360 Campaign Book (3/4) - AD6605 Concept Direction and Development

1-2 Introduction Grace Coddington (7-8) Market level and why? 3-4 Robbie Spencer (9-10) Matty Bovan (11-14) THE Elizaveta Porodina (15-16) BRANDS A-Cold-Wall (17-18) Comme des Garçons (19-22) Why Gen-Z? 25-26 Nike (23-24) WHAT’S THE GAP? Actually building relationships...

What will it look like? 33-40 41 Film and any other collaborations?

Timeline 42 45 Back-up plan Summary and what’s next... 46 47-50 Artefact QR Central 51-52 53-54 References and image references

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he aim of this component is to help me explore and underpin the potential foundations for my final major project. This 360 campaign will provide a three dimensional outlook on what my proposed ideas are and what visions I will aim to bring to life.

Drama was an early theme in my childhood which you can read about in my Summer Research and Brand Me book. Understanding the capabilities, I have as an individual, my aim in to transpire how drama has influenced me and the way I work, primarily using colour. Something so silent, yet so powerful.

For this module, I have heavily focussed on the luxury designer market as it is a market level that I aspire to work in within my career.

My 360 campaign proposal is to envision brands through a new lens, to Generation-Z permanently and meaningfully. Drama can be about creating entertainment and excitement to engage an audience, allowing them to escape their everyday lives just for one moment.

Throughout these words and visuals, I aim to explore further creatives and brands in the industry that I could work towards reinventing or to help entice and grow a new consumer base.

Through trickling down and bubbling up, I will create a future capsule of the possibilities these brands and the market levels they could venture into.

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he luxury designer market level has been consistent throughout my university projects I have responded to. I believe my interest lies within the fact I aim to invest within the market level in the next few years and I want to work within it too.

Matty Bovan says that he loves ‘the non-sterile practice’.

For me, I want to maximise my opportunities and have as much room to grow as I can. For me, the luxury designer market level allows me to be freer and fluid within my work and I can also incorporate more conceptual and visionary elements into this.

With Generation-Z being my consumer, they are beginning to enter the world of work; gaining disposable income over the next few years. They care for the environment and one of the best ways of buying clothing is through luxury pieces that they

know they’ll keep for a long time. The luxury designer market aims to be the friendliest option in that of building sentimental relationships between consumer and brand; consumers will in turn, by less and wear items more over fast fashion.

Linking my interest of colour into the luxury designer market enables me to have access to deeper and richer tones of colours that can create impact and tell the stories. Storytelling being a major element that consumers need in order to relate to the brand, or equally follow their journey.

Fashion is becoming increasingly genderless which has encouraged me not to assign myself to a preference of either menswear or womenswear. The luxury designer market level that I will offer will be inclusive of all genders where anyone is welcome to take inspiration from.

Many of the brands and creatives I have explored and will continue to do so further in this book, already sit within this market level, which means that it will support my ideas.

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Figure 1 - “Senior Moment,” with Gemma Ward.

Photographed by Tim Walker Tim, Vogue, August (2004)

Figure 2 - “Dressing Like the Dickens,” Photographed by Tim Walker, Vogue, December (2013)

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race Coddingon is a Welsh former model and former Creative Director at American Vogue. She is most recognised for her creative output, constructing large and dramatic photoshoots.

As I refer back to the essence of drama from my childhood, exploring Coddington further could inspire me through research about the composition of her work. Her work often sensed a Hitchcockian build-up of suspense which would imply an essence of drama created in the outcome (Borelli-Persson, 2021). She often worked on big sets both on location shoots, and in the studio.

Figure [1] photographed by Tim Walker, provides an element of over-indulgence. From this piece, it screams luxury lifestyle and taste where the busy setting of colourful cakes and treats juxtaposes the gentle position of the model.

Figure [2] is again photographed by Tim Walker.

There is a chilling feel to it, as it is re-telling the stories of the past. It’s giving my Oliver Twist vibes. There is a contrast between light and dark which sets the mood, accompanied by that of the expressions on the models.

I want to create something dramatic, something sinister but bright, showcasing that positives can come from negatives...

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Figure 3 - Re-Edition Magazine AW21 - Photographed by Tom Johnson - Styled by Robbie Spencer (2021) Figure 4 - Men Special SS21 Issue - Photographed by Jack Davison - Styled by Robbie Spencer (2021)

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tyling has never been a role that I had taken an interest into, however over this module, I have been researching more on how people work. I started to consider the people behind the images.

Robbie Spencer has been responsible for creating some of the most ‘striking’ editorial imagery (Suleman, 2013). I have definitely underestimated the importance of styling and how the role has evolved from just sourcing clothes.

Spencer has a meticulous way of working which is influenced from his artistic background. He notes “I approach styling from an idea of executing an image or executing a space, as opposed to purely from a clothing standpoint,”. I think I relate to the artistic approach in some form, as I prefer having a tangible feel to my work, such as creating sketchbooks, which help feed my ideas and outcome.

He has to communicate an idea, not to just the audience, but to the entire team. For me, I need to consider this when creating my FMP. If I collaborate with other creatives, how can I communicate

communicate to them what is in my head? Spencer contextualises the things in his head, and a lot of his responsibilities include production and organising. His career role is a complex one and should be acknowledged as a very important one.

With Robbie Spencer having his very own creative way of working and how he sees the world that others hadn’t thought of, I can show through the lens that is ‘The Concept of Orange’ communicating ideas to the audience and the future teams that I work with. Making mood boards is also something Spencer does to get the idea across, so I need to be able to do this for others to understand the vision of my project.

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Figure 5 - Matty Bovan SS21 ‘Hypercraft’ ‘Look 20’ (2021)

s mentioned in my Brand Me book, Matty Bovan’s SS22 ‘Hypercraft’ film is what grabbed my attention when I came across him. I like to use the word ‘layering’ when thinking about Bovan’s work. The tempo of the film was both fast-paced and audibly loud, chaotic.

Bovan primarily creates unconventional clothing, but what about tricking down his brand to invite new consumers, making him more accessible to the generations below him. He takes great pride in addressing his generation who want to navigate in an industry that isn’t just full of overconsumption. Bovan’s consumer base could be widened if we capture Generation-Z. Afterall, he is concerned with the environment, which comes naturally in his brands DNA.

The colours can be vibrant and the wide knit enables the volume and thickness. ‘Hypercraft’ consisted of a lot of patterns rather than block colour. The inspiration I mainly take from Matty Bovan is definitely the colour and layering aspects towards his work. His brand is also genderless which supports the future of fashion being exclusive and not assigned to one particular gender.

Figure 6 - Matty Bovan SS21 ‘Hypercraft’ ‘Look 9’ (2021)

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With no surprise, I am most definitely drawn to the colours within Porodina’s creations and I would love to be able to create pieces of my own inspired by her approach to photography when creating my FMP. You can feel the movement and see the motion in the image which sort of brings these static images to life.

Many of her shoots have been curated over Zoom, which is quite impressive when you look at the quality of the imagery! I need to consider how I will have a back-up plan, should another lockdown happen, how can I create something just as abstract and unique like Porodina.

Figure 7 - ‘The Perpetuum Mobile’ for POP Magazine - Photographed by Elizaveta Porodina (2021)

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lizaveta Porodina is a new photographer I discovered.

She is now becoming widely popular within the luxury designer market as she has captured the attention of Louis Vuitton, and has also been included in POP magazine which is where I first found my interest in her work.

There is an essence of dark romanticism, there is drama which draws you in, the haziness of the photographs makes you sit and think about the subject. The images seem to appear as if they have been edited digitally, but it is interesting to know that her images rarely undergo extensive augmentation.

‘Instead, most of her dreamscapes are realised through complex lighting equipment and elaborate set designs. The approach — in her words — “blur[s] the boundaries between photography and paintings.”’ (Milner, 2020).

Figure 8 - ‘Vivien...on the moon’ for Carcy Magazine - Photographed by Elizaveta Porodina (2021)

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Samuel Ross, states that the people he works in threes and they are the artisan, the conscious professional and the modern luxury consumer (Morency, 2020).

He plays with a commercial side of the brain and a more conceptual side and it’s about finding the perfect balance between them that still allows expression to exert itself.

Figure 9 - AW21 ‘Launch 03’ - @acoldwall Instagram (2020)

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-Cold-Wall is a new brand that I have looked into in the sense of structure and identity behind the brand. A working class Britain can be seen through the cuts and silhouettes (Singer, 2021).

Initially looking at A-ColdWall, the colour palette is dark but powerful and shows stamina and strength in the vision of the British work force. More recently for his SS22 collection, he reached for colour more which has helped to draw me in. The interesting link I have placed between his rule of three is that he noted that he had some ideas about intensifying and amplifying the primary colours (which comes in three). He then says that he was inspired by youthful play which resonated with me on a personal level. I want to be able to have freedom and try out things I was restricted on doing so at a young age, but also ensure I am returning back to my messages and meanings.

A-Cold-Wall is heavily streetwear based, but what is its future for becoming an even more conceptual brand to amplify and intensify its utilitarian aesthetic.

Figure 10 - AW21 ‘ - @acoldwall Instagram (2021)

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Figure 11 - Comme des Garçons SS22 Ready-To-Wear Photograph from Vogue

e often never really understand the impact of something until we have sat and considered it for some time. This comes in light for those designers who have made us sit and think about things, they have challenged traditional norms and offered new ways of seeing the world.

Rei Kawakubo and her brand Comme des Garçons has reinvented and questioned the norms within men’s and womenswear through the use of ‘radical references, proportion and technique, in increasingly abstract shows’ (Jack Sunnucks, 2017).

Kawakubo founded London’s Dover Street Market in 2004 alongside Adrian Joffe and states it to be a place of “beautiful chaos”. The originality of DSM stems from the installations it provides for the high-fashion designs within. It offers an experience for the visitor. Comme des Garçons seems like the untouchable. You can hardly buy from there online and there a sense of the unknown towards it. This maintains the exclusivity of the brand.

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I am drawn to the proportions of Kawakubo’s work and to me the constant running of black in the collections is what creates the drama. However, her SS22 collection ‘My Present State of Mind’ saw a new Kawakubo, a more colourful and vibrant one than before but still occupied space through volume and proportion like she always has.

Comme des Garçons stands out, it has redefined fashion within the visionary market, yet also continues to trickle down into more conventional wear. The brand is renowned for juxtaposing the unconventional and the conventional.

How could middle brands become visionary and conceptual like that of Kawakubo’s creations in order to encapsulate escapism?

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entring my projects around the luxury designer market levels, means I have never really considered the athleisure and sportwear markets. However, it is proven that these two market levels can be intertwined.

Nike is an innovative and forward thinking brand that states ‘to do everything possible to expand human potential…by creating ground breaking sport innovations’ and more.

Athleisure has informed streetwear and this is a big market level within Gen-Z, especially the resale of it to acquire vintage pieces. 90 percent of Depop’s 15 million active users are under 25 and inventory categorised as ‘streetwear’ rose by 60% in the space between 2018 and 2019 (Maguire, 2019). If these sentimental relationships and desire for the old stuff either remains or fizzles out, what happens next?

Nike and Comme des Garçons have recently collaborated and released the new Air Foamposite One which comes in two colourways, either black or white. The collaboration between such Nike and visionary brand Comme des Garçons allows people to appreciate both brands and perhaps widen each other’s consumer bases. With the sneaker market becoming more focused on emotion, (O’Flaherty, 2021) examines that this is done through colour. ‘Repetition is how you win the colour game’. The sneaker market in itself is at large, and many take great pride in owning such items.

It is known that sports labels aren’t always worn for sports, but more for leisure, but how could a sense of exclusivity be linked to that of sports labels such as Nike? Yes, Nike and Comme des Garçons have just collaborated, but what if Nike was transpired to the world of visionary?

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en-Z is the consumer I am focusing on for my 360 campaign which is a consumer base I have used within all my projects so far. I belong to Gen-Z, but I am still learning how we work and what we want. I believe so far, we have been the most responsive generation, we have overcome educational issues during the pandemic and we have a louder voice for change. Although the generation below us, Gen-Alpha are tech savvy, (Voxburner, 2020) notes that 9 in 10 Gen-Z’s in the UK see themselves as a creative.

In an interview with Edward Enninful, (Indvik, 2019) is told that he believes Gen-Z will make the world a better place because they want meaning.

Enninful has made great progress since becoming Editor-In-Chief for British Vogue. He has coined diversity and inclusivity and is widening its consumer base.

Something that was heavily millennial based, is now capturing Gen-Z where they communicate with the publication via Instagram platforms and other social medias.

I also believe Gen-Z to be a better focus for me as I like to post my work on platforms such as Instagram as it helps me share my creative journey as a digital portfolio. Instagram has moved away from this selfie-app and is now a location centred around education and sharing of knowledge. When I create my FMP, I will be able to share my progress and the stories online that people can follow.

They are also set to make up for 40% of global personal luxury goods by 2035 (BoF Studio, 2021) which implies that they are slowly migrating from fast fashion to the luxury goods market. Gen-Z are active on boycotting the fast fashion market, but still make up over half of the people who purchase from it. We will see them slowly start to invest in longerlasting products and spending a little more to obtain these types of products. Brands need to capture Gen-Z as they are now and help them evolve over time. Visionary brands could trickle down to entice Gen-Z into their grounds, and we could then see brands they already invest in become more conceptual and visionary to paint them in a light that hasn’t been seen before.

LINK TO MY INSTAGRAM SCAN USING CAMERA

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en-Z know that brands put profit before people and that’s where it needs to change (Langer, 2021). The future needs to be consumer centric, even more than what it is already.

So far, we can see luxury designer brands such as Balenciaga moving to the metaverse in collaborating with Fortnight in order to widen their consumer base by moving to area. Fashion can be implemented through the use of skins. However, with a lot of focus on gaming, what about the consumers who aren’t as into that? Brands need to focus on slow integration of relationships between them and the consumer rather than overwhelming technology that can often confuse a lot of people, in turn people will evolve and understand but what about right now?

We know that brands need to build meaningful connections with their consumers, however, whether they can do it successfully is another question.

My aim is to bring entertainment and excitement through a dramatic approach fuelled with rich colour and positivity in helping consumers relate with brands on individual levels so they feel a part of what the brand stands for. With the idea of venturing into different market levels to help this, rather than just creating sub brands or collaborations at a lower cost. For once, people will come before profit.

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WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE AND WHY? I

want to show brands in a different light. How can they adapt, but still remain tied to their roots?

With the brands I have explored in my Brand Me book and the within this book, I intend on using them to influence one another in creating something entertaining which is dramatic through a colourful and positive lens. I want to show why Gen-Z should invest in these brands and build long-lasting relationships that they can trust.

With my growing interest in magazines, covered in my Brand Me section, I will document the progress in magazine styled books, showing the journey.

I would also like to film my outcomes and journey of making my FMP.

For my 360 campaign, I have decided to trickle down and bubble up three brands that can be influenced by other market levels.

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1. How can Matty Bovan become more of a middle brand line in conjunction with his conceptual line, in order to widen his consumer base?

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2. How could a streetwear/sportswear brand such as Nike become conceptual and visionary like Comme des Garçons?

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3. How could A-Cold-Wall become conceptual and visionary like Comme des Garçons?

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This project will be carried out in a studio based setting, as I believe it is a more controlled environment. A I will be using colour; these can be enhanced with studio lighting equipment and photography could become more experimental compared to working with natural light on a location shoot.

I will be taking on role as creative director and stylist which means I will be communicating my ideas and bringing them to life.

To deconstruct and reconstruct my visions, I will use mindful practice and source any fabric donations, charity shop fabrics and manipulate my own clothing. I will also need to think about props or whether I could perhaps import these digitally.

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s mentioned previously, I would love to have the journey of the final project filmed alongside the behind the scenes. For this, I would need to collaborate with a videographer in order to achieve a more professional approach. I will also need to source a photographer who could produce some static images of the final outcome and behind the scenes shots.

I will need to book a studio to work in also.

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Time management is going to be really critical for me in getting everything done which is why I have made a time line to start considering what needs to be done and when. To ensure I am on top of everything, I will then create weekly goals.

Interrogating my 360 campaign further. Solidifying my brands and thinking of new ways of telling stories further. I will also confirm if I am taking all three ideas forward or if taking two, may be easier to manage and I could create more detailed outcomes.

Testing and Trials.

Making mock-ups digitally of studio ideas, croquis’ and final outcomes. I will create mood boards towards the end of the month so that the people I collaborate with are able to envision what I think. I will start contacting creatives who can help I will confirm who I am me. taking on as videographer and photographer, I will have my studio booked and from the middle of the month onwards, this will be my production time of making my FMP.

I will need to have ordered and received my digital books, have my films ready and in the correct format to be exported. I will select what I want to showcase in my installation I will plan my installation and create it.

Post Production and editing everything.

Making my magazines and journey books.

Double checking and backing up everything. Are there bits that need to be re-done? Plan my installation.

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ith Covid-19 still being a very constant thing in our lives, this could affect my proposal.

If another lockdown hits, I will resort to animation much like I did in my second year at university and bring the idea of collage to life. If we can still socially distance and use the studio, I may need to communicate to make-up people and models how they need to be dressed etc. as face masks may not be enough.

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fter investigating, reflecting and responding to brands which have informed my 360 campaign, my next step is interrogating this further. I need to create a more detailed plan of action of what I will be creating and whether or not I will be taking all three trickle down or bubble up ideas forwards. In order to document my journey, I need to post on Instagram and I am planning on creating a website which will be in working progress as it will become my more official portfolio.

My 360 campaign has highlighted the potential of what my FMP could be and now it is my responsibility to make this happen through ‘The Concept of Orange’s’ lens.

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he one constant form of virtual communication through the social sector for me has been my Instagram @ heleenahoustonfmc. It has helped me share my work to a wider audience, it is a regular location to source inspiration and I have discovered and interacted with some new artists and creatives.

For my virtual calling card which forms my artefact for the Concept Direction and Development part of the module, I decided to make a website, something I haven’t done before.

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The intention of my artefact is to showcase some of the best work across my time at university and I believe having a website with my best pieces on would be a good start. I can then have links to other social platforms I am on such as LinkedIn and Issuu, where readers can view my digital books.

Although I have viewed my Instagram as a digital portfolio for since I started university, having a website is another asset where things can be seen a bit clearer.

There is also a more professional feeling to showcasing my work if it’s all under one roof and clearly labelled.

My intentions for the website are to be updated regularly and change it how I like. I have named it ‘The Concept of Orange’ as that is my Brand Me name and I think it works well considering it’s how I view things the way I do, through colour which I have highlighted in the ‘About’ section.

I have made the site interactive whereby you can click links and read my books, I have also posted my short film ‘An Identity Crisis’ on there and there is a ‘Contact’ bar at the bottom should people want to reach out.

For the future of my artefact, I hope to upload more work and life updates on there and continue updating it once I have finished university as well. I would love to get some more writing on page for people to read about my work and what I am doing or trying to achieve. I will still be using Instagram regularly to post images about the projects I have been working on, acting as my constant flow of visuals.

Link to website is: https://www.theconceptoforange.com

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LINK TO MY INSTAGRAM SCAN USING CAMERA

LINK TO MY ISSUU SCAN USING CAMERA

You can keep up-to-date with my posts here

You can read my digital books here

LINK TO MY LINKEDIN SCAN USING CAMERA

LINK TO MY WEBSITE SCAN USING CAMERA

You can connect with me on LinkedIn here

You can read up about my work here

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BoF Studio. (2021, September 9). How Gen-Z Buys Luxury. The Business of Fashion. https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analy

sis/how-gen-z-buys-luxury/

Borelli-Persson, L. (2021, April 20). The Magical Thinking of Grace Coddington. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/the-magical-thinking-of-grace-cod

dington-a-tribute-on-her-80-th-birthday

Morency. C. M. (2020, June 27). This Is How A-COLD-WALL* Works. Highsnobiety. https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/this-is-how-a-cold

wall-works/

Langer. D. (2021, October 7). Why today’s luxury brands may not survive the decade of Gen Z. South China Morning Post. https://www.

scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3151434/why-todays-luxury-brands-may-not-survive-gen-z-while-louis

Milner. D. (2020, November 15). Elizaveta Porodina’s Journey From Clinical Psychology to Fashion Photography. The Business of Fashion.

https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/media/elizaveta-porodinas-journey-from-clinical-psychology-to-fashion-photography/

Indvik, L. (2019, August 5). Edward Enninful on Vogue, Gen Z and what makes a great editor. Vogue Business. https://www.voguebusiness.

com/companies/edward-enninful-interview-editor-in-chief-british-vogue

Sunnucks. J (2017, May 2). Everything you need to know about Comme des Garçons | Dazed. https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/arti

cle/35770/1/comme-des-garcons-met-ball-rei-kawakubo-dover-street-market

Maguire, L. (2019, August 26). Gen Z wants something very different from streetwear. Vogue Business. https://www.voguebusiness.com/con

sumers/gen-z-streetwear-supreme-off-white-depop-adidas

O’Flaherty, M. C. (2021, May 24). The Secret Psychology of Sneaker Colors. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/24/style/sneak

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er-color-psychology.html

Singer, O. (2021, June 21). “We Have A Strong British Identity As A Brand”: Samuel Ross On His SS22 Collection For A-Cold-Wall. British Vogue. https://

www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/a-cold-wall-ss22-interview

Stat of the week: 83% of Gen Z would describe their generation as “creative”. (2020, June 28). Voxburner. https://www.voxburner.com/blog

source/2021/6/28/gen-z-creative

Suleman Anaya. (2013, June 17). The Creative Class | Robbie Spencer, Fashion Director. The Business of Fashion. https://www.businessoffashion.com/arti

cles/workplace-talent/the-creative-class-robbie-spencer-fashion-director/

FIGURE 1: Walker. T. W. (2004). ‘Senior Moment’ with Gemma Ward for Vogue. [Photograph]. The Magical Thinking of Grace Coddington. https://www. vogue.com/article/the-magical-thinking-of-grace-coddington-a-tribute-on-her-80-th-birthday

FIGURE 2: Walker. T. W. (2013). ‘Dressing Like the Dickens’ for Vogue. [Photograph]. The Magical Thinking of Grace Coddington. https:// www.vogue.com/article/the-magical-thinking-of-grace-coddington-a-tribute-on-her-80-th-birthday FIGURE 3: Johnson. T. J. (2021). AW21 for Re-Edition Magazine, Styled by Robbie Spencer. [Photograph]. @robbiespencer Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CWqFQYvMIDU/ FIGURE 4: Davinson. J. D. (2021). Men Special SS21 Issue for M Magazine, Styled by Robbie Spencer. [Photograph]. @robbiespencer Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQQaNolMUbI/ FIGURE 5: Matty Bovan SS22 ‘Hypercraft’ Look 20. (2021). @babbym Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CUr5c_6sJCm/ FIGURE 6: Matty Bovan SS22 ‘Hypercraft’ Look 9. (2021). @babbym Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CUwsKc7sydm/ FIGURE 7: Porodina. E. P. (2021). The Perpetuum Mobile for Pop Magazine. [Photograph]. @elizavetaporodina Instagram. https://www. instagram.com/p/CUZgENfA4w6/ FIGURE 8: Porodina. E. P. (2021). Vivien… on the moon for Carcy Magazine. [Photograph]. @elizavetaporodina Instagram. https://www. instagram.com/p/CWn8wlPg_yT/ FIGURE 9: Autumn/Winter – Launch 03. [Photograph]. (2020). @acoldwall Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CGKnW1rFc3t/ FIGURE 10: Autumn/Winter 2021. [Photograph]. (2021). @acoldwall Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CLmkJ4OJTgv/ FIGURE 11: Comme des Garçons SS22 Ready-To-Wear. [Photograph]. (2021). Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2022ready-to-wear/comme-des-garcons/slideshow/collection#1

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HELEENA HOUSTON - 1918689 360 CAMPAIGN BOOK AD6605 - CONCEPT DIRECTION AND DEVELOPMENT