A Knotted Waist

 

Four weeks ago we were put in a group and given the trend 'a knotted waist'. Our task was to research the forecasts of the trend, how it's been communicated through the media and in retail, and how the consumer is wearing it.

At first I was kind of excited; I returned home and went straight to my laptop to start researching - WGSN being my first point of call - but I quickly came to the realisation that this trend wasn't simple.. AT ALL. Forecasts had been made for S/S 2014 but nothing was obvious for A/W 2016, apart from the odd nod from the catwalk. We then went to London and the only shop that really stood out was Zara and not many people were wearing our trend either. Quickly, curiosity became panic.

What we should have realised though, is that we needed to read between the lines. The trend was having a resurgence after being popular a couple of years ago, therefore it was still in the early stages. On one hand, Zara are known for their two week turnaround of dupes after designers showcase their collections on the catwalk, which explains why Zara was the only retailer where the trend was prominent. On the other hand, retailers that did have the odd style or two were only presenting the garments on the hanger, where they look droopy and unflattering, rather than being put on a mannequin and shown how they look realistically, which is why not many people were willing to try it out.

So this brought us to today. The 27th October 2016. Our first FCP formative assessment. I was so nervous, I'm not going to lie, but I really shouldn't have been. After going over our research for four weeks, we did know what we were talking about and, despite our mood boards not looking like they belonged together (constructive criticism), our presentation went really well! And hopefully we can work on our feedback and improve for future assessments.

Long story short - never give up. Just because something isn't staring you in the face at first, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. There is a solution for everything, and even when you do find a solution and you think people are going to disagree, everything is also justifiable. (And sounding confident about what you're saying rather than saying "we struggled" makes it sound that little bit more truthful!)

Georgia.xo

An FCP Trip to London

Yesterday, we made our first FCP trip to London to carry out "research" (or crying over how my student loan doesn't stretch to the price tags in Selfridges). Our main aim was to explore how our given trend (in my case, a knotted waist) was communicated through retail and worn by the consumer, however it was also an opportunity to explore London and see how fashion in general was being communicated within the shops.

We visited Camden, Shoreditch, Spitalfields Market, as well as the obvious two - Regent Street and Oxford Street! Each has its own style and atmosphere about it, which helped us make comparisons within our research.

We also made quick stops at Liberty, including their Christmas shop! And also Burberry with their world famous and absolutely incredible flagship store. Christmas or not, there's something magical about visiting designer stores, from the innovative visual merchandising to the experience created by the store assistants. I would definitely recommend making visiting stores like Burberry when you're in London, because their use of technology within the store is something entirely different from the typical high street.

"If you're curious, London's an amazing place" - David Bailey

Georgia.xo

Is Fashion Falling Out Of Fashion?

This week Interbrand released their 17th annual survey of the world's 100 most prestigious brands. Unfortunately, one of the key points of the survey was the slowdown in demand for fashion and the increasing demand for technology brands such as Apple, Samsung, Google and Microsoft, which all sit within the top 10.

Fashion labels which proved to have the biggest struggle were Prada, which dropped from 69th place (in 2015) to 81st place, and Hugo Boss, which didn't even get a look in this year. Burberry dropped by 9%, as did Tiffany & Co, however high street brands such as Zara (+19%) and H&M (+2%) did go up in the world.

The San Antonio Express reported that "nearly a third of the list is composed of automotive and technology companies", which poses the question: Are fashion labels falling out of fashion? Or do they just need to up their game just a little bit further? 

With the likes of see-now-buy-now and more interactive shopping experiences, such as the Ted Baker window display in collaboration with Google, it's proven that the fashion industry is becoming more innovative by the season, however could it be something else that the consumer is now demanding?

Like wearable technology? 

We can already see glimpses of this flowing through the catwalks. For example, Hussein Chalayan partnered with Intel for the S/S17 season, dressing models with connected accessories which sent biofeedback to project their stress levels on the wall next to them. It's relevant and it really connects with today's society who are busier than they ever have been before. Whether it sells or not is a story for another time, however with the results from the Interbrand survey, it is clear that consumers are becoming bored and they are ready for technology.

So, what do you think? Are you ready for wearable technology or just preferring to spend your money elsewhere these days?

Georgia.xo

An Introduction to FCP and My First Thoughts

 (Photos of the sketchbook are my own - images within the sketchbook are both primary and secondary sourced from Google Images and magazines)

A week ago, I began my Fashion Communications and Promotion course at Nottingham Trent University and I honestly don't think I could have picked a course more perfect for me! When I say to people that I'm studying a Fashion course they automatically assume I'm designing or looking at textiles, but that couldn't be far from the truth. The basis of the course is looking at how brands communicate their products and messages to the consumer, and I guess with both studying Media at GCSE and A-Level, and writing this blog, it has me written all over it really!

During the summer we were asked to present our favourite fashion communicators through the mediums of digital, print and retail. Each of these was relatively easy for me, because while I am very much part of generation Y with our love of technology, I also love the idea of a physical text and the ability to go into the store and get an atmosphere around what you're buying and being able to physically try and feel the products there and then.

Digital

1. LiketoKnow.it ('click-now-buy-now' Instagram and website service)
2. Chloe Helen Miles (fashion and lifestyle blogger)
3. ASOS (e-commerce store)

Print

1. Stylist (free, weekly, British magazine)
2. Glamour (women's lifestyle magazine)
3. Betty (independent women's lifestyle magazine)

Retail

1. Burberry flagship store in Regent Street (British luxury fashion house)
2. ALLSAINTS (British apparel retailer)
3. Bershka (high street retailer) 

• For the 'Retail' section I could have also chosen Ted Baker due to their new collaboration with Google. The customer can speak a statement (displayed on the window) into their phone, using Google's voice recognition search tool, to reveal prizes and offers, which the customer can access within store. 

I really think I am going to suit this course down to the ground, due to the fact that my Business Studies and Media Studies background looks quite similar. The tutors all seem lovely, as do the rest of my "course-mates", and I'm really excited to see where this is going to take me! 

Georgia.xo