Monthly Archives: February 2015
New York Trend Spotting: Trend Report 1 Frigid Remedies
http://www.fashionsnoops.com
Fashion Snoops New York City based research agency that has been guiding retailers like H&M, Victoria’s Secret, and Perry Ellis.
http://trendzoom.com
TrendZoom is an online subscription service that provides design inspiration and covers everything on the runway including womenswear, menswear, youth, and accessories.
Trend Report 1: Frigid Remedies
New York City is at the peak of its winter, forcing us to bust out our coats and layering. But for the students at Parsons, no weather gets in the way of dressing fashionably. I noticed that many people hacked on the layers in different mixtures of texture and color that would keep them warm in freezing conditions. Of course, those that lived in Kerry had more freedom since they didn’t have to step outside. The great thing about layers is that you can easily adjust between temperature changes easily. Outside it’s so cold it hurts, and inside the heater is cranked up. Students found that layering was a great remedy for this.
I also found that there was quite a contrast between students who liked to wear a more refined style and students who enjoyed sporting more rugged, jagged attire. Some people wore crisp white button downs while others preferred the loose, printed jeans. Of course there are some in the middle, who just can’t commit to one and wear a white button down shirt with a grundgy skirt with rough, stringy edges.
And lastly, pretty much everyone was wearing some kind of durable, snow/slush-proof pair of kicks that not only did the job but did it in style. Doc Martens and Hunters were a favorite.
Branding
I want my brand to be a visualization of my brand philosophy of Refined Ease. Right now I’m brainstorming branding ideas of my own name, since I talked about my brand style to be a reflection of who I am as a person from two different environments- California and New York.
I’m currently thinking about changing my brand name to something completely different than my name. Annie Kim just doesn’t sound like a brand name to me. I don’t think my name has enough charisma as say, Marc Jacobs or Alexander McQueen. I’ll have to change my name or something..or come up with something completely different.
As for slogans and mascots, I have no idea yet.
Target Market
I don’t quite have a specified target market/category/it girl in mind yet for my brand. Partly because I don’t have a solidified brand thought out yet. I do know, though, that I want to be able to familiarize myself with the target category. As I mentioned in my last post about Madewell’s campaign, I want my customers to feel at home and identify with my brand. I’m envisioning an affordable price range between $50-$300. I want my brand to be affordable for a wide range of consumers without compromising the quality of material.
Because I mentioned that I want my target market to be someone like me, I guess I’ll explain my kind of dress and fashion philosophies, and later refine them more to fit my it girl. First off, I think I’m a weird mix of both casual California and refined New York. Growing up in California, I pretty much wore jeans and a t-shirt every day of the week. I’d say I threw in some colorful plaid flannels in case it got chilly (that’s sunny California weather for you). It was all about comfort and ease combined with earthy tones such as olive greens and mustard browns. After moving to New York my style took a dark turn (in a cool, refined way). The city gave off an overall grey/monotone vibe, but it was bustling with the energy of the people and streetlights. I slowly resorted to wearing more muted colors and aquired simpler pieces for my wardrobe. My color combinations turned darker, and it wasn’t just because it was wintertime. The people and colder vibes influenced my own dress, and i find myself wearing more refined and clean cut blacks, greys, and neutrals. The mix of the two became unified as a mix of under-toned neutrals combined with casual ease. It’s not about being super showy or ostentatious, but understated in a cool, sleek way. In the end, I’m just having fun with clothes and looks, like a salad being tossed around. Sometimes you can get a mouthful of green leaves with a kick of vinaigrette, other times you get a mouthful of raisins. I guess I want my target audience to have the same approach- not to take everything too seriously, and just have fun with style and dress- but the end result looking harmoniously pulled together.
Californian Ease
Casual, earthy, ease
New York Refined
Edgy, neutrals, classic
Musings
I fell in love with Madewell when I first stepped foot in their store in Costa Mesa, California in 2010. It was something in the bright atmosphere and the down to earth-ness of the workers there. The perfect Madewell girl is a woman who’s artistic; she loves fashion but doesn’t live for fashion; she wears it in a sort of personal way. She’s fun-loving, eccentric, quirky, and casual. A lot of commonly used words in their campaigns are CASUAL, COOL, COMFORT, and CHIC. After repeatedly seeing and hearing these lingos, the effect is that I feel this way when wearing their clothes. It’s pretty efficient, if you ask me.
A lot of Madewell’s advertising is from a very personal point of view, creating a very welcome and comfortable environment for the customer. I believe that is an effective way to market and promote a brand because generally customers feel as if businesses and companies are on the opposite side of the counter, only after their money. Us against them sort of deal. But this method of using words such as “we” and “us,” as well as quirky informal diction, makes the us customers feel like Madewell is one of us. As if they understand us and know us so well. It’s also very casual comfort wear, so it speaks to the everyday girl. I think in many instances in couture and high fashion, it becomes more difficult to speak and relate to the customer simply because of the type of things they are trying to promote. Extremely luxury merchandise and lifestyles aren’t for everyone. But Madewell, staying in a fairly attainable price range, is able to relate to a much wider audience without compromising quality of materials.
I think it’s also important for brands to have one target item that they’re known for. Victoria’s Secret is for their bras, Michael Kors is for his handbags, and Starbucks is for their coffee. In Madewell’s case, its for their premium jeans. It’s a classically timeless piece, best friend, and reliably versatile. Madewell is always raving about their jeans, promising high quality materials and putting perfect effort into every single pair. Mary, their lead denim designer, explains that “every single season, my team looks through hundreds of fabrics. Understanding the nuances of denim requires decades of experience, so we work with mills that have been the best in the world for a very, very long time.” They go on to explain the “artful” approach they have on creating the perfect wash, perfect fit, and perfect durability. Lead designer Somsack finishes the statement by saying, “Denim transcends all generations and cultures, and women all want the pair they’ll pull on day after day after day. I have yet to see an uncool picture of parents in denim flares- mine included.” All this fanfare and love for their jeans make me want to believe and buy a pair for myself. That’s powerful advertising right there-when a company believes in their product so much, that it becomes contagious.
