Research for Final Degree Project

RESEARCH FOR FINAL MAJOR PROJECT

MATT BOLTON BOL08244157

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CONTENTS

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The Breif/01 /02 Questionning /03 Outcome

p3 p4 p5

Secondary Research/01 /02 Successful Brands /03 Analysis

p6-7 p8 p9

Primary Research/01 /02/03 Competitor Review /04 Overview

p10-11 p12-15 p16-17

Idea Generation (Direction) /01 Inspiration /02 Inspiration

p18 p19 p20-21

Typical Loyal Customer/01 /02

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THE BRAND

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THE BRIEF/ 01

The One Off brief, is to create a brand for a new major fashion company. This new fashion company (XXX) will be hitting the markets in 2012, with an aim to sell the latest fashion trends at a fraction of the price of any other retailer. XXX want to be at the fore front of ‘fast fashion’, providing their customers with continual updates in the range of clothes available.

They boast that they will be able to provide catwalk inspired fashion in-store as early as 6 weeks after being seen on the runway.

XXX want to represent themselves as a set or stable of inhouse brands all found under one roof. The store would have the impression of a set of concessions like Harrods or Selfridges, however these would only be subbrands rather than individual companies, all with their own identity, positioned around the store.

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THE BRIEF/ 02 QUESTIONING

When being presented with any brief questions are always raised.

There are questions that need to be answered before delivering a solution to the brief.

What kind of fashion company is XXX? What is ‘fast fashion’?

Who are their main competitors?

How do they plan on getting fashion from the catwalk to the stores in 6 weeks?

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Do they plan on undercutting TopShop, or do they see their main competitors as H&M and or Primark?

THE BRIEF/ 03 THE OUTCOME

The outcome of this Brief is to create a brand for one of their four departments (subbrands): Denim Shop Childrens Wear Urban Wear Lingerie The Brand must encompass the identity elements and key applications of the brand (Name and Logo). Executing swing tickets, packaging, press releases, advertising (posters to social networking).

I decided to take on the Urban wear department to brand. Examples of Urban Wear brands already on the market are Abercrombie and Fitch, Jack Wills, Hollister, Urban Outfitters, and Superdry. I picked Urban Wear because these are the brands I buy. So my knowledge of Urban Wear brands is good, setting a good basis to create a successful brand.

On top of this I feel it’s key to establish the brands core message, its values, tone of voice and personality.

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SECONDARY RESEARCH/ 01 IMMERSED WITHIN FASHION

SNAKE PRINT DRESSES TREND 2011 KATE MIDDLETONS WEDDING DRESS - CINDERELLA JACK WILLS PROVOCATIVE ADS BANNED YES, MAKE RONALD BUNCE NEXT’S MODEL PARIS FASHION WEEK Headlines in fashion magazines and on fashion websites.

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I immersed myself in the fashion world, reading fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Gracia, Cosomopolitan etc. I also had daily fashion blogs that gave me an insight of the publics view on particular high street brands: “Abercrombie and Fitch made thongs for 10 year olds. Excuse me while I choke on my own vomit.

Why the hell did Abercrombie and Fitch think 10 year olds would wear thongs?

And what kind of parents actually buy them for their daughters?” – Mike from New York.

“Something that an entire generation wear even though it seems to be more well made than just about anything else on the high street. Jack Wills is a horrendous exploitation. People buy a rather frankly ugly £60 hoodie as a status symbol, because they like to pretend they’re rich and think they can buy their way into something they’re not.” – Bargain shopper in Oxford street

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SECONDARY RESEARCH/ 02 SUCCESSFUL BRANDS

I looked at well established brands to gain some insight into what makes a brand successful.

Virgin

They all have a strong brand message/heritage.

Starbucks

Belief in their product and themselves.

Abercrombie and Fitch

Visually strong

Jack Wills

Know their target market

Innocent Smoothies

And have a great ethos.

Superdry

These attributes really are key in creating a successful brand that works.

Hollister

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Why are these brands so successful?

SECONDARY RESEARCH/ 03 ANALYSIS

There is a clear theme running throughout the successful urban wear brands on the high street. Most of the brands run with this elitist, ‘preppy’ image. These brands have such a strong brand image, people have a strong opinion of not only the brand itself but also the people who shop there.

It’s worrying how much one is judged on what one wears.

But isn’t that what fashions all about? It’s subjective, not everyone is supposed to like it; however with urban wear especially, targeted at 15-30s there seems to be a strong divide between the brands.

Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, Jack Wills have all gone down the route of ‘preppy’ upper class clothing, all with heritages that come hand in hand – rowing, fish-

ing university crowd.

Their brand image is all about beauty, and class; to a lot of people its quite frankly vulgar. But this is the interesting thing; the same people who find it vulgar, find it irresistible, and seductive.

They cant help but think, by simply buying these expensive clothes, they’re buying themselves into the elitist class the brand sells.

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PRIMARY RESEARCH/ 01 PHOTO ENTHOGRAPHY/ OBSERVATIONAL RESEARCH

I went wondering around the streets of London, absorbing the high streets atmosphere, asking people what makes a good fashion brand. Slowly building up an understanding of what fashion brands are about; what they look like, and what the public think of them.

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PRIMARY RESEARCH/ 02 COMPETITOR REVIEW / HIGH STREET SURVEYS

Jack Wills

class. They are confident and they ooze effortless style.

Jack Wills creates fabulously They adore a hedonistic British goods for the university party. And they are ever so, crowd. Drawing inspirations ever so laid back. It is the from Britain’s rich history and complete opposite to anything remotely chavvy such as culture, juxtaposed with a heavy dose of the hedonistic Adidias or Lonsdale. university lifestyle, we create authentic and relevant cloth- I asked shoppers what they thought of the brand: ing for today.

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The British alternative to Abercrombie and Fitch but much more exclusive to those who can afford it. JW has a rock solid, traditional British heritage, inspired by vintage sportswear, beachwear and classic British public school style. It is the epitome of British preppy cool. Customers who are mainly sloanes and preps are arguably beautiful and sexy. They are the popular guys and girls in

“Something that an entire generation wear even though it seems to be more well made than just about anything else on the high street. Jack Wills is a horrendous exploitation. People buy a rather frankly ugly £60 hoodie as a status symbol, because they like to pretend they’re rich and think they can buy their way into something they’re not.” – Bargain shopper in Oxford street

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PRIMARY RESEARCH/ 03 COMPETITOR REVIEW / HIGH STREET SURVEYS

Abercrombie and Fitch

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There is no arguing that the Americans were the first in the fashion industry to tap into a upper class, luxury, life style brand to cater to the finer living American. Abercrombie and Fitch were the first. The conditioning of the consumer, to the Abercrombie & Fitch lifestyle, takes place before they enter the store, via the stylized shop fronts, the branded clothing style and the distinctive packaging. However, the real lifestyle experience takes place inside the store. Upon entering, the customer meets the sales assistant, who is not just attentive and well versed, but most times, model-esque - the perfect clotheshorse.

Draped against a backdrop of extremely subdued lighting

and a wall of clubby music, they have been talent-spotted into their jobs by the lure of being “in-store models”, rather than sales assistants.

It’s not unusual to sight their trademark, topless, male models loitering at the door to greet the happy consumer.

Sales assistant and models alike, Abercrombie have carefully handpicked these people because they make for perfect brand ambassadors, complete with jaw-aching smiles. After all, you’re not merely buying clothes, one is buying a brand message - these clothes make you the all American-Hero, they make you tanned, beautiful, and popular. Having the physical embodiment in the shop proves that the smiling face on the bag is a tangible image.

“They made thongs for 10 year olds. Excuse me while I choke on my own vomit.

Why the hell did Abercrombie and Fitch think 10 year olds would wear thongs?

And what kind of parents actually buy them for their daughters?” – Mike from New York

for the rich and the good looking to flaunt themselves ridiculously at each other. If you’re light hearted and can take the scowling eyes, it’s a place worth visiting to have a laugh at the absurdity of it all.” – Nicola from Berkhamsted

“Abercrombie and Fitch is a place where you find the buffest, blondest, fakest people possible working there.

You feel immediately judged when you walk into the store, and if you have a slight belly, or a spot on your face you’ll know about it. It’s a theatre

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PRIMARY RESEARCH/ 04 OVERVIEW

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Overview After interview members of the public from Oxford Street and talking to friends who are studying fashion branding; I observed how shoppers move about the store and documenting my research with photographs. I’ve started to gain a real insight into the fashion world, especially Urban wear brands.

What works for these brands are that they tap into our egos. They are either our regular store we go to, to spend all of Mummy and Daddy’s money, or we’ve been seduced and cant help mixing with the ‘upper class’ and fulfilling our retail guilty pleasure.

You could argue this ideology is wrong, but Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, Jack Wills are hugely successful brands, they have selected a powerful target audience which provokes opinions which only adds the their success. You either love it, hate it, or pretend to hate it but secretly love it.

My urban wear brand needs to be able to be as desirable as the successful luxury brands that are on the market already. It needs to have a strong heritage and tap into the popular demand of the high street.

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IDEA GENERATION DIRECTION

Now that I had a substational understand of the market, I had an idea of what direction I wanted to take the brand.

These trend setters love their fashion, and like a bargain too. They have aloud for a thriving new fashion business: the vintage second hand shop, which have taken the London has a reputation for most popular parts of London being the hub of fashion. by storm, to the extent that It also has a distinctive TopShop even have a second city trend you won’t find hand vintage department in anywhere else. You see it all Oxford Street. These people over the city; brogues, trench love their fashion, but like a coats, and Andy Warhol bargain too. esque glasses.

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INSPIRATION / 01

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IDEA GENERATION INSPIRATION / 02

Looking at these images you can start slowly piece together a visual idea of the kind of brand I’m creating.

Sheek, trendy, exclusive, luxury, and famous. Famous in the same sense that London is famous for its fashion.

I also used some branding techniques to help develop the core values of my new fashion brand.

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I listed all the values I wanted my brand to have. Once I filled the triangle, I then thought about the most important ones and put them at the top of the triangle, helping to decide my core brand values.

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TYPICAL LOYAL CUSTOMER/ 01 FEMALE / EMILY

Age: 24 Income: £22,000 – 28,000 Career: Professional photographer Where she eats out: Nice bistro’s, and cool one off restaurants in London Where she lives: London What she does at the weekend: Has either a wild night out in East London, or quiet night in with her very good-looking boyfriend. They might go out for a picnic, or something spontaneous because she loves spontaneous ideas.

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Her attitude: She an open-minded person with a creative streak. She comes from a middle to lower class background but has made something for herself so mixes well with different classes. She’s outgoing, fun, adventurous and likes to break free from the main stream a little. She knows what she likes, and loves a bargain.

TYPICAL LOYAL CUSTOMER/ 02 MALE / REGGIE

Age: 26 Income: £34,000 – 150,000 Career: TV/Radio Presenter

His attitude: Very fun and confident person. Loves socializing and mixing with the music industry, and is genuinely a very creative person. Also very style conscious, but isn’t driven by labels.

Where he eats out: Loves eating in China town, and his weakness is chips.

Where he lives: London What he does at the weekend: When he’s not working on the radio, he loves watching live music and has a real passion for photography and film. So loves being out and about snapping away and travelling when he can.

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THE BRAND NAME / PROPOSITION

Name: This Is London I chose ‘This Is London’ beOur heritage is London’s cause it epitomises the idea fashion. London is seen as of the brand. This Is London the fashion hub, famous for sells the latest London trend. It its distinctive city style. We’re sets the trend. at the fore front of trends in London, and have taken The leading urban wear inspiration from the latest fashion brands all have a trends of vintage styles and distinctive mark in the market. second hand shops to create This is mainly down to their a foot hold within the industry heritage. For example, Jack to push our trends forward.

Wills aims at the university Nostalgia is a big ingredient crowd, they’ve created a in raising the market value of brand that oozes upper a ‘vernacular’ style, its not a class luxury college student return to history but a repackfashion. Their strapline – aging of history. We treat ‘Fabulously British’. They have past trends and styles not as a direct market that creates the root of the present but as a status people want to buy a distant Other. into. Abercrombie and Fitch has a heritage that mirrors Jack Wills positioning in the US.

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BRAND/ INSPIRATION

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THE BRAND/ 01 LOGO GENERATION

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THE BRAND/ 02 THE LOGOS

LOGO 1

LOGO 2

The logo’s is supposed to mirror the brands core values and message visually. Logo 1 was created in a simple typographic style, making sure the typography looked creative and sophisticate, while making sure it looked English not American.

Logo 2 is the symbol side of the brand. The glasses symbolise the trend, the brand and the customers. Its got ‘Est.’ in the corner like the famous Rah Bahn glasses make, all ‘This Is London’ customers will be familiar with.

The 1984 represents the year of London’s first fashion show.

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THE BRAND/ 03 TONE OF VOICE/EXECUTION

THIS IS LONDON

TYPOGRAPHY

“THE TREND FITTERS”

The typography had to be completely right for the brand to work. It had create an atmosphere of traditional british city culture, with a blend of modernism. Stricking a balance between the two, while looking luxurious.

“FANKS GOVNER” “JOIN THE CLUB” The tone of voice is clear ‘The Trend Fitters’, we set the trend for London city style.

‘Fanks Govner’. Its playful and a bit tongue in cheak.

Using cockney rhyming slang shows off our strong personality.

‘Join The Club’ - We’re the start of a new movement, join us. Inviting and sets a sense of community about the brand.

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Neutra Text (Book Alt) ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Copperplate (Light) ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Edwardian Script (Reg) Abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz