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Collaboration Research Book By Ella Ostrouchow

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Chapter 1: A-COLD-WALL* 8-9 History of A-COLD-WALL* 12-13 Virgils influence 18-19 A-COLD-WALL*s inspiration 22-23 A-COLD-WALL*S connection to menswear 26-27 Competetors of A-COLDWALL* 30-31 Streetwear 34-35 A-COLD-WALL*S consumer 40-41 Collaborations 44-45 The colour grey

Chapter 2: Grunge 54-55 History of grunge 60-61 Kurt Cobain 66-67 Courtney Love

Chapter 3: Research behind collab 114-115 All about Gen-Z 120-121 Gen-z and Androgyny 124-125 Moncler Genius

68-69 Wardrobe essentials

128-129 What is a bridge brand?

72-73 Runway recreations

132-133 How to create brand awarness

76-77 Revival of grunge

136-137 “Virgil was here”

80-81 Ted Polhemus StreetStyle

140-141 Luxury branding principles

92-93 Kurt Cobain and androgyny

144-145 Brand image and brand identity

100-101 Grunge patterns

150-151 Consumer profile 154-164 References

T R A P

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1 T

L L A W 5

History of T

he creator of A-COLD-WALL called Samual Ross was born in Brixton and moved to Northampton. He attended De Montfort University in Leicester where he studied graphic design. Fashion never seemed like an attainable career for him. Straight out of university he got into a design job, whilst working there he started posting some of his designs on his Instagram. In 2014 he got noticed by Virgil Abloh, he then started interning with Virgil. After he got a lot of attention on Instagram, he decided to launch ACW in 2015. The name A-COLDWALL is a critique on the barriers that young underprivileged designers must break down to make

FIGURE 1 LEFT: A-COLD-WALL* X CONVERSE

it in the industry. With the hype following his first 25-piece capsule collection he worked with Nike on a Air Force 1 collab. This is where he started to gain a lot of notability in the fashion industry. In 2017 he did his first full collection at London Fashion Week. One big part of his career was during his Spring/Summer 2019 show, where his models walked down the runway covered in grey paint and his detachable hoods. The show was audacious, and the models looked straight out of the apocalypse. This really cemented him as an interesting and extremely artistic designer who just like his mentor Virgil wasn’t afraid to push the boundaries.

Imagery by Ella Ostrouchow

Virg

FIGURE 2 RIGHT: VIRGIL ABLOH AND SAMUAL ROSS

irgil Abloh found Samual Ross through Instagram as that was how he would find creatives like himself. He got a sense of Ross’s personality just through the photos he presented on Instagram. They both had similar ways into the industry, as Virgil also came from a graphic design background and was a DJ before he started in the industry. Samual interned for Virgil when there was only one other person working for Off White. They both took a big risk when working with each other as neither of them had a proper business yet, but they both watched as their careers grew. Virgil got to see Samual get his show in London fashion week and Samual got to see Virgil get his appointment at Louis Vuitton. Virgil had a great eye for incredibly talented people, “I suss people out. I only work closely with people I believe are individuals.” Virgil was a fantastic mentor to Samual and to many other people, he really gave them the confidence to pursue further, “I don’t see you as a black designer. I don’t see Grace [Wales Bonner] as a female designer. I see talent. I see shows. I see silhouettes. I see a narrative. I see storytelling. That makes a community.” Samual is now following in his mentor’s footsteps as he now has a team of young creatives who give him ideas and who he passes on his advice to.

ils Influence

FIGURE 4 BOTTOM: A-COLD-WALL* A/W 2020 COLLECTION

amual Ross’ main source of inspiration comes from the British class system, the dichotomy between the wealthy and the under privileged is something that can be seen a lot in his work. For example, in some of his collections you can see a lot of silohette inspiration from working class uniforms such as construction workers. Samual got the name A-COLD-WALL from his inspiration of working-class Britain ‘A Cold Wall is the feeling I had rubbing my hand against a pebbledash wall at a council estate, yet it’s just as important and relative to someone who is brushing their hand against a slab of marble in the upper sections of society.’ Samual does belive that A-COLD-WALL succeed because there hasn’t really been a primarily black British fashion narrative that speaks to the working class and can communicate with the artistic world from my generation.” However, he would say that this will only work

A-COLD-WALL*’S INSPIRATION

FIGURE 3 TOP: A-COLDWALL* S/S 2019 COLLECTION

if the message behind your brand is authentic, it shouldn’t be forced. “There needs to be integrity behind it”. Another big place he gets inspiration from is architecture. Mainly Bauhaus, he used brutalism for a foundation for a lot of his designs’. When he started with A-COLD-WALL Samual took the inspirations from architects such as, James Turrell, Massimo Vignelli and Shusaku Arakawa very literally. Now he is looking for something less cliché. He is much less a spectator of other architects work and has now become the architect. By using and manipulating industrial materials Samual wants to see how he can take the common theories in architecture and move it into a physical form around the human body. When he started in 2015 it was all about the Brutalist look, and transforming that onto fashion designs, now he creates installation pieces and in 2020 created a collection of chairs.

FIGU A-CO RE 5 TO LD-W P: ALL* AW1 9

A-COLD-WALL doesn’t sell to a gender anyone can buy and style the pieces. The magic of A-COLDWALL is that it is completely fluid in who can wear its pieces. On the website it doesn’t have a women’s section or men’s section like almost all brands do. Samual also has both men and women walk in his shows to show how his collections are for everyone. Although he does have collections that are dedicated for women, with only his second collection being released in 2019, but all their runway collections clearly have a masculine influence. One of Samuels biggest inspiration is Savile Row tailoring, which is a street in London that specialise in bespoke suits. Samual likes to mix utilitarian elements with the classic Saville row tailoring to create unique masculine pieces. Although a big inspiration for the brand comes from men, androgyny is the only gender expression that I see in his designs.

The main focus of his designs is never the gender of the clothes but instead the art, design and vision of the clothes. His designs just oose with natural coolness that anyone can sport. In an industry talk that I had with Christopher Shannon he spoke about his own brands relationship with masculinity. He, like Samual Ross, also only sells menswear so hearing his insight around the creative direction was interesting and being able to relate it back to A-COLD-WALL was useful for my project. He spoke about how women buy his clothes regardless of whether the label says men’s, so he sees no point in creating a separate line for women. FIGU MILA RE 6 BO T N FA SHIO TOM: AC NW EEK OLD-WA LL

The main competitor of A-COLD-WALL is OFF WHITE. They share the same consumers and some of their clothes can look aesthetically the same. They also both have a premium price range, both stocked in high-end stores such as Selfridges and Flannels. Both brands have a similar balance between originality and high price point. Whereas some of A-COLD-WALL’s competitors may have fewer visionary designs but still a similar price point such as palace and supreme. These are both first seen as skateboarding brands

but on the street wear side of the brand they are both competitive to A-COLD-WALL. Another similar brand is WTAPS which is a Japanese streetwear brand with a lot of military infused garments, they could be seen as competitors to A-COLD-WALL because they both share a similar muted colour palette. However, despite all of these brands which could be seen as a threat to A-COLD-WALL, it still offers something different to all of these brands. Its fundamental concept is unique from all of these brands.

STREET

FIGURE 7 RIGHT: A-COLD-WALL*’s SS20 Collection

WEAR

Streetwear fashion is thought to be the movement of the people at that time. Streetwear has been around for a long time with the iconic 70s skate brands such as Stussy being very popular today. Streetwear is always changing and following the popular culture at that time. Streetwear is essentially whatever you make it out to be and can vary so much. Some may say that streetwear is a pair of cargos and some Jordans, others may say that streetwear is being covered in brands such as Supreme. A recent pat of streetwear that wasn’t around during the early days of it, is the hype culture. Hype culture is essentially where a brand will “drop” a limited collection, because of the finite number of products produced people will buy the pieces just to re sell them for more money. The hype beast resellers make a big profit from this and so collections now sell out instantly not just because they want the clothes but because they want to make money from them. A-COLD-WALL has spent the past 5 years creating a narrative surrounding streetwear that’s turned it on its head. Samual Ross created garments that elevated the everyday into something luxurious and effortless. However, since 2020 he has been reflecting on his brands impact on the world. He started the brand with t shirts, hoodies and tracksuits, which really succeeded in the streetwear world. However now he swapped pleasing the hype beasts to making elevated classic pieces. His earlier pieces may have been seen as him acting on artist impulse, now he studies his designs and is far more analytical. Samual describes this directional shift as “boyhood to manhood”

A-COLD-WALL has two different types of consumers these include millionaires and teenagers. So, Samual Ross has a difficult job of making sure to keep both ends of his core consumer market interested in his work.A way he keeps his consumers interested is through collaborations, it’s also a way to introduce new consumers. One of his collaborations that kept his younger audience is a collaboration A-COLD-WALL did with Converse on footwear and clothing.Samual Ross has got an amazing ability to mesh the hype for logos with true sculptural art. This creates pieces that are digestible for both areas of his consumers. One of his recent collections called Service point one or SP-1 was created to enable a broader customer base to access and experience Samuel Ross’ creations. New consumers saw his work in a new, innovative and affordable way. The collection consisted of only 75 individual jackets that were given to A-COLD-WALLs most loyal customer. However, he also designed hardware packages such as belt buckles, badges and zippers. These are the parts which are available to buy from his website. “The SP1 hardware could become the perfect accessory to DIY culture and moves towards a conscious approach to wearing branded clothing.” Samual Ross has a great connection to his consumers, and he has spoken about continuing to push new forms of communication and having clear point to his new audience what his brands ethos is.

COLLABORATIONS

FIGURE 8 LEFT: A-COLD-WALL X CONVERSE ALL STARS

FIGURE 9 RIGHT: A-COLD-WALL X DR.MARTINS

amual Ross has been busy over the years with a variety of different collaborations from electronics to footwear. His first ever collab was in 2017 with Nike to create an Air Force 1. The collab updated the classic high top Air Force 1 silhouette and added Samual Ross’s signature industrial touch. This first collab sparked a good relationship between the two brands as they continued to collaborate in the future. In 2018 A-COLDWALL released another Nike Air Force 1 this time using ecofriendly Fly leather technology, which blended regular leather with recycled leather. Samual again worked with Nike in 2018 to create the Zoom Vomero 5 “Redox”. A trainer that was also an experiment for Samual as much as a functional shoe. The special Japanese material used softens with warmth and heat, which caused the shoe to crumple and age a lot faster than other shoes. Another successful collab was from September 2020 which included A-COLD-WALL and Converse. The trainers sold out, but the collection consisted of two tracksuits and the Chuck Taylor All StarLugged. However, he put his own utilitarian twist on them. Dr Martins also

joined the list of collaborators. The collaboration highlighted the two brands’ workingclass heritage. They have 3 collections together and all have been incredibly successful. A unique collaboration with Beats saw Samual Ross designing a pair of headphones. His design included an updated iteration of its Studio3 wireless headphones with a speckled utilitarian slateand-chalk colourway. One of their most recent collabs was in 2021 with Makintosh coats, which was a seven-piece collection. It stayed quite close to A-COLDWALLs style, with their modern, clean-cut structure. A lot of A-COLD-WALLs collaborations have had a reason behind them or a connection to the other brand. An example of this is with Makintosh and Dr Martins as they are both British brands and embody British heritage. So having a collaboration between two brands, with something in common, allows for an organic fit. The collections go beyond just hype for the one-off products but gives reason behind the partnership, therefore creating a successful collaboration.

The colour grey

From Samuels first ever collection to his most recent one you can see an on-going theme, the colour grey. The colour grey not only fits with his minimalistic aesthetic within his work, but it also shows his great love for architecture. Just by looking at Samuels designs you can see he has thought about how to make his pieces timeless. His pieces don’t follow trends and they don’t create them either. They sit in the in between, where the clothes last forever. He favours ageless fashion rather than the popular style. This is where the colour grey comes in. To be able to create interesting fashion which is still classic is hard. Samual will use the colour grey in designs, that with a pattern wouldn’t last the test of time. Grey allows him to experiment with shape, material, construction and quality, which are the parts of designing that he is more interested in.

One of Samuels main inspirations is architecture. This is immediately obvious when you look at the colour palette of his work. When people analyse his clothes structurally and compare them to architecture by the form of the designs, they often miss the most obvious component to his work. Grey has followed Samual through his company’s whole life span and through every collection it is the one colour that has stayed consistent. He may have experimented with reds, yellows and blues before, but they are always paired with a concrete grey. His Autumn/Winter 2022 runway collection featured his designs being photographed in front of a concrete building, almost the whole collection was grey with the occasional brown and black. So, Samual Ross is not putting the grey palate away any time soon.

Im 46agery by Ella Ostrouchow

Imagery by Ella Ostrouchow

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Imagery by Ella Ostrouchow

The History of Grunge

FIGURE 10 RIGHT: KURT COBAIN AND DAVID GROHL

FIGURE 11 BELOW: NIRVANA PLAYS AT BEEHIVE RECORDS IN SEATTLE ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1991 FOR THE RELEASE OF NEVERMIND.

eattle is the birthplace of grunge, and the subculture is representative of Generation X. The grunge sound is described as a mix of rock, metal and punk. Some key identifies of the sound were the contorted electric guitar and a heavy bass, because of how cheap the bands equipment was it got called dirty and grimy. One of the first bands that was described as grunge was the Melvins wo started in 1983. A few years later some more bands were developing this grunge style and in 1986 a record label called C/Z Records released a compilation album of six grunge bands. It included Green river, Melvins, Malfunkshun, Skin Yard, Soundgarden, The U-Men. As the years past more and more grunge bands

started to appear along the west coast and one of these was Nirvana. In 1991 Nirvanas second album ‘Nevermind’ hit No. 1 on Billboards pop album chart. The sound of it resonated with so many angsty teenagers and they loved it. Suddenly grunge was mainstream and everyone even the people that it wasn’t made for liked it. This caused a lot of righteousness in the subculture as the people who were from seattle or had the look didn’t agree with the mainstream popularity of some of the grunge bands. The grunge movement was all about anti-consumerism and so when people in the 90s started buying the looks from designers and brands instead of from a thrift store it defeated the whole point of the culture.

Kurt Cobain The King of Grunge K

urt Cobain was born on the 20th of February 1967 in Washington. He had a nice childhood until he was 9 years old, and his parents got a divorce. This really affected him and changed his whole personality. He carried this anger with him his whole life and put a lot of it into his later music. In his teens he didn’t have a stable place of residency and sometimes slept on the streets. This is when he was introduced to drugs.In 1984 he was introduced to the Melvins and created some sogs with the drummer of the Melvins. However, it was the bass player that liked Kurt and so Krist Novoselic and Kurt Cobain formed Nirvana in 1987. They released their first album in 1989 called ‘Bleach’, a lot of record labels loved their original style which was a mix of pop and rock. After they found their permanent drummer David Grohl Nirvana released their second

album called ‘Nevermind’. This album got mainstream success and Nirvana got worldwide success. Kurt became the face of his generation, but he was never comfortable with his popularity and fame. Kurt married Courtney Love and they had a daughter in 1992. In 1993 nirvana realised their third album ‘In Utero’. Kurt had suffered from depression, and he treated his pain with drugs. He frequently used heroin to deal with the pressure of being famous. In 1994 he overdosed and got put into a drug treatment centre. A month later he snuck out of the facility where he went home and killed himself. His death was such a huge moment for all grunge fans and just casual listeners. He remains an icon of his time and in 2014 Nirvana was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His whole look inspired the grunge fashion, and he was the main inspiration for the subculture.

Imagery by Ella Ostrouchow

ourtney Love and Kurt toying with the dual concepts Cobain sat on the throne as of vulnerability and power in the king and queen of grunge. her music, or Lana Del Rey However, Courtney offered a singing inward-looking ballads different perspective to the about how fucked up Hollywood subculture than her husband decadence can be. However, did. she brought a fashion sense her lifestyle and look were also that was completely her own and criticised a lot. Even in grunge culture where it seemed her closet was filled with “Often, to be accepting to slip dresses, bias-cut I will find thinking back most people in the gowns, and frayed onmyself all the embarrassing hemlines. She things I’ve ever done, of community, some found also wore her hair all the times I spoke too people aggressively, acted too strangely knotted tangle, or did something that made people a way to vilify messily applied wince or feel awkward. And often, Courtney. She’s those spiralling moments, did everything red lipstick. She during I will think of Courtney Love defined femininity and whether she’d genuinely that the grunge a fuck. She makes me male musicians within rock and roll give want to live more did and were that many people freely, every day.” romanticized and still recreate today. As celebrated for, but instead the lead singer of the rock group Hole her music has also she got painted as wild and had a big impact on the music unruly. Courtney allowed many industry some obvious examples girls to be unapologetically of this include Brody Dalle themselves even when society screaming like a cat warning tries to tell them otherwise. off its neighbours as part of The Distillers, or Sky Ferreira forever

FIGURE 12 LEFT: COURTNEY LOVE’S COLLAB WITH NASTY GAL

Courtney Love’s Influence

e b o r Ward s l a i t n esse e g n u r of g

FIGURE 13 ABOVE: PEARL JAM SEPTEMBER 10, 1992

FIGURE 14 RIGHT: NIRVANA AT THE 1992 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS

runge fashion came about from Gen x’s frustration with capitalism and consumerism. They hated consumerism and the idea of money and material items dictating your life. This led to the clothes being very practical, they wore clothes that would last a long time and would keep you warm. Most of the clothes were bought from second-hand shops because they didn’t want to give company’s more money. They were never bothered about labels or expensive brands. It was about putting the least amount of effort to make your outfit nice. Doc martins were one of the biggest shoes of the time, because they were so well made, they would last for years without needing to be repaired. It could also get quite cold in seattle so these boots would keep you warm enough. A main part of the look included baggy ripped jeans, one of Kurt Cobain’s most popular outfit included ripped jeans with patches on them. To put patches on worn out clothes was something very common, this was also something that would

save people money as they wouldn’t have to rebuy any clothes. Women would often wear long slip dresses and skirts; these were really comfy and easy to find in thrift stores. The grunge style looked like an edgy lumberjack; this was because Washington is known as the evergreen state. All the big bands in seattle shopped in thrift stores so they would often buy clothes that were from old lumber jacks. These would include flannel shirts and heavy-duty leather shoes. People in the subculture also wore band t shirts, these would be from either the thrift store or from the bands concert. If sweaters or cardigans got damaged, they wouldn’t throw them away they still worn them with the holes in. It just added to the unkempt style. Grunge was described as dressing down to the extreme. It was essentially a slovenly, thoughtless and uncoordinated look but with an edge.

RUN WAY RECRE ATIONS OF THE GRUNGE SUBCULTURE

FIGURE 15 ABOVE: R13 WOMENS 2016 FALL/WINTER COLLECTION

FIGURE 16 RIGHT: MARC JACOBS’S PERRY ELLIS COLLECTION,DECEMBER 1992

hen something gets so popular companies will always try to capitalise off it. This led to a lot of high-end designers thinking they could make money from the subculture. However, because the look was so easily assessable and cheap to get it never properly worked out in the luxury market.one of the biggest grunge inspired collections was Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis. He dressed models in beanies, layered flannels, cargo pants and slip dresses, mirroring the outfits made famous by bands in the Seattle rock scene that put together their looks by shopping at thrift stores and garage sales. Marc Jacobs did however get fired for this collection, but it did however launch his name to be well known in the industry inevitably helping his own brand grow. Jacobs sent the clothing samples to Kurt Cobain and Courtney love because the collection was essentially tribute to their culture, however Cobain and Love hated it and burnt it as soon as they got it. They hated that the reason grunge was so different was because it was never about the price of the clothes, however the sentiment behind the style was now tainted by 80s greed. Because of all the controversy surrounding it the collection never went into production, however he decided to give it a second chance in his Resort 2019 ‘Marc Jacobs Redux’.Another collection that happened in the same year was the Calvin Klein spring/ summer 1994, whereas in the Marc Jacobs collection they took inspiration from the whole grunge style in this one they only took the slip dresses and skirts. Calvin Klein has always done lingerie so when they released this collection, and it was mainly silk dresses and skirts it made a lot more sense for their company. Other high fashion grunge collections included Anna Sui spring/summer 1993, Christian Francis Roth spring/summer 1993, Versace autumn/winter 1993, Comme des Garçons autumn/winter 1994 and Ann Demeulemeester spring/summer 1997. The main issue with these collections were that they were so unauthentic compared to the anarchy of the original grunge style. The high fashion collections were never going to work because the people that related to this style the most could just go to their local thrift shop and achieve the same look for a fraction of the price. However, the wealthier market liked this new style and how effortless it was. It is ironic though how a subculture engulfed in anti-consumerism got pollute by the greedy companies that they were rebelling against

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runge is still worn today by some people but in the mid 10s grunge had a huge revival. This is because of the 20-year fashion cycle which essentially means that every 20 years the same trends com back around resurface. Grunge was so popular in the 90s so 20 years later some of the clothing trends popped back up again. In the revival there was the normal grunge fashion such as flannel shirts and band t shirts, however this new type of grunge bought some different takes on the subculture. Instead of baggy jeans they opted for skinny ripped jeans and instead of long flowy skirts they wore

mini pleated skirts. This new type of grunge got its own name, ‘Soft Grunge’. They essentially were trying to go for the same edgy look but just like most revival of subculture it never seems to look quite right. This trend was popular with girls who wanted to be cooler, but grunge was supposed to be effortless, and the soft grunge required a lot of labour and was never as simple as throwing on some jeans and a t shirt. In soft grunge they would be paying a lot more money compared to the original Grunge style icons, who almost exclusively shopped at Thrift Stores. They spent hours on the perfect messy hairstyle whereas Kurt Cobain wouldn’t wash his hair for weeks. The original grunge movement was deep rooted in the idea of antifashion however in the new movement, the philosophical elements of the original were completely dropped in favour of just achieving the visual aesthetic.

78 Imagery by Ella Ostrouchow

ed Polhemus so many inter about the cul of them. His book can be tribes, I have connected it talks about how in the years your money and power, but now i He writes “If today more and more appearance style to assert: ‘I am a simply evidence of our hunger for a genu It’s not like it was between the 60-90s, peo have a tribe now, they don’t have a communi are just trying to fit in with the rich. However, pe long for a more genuine connection to their clothe This is where tribes come in. He also writes “Styles which start life on the street corner have a way of ending up on the backs of top models on the world’s most prestigious catwalks.” This related to my tribe of grunge, through the high fashion catwalks that were created during the peak of grunge. The designers such as Marc Jacobs and Saint Laurent, both created grunge catwalk shows that were never as successful as they would have wanted. Grunge prospered in the back streets of seattle and was never made for high fashion. This brings me to another thing that Ted talks about.“ ‘The real thing’ once reduced to a marketable, ersatz catwalk copy inevitably became a pale shadow of its former self.”, this related to the grunge revival that happened in the 2010s, which didn’t amount to the same success as the original grunge movement. Where the participants would wear makeup, buy their clothes from Highstreet stores and style their hair perfectly. Although trying to imitate the original they completely ignored the parts of the tribe that made it so unique.

s’s book called StreetStyle has resting and factual statements lture of tribes and the future e related to many different to my tribe grunge. He past yourself image it might be shifting. people use their authentic’ it is uine article”. ople don’t ity they eople es.

Grunge and

sustainability

runge is sustainable by nature, that was how the subculture thrived. Once grunge became not environmentally friendly it died. The luxury and high-end designers such as Marc Jacobs and Anna Sui saw how popular grunge was and they took everything that was sustainable about grunge. These greedy brands tried to convince the anti-fashion grunge community to spend $500 on a polyester shirt made for 5 cents in Cambodia. Which obviously this didn’t go down well, and the grunge inspired collections didn’t succeed. As discussed earlier, band tees, check shirts, ripped jeans and boots were the main closet essentials of the grunge era. These were all mainly found in thrift stores, either because that was all they could afford, or they disagreed hardly with consumerism and buying brands. Grunge was completely anti-fashion, and it followed a form of rebellion against mainstream ideologies, it was a counter strike against capitalist-led materialistic values. Many years after grunges success some bands are still carrying on the sustainable message. Pearl Jam stayed with the environmental message and in 2011 Planet Defenders by Rock The Defenders for their environmental activism and their large-scale efforts to decrease their own carbon footprint. What people choose to share or how they choose to act is left up to the members themselves especially after a decline in popularity. In this case, Pearl Jam has decided sustainability is a must, and they have used their fame to help make consumers think about the products they buy.

IMAGERY BY ELLA OSTROUCHOW

Kurt Co

bain and

IMAGERY B Y ELLA OSTROUC HOW

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urt Cobain by all means did not invent rock-star androgyny, but Cobain did it differently. Kurt Cobain often looked like he shouldn’t be a rock legend with his long blonde locks, eyeliner, and baby doll dresses. But he made it work for him and became a bigger rock star because of it. Most of the previous androgyny read campy or came with a stage persona, as with David Bowie or Prince. He’d throw on a floral housedress, dress up in a pink bathrobe or women’s underwear for meetings with his record label. But he was publicly nonchalant about why he dressed like this. He wasn’t trying to break gender roles he just thought that dresses and women’s clothes were more comfortable. Cobain’s attitude towards wearing women’s clothes reflected grunge’s overall embrace of androgyny. If a man in housedresses or if women were stomping in combat boots or bundled up in flannel, it didn’t matter they just wore it because they felt like it. women were saying something about their strict gender roles, too dressing in the same plaids, boots, and short cropped heads as their male counterparts, because they want to prove that they were not defined by their sex appeal. Borrowing from each other’s closets was helping both men and women express the different sides of themselves that didn’t fall into neat gender categories.

Grunge Patterns D

enim, plaid and knit were patterns and fabrics that were nothing new when it came to the grunge era, but grunge is defiantly one style you think of when you see these patterns. Plaid started in Scotland in the 1700s and through that popularity moved to England and eventually America. In America it was a staple for the lumber jacks until it went mainstream with the help of Pendleton a brand that took the lumberjack look and turned it sophisticated. Once Pendleton made plaid shirts for women in the 40s

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FIGURE 20 ABOVE: KURT COBAIN IN A PLAID SHIRT

the desire for it skyrocketed and there wasn’t much you couldn’t find the pattern on. The royal Stewart tartan (the official tartan of the queen) was taken over by the punks, and from there plaid started to take a more anti-fashion look. Since the punk time Plaid became a staple of any anti-establishment wardrobe. Plaid is now known as designated attire of the “slacker” generation. Denim started its popularity in the early 20th century as the preferred fabric for workers to wear as it was cheap and a lot more durable than

other options. Today’s style of jeans started to become popular in the 1920s when Americans from the west such as cowboys and lumberjacks started to wear them. In the 1980s, denim managed to sneak itself into other subcultures such as punk, grunge and rock. Just as with plaid, the lumber jacks old work wear jeans ended up in thrift stores which is where the people in these subcultures often bought them from. So, we can defiantly thank the lumberjacks for some of grunges most iconic pieces.

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AL L A AL A A A A A

ALL ABOUT GEN Z

Z N E G T U O B Z A N L E L G T U O B Z A N E LL G T U O B Z A N L E L G T U O B A N L E G AL T U O B A N L E L G A T U O B A N L E G AL T U O B A N L E L G A T U O B A L L A en z is born between 1996 – 2010 and they grew up with tehnology and the internet which characterizes them as tech addiceted. When in reality it is all, they have none and the internet is the future especially with the meta verse up and coming. Generations are defined by their most impactful moments in their early lives. These moments impact how they view the world. Gen Z lives in the mindset of progress compared to fear like many millennials. Millennials grew up with 9/11 and the horror of terror attacks. Whereas one of Gen Z’s earliest memories will be of Barack Obama being voted into office. So, Gen Z carries the torch of change and with 50% of Gen Z being white compared to 70% white Boomers, they are ready to fight the racial war. They are on track to be the most well-educated generation yet and this is reflected in their shopping habits as 9/10 gen z consumers believe companies have a responsilbility to address environment and social issues. Marketing towards gen z is slightly different than to other generations as they expect you to Establish Clear and be transparent, this allows them to trust you as a brand and therefor purchase from you. Also, in many over saturated markets, gen z expects uniqueness and if a company is different, it may mean success in gen z’s eyes. Gen z also has been known to have an attention span of around 8 seconds, which may be a result of the constant content they are been fed all the time. This means to be able to create advertisements they must be entertaining and engaging. A big characteristic of gen z as consumers in sustainability as 62% of Gen z prefer to buy sustainable brands. Within Gen z there is a big uprising of second-hand marketplaces such as Depop. Often there can be a stigma around buying sustainable as eco conscious brands often have a higher price point, so gen z is trying to balance wanting to be environmentley friendly and having the means to do so.

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Gen-z and G

en Z is fully embracing androgynous fashion as they shift to unrestricted styles. With celebrities like Harry Styles and Billy Porter at the forefront of the new ungendered styles, a lot of their fans are in full support of their fashion style. With a lot of boys now wearing more feminine styles such as nail polish, pearls, heeled boots and makeup. With social media the complete norm now, it is a lot easier to feel accepted in how you dress even if the majority doesn’t. Tik Tok will praise the androgenous style and it could give someone the confidence they need to wear what they want. This gender fluid fashion may come down to the recent rise in popularity of 70s fashion, the 70s was all about blurring the line of women’s and men’s fashion.

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androgyny Grunge also dipped their toe into androgyny with Kurt Cobains ‘The Face’ cover. Due to our society and the current generation becoming more accepting and inclusive over time people are starting to undergo a revolution in style. even if it does not align with traditional ideas, it is good to see people wear whatever they want. Unisex is moving towards the majority instead of the minor genres in fashion as Gen Z are challenging old-fashioned ways and gender norms. FIGURE 21 LEFT: HARRY STYLES FOR VOGUE, DECEMBER 2020

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The pandemic pivot: Moncler genius

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oncler Genius is a new business model, where top designers interpret Monclers identity. It all started as the CEO Remo Ruffini realised that the way people buy clothes is changing, we buy all year round not just on a seasonally basis. Before the reorganization of the company Moncler worked on a seasonal timeline, bringing out new collections every summer and winter. How it works is a set of designers create their own collection for Moncler and these get realised every month. By releasing every month, it means Moncler can keep up with the changing demands of the consumer. The designers are big names in the industry such as Pierpaolo Piccioli and Craig Green. By using such popular names, it obviously will draw more attention to Moncler. It is really captivating to see all these designers take something that has been around for years and take their own original take on it. Just as expected each collection was as different and unique as the designers and without mentioning the names you can almost tell which one designed which. Ruffini also mentioned that there was an increase in online sales and web traffic, as well the collections had attracted a younger demographic. So over all it was a huge success in the brand as they learnt and grew from the ever-changing market.

FIGURE 22 RIGHT: MONCLER GRENOBLE MONCLER’S TECHNICAL SKIWEAR LINEUP

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What is a bridge brand? A

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bridge brand or diffusion brand is a secondary line of garments alongside the main luxury fashion brand. They are usually lower priced and targeted towards the younger consumer who might not be able to afford their original brand. So, they are offered by a luxury brand to make it more accessible to a new market. They sit above the high street and below luxury fashion on the market level pyramid. Diffusion brands often have a lot more fun and seem very playful. As of its younger target market it allows it to be more experimental with its designs, than if they were targeting the older market. Brands usually create a diffusion line once they realise that many of the designers’ biggest fans are being left out of the conversation. However, these lines can become looked down upon by the elitist who see the lines as unauthentic, it can affect the main brands sales as people may not want to associate with the brand at all after the diffusion line was created. An example of this is CDG PLAY created by COMME des GARCONS may often be looked down upon by the people who pay for the main brand as it doesn’t have anywhere near the amount of visionary design in it. However, there are good examples of diffusion lines. Such as HEAVEN by Marc Jacobs, it is popular with the younger audience and has done a successful collaboration with Dr Martins. This is a good example as it creates the perfect balance between the main brand and a separate audience. Another interesting diffusion line is Mui Mui by Prada, as it is now not known as a diffusion line but as a whole designer brand within itself, with shows in fashion week now.

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EAVEN BY M H 3 2 AR RE

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How to c

nowing your target customer is so important as the more you know about them the more you know how you can design for them. Having a good quality product is simply the price of entry and wont unfortunately make you successful. You must make your brand resonate with the consumer. Having a clear brand story is important for how people view the brand, the brand story should really convey who you are and why it matters as a company. The last way to create brand awareness is through the marketing mix: the three p’s. These are product, price, place, promotion

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FIGURE 24 LEFT: NIKE JOYRIDE SEPTEMBER 2019

create brand awareness FIGURE 25 BELOW: OFF-WHITE RESORT COLLETION 2021

There are all sorts of different product, and you need to be sure about what you are selling.Many young designers think they must work in luxury but working in lower priced market can often open you up to more customers. However, it could affect the quality of items. If you sell a luxury product you must make sure your product is positioned in a place where your target customer will shop. Picking the correct place to promote your brand is vital as the customer will be looking in specific areas and you must target your ads towards these places. All 4 of these must all be allied for it to work properly. As a designer you are over seeing multiple elements of the marketing mix, the designer is often the same person creating the ad campaigns as well as the pricing. It all about alignment.

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how to create a brand

“Virgil wa

o start off choose words and images that inspire you. Then to develop your chosen consumer choose what part of the world you want the brand to be present in. It is important to try to create clothes that are everlasting and classic, pieces that can keep being bought back. Can be worn in 20-30 years and still hold its value. You want to have something that will last forever. One of the best lessons Virgil talks about is to be very concise with your branding. Instead of whipping everything together try having less, it’ll become a lot stronger. Being hyper focus and then repeat the process over each area that you want to develop. So really focusing in on one thing. You could start by reducing your concept into one image and one word. Street wear is another thing Virgil speaks about, longevity of streetwear comes from people owning it and from the hype. “Streetwear doesn’t have to be Hermes”, which means that streetwear doesn’t have to have amazing quality but as long as the image is there people will buy it. Streetwear is about dialogue.

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FIGURE 26 RIGHT: VIRGIL ABLOH IN 2019

as here”

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FIGURE 27 RIGHT: YVES SAINT LAURENT SPRING/ SUMMER 1988 HAUTE COUTURE COLLECION FIGURE

FIGURE 28 ABOVE: MARGOT ROBBIE: CHANEL PHOTOSHOOT 2018

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FIGURE 29 LEFT: LOUIS VUITTON FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY

Luxury branding principles

or luxury brands it can often be a lot more important to focus on the image on the brand as opposed to a fast fashion brand. A brand concept is the idea behind the brand such as the name, origin, logo, history etc. There are some features behind a brand concept that you may often only find behind a luxury brand. These include having a specific product that you associate with the brand or just specific characteristics such as a colour or a pattern. Having a specific aspect that is consistent throughout changing seasons is something that is not found in fast fashion as they are constantly chasing after the next trend. Luxury brands have good brand awareness almost automatically because of their status in the quality and popularity of the products. Many popular brands may have good brand recall performance for one specific type of product for example when thinking of purchasing a luxury bag you may think of Chanel or Louis Vuitton, these are brands with good brand recall performance to bags. However, there is a fine line between a luxury brand being popular and it being over saturated, which means it loses its exclusivity and therefore can decline in demand. For a luxury brand to stay in the golden area it must maintain creativity, uniqueness and authenticity of the brand. Brand loyalty is something can easily come with being a luxury brand, when someone spends a lot of time and money into something they will become more invested and so therefore have created a connection to the brand, often without even realising.

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“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.” – Jeff Bezos 144

BRAND IMAGE AND BRAND IDENTITY

rands have a lot to maintain if they want to grow and continue to make money. Brand image and brand identity is one of these things that needs to be maintained. However, they sometimes may be some confusion between the difference between the two. Brand image is what describes the subjective perception from the outside whereas the brand identity is specifically controlled by the brand owner and is how the owner wants the brand to be perceived. Brand identity covers things like its logo, name, and designs. Brand identity and brand image go hand in hand in order for the company to succeed. A company needs to a really solid and secure identity, as how can you create a good brand image if you don’t know the identity. It is crucial that the brand identity matches the externally perceived brand image, as it allows people

to differentiate the brand in the market. Brand identity is something you can control however you can’t pick the brand image but there are ways you can try to communicate what you would like the public to view your brand. A way you can do this is by position your brand wisely by knowing who your target audience is, then complete a good marketing strategy that will resonate with them with the market you want. Today, brand values and mission statements have never been more important especially if you are marketing towards Gen z. Gen z is more likely to buy from a company if their values align with their own. It also just makes the company look like they have more courage and not afraid to voice their opinion, which adds to their image. Brand should also engage with their customers which helps them stay current and more visible to new consumers.

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Consumer profile Gender: Male or female Age: 16-24 Economic status: Middle to Upper class Occupation: Student or part/full time job in business or fashion. Lifestyle: They go to university in a big city such as London or Leeds. Daily life includes shopping on Depop, going for coffee trips with friends and scrolling through Tiktok. Consumer habits: Shops very frequent but often shops second hand so isn’t spending a lot of money. Will occasionally splurge on expensive items that they belive will be timeless, as they are trying to shop more consciously.

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REFEREN ALLAIRE, C., 2020. Why Courtney Love’s ’90s Wardrobe Still Resonates Today. [Online] Available at: https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/courtney-love-90sfashion-moments ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION, 2021. What Are the Core Characteristics of Generation Z?. [Online] Available at: https://www.aecf.org/blog/what-are-the-core-characteristics-of-generation-z Augustyn, A., 2022. Kurt Cobain. [Online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kurt-Cobain Brocca, C., 2019. HOW TO DO GRUNGE FASHION SUSTAINABLY. [Online] Available at: https://eluxemagazine.com/fashion/grunge-style/ Broeke, T. v. d., 2018. Is there life beyond the hype for A-Cold-Wall*?. [Online] Available at: https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/can-a-cold-wallsurvive-the-hype Broeke, T. v. d., 2019. Samuel Ross and Virgil Abloh on the power of mentorship. [Online] Available at: https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/samuel-ross-acold-wall-virgil-abloh

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NCES Grambush, J., 2019. A Brief History of Grunge: The Seattle Sound. [Online] Available at: https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/washington/ articles/a-brief-history-of-grunge-the-seattle-sound/ Greenwoo, D., 2020. A-COLD-WALL*’s Samuel Ross: “Reconstructing the identity of Britishness is happening in real time”. [Online] Available at: https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/y3z93g/a-cold-walls-samuel-ross-converse-collaboration Greenwood, D., 2018. Everything You Need to Know About A-COLDWALL*. [Online] Available at: https://www.sleek-mag.com/article/a-cold-wall/ GRIMES, . C., 2021. KURT COBAIN’S TRAGIC REAL-LIFE STORY. [Online] Available at: https://www.grunge.com/131873/kurt-cobains-tragic-reallife-story/ GROBE, M., 2018. A-COLD-WALL* EXPLORES ITS STRANGE HUMANITY AT SS19 SHOW IN LONDON. [Online] Available at: https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/a-cold-wall-ss19-show/ HUFTON, C., 2018. 4 Ways Gen Z Is Encouraging The World To Be More Fluid. [Online] Available at: https://www.elle.com/uk/fashion/what-to-wear/a21343831/ gen-z-fluid-gucci-eyewear/

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REFEREN Komar, M., 2016. The Evolution Of Androgynous Fashion. [Online] Available at: https://www.bustle.com/articles/149928-the-evolution-of-androgynous-fashion-throughout-the-20th-century-photos MAGUIRE, L., 2020. An independent brand’s guide to pivoting in a pandemic. [Online] Available at: https://www.voguebusiness.com/companies/an-independent-brands-guide-to-pivoting-in-a-pandemic-a-cold-wall-samuel-ross Marin, R., 2018. Grunge: A Success Story. [Online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/15/style/grunge-a-success-story.html Martin, D., 2015. how to be grunge. [Online] Available at: https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/wjd4xq/how-to-begrunge Martin, i.-D. S. a. D., 2015. how to be grunge. s.l.:i-D. OLU, S., 2021. Gen Z On The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Of Sustainable Fashion. [Online] Available at: https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/gen-z-fast-fashion-sustainability Ozemebhoya, E., 2018. UPDATE: HERE’S WHEN A-COLD-WALL* X NIKE ARE RELEASING THEIR DECONSTRUCTED AIR FORCE 1. [Online] Available at: https://hypebae.com/2018/12/a-cold-wall-nike-air-force-1white-first-look

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NCES Price, S. B., 2016. Grunge’s Influence on Fashion. [Online] Available at: https://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/fashion-history-eras/grunges-influence-fashion Puttonen, M., 2021. How Gen Z fashion has embraced gender fluidity. [Online] Available at: https://www.voguescandinavia.com/articles/how-gen-zfashion-has-embraced-gender-fluidity Seven Store, n.d. A-COLD-WALL*: LEVELLING THE RUNWAY. [Online] Available at: https://www.sevenstore.com/editorial/a-cold-wall-levelling-the-runway/ Seymour, E., 2019. Gen Z: Born to Be Digital. [Online] Available at: https://www.voanews.com/a/student-union_gen-z-born-bedigital/6174519.html Sneaker Spirit, 2016. Let’s find out more about Samuel Ross and his brand A Cold Wall. [Online] Available at: https://sneakerspirit.com/en/lets-find-out-more-about-samuel-ross-and-his-brand-a-cold-wall/ The Graduates 4, 2017. The Grunge Phenomenon. [Online] Available at: https://thegraduates4.wordpress.com/2017/05/21/ the-grunge-phenomenon/ Thomas, M., 2021. 5 Gen Z Marketing Strategies To Implement in 2022. [Online] Available at: https://later.com/blog/gen-z-marketing/

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REFEREN Vitruvian Magazine, n.d. Brand Profile: A Cold Wall (Best Men’s A Cold Wall Clothing). [Online] Available at: https://vitruvianmagazine.com/best-mens-a-cold-wallclothing/ West, J., 2019. Samuel Ross unpicks the references and motifs behind A-Cold-Wall*. [Online] Available at: https://hero-magazine.com/article/148926/samuel-ross-unpicks-the-references-and-motifs-behind-a-cold-wall WRIGHT, W. J., 2021. THE UNTOLD TRUTH OF GRUNGE MUSIC. [Online] Available at: https://www.grunge.com/220121/the-untold-truth-ofgrunge-music/

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IMAGE REFE

Fig 1 : https://sneakernews.com/2020/09/10/a-cold-wall-converse-ctaslugged-hi-erx-260-release-info/ Fig 2 : https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/samuel-ross-a-cold-wallvirgil-abloh Fig 3 : https://hypebeast.com/2018/6/a-cold-wall-spring-summer-2019collection Fig 4 : https://jingdaily.com/jd-a-cold-wall-samuel-ross-china-luxury/ Fig 5 : https://wwd.com/runway/mens-fall-collections-2019/london/acold-wall/review/ Fig 6 : https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/fashion/article/a-cold-wall-aw20review Fig 7 : https://hero-magazine.com/shows/a-cold-wall-ss20-2

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Fig 8 : https://hero-magazine.com/shows/a-cold-wall-ss20-2 Fig 9 : https://hypebae.com/2020/7/a-cold-wall-dr-martens-collaboration-1460-remastered-boots-black-release-date-samuel-ross Fig 10 : https://allthatsinteresting.com/seattle-grunge-photos Fig 11 : https://allthatsinteresting.com/seattle-grunge-photos Fig 12 : https://www.nawo.com/new-arrivals-love-courtney-by-nasty-gal-exclusive-collection/ Fig 13 : https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/washington/articles/a-brief-history-of-grunge-the-seattle-sound/ Fig 14 : https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/mark-lanegan-nirvana-book Fig 15 : https://denimfreaks.com/the-british-punk-of-r13/

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IMAGE REFE

Fig 16 : https://www.vogue.com/article/marc-jacobs-perry-ellis-grungecollection-90s-fashion Fig 17 : http://modearte.com/vogue-editorial-launched-grunge/ Fig 18 : http://lordashbury.com/r13-fw16/ Fig 19 : https://glaminati.com/grunge-style/ Fig 20 : http://www.modachicago.org/blog/2020/12/15/the-interpretation-of-prints-plaid Fig 21 : https://www.vogue.com/article/harry-styles-cover-december-2020 Fig 22 : https://www.gq.com/story/moncler-grenoble-new-york-fashionweek-fall-2013-collection

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Fig 23 : http://officemagazine.net/cool-kids-wear-heaven-marc-jacobs Fig 24 : https://models.com/work/nike-nike-joyride/1201047 Fig 25 : https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/resort-2021/off-white Fig 26 : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgil_Abloh Fig 27 : https://www.phaidon.com/agenda/fashion/articles/2017/october/18/no-one-did-polaroids-like-yves-saint-laurent/ Fig 28 : https://www.globalcosmeticsnews.com/chanel-announces-margot-robbie-as-face-of-new-scent/ Fig 29 : https://uk.louisvuitton.com/eng-gb/articles/the-louis-vuitton-fashion-photography-book

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