Reflective essay By Harriet Kennedy N0336522
Fashion Communication and Promotion Fashion communication and promotion is an area of mass communication using a series of mediums to promote fashion. This is done though mediums such as print, advertising, photography, film, events etc. The main objective is to communicate a product, event or service effectively to the consumer, using a marketing or promotion strategy. The most successful campaigns produce high consumer awareness and accurate brand identities. Understanding the channels of communications in the industry is crucial; media, trends, and PR are all tools essential to success in this industry. The Main Fields of FCP This industry is, “now worth nearly £21bn a year,”(Guardian,2011: Online) and, “directly employs 816,000 people,”(British Fashion Council,2010: Online)often overlapping into other industries, making it one of the largest and most influential industry’s in the world. This means that it generates a high number of careers, main areas are: •
Fashion Media and Journalism
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Visual Merchandising
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PR and Events Management
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Trend Forecasting and Fashion Prediction
All of these mediums are needed in the design and promotion process.
Fashion PR Definition: it's the management of information flow between a business or organization and the public, conducted in a way that benefits both parties. (Cambridge, 1999: Online) As student of Fashion Communication and promotion, I feel my skills are conducive to working within PR and Events Management. This sector refers to the publicity of fashion brands and events management is a part of that promotion. In this job you can work: •
Free-lance: work for yourself, gain your own clients or set up your own agency
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In-house: hired exclusively to work for a fashion house, usually a large brands will do this
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For an Agency: more common, agency will already have connections and a reputation, and you will bring in clients or continue maintaining the agencies
An important part of Fashion PR is relationships and connections, you are essentially the middleman between the designers/products and the media/consumer. The best connection to have are mostly fashion editors, writers and journalists as they control any fashion spreads, articles, and reviews that are written about you clients products. These relationships are also useful when it comes to events management as well, at any release, collection or party having the press there to write about it is beneficial, so trend setters and celebrities can be associated with your brand, and reviews can be read by numerous amounts of people. Getting your clients products featured in these publications result in high exposure.
Fig #1 Kate Moss at Eilte Models Party
Public Relations are similar yet differ from advertising in the sense that publicity is free and there is a lack of control in what people write or comment on the brand you represent, if they feature it at all. This is where your connections come into play, knowing where your product would be well received and written or featured positively is part of the job. This means you have thorough understanding of your clients brand values. Another large part of PR is dealing with press releases and the so-called PR stunt which can effectively use the media to get successful coverage without seeming to. “There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." – (Oscar Wilde, 1878)
Examples of successful PR and Events Management. 1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Musical. Using innovative ways for releasing the news to the press the PR team came up with this creation using surprise and the, “aww” factor, the ensured press interest.
Figure #2 Charlie and the chocolate factory the musical
2. The Muppets Knowing who will be your ideal platform is useful Stephen Fry has over, ”five and a half million followers on Twitter,” and after he tweeted about these cupcakes the film had just received an extremely high exposure.
Figure #3 Muppets cupcakes sent to Stephen Fry
3. Pre-defaced billboards of the go compare advert. After sensing that the public were turning sour to the opera singing Gio they stared to promote them self’s as agreeing and slowly trying to get rid of the character though these fake graffiti signs.
Figure # 4 graffiti Go-compare Billboards
4. Jack Wills Jack wills offered a 6 week internship involving working and partying in America and getting ÂŁ10,000 worth of tuition fees. This is an example of knowing your consumer and
understanding your brand values.
Figure# 5 Jack Wills Summer Job
"If I was down to the last dollar of my marketing budget I'd spend it on PR!" – (Bill Gates 1999)
The Fashion Industry has been under scrutiny late due to its narrow and unforgiving notions of what is beauty. This can be attributed to all areas of fashion, using poor role models and values to promote products. Reasons for these behaviours are so numerous from celebrity culture to air brushing, reality has been warped with standard at unattainable levels. All Walks are committed to addressing all shapes, sizes, races and opinions within fashion with everyone able to express that opinion whether though print, photography or any other media. With a host of ambassadors with high standing in the industry they are committed to change from key players.
Size Size has been a major issue in the fashion industry for years, yet the divide still gets larger. The main point is that larger sizes are not widely represented in advertising of clothing brands, although the reality is that the average UK women’s size is a 16, a size certainly not widely promoted and sometimes not even available. In an industry that survives on reputation and consumer loyalty and desire how could such a large chunk of the consumers be ignored and considered not fashion. Recent examples fashion companies disregard for larger size was Abercrombie and Fitch’s CEO Mike Jeffries who, said that,” We go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.”(Dailymail, 2013: Online). Abercrombie and Fitch, although
known for its adverts with skinny, fit, all-American look, was heavily criticized for openly snubbing people they didn’t consider, “cool,” (Dailymail, 2013: Online) to wear their clothes. This attitude has been seen and heard even from the most well regarded members of the fashion world. Kate Moss saying that, “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,” (Thetelegraph, 2009: Online) a comment associated with anorexia, and Karl Lagerfeld making comments on singer Adele’s size. These are all comments that can have devastating results on consumers and people exposed to these images and comments. Figure # 6 Mike Jefferies
Figure# 7 Karl Lagerfeld Figure #8 Kate Moss
Also anorexia and extreme dieting has been a controversy of the fashion industry. Model Isabelle Caro took pictures of her emaciated frame to show the damaging effects anorexia can have. This can out at a time where people started to see that models were promoting an extremely unhealthy lifestyle and yet these heath issues where being promoted as high fashion and desirable. Figure #9 Isabelle
Caro
Although this has been a problem for a long time there has been many people addressing the problem such as Mark Fast featuring larger size model Crystal Renn in his collections, being an up and coming designer with high media attention this was seen as a breakthrough in plus size models being used in high fashion. After modelling for Mark Fast, Crystal Renn, received lots of media attention and was featured in a number of publications afterwards. Also Love Magazine featured Beth Ditto a singer famous for her confidence and larger size on their front page, another achievement for plus size woman in the fashion industry .
Figure# 10 Crystal Renn
Figure # 11 Crystal Renn
Figure# 12 Beth Ditto
Within PR and Events there is a lack of control when it comes to adverts and column inches, you can send clothes to a publication yet you don’t know if the model wearing them will put your clothes in the best light. A behaviour change would be making sure that the contacts you use are aware of the PR damage that would occur by promoting your clients clothes as only being for a certain small selection of consumers. Also communicating to your client that when designing clothes unless there is specific reasons for limitations, e.g. clothes for the disabled or intentionally for larger and smaller people, that they keep in mind that there are all shapes and sizes to adhere to, this will help your clients business. Racism Sometimes considered not as prevalent anymore but there are still examples of discrimination in the fashion industry. Photographer Nick Knight, shot a short film featuring Naomi Campbell about racism in the fashion industry, it quite graphic with quotes such as,” Whenever I ask to use a black model I am given excuses such as “black models are not aspirational in some markets” or “they do not represent brand values.” Normally, however, no reason is given,” and, “the first steps made by great models such as Donyale Luna, Beverly Johnson and Iman have now all faltered. The reality is that black models are virtually unrepresented in fashion.” (youtube, 2010: Online)
Figure# 13 Naomi Campbell
Also Singer Beyoncé was featured in a l'oreal advert that became quite controversial due to the fact that her skin had appeared to be lightened in postproduction. Beyoncé denied this even so the adverts were removed. When Chanel Inman, model, was asked whether she experienced any racism she replied, “A few times I got excused by designers who told me ‘we already found one black girl. We don’t need you anymore.’”( huffingtonpost, 2013: online) Tokenism can be also become problem when designers and advertisers start to fill quotas instead of recognising talent and actual beauty. As a some in public relations a behaviour change would be clear understanding and communication with your client that racism is not only damaging to a brand but illegal. Making sure that the products you promote and send to other medias are going to people of all diversities to create an image that the products are suitable for everyone . In conclusion the members of PR and Events Management in Fashion do have great influences on beauty within the industry. Knowing consequences of disregarding the consumers demands for equality is and outdated concept, the consumer has never been so intelligent and knowledgeable of the processes of fashion. This means honest communications between you and your client, maintaining relationships with people that have good ethical opinions and any publicity is not to be used for inappropriate usage of space and should be well thought out and relevant to the brand.
List of illustrations Unknown, (1993), Kate Moss at Elite Models Party [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/news/25-years-of-kate-moss--flashback-friday-is-a-mossy-90sspecial [Accessed 14 July 13]. Unknown, (2013), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Press Release [ONLINE]. Available at: http://prexamples.com/2013/04/chocolate-press-release-sent-to-journalists-to-promote-charlieand-the-chocolate-factory-musical/ [Accessed 22 July 13]. Stephen Fry, (2013), Muppets Cupcakes [ONLINE]. Available at: http://prexamples.com/2012/02/muppets-cupcakes-sent-to-stephen-fry/ [Accessed 22 July 13]. Turner, D, (2013), Michael Jeffries [ONLINE]. Available at: http://thepoliticalidealist.com/2013/05/08/size-10-or-nothing/ [Accessed 17 July 13]. Unknown, (2010), Kate Moss [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.reveal.co.uk/real-lifestories/news/a444322/gemma-howarth-i-work-as-kate-moss-hand-model-but-its-not-all-glam.html [Accessed 17 July 13].
Jack Wills, (2012), The Best Summer Job [ONLINE]. Available at: http://prexamples.com/2012/03/jack-wills-presents-the-best-summer-job-in-great-britain/ [Accessed 17 July 13]. Solaro, A, (2007), No Anorexia Isabelle Caro [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/20/father-of-deceased-anorexic-model-isabelle-caro-says-wifetoo-s/ [Accessed 17 July 13]. Gavan, I, (2010), Mark Fast / Crystal Renn [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/pH8HRQlySS/Mark+Fast+Runway+LFW+Autumn+Winter+2010/J__5ETwewZu/Crystal+Renn [Accessed 17 July 13]. Unknown , (2008), Hungary by Crystal Renn [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.iwillnotdiet.com/? cat=339 [Accessed 17 July 13]. LoveMagazine, (2011), Beth Ditto [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.blendbureaux.com/beth-dittogot-married/ [Accessed 18 July 13]. Knight, N, (2012), Naomi Campbell [ONLINE]. Available at: http://www.blendbureaux.com/bethditto-got-married/ [Accessed 18 July 13].
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