscription model to offer everything from music, movies and textbooks to even cars for a monthly fee. ‘Every day, more and more traditional players are joining the “subscription economy” in response to changing consumer habits (...) as we move to this new economy, companies need to move away from a manufacturing-oriented, product-focused way of thinking, and embrace a world of services that fundamentally change customer relationships’ (Tzuo, T: 2010). In an economy where loyalty is integral to the longevity of a brand, businesses need to rethink their fundamental goal – from building products and finding buyers to finding customers to service on a continual basis. ‘Customer relationships come to the forefront. In the old product-centric model, the customer relationship usually ended at the time of sale. In the subscription economy, the first sale is just the beginning of a potentially beautiful longterm relationship’ (Tzuo, T: 2010). A subscription service with a surprise context element (that is to an extent personalised to consumer’s tastes through the collaboration element of Tale·m) gives way to a more convenient and exciting way of shopping. However, there are other fundamental features to espouse, in order to tackle the art of surprise according to Lisa Barone Co-Founder and Chief Branding Officer at Outspoken Media; Fig 33
Show u p Where They Don't Exp e ct
G o Fur ther Than You Have To
Give Them Something Different
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Listen When They Think You’re Not
The Ar t of Surprise
Fig 34
Le Tote: For $49 a month consumers of Le Tote have an ‘unlimited access with personalized totes mailed to your doorstep’ (Letote: 2013). The American brand allows consumers to create their own style profile from which Le Tote stylists select garments suited to consumers based on their profiles. (Letote: 2013). The totes include 5 items that consumer’s can originally keep for as long as they want, with no late return fees. However, the incentive for returns is the arrival of new pieces, giving the concept of a fuss free service a new lease of life.
Graze boxes: Graze boxes have become a revolutionary way for consumers to enjoy healthy snacks. The company ‘was started by 7 friends’ and the brand say the vision was born out of a love of great food, ‘we all love food and wanted to get a lot more out of our snacking. Our taste buds (and waistlines) were suffering at the hands of average snacks. We thought we could do a lot better’ (Grazeboxes: 2013). The service works by allowing consumers to adapt their subscription to their tastes and dietary needs, personalising the snack boxes to each individual. So, although each box is a surprise in terms of its contents, the consumer can nearly always guarantee that they will enjoy eating them. The craze for Graze boxes has soared with them being featured in magazines from Elle to Vogue, giving the humble snack a degree of originality and desirability.
Glossybox: Glossy boxes are a subscription service for beauty products that has got bloggers, journalists and beauty fanatics enthralled. Each month the beautifully wrapped Glossybox is delivered to consumer’s doorsteps housing designer, emerging and unique beauty items to discover. Each box is surrounded in mystic and anticipation until it is then leaked online, revealing the contents that have been prior. The brand is feeling great success, with ‘beauty lovers in more than 16 countries’ (Glossybox: 2013) with a team of ‘300+ beauty enthusiasts working to source the best products’ (Glossybox: 2013) with more than ‘100 premier and niche brands’(Glossybox: 2013). The service is easy too; consumers choose the longevity of their subscription and whether it is a gift for a friend, then ‘5 surprise deluxe beauty miniatures will be carefully selected by a team of beauty experts’(Glossybox: 2013) then the product are enjoyed, swapped, shared and reviewed.
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Fig 35
Professional Opinion
Svbscription: Svbscription is a subscription service, which is more of a lifestyle offering. Currently, only for men it ‘delivers luxury, curated products and experiences to your door. Part discovery, part expe rience. We connect you to products, content and experiences that are high-end, covetable and at the forefront of design’ (Svbscription: 2013). They have four parcels a year, each costing $350 or $1,150 for a year’s subscription, establishing them as a subscription service for the wealthier individual. They say that, ‘The service is intended for people who have a high appreciation for quality’ (Svbscription: 2013). It is a brand that defines luxury by the idea of surprise and quality, but as it is only currently available for men it goes to show how in need a female version is in the market.
Interview ‘The experience is everything. There are very few genuine surprises left in our lives, let alone shopping and e-commerce. We try to create something that feels mysterious and weighty. Letting go of control and signing up to a mystery is not for everyone, but we have a growing list of members and our churn rate is very low, which is a testament to the curation and products in each parcel’ (Goldenfein, M: 2013). ‘Everything is very instant these days, we like to build anticipation and excitement around each parcel, which makes it a unique experience. We never do samples or teaser versions of products. But our main difference is that most of the products created for Svbscription are unique products, limited editions or made specifically for our audience. Everything is custom made and we work hard to find things before they hit the general market. (Goldenfein, M: 2013). ‘There is an enormous amount of choice, which is frustrating and paralysing. I love going to a restaurant and having the chef decide what he wants to cook and that is a similar experience to what we provide. We expose people to new items, designers and brands that are up and coming or have already achieved cult status.’ (Goldenfein, M: 2013). Fig 36
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Brand Values It’s really important to have a strong identity and personality online. In the future consumers will expect hyper-convenience, simplicity and speed from their online purchase experiences. Online brands are now becoming much more than just a digital outlet to shop.
Dig ital Essentially the next stage of digital and physical retail convergence, omni-channel retail’s stated aim is to enable consumers to have a highly immersive brand shopping experience whether they engage by smartphone, laptop or by walking into a bricks-and-mortar store Over 1.2 bn people will be regularly using social media by 2015 to work, play – and shop. Fashion brand Topshop immediately spotted the outreach possibilities of Twitter-backed Vine and its looped GIF-style video clips. Other key brands are discovering ways to advertise, converse, promote, sell and build communities around the social sites that are digital second homes to growing millions. Shoppers are increasingly shifting from passive to proactive retail consumers, looking for opportunities to customize brand engagement.
Consumer's Relationshi p to Commerce Fed up with materialism, let down by capitalism, disconnected and discombobulated in their digital lives, consumers are seeking escape from their busy lifestyles and aspiring to a new set of values. From hotels to airports, consumers are looking beyond aesthetics and seeking the sublime. Meanwhile, they are culling bold brash brands in favour of those that are considerate, quiet and intuitive. The New Sublimity is not about abandoning digital life though. Rather than simply switching off, consumers are mastering a new on-off way of being. As they do, they are becoming digital dieters, mindfulness novices, daydream believers and, as this report illustrates, jolly good fellows.
Fig 37
Surprise Consumption
6.3. Surprise Consumption
The traditional purchase journey has been turned around, as a trend for organised surprise emerges. With consumers becoming tired of the 24/7 need for data and information making every aspect of their life planned and predictable, they are embracing companies that capitalise on the thrill of anticipation. Their ambiguous marketing, providing subtle clues and the waiting game all designed to amplify the feeling of suspense. Secrecy is the selling point. Branding is honest and consistent to build trust, encouraging consumers to purchase products which will only be revealed once they receive them. Subscription boxes are standout success stories of the surprise consumption movement, with boxes from a variety of industries including craft, beauty, food and fashion.
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Fig 38
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6.4. Colour Key Subsc ri ption only
Online only
Brands
Offline and online
Accessi bi lity
Not Another Bill Quarterly Co Elizabeth & Clarke Svbscription Net-A-Porter ASOS Matches Margaret Howell A.P.C YMC Other Stories COS Acne Zara United Colour of Benetton Uniqlo American Apparel Stella McCartney Le Tote Honest by Ta le路M
Fig 39
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Besp oke
Quality
Exp erience
Comp etitors
Comp etitor Stance Despite Tale·m’s fairly expensive price tag, the diverse, rich and quality driven offering is investment staple items which are accessible to a varied spectrum of women. The brand’s accessibility lies in its humanised offering which allow consumers to relate to the brand. The boxes bespoke creation and the personalised collaboration makes it far more of a bespoke delivery service. The multitude of consumer touchpoints and offline / online interaction means Tale·m is an experiential brand that consumers can truly immerse themselves within.
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The brand story of Tale路m is that of a more humanised approach. The branding is relatable, emotive and authentic but without losing desirability and exclusivity. The humanisation of the brand is evoked through several methods. Firstly, our branding which includes two main strands, visual coding and communication. Then secondly, our brand experience. Fig 40
7.
The Creative Idea: Brand Story and Values Visual coding: The imagery of our brand lends from the themes of digital and hand-made through a visual compilation of the two. Take for instance, the Tale·m logo. This mixes the two opposes aesthetics by making the ‘Tale’ aspect of the logo in a serif print font that delineates professionalism and expertise. The ‘m’ part of the logo is a hand-written letter that represents that element of humanisation. This visual partnership is carried throughout all of the branding with a refined and sophisticated warmness and humanistic quality. For instance, this has been extended to the visuals of the report where digital, print graphics have been married with colourful, D.I.Y touches (handwritten words, ink blotches and circled key points). Another extension to this humanisation is the documentation of the brand journey, adding a layer of transparency and authenticity to the brand. Its development hasn’t been hidden away – instead embraced as the story expands through all the brands social media, brandzine and this report. Communication: As expressed, Tale·m translates into the Latin word empower. An important word as it stands for the very feeling we want our consumers to express and feel when wearing the Tale·m offering. The logo also distinguishes the ‘Tale’ part of the word through the inclusion of a dot. This creates emphasis on the word ‘Tale’ as a singular and all that conveys; stories and folklore. It is these two elements, that of empowerment and stories which form the very foundation of Tale·m’s branding. It is stories which are emulated through our marketing. This celebrates women’s lives through highlighting milestones and experiences women from all backgrounds can share and relate to. This is achieved through the use of mini films that personify and bring to life the women behind the boxes. The first being Amara; unfading and this story is explored through the executions part of this report. Brand experience: The offering and all its originality of a more luxury focused subscription delivery service that supports a sustainable offering is a core part to the brand experience. The content of the box and how it bridges the gap between online and offline has been discussed previously, but another experiential part of Tale·m is its other consumer touch points. What Talem is trying to achieve is more of a lifestyle offering. The Tale·m woman would enjoy the feeling of being part of like-minded subscribers and brand founders. Tale·m has elements that go beyond the traditional brand such as its brandzine which is more like a collector’s book. Consumers feel truly part of the brand by divulging into it on a deeper level with print – a more authentic, cherished and indulgent medium. This underpins that how despite Tale·m being an online only brand, its greatest attributes and benefits are those which are offline, within the real world with the consumers.
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7.1 . Anthrop omorphising Brand ing ‘That’s what clothing is, it’s a story about us’ (Duvernay, A: 2013).
‘That’s what clothing is, it’s a story about us’ (Duvernay, A: 2013). Fashion has been on a historical journey and each individual piece has been influenced by something either trivial or significant. The art of fashion and the individuals that wear them are often lost within marketing and branding but should be at their heart. Humanisation is a very powerful tool when considering marketing. Amber wood feels that the future of online retail is retailers which ‘offer an interesting shopping service from communicating their story, offering a bespoke and interactive service’ (Wood, A: 2013). Narratives are essential parts of being humans but the idea of stories in being revived in modern ways. With social businesses like Storylane (a platform for people to connect in more fruitful and meaningful ways by sharing their stories) bought by the chief social company Facebook, stories will prove to be increasingly more central to our relationships online and with brands (Storylane: 2013). Explored are mini-case studies into modern brands which are successfully humanising their brands, in a bid to discover what they are adding to the retail scene and how they achieve them. (Refer to appendix page 158 for WGSN trend report of storytelling and mythology).
Once upon a time ... 82.
Anthrop omorphising Brand ing
Honest by: Honest by is a brand founded on transparency. They are one of the first brands to openly discuss their supply chain and pricing. ‘We believe Fashion is about beauty and that the story behind fashion can be equally beautiful. We want to give our customer the opportunity to shop with complete awareness of what they are buying. We want to produce all of our products in a life friendly way. We believe in the health of our client’s skin. We want the impact of our products and activities on the environment and human health to be as small as possible’ (Honest by: 2013). They offer vegan designs, are entirely free of animal products, ethical source their materials, give 20% of their profits to charity and controversially show all the market up values of each item. A unique setup that oozes modern appeal but to be 100% honest and transparent is risky and could reduce sales. However, it seems to be working well for the genuine label.
Wearefolk: We are Folk is an agency that work closely with fashion companies to make them more aware of the digital lifestyles of our time, they do this effectively through communication and storytelling. ‘We are a storytelling agency. Our craft is connecting discerning fashion & lifestyle brands with digital’ (We are Folk: 2013). They have rebranded and extended brands through digital means without losing humanistic qualities of folklore and relationships.
10 Corso Como: There are also more experiential methods of creating a humanised brand. Former fashion editor and publisher Carla Sozzani conceived 10 Corso Como as a virtual narrative. Using the gallery and book shop as its core, Sozzani has structured a living magazine where editorial choices in food and fashion, music, art, lifestyle and design are constantly made by the visitor and customer as they engage across so many areas of interest. ‘People both in and beyond the art and fashion scene began to see in this concept something quite new and radical for retail and even more for presenting art in the same breath as style. The Italian sociologist Francesco Morace in 1991 coined for 10 Corso Como the term that would later become a standard marketing idea “concept shop”. A way to join culture and commerce, 10 Corso Como multifunctional philosophy allows to present a unique blend of art, music, design, cuisine and culture from around the world to the world’ (10 Corso Como: 2013). Since its inception in 1991, ‘10 Corso Como has abandoned accepted retail practices and promoted a new philosophy of marketing: “slow shopping”. A philosophy of seeing and shopping that is meant to entice visitors and customers to leave their speedy mood behind, take the time and enjoy finding surprises and small treasures’. (10 Corso Como: 2013). Making it a place of indulgence, tranquillity and creativity.
& Other Stories: Sister of H&M, & Other Stories market themselves as a womenswear brand that offer the entire package from clothes to accessories. They seem to get the modern day consumer, offering an entire brand package that extends into documenting the production of their clothing and packaging. Their conceptual and often abstract videos that encapsulate each product story bring the brand to life in a way that makes them feel like artists as well as designers. Despite the middle-ground price-point this is a brand that seems to exude quality and luxury, from their creatively curated collections right through to their hand-printed shopping bags. ‘Collections are built around inspiring fashion stories. All our lines are diverse, ranging from masculine tailoring to feminine chic and designed to provide endless styling choices. Carefully selected materials are an important ingredient in every piece. & Other Stories aims to design lasting wardrobe treasures within a wide price range’ (& Other Stories: 2013).
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Fig 41
1910 The bra, created for the looser fashion shape, empire-line but never ceased
1926 The birth of the timeless classic Little Black Dress was showcased on Vogue's cover,simple 1930 and elegant it is Trouser suits 1920 still celebrated as daywear The knitted today were a scandel jumper became initially by film a comfortable start Merwardrobe staple lene Dietrich coined by Coco but were the Chanel beginings of a change
1906 Liberation for women came when Paul Poiret introduced a softer silohoutte corsetfree
1931 The shoulder pads were introduced into womenswear by Schiaparelli giving women a strong and androgynous shape
7.1 . 2 . The Rise Of Womanho o d Every year on the 8th of March we celebrate International Womenswear day, an occasion born out of political, sexiest discrimination and civil awareness. It is now more widely, a simple appreciation and love for women’s economic, political and social achievements. Now, the emotive context of womanhood and their power is becoming greatly pursued and addressed. In a recent magazine article, it was said that ‘women can have a brain and also be beautiful, you know?’ (i-D magazine, A-Z of Now: 2013). Which is an interesting point to still feel the need to be made after the history and journey of women (refer to appendix for The phases of female commerce that have changed the way women dress, page 156).). Today, whether it is the rise of new androgynous female bands such as Haim or the counting number of women leading the creative industries and beyond, women seem to be exerting strength in their numbers. This isn’t solely down to their independence but their support and alliance towards relatable women. As renowned female film director Ava Duvernay says, ‘there’s a rippling effect of change happening, and that can’t help (but) to include women’ (Duvernay, A: 2013). Duvernay, and her counterparts are fuelling such a movement through campaigns that showcase and embrace diversity in women. Leading to a generation more inclusive of diversity and difference.
19453 The stiletto was commercialised by Christian Dior, changing the way women moved and felt in fashion
1947 The controversial New Look meant post war women adopted a new womanly celebratory silhouette
1960 Feminism & swinging sixties, allowed women to revel in their sexual liberty and equality rights
1970 Jeans had become a uniform of youth and 1977 was worn by The first both genders female , reinventing casual style plus-size and petite model agency was created giving 1966 diversity to Pantsuit the fashion for women indistry represented the era of the strong woman entering the workplace
1950 Dorothea Towles became the first top black model thanks to YSL, showing beauty isn't defined by colour
brief historical journey of womanhood through fashion Fig 42
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7.1 . 3 Diversity Embrace d ‘There is only one woman in the world. One woman, with many faces’ (Kazantzakis, N: anon).
The new short film directed by Duvernay for Miu Miu called simply, The Door (Samuels, A: 2013), surprised critics through its contemporary and directional shift. The films story is of an all black and female cast, that’s aim is to support and enliven their friend after a broken marriage. The theme of women and the bond of sisterhood, mixed with the complexities of life have very powerful connotations and deliverables. The story, although set in a lavish hilltop setting, evokes the hardships of life that women from all walks of life can relate to, giving the campaign pathos and resonance. Designers are increasingly supporting positive images of women by trying to embrace more diverse ranges of models in their shows, ‘when I cast models I want to show a variety of women. Beautiful, sexy women with curves, ethnic women, androgynous women. I don’t just want to have one specific image of a woman in my shows, I want to present what really exists’ (i-D magazine: 2013). It is a commendable but sometimes flawed ambition that still needs to be emphasised. Campaigns like the Dove campaign celebrated natural, real women and Caryn Franklin All Walks campaign which strived to promote a more diverse spectrum of models. Dove, although mainstream and now dated at the time was a unique path to take; making the ordinary extraordinary in a photoshoped and unattainably obsessed beauty industry. Caryn Franklin’s organisation is helping to move the industry in the right direction, but in small doses which could be argued as not diverse enough. However, its endeavour for fashion unrestricted by race, size, age or shape is endearing and represents how significant the portrayal of women in fashion is on a global and political scale. It also underpins the idea of womanhood and neutrality in design; for all shapes, ages and ethnicities. However, not applying focus on this element and instead having it as a subtle inclusion to the brand offering means that the sensitivity of diversity is tackled equally as sensitively. Fig 43
Women's Tales: #5 The Door
Anthrop omorphising Brand ing
Miu Miu Women's Private Club
Miu Miu club is a physical manifestation of the brand’s devotion to femininity. The member’s only hotel included rules of: ‘start a conversation with a stranger’, ‘stay longer than you planned, then come back tomorrow’ and ‘bring your favourite boyfriends and girlfriends’ (Michael, A: 2012). Shop, experience and contribute is the themes of the stay with a conversation room, ephemeral shop space and bespoke artwork. The entire event was inspired by women, for women.
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Fig 44
7. 2 . H umanise d Homo geny Humanisation is key to taking the consumer on a journey with the brand and is a vital trend for the future of brands. Consumers need to be engaged and feel a real connection- putting a name or a face to a brand not only engages consumers more, but also adds a sense of loyalty and trust. It is important that this element remains consistent, making it intrinsic to the communication strategy, with a solid tone of voice running fluently throughout every channel.
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H umanise d Homo geny
Fig 46
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Anti-Brand ing
7. 3. Anti-Brand ing: The Paradox Anti-branding is a paradox method that requires branding to be more about the consumer or a cause rather than the brand themselves, and proves to be very successful. ‘What trends are really shaping the online retail market; Unique, one off designs that have a story behind them. Consumers want to know where and how the pieces they buy are made’ (Wood, A: 2013). In 2000 Naomi Klein published the influential book No Logo, chronicling the way in which brands had become more important than the products themselves, and taking a hard critical look at the power of multinational corporations and our obsession with branding and consumption. Klein caught the mood of the time, ‘the anti-branding and antiglobalisation movement went on to grow, with many fashion companies embracing their ideals. This paradoxically allowed them to build brands in a new way, but also encouraged them to take responsibility for their sourcing and manufacturing policies’ (Worsley, H, 2011: pp195). Anti-branding today is still increasingly its following. The internet has made brands easily dissectible and thus they have to become more transparent in their approaches. If not they could be seen as ‘unethical or greedy’ (Worsley, H, 2011: pp195). It could be argued that such brands are twisting their marketing to reach the same profits and goals as the corporations they are trying to oppose. However, despite this they are succeeding in catching the attention of questioning young shoppers who are demanding information and responsibility from the brands they invest in. A couple of successful examples are Muji interiors and American Apparel, both of which are going against the normalities of brand engineering. Adopting such virtues seems imperative in a modern climate where more and more modern consumers want to steer away from the mainstream.
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MUJI’S PHILOSOPHY OF ‘NO BRAND QUALITY GOODS’ Muji don’t rely on aggressive marketing but instead pride themselves on their anti-branding techniques. The Company’s basic principle is to develop new simple products at reasonable prices by making the best use of materials while considering environmental issues. ‘For MUJI the materials we use to make our products are of the utmost importance; consequently, considerable attention is given to their selection. We search worldwide for the most suitable raw materials. We use many industrial materials as well as recycling unused materials where possible. The overriding selection criteria is always quality. These activities underpin our ability to create low-priced, high-quality products’ (Muji: 2013). Three decades has passed since the launch of this original setup and it is still being supported today, proving that having a quieter voice or image doesn’t mean you are not heard or seen.
AMERICAN APPAREL OF ‘VERTICAL INTEGRATION’ American Apparel has a business model of vertical integration, whereby they own their own manufacturing houses and workers within America. They say it ‘is not only smart for our company, but for our community, our local and regional economy, our environment, and, in turn, our customers’ (American Apparel: 2013). Instead of relying on the relentless pursuit of low cost labour the viable business model, they say ‘can work even better than the status quo model of continuous outsourcing’ (American Apparel: 2013) as the positives and benefits outweigh themes of convenience and cost. American Apparel is also committed to sustainability. By concentrating their entire operation within a few square miles, American Apparel has a smaller carbon footprint than their competitors. ‘We recycle almost all our manufacturing waste (over 150 semi truck loads per year) and as of 2012 we are virtually landfill-free. Our solar panels offset as much as 20% of our electrical usage, and we ship the majority of our goods to our worldwide stores via excess space on passenger flights and busses, minimizing our environmental impact’ (American Apparel: 2013). Alongside this, their political activist campaigns on Immigration Reform and Gay Rights mean that they are fulfilling additional roles for their community that aren’t compulsory. This level of care and consciousness, whether it be a mechanism for sales, is a positive alternative that consumers are engaging with. Fig 47
Anti-Brand ing
Anti-Brand ing
Silence room in Selfridges
‘As we become increasingly bombarded with information and stimulation, the world is becoming a nosier place’ (Selfridges No Noise: 2013). The No Noise project by Selfridges is an initiative that goes beyond retail, they say ‘we invite you to celebrate the power of quiet, see the beauty in function and find calm among the crowds’(Selfridges No Noise: 2013). The project stripped packaging of its branding and encouraged consumers to relax meditate and succumb to the serenity of quiet. Now coming to the end of its campaign, No Noise has extended its message of ‘take 10’ with Head space in the form of a downloadable app that teaches meditation and encourages all to take 10 minutes for days.
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Fig 48
7.4 .
Fig 49
A Uti lity Shift One of the biggest fundamental shifts in branding and marketing is the idea of utility; the state of being useful or beneficial. In the social media age a new breed of utility brands are placing service, functionality and usefulness at the heart of marketing activity. It is a way in which brands can define themselves in such a cluttered world. It’s about companies shifting their thinking to focus more on their consumers’ needs; not just their product offering and embracing something bigger than themselves; ultimately, their goal is to promote a lifestyle rather than a single product. It is all about the experience brands can sell alongside their products, ‘companies focus too much on what they want to sell their customer, rather than what those customers really need. What’s missing is empathy, a deep understanding of what problems customers are trying to solve’ (Christensen, C: 2013). The utility approach will be a strong infrastructure in order to stay relevant and needed in today’s society, ‘if we ask why whatever product or service we create will make people’s lives easier, better or more fun, rather than starting with how it might contribute to the bottom line, we’d see more successful businesses’ (Olander, S: 2012). This quote, discussing the Nike+ philosophy, reveals how brands need to create for themselves a need and a want through more creative outlets. This is why integrating social media has become so integral to contemporary brand setups however, it is important that social media isn’t the backbone to the concept. ‘The key to embracing digital utility is that customer service comes first. Zappos is successful because it places that service at the heart of the brand and social media naturally flows from that’ (Fiandaca, D: 2013). However, despite the functionality aspects of utility brands, emotional and experiential aspects can’t be forgotten, ‘if you focus on building a utility brand the risk is you become a commodity in consumers’ lives and as such are easily replaceable’(Foulds, I: 2013). All of these themes and values relate to how society is evolving towards utility and infrastructure, which is forcing consumers to question what sort of world they want. Increasingly, that is one that has sustainability and staples at its heart.
A Uti lity Shift
Fig 50
8.
Digital Development: Website & Social Media www.tale-m.com The digital platform that houses the brand and its offering is the Tale路m website. Its purpose is to advertise, inform, inspire and connect with consumers through documenting the journey of the Tale路m brand through the integrated blog, promoting the brand through its films and photography and engage with consumers through the subscription service and its visualisation. The website will be clear, minimal, effective and reflective of the brand. As social media is also an integral part of online brands all popular social platforms will be integrated within the website from the Tale路m Facebook page and Pintrest page to the Twitter page (refer to appendix for in-depth analysis of social trends).
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Dig ital Development Fig 51
Fig 52
8 .1 .
Marketing Strategy
The method of marketing which has been chosen for Tale·m is word of mouth, as it is a technique that matches the brands understated and niche appeal. Tale·m is all about mystery and the unknown with the subscription boxes and this is reflected in the marketing proposal that allows the brand to grow slowly. The consumers will be imperative to the promotion of the brand, acting like ambassadors by spreading the word. The consumers are those which are actively searching for new and exciting brands, those who are already connecting, interacting with fashion, digital and nowness. Tale·m’s offering is quality driven products and pieces and this is one of the reasons it will to a degree, sell itself. A tactic shared by brands such as Kiehl’s which have no active advertising, instead they rely on their products to speak for themselves through the support of their loyal and strong fanbase. The word of mouth strategy will be enforced and encouraged through a slow leak onto the web (through imagery and videos) releasing the creation and development of the brand on social networking platforms. Showing the journey of the brand and its impending launch (this is never revealed until a month prior). All aspects which reinforce anticipation, surprise and the anti-brand sensibility. The main selective form of marketing is the relationship with influential bloggers and editors, with a strong emphasis to those online. Press releases and sample boxes will be sent out to influential bloggers and press in the hope it will lead to coverage. Those which will be targeted include; Cool Hunting, PSFK, Telegraph, Trendland, It’s Nice That, Gentlewoman and WGSN. The collaborations with industry will also be an external avenue for promotion; advertising the brand on their websites and social media sites.
kiehl’s
Kiehl's was founded as an old-world apothecary in New York's East Village over 150 years ago. Kiehl's extensive experience has resulted in a unique blend of cosmetic, pharmaceutical, herbal and medicinal knowledge developed over generations (Kiehl’s: 2013). Kiehl’s have extensively trained staff and coin themselves on their 100% refund system if customers aren’t satisfied with their purchases.
The use of Pinterest and instagram as marketing tools will also be an integral part of the campaign to launch as they are platforms which are intrinsic to the Tale·m consumer lifestyle. Twitter will be used also by tweeting hashtags that aim to interact with readers; ‘my must have staple is (...) #musthavestaple’, ‘the greatest surprise I experienced was (...) #surprise’, ‘My biggest female icon is (...) #femaleicons’. A final strand to the continual marketing of the brand will be the brandzine (book) which should inspire consumers to discuss and purchase the brand for more than its garments. Launch on S/S 2014 Women’s day:, as it matches the Tale·m’s celebration of women’s stories. (Refer to appendix 161 for information and infographic on social intervention).
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Fig 53
Fig 54
8.2.
Brandzine
Brandzine: The brandzine (which is more of a brandbook) will be a beautiful, collector’s item. It will extend the story element of the brand and the boxes. The quarterly magazines link together through imagery on their spines that connect when stocked together. There will be features on the collaborators, a discussion of the story behind the box (the first Story of Amara) and features on strong, unexposed women in the industry. The content will strive to be diverse, intelligent and sophisticated with controversial issues such as sustainability discussed. Another element is the integration of true tales, from consumers. Highlighting their triumphs, hardships and milestones in life.
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Printe d magazine
Business cards Eco paper with matte finish, perfect for signing our individual signatures on the backs of the cards for that personal touch.
Look book Eco paper with matte finish is continued through a postcard format. Extending the theme of storytelling and functionality, the lookbook takes on a different persona that is usable and far more personal.
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Physical & metaphysical
8.3. Physical & metaphysical When it comes to characterising the relationship between business and technology in the 21st Century, Bill Gates perhaps said pre-eminently, ‘information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. I don’t think anyone can talk meaningfully about one without talking about the other’ (Ruvo, C: 2013). Digital is proving to be an unprecedented and obligatory integration for companies and brands as the world is becoming increasingly driven by technology. Although this doesn’t mean we are no longer needing or wanting authenticity, it shows how much we thrive by innovation and mitigation. The main existing leaders in the digital bubble are ‘Apple, Google, Facebook, Weibo and Amazon’ and they ‘are no longer simply trading platforms. They are the mega-systems of tomorrow, within which most of us will socialise, shop, hire, create, manage and live our lives. “Organisations still haven’t grasped the true impact of their presence and the fact that they are building new walled-garden eco-systems within which we will all do business over the coming decade”’ (Sanderson, C: 2013). Incorporating or collaborating with such organisations through various platforms is vital for companies and brands to ensure their relevance and significance. Apart from Generation Intuitive, WGSN have outlined consumer trends for 2014-15 in the slightly older demographic, (roughly 20-30 year olds). These are equally linked and immersed within digital but are much more sophisticated and in control of their connections, named the ‘Redefining Reality’ consumer (Lohan, S: 2013). (Refer to appendix for Rendering reality trend).
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Fig 55
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8 .4 . Globalis ation of E-Commerce
The internet has allowed for vast developments within the world of fashion. Helmet Lang in 1998 sent out his collections to ‘international editors instead of holding runway shows’ signalling a change in the showcase of clothing (English, B, 2007: pp146). Lang saw it as a new venture that would allow his work to be internationally accessible. The immediacy of fashion could finally be fulfilled through the instantaneous virtues that came with the internet. Burberry launched a ‘click-and-buy formula, through which customers can order selected items online while watching its catwalk show’ (Worsley, H, 2011: pp191). Marketers could now offer themselves to a mass-market at the flick of a switch and the independent and niche brands now have the technology to go global. Integrated runway shows and fashion shoots on websites became the enhancements of the home entertainment arena, ‘by recreating a conceptual catwalk experience, the viewer could enter the world of elitist fashion. Yet, paradoxically, the entry did not require wealth or celebrity status’ (English, B, 2007: pp147). As a response to this the sites became excellent platforms for ready-towear collections. Website interactivity, initially, encouraged a closer consumer relationship engagement that made communication more personal. However, now that websites and online platforms are a common expectancy of brands, consumers are searching for the next aspect to which makes them feel more involved, valued and on some level amused. ‘The internet has had a positive impact on fashion for the consumer, empowering them but also making them more demanding. Information and increasing choice means that retailers, brands and the media have to work harder to please an ever more impatient fashion-savvy consumer’ (Worsley, H, 2011: pp191). This is fundamentally were the current need for authenticity, humanisation and contrastingly innovation has rooted from. It also explains why a sense of individualism is an important asset for brands to implement.
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Dig ital Development
Fig 56
Fig 57
9.
Executions The film and lookbook for the first box instalment is just a taste of many versions to come. The lookbook and film show how consumers can build their look with existing accessories, extending the theme of individuality. This is portrayed through the use of the black heels showcased in the Amara campaign. Although these aren’t part of the Tale·m offering they are an example of how easily layered the staple pieces are. It also represents future collaborations with shoes for the next box instalment. Although the shoes are dominant in the photograph, all this information will be explained on the brand’s website closer to launch so they understand what the offering vaguely entails (surprise intact). However, the true emphasis is on the model and her attire. Set on a white backdrop it signifies the positive and uplifting mood change from the first part of the Amara story. The white represents that of purity and minimalism, two fundamental themes of Tale·m with reference to its sustainable and capsule commodities. The images capture the model in a phase of change, in a new light, Amara appears radiant, happy and confident in the transition from the beginning of her journey (showcased in the film). Amara is a specific story but each box will tell a very different tale. They may speak of marriage, friendship and even death and take on a new personality surrounding the staple items. The aim is to have a range of diverse and interesting models, each unique and comparative to the next. The images of women on this page portray such personalities and looks.
Time Se q uencing
WOM Launch on Women’s Day on Saturday march 8th Lead up to first instalment Launch party on release of first box Anticipation around the next box instalment
Anticipation around the next box instalment Behind the scenes journey teaser videos Next box instalment
(refer to page 146 for the photographic brief). Cycle continues
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Other potential tales: The transition of adolescence to womanhood Runaway from home Falling in love Falling out of love Complicated/Unrequited love Love triangle Death and life Family feuds Divorce / separation Spontaneity Fired and hired / getting a promotion Getting made redundant First home / – moving house Making friends / breaking friendships Making a family Anonymity Sisterhood Motherhood Marriage Travelling
Refer to appendix for the full photographic brief Fig 58
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The Tale of Amara She arrived. Where once there were billowing tree tops and dancing perennials, now stood an impenetrable garden of concrete and brick. She longed to be back home in the country air, surrounded by those that knew her. A subtle childhood memory surfaces but then it’s gone. A glimpse of a message on a wall, ‘O travellers from somewhere else to here ... What if..? What if..? What if..?’ before embarking forward, into the city. Time feels like its passing so quickly around her, without her. A sea of rush and haste and people knowing who they are and where there heading. She wanders through cobbled streets, a labyrinth of paths and each one leading to somewhere else. The city begins to open up and once in its heart she slowly begins to feel somehow, a part of it. The commotion is infectious and inspiring. What dreams lay hidden in this network of chaos, what stories could they tell? A man. A face. A touch of warmth and hope beyond her fingertips passes in the street. A flicker of a smile briefly takes over. A moment of excitement, opportunity and possibility glides by knowingly. She continues on her chosen path, away from her short encounter. The buildings here are diverse and intricate. The eldest and most beautiful appear wise, mature and imposing with their age; rugged texture, tinged with taupe and framed in black metal work stand proud amongst its surroundings. The deeper she goes the more surprised she is by the soul of the city. She passes blossom trees under blue skies and water fountains that sparkle in the sun. She sits near grass looking out at the spectacle until again she sees him sat there. A mystery yet unfolded, awaiting her presence. Before she could hold her breath he is there, inches away with longing eyes and a friendly smile. He speaks and at first she doesn’t respond, fearing she’ll ruin the moment. As he progresses with conversation, asking where she’s from and so on, she is taken aback when he asks her for coffee. Suddenly, all the uncertainty and apprehension she was overcome by hours ago had now returned. Although intrigued by him, she wondered whether that is all it should be. To rush into love, alongside those rushing in the city, scared her. An invitation regardless, he insisted and even though she declined, she couldn’t escape the stinging of guilt in the pit of her stomach. Her apartment was small, no doors on her bedroom. She didn’t have much, the walls bare and the windows free of curtains. She longed for relaxation and so drew herself a bath. She stripped of her clothes and left them trailing behind her as she entered the bathroom. The warm water wrapped itself around her tired skin, cleansing her. At peace she couldn’t help but fixate on her day with most of her memories flooded by the face of a stranger. His eyes, his lips, close enough to kiss. The immediate senses she felt made it clear to her that he may have been a risk worth taking. She awakes on a new day, a new start as sunlight fills the rooms. She leaves her bed and enters the lounge where she finds a box. Curious and confused she steps closer. There is a note on top, she opens it carefully and reads, ‘often in life we go through difficult things but through change you will also find adventure. Be strong and never fade into the background, love mum.’ A tear grows in her eye, the sound of her mother’s voice echoing in her mind. All feelings of fear and trepidation lifted by a handful of words that only a Mother could make her believe in. She lifts the lid and unveils the contents of the box. Reaching in she pulls out a soft draped dress and pulls it to her nose, inhaling the scent of newness. She delves further in the box pulling out a necklace, candles and tea. Layers of new experiences she cannot wait to feel, see, taste and enjoy. She changes into the dress and swaps her coffee for the herbal tea included in the box, enjoying every sip; the flavours tantalising her tastebuds and the smell revitalizing her clarity. After adding accessories to the dress, some from the box and some of her own, she adds a swipe of fiery coral to her lips and heads for the door. She sets off outside into the world once more with a refreshing optimism that she thought had been all but lost. She seems suddenly bold in her environment, people turning heads at her in the street as she strides with confidence in her step. Knowing exactly where she is heading and what she wants to do. She sees him at the end of the street, the mystery man and all he has to offer. As she sits down next to him at the coffee shop, her mother’s words linger in her thoughts, reassuring her of her decisions and ultimately her future. As she sits and laughs and smiles with a man that represents all that she was once afraid of but now embraces, someone in the distance arrives into the city and is just finishing reading the last lines on the wall, ‘To greet and understand what lies ahead - The city where your dreaming is re-paid, The lives which wait unseen as yet, unread.’
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Fi lm Sc re enshots
Fig 59
112.
Dig ital Development Brand b o ok
Fig 60
113
114.
Press Kit
Fig 61
115
116.
Press Kit
117
118.
Press Kit
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Archetype Theory by Carole Pearson Archetype
Enables consumers to
Brand
Creator
Make something new
Williams-Sonoma
Caregiver
Care for others
AT&T
Ruler
Take control
American Express
Jester
Have fun
Miller Lite
Regular
Ok with mediocre
Wendy's
Lover
Find and give love
?
Hero
Be brave
Nike
Outlaw
Break the rules
Harley Davidso n
Magician
Transformation
Calgon
Innocent
Retain faith
Ivory
Explorer
Independence
?
Sage
Understand world
Oprah
Source: Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson - The Hero and The Outlaw Fig 62
(Refer to page 161 for The Long Tail Theory).
The Archetypal characters are formed from unconscious, recurring patterns and images that appear in mythology and story telling. By using universally recognised character types the Archetypes can help to define brand character clearly.
10.
Costings Single lookbook and business card Costing = £0.60 e/a Labour = free = £0.60 Individual magazine Costing = £20.00 e/a Labour = free = £20.00 Hand-made teabags Mixture £3.00 e/a Labour = free = £3.00 Hand-made candle Mixture £1.50 e/a Labour = free = £1.50 Collaboration Necklaces = free Clothing Top (1.5 meter fabric) £2.25 e/a Dress (2 meter fabric) £3.00 e/a Skirt (1.5 meter fabric + zip) £4.50 e/a 3 days labour for free = £9.75 Bespoke outlays without labour costs = £34.85 £275 per box - £34.85 = £240.15 for labour pay, external charges and return on investment The normal mark up value for clothing is between 100-350%. As the Tale·m box offering includes garments, accessories, printed media and sensory elements the total outlays are more. These prices are for a bespoke single box but with a greater scale of production these expenditures will decrease on average through methods such as bulk buying of fabrics for instance. However, the profit margins will be smaller than that expressed in the figures above as labour fees and other charges will need to be deducted for the running of a professional business. However, there is a potential for a decent return on investment as the value of the box is 7x that of the initial outgoings, in line with that of other financial models in the mid-luxury sector. Furthermore, the pricing of the tale·m box reflect that of its quality and the prediction that this type of subscription service will rely on profit per box rather than quantity of boxes sold. This is because it is such a limited and potentially niche brand offering.
Proje ctions
1 year - The launch of business, growing exposure prior to S/S14 Women’s Day, with investor backing we would have a pop-up box launch party in a secret location. The event would be a platform for emerging female songwriters, giving them a voice and stage. Invited would be the first 100 subscribers plus industry and press to enjoy a night of talent, storytelling and enjoyment. The party would adopt a ‘digital ban’ meaning every consumer leaves all their technology at the door and enters an experience truly in touch with real life. Drinks are evolved around tales of women from literature to modern culture including heroines like Jane Eyre, Margaret Atwood, Princess Diana and Elizabeth Taylor. Attendees get to share their stories by writing down either a memory, present highlight or aspiration for the future. They are held all within a box of tales and used for future Tale·m box stories and brandbook features, meaning all of the Tale·m stories are informed by real tales. 3 year – Fully establish loyal consumer base and wealth of subscribers with the launch of new boxes. 5 year - The business could grow into different box subscriptions, for instance interiors and stationary – growing the lifestyle offering and including more accessible price points.
Fig 63
11.
Conclusion
Throughout this entire journey, the mission from the start was to create something that felt human in a world of digital. To be inspired by technology and its possibilities but use it as a platform rather than its complete offering. Tale路m is an online brand which celebrates life, stories and experiences and uses those themes as building blocks for the product offering and brand values. We feel Tale路m successfully blends digital and humanised elements to create a brand that has experience at every touch point. We have taken what we have identified as the core trends of the future retail market; sustainability, surprise and sensorality and created a considered and modern interpretation. It is a concept built with the future in mind, the evolution of commodities and the changing behaviour of the consumer, making it both timely and relevant. The fundamental principle of making fashion exciting and personal again is an inspiring prospect. This is a brand that may not have mass commercial appeal but what it lacks in scale, it makes up for in impact; a brand of passion, integrity and creativity which is driven by consumer retention and niche market penetration. It will appeal to consumers searching for difference in a market of sameness; those wanting surprise, quality and sustainability. Most of all those longing for a longlasting and meaningful brand relationship with authenticity and it is the research discussed throughout which conveys its viability in such a saturated industry. No initial start-up brand is perfect from the onset, this brand is surely going to evolve and change through its own story of development. The talereally has only just begun.
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Helen, T. (2013). Top 5 E-commerce trends for 2013. Available at: http://usabilitygeek.com/top-5-ecommerce- Micheal, A: (2012). The Miu Miu London. Available trends-2013/. Last accessed: 12/03/13. at: http://www.wallpaper.com/fashion/the-miumiulondon-a-private-members-club-open-for-three-daysHolmes, J. (2013). Luxury brands, retailers and only/6213#72314. Last accessed: 21/04/2013. the evolution of E-commerce. Available at: http:// luxurysociety.com/articles/2013/01/luxury-brandsMuji. (2013). Muji about us. Available at: http:// retailers-the-evolution-of-e-commerce. Last accessed: www.muji.eu/pages/about.asp?PT=1. Last accessed 12/03/13. 02/04/2013. Honest By. (2013). About Philosophy. Available at: http:// Our legacy. (2013). About us. Available at: http://www. www.honestby.com/en/page/16/about.html. Last ourlegacy.se/store. Last accessed: 20/03/2013. accessed: 02/04/2013. Samuels, A. (2013). Miu Miuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New Spring Campaign. Howell, M. (2013). Story. Available at: http://www. Available at: http://www.thedailybeast.com/ margarethowell.co.uk/story. Last accessed: 20/03/2013. articles/2013/02/21/miu-miu-s-new-spring-campaignvideo-directed-by-ava-duvernay-features-all-black-castH&M. (2013). Garment collecting. Available at: http:// video.html. Last accessed: 02/04/2013. about.hm.com/AboutSection/en/About/Sustainability/ Commitments/Reduce-Reuse-Recycle/GarmentSanderson, C. (2013). LS:N Global Spring /summer 2013 Collecting.html. Last accessed: 02/05/2013. trend briefing. Available at: http://trendbriefing2013. eventbrite.com/. Last accessed: 23/03/2013. Iain Claridge. (2013). Youth is not a time of life. Available at: http://www.iainclaridge.co.uk/blog/page/755. Last Selfridges. (2013). No Noise. Available at: http://nonoise. accessed: 04/04/2013. selfridges.com/. Last accessed: 02/05/2013. Joseph. (2013). About us. Available at: http://www. joseph.co.uk/en/ecomuk/about-us/page/aboutus/. Last accessed: 23/03/2013.
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Storylane. (2013). Storylane is joining Facebook. Available at: http://www.storylane.com/stories/ show/1109697713/storylane-is-joining-facebook. Last accessed: 02/04/2013.
Kelly, S. (2013). Quarterlies we Love. Available at: http://inyourhead.com/blog/quarterlies-we-love. Last accessed: 02/04/2013.
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Appendix Verdict. (2013). Verdict poll reveals main loyalty drivers for consumers, and what retailers need to pay attention to. Available at: http://www.verdictretail. com/uk-consumers-more-driven-by-service-qualityand-convenience-since-recession-began-while-pricepredictably-grows-more-important/. Last accessed: 04/05/2013. Vitsoe. (Anon). Dieter Rams: ten principles for good design. Available at: https://www.vitsoe.com/gb/about/ good-design. Last accessed: 26/03/2013. Watkins, A. (2003) Where hyperreality meets: Our Life is to Create. Available at: webspace.ringling. edu/~awatkins/hyper.pdf. Last accessed: 27/1/13. We Are Folk. (2013) Homepage. Available at: http:// www.wearefolk.com/. Last accessed: 02/-4/2013. Whistles. (2013) SS13 Look book. Available at: http:// www.whistles.co.uk/lookbookimages/look-book/ss13. Last accessed: 20/03/2013. Williamson, L. (2013) 3-D printing produces a fresh creative output for artists [online]. Available at: http:// www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-cm3d-print-show-20130310,0,304717.story?track=rss. [Accessed: 17/3/13]. Woolf, V. (1928) Orlando, Gender Benders. [online]. Available at: http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/ history/lavender/orlchg.html. [Accessed: 25/03/2013]. 10 Corso Como. (2013) Concept. Available from: http:// www.10corsocomo.com/?pageID=concept. Last accessed: -2/04/2013. Presentations: Wallman, J. 2011. LS:N Global Trend Briefing. Wisdom Age. [Lecture], Nottingham. Raymond, M. Frith, P. 2013. LSN: Global Trend Briefing. Strange Days. [Lecture], Nottingham. Alternative sources: Films Blade Runner, 1982. Film. Directed by Ridley Scott. United States: Warner Brothers Pictures.
Alternative Sources: videos Cordell, 2011. Documentary. Utopia London, available at: http://vimeo.com/15858101. [Accessed on: 20/03/2013]. Collins, S. 2013. Conscious talk. Available at: http:// new.livestream.com/hennesandmauritz/conscioustalk/ videos/15455330 [Accessed on: 04/04/2013]. Duvernay, A, 2013. Video. Miu Miu The Door, available at: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/21/ miu-miu-s-new-spring-campaign-video-directed-by-avaduvernay-features-all-black-cast-video.html. [Accessed on: 12/03/2013]. Duvernay, A, 2013. Video. Miu Miu The Door; the making, available at: http://www.boldaslove. us/2013/02/12/watch-ava-duvernay-the-door/. [Accessed on: 12/03/2013]. Evans, S. A/W 13/14 London Catwalks: Womenswear key messages video, available at: http://www.wgsn. com.ezproxy.ntu.ac.uk/content/report/Catwalk_ Show_Videos/Player/2013_14_AW/aw13_14_London_ womenswear_key_messages_video.html. [Accessed on: 20/03/2013]. Robot with a biological brain, 2008. Video. University of Reading. United Kingdom, available at: http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=wACltn9QpCc [Accessed on: 23/1/12]. Frontman, K, 2009. Video. Warwick promotes the elimination of human individuality. United Kingdom, available at: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=G1UIAFlNkps [Accessed on: 23/1/2]. 3D Bio Printing, 2010. Video. United Kingdom, 2010, available at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O3c3pUg0L8 [Accessed on: 23/1/2]. Interviews: Boam, D. (2012) Interview. Interviewed by Hollie Furniss [in person] London, 21/08/2012.
Existenz, 1999. Film. Directed by David Cronenburg. Canada: Dimension Films
Cinque, G (2012) Focus Group. Interviewed by Hollie Furniss [in person] London, 21/08/2012.
Matrix, 1999. Film. Directed by Andy and Lana Wachowski. United States: Warner Brothers Pictures.
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Bi blio graphy continue d Hindley, H (2012) Focus Group. Interviewed by Hollie Furniss [in person] London, 21/08/2012. Moore, C. (2012) Interview. Interviewed by Hollie Furniss [in person] London, 21/08/2012. Raraport, N (2012) Focus Group. Interviewed by Hollie Furniss [in person] London, 21/08/2012. Emails: Cara, W. cara.leigh@hotmail.co.uk. Hello! 28/03/2013. Martin, G. info@georginamartin.co.uk. Answers. 19/03/2013. Moore, M. melanie@elizabethandclarke.com. Project. 05/04/2013. Goldenfein, M. marc@svbscription.com. Hi there! 20/04/2013. Gowler, L. lewisgowler@hotmail.co.uk. Interview. 26/03/2013 O’flaherty, S. soflaherty@popsugar.com. Questions. 26/03/2013. Peterson, H. hilary@lyst.com. Give me more + Lyst.com. 11/04/2013. Wood, A. amber@emsliecreative.com. Hello! 26/03/2013 Buchanan, V. victoria@lsnglobal.com. Project enquiry? 16/04/2013.
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1 2 .1 . Referencing
10 Corso Como. (2013) Concept. [online]. A.P.C. 2013. Women collection. [online]. American Apparel. (2013). About us. [online]. And Other Stories. (2013). About. [online]. Anon. 2013. UK footfall up by 0.8% in February. [online]. Barnett, C. Anon. 3-D printing. [online]. Black, S (2012). The Sustainable Fashion Handbook. [Book]. Brenchley, S. Trombini, M. Lintott, A. 2011. British lifestyle report reveals consumer reaction to the age of austerity. [Online]. Brenchley, S. Trombini, M. Lintott, A. 2011. British lifestyle report reveals consumer reaction to the age of austerity. [online]. Brenchley, S. Trombini, M. Lintott, A. 2011. Online fashion clicks with Brits as market increases 152% over past five years. [online]. Buchanan, V. victoria@lsnglobal.com [email]. Cinque, G .2012. Focus Group. Interviewed by Hollie Furniss [in person]. Closed. 2013. About. [online]. Collins, S. 2013. Conscious talk. [Video]. Cordell, 2011. Documentary. Utopia London. [film]. Dazed & Confused, 2013. Puritans take control. [Magazine]. Doug Mann, Anon. Jean Baudrillard, A Very Short Introduction [online]. Duvernay, A, 2013. Video. Miu Miu The Door. [online]. Ehrenberg, R. 2013. World of 3-D printing. [online]. English, B. 2007. A cultural history of fashion in the 20th century. [Book]. English, B. 2007. A cultural history of fashion in the 20th century. [book]. Glossybox. (2013). How it Works. [online]. Gowler, L. lewisgowler@hotmail.co.uk. [Interview]. Graze. (2013). About us. [online]. H&M. (2013). Garment collecting. [online]. Hamshare, E. 2012. Interview. Interviewed by Hollie Furniss [in person]. Hindley, H. 2012. Focus Group. Interviewed by Hollie Furniss [in person]. Holmes, J. 2013. Luxury brands, retailers and the evolution of E-commerce. [Online]. Honest By. (2013). About Philosophy. [online]. Howell, M. 2013. Story. [online]. i-D, (2013). A-Z of Now. [magazine].
Kelly, K. 1995 Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems, and the Economic World. 3rd ed. London: Basic Books. [Book]. Kelly, S. (2013). Quarterlies we Love. [online]. Le Tote. (2013). How it Works. [online]. Lohan, S. 2013. Rendering Reality consumer trend. [online]. Lohan, S. 2013. Rendering Reality. [online]. Marshall, B. (2013). About YMC. [online]. Micheal, A: (2012). The Miu Miu London. [online]. Miller, L. 2013. Email Marketing: top tips for driving conversion. WGSN. [online]. Muji. (2013). Muji about us. [online]. Oknyansky, B. Anon. 3-D Printing puts small-scale shoe-designers back in the game. [online] Our legacy. 2013. About us. [online]. Raraport, N. 2012. Focus Group. Interviewed by Hollie Furniss [in person]. Samuels, A. (2013). Miu Miuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New Spring Campaign. [online]. Sanderson, C. 2013. LS:N Global Spring /summer 2013 trend briefing. [online]. Selfridges. 2013. No Noise. [online]. Sozzani, F. 2011. White Shirt. [online]. Storylane. (2013). Storylane is joining Facebook. [online]. Tailorstore. Anon. About the white shirt and how it turned out as it is today. [online]. Tzuo, T. (2010). Subscription. [online]. Vitsoe. Anon. Dieter Rams: ten principles for good design. [online]. Wallman, J. 2011. LS:N Global Trend Briefing. Wisdom Age [Lecture]. We Are Folk. (2013) Homepage. [online]. Williamson, L. 2013. 3-D printing produces a fresh creative output for artists. [online]. Wood, A. amber@emsliecreative.com. [email]. Woolf, V. 1928. Orlando, Gender Benders. [online]. Worsley, H. 2011. 100 Ideas that changed Fashion. [Book]. Yee,T: 2013. Utility over emotion: brand strategy. [online].
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12.2. I llustrations
Fig 1, Tale路m lookbook, Amara (c. 2013) by Georgina Martin, 2013.
Fig 20, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
Fig 4, own photograph and artwork (c.2013) by Hollie Furniss and Loren Aldridge, 2013.
Fig 25, own infographic (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
Fig 21, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 2, own moodboard for introduction (c.2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 22, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 23, own infographic (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 3, own moodboard for introduction (c.2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 24, own infographic (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
Fig 26, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
Fig 5, own photograph of wall art (c.2013) by Hollie Furniss and Loren Aldridge, 2013.
Fig 27, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
Fig 6, Tale路m lookbook, Amara (c. 2013) by Georgina Martin, 2013.
Fig 28, own infographic (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 29, own artwork (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
Fig 7, own moodboard and artwork (c.2013) by Hollie Furniss and Tina Relf, 2013.
Fig 29, own artwork (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
Fig 8, own moodboard for consumers (c.2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
Fig 30, own artwork (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 31, own artwork (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
Fig 9, own photograph for Clara consumer (c.2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
Fig 32, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
Fig 10, Photograph for Daria consumer (c.2013) by Loren Aldridge, 2013. Fig 11, Photograph for Novus consumer (c.2013) by Tina Relf, 2013.
Fig 33, own infographic (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 34, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 35, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
Fig 12, 0wn photograph of box (c.2013) by Hollie Furniss, Fig 36, own photograph (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. 2013. Fig 37, own infographic (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 13, own moodboard (c.2013) from Emma Hamshare by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 39, own infographic for competitors (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 14, own illustration (c.2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 40, Tale路m lookbook, Amara (c. 2013) by Georgina Fig 15, own photograph of garment by Lewis Gowler Martin, 2013. (c.2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 41, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 16, double page spread Tale路m lookbook, Amara (c. 2013) by Georgina Martin, 2013. Fig 42, own infographic (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 17, own photograph from Pure Tradeshow (c. 2012) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 18, own photograph from Pure Tradeshow (c. 2012) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 19, own artwork (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
Fig 43, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 44, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 45, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Loren Aldridge, 2013.
136.
Appendix
Fig 46, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Loren Aldridge, 2013.
Fig 65, Photographic brief (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
Fig 47, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 66, Designer brief (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 48, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 67, Miu Miu clothing (c. 2012) by Miu Miu from http://www.wallpaper.com/fashion/the-miumiu-londonFig 49, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. a-private-members-club-open-for-three-days-only/6213, 2012. Fig 50, Screen shot of website (c. 2013) by Loren Aldridge, 2013. Fig 68, own moodboard of images from WGSN (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss 2013. Fig 51, Screen shot of Facebook page (c. 2013) by Hollie Fig 69, Tale路m lookbook, Amara (c. 2013) by Georgina Furniss, 2013. Martin, 2013. Fig 52, Screen shot of Instagram (c. 2013) by Tina Relf, 2013. Fig 53, own moodboard for marketing inspiration (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
Fig 70, own infographic (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss 2013. Fig 71, own moodboard of images from WGSN (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss 2013. Fig 72, own infographic (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss 2013.
Fig 54, moodboard for magazine inspiration (c. 2013) by Loren Aldridge, 2013. Fig 55, Tale路m lookbook, Amara (c. 2013) by Georgina Martin, 2013.
Fig 73, own infographic (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss 2013. Fig 74, own infographic (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss 2013.
Fig 75, own imagery (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss and Loren Fig 56, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Aldridge, 2013. Fig 57, own moodboard (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 76, own infographic of critical path (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss 2013. Fig 58, own artwork (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 77, woman (c. 2012) by Katie Elaine Forrester from Fig 59, screenshots of film (c. 2013) by Georgina Martin, http://designspiration.net/image/4208492516066/, 2013. 2013. Fig 60, Brandzine (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, Loren Aldridge and Tina Relf 2013. Fig 61, Press kit (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013. Fig 62, Tale路m lookbook, Amara (c. 2013) by Georgina Martin, 2013. Fig 63, Tale路m lookbook, Amara (c. 2013) by Georgina Martin, 2013. Fig 64, The journey of brand infographic (c. 2013) by Hollie Furniss, 2013.
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13. The proje ct Time line: How it Evolve d
Stage 1
Stage 2
Our idea began after going to Berlin. Shopping there was about quality with a personal approach married with one-off pieces and an up-market but casual atmosphere that seemed to blur the price market divisions. After which the UK high-street came under scrutiny, as in comparison it seemed to be obsessed with fast-fashion, continuous movement of stock and cheap, offer driven sales. We strongly felt that there is a gap in the market for a brand with quality products at a mid-price point that wasn’t fast fashion.
Initially, we thought to look to Berlin fashion and Scandinavian design as the presuppose of our development. As it was this that sprung the idea of a new UK based brand. We found a lot of research underpinning the Scandinavian surge which was beginning felt in Britain and the success of Scandinavian brands, ‘The Scandinavian aesthetic is one of simplicity and quality, yet with an effortless stylishness and edge – something that fashion forward UK customers want to buy into’ (Helen Job, MWB magazine: 2011).
140.
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Stage 3
Stage 4
Then we researched into the power of the digital trends and the impact of online shopping on the economy. It particular the trend of augmented reality, ‘While growth in online clothing sales during 2011 is expected to be impacted by the economy, more innovative online campaigns - together with new technology such as augmented and 3D reality, (…) will help to overcome people’s fears of shopping online and draw more people to the sector. Innovation is key’ (Tamara Sender, Mintel: 2011).
After our beginning research we first conjured up an idea to create an e-commerce online retailer that would mimic the simplicity and functionality of Scandinavian fashion but also include the consumer on a more personal and impressive level. This was going to be achieved through a virtual shopping experience online; augmented retail merged with Pintrest merged with google maps like navigation. Initial creative ideas were to make our website have the same personal, empathic connection that consumers share when buying in actual stores. Consumers can virtually travel round the online store, change the environment by selecting certain items or areas.
Fig 64
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The proje ct Time line: How it Evolve d
Stage 5
Stage 6
After presenting these findings and concept we discovered that although certain themes of our project was interesting and worthwhile, a Scandinavian brand basis wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t strong enough. Equally, the idea of a virtual website lacked real uniqueness and creativity. The branding had been an after thought and it was the idea that was really the building blocks something which, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always work.
We went back to the drawing board and thought what it was we wanted to be and offer that was new and pertinent to today. We knew online was were we wanted to focus our efforts as we had already established a lot of research around the resilence and opportunties of digital platforms. We decided to start the research process from scratch but instead of focusing on the idea we purely looked at the market and trends of consumers.
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Stage 7
Stage 8
After this we unearthed that consumer behaviour was changing. It was being more driven by humaisation, the power of emotion and relatedness. Brands which seemed almost anti-brand and co-operative. Brands that shared their values and attitudes in life. Brands which seemed niche, understated and fresh. We then looked into consumption and how this is changing too, into one more sustainable and slow. Investments for the future directly influenced by the harshness of the recession. Consumer too, were demanding more from brands, they wanted the full packaging, a lifestyle. More so than ever, with those online.
Coming at the project with real consumer insight, we could think how best to utilise the trends we had discovered of product functionally, simplicity and durability. We then conducted primary research to get further analysis of the market and the future of retail. Reoccurring themes of humanisation, quality, sensoriality and sustainability kept resurfacing. Through a long process of research compilation, branding meetings and design formation we conjured up our main objective; to create a brand that revitalised the offline and online experience, with great consideration and attentiveness to the humanisation of their package, accessibility of their brand story and purity of their product offering. Hence, the creation of Talem - an online womenswear brand with an exclusive, experiential and capsule subscription service for the modern woman.
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Designer Briefing Pac k
Fig 65
144.
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145
146.
Appendix
147
Photo graphic Briefing Pac k
Fig 66
148.
Appendix
149
150.
Appendix
151
Fig 67
152.
Appendix
Motivating Sustainabi lity
GNM survey of 1,000 readers and online users Committed 41% of GNM audience: • Strong sense of personal responsibility in dealing with climate change • Do everything they can to live ethically • Have a strong sense of urgency • Highly aware and understand environmental and ethical concepts • Influence others Followers 23% of GNM audience: • Feel a growing pressure to change the way they live • Believe in individual efforts in dealing with climate change, but think there may also be a bigger solution • Undertake many ethical actions, but can be inspired to do even more (Confino, J: 2012)
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Rendering Reai lity
‘This season’s over-riding theme is Evolution. In terms of consumer culture, we see this as a game-changing moment in history, with today's consumers finally embracing the future - despite the fact that many of our systems are in a state of flux’ (Lohan, S: 2013). ‘It’s less about refining and more about redefining – assigning new definitions to reality, consumerism, history and spirituality that go beyond established interpretations and offer meanings that make more sense for the 21st Century’ (Lohan, S: 2013).
154.
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Fig 68
155
The Death of Haute Couture
As mass-consumerism and fast fashion began to dominate consumer lifestyles in was no coincidence that Haute Couture would subsequently suffer in response. London Journalist Juliet Herd (1991) wrote that ‘the death knell of haute couture’ at the start of 1990’s (English, B, 2007: pp136). Herd included in her article Piérre Bergé (profile head of YSL) gave affirmation to this with the announcement that, ‘Haute Couture will be dead in ten years’ time’ (Herd, 1991). It seemed ready-to-wear was taking control of the fashion industry which was commercially viable for society but also damaging to the concept of creativity and bespoke, the backbone of fashion history. In a recent interview (Sleek, High and Low: 2011), Giles Rosier discussed his thoughts on the decline of haute couture. When reminiscing about his experience of haute couture he says, ‘in the old days (it) was about customer retention and demonstrating creative and technical ability. It wasn’t about VIP’s in the front row, or pompous shows for Moulin Rouge tourists or un-wearable caricatures of dresses, it was about one dress that fits the customer like a glove (...) along came foreign investors with their licensing business and suddenly we all have to be profitable, and this came at the price of creativity’ (Sleek, High and Low: 2011). Contrastingly, the CEO of Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, Bernard Arnault declares that, ‘the reason for being a designer... is to sell. Fashion is not pure art. It is creativity with the goal of having as many customers as possible wearing the product’ (English, B, 2007: pp147). The decline and almost obsoleteness of haute couture was a direct influence of overseas exporting and importing, the industrial revolution and the unattainable thirst for design turnover. This has lead to the diverse and saturated high-street we have today. The Talem offering lends from the traditional values of craftsmanship, limitation and refinement but with a contemporary touch and strikes against the mass consumerist relationship to goods.
156.
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Fig 69
157
The H istory of Pop u lar Cu lture and Pastic he for Women
The phases of female commerce that have changed the way women dress
André Courréges
Mary Quant When Quant created the shortest skirt, dubbed the ‘mini’ (English, B, 2007: pp82) it was a controversial statement which established the idea that women have choice and liberty (in the 1960’s with the emergence of the birth control a sense of sexual freedom) and the mini skirt was a manifestation of their sexuality. It seemed the market focus had shifted from the middle-aged wealthy fashion buyers to young fashionistas with a limited budget. Quant was one of the key designer’s directing such a movement. This said could have contributed to the self-image of a city ‘street style’. A liberating movement at the time but it could be said that such qualities which have materialised into an unsustainable and unhealthy relationship towards commodities.
Courréges, during the same time as Quant, was also symbolising the idea of youthfulness but through references to space, futurism and robotics, (English, B, 2007: pp 84) in a bid to capitalise on the media dominance of the ‘space race’ and stand-out through very forward thinking, contemporary designs. In contrast to Quant’s wearable creations, Courréges favourited a more avantgarde approach. Women of Courréges style wore boxy, structured shapes and androgynous accessories such as ‘crass helmet’ hats and flat ‘PVC boots’ (English, B, 2007: pp84). The idea of femininity or women’s clothing had a new interpretation that allowed for experimentation.
158.
Pierre Cardin
Cardin was the epitome of effortless minimalism with his expertly curated collections of bias drapery, soft and supple fabrication and a ‘nonchalant’ attitude (English, B, 2007: pp86). In turn, affecting the way people perceive minimalism today – not just as comfortable and appropriate attire but as thoughtful and timeless pieces.
Appendix
Laura Ashley
Yves Saint Laurent
YSL, a brand built of refined sophistication and elegance seemed to be carrying the traditional themes of a woman with a modern twist. This was achieved by taking male oriented clothing such as leather jacket, blazer and trouser pant and applying it to womenswear, (English, B, 2007: pp87) injecting a sense of androgyny and equality. Coining the beatnik look and probably most famous classic tuxedo suit for women in 1966, Le Smoking suit. He also started mainstreaming the idea of wearing silhouettes from the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s. He was the first, in 1966, ‘to popularize ready-to-wear in an attempt to democratize fashion, with Rive Gauche and the boutique of the same name’ (English, B, 2007: pp87).
Ashley chose to be inspired by the television and film culture of the likes of ‘Little house on the Prairie’ (English, B, 2007: pp90) and in turn go against the youth and futuristic trends adopted by the previous key aesthetic players of the 60’s. Instead the British designer looked to the past for inspiration such as the 1800’s (English, B, 2007: 90) and created countrylike, quintessential and romanticised womenswear – a look that could easily be worn by both the old and young. The loose fitting style was the go-to wear for artists and students searching for a laid-back accessible look.
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Mo dern Mytholo gy Trend Stories, folklore and myths are becoming increasingly important reference points for brands and companies to adopt. There is a new found appreciation for tales as a way of connecting the ever expanding mulit-ethnic and diverse world. They tap into a sense of locality and authenticity is a way which is inspiring and unitive. These concepts are being explored in many ways, a reversion back to ancient stories that colour tradition but also those of the hypothetical future.
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So cial Intervention Having social presence has become of paramount importance in a world where people can connect with others so instantly and easily. The fashion world are taking note as with each year their social intervention increases, ‘designers upped their focus on digital more than ever this fashion week season, with initiatives ranging from models carrying real-time micro cameras down the catwalk, to live social media screens projected on the walls’ (Arthur, R: 2013). In an interview with founder of PR house Emslie Creative, when asked ‘how integral is social media to a new retail brand?’ she responded that, ‘at the moment it is extremely important’ (Wood, A: 2013). And felt ‘social media marketing and moving image marketing’ (Wood, A: 2013) are the most exciting and fundamental trends within modern marketing today. However, it seems that consumer engagement with brand’s social media comes down to whether are not they really feel what they are offering enhances their brand experience. This was underpinned through an interview with LFW photographer Georgina Martin, ‘I follow those that I saw at Fashion Week and fell in love with - I tend to not follow such established designers/brands - I feel like the social feed just becomes a big advertisement, where as there is still something personal with smaller brands. For example, YMC will look at all the instagram posts tagged #ymc and often ‘like’ them’ (Martin, G: 2013). Offering something on a personal level appears to be key when establishing those invaluable consumer relationships and loyalty.
Fig 73
A model perspective: bringing fans unique access to fashion week activities through the eyes of the models. All access & every angle: livestream shows brought full 360° experiences, with views from both backstage and the front row, as well as up close on collections. Social projections: real time feeds from Twitter and Instagram were posted on walls within the show space. A big lesson was seen in the importance of regulating and filtering this content. Interactive, shoppable & data-led: more collections than ever offered preordering but the most interesting movements came from those tracking these insights and using the data to inform their buys for the shop floor. (Arthur, R: 2013).
Stitches magazine e-commerce advice
‘Update your site frequently, Get blogging, Focus on the local angle, Add videos and photos, Embrace the social sphere, Become a link swapper and Optimize load speed’ (Ruvo, C: 2013). ‘Businesses that regularly update their home pages rank higher in search returns. “Put something on the front page that changes all the time”’ (Ruvo, C: 2013). ‘HobSpot found that companies with a blog had 55% more visitors. 97% more inbound links ad 434% more page views (...) “you should add new content on a regular basis that is tied to the man focus of your business”’ (Ruvo, C: 2013). ‘20% of all searchers – s whopping 2.3 billion – are related to location. Therefore, building an online profile that’s tied to your geographic area can help rank higher in search engines’ (Ruvo, C: 2013). ‘97% the percentage of consumers search for local businesses online’ (Ruvo, C: 2013). ‘Videos help elevate search-return ranking and entice page visitors to stay and explore what you have to offer (...) “30-seocnd to two minute videos can help you move up more quickly than any other tool.’ (Ruvo, C: 2013). ‘expands the network of online locations where you can potentially connect with customers – and where they can find you’ (Ruvo, C: 2013). ‘connect to sites with content that reinforces your own’ (Ruvo, C: 2013). ‘40% of searchers leave if the download exceeds three seconds’ (Ruvo, C: 2013).
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The Long Tai l The ory
Chris Anderson, editor and chief of Wired magazine and one of his theories named ‘The Long Tail’ delineates how our culture and economy is increasingly shifting away from a focus on a relatively small number of mainstream products and markets through the visual aid of a sloping curvature. The elongated tail at the end of the curve represents the huge number of niches, ‘as the costs of production and distribution fall, especially online, there is now less need to lump products and consumers into one-size-fits-all containers. In an era without the constraints of physical shelf space and other bottlenecks of distribution, narrowly-targeted goods and services can be as economically attractive as mainstream fare.’ (Anderson, C: 2006.). Anderson, who actually produced this theory back in 2004, was predicating a future which has now happened; the small markets in goods that don’t individually sell well enough for traditional retail and broadcast distribution is rivalling the existing large market in goods that cross the economic bar (Anderson, C: 2006.). This portrays that smaller companies with humble ambitions are and can compete against the rivalling business torrents of the retail world.
Popularity
Head
Long tail
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1 3 .1 . Time Management
M inutes / team d iary hltbrandproduction.tumblr.com
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Making of Fi lm Sc re enshots
http://www.youtub e.com/watc h?v=WRi FmAL8O-U
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13.2. Transc ri pts GEORGINA MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHER: - Who are your most influential photographers? ‘In general I am influenced by 20th century photographers, particularly Edward Weston and Duane Michals, they inspire my work outside of fashion, and encourage me to still work in a darkroom. Paolo Roversi is definitely in my top 3 photographers, I love large format photography and he still makes this kind of work relevant is high fashion today. Helmut Newton also needs a mention, he photographs nude women beautifully, a celebration of the female form in a way. As a complete contrast I have huge admiration for Miles Aldridge - even though it's not a style of photography I wish to indulge in, I think it's good to admire work so far removed from your own, otherwise you just end up imitating your favourite photographers’ (Martin, G: 2013). - Sum up your personal style in three words. ‘Timeless, tailored, noir’ (Martin, G: 2013). - Sum up your photographic style in three words. ‘Diverse, Captivating, Bold’ (Martin, G: 2013). - What main runway trends have you seen coming through during your time at LFW 13? ‘Boxy shapes, very structured and then feminine sexy sheer length dresses. Digital prints/ very bright prints. Block colouring. Monochrome is still standin’ (Martin, G: 2013). - Which brands or designers do you feel are doing great things at the moment and why? ‘I think Marc Jacobs recent collaboration with Coca Cola is pretty cool, his stance on fashion is that it it should be accessible to all and not some pretentious elite club I think he essentially said that no matter who you are - your coke tastes the same. YMC are one of my favourite brands, they also do away with the need to create an elite fashion environment. Personally I think Zara is doing an incredible job injecting timeless designs into the high street market, they seem to be getting stronger as a brand and it's their clothes that I love to match with designer pieces. On a slightly different note - I think the UKs leading modelling agencies like Storm and Elite have committed to a 'zero-tolerance approach to sunbed use' for all their models. I think that this sends the right message to young girls and helps them embrace their natural skin tone. Similarly agency: Models 1 have launched a 'plus size' agency, it's a first step to basically changing the ideas of the high fashion model industry!’ (Martin, G: 2013). - How much do you shop for clothes online and on which retail websites? ‘Over the past year my lust for clothes shopping has subsided, I've become a lover of the capsule wardrobe and only buy something if it will still be 'fashionable' in another 3 years. This also leads me to believe it's acceptable to spend hundreds on one item because it will last those 3 years. I find myself choosing one item on net-a-porter and saving up. So I'd say most of my clothes shopping is done online because what I want isn't sold on the high street. Although I also have my moments on the ASOS sale, I rarely physically shop now. I will tend to go directly to the designers sites to buy item’ (Martin, G: 2013). - What do you look for when shopping online? ‘Anything really, I will notice a key piece missing from my wardrobe and search for something that fits - like at the moment I really need more smart tops that aren't shirts. I seem to have also dropped any colour from my wardrobe, so I have to set my filters to 'black' (Martin, G: 2013). - What values and characteristics are you most drawn to with fashion brands? ‘I like a brand that seems honest and passionate about the items they produce. I enjoy brands with a strong sense of who their clients are, and a small style margin, like Margaret Howell and Nicole Farhi’ (Martin, G: 2013).
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LEWIS GOWLER DESIGNER: - What is your job role and daily duties? ‘Studio Apprentice at Albam Clothing. My daily duties move with the flow of developing seasonal collections. I help organise and develop the collection through way of pulling trims, and sending off for samples, creating season overviews and assisting in the development of flats / technical drawings. As a UK produced brand I have the benefit of visiting factories to oversee production, and organise fabric stocks. The other half of the time i work alongside a technician on the production of certain garments / accessories in the Nottingham studio’ (Gowler, L: 2013). - Who are your design influencers? ‘More ethical and economic focused designers influence me, not necessarily through design but production and how they think- such as Erdem and Albam Clothing. On a more design level I am more interested in brands like Acne, Neil Barrett and Celine. I hate it when clothes are designed too fussy, i think it creates something to be self conscious about and doesn’t allow the wearer to stand free’ (Gowler, L: 2013). - As a designer, what do you feel are the most integral trends for the future of fashion? ‘We have a poster up at work of Dieter Rams: Ten Principles for good design. The principle i like most is “good design avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated”. I try to ignore trends as much as I can (though am influenced almost subconsciously) and believe that well designed and well produced design will sell regardless of trends. Currently I think the ‘trend’ for really fashion conscious people is to buy into a company they believe in’ (Gowler, L: 2013). - What brands at the moment are really setting the bar for fashion both on a designer and commercial level? ‘There seems to be lots of media attention on Victoria Beckham and Stella McCartney at the moment for ‘understanding the british female market’. I understand why their designs would appeal to British women, however their pre designer celebratory status could be helping them on their way. I personally much prefer Milan Fashion Week to London. I think Italian brands will always have better reputation in terms of quality, design of course is more down to opinion. I love Acne as well, and the Acne Paper helps add to their identity and what the consumer is buying into as a brand’ (Gowler, L: 2013). - What fabric trends and colour ways do you predict will be big fundamentals for the future of fashion? ‘Muted colours are more versatile, with consumer money pockets still being tightened, versatile colours will get more wear’ (Gowler, L: 2013). - When it comes to womenswear, how similar do you think men’s tailoring is in comparison? ‘Having worked in mens & womens tailoring before Albam, I am very aware of how tailoring has developed. From the traditional bespoke service of the Savile Row suit, tailoring today is now seen on the same level as fashion. It has been made more realistic for men to have made bespoke suits with brands like Reiss with an in store adjustment service. In terms of being similar to womenswear, I think that since the ‘liberation of mens fashion’ that we have seen recently with menswear being plunged into the limelight, menswear is as available as womenswear now on each department. A man knows he can find tailoring on every level of the market, from Primark to Prada, as does a woman with an evening dress’ (Gowler, L: 2013). - What silhouettes translate best on the female form, personally? ‘As long as women are dressing for their figure I think it’s a win win situation. Which is why shows like Gok’s fashion fix are actually quite positive’ (Gowler, L: 2013).
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Transc ri pts AMBER WOOD FOUNDER OF EMSLIE CREATIVE PR: - Tell us your story? Where did your study, what was your ambition, how did you start out and where do you see yourself going? I studied at UCA Rochester and gained a First class degree in Fashion Promotion. I knew from an early age that I would like to run my own company. - In your opinion, what do you think fashion brands have to embody today in order to be successful? Brands need to react to the climate and communicate at all times. - What trends are really shaping the online retail market? Unique, one off designs that have a story behind them. Consumers want to know where and how the pieces they buy are made. - What do you feel is the future of online retail, are there any brands or companies that encapsulate such changes? I think ASOS is a great communicator and trend setter. Online retailers need to offer an interesting shopping service from communicating their story, offering a bespoke and interactive service - How important are sustainability, humanisation and brand narrative when considering new and emerging brands? Very important. Consumers are a lot more savvy now and expect to know all of the above when purchasing from retailers. - The fashion market has become saturated, how do you think brands can stand out? By providing a personal and unique product. - How integral is social media to a new retail brand? At the moment it is extremely important - What do you feel are the most exciting and fundamental trends within modern marketing? Social media marketing and moving image marketing - Do you feel the way consumers are shopping is changing and if so, in what ways? Consumers are always looking for the best bargain. There are so many voucher codes that exist at present. Consumers are becoming much more confident in purchasing online too. - What brand values encourage you to buy? Quality all they way! - The fashion market is driven by a fast-fashion sensibility and mass-consumerist desire, do you think this mindset is sustainable? No this is not sustainable at all. Fast fashion retail stores must use sustainably sourced material to balance with the demand. - How do you think fashion will evolve in the future? Will we be so trend obsessed? Yes I think we will always be trend obsessed! - Fashion staples are timeless and fundamental to one’s wardrobe, what do you think is the most staple item? A winter jacket - Why do think wardrobe staples are so successful? We live and breathe in them for entire seasons - Our idea is built on the stories and milestones of real, diverse and intelligent women, who is your female idol? My mum and Kate Moss
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EMMA HAMSHARE DESIGNER: - Do you mind telling me how old you are firstly? That’s fine, I’m 25 - 25 ok, erm, when shopping online with retail brands what top three qualities do you look for? Ease in purchase, close-ups and erm measurements. - Right, ok, so you want as much information as possible? Yeah. - And what do you feel is missing from the retail market, that is something you would buy from? The retail market is massively saturated, erm but an area I feel is missing, is a kind of high-end highstreet with a big fashion content and that little bit of embellishment and point of difference Because you’ve got brands like at that level like A.P.C and those kinds of people who are quiet girly or modern and that’s not really a kind of a modern but with a point of difference. - So like Acne but for the high-street? So, something for the savvy shopper kind of? Kind of like Acne but with embellishment or point of difference because I think there might be a customer who likes Acne but feels that it’s a little out of its price point but would pay more if it had that perhaps bit of embroidery or you know something more visual interesting. - And lastly, how could a new online clothing brand influence you to shop with them without any insecurities? Erm, social media, definitely a big social media following and presence and they would encourage me to shop with them I think by being featured elsewhere. People are willing to go for something new, but they have to kind of been told its ok. So, if it’s come through as a reliable source, a blogger that I really love... - You’d feel comfortable buying it? Yeah. - Ok that’s excellent, thank you.
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PURE GUEST SPEAKERS (HELEN HINDLEY OWNER OF BEACH HUT AND LECTURER AT LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION, NIKKI RARAPORT DIRECTOR OF BERNARD BOUTIQUE AND GIULIO CINQUE OWNER OF GIULIO MAN AND WOMAN): - Despite the recession it is still viable to introduce a new brand into the market? All, ‘absolutely’ Helen ‘I think it is time because people want newness’ Nikki ‘if you stay safe then you’ll just die’ Giuilo ‘when is it a good time? (…) it’s the desire that you need’ - What do you think brands have to embody in order to succeed in this economic climate? Giuilo ‘the connection process, you ‘know for me if I’m honest I’ve been, I don’t want to say almost brainwashed because I am totally committed to this, you ’know for the first time in 30 years I (…) totally believe in what is going on in the digital world, it’s the new entertainment (…) In my business clothing was exciting with the new designer age with the must have bag, the must have this, the must have that. It was great in those times but you ‘know what that’s gone (…) the new entertainment is digital. So we need to connect with that (…) what’s going to be really different is that you’re going to be connected (…) these people are already connecting, the secret is not that you have to create these connections (…) they are already connecting’. Helen ‘ultimately you have to understand the consumer (…) and what their perception of value is.’ Nikki says ‘I do think that a great buyer has an innate power to cherry pick the best. You know we search and search and search and if we don’t bring the best back to our shop (…) I think that’s what makes you competitive as well.’ Giuilo ‘If you’re from the point of view of building a brand there has to be a structure of which you can get your core product and (…) your areas which are more interesting, just give it that flavor. Because I think most buyers when they look at ranges they’d like to get a clear representation of the brand. Personally, you’re not just going to buy the expensive pieces because that doesn’t work. You need to sort of have these pieces which sort of give the identity of the brand. Because sometimes you’ll go oh I don’t need that, but that is core, you know if you’re buying for a brand you sort of need that. It’s almost like a triangle, if you think about it.’ Nikki, ‘It’s really hard but you have to let go of ego. (…) it’s not just about what is the you ‘know the coolest or whatever those basics are still important. You have to think about that everyday person.’ Giuilo ‘Don’t forget the white shirt for instance’ Nikki, ‘Yeah’ Giuilo ‘Don’t forget things like that. Some designer’s think Oh I don’t need to do a white shirt but I’m sorry you do.’ Nikki, ‘And then you’ve got to find the best white shirt so it is range planning.’ - The market is obviously saturated, how do you think brands can stand out, are there any gaps in the market you think are yet to be filled for example? Giulio says ‘there is always room for some creative genius’. Helen then continues with ‘it’s that multi-channel’ Giulio says ‘the fact with bricks and mortar is there’s a reality to it, there’s a comfort factor to it, you ‘know you can’t have a reality or a comfort factor with my wardrobe, ASOS or neta-porter. You ‘know if you thought of net-a-porter what would you imagine? (…) that’s the difference between bricks and mortar and online.’
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PURE ATTENDEES (CARE MOORE AND DANIELLE BOAM): - How old are you? Cara ‘20’ Danielle ‘20’ - When shopping online with retail brands what top three qualities do you look for? Cara ‘Erm the aesthetics and the look of it is the first thing, I’d say ease to use defiantly for the second and then I’d say online reviews (...) because people can say whether it is a big fitting, a small fitting or not the material they thought it were.’ Danielle ‘I would say fast and easy service, hassle free shopping and online reviews.’ - What do you feel is missing from the retail market that would be something you would buy from? Cara ‘An exclusive brand, like an exclusive online brand, with like limited availability. So, like items where there are only like 20 – 25 of them and that is the only place you can get them. Somewhere people would shop because they’d thin , this is where I’ve got to go because I can’t get it somewhere else.’ Danielle ‘I think something that’s a bit high-end for the lower kind of age range, so people between 18-25 - they would be more high-end fashion but at a lower price. More affordable, but your also looking quite smart and sophisticated at the same time.’ - How could a new unknown online clothing brand influence you to shop with them without any insecurity? Cara ‘Free delivery, even if it’s like an ASOS thing where it’s free delivery and it takes a bit longer, I think people are a lot more up to trying it if they think well I don’t even have to pay for delivery. I can send it back if I don’t like it. Especially if it’s a brand new brand because people won’t know about it. Free delivery option, and then have the option to stick a free post label on it to send it back possibly.’ Danielle ‘Showing the models wearing it and the sizes of the models (...) so you feel reassured to choose the sizes before purchasing it (...) the catwalk videos are really good because they show if they look right, fit right and how they move.’ - Would you be interested in a brand that had less stock and less stock coming out as much, so they might only have three collections a year, and it will be small, but it would be quality pieces at the right price? Cara ‘I wouldn’t put off by that sort of set up at all, I’d be more intrigue as it is such a different method of doing things as opposed to the fast fashion on the high-street.’ Danielle ‘I think yeah because, you can always match it with other products like other garments from different shops. But you’ve always got that one piece that makes it look more expensive.’
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VICTORIA BUCHANAN, THE FUTURE LABORATORY: - What do you think fashion brands have to embody in order to be successful in the market online? It’s really important to have a strong identity and personality online. -Do you feel that brands need to make online experiences feel more unique? Retailers are now using a rich stream of consumer data to micro-target their offer to customers. In the future Consumers will expect hyper-convenience, simplicity and speed from their online purchase experiences. - Can you describe what the staple items in your wardrobe are? And what qualities these items have to make them a continuously worn garment in your wardrobe? I actually have a very small wardrobe as when I made the move to London I only brought one suitcase with me. This means that I’m very selective about what I buy and an item has to be hard working for me to purchase it. I rely on good quality basics like jeans and shirts as a basis and buy neat jackets and accessories to layer up. - Do you feel there are any successful subscription services/boxes for fashion/lifestyle items? Subscription-based e-tail – where consumers pay a fee to have a selection of products regularly delivered to them – has become the internet start-up success of 2012. Launched in September 2010, beauty site Birchbox has become a benchmark for the subscription model service. With more than 100,000 subscribers, the New York based service costs €6–10 (£4.67–7.80, $7.25–12) per month and delivers sample-sized beauty products from brands such as Smashbox, Stila and Kiehl’s. An accompanying ecommerce site enables consumers to buy fullsized versions of the products in each box, leading to a stronger relationship between Birchbox, its partner brands and the consumer. - Some sites such as Not Another Bill or Quarterly Co are pushing the element of surprise by keeping the contents of their boxes secret until delivery. The beauty of subscription-based retail is that consumers are required to start an intimate, personalised dialogue with the site – the more information disclosed, the better the products received. The business model that includes subscription sampling has seen success across beauty, intimates and especially the food sector. Purchasing by portion enables consumers to try before they buy, with more likelihood they will upgrade to full-size products. - Which current trends are shaping the ecommerce landscape? Omni-channel retail – the grown-up, joined-up big brother of multi-channel retail – has been adopted by big names such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s and Neiman Marcus to restructure their businesses.Essentially the next stage of digital and physical retail convergence, omni-channel retail’s stated aim is to enable consumers to have a highly immersive brand shopping experience whether they engage by smartphone, laptop or by walking into a bricks-and- mortar store.
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- Do you think customers feel overwhelmed by choice when purchasing clothing? Fed up with materialism, let down by capitalism, disconnected and discombobulated in their digital lives, consumers are seeking escape from their busy lifestyles and aspiring to a new set of values. From hotels to airports, consumers are looking beyond aesthetics and seeking the sublime. Meanwhile, they are culling bold brash brands in favour of those that are considerate, quiet and intuitive. The New Sublimity is not about abandoning digital life though. Rather than simply switching off, consumers are mastering a new on-off way of being. As they do, they are becoming digital dieters, mindfulness novices, daydream believers and, as this report illustrates, jolly good fellows. Department store retailer Selfridges is tapping into the trend and encouraging customers to come into its stores to meditate and to seek out moments of peace and tranquility amid the shopping hustle and bustle. During the campaign an unbranded shopping area in-store sold designer goods with their logos removed alongside minimalist products. The Selfridges branding was hidden from shoppers, and the store’s name was removed from its iconic yellow bags. - The online fashion market has become saturated, how do you think brands can stand out? Online brands are now becoming much more than just a digital outlet to shop. We have just finished our recent retail report and some of the main takeouts we have shared with our clients include Converge your content - Online brands Net-A-Porter and ASOS have built editorial teams and launched high-quality brand magazines to synergise lifestyle and sales messages. Take a leaf from their glossy, high- integrity book. Collaborate with your consumers – Shoppers are shifting from passive to proactive retail consumers, looking for opportunities to customize brand engagements. Enable Point to Purchase- Commercials that enable shoppers to digitally point at a product of desire in order to purchase it embody next- generation, seamless online retail. Follow in the footsteps of lifestyle brand Ikea and e-commerce site SSENSE. - Which current trends are shaping the social media landscape? Over 1.2 bn people will be regularly using social media by 2015 to work, play – and shop. Fashion brand Topshop immediately spotted the outreach possibilities of Twitter-backed Vine and its looped GIF-style video clips. Other key brands are discovering ways to advertise, converse, promote, sell and build communities around the social sites that are digital second homes to growing millions . Shoppers are increasingly shifting from passive to proactive retail consumers, looking for opportunities to customize brand engagement. - Do you feel there are any brand innovating the online shopping experience, and if so how? Scrapbooking social media networks have created a new wave of curator consumers who are becoming a powerful commercial force through their daily barrage of recommendations of products, services and favourite brands. Nuji enables members to create their own virtual stores by selecting items and saving them to wish lists – which are presented as a personal online shopping page and link direct to the e-commerce page for the item. Fancy is a luxury-focused scrapbooking social network that encourages users to ‘fancy’ any item on the site, thereby recommending them to their circle of friends.
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Transc ri pts Science The Rain Room – Barbican Distinctions between technology, science and culture are becoming increasingly blurred. 94% of people think science can improve the world we live in. ‘Technology and platform shifts will change the way we sell, market and innovate in the next five years. Everyone can have a place within the ecosystem.’ (Daniel Burrus, Futurist) Science was once thought of as dull, and should be kept behind closed doors, not anymore. TED Talks, BILL Talks Beautific Oenobiol Louis Vuittons history with travel Red journey video Monolith magazine – demystifies scinece Holo – Art, science and technology H&M Lab, Starbucks Lab Science Grrrrrl – female physicists Bio-factured Convenience Culture – 2 weeks to 2 minutes Same day delivery Browse in real time Google maps in store The new netteratti – Businesses spread like viruses Social networks – selling opportunities; you’re the fuel for their energy. Age of everywhere – all connected Lifeblogging – Clip on camera by memento, taking 2 photos per minute, recording everything about the wearers life Facebook graph search – Wealth of information diversified, searching your personal networks more in-depth, taking away serendipity. YSL – facebook only limited editions
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Phy-digital Net-a-porter – pop-up karl Lagerfeld boutique Ebay pop-up shops Topshop be the buyer, Google + front row, backstage and model cam LFW Basecamp Berlin – café making local more meaningful and connected Digital Knightmare – Re-edit nick knight video Google self drive cars Snap fashion app – see it, snap it, search it, buy it Hactivism – Natural Born Hackers Everything should be hackable. Apple store 5th Avenue highest grossing retail store in the US. Need to sell experience. Post stereotypes – gender roles being demolished Roominate – DIY building kit GoldieBox - Construction set/engineering (both aimed at girls) Bio genetic Barbie Oled by Samsung – flexible Screen Soulpancake – A pep talk from kid president Gallery one at the Cleveland Museum of Art
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Transc ri pts Elizabeth & Clarke Hi Loren, Answers to your questions below. M Melanie Moore Co-Founder | Elizabeth & Clarke p: +1 917 207 1420 e: melanie@elizabethandclarke.com t: @perfect_basics On Fri, April 9, 2013 at 11:09 AM, Loren Aldridge <lorenkaldridge@hotmail.com> wrote: Hi Melanie, Thank you so much for responding! I am very grateful for your feedback and input into my body of work. It's such an exciting new concept and I really look forward to hearing about the brand in more detail. I have added a range of questions below: How did you identify a gap in the market for a new and unique subscription service? Please read this blog post, specifically the section 'The Goldilocks Principle' which explains the main problems with the existing solutions in the marketplace. This thesis evolved over time from my personal shopping experiences and professional experience in the apparel industry. How vital is the experience element of Elizabeth & Clarke? Do you mean the experience of getting the box every quarter? I would say it is only marginally important. What is in the box (specifically the quality of the shirts) is paramount. For any subscription service to survive, the quality of the products included in each box must be superior to other products with a similar price point, including all products that are not sold as a subscription. The experience of getting a surprise box in the mail is inherently faddish and unsustainable. Once the fanfare around subscription boxes subsides, only those companies that provide the best products (with or without a box) will survive. What points of difference do you think Elizabeth & Clarke brings to the consumer? Please see this chart. In a market that is over saturated with an abundance of product, do you feel that this is affecting consumers shopping habits? Well, we are a small startup right now, so no, not on any kind of scale. However, for our customers, yes, I consistently get reports from our own customers that they prefer to use E&C rather than head to the mall. Do you think that there has been a return to a more real and sensory experience with the rise of digital and e-commerce?
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When it comes to making purchases, there was never a mass an exodus from the physical shopping experience to begin with. There are many, many startups that are building technology solutions to disintermediate the consumer from the physical store (augmented reality, sizing algorithms, online discovery, etc.), however this does not mean that consumers actually want these solutions (mainly because they do not work) or have ever moved in great numbers away from the physical shopping experience. While more people may shop online these days, online return rates are double, on average, over in-store return rates because people still need to try on clothing before they buy. Thus, startups that focus on technologies that do not work yet (augmented reality, sizing algorithms) or that do not provide any tangible value (discovery platforms) are slowly dying, and startups that actually provide real value in the marketplace (i.e. Warby Parker, Bonobos, One King’s Lane) and find a better way to replicate the in-store experience (Home Try-On programs, free shipping and returns) are growing rapidly. How vital is it to bridge the gap between online and offline? In regards to online shopping, the offline try-on experience must be properly replicated by any online fashion startup if they want to succeed. In addition, brick-and-mortar stores are notoriously bad at replicating the service and convenience of the in-store experience online. This has created a very large gap in the marketplace where online brands and retailers have been able to come in with a similar or better product, at a lower price, with far superior and immediate customer service and win. I believe this trend will continue. How has Elizabeth & Clarke changed the shopping experience? Is this vital to the future of brands? See above. In regard to the type of the garments available, how important is the idea of staple items? Why is this a focus within the brand, if at all? Again, I refer you to my blog post, the section ‘The Goldilocks Principle,’ which explains the gap in the marketplace I observed in regards to staple items. Do you think that consumers are rebelling against fast fashion today? The stock price and earnings growth of both Inditex and H&M have consistently beaten expectations for years, and continue to do so today. Much of this is due to international expansion into Asia and Latin American (versus growth in Europe and the States), nonetheless, consumers are clearly still enamored with the concept. What are ‘Elizabeth & Clarke’s core brand values? Great quality pieces at a great price, designed with the everyday American woman in mind with customer service that is accessible, helpful, and respectful. Everything we do at Elizabeth & Clarke is designed to be both beautiful and functional. What impact does price point have within the brand? Is this an important element of the brand model? It is one of the most important elements of the brand, if not the most important. Having an accessible price point, while still providing fantastic quality pieces is core to our value proposition. How important is the packaging of the product? How has this been addressed? Packaging is something we take care in designing and sourcing. All of our packaging is branded, and we provide customized style ideas for each piece a customer purchases. That said, the cost must still be economical in order for us to keep our margins and our price point. It is a balance between creating packaging that is beautiful but also not so over the top extravagant as to be unaffordable.
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What do you predict for the future of subscription services? How is this sector moving forward? I think you will see a lot of death in this space, it is way too crowded right now and I believe there will be considerable fall out before the space stabilizes. In my view, a subscription startup must have 4 essential elements to survive: 1. The product quality must stand alone. Sending products on a monthly or quarterly basis in a pretty box is NOT a competitive advantage. The startup must be able to stop offering their products by subscription, and only sell them piecemeal, and still have a sustainable business model. Again, subscription services are inherently faddish, and there will be a massive falling out. Only those that have quality products that solve a problem will survive. 2. The weight-to-value ratio of the products in each box must be sufficiently low. Shipping costs are a major cost center for any subscription start-up, and they must be managed. For example, vitamins would be a very poor product choice for a subscription startup because a bottle of vitamins might weigh 1-2 lbs, but cost only $5 (ratio of 0.3) while a garment is very good choice for a subscription service as a dress may weigh 2 lbs but cost $80 (ratio of 0.025). 3. The product must be something that consumers replenish on some regular interval (weekly, monthly, quarterly). 4. The product must not be easily replenished by the consumer. For example, underwear, socks, and tampons, are all bad choices for subscription services because the startup is simply repackaging other people’s products (products that are typically widely available) and shipping them on some regular interval. As soon as that startup has any modicum of success, Amazon will rip them off, undercut them on price, and crush them like a bug (which they have already begun doing to some extent - you can now order household and beauty items by subscription on Amazon). Hope this helps! Good luck with your research! -M
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Interview 2- Customer at Dover Street Market In-store interview Dover St Market, London. Who: Jen, 28 Why: Shopping alone within the quiet store, used customer service. Thanks for letting me ask you a few questions. What do you think luxury means? To me, luxury is about places like this, hidden gems where you can shop somewhere a bit different, in a quiet environment in the run up to Christmas. It’s virtually silent, getting great customer service and unique products. Is the experience almost as important as the products? Always, when spending a large amount of money on clothing, I want to be able to have great assistance, personal service and be in an environment that speaks to me, like here. What is it about this particular place that interests you? How its so industrial, as you asked about luxury, it wouldn’t normally been seen as that space, normally you wouldn’t put clothes of this price in this environment but I love that. It’s the unexpected and it makes this shopping experience richer and feels more exclusive. Do you think that the price tag reflects the luxury element? The price tag does have a big part to play, as it creates that huge contrast, but to me, if there were beautiful clothes of a lesser value, within a space like this, I would still shop here for sure, and save my pennies too! But that is almost impossible to find, especially with such incredible products that consider design, concept and creation. It would have to hold some further meaning or story. That’s an interesting thought, what would you consider about this notion of affordable luxury? If it was plausible it would be fantastic, create a kind of luxury for those who cannot buy into an experience like this one. Here, there are a range of products of a lesser value too, however not everyone could buy into this. Affordable luxury would bring a whole new level to shopping for everyone and would challenge the entire market to be more inventive! Could be interesting. In this case, do you think that shopping within the luxury market needs to be reconsidered? In some ways, yes, there is the conventional types of luxury shops- but to me, there is no unique reason to shop there apart from the tradition that comes with these stores- there is no real spectacle. In some instances I find I can compare many ‘luxury’ shops and the interiors, to the majority of Zara stores and that saddens me. Where is the excitement in being in these stores? Where is the intrigue today… This is the same in the highstreet, there is such a demand for inventive experiences- something out of the ordinary. To create ‘Luxury’ there needs to be help here- there needs to be an engagement or more of an experience to buy this way. Affordable or not. Follow up email: Stage 2. JENS RESPONSE Hello Loren, No problem at all, it’s nice to hear from you. I hope it helps- just glad that I can be of assistance! I know a few other people who shop in similar stores to me too, who may be willing to answer a few more of your questions if you can give me something to forward to them?
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Marc Svbscription Answers below. On 20/04/2013, at 10:24 PM, Loren Aldridge wrote: Hi Marc, Thanks so much for getting back to me and agreeing to partake within my research. Here are my questions to you: What drove you to create svbscription? All three partners come from a different backgrounds, but we had interest in creating a physical product that we would love to receive. I’ve worked as an editor at a big media company and I was looking to create something tangible that combined editorial, design, fashion and technology. For me Svbscription is a great way to connect with creative people and build something collaboratively. How did you identify a gap in the market for a menswear/lifestyle subscription service? My partner Sam works with companies like Hermes and Barney’s in New York so we started thinking about luxury from the beginning. We didn’t have a desire to get lots of products mass produced and instead we decided to do something limited and exclusive. We didn’t know if there was a gap in the market, but since launching we have found a really great audience and solid group of members. How vital is the experience element of svbscription? The experience is everything. There are very few genuine surprises left in our lives, let alone shopping and e-commerce. We try to create something that feels mysterious and weighty. Letting go of control and signing up to a mystery is not for everyone, but we have a growing list of members and our churn rate is very low, which is a testament to the curation and products in each parcel. What points of difference do you think svbscription brings to the consumer? Everything is very instant these days, we like to build anticipation and excitement around each parcel, which makes it a unique experience. We never do samples or teaser versions of products. But our main difference is that most of the products created for Svbscription are unique products, limited editions or made specifically for our audience. Everything is custom made and we work hard to find things before they hit the general market. In a market that is over saturated with an abundance of product, do you feel that there is a growing apetite for surprise? There is an enormous amount of choice, which is frustrating and paralysing. I love going to a restaurant and having the chef decide what he wants to cook and that is a similar experience to what we provide. We expose people to new items, designers and brands that are up and coming or have already achieved cult status. Do you think that there has been a return to a more real and sensory experience with the rise of digital and e-commerce? Things always ebb and flow, but our goal is to give our members a great experience online and offline. Last year we threw three parties and will be doing more interesting projects in 2013. We are planning a pop-up shop and some events sponsorships.
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How vital is it to bridge the gap between online and offline? Crucial, you can’t just expect people to go to your online store. You need to create reasons for people to interact with your brand both offline and online. Taking time to plan events is hard work, but worth it. With the themed boxes, how does this help to create a narrative within the brand? How important is this element of storytelling? We are trying to touch upon all of the key aspects of modern life. Everything from travel, leisure and work. The themes are very important and we hope that once a member has participated in a few rounds they will see how the items fit together. A lot of work goes into telling a concise story with the products and partners that are chosen. What were your initial concerns when starting a new luxury subscription service? If any? How to do great campaigns without large marketing budgets? We are forced to grow organically and by word of mouth rather than celebrity endorsements or large media spends. What do you predict for the future of subscription services? How is this sector moving forward? I think that people will become more and more comfortable with signing up to services. Food, alcohol, products and entertainment can all be delivered in interesting ways. We hope to build a great brand that members can trust. Thank you so much, I really look forward to hearing your responses. My pleasure, please let me know if you need me to expand. Hopefully it all makes sense. Marc All my best, LOREN ALDRIDGE E lorenkaldridge@hotmail.com W www.lorenkristiealdridge.co.uk <1.png><l.png><2.png> Perfect, thank you ever so much. Look forward to hearing your responses. Have a good week! Best, LOREN ALDRIDGE
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& Other Stories Response Dear Loren, If only we could speak to everyone who has requests like yours. We are so proud to hear that a lot of students are looking at our brand, it would be such pleasure to speak to all the people that show an interest in & Other Stories. Unfortunately our team is too small to answer your questions. I hope you keep on following our channels and make your own interpretations, because that’s what we like best when it comes to our brand. Our main goal is to inspire and empower women to create their own looks with our collections. Kind regards, Elke Kieft ELKE KIEFT Communications & PR Stockholm Atelier: Kungsholmstorg 5 Stockholm, Sweden Send post to: & Other Stories Master Samuelsgatan 46A, K5 SE-106 38 Stockholm, Sweden From: Loren Aldridge [mailto:lorenkaldridge@hotmail.com] Sent: Friday, May 03, 2013 3:14 PM To: Communications & Other Stories (SESTORIES); londonstories@karlaotto.com Subject: Dissertation Contact Hi there, My name is Loren Aldridge, I am contacting you regarding my final dissertation- I am looking to speak with someone who will be able to answer a few questions for my final project. I study Fashion Communication and Promotion at Nottingham Trent University and my final dissertation is focused upon the concept of ‘Innovation Online’ and changing the shopping experience. I would be very grateful if I could speak with someone in order to inform my research further and simply ask a few Questions. & Other Stories is a major case study within my project and I would love to discuss the trend of ‘Humanisation’ as this is an essential element of which I am looking at. I would be so grateful if you would be willing to respond to a few email questions for me to add to my body of research in relation to the industry. I really hope to speak with you soon, thank you. Best, LOREN ALDRIDGE E lorenkaldridge@hotmail.com W www.lorenkristiealdridge.co.uk
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HILARY PETERSON FROM LYST.COM Here you go Hollie, Sorry there short we are very busy at the moment. - What is your job role at Lyst.com and what are your daily duties? Every day is different, working for an online company means it is fast-paced and at times hectic but thoroughly motivating. My job is all about developing and implementing growth and opportunities for Lyst.com. - What was the driving force behind the creation of Lyst.com? I wasn’t here from the very beginning however, the Lyst mission is for a unique and social shopping experience, that is differentiates itself in such a saturated market. - How do you feel Lyst.com differs from other similar fashion sites? I refer back to my previous answer, Lyst is much more than an ordinary fashion brand. It is only online and we use that to our advantage by linking with social media and integrating original ideas behind the shopping experience. For example, on Lyst consumers can create their own desired collections by shopping through eclectic mixes of beauty apparel - compiling imagery in to specific categories that they can name, describe and share. - In your opinion, what do you think fashion brands have to embody today in order to be successful? Do something a little be different. Fashion is a cut-throat industry and only the ones that truly offer something unique survive. But remember, whatever this unique aspect is it has to be wanted and desired by the consumer as after all, without them there are no successful businesses. - What trends are really shaping the online retail market? Experience and social are a couple of the biggest drivers. A product centric offering is no-longer enough anymore for the demanding consumer. - What do you feel is the future of online retail, are there any brands or companies that encapsulate such changes? Without sounding biased I really do think Lyst is doing something special and I think many new companies will follow. - How important are sustainability, humanisation and brand narrative when considering new and emerging brands? Depending on the brand and the type of offering is can be essential. As I said previously, experience is key and one way brands or companies could express this is through their story. Consumers like to feel a part of the brand to some degree. As for sustainability, it is something more and more new businesses need to consider but whether or not they choose to address it is really down to them. There are many unsustainable but successful businesses that work, like Primark. But will they always be successful? Well, will there always be a less wealthy consumer? Yes. So, I think if you’re considering sustainability getting the right audience and market right is key. Hope your project goes well, Hilary VP of Business Development for Lyst.com
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Transc ri pts Tom Hayden Research Interview What is the unique selling point of your products/brand? My main selling point is the fact that these clothes are Handmade by one person in England. I always try to bridge the gap between designer and buyer so that the clothes are a lot more personal to them. How did you identify a gap in the market for handmade tailored goods? I worked out what I would like to change about fashion as a whole and ways I would amend the things I don’t particularly like and realised there is a minority of people who feel the same and are willing to invest in the same principles I have. Do you think that adopting this kind of slow sensibility is important in the market today? I think it’s very important. There’s so many brands which churn out fast fashion and poor quality goods, people are surprisingly used to this so to offer something different, with more time put into it is one of my key plans. As a start up business, how did you get the word of iron and pin out there? It was difficult and its still is very difficult. I have gone the route of social networking to the extreme. So using things like Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, blogs etc. then using online shopping carts etc. How did you work out an effective model for your brand, especially due to the more bespoke nature of your products? I don’t think I have figured and effective model yet! Through the last 3 years I have worked on a trial and error basis learning from mistakes and tailoring my business to be as strong as possible. It’s an ongoing progress as I’m sure you’ll imagine. What were your initial concerns when starting a new brand? I think it was mainly whether I could hit my target market and get them interested enough to buy my products. I didn’t really doubt that there was a gap, its was just reaching them. What journey has your brand taken to date? I guess me and my brand have been on the same journey, through highs and lows. Huge learning curves mainly. Being picked up my major retailers and then being dropped at the last second was one of the biggest set backs but then the overall customer base I have forged myself and the respect of fellow designers have been a major push for me. We are about to embark on a new challenge of setting up in the capital and seeing where that takes us so hopefully next year the journey will be more positive. What advice would you offer a new start up brand? Don’t ever give up! Always stick to your main principles and never sell out. I would also suggest making sure you work hard to build something more than just a brand which sells clothes. Focus on little steps and make sure you have a good foundation. Because through out all the set backs you’ll always have something to rebuild from!
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TREND BRIEFING: The Future Laboratory – Strange Days - Martin Raymond & Peter Frith Seed Section of LSN Global ‘Strange Days Indeed’ – John Lennon, Milk and Honey, 1980 3D Printers – Micro production over Mass production (in our own homes) 20th Century things got lighter, how much do the ideas in your laptop weigh? ‘After a decade of marginalization science is back.’ Generation I – ‘Born into a world where they are more likely to pinch, stroke or touch a silicone screen than their own parents.’ Immediate Interactive Immersive Intuative Have no sense of savings and resources, constant streams of money. - - -
Fifth Scenario – Cataclysmic change Dreamtelligence – thinking the unthinkable Turbulent Teens – Uncertainty as opportunity
(Born after 2002, younger than 11) 73% of children influence their parent’s purchases. Knowledge is now passed up not down. 62% of parents actively seek out their parents advice on purchases. Demanding ability to create and write their own programs not just consume them. Email – parents IChat – Generation D Post Icons – Generation I The Anarchy Decade – Disruptive ‘People perform irrationally’ Not a typical recession, rationality is about a different market
Personal Inflation Economy – Data Evolution Smart technology – a companies worth is how much data it owns about consumers. What is your value? Do you value your information, or give it away?
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Generation D ‘Jedi Kids’– Collaborative thinking No memory of a world before digital. Laptop/Mobile. Generation D kids confused by the concept of telephone boxes. ‘Trends underpinned by science becoming a driving force in culture, almost taking the place of celebrity’ Technology is an enabler; we can do things which people 5 years ago couldn’t even imagine. 20something millenials are driving through new behaviours and attitudes. Rethinking old-world orders. Majority of UK children have an active influence on their parents lifestyles. Hierarchy is 10 years ago thinking, you would now say heteroarchy the idea that everything is scared or spread out and collaborative. What will become the new imagery of tomorrow? Gated Retail The Silence Room – Selfridges Anti branding – Selfridges Blurring technology/physical space Retail is no longer a white box BFD your life in pictures Sharenting – Parents in their 30’s, constant photos of children. Making them celebrities before they can even walk. Children grow up self aware, their digital presence is almost as important as their physical one Prohibition Culture – Younger people more accepting to taxes on dangerous/bad products (eg. Cigarettes) are more aware of how issues affect them. Drifting towards conservatism, becoming more judgmental about what people should or shouldn’t do. More willing to share information for a personalised services rather than cash/rewards. Dawn of the mega systems – dictating the way we socialise and shop. Amazon is the most trusted website 50% 31% of people think that Facebook and Google are more influential than the government. And 47% of people 18-24 think that Facebook and Google are more influential then the government.
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Appendix Transc ri pts Conscious talk, H&M and Vogue, 2013, http://new.livestream.com/hennesandmauritz/conscioustalk/videos/15455330 04/04/2013 Simon Collins: Dean of Fashion, Parsons the new school of design Scott Mackinlay Hahn, Loomatate: ‘We have very expensive and very cheap but we need to fill in the gap in the middle’ Simon Collins: ‘Do we need a fashion revolution, do we need to stop buying clothes every (...) 2 weeks’ Jasmin Malik Chua, Managing Editor for Ecounterre: ‘Fundamental shift in how we consume (...) garments (...) last for a really good long time’ ‘Make sustainability the cool hip thing to do’ Simon Collins: ‘Where still going to buy stuff but how can we do that really responsibly?’ Simon Collins: ‘More about the story’ Jasmin Malik Chua, Managing Editor for Ecounterre: ‘It’s really easier for a smaller company to start off with sustainability in their DNA’ IN THE CROWD anonymous - The idea of fast-fashion and turning things around Helena Helmersson, Global head of sustainability for H&M: ‘Reducing impact, still where going to expand but how can reduce the impact (...) making fashion for all is still a very good one.’ Simon Collins: ‘If we didn’t have fast fashion would people buy less?’ Jasmin Malik Chua, Managing Editor for Ecounterre ‘Every purchase is a vote for the kind of world we want to live in’ Bruno Pieters, Founder of Honest by: ‘I wasn’t happy with what was going on in the industry (...) now it’s a told to make money (..._ was not satisfying as a designer and as a human being.’ Bruno Pieters, Founder of Honest by ‘Focus on who are conscious, they are the leaders’ Helena Helmersson, Global head of sustainability for H&M: ‘Collaborate, its going slow but the impact is huge.’ Jasmin Malik Chua, Managing Editor for Ecounterre: ‘Make sure you’re not buying randomly (...) value yourself; it’s better to have a few pieces in your wardrobe that you love (...) than a million pieces that you don’t really care about.’
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13.2. Print Sc re ens thisorthataesthetic.tumblr.com
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Other Stories Field researc h
Visit: 04/04/13 Around 12:30 Approached manager, who was busy doing a store move and unable to talk about the brand. Spoke to sales associate Amy O, however as a customer. How long have you been open here? A month, tomorrow a month. Has it been busy? It has yeah, as you can see, but in a good way. Always lots of things to do, customers to talk to.
I like the collections in here. Everything matches so well. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good that you like it. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the way it was created to have core collections, in certain colour palettes, fabrics and styles. Those all change and are updated, so like it is easy to find things that match together. Then the postcards help too. I always spot combinations on the postcards that really compliment eachother and look good together, it just makes it an easier way of shopping I guess.
You have such a range of products as well, I saw a few garments online before you opened, but not the beauty, make-up and jewellery it all fits together perfectly. I think they wanted &Other Stories to be able to sell everything than H&M could but it be more thought out. So that you are thinking about the whole outfit not just one piece, and that includes the make-up and accessories too.
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13.3. Consent forms Nottingham Trent University School of Art and Design Introduction to focus group/interview
I am Hollie Furniss and as part of my university I am undertaking research for the making of a new brand. To enable me to answer my research questions I wish to talk to you about your opinions on the market, culture and trends surrounding the online retail. The information you give me will be used in support of my work and will be written up in my project/ dissertation. Anything you say will be treated with the strictest confidence and your contribution to the discussion will not be attributed to you as an individual, what you said will be used for illustration only; to reinforce a point that I am making. The recordings and transcriptions will be for my use only and will not be given out for public use. Afterwards, they will be destroyed once I have completed my degree and graduated. Thank you for agreeing to take on this study in the aid of my degree.
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Appendix Nottingham Trent University School of Art and Design CONSENT FORM
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 x 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 x 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 x that the tape will be destroyed at the end of the project
4.
I agree to take part in this project
x
Georgina Martin __________ __________________ Name of respondent Date Signature For office use only Name of researcher taking consent …………………………………………. Date ……………………………………… Signature
Nottingham Trent University School of Art and Design CONSENT FORM Charli Jepson __________ __________________ Name of respondent Date Signature For office use only Name of researcher taking consent …………………………………………. Date ……………………………………… Signature
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Consent forms Nottingham Trent University School of Art and Design CONSENT FORM Lewis Gowler __________ __________________ Name of respondent Date Signature For office use only Name of researcher taking consent …………………………………………. Date ……………………………………… Signature
Nottingham Trent University School of Art and Design CONSENT FORM Amelia Partridge __________ __________________ Name of respondent Date Signature For office use only Name of researcher taking consent …………………………………………. Date ……………………………………… Signature
Nottingham Trent University School of Art and Design CONSENT FORM Luke Foster __________ __________________ Name of respondent Date Signature For office use only Name of researcher taking consent …………………………………………. Date ……………………………………… Signature
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Appendix Nottingham Trent University School of Art and Design CONSENT FORM Emma Hamshare __________ __________________ Name of respondent Date Signature For office use only Name of researcher taking consent …………………………………………. Date ……………………………………… Signature
Nottingham Trent University School of Art and Design CONSENT FORM Cara Moore __________ __________________ Name of respondent Date Signature For office use only Name of researcher taking consent …………………………………………. Date ……………………………………… Signature
Nottingham Trent University School of Art and Design CONSENT FORM Daneille Boam __________ __________________ Name of respondent Date Signature For office use only Name of researcher taking consent …………………………………………. Date ……………………………………… Signature
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Tutorial Forms
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School of Art & Design
Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13
Module: Implementation Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30001 Date: 06/03/13 Name : Hollie Furniss
Learning outcomes Produce a self determined body of work that demonstrates cultural and global discourses around theories and ideas in relation to fashion, communication and promotion Use appropriate levels of research and methods of analysis relevant to the production of your proposal Make informed selections and develop appropriate and creative solutions in relation to the application of visual communication Question assumptions within the area of study through the ability to formulate independent judgment, contribute to discussions and articulate reasoned arguments Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session:
Cancelled
Learning issues to discuss in session:
N/A
Feedback from session: N/A
Tasks for next session: Continue preparation for re-scheduled presentation.
Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Lucy Norris Signed (student) Hollie Furniss
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School of Art & Design
Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13
Module: Implementation Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30001 Date: 13/03/13 Name : Hollie Furniss
Learning outcomes Produce a self determined body of work that demonstrates cultural and global discourses around theories and ideas in relation to fashion, communication and promotion Use appropriate levels of research and methods of analysis relevant to the production of your proposal Make informed selections and develop appropriate and creative solutions in relation to the application of visual communication Question assumptions within the area of study through the ability to formulate independent judgment, contribute to discussions and articulate reasoned arguments Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session:
Interim presentations for idea, presented with group.
Learning issues to discuss in session: Present powerpoint with team going through our research so far, how we arrived and why we came up with our concept, our plan of action for the next stages of development and our time management / critical path.
Feedback from session: Check out Mui Mui’s The Door video for inspiration / case study, think through all aspects of box offering so nothing is rushed, are we certain on the box formation, consider other aspects such as hangers possibly. Need to produce 3 times as much work compared to those working alone. Need to sustain ambition and work backwards from deadline. Remember critical analysis is key. Our branding needs more personality.
Tasks for next session: Going forward for next week we have arranged to do a research plan of action – who to send email interviews to in industry, what creative research methods we are going to do. Set up a ‘this or that’ blog, an Instagram to find out people’s capsule pieces. Do a creative day focused on our branding, Discovering what it is, what it looks like and what it stands for. Get a photographer/ film maker collaboration, models or casting and write the viral video campaign brief and storyboard. Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Lucy Norris Signed (student) Hollie Furniss
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Tutorial Forms
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School of Art & Design
Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13
Module: Research Project Stage 1 Ref. no: FASH30001 Date: 20/03/13 Name : Hollie Furniss
Learning outcomes
Produce a self determined body of work that demonstrates cultural and global discourses around theories and ideas in relation to fashion, communication and promotion Use appropriate levels of research and methods of analysis relevant to the production of your proposal Make informed selections and develop appropriate and creative solutions in relation to the application of visual communication Question assumptions within the area of study through the ability to formulate independent judgment, contribute to discussions and articulate reasoned arguments Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Be prepared for any questions on our development since our previous tutorial. No required work to bring to the session however, a laptop with our work so far just in case. Since our last tutorial we had established a minutes blog, outlined all our forms of primary research; who to target and who targets who in the team. We formed our creative research of a ‘this or that’ blog, Instagram research staples outlet, formspring communication exercise and creative branding day. We did this in the time between tutorials and it helped immensely in securing and identifying our visual coding and messages. Learning issues to discuss in session: The report and its most important aspects; what sort of outcome is expected. The discussion of creative outcomes too. Whether the methodology goes in text or in appendix. The amount of research required for an implementation project.
Feedback from session: The fear factor, keep in mind the date of submission. Make sure we are making our own interpretations to information and research discovered through our secondary ventures. Context is highly important to the relevance and timely nature of project. Justify the viability of the idea. Make sure the entire journey of the brand is documented in some way so its progression can be appreciated. Metholdogy goes in main body but can be out of word count. However, when discussing the research in text and analysisng it this is included (except quotes). Tasks for next session: Prepare for the Easter holidays, aim to get first draft of writing completed and begin visuals. Having organized our shoot and film day, cement the casting and collocations, write up the photographic brief and narrative too.
Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Lucy Norris Signed (student) Hollie Furniss
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Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13 Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 12/04/13 Name : Hollie Furniss
Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: All writing completes over the Easter holidays, alongside any visuals and branding which have been created. Over Easter we continued to liaise with our photographer and models, ensuring all of the details such as locations, shots and outfits had been discussed.
Learning issues to discuss in session: Whether we have done enough primary research. How to take trends and consumer information we have researched and collated to the next level.
Feedback from session: Own all primary research as no-one will have done the same as you. Show your findings on a bespoke level. It is not a show and tell â&#x20AC;&#x201C; evaluate and identify strengths AND weaknesses in your research. Make sure your idea is socially/culturally relevant to the consumer. How are they consuming? What do they want to consume? Show that your idea is future proof. Understand what is driving trends now, form your own trends, or show them in relation to your consumer, how they embody this. Look at trends outside of our market. Know who within our market has developed an innovative approach.
Tasks for next session: Think about the brands relevance in relation to the cultural calendar. Look at issues influencing trend at the moment â&#x20AC;&#x201C; NY times, recent galleries/exhibitions etc. Find out what it means to be empowered as a woman, and how we can really drive this forward. Look at relevant innovations outside of our market. Prepare for Interim presentations. Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Lucy Norris Signed (student) Tina Relf
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Tutorial Forms
ba fcp3
School of Art & Design
Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13 Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 19/04/13 Name : Hollie Furniss
Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet
Work to bring / prepare for session: No set work to bring, just progress from immediate presentation feedback.
Learning issues to discuss in session: Present our presentation, gain feedback from Lucy and group members. Ask about costings.
Feedback from session: Consumers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ensure of the name Antonia. Good use of trend research. Think about how surprise is shown in different fields. Ensure we have a point off difference.
Tasks for next session: Re-think the luxury consumer. Think about surprise in different contexts. Will have shot the Video, and lookbook shot and images for the brand zine. Photographer will begin the editing process, so continue to guide and work with her to ensure our brand message is clear. Evaluate our week to week progress ensuring we are on track with both our implementation outcomes and our reports. Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Lucy Norris Signed (student) Tina Relf
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Appendix
ba fcp3
School of Art & Design
Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13 Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 25/04/13 Name : Hollie Furniss
Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Prepare for interim feedback.
Learning issues to discuss in session: N/A
Feedback from session: N/A
Tasks for next session: Video/Lookbook/Zine progress. Critically underpin ideas and theories. Think about the manipulation of language throughout our reports.
Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Lucy Norris Signed (student) Tina Relf
207
Tutorial Forms
ba fcp3
School of Art & Design
Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13 Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 03/05/13 Name : Hollie Furniss
Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Get creative outcomes to a more finalized stage to show at next tutorial.
Learning issues to discuss in session: N/A
Feedback from session: Add warmth into the visuals more- really reinforce the sense of personality we are trying to shine through. Its not COS, take this to the next stage.
Tasks for next session: Brand Magazine must be in a good state of progression- collect all information and plan contents thoroughly. Finalise the marketing strategies behind the brand launch. Event? Website begin, other brand elements, finalizing the costings for garments. Look into the prospects of building the brand into something real. Name final trends- refine this. Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Lucy Norris Signed (student) Loren Aldridge
208.
Appendix
ba fcp3
School of Art & Design
Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13 Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 10/05/13 Name : Hollie Furniss
Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Website at a developed stage. Final lookbook images Learning issues to discuss in session: Costing section of report- how in depth do we need to consider this? Need to refine the cost of the box, luxury price point? Will this alienate consumers too much as a surprise offering?
Feedback from session: Make sure you are looking at what other brands are doing, plot it against your brand- visual perceptual map. Brand model based on selling more volume. Consider this.
Tasks for next session: Finish website completely. Create business cards and promotional materials for final box. Iron out the box costings. Finalise brand projections and timeline. Plot brand visuals on perceptual map. Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Lucy Norris Signed (student) Loren Aldridge
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210.