Final Outline – ARS

Advanced Research Seminar: Fashion

April 8th, 2017

Zoia Kozakov

 

Final Paper: 

Outline

  1. Introduction:
  1. Personal reflection:

– I had always felt that clothes and fashion was a magical world. My first time at Barney’s took my breath away and left me in tears, even though I walked out without buying anything because I

couldn’t afford anything.

– The reason I decided to study fashion is because I truly believe that it is art, and department

stores made me feel like I was in a museum.

– Now, deep in my studies, I have realized that I would like to pursue wholesale or buying

because I want to deal with the “curation” of these museums.

– I want to understand the story of department stores to help me make my mark on the world of

retail. I will do so by choosing four case studies – Bon Marche, Macy’s, Selfridges, and Dover Street Market – and analyzing their impact and relation to our world and society.

    1. Literature Review:
    • I wanted to gain general information on the concept of department stores as well as on my specific case studies. For the general information I looked to two main sources:
      • Whitaker, Jan. World of Department Stores. Vendome Press: 2011.
      • Leach, William R. Land of Desire: Merchants Power, and the Rise of a New American Culture. Vintage Books: 1994.

– However, I also looked at contemporary magazine/online publications’ articles because my topic is very contemporary in terms of analyzing the present situation of these department stores. Some examples are:

    1. Personal Research:
    • Although I initially planned to interview a brand specialist from L’Agence and Intermix, due to circumstances, it did not work out. Hence, I decided to do an ethnography report, because I was inspired by one of my resources, an article in the NYT called “Overheard at Barneys”.
  1. Chapter One: A Brief History of Department Stores

– Explain the factors that made the department store rise (According to Jan Whitaker):

    • The Industrial Revolution
    • Rise of the middle class
    • Steel-frame architecture
    • The elevator
  1. Chapter Two: The First Department Store – Bon Marche
    • Opened in 1852
    • The ultimate symbol of elegance
    • Mixes clothing with design and exhibits – contemporary works of art
    • Shopping as an art
    • Sources:
      • Miller, Michael B. The Bon Marche: Bourgeois Culture and the Department Store, 1869-1920. Princeton University Press, 2014
      • Zola, Emile. The Ladies’ Paradise. University of California Press: 1991.
  1. Chapter Three: The All-American Department Store – Macy’s
    • Opens in NYC in 1858
    • R.H. Macy began as a dry goods seller and made a “fancy” dry goods store in NYC
    • After an immense success, expanded
    • Was the first to have a “one-price system” (no bargaining), cash only purchases, money-back guarantees
    • Made beautiful window installations to attract “window shoppers”
    • Created all sorts of events as marketing tools “Macy’s Parade”, etc.
    • Source: Grippo, Robert M. Macy’s: The Store, The Star, The Story. Square One, 2008.
  1. -Chapter Four: The Innovative Department Store – Selfridges
    • Opened in 1906 – London
    • An approach of “Develop Imagination, throw away routine” (Harry Selfridges)
    • The only store to understand PR and “theatre of retail” (www.selfridges.com)
    • A unique approach to retail: experience above all
      • Restaurants
      • Library in-store
      • Salon
      • Lighting and visual merchandising that allowed customers to interact with the the clothes.
      • Source: “Secrets of Selfridges” Documentary, World of Department Stores
  1. Chapter Five: The Anti-Establishment Department Store – Dover Street Market
    • Rei Kawakubo and Adrian Joffe
    • Locations in London, New York, Ginza
    • Not made to monetize (Elle interview), more of an “educational” experience
    • An approach of “installations” – museum-like
    • Source: Elle article, DSMNY Website
  1. Chapter Six: What Went Wrong – “The Death of Retail”
    • All about large-scale and as much merchandise as possible
    • Doesn’t offer anything new for a hundred years now
    • Doesn’t cater to the new shopper
    • Doesn’t utilize technology in a right way
    • More than anything – doesn’t offer anything that makes someone want to leave their house in order to come and see it
    • Source: Lauren Sherman articles
  1. Chapter Seven: The Future of Department Stores
    • The Department Store as a way “in” to the brand
    • Offering archives as an in-store experience
    • Brand Storytelling
    • Technology as a tool, not as the main point (ie. stray away from digital showrooms, etc)
  1. Conclusion
    • The present-day model of the department store explains why it is currently failing. However, people will never stop wanting to experience the “magic” behind the concept. It is our responsibility, as designers and creative thinkers within this industry, to rethink the format in which we present the department store.
    • The rest is TBD.

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