Contents • Brand Analysis and Visual Codes • Brand Essence • The Consumer and The Competitors • Brand’s Communication Channels • Perceptual Map • The New Concept
Brand Analysis & Visual Codes
Who is Martin Margiela? The Brand – The sense of invisibility has been part of the brand’s DNA since the beginning. Margiela is looked at as a faceless brand due to the impersonality and absence of Martin Margiela himself.
‘The Invisible Designer’ Born: April 9, 1957 Education: Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp) Occupation: Fashion Designer
- No face to face interviews, no bows at the end of shows and unknown backstage. - Main focus – the garments and designs. - Accomplished tailor who has made deconstruction his signature. - Margiela left the label in 2009, however a 'faceless' team continue to produce surreal and challenging collections. - ‘The Maison’ don’t provide interpretation to their work. - Believe that the wearer defines the design.
Absence equals presence - Classic tailoring and experimental design mix - WHITE = unity and purity - Deconstruction = exposed seams and tailor’s markings
‘Invisibility and anonymity defines the brand’
Visual Codes
Brand Essence Model
Personality Avant-garde Futuristic Distressed Artistic
Brand Promise
Brand Values
To deliver high quality, unconventional fashion. Sophisticated class and status.
Consumer Target People who are inspired by art... 35-55 fashion conscious people with high income. Celebrity supporters: Kanye West.
Maison Martin Margiela
Brand Essence “the continual questioning of the function and utility of garments”. Unity and purity of white blank canvas Lab coats.
Couture Vintage Luxury Class Sophistication “Removed from other fashion brands. Not shouty in terms of what the brand is saying. It is very minimal. Wanting to belong or wanting people to belong to a brand.” (4 stitches).
Design Equation Classic, bold, statement, distressed, rough textures. Text: Personal, familiar and bold. Numbers and 4 stitches instantly recognisable.
The Consumer & The Competitors
PSYCHOGRAPHIC
The consumer…
Busy lifestyle Minimalist Influenced by art Fashion conscious Lavish
DEMOGRAPHIC 35-50 Highly educated Independent
GEOGRAPHIC/USAGE
High disposable income
Lives in a large city Buys into the brand too feel high class, sophisticated and on trend
“the brand will appeal to consumers who connect with their own personality traits” – Harriet Posner
The consumer… CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS The designer of the Maison; Martin Margiela doesn’t like to be interviewed or be apart of any press events. Instead they have used the form of promoting through brand ambassadors, often known as celebrity endorsement. • Kanye West • Michael Stipe – celebrity collaboration • Sarah Jessica Parker Maison Martin Margiela have also recently collaborated with H&M bringing the High street a taste of the brand with affordable prices “Made luxury available to people, it’s very demographic” - SJP “Younger people who can’t afford the real Margiela can shop at H&M and get to know the brand, it’s a great way to mix both cultures” Doutzen Kroes, model
The competitor‌ Selfridges and Co; Concessions - Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh, Alexander McQueen and Helmut Lang. Mayfair; Competitors nearby: Diane Von Furstenburg, Kenzo, Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood. Stores around the shop suggest a certain type of consumer that belongs to Margiela through; -Product -Price -Location
Brand’s Communication Channels
Brand’s Communication Maison Martin Margiela does not like to be interviewed because he wants his brand to stay faceless, in result of that he needs to find another ways to communicate with his consumer. One of them is social media. Brand has numerous accounts in various social network channels such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. There are brand updates and news which gives a consumer insight into what is going on.
Maison Martin Margiela arranges a lot of exhibitions in relation with projects that he is working on with his brand e.g. - Replica fragrance collection Collaborations with other brands such as H&M, Converse on purpose to attract different (younger) range of demographic, who later could possibly become their loyal consumer.
In Store Experience
Maison Martin Margiela - Modern, luxury feel - Furniture is previous collaboration with CERRUTI BALERI - The colour palette is monochrome (black, white, silver) with some earthy tones. - Employees are dressed in white lab coats.
Brand’s Communication
Perceptual Map
Perceptual Map
The New Concept
New concept A sub brand named High priced Anomaly. items in true Focusing on metamorphic Margiela furniture, fashion; multifunctional to Reflecting a achieve different quality purposes around the product house however also to a loyal acting as works of art, consumer. after all beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Anomaly Something that deviates from what is standard normal or expected. A contrast to what is seen as current.
wooden
metamorphic modern
New concept Stores located in high end department stores and upmarket malls to attract the desired consumer. Ensuring the brand is carried with class and taste.
Prices will be kept high with in the store all exceeding ÂŁ1000 but reflect truly to the quality of the making of each product.
Employees uniforms – On trend Margiela garments bound with a white lab coat, keeping a tie between themes in both Margiela clothing stores and furniture stores. Signature to employees of Margiela only.
New concept Bus adverts and bill boards in and around central London’s classiest hotspots will be marketed with sneak peaks of the furniture and brief concept insights to the “Anomaly” brand. However these will maintain the anonymous theme the brand Margiela holds as well as being informative to attract speculation. Margiela’s “Anomaly” stores will have selective advertising to ensure target consumers are reached. Adverts will feature in Vogue, Elle, and high end furniture magazines. And a brief short movie will be released for online use 6 months prior to the collection drop as a taster; once again causing speculation.
A prototype of Anomaly’s first initial advert to be released.
Launch Party & Invitations Location: Domino Sugar Factory, New York
Inspired by the use of lab coats as uniform for employees: - Test tube invitations, which include a very straight forward, simple piece of fabric with information printed. - Invitation itself to link with his ‘Replica’ tag.
- Abandoned, large space suitable for a launch party. - Suits that mysterious feel that Margiela expresses with his shows/launches
New Concept – Promotion
Launch Party
-
-
-
Inspired by Hussein Chalayan’s table dress and chair suitcases at his Autumn/Winter 2000.
Models stood around wearing parts of the furniture. Photographs of finished products but no finished products will be shown. Models deconstructing the furniture then back. again, however missing a part so ends unfinished.
The concept of the Launch Party, is to keep Margiela’s invisible brand recognition, and to keep everything mysterious and unknown.
New Concept – Promotion
References‌ ILLUSTRATIONS By LARRIMOR'S, 2013. Sans Jewelry Minimalism. Jewelry Style. 25.11.13. Available at: http://www.larrimors.com/blog/jewelry-style-which-one-are-you/ By LE FASHION, 2012. LE FASHION. White Black Grey. 25.11.13. Available at: http://lefashionimage.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/white-black-grey.html By Luxe Soleil, 2010. Luxe Soleil blogspot. JE NE SAIS QUOI. 25/11/13. Available at: http://luxesoleil.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/je-ne-sais-quoi.html By My Friend Franky, 2012. My Friend Franky. Global Street Style; part 2. 25/11/13. Available at: http://www.myfriendfranky.com/global-street-style-part-2/ By Dani Lev, 2013. LA MODELLA MAFIA BLOG. Street Style: white minimalism. 26/11/13 Available at: http://lamodellamafia.com/category/street-style/page/4 By Milica Stoisic, 2013. Milica Stoisic lookbook. DIY Celine!. 26/11/13. Available at: http://lookbook.nu/look/4503339-Selfmade-Diy-Cline-Zip-Pants-Maxmara-Oversize Mark Stuart, 2012. Yomego. The H&M Effect and Maison Martin Margiela. 26/11/13. Available at: http://www.yomego.com/blog/posts/2012/november/14/the-hm-effect/ Jessica Bumpus, 2012. Vogue. Maison Martin Margiela. 28/11/13. Available at: http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-2012/couture/maison-martin-margiela/full-length-photos
BOOKS Posner, Harriet, 2011. Marketing Fashion. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd. [page 106]
References‌ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/fashion/shows/02MARGIELA.html?pagewanted=all&_r=
1&
MOODBOARDS IMAGERY http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/blog/fashion-is-art-maison-martin-margiela-20-the-exhibition/ http://fashionista.com/2010/06/maison-martin-margiela-20-the-exhibition-opens-at-somerset-house/ http://www.anothermag.com/current/view/265/Maison_Martin_Margiela_20_Exhibition http://www.msmadeulook.com/2010/11/looking-back-1980s.html http://see-so.tumblr.com/post/36584897974/maison-martin-margiela-cloth-door-wall-hanging http://weburbanist.com/2008/02/03/the-house-that-shaped-an-architectural-generation-frank-gehrys-first-deconstructivist-building/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deconstructivism http://www.domusweb.it/en/news/2009/03/30/margiela-at-haus-der-kunst.html http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/margiela.html http://www.freshnessmag.com/2013/10/22/kanye-west-yeezus-tour-outfits-masks-by-maison-martin-margiela/ http://historyofourworld.wordpress.com/tag/maison-martin-margiela/ http://www.fashionprojects.org/?p=471 http://histoiredaimer.forum-actif.net/t1800-martin-margiela-haute-couture-etc http://www.pinterest.com/pin/361625045050297309/ http://www.pinterest.com/pin/295689531754658528/ http://www.anothermag.com/current/view/2294/The_Maison_Martin_Margiela_Cheat_Sheet http://www.fascineshion.com/en/exhibition/maison-martin-margiela/282/ https://twitter.com/Margiela http://blog.artsthread.com/2010/06/maison-martin-margiela-20-the-exhibition/#!prettyPhoto[Gallery]/5/ http://www.londondesignguide.com/2010/06/exhibition-maison-martin-margiela-at-somerset-house/
References‌ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/fashion/shows/02MARGIELA.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1& http://www.businessoffashion.com/2009/10/maison-martin-margiela-part-one-%E2%80%93-the-cult-of-invisibility.html
http:// www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/out-of-sight-not-out-of-mind-celebrating-two-decades-of-martin-margiela-magic-1832810. http://www.thirdlooks.com/2012/11/maison-martin-margiela-reference-guide/#fn205
Launch party http:// keehnankonyha.com/journal/2012/10/16/after-words-hussein-chalayan-aw-2000.html http://www.etsy.com/market/test_tube_cork?ref=listing_tag
https:// www.google.co.uk/search?q=hussein+chalayan+table+dress&espv=210&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=BsWfUpi4OJGThQeRj4GIAw&ved=0CAkQ_A http://ohfrantastic.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/maisonmartinmargielamasksfall2012.jpeg?w=900 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se97sCLmXL0
Textile backgrounds - made by the group Interview Q&A clip – Manager in Mayfair Store.