Research File - Joanna Lyle

joanna lyle research file by alexandra regazzoni

PR campaign 2018/2019 RESEARCH FILE 1

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I . research

History...............................................................................11

Strategy..............................................................................125

Interview: Joanna Lyle..............................................16

Tactic 1: Visual Identity..............................................126

Analysis.............................................................................19

Experiments...................................................................130

Brand Essence..............................................................20

Tactic 2: Editorial Campaign..................................134

Communication...........................................................22

Moodboard....................................................................138

Showroom & Structure..........................................27

Tactic 3¡ Online Content.......................................142

Shop Report..................................................................31

3.1 Daniela Cattaneo

Current Consumer....................................................32

Why Daniela............................................................... 145

Interview: Current Consumer.............................33

3.2 Influencers

Analysis.............................................................................35

La Double J.................................................................... 152

Consumer Profiles.....................................................36

Tactic 4: Press Day......................................................158

Survey #1..................................................................... 38

Schedule...........................................................................163

Survey #2..................................................................... 41

Tactic 5: Brera Loft.....................................................164

Competitors

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Maliparmi.........................................................................48

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II.

strategy

142

146

Patricia Urquiola..........................................................166 Hotels................................................................................168

La Double J.................................................................... 63

Studio Pepe................................................................... 172

Silken Favours...............................................................77

Brera Loft.. .....................................................................174

Liberty...............................................................................82

Media List....................................................................... 178

Les Belles Heures.......................................................85

Tactic 6: Apartamento..............................................183

External Environment

Tactic 7: Salone.............................................................190

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Made in Italy & The Silk Industry........................92

Interview: Patrizia Malfatti......................................191

MIlano................................................................................95

Monocle...........................................................................193

Fashion & Interiors.....................................................100

Momoni............................................................................196

Trends: the Scarf..........................................................108

COS...................................................................................200

Niche Brands.................................................................111

Press....................................................................................202

Branding...........................................................................118

Tactic 8: Super................................................................220

Pestel..................................................................................121

Bibliography.....................................................................229

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I.

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RESEARCH

“I arrived in Milan in May 1988 with 60 kilos of luggage and a sewing machine, about £100, and extremely limited knowledge of the Italian language. “ Joanna Lyle, 2017

about /

history

Joanna Lyle was founded in 2009 by the British eponymous designer in Milan.

Born in Lancashire in the 60’s from a family of artists, Joanna’s creative vision never stopped evolving under the influence of her parent’s projects and the wilderness of the Northern moors (Joanna Lyle, 2017).

The time Joanna spent at university was extremely fertile in terms of creativity and production, and led to the conception of iconic pieces such as the Delilah sofa and the Sarah and Sir Jasper “Joker” chairs (Joanna Lyle, 2017).

Having graduated in a time which coincided with the apex of Milan’s reputation as the Mecca for design, it only made sense for all the generation of young furniture engineers, including Joanna, to suddenly have the urge to gravitate towards the Italian hub.

After graduating from London’s Middlesex College of Art with a degree in Three Dimensional Design, Joanna pursued her artistic education at the University of Buckinghamshire with a Masters in Furniture Design & Technology. These years of experimentation allowed Joanna to explore new grounds of creativity and consequently impelled the creation of several pieces deemed unfeasible by her professors (Joanna Lyle, 2017).

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about /

history

After countless times Joanna and her portfolio visited designer studios in Milan, the 26 year old Brit finally got her foot in the door. Soon enough Joanna’s visionary designs gained recognition from prestigious companies such as Alessi, “a collaboration which led to the birth of the iconic Chimu bowl, which was the winner of the Alessi’s Memory Container Competition in 1990. Joanna Lyle then went on to design extensive collections of objects for Alessi, including the on-going Ovo range of eggshaped containers”.

(The Modern Archive, 2017) In no time, Joanna was working with other prestigious Milanese companies such as Acerbis International, Fiam and Arredaesse and alongside pioneering designers including Perry King and Santiago Miranda.

The 90s witnessed Joanna Lyle’s evolution from a grad student to a demanded professional selfemployed designer. Spurred by her unrivalled vision in the field and yearning to follow her own direction, Joanna decided to start her own interiors company at the turn of the millennium.

“One of the best things about Italy is the possibility to work with the wealth of small companies and

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artisans thus having the possibility to realise design ideas. It is wonderful to work with people who are enthusiastic and who take a real pride in using their skills to produce work of the highest quality.” (175 Heroes, 2017).

The freedom that self-employment carried prompted Joanna to glide away from the creative direction she had been accustomed to and to experiment with new forms of design.

In 2003 Joanna ultimately launched her first own collection under her name in collaboration with Swarovski crystals.

“The collection included upholstered and topstitched leather cabinets, seating, cushions and poufs. The decorative motifs in crystals and studs which characterised this collection were produced

by Swarovski exclusively for Joanna Lyle and certified with the prestigious “crystallized” label” (Joanna Lyle, 2017).

This collection was very dissimilar from the pieces she had previously been commissioned to produce, such as Chimu or Ovo, but again, Joanna Lyle’s essence was conveyed in the curves, colours and patterns of her new creations. Embellished with

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about /

history

“Joanna Lyle’s style has always been coherent with her creative spirit, attracted by curved, organic lines and the harmony of colours and materials. Her conviction and determination in affirming her personal and distinguishing style, has taken Joanna Lyle to international acclaim.”

(Nest, 2017) Swarovski crystals, Joanna continued to create high quality, bespoke interior accessories, furniture and décor, distinguished by an innate sense of harmonious colour and shape, differentiating her signature style from the multitude of Italian and international designers in the industry.

During these years, Joanna’s vibrant lines of cushions, lamps and furnishings were frequently exhibited at international tradeshows such as Maison & Objet in Paris as well as Milan, Verona and Dubai. Joanna Lyle began to network with other industry experts and to engage in both small and full bespoke interior commissions.

The designer’s sense of experimentation with colour and pattern has never ceased to develop, leading to her most recent artistic venture in the field of fashion, begun in 2015 (Joanna Lyle, 2017). Revisiting her childhood passion for creating patterns with paint, Joanna began to play with watercolours and printing the aqueous impressions on silk, velvet and wool. Subsequently, prompted by a lack of satisfaction with the quality and patterns available on the market, her change of direction was inaugurated with a line of one-off printed scarves, bags, coats and shirts.

In 2009, Joanna opened her first solo showroom in the heart of the Brera Milanese design and fashion district (Joanna Lyle, 2017). Set on a charming side road off the bustling and lively Corso Garibaldi, “Amoeba” is the home and exhibition space for Joanna’s latest creations. The showroom also displays the finest textiles and fabrics from some of the leading European companies such as Designers Guild, Zimmer & Rohde and Romo e Jab (Joanna Lyle, 2017).

Joanna has continued to experiment with shapes, silhouettes and of course, patterns. The result is beautifully made, high quality garments for women with a lust for a touch of colour and vibrancy to their wardrobe, not at the expense of luxurious materials.

Her latest creations consist of a new line of fine scarves, shirts, tunics and coats. These products, except for the latest large order of shirts, are unique pieces of small production quantities, that range from locally sourced wool, silk and velvet (Lyle, J. 2017) 14

Sicilia and isole Collections Since February 2018, Joanna Lyle has been working on the production of a collection of scarves and cushions made with silk and velvet vibrant hues.

The silk scarves belong to the ensemble Sicilia, whilst the cushions are known as Isole.

These two collections will drop around the time of the Salone 2018.

Both Sicilia and Isole epitomise Joanna Lyle’s essence, and more than ever embody the quality that stands at the forefront of the brand’s archive.

Ranging from 60-100 euros for a scarf, and 200 for a velvet cushion.

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interview with Joanna Lyle 25.10.2017

When did you first consider yourself as a fully matured designer?

Does your interior design background inspire/ influence your fashion creations?

J: I had some success when I was a student, I got a commission form my 1st degree show to make a dining table ( the one I produced for my degree show) but I think I felt like like a true designer when I won the Alessi competition, for the “memory containers” in 1990. That was a big competition

J: Mmm no I think I’m taking a new direction that doesn’t necessarily stem from interior design.

Who are you creating these products for?

J: I guess I started because I couldn’t find anything myself that I liked or wanted to wear myself, nothing available on the market. Although I think my things look good on young women, I am making things that women over 50 feel good in and look in, something that look and feel nice because they are made in beautiful colours and fabrics and in beautiful shapes.

I don’t want to say I’m designing for that market only because I would like to see young women in my clothes as well! Basically I think you have to have a bit of a love for colour and flattering shapes. There are so few nice prints around!

What would you say has always inspired you in your work?

J: Other kinds of artwork or design. Particularly colour – going to exhibitions, travelling, you know.

Seeing products from other cultures.

What is Joanna Lyle as a brand in a few words?

J: Pattern and colour.

As a brand?

J: I began producing things for interiors and I have now moved into the fashion and clothing industry and the common denominator are the fabrics that I’m designing myself. These textiles are developed from my paintings in watercolor and printing them on textiles, applying them across different sectors which are interiors and fashion.

How do people behave in your store?

When did you start creating fashion products?

Are they curious about the product and the process?

J: Yes!

J: Lots and lots of people stop and say everything is beautiful, and those who come in are enthusiastic about colour.

Do they try things on?

J: Yeah

J: I started about a year ago with a small collection of jackets and coats, as well as accessories such as scarves in velvet silk and wool. Also bags with my exclusive designs. This year we have been experimenting with shirts and tunics, more simple staple fashion items. Im working on a line of shirts made with 5 different prints on silk. These will be coming in the next few weeks and I already have ideas for my next Autumn/ Winter collection that we will present in the Spring. I don’t really want to follow fashion but create pieces in their own right.

I want to have some basic items that continue through the seasons, such as the classic shirt in different prints.

Who are they?

J: Mostly women but also a few men who have come in to buy full outfits for their wives! All kind of people are interested in the scarves. I think people like that I have designed them from watercolor paintings.

Who is your consumer?

J: Judging from the experience of this year I would say women 40 years old and above. A lot of foreigners come in, they’re from all over, but also a 16

lot of Italians in general. I would say they are middle and upper middle class, because the things aren’t really cheap. All my customers are different, some are retired, some are working.

to read many publications. And the guardian.

What social media platforms do you use?

J: Instagram and Facebook

Do you build long-term relationships with your customers?

Do you follow brands on social media?

J: There’s a few people who have bought two or three things and keep coming back and wanting to know about new products. 40s and 50 year old. One of the clients we did the home interiors for has also become a fashion client too! She came in yesterday with a jacket and scarf from last year.

J: I follow some of them, like Allegra Hicks. I don’t actually follow many brands but I look at their websites to do my research. I look at brands I like like Jigsaw, Maliparmi, All Saints, which is kind of the opposite of what I do. It sort of complements my brand cause its so neutral. I’d like to be as successful as Matthew Williamson!

Is the fashion line a reflection of the interiors line?

Where do you shop?

J: I think it’s a reflection of my taste and my ability to put materials and colours together particularly, which people like! I’ve been told I can put the most unlikely colours together and make them look harmonious and pleasing. That applies to interiors or dressing someone!

J: Bloody Zara! And Cos, Jigsaw, Max&Co, sometimes more independent boutiques around my shop. Like the guy next door. There are a few shops around here that do similar things!

What is most important for you whilst shopping: label, material, price

What is different about Joanna Lyle?

J: That I’m using prints, designs for textiles that are very different to anything else on the market whether interiors or fashion. Ive seen that people like it and want more of it!

J: Probably material first, as in the quality the colour and patterns etc.

Are these three elements directly proportioned in your brand?

J: Yes, because I’m using really high quality materials like pure silk, wool and cashmere. Most velvets on the market are polyester velvets whereas we use silk and viscose which is better quality and much nicer.

Who are your direct competitors?

J: Maliparmi, cause they do their own fabrics, although they have a more ethnic twist. La Double J too.

When and where would you wear your products?

Who are your target competitors?

J: Everyday!

J: Orla Kiely

Have you seen a rise of demand for these products?

J: Yes, well last Christmas we sold out all the scarves and could have sold a lot more. We have had a lot of people coming in asking about them. We moved the production from the UK to Italy this year and had gaps of stocks so people have been asking.

What publications do you read?

J: British Vogue more than Italian Vogue I must confess. I look at Grazia, Marie Claire, Red. Things maybe for a slightly older market. I don’t have time 17

Would you go back to furniture design?

evening and then come back because they’ve seen things!

In what way do you take part in Milan Design Week?

J: Well I do if people want things, we’re happy to do it. That’s why the website covers both sides.

J: We’re part of the Brera Design District, and listed in their guide book. There are a lot of galleries here too.

Explain the design process that leads to a new product.

J: Now the fabrics are all printed around the Como area and the manufacturing is either in Milan or just towards Como and Varese. This line of shirts is the first big batch of product we’ve ordered, whereas our previous items like the jackets and coats were all one-off pieces. Tunics and shirts that weve made throughout the year have been 3 or 4 max of either shape or colour. I design the fabrics and the styles and then I make prototypes with a tailor, and for the smaller productions he makes them for me. The shirts are made in a small factory, which are also used by Jil Sander!

Do people who are here for Design Week show interest in your shop and come in?

J: Yeah frequently! Mostly people who have shops or are just here visiting. We get a lot of foreigners.

Obviously its mostly people from the design industry who come and want to know prices and where everything comes from and where its made.

At the time I was exhibiting through galleries everything I was doing was being published in magazines.

What is your goal for JL?

Why did you choose to open a shop in Brera?

J: To create a brand that’s successful and well known, I guess it’s always going to be a niche brand but I want to increase awareness, not just in Italy. At the moment we haven’t really been using the website properly but our latest order of scarves have come in so those are going to be available online.

J: Because its near where I live! Haha. Its an area where the right kind of people shop, you can find lots of small independent boutiques rather than the big chain stores.

What are these kinds of people?

J:A lot of local but also tourists. It’s the old part of town and very pretty. A foreign lady stopped me on the street the other day and asked “Is this the road where I can find shops with Italian products?” She was looking to buy something that she could only find here and not in the rest of the world.

interview with Joanna Lyle analysis

The interview with designer and founder of the brand, Joanna Lyle, clarified multiple aspects of the company that do not appear transparent from secondary research.

Providing an overall view of the designer’s opinion of her brand, the interview also disclosed specific information such as her view of the brand’s competitors, consumer and essence of Joanna Lyle. One of the key results from this research is

that the fashion line of the brand is disassociated from the designer’s previous work, and she wishes to grow from this perspective and raise brand awareness in this particular sector of fashion.

The following sections will analyse Joanna Lyle based on the information disclosed in this interview, coupled with secondary research and a shop report.

Have you seen any changes in this area of Milan?

J: Its not so much Brera but the area just after Corso Como which has changed dramatically. Its positively influenced my shop because there are a lot of important designer labels there like Vivienne Westwood and DSquared, so it brings more passage. The Cinema around the corner brings more Milanese people too because they’ve expanded to 10 screens. This cinema shows more cult films rather than box office Hollywood films. It brings people of a certain type who come pass frequently going to the cinema. They tell me they always walk past in the 18

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brand essence

The essence of Joanna Lyle as a brand stems from the process of merging ar t with textiles, creating unique, high quality products for fashion and interiors.

This sense of conceiving textiles from ar t emerged from the designer’s upbringing in an ar tistic environment and later on her formative years at ar t school (Joanna Lyle, 2017).

Joanna’s admiration of colour and as a consequence, of ar tists including the Fauvists (Derain, Bonnard, Matisse), Mirò or David Hockney, is constantly reflected in her work (Lyle, J. 2017).

Therefore, colour and lines are at the core of Joanna Lyle’s aesthetic. Throughout her multifaceted career, the designer has remained aligned to the brand that is, in all truth, herself. From the Delilah sofa to the Ovo collection at Alessi, and now on to sinuous prints, Joanna has remained constant and coherent to her vision.

In the personal inter view with the designer, Joanna confessed that this new experimentation within fashion is not directly inspired by her previous collection of work

in design, but just like her first pieces of furniture, she takes inspiration from other ar twork, in par ticular from the use of colour (Lyle, J.2017). The “common denominator” between her previous productions and the fashion direction she has taken, is in fact, the creation of fabrics that she is designing herself (Lyle, J. 2017).

When asked if the fashion line were a reflection of Joanna’s experience in interiors, the designer wished to underline a detachment between her previous career and the new projects she has been working on more recently (Lyle, J. 2017).

Fomented by what she saw as a lack of “beautiful prints” in the market, Joanna decided it was time to bring fashion into the picture. The garments, which reflect Joanna Lyle’s style and voice as a brand, are loud but sophisticated pieces. The colours harmoniously sit together on exclusive fabrics, cut out in elegant and mature silhouettes for women who want to feel smar t and make a staple appearance.

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“I’ve been told I can put the most unlikely colours together and make them look harmonious and pleasing. That applies to interiors or dressing someone!”

(Lyle, J. 2017)

luxurious fabrics that looked flattering on an older woman (Lyle, J. 2017).

The conducted research on Joanna Lyle shows that the brand’s essence are the products themselves. At this stage in time, Joanna Lyle is not communicated through a strong brand identity, making it possible to connect with the brand solely through this product.

Joanna’s main concern is in fact to create something “beautiful” to feel, not only to see (Lyle, J. 2017). However, this attention to detail and quality is not translated through any of the brand touchpoints, which will be analysed in the next section.

By analysing this statement, Joanna Lyle’s ar tistic inclination has emerged to be the one, true inspiration for the brand. This can be evidenced as she is following her personal passion and taste for colour, independently from what shades or patterns are in fashion at the moment. Subsequently, Joanna creates for herself, making her become the ideal, target consumer.

In the inter view Joanna also affirmed that the reason behind this new venture in the fashion market is a gap that she detected herself. Not finding anything on the high street that was made by the high quality fabrics she was looking for, spurred the designer to invest her talent in creating wearable, 21

communication

about

joanna lyle instagram

communication

“A study commissioned by Instagram in March 2017, found that over 58 percent of luxur y global consumers from France, Italy, Germany, the UAE, UK and the US (defined as those aged 16 to 64 earning more than 125,001 euros) use the platform to s tay up-to-date on trends” (BoF, 2017).

The posts are accompanied by captions written in formal tones, but lacking character.

It does not feel like the brand is tr ying to connect with the consumer and the use of hashtags is messy and distracting from the product.

The content on the page ranges from images of the merchandise, some shot professionally, to more random photographs such as of animals or ar t exhibitions. The main issue is the lack of creative direction and theme, resulting in an overall incongruous visual identity.

Joanna Lyle’s communication strategy is ver y poor. In a day and age where we are constantly online, buying directly from social media and uninterruptedly being fed marketing visual images, Joanna Lyle sits ver y far behind.

Both the brand’s social media pages, Facebook and Instagram, lack any professionally created visual content, appearing amateur and hindering the brand’s connectivity with the consumer. This can be obser ved in the ver y meagre number of followers, which oscillates between 100 and 120 users.

feed 15 times a day and posts three times more often than the average user. What’s more, one in three Instagrammers say they have bought a fashion item they discovered on the platform, according to the same sur vey” (Pike, 2016).

Subsequently, it is evident from this data that an emerging brand must be investing time and money in this visual platform.

Additionally, the inter view with Elisa Carassai, ex editorial assistant at La Double J which will be analysed at a fur ther stage, has confirmed that the reason for this brand’s rapid growth was par tly due to the strategy she implicated in social media (Carassai, E. 2017). Joanna Lyle’s posting pattern is extremely irregular, with interruptions of weeks at a time. It is obvious that the brand does not apply any form of strategy, on top of poor resolution images and lack of creative direction.

According to Business of Fashion, Instagram is still the number one platform for small brands to emerge despite the recent overcrowding of users (Pike, 2016). In fact, a sur vey from 2016 by Mediakix shows that “the average European Instagrammer interested in high street fashion checks their 22

The company has no form of adver torial imager y, except for a selection of images of the products worn by women of different ages.The pictures are not taken professionally and the model does not match the consumer, as she looks like she is in her early twenties.

Despite affirming itself as a luxur y fashion brand, Joanna Lyle’s social media and website do not live up to this level of identity.

Joanna Lyle, as an independent brand, has only worked in one collaboration with the Ver tigine hair salon in Milan’s Brera district.

The salon, is representative of the affluent Brera woman, whose regular visits are par t of her weekly schedule.

This collaboration consisted of Joanna Lyle bespoke lamps and embroidered mirrors in the shop, clearly visible through the windows and in-store. Ser ving to raise brand awareness amongst the Milanese affluent society, this endeavour was however not accompanied by any form of social media content or event which silenced the whole project. Joanna Lyle does not appear on Ver tigine Salon’s website, nor do they appear on hers.

This evidences a lack of strategy that has affected the ultimate goal of this collaboration.

Again, research shows that this visual platform is crucial in the sector of fashion and par ticularly luxur y.

The same applies for the brand’s Facebook, which is liked by 156 people only. The page’s profile picture is an image of a woman clearly taken by a mobile phone, which does not reflect neither professionalism nor a clear brand identity. Here the designer shares images of her most recent products, but again, probably taken herself and not according to any PR strategy.

The logo, as shown on both Facebook and the brand’s website, is a bland shape that comes in various bold colours. The font is dated, as are any event invitations or brand imager y. This pover ty of visual identity is causing inefficient communication and engagement with the consumer, resulting in a weak presence in the market, press and online.

Joanna Lyle’s website is the brand’s strongest form of media. It offers insight and detailed information about the designer and the range of products, but once again, lacks adequate visual content.

The sum of issues that have risen from this communication audit are at the base of Joanna Lyle’s weak brand visual identity.

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communication: INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK

EVENT INVITATION

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showroom & structure

Joanna Lyle is a niche, independent brand that perseveres for the impeccable quality of its materials and the strategic showroom location. However, it has not expanded over the years due to a lack of communication and is extremely small in terms of structure.

Mango or H&M. Amoeba embodies the warmth of the cobblestone streets of Brera and the minute size of the company’s structure mirrors the uniqueness and meticulous Italian ar tistr y that fabricates each bespoke garment, accessor y or interior furnishing.

The brand is run by Joanna herself, who works alongside her right-hand Luca Gallotta, who takes care of the production and website. The duo and shop assistant Camu take it in turns to run Amoeba, the Milanese showroom, open ever y day except for Mondays. The intimacy of the brand, run by now ver y close friends, conveys the identity of what is Joanna Lyle as a niche brand.

The brand, the colours and Amoeba’s décor convey a sense of family intimacy and Italian ar tisanship that is typical of the emblematic neighbourhood. Brera and Moscova, two overlapping districts of the city centre joined by the bustling cobbled Corso Garibaldi, are a big attraction for both tourists and locals.

The atmosphere is somewhat jollier and cosy than a high street, the ar tisanal boutiques more inviting and endearing than the big capitalist conglomerates that might be Zara, 26

Renown for the richness of its ar t and culture, Brera is the ultimate destination to get a glimpse of the “old” Milan and grasp a feeling of what the city used to be in the past centuries. Abundant of small, independent shops, Brera is home to Joanna Lyle’s direct competitors in this sector of tourism such as Maliparmi, which sits round the corner from Amoeba. Additionally, Brera is one of the main settings for Salone del Mobile, the world’s leading design festival that takes place across the city each spring. Joanna Lyle is in fact par t of the Brera Design District, which attracts international visitors to the brand’s showroom each year.

Joanna Lyle’s store location is therefore a thriving oppor tunity for the brand, creating an association between the label and this design-led, ar tistic district.

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showroom & structure

As mentioned previously, Amoeba also stocks fabrics from prestigious fabric suppliers such as Thibaut, Designers Guild, Romo e Jab, Zhimmer and Rhode, James Hare and so on (Joanna Lyle, 2017). The complete list of companies can be found on the Joanna Lyle website. However, this aspect of the Joanna Lyle ser vices is not highlighted efficiently.

The brand spans across different activities: fashion, interior furniture, interior décor, and bespoke refurnishing, which the client can choose from Joanna Lyle’s own fabrics or those of these suppliers.

As par t of the brand’s internal environment, the showroom brings both positive and negative aspects to the company. As obser ved in the section above, the location is a strong oppor tunity for Joanna Lyle to gain

visibility in the design and fashion industries, which are linked by press, events and collaborators.

Never theless, the disassociation between the name of the designer’s eponymous brand and the showroom, impedes a direct correlation between the two elements of the same organization.

The shop’s name Amoeba, which is completely irrelevant to Joanna Lyle, induces confusion and risks to disassociate the Joanna Lyle brand from its touchpoints and vice versa. For a shop customer who wishes to follow the brand online and on social media, the lack of name cohesion may result as an impediment and large issue.

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Amoeba

shop report

Joanna Lyle is a niche, independent brand that perseveres for the impeccable quality of its materials and the strategic showroom location. However, it has not expanded over the years due to a lack of communication and is extremely small in terms of structure.

more inviting and endearing than the big capitalist conglomerates that might be Zara, Mango or H&M. Amoeba embodies the warmth of the cobblestone streets of Brera and the minute size of the company’s structure mirrors the uniqueness and meticulous Italian ar tistr y that fabricates each bespoke garment, accessor y or interior furnishing.

The brand is run by Joanna herself, who works alongside her right-hand Luca Gallotta, who takes care of the production and website. The duo and shop assistant Camu take it in turns to run Amoeba, the Milanese showroom, open ever y day except for Mondays. The intimacy of the brand, run by now ver y close friends, conveys the identity of what is Joanna Lyle as a niche brand.

Renown for the richness of its ar t and culture, Brera is the ultimate destination to get a glimpse of the “old” Milan and grasp a feeling of what the city used to be in the past centuries. Abundant of small, independent shops, Brera is home to Joanna Lyle’s direct competitors in this sector of tourism such as Maliparmi, which sits round the corner from Amoeba. Additionally, Brera is one of the main settings for Salone del Mobile, the world’s leading design festival that takes place across the city each spring. Joanna Lyle is in fact par t of the Brera Design District, which attracts international visitors to the brand’s showroom each year.

The brand, the colours and Amoeba’s décor convey a sense of family intimacy and Italian ar tisanship that is typical of the emblematic neighbourhood. Brera and Moscova, two overlapping districts of the city centre joined by the bustling cobbled Corso Garibaldi, are a big attraction for both tourists and locals.

The atmosphere is somewhat jollier and cosy than a high street, the ar tisanal boutiques 30

Joanna Lyle’s store location is therefore a thriving oppor tunity for the brand, creating an association between the label and this designled, ar tistic district.

As mentioned previously, Amoeba also stocks fabrics from prestigious fabric suppliers such as Thibaut, Designers Guild, Romo e Jab, Zhimmer and Rhode, James Hare and so on (Joanna Lyle, 2017). The complete list of companies can be found on the Joanna Lyle website. However, this aspect of the Joanna Lyle ser vices is not highlighted efficiently.The brand spans across different activities: fashion, interior furniture, interior décor, and bespoke refurnishing, which the client can choose from Joanna Lyle’s own fabrics or those of these suppliers.

As par t of the brand’s internal environment, the showroom brings both positive and negative aspects to the company. As obser ved in the section above, the location is a strong oppor tunity for Joanna Lyle to gain visibility in the design and fashion industries, which are linked by press, events and collaborators.

Never theless, the disassociation between the name of the designer’s eponymous brand and

the showroom, impedes a direct correlation between the two elements of the same organization.

The shop’s name Amoeba, which is completely irrelevant to Joanna Lyle, induces confusion and risks to disassociate the Joanna Lyle brand from its touchpoints and vice versa. For a shop customer who wishes to follow the brand online and on social media, the lack of name cohesion may result as an impediment and large issue.

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current consumer profile INTERVIEW: GIOVANNA NEGRI How old are you?

GN: I am 62 years old.

GN: Yes: many on a national scale. For instance, I have recently returned from a visit to the Uffizi Gallery because I had not been in many years. Archaeological sites: Pompei, Ercolano, Etruscan Tombs and many places outside of Italy too: Greece, Libya, Crete... and many more.

How long have you been a JL client for?

GN: I first met Joanna 6 years ago and have been a client of hers ever since.

Current Consumer

Joanna Lyle is still an emerging brand, and as analysed in the previous sections, does not have a strong visual identity. The poor communication translates on all fronts, including the brand’s consumer profile. It is not possible to deduce who the target consumer or the current consumer is through the brand’s social media, but this was clarified in the inter view conducted with both the designer and with Giovanna Negri, a current consumer.

who appreciate the intensity of the colourful fabrics.

Joanna Lyle’s consumer does not dress for anyone but herself, and wishes to feel confident and trendy according to her own style, rather than what the fashion regime dictates.

The following inter view with Giovanna Negri provides an accurate profile of Joanna Lyle’s current consumer.

In both fashion and design, Joanna Lyle’s consumer is a reflection of herself. Inspired by the experimentation with colour and paint, the vibrant products that characterize the brand are aimed for women over 35/40,

What is your occupation?

GN: Currently I am a consultant for Negri & Associates and I take care of the financial and administrative aspect of the business. My “real” profession, however, for more than 20 years, was accounts and creative and production assistant for the advertising agency of Negri & Associati. Those were wonderful years which allowed me to express my creativity, my sensitivity and my sense of aesthetics creating many different types of work (from simple brochures, to monography, catalogues, to advertising campaigns etc.). for various clients who belonged in different sectors, from the food industry, pharmaceutics, metal mechanics…).

I used to coordinate the jobs from their initial marketing, setting-up phases to the final phases of print and TV production.

How often do you travel?

GN: I usually have two “big” travelling holidays a year, plus quite a few weekends away.

Where do you live?

GN: Fidenza (Parma)

Where do you shop?

GN: I mainly shop from small independent shops, chains (Zara & H&M) or small markets.

Do you follow art and design? Who would you say are your favourite artists?

GN: Yes, especially the 1900s and contemporary art.

My favourite artists are Morandi, De Pisis, Campigli… In sculpture, my favourite is Mitorai.

What events do you attend? Where?

GN: When I receive invitations (from art exhibitions, sports or culinary events etc.) I happily participate if I believe I will enjoy them.

Do you follow fashion?

GN: I like be aware and understand the seasonal trends.

How do you spend your free time?

GN: Usually I love to spend time outdoors. I love walks and to be in contact with nature. I love reading, either Italian narrative or foreign novels, classics…

I love to travel: I’m curious about nature, because I believe you can create amazing experiences in contact with new places and people, to learn how to have a wider and more complex vision of life.

Do you buy more online or in store?

GN:I usually buy shoes online but buy garments in shops.

What is your favourite brand?

GN: Max Mara, between the Gods, Armani.

How would you define your style?

GN: My style is sporty/elegant. With the years I have become less classic and more minimalist. I like to mix and match. I like to have my own style, that satisfies my taste and that makes me feel good, independently from seasonal trends.

What are your main hobbies?

GN: Culture (museums, events…), sport (fencing in particular) What publications do you read?

GN: Mainly on-line newspapers.

In your opinion does price or quality matter more?

GN: I am interested in quality, within a limited price

Do you visit museums and galleries? Which ones?

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range that I retain morally acceptable.

CONSUMER PROFILE

The interview with Giovanna Negri, a loyal brand client since 2011, served to gain a deeper understanding in regards to Joanna Lyle’s current consumer.

Mrs Negri is a representation of a working, mature woman in her early 60s that has a profound inclination for creativity, art and culture. In order to manifest this identity through her appearance, she chooses to wear high-quality, exclusive pieces, that illustrate a deeper and more intricate search for key pieces in the labyrinth of niche brands.

Giovanna Negri still carries the years of work in an advertisement agency with her in her everyday life, which have evidently instilled a desire to keep art present despite having had a change in her career. Her holidays and weekend getaways are centred around or involve artistic ventures, such as museums or archaeological sites. She also is part of an affluent Italian society that chooses to live outside big cities and commute on the weekend or for meetings.

Do you use social media?

GN: No I don’t have any social media.

How would you describe Joanna Lyle’s style?

GN: Joanna Lyle’s style, which I greatly admire, is elegant, sophisticated, chromatically suggestive and exclusive.

What made you choose this designer to furnish your home?

GN: I noticed the shop while I was walking around Milan. I was drawn in by the window and decided I wanted to know more about the brand. And now, my house is full of Joanna’s “pieces” and I’ve bought a couple fashion items too. It would be lovely if you saw it.

Would you attend a Joanna Lyle event?

GN: Of course, very happily.

What makes you buy Joanna Lyle’s fashion items?

GN: The exclusivity and the aesthetic taste of the products that are present in her creations.

Current Consumer interview analysis This woman is well informed on current affairs and regularly reads the news but is part of a generation that does not resonate with social media and chooses to avoid it.

Nevertheless, she shops online for accessories, showing that more mature consumers may not always use social media but still access e-commerce sites.

The client also affirmed that her main interest stands within the quality of the product and chooses to shop from niche labels. For this reason, Mrs Negri chose to put trust in a small brand for the decoration of her entire home, rather than turning to more mainstream alternatives.

Based on this research, it is evident that the current consumer does share a lot of qualities with Joanna Lyle herself, which shows that the brand has indeed been targeting an accurate demographic. Nonetheless, the brand could approach different methods to try and broaden this quite mature and limited audience to a slightly younger and more versatile consumer.

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Consumer profiles

Following the interview with Giovanna Negri and the observation of the current consumer, two surveys were conducted in order to gain more insight on a general female audience over 35, and secondly a more specific profile of women based in Milan.

The first survey was conducted amongst 22 women over the age of 35 and 60 who live in Milan and the UK, in order to study the general behaviour of women that are slightly younger than Mrs Negri.

According to the data collected, the majority of these women, most of whom were aged around 50, live in the centre of Milan and work in the medicine and health sector. This information shows that Joanna Lyle had a misconception regarding the Milanese consumer, and may want to reach out to women that work in various fields other than the creative industry. Nevertheless, the research also resulted in the majority of women confirming they value quality over price and brand name, which is Joanna Lyle’s main strength.

Additionally, the larger part of the women who completed the survey said they find and follow brands via online websites, preferring this medium over social media and in-store experiences.

This information is key to the research conducted.

It is clear that middle-aged women are different from millennials from this perspective and tend to use online websites and ecommerce more than Instagram or Facebook. For this reason, this will be a crucial part in the tactics that will be implemented at a further stage.

It is quintessential that Joanna Lyle’s website is at the same standard of the product, portraying quality and 36

efficiency from all angles.

Moreover, the survey shows that women of this age do not rigorously follow trends but prefer to trust their sense of style and spend money on key pieces rather than a larger number of simple items.

This of course is also a point of strength for Joanna Lyle, and signifies that the idea of a “key” piece needs to resonate with the products. For this reason, the brand should push one product and focus on delivering this idea of ultimately necessary “musthave” pieces. The website, the shop window and the brand’s social media platforms focus on the fashion part of the business, but this could be even more refined and highlight one singular product.

Lastly, these women listed their favourite publications, which also coincide with some of Joanna Lyle’s preferences. These include Vogue, Elle, Vanity Fair, Traveller, The Times, Woman & Home, Grazia, Sunday Times, Marie Claire, Country & Living, AD and multiple Italian newspapers and their respective supplements, such as IO Donna.

The second survey was conducted in order to narrow the audience of the first survey down to only Milan based women, of whom 30 replied. The aim of the survey was to really understand the salient characteristics of this audience’s shopping behaviour in their own city. The collected results were similar and coherent to the first batch of answers and were mostly beneficial from Joanna Lyle’s consumer perspective. In fact, the vast majority of women who answered expressed their preference of niche labels over high street brands and luxury firms, based on the quality and cost ratio.

Furthermore, when asked about a favourite district

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2.

4.

3.

1. Mature creative woman (Giovanna Negri) over 35 who nurtures a passion for art, colour and quality, dressing accordingly.

to shop, Brera received the most votes, over very touristy areas such as Duomo, Vittorio Emanuele or Buenos Aires.

This survey also aimed to receive more specific information on how consumers get information, revealing that Instagram actually plays an important part in this process. The most common information source is however, the magazine, in particular: Elle, Io Donna, Grazia and Vanity Fair. This hints at what type of publication the Milanese woman who shops key pieces reads.

Another important element that surfaced from this survey was the lack of knowledge and engagement with influencers, which proves that Joanna Lyle may want to opt for a more alternative approach to public figures through creatives and influential women rather than the stereotypical blogger.

2. Milan based women with a family over 35 who shops in Brera for the quality and unicity of the products.

In addition to these first two consumers, Joanna Lyle will aim to target two other profiles: 3. Editors, Creatives and Business women who work for niche companies and wish to engage with Joanna Lyle from a design/trend perspective.

Following this research, it is possible to identify Joanna Lyle’s current and target consumer profiles.

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4. Milanese tourists: both women or their husbands who are in Milan for work or leisure and wish to purchase Italian-made quality accessories.

GENERAL JOANNA LYLE COMSUMER SURVEY

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MILANESE TARGET AUDIENCE SURVEY 30 MILANESE WOMEN OVER 35Y

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competitors

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maliparmi

competitors maliparmi

Consumer Competitor

Maliparmi is an Italian brand, founded in 1977 in the city of Padua, located west of Milan in the Venetian region of Northern Italy. Conceived by a strong relationship and common admiration for exotic fabrics, mother Marol and daughter Annalisa Paresi started the bag and jewellery brand that is Maliparmi (Maliparmi, 2017).

The company quickly expanded in order to satisfy the needs of the independent, travelling, working woman figure that rose in the 80s, and rapidly evolved to an all-rounded fashion and shoe wear brand by the 90s, known for their unique, quirky pattern designs (Maliparmi, 2017).

By the year 2000 Maliparmi had developed into a recognized retail brand, with fashion constituting 60% of the entire business (Maliparmi, 2017).

In 2003 the first stores were opened in Padua and in the artistic hub of Milan, Brera. The following year, the family business touched down in Paris too, where their Saint-Germain-de-Près shop is still located.

Today, Maliparmi still runs across these three stores, as well as having an e-commerce website and Instagram and Facebook pages. (Maliparmi, 2017).

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The choice to analyse Maliparmi was based on the many similarities with Joanna Lyle, and for it can be considered a direct/target competitor. Maliparmi is based in via Solferino, around the corner from Amoeba, hence sharing the same qualities that being located in Brera offers a boutique as previously analysed. Additionally, Maliparmi is known for their patterns and textiles, which they apply on both garments and accessories of high quality fabrics.

Through the analysis of Maliparmi it will be possible to individualize a consumer type and deduct possible communication strategies to engage with this consumer they share: both local and foreign, independent, middle-aged women.

Maliparmi’s website and social media accounts reveal that this brand has a strong, clear visual identity which is transparently translated through their media.

The brand was born and still seeks to create unique, colourful and high-quality garments and accessories for an independent, travelling woman.

The fabrics and patterns that the company creates have in fact a touch of ethnic exoticism and use 49

competitors maliparmi

similar colour palettes and prints to Moroccan or tribal styles, combined to a nostalgic 70s aesthetic.

Their collections follow the annual fashion system and produce two seasonal collections per year (Maliparmi. 2017).

Since AW 12/13 Maliparmi’s collections have been on Vogue Italia, meaning they have grown into a strictly relevant brand for Italian fashion.

For the past 5 years, Maliparmi’s vision has shifted according to the wavering fashion trends but nevertheless remained rigorously aligned to the brand’s 70’s ethnic eccentricity. The uniqueness of this brand stands within the “mix and match” appearance that the array of patterns conveys.

Throughout the collections the colour palette always tends to prevail towards autumnal, 70s hues, such as oranges and reds, with appearances of dark blues and greens. This consistency of colour across different seasons and products illustrates the brand’s coherence to its nostalgic, vintage identity.

The silhouettes of the clothes are also reminiscent of this era, showcasing flared trousers and sleeves, caftan shaped dresses and intricate long coats that never appear oversized.

Currently, as seen on the website, it is possible to purchase garments from four different lines, all influenced by different elements: A stiller live, Flower Parade, Geometric Lights and Graphite Grace (Maliparmi, 2017).

Despite being four very different product lines, these collections show Maliparmi’s versatility whilst maintaining that brand coherence that keeps customers loyal and trusting. Having such different colours and moods for each line shows that the brand takes in consideration that the consumer is a busy woman with several and different daily places to be and people to meet.

This woman may need a smarter outfit from “Graphite Grace” for a dinner meeting but something more casual and bright to go to the office or collect her children from school. These women are independent and have swamped routines, but want to look sophisticated and stylish 24/7 (Maliparmi, 2017).

Joanna Lyle also wants to engage with these women, selling them a product of the finest materials and watercolour patterns that will last them in time.

Maliparmi’s essence is translated through the brand’s vibrant and loud voice. This can be observed by studying the brand’s touchpoints: the website, the social media channels and the retail store.

Acknowledging that women have multiple and very diverse tastes, Maliparmi celebrates this diversity by spanning its products across different thematic collections.

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maliparmi website

Maliparmi’s website is an efficient representation of the brand itself.

The logo, the colour palette and the style of images all evoke a quick throwback to the 70s, with all sorts of patterns and colours catching the eye.

In addition to the e-commerce sections, Maliparmi. com has an area called “Maliparmi World”, which offers insight on the company’s history, charity initiatives, press coverage, events, advertising campaigns and an in-depth area on the four main brand values: embroidery, colour, print and patchwork (Maliparmi, 2017).

Maliparmi advocates for a fashion brand with arts and crafts at its roots, embracing the heritage of artistic techniques from all over the globe and adapting this multicultural knowledge to an Italian artisanal product (Maliparmi, 2017).

There have been 10 editions of these solidarity sales, with the goal of raising money and engaging with the consumer through beneficial social responsibilities (Maliparmi, 2017).

“Shopping is good” is the spirit that throughout the editions enliven these appointments and since various seasons sees the synergy and strengthened cooperation between our Brand and the Foundation for the same project, ‘The schools of Haiti’. This project provides education and also sustenance to more than 10.000 children by donating them water, food and medical therapies.” (Maliparmi, 2017).

The Maliparmi World section of the website is a window to the brand’s values, beliefs and corporate social responsibility standards. Coupled with the clear and aligned visual communication and aesthetic of the platform, the website portrays Maliparmi as a trustworthy, honest and responsible brand.

As seen on the website, Maliparmi participates in active charity activities and collaborations, through the slogan and project “Fare Shopping fa Bene”, which means “Shopping is good for you”. These events involve “solidarity shopping sales” where the profits go to causes such as in aid of hospitals or Haitian families, in collaboration with the Francesca Rava Foundation.

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“

The exclusively designed prints carry out the theme and the mood of the collections. They come from the research of those who keep an eye on the interaction of different worlds and are enchanted by their beauty. Inspiration without limit: the harmony of garden patterns, the spectacle of an exotic market, as well as the detail of a rock on Ischia, the geometric pattern of a vintage silk necktie.

Fragments of real and virtual voyages capture the heart and the imagination, are printed on a photograph or recalled as a memory. Images are re-developed on the computer, studied, mixed together to become a precious fabric. Sometimes prints are graphic, stylized. Others are picturesque, as if painted on fabric. Or, they are emphasized and enhanced with embroidery for a three-dimensional effect. Experimentation never stops.

(Maliparmi, 2017)

“

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maliparmi social media

maliparmi collaborations In addition to the many charity events the brand hosts, Maliparmi is dedicated to interacting with their consumer via collaborations and in-store launch events.

This is a tactical way to engage with an older women that might not solely use Instagram, but prefers to live the brand in first person whilst enjoying some food or wine.

Joanna Lyle also approached consumers this way, but, due to the weak communication tactics, these events aren’t largely publicized.

Maliparmi’s most recent collaboration was with the Venetian Murano glass makers Murrha. The collaboration saw an event during Venice Fashion Week with cocktails and a colourful collection of bags (Maliparmi, 2017).

The Murrha partnership was accompanied by short videos on Facebook and Instagram, revealing how the glass which now embellished the accessories, was made, aligned to Maliparmi’s style and visual identity.

This is a clear example of efficient communications and tactics.

Maliparmi chose to collaborate with a brand that its clients are already fond of, showing that the brand knows them well. In addition, the brand conveyed trust and authenticity by visually narrating the procedures behind the products (Maliparmi, 2017).

Again, endeavours such as this are another opportunity for Joanna Lyle to create a stronger relationship with tahe consumer whilst portraying the authenticity of the brand’s products.

Maliparmi engages with its consumer through Instagram and Facebook.

With a strong following of 16K, “maliparmiofficial” is a space where the brand releases its visual content and snippets of any collaborations or event taking place. The aesthetics of the page are coherent to the brand, transformed into an ever-changing mood board of beautifully curated picturesque images alongside advertorial content.

It is clear that the imagery is thoroughly thought through and chosen in order to create a fluent sequence of visuals.

The brand communicates and engages personally with their clients and followers through comments under the pictures, maintaining friendly relationships and formal tones. According to the interview with Communications Manager Elisabetta Bettucchi, this in order to convey the “human” side of the brand (Bettucchi, E. 2017).

Maliparmi is an example of a brand that despite targeting women that aren’t as involved in the blogging and influencer sphere, has tactically chosen these types of women to work with.

These influencers will augment brand awareness within their online community, composed by women who wish to tap into their lifestyle. This aspect of the brand’s digital communication helps to construct the already well-rounded brand’s consumer profile.

Their robust number of followers is a result of the imagery selected to convey the brand identity and translate the ethos of Maliparmi. The products that are shared on this media range from bags to scarves to full outfits, portraying the variety that Maliparmi offers.

Also, the high-quality imagery conveys a sense of professionalism that is more likely to lead to an increase of followers and trust.

The brand’s Facebook page is more a tool of problem-solving and spreading information, with less attention to detail to imagery and aesthetic.

However, Maliparmi is available to connect with its consumer through Facebook and actively interacts with the audience, replying to comments and questions on the page.

The engagement between brand and local influencers such as Flora Delle Vacche (88K followers) and Monica de Tomas (40,9K) who represent a demographic over 40 years old, which clearly insinuates a coherent approach from a brand such as Maliparmi and the digital world of blogging.

maliparmi X MURRHA 56

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interview with Elisabetta Bettucchi Communications Manager Maliparmi

1. Who is the Maliparmi consumer? (gender, age, work, home etc.) Why do they buy from Maliparmi?

4. What is the role of your Instagram and Facebook pages? Is there a difference?

We don’t limit our target audience to defined criteria.

Our target is follows a certain lifestyle rather than these qualities. They are most definitely women with busy schedules, women who work and identify themselves within our brand values. They follow fashion but they are not “victims”, who love to dress according to their personal style in order to highlight their individuality.

Yes, on Facebook we try to narrate who we are therefore we prioritize this platform for issues and facets that need telling. On Instagram this is all more visual, and thanks to Instagram Stories, a lot more immediate in time and short lived.

5. In what way does Maliparmi interact with its consumer?

Which platforms are most useful and why?

2. What message is Maliparmi trying to send to its followers? In what way?

Definitely via social media, but also and very importantly through our events that for the brand have been crucial in times when these weren’t as regular (art events, food, book readings etc.).

We are now developing the idea of events strongly correlated to social media, encouraging our clients to post pictures themselves in the shop.

The message coincides with the brand values, a “human” brand which for instance we portray through the decision of directly interacting with our followers. We reply to comments and questions, trying to give these values, something that bigger brands tend not to do. We try to get them involved in many of our initiatives, maybe not directly, but so that they can live the brand.

6. What is the goal of your events and collaborations?

For example, by telling the stories of how our “padrone di casa” (this is the name we use for our retail managers) received their training and formation. As a matter of fact, we consider the formation process very important, from both a technical and experience point of view, in order to share the brand values. They are very particular courses that we love to communicate and share with our followers.

To narrate and communicate the brand across its different facets. We believe we have many topics and areas to delve into and sometimes it is hard for it to reach everyone.

7. What brands would you consider your competitors?

We still haven’t found a competitor in the full, correct sense of the term. Sometimes we come across brands with similar strengths, but with a higher price point of vice versa.

3. In what way do you consistently communicate the brand’s visual identity through your platform’s aesthetics? (i.e. Instagram)

8. What will your next goal in terms of communication be?

The images need to represent our strengths: colour, the importance of texture, materials, attention to detail alongside a “happiness” attitude.

Definitely to increase and enhance our social media and continue to create a direct relationship.

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interview with Elisabetta Bettucchi analysis

This interview with the Communications Manager of Maliparmi, Joanna Lyle’s closest target competitor, was extremely useful for this research.

Coupled with my Maliparmi store visit in Milan and an observation of the Brera shopping and design district, this section of primary research unveiled a substantial amount of insight that will be applied to future tactics.

their location on the cosy streets of antique Milan, Maliparmi is clearly communicating this intimate and “family” environment around the brand (Bettucchi, E.).

As analysed in the brand values and essence section of this research, Joanna Lyle also evokes that kind of small, niche and family oriented brand.

They are both linked by a somewhat honest and tender aura, that is characteristic of niche shops.

Ms. Bettucchi answered 8 questions via email, with the aim of revealing Maliparmi’s communication strategies and how these are engaging with the consumer.

In regards to the brand’s visual identity, Maliparmi has distinguished the visual component of Instagram in opposition to the storytelling quality on Facebook, and acts accordingly. In this manner, the consumer is able to resonate with the brand on a 360° degrees plan. She knows where to go to see the latest campaign images and curated imagery, the same for the latest news and upcoming or past events.

As a first observation, the interview confirmed that Joanna Lyle’s and Maliparmi’s consumer is indeed the same (Bettucchi, E.). Sharing the same approach to the fashion industry, both brands are independent from style trends and rigorous fashion seasons but prefer to create timeless pieces for a woman that dresses according to her own identity, rather than what has been dictated by the mass.

Although Ms Bettucchi did not specify an age, by observing the clients in the shop and considering the brand values listed above, it is clear that the Maliparmi woman is also over 40, and appreciates colour, textiles and patterns.

Hence, this similarity in consumer makes Maliparmi’s communication strategies strictly pertinent to possible future PR ideas.

Joanna Lyle has yet to create this distinction on social media, and needs to prioritize curated, thought through visual content that portray the brand values in the same way Ms Bettucchi explained and does for her brand (Bettucchi, E. 2017).

Furthermore, the Communications Manager also emphasised the crucial role that events have played and still do in the evolution of the brand, as well as the importance of social media within them (Bettucchi, 2017).

Joanna Lyle’s events are not on the same level, lacking talk around the brand and consequently of engaging consumers. The brand is still invisible on the grand scale of social media and events in Milan.

Another element that emerged from the interview is the “human” side of Maliparmi, whose workers take the time to directly reply and talk to any follower or consumer. In addition to details such as calling their retail managers “padrone di casa” and 59

maliparmi shop report

identified consumer

Maliparmi’s only retail store in Milan is located in the heart of Brera, in via Solferino, a renown ancient, cobblestone road in the old part of town.

Here the shops come in the form of boutiques, available only here or very few other places, emitting a sense of unicity and aura that is not typical of mass produced chains.

two areas for both ready to wear and accessories.

The former are displayed on rails in a bright space with “homey” features: a sofa with Maliparmi cushions and house plants are part of the décor.

It’s almost as if the sales assistants really are “housewives” inviting you into their home.

All the products are made with high quality fabrics, reason for the above average prices. This is in comparison to high street brands such as Zara, Mango or &Other Stories, which often offer ranges of patterned garments in lower quality fabrics.

The Maliparmi store occupies two large windows on the street, that lure customers with warm light and vivid colours. The shop is spacious, divided into

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One of the customers is a middle aged Italian woman who is out shopping with her two little boys and husband. As observed, more women in their 40s and 50s walked into the shop. Some seemed to know the assistants, greeting them informally which suggests they may be regular clients. The Maliparmi assistant was also in her 40s, embodying the type of woman that the brand views as the consumer. This aspect of the shop conveys coherence and clear brand identity, indicating once again that the brand knows their target audience.

This shop visit was beneficial in order to pin point the Maliparmi consumer and see how the brand communicates its essence through a physical space.

IDENTIFIED CONSUMER PROFILE

Based on the research undertaken through the interview with Ms Bettucchi, the shop report and a thorough, regular analysis of their social media, it has been possible to have identified Maliparmi’s consumer profile.

She is a woman in her late 30s to mid 50s, who lives in the center of Milan. As the clothes aren’t particularly “sexy” but quite traditional in terms of silhouettes, the consumer is a woman who works, but does not wish to sacrifice style and colour for tedious suits.

She is confident, is not afraid to walk the streets in a daring pattern of bright colour, and takes pride in her wardrobe.

She prefers to shop for key pieces which are worth their money, rather than being economical but buying more.

Quality is essential, and this applies for her home.

She is the tastemaker, and worked for months alongside an interior decorator to make sure the apartment in an old-fashioned building standard is that of the pages of AD magazine. .

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la DOUBLE J Consumer Competitor

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jj martin

la double j editorial

This explosion of vintage admiration may be one of the reasons for La Double J’s rise to 47K followers on Instagram in the space of two years and being internationally stocked by retailers such as Net-APorter as well as opening a pop-up shop at Liberty in October 2017 (Carassai, E. 2017).

La Double J has also collaborated with multiple high calibre Italian companies in a wide range of fields.

“Partnerships include Mantero Seta (for vintage prints), Bitossi Home (for plates), Mascioni (for table linens), Larusmiani (for a pop up shop & pajama), Rome based artist Liselotte Watkins (for illustrations & hand painted vintage vases), Milan architect Luca Cipelletti (for the travelling Wunderwall installation) and Milan designers Dimore Studio (for a joint pop up shop and dress collaboration)” (La Double J, 2017).

These collaborations automatically hurl JJ Martin’s brand into a prestigious market, subsequently obtaining relevant press coverage and an increase in social media followers. All of these brands have

excellent reputations and are widely known within the affluent Milanese society, allowing connections to flow and La Double J to expand their audience (Carassai, E. 2017). This is an accurate example of how an external collaborator can be beneficial for an upcoming brand.

Also, as analysed on BoF by Osman Ahmed (2017), JJ Martin has maanaged to really conquer Milanese fashion through the brand’s expansive range of products. Similarly to Joanna Lyle, the brand does not only focus on one garment but cleverly markets a whole range of dresses, accessories, leisure-wear, plates, vases and table linens. These collections “are revealed to buyers only 6 weeks before it is ready to ship, which means that you can really identify what it is your customer wants at that time” according to Matches Fashion buyer Chelsea Power (Ahmed, 2017). For this reason LDJ’s successful tactics are of primary importance for an emerging brand like Joanna Lyle.

Consumer Competitor

la DOUBLE J

Milan-based brand La Double J plays the role of a competitor for Joanna Lyle as it is a niche, upcoming textile and pattern brand in the field of fashion and home-ware.

The company was founded in 2015 by JJ Martin, Los Angeles born journalist and editor for magazine including Wallpaper*, Harper’s Bazaar USA, WSJ, NY Times Magazine and many more (La Double J, 2017).

La Double J has rapidly grown to a prosperous and widely recognized fashion brand on both a local and international scale.

Despite being two years old, this label has instantaneously expanded due to its strong visual identity and brand USP. The essence of La Double J is centred around the discovery of vintage patterns hidden away in the most prestigious Italian textile manufacturing factories and the transformation of these antiques into modern, distinct pieces (La Double J, 2017).

JJ Martin’s eye for talent made it possible for the initial 8 historic prints to expand to 45 new patterns that change every two months. These vintage designs are reprinted onto new fabrics in Italy, producing high quality lines for women, men and children (La Double J).

In April 2017, in the midst of the hustling and bustling atmosphere of the Salone del Mobile, JJ Martin also launched a new line of home-ware, inspired by the lifestyle of the Milanese housewife, colloquially referred to as the “Sciura” (La Double J, 2017).

sectors, merging and bringing one’s wardrobe taste to the living room.

Not only does La Double JJ seek eye-catching patterns, the journalist now turned fashion guru also scouts designer label relics from brands such as Yves Saint Laurent or Emilio Pucci and creates delicate home accessories. (La Double J, 2017) La Double J distinguishes itself from other vintage selling brands by bringing a modern, fun and young twist to the industry. The pink “bubble font” logo, the cartoons, the colourful advertorials – all are a nostalgic reminiscence of a past age, catapulted into the influencer driven, social media controlled world we know today.

Like Maliparmi, La Double J ‘s website isn’t just a place to shop: JJ Martin’s role in the company becomes tangible online, offering articles and interviews with designers including Giorgio Armani and Peter Dundas or guides to Milan’s best kept secret spots (La Double J, 2017).

La Double J has brilliantly managed to convert and reconceptualise the public perception of what was verging on becoming an old fashioned, conservative city to an exciting, trendy capital. Italian fashion has been ruled by stable, historic brands such as Prada or Armani for decades, but recently, in concomitance to the country’s economic breakthrough and the growth of Milan as a cultural destination, Italian fashion has seen a new light. Brands like Gucci and Fendi are engaging with younger markets through social media strategies and bringing a new wave of fun with their collections. Gucci has also opened the door to a revalidation of the vintage market, putting the 60s and 70s at the forefront of their inspiration (Gucci, 2017).

Once again, it is possible to analyse an example of a brand that doesn’t limit its patterns and motifs to one range but explores multiple facets of the “lifestyle” industry. Maliparmi, Silken Favours, Liberty and of course Joanna Lyle have tapped into both 64

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la DOUBLE J Consumer Competitor

La Double J’s visual identity is coherent and persistent, conveying a sense of knowledge and experience in the sector. The website, as previously mentioned, not only functions as an e-commerce platform, but also serves as a brand aligned magazine, allowing the consumer to venture in a multifaceted La Double J world.

Nowadays people buy into brands and follow their lifestyles rather than just purchasing a product.

Brands need to be 360° degrees spheres that delve into several sectors and accompany the consumer through a variety of daily moments and needs.

La Double J did not start as a travel guide but here it is, offering insight and advice on the best restaurants in Milan. This demonstrates that La Double J’s consumer not only visits the website to shop, but to take JJ Martin’s advice in consideration in regards to a completely different industry. The consumer places trust in the brand, in this case not only for the style and quality of clothes but for 66

opinions in the field of hospitality and cuisine.

Another element to take into observation is JJ Martin’s role in the company. Unlike Maliparmi, JJ Martin is the face of her brand, having become a sort of Insta-celebrity on the side with an impressive Instagram audience of 61,3 K. This is another way that La Double J can resonate with its consumer, positioning a human face and “persona” to the brand. This “humanity” automatically creates trust, and it is no secret that she has worked for influential magazines, which allegedly converts her into an expert in the field of fashion.

Additionally, being an independent, successful woman who shares her private life on social media is also an important factor to consider.

Consumers are buying into the brand fuelled by admiration and lust for, at least what appears to be, a luxurious lifestyle.

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INTERVIEW

competitors La Double J

elisa carassai

JJ Martin has managed to tell a coherent story through their media platforms and reaching out to their target audience through colourful, curated imagery, influencers and capturing external experiences.

The influencers that work with La Double J are representations of JJ Martin herself, and include a long list of industry women such as:

Margit Cesana (Style director) @simplymargit Giovanna Battaglia (fashion editor and influencer) @bat_gio Blaire Eadie – blogger @blairediebee (Instagram, 2017).

In conclusion, La Double J is a primary example of a brand that has rapidly risen to success, positioning itself at the front line of the niche “textile/pattern/ fashion/lifestyle” via a 360° approach to women and their needs.

Caroline Issa (Fashion head of Tank magazine & Because magazine) Viviana Volpicella (Stylist and fashion editor) Veronika Heilbrunner (co-founder of Hewomancom)

Hello! Firstly could you go over who you are and what your roles were at LDJ? E: Okay well at the time I was mainly doing a bit of everything because I was her PA and Editorial Assistant, so I organizing her schedule and travels and everything. I was also doing her expenses for other magazines and transcripts for interviews as well. And just doing social media too, but we didn’t have a specific strategy.

by the editorial coordinator. She actually worked in PR before.

So when you started how big was the team?

E:It was like JJ who would come and gom, then me, Meredith (editorial coordinator), Danielle who was responsible for content on the website etc. and then there was Claire who was the vintage coordinator.

She isn’t there anymore actually. Alison substituted her and actually she has her own bag brand called Officine del Poggio and her and JJ did a bag collaboration with the original prints.

So you were just posting randomly?

E: They were like can you post pictures of the dresses in this specific way, and they wanted me to post twice a day. The thing is two posts a day was a bit too much. They had to be approved and captions written in the style of La Double J.

Are these prints silk?

E: Yeah So, about the process of the fabrics. They get the fabrics from Mantero or other manufacturers and then do they re-print them?

E: They literally just copy the prints on to other fabrics somewhere else. At the start Mantero was responsible for the whole production process because they also had a design team.

Can you tell me a bit about the style you had to write in?

E:Yeah it was very fun and quirky, just la Double J. And what else… I would literally re-organize the vintage archive, ship parcels, went to the dry cleaners…

A bit of everything!

Yes, I get you! So what was the content you were posting on Instagram?

E: They were pictures a professional photographer had taken but like in square format, so they were prepared for Instagram. The intern who was there at the time and I were trying to come up with a strategy to diversify the Instagram page and shoot the dresses. So we would like shoot a dress against a backdrop in the office. At the time, the stylist didn’t want anyone to wear the dresses so it was a bit confusing. No one really told you what to post. You just had to come up with something quirky, there wasn’t really a particular strategy.

The only strategy I had was to literally invite all my Facebook friends to like the page and it worked! I got more than a thousand likes. Same on Instagram, I told all my friends to like La Double J. Obviously now they have a different strategy, if you look t it they are featuring their prints as well as street style and influencers.

Were you looking at any other brands for inspiration?

E: No I was just doing it myself and being supervised 68

S: How many dresses were made? Was it a big batch?

Ehm, at the start we had a first batch of maybe 10 dresses for print and 5 different prints. There was Aperol, Liberty… you can find them online.

So they were only sold online?

E: Yes. S: Does she have any form of retail store?

E: No she doesn’t, she only does pop up shops. Like the one in Rosimiani in via Montenapoleone. Her office is a showroom, where she has press days. Her office is decorated like a showroom but in a maximalist way, literally when someone wants to come in for a meeting or something the team usually has an archive of dresses there.

Where is the office?

E: Navigli. You know Piazza Arcole?

Oh yes. Its always Brera or Navigli isn’t it for niche shops. How old are you?

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INTERVIEW elisa carassai E: 21

E: Because then she launched her collection of homeware with Butossi and plates in Milan Design week. She had just launched them so she pushed them again.

Do you like the brand?

E: I do, I went to Liberty the other day because they had a pop up shop there. But I touched the new fabrics and they were really bad. I was really disappointed because the first dresses were really amazing.

How did that go?

E: Uhm I mean they feature them quite a bit. I’ve seen them in Vogue UK but I haven’t seen them as much as the dresses. I guess its still a new product.

Do you mean the quality?

E: Yeah the quality. The prints are amazing but the quality of the textiles has gone down.

Is it hard for her to push both? Will she always push the dresses more? Does she want to be both?

E: Yes absolutely

Where are they made? Italy?

E: Yeah, well I think so. But she probably is investing in the brand and pushing the market. Rather than the actual product. I think the quality has gone down.

Also, its sold online so people don’t touch it. It’s not like when you go to Browns and you touch that pair of Celine trousers. I mean there’s a big difference.

Okay. What about PR tactics? Obviously, she had a lot of contacts.

E: Well at the time before the parties we literally compiled a list of people she wanted to invite and I’d have to go through a lot of contacts! And then we had to compile excels that was divided into categories, same thing we did for her big thanksgiving party that she has every year. She hosts it at her house behind Il Tribunale.

It was mainly checking emails and sending the invite that the design studio next door made. Basically, La Double J’s showroom is in a block owned by The Level Group, the company owned by her husband.

The Level Group owns La Double j as well as Frank Studio, a creative direction studio that does all sorts.

It’s really cool and have clients like D&G and do websites etc.

They did all the brand identity for La Double J. I mean she gave them the concept and pushed it but they visualized it. They made the first tags and they made all the illustrations and gifs online. All of the content and website

So when you were there what do you think was the brands main goal?

E: I think it was... I don’t know. They had different goals at different times. At the start, it was trying to grow as a vintage shop online, so their main competitors were like “Villain vintage” and other vintage shops online. Then it became this sort of independent brand. It boomed after I left, but took two years to properly peak. I remember the first Christmas party exactly a year ago, and I was talking to the vintage coordinator and she was like “remember when we’d get 2 orders per weekend? Now we get 10 orders per weekend”. It really has grown so much.

They’re really pushing the retail side of it. Like they’re doing pop ups all over the world like Bergdorf ’s, Mykonos, Cancun and lots in Milan. This fashion week it was in the centre in collaboration with La Dimori studio. Oh my god that was so cool.

Obviously, you mentioned that it started as a vintage shop, but as it grew, who do you think are the competitors? Or where does it sit in the market, is it luxury?

E: Yes, it is luxury cause the dresses are pretty expensive and the first ones were pretty simple and for that kind of dress the prices were pretty high. Shes’s launched this other collection of sweaters, coats, shoes with her prints.

Is that a design studio?

E: Yes they are interior designers. They are a couple and literally the coolest.

So why do you think she did this collaboration with interior designers?

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I guess her competitors could be like sort of same level brands that are a bit… mid-level luxury brands.

They’re famous but not super known. Maybe like Molly Goddard in some ways? They are very different but they are in the same categories even if they don’t have the same style.

Italia has always supported her but never featured her really. She’s friends with like Enrica Ponzellini and like Tamu McPherson… Viviana Volpicelli, she always wears LDJ dresses. I guess they would advertise it through street style. Also, she always gets shot during fashion week. Which is how she gets coverage.

What were the main difficulties and challenges as an emerging brand at the beginning?

E: I think as the dresses launched we didn’t really know how it was going to go. Matches was going to stock them for a while but that was it. JJ is her number one PR and she pushed the brand so much, whilst working for other magazines. She launched the website and didn’t really have a very high budget.

At the start, we would sell 2 to 3 dresses per weekend and now they sell loads. Newsletters were a big part of the marketing, aimed at everyone. She would send them through mail merge and had Frank Studio design it. She would come up with something fun, it was every week and now it’s a little less.

So, is JJ Martin the consumer? Who is the target consumer?

E: Literally all of her friends and herself. Yeah she made the brand for herself. She’s a maximalist and likes to push things to the max. She will wear leopard print with another weird one. That’s why I really loved working with her. All the people who bought the dresses are people like her, around 30-40 years old.

Is this who she is aiming for?

E: She’s trying to aim at a younger consumer as well How do you think she is doing that?

E: Through Instagram and the graphics, I guess. Millennials like “flashy” stuff, gifs for instance. So they’re trying to do that with that. They probably have a strategy but I don’t know because its changed so much since I was there.

Did she write them?

E: No she just approves them. The team writes them.

She has another girl interview people when she can’t too,as well as photographers and stylists.

As you said she wants to be international, what kind of publications was she trying to pitch? How was she reaching her consumer?

E: She didn’t really pitch to magazines you know, she was already super influential at the time so she would literally send emails to her friends in London or NY. She worked at Harper’s Bazaar for a long time in the US. She would send them emails like “hey girl” and telling them about new collections, approaching it in a very friendly way, inviting them for coffee or whatever.

What about Italian media? What kind of PR tactics was she applying or was she not interested in Italian media?

E: She was mainly trying to push it to international consumers, because you know her team was mainly American at the time so she was pushing it to an international consumer. I can’t remember really; Vogue 71

La Double J

From this case study, three main important elements to consider have arisen.

Firstly, the importance of a cohesive brand identity which is communicated all platforms, from the website to the social media platforms, and from the retail space to the face of the brand. This doesn’t necessarily need to be the founder, but it is essential to collaborate with the right influencers so that the consumer can resonate with a certain type of person.

The second matter that is important to apply to an emerging brand is to keep an open mind on different ways to engage with the consumer. This can be travel guides, articles, blogs, music etc.

“The way consumers shop for fashion is changing and their expectations are continuing to rise.

In a tougher clothing market, it has become even more important for retailers to focus on standing out from the competition through a combination of better product, frequently changing collections, interesting stores, a seamless online experience and excellent customer service” (Seron, 2017)

As stated by this report from Mintel published in October 2017, consumers are becoming more demanding and constantly seeking for new and innovative ways to connect with brands. Online experiences cannot be limited to e-commerce anymore: it is necessary for companies to create brand-aligned content that the consumers can feed from (Mintel, 2017).

Finally, it is fundamental to use social media regularly and use it as a tool for storytelling. Alongside the image and the extensive online experiences, a successful brand needs to be narrating something that the consumer hasn’t heard before, especially if the brand doesn’t already have a strong presence in the market. La Double J is selling the story of longforgotten fabrics in the dusty archives of the highest quality Italian manufacturers, highly desired by the top calibre editors and stylists from the industry.

It isn’t the usual millennial-aiming brand with top models as ambassadors, which lose some credibility.

JJ Martin is an editor, she writes and knows what fashion is. Consumers are going to listen to her advice and tell their friends about it.

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“

I wanted to pull back the curtains on Milan and disprove its reputation as a snoozy town JJ MARTIN

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“

(King, 2015)

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ken favours

mer Competitor

Silken Favours Consumer Competitor

silken favours

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The third competitor analysed is Silken Favours, a British niche customed silk brand, currently stocked in Liberty.

Silken Favours has 21,8K Instagram followers. This is an impressive number for a small niche brand, but less than brands with a stronger identity or audience such as La Double J (47,5K). However, it is a larger number compared to Milan based Maliparmi, who tails the former labels with 16K followers (Instagram, 2017).

Despite the images being cohesive and brand aligned, SF’s Instagram visual layout is almost too busy and occupied. The painstakingly ornamented patterns and images clash and subsequently induce a sense of chaos.

When seen on small device screens such as those of smartphones, the colours and motifs of the busy layout blur to one, and the images become too many to perceive at once.

Silken Favour’s visual images on Instagram are all aligned to an “exotic, jungle, fruity, fairytale” theme.

All of Vicki Murdoch’s designs and motifs include elements like plants, rainbows, unicorns, pineapples and flamingos: all images that recall a youthful, fantastic world reigned by colour and mythical creatures. The adjectives that come to mind when observing the page are: eccentric, playful, exotic, rich, ornamental, busy, clashing, eclectic. The images are coherent and tell a story about beautiful silk cushions or scarves in a warm, exotic environment.

The colour palette is broad but stays aligned to the “tropical” atmosphere that the story is trying to narrate.

The language used is definitely engaging and uses an informal, friendly, direct tone. The zealous use of emoji’s works for this playful brand as it mirrors Silken Favours joyful and cheery voice. Furthermore, the viewer can relate to the brand on a personal level, as it is clear that Vicki is posting images herself.

In this manner, the company is directly interacting with its followers and creates friendly relations between brand and consumer.

The majority of the posted content is product based imagery, serving as promotion and advertising it is clear that the brand’s page is run by the founder herself, who adds to the formal, friendly brand image with pictures of herself and her family or wearing her own products. In addition to this range of content, Vicki posts images of celebrity/influencer 77

competitors silken favours

s

endorsements and announcements of collaborations, such as the Pikes Ibiza Hotel collab, or new stockists.

Instagram therefore becomes a platform where the brand shares news, visuals and personal pictures of Vicki’s private life. There are also a few examples of posts, such as one of Vicki breastfeeding her new-born child, that do not resonate with the brand and could be considered inappropriate and irrelevant to the company. Vicki also has a public personal Instagram page that shares some of the same content as the company’s page. This sporadic incoherence in terms of content may translate as unclear identity to some viewers, although the strength in the rest of the imagery does still manage to tell the spectator what Silken Favours is as a brand.

and allows us to distinguish possible direct and target competitors.

In addition to a strong visual idenity, part of Silken Favour’s tactiful strategy consists in quite particular collaborations.

The brand has worked alongside niche brand REN skincare, in order to create graphic packaging for the otherwise quite plain brand.

This collaboration, also stocked in Liberty, is effectively reaching multiple objectives:

a. To increase brand awareness within an affluent demographic, as REN belongs to a niche, beauty market and sells at at a high-price point. This will consequently lead to an augmentation of press coverage, in both the beauty and fashion media.

The overall role that Instagram plays in the brand’s PR strategies is to sell a “Silken Favour Lifestyle”, tapping into several current trends (e.g. Instagramfriendly homeware and accessories, plants, travelling etc.) and luring the consumer into this colourful, tropical life.

Interestingly, amongst Silken Favours followers is La Double J, suggesting the English brand is either an admirer or a competitor of JJ Martin’s vintage empire. Other textile brands that Vicki Murdoch follows are: Orla Kiely, Designers Guild, Liberty, House of Hackney, Utopia Goods (Australian based textile brand), Marimekko (est. 1951 Finnish design house that does their own prints). This observation enlightens where Silken Favours sits in the market

b.To define both the consumer, as an affluent

woman, and the brand, as luxury.

The association between REN and SF allows both brands to gain visibility and target a similar audience, while adding strength to each other’s reputation as niche, luxury brands.

This collaboration with a beauty brand is another possible opportunity to look at for Joanna Lyle.

Collaborations within other sectors can effectively help brands gain brand awareness or target a specific audience.

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competitors silken favours

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competitors liberty london

Liberty London is an iconic landmark for luxury textiles and prints. Based in a picturesque historic building in the heart of London, Liberty is synonymous of luxury, patterns and quality.

Visiting the shop, which coincidentally also stocked Silken Favours and La Double J, allowed me to observe the environment within this luxury retailer and more specifically understand who is the textile consumer.

is an affluent woman over 40, who works in central London. Her home and fashion style is a reflection of the image she wants people to see of her: a perfectionist, a creative, a tastemaker.

Liberty is also swarming with tourists, enticed by the beautiful features of the old English building and style.

Looking at such a prestigious brand like Liberty, which like Joanna Lyle sits in both the fashion and interiors sectors, provides insight into the environment of luxury stockists which Joanna Lyle is currently lacking. For brands like La Double J and Silken Favours, that do not have retail spaces, a presence in Liberty is ultimately rewarding for both sales and awareness. With more and more niche brands emerging into bigger department stores, this represents another opportunity for Joanna Lyle to expand in a very saturated market.

Liberty’s ground floor is home to many fine textile companies, from Missoni to Alexander McQueen, and of course their in-house label.

By talking to the sales assistant, I gathered that the main consumer in this precise sector is a woman over 40, who buys key, high-quality pieces.

The prices of the scarves, ties and foulards are very high, usually due to the elevated percentage of silk.

The Liberty consumer, as emerged from this report,

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competitors

made in italy

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Made in Italy les belles heures Les Belles Heures is a Paris-based brand that shares many aspects with Joanna Lyle.

It was founded in 2016 by a young French man, Sylvain Deleuze, that preciously cultivated his time living in Rome and Milan, in addition to his childhood in Grenoble, to create a visionary brand.

LBH creates beautifully designed scarves, for both men and women, based on personal inspirations and artworks such as those of Josef Albers and Mark Rothko. Similarly, Sylvain takes inspiration from colour and his personal experiences in Italy.

“Italy has been key in fine-tuning my sense for colour” says the founder in an interview with Vogue Italia (Deleuze, 2018).

In the analysis of Les Belles Heures, it is clear that the designer had a distinct and vivid image of the brand before it’s launch. Present online and on Instagram, the brand thrives off a strong brand identity that tells a story and lures the consumer to know more about it.

The quality of the scarves is reflected in the curation of the chosen images, coordinated and arranged in patterns that are also reminiscent of excellent organization and manufacturing.

Les Baelles Heures also stands out for the multiculturalism that is annexed to the product: the designer flaunts the French and Italian “nationality” of the scarves, conveying transparency as well as an exotic desire for a product that was assembled in multiple “traditional” countries. The scarves are designed in Paris, home to the biggest luxury fashion houses, woven in Treviso, printed on the “shores of lake Como” and “meticulously hand-rolled by luxury artisans in Lyon” (Les Belles Heures, 2018).

The description of the printing location, referred to as shores, immediately evokes an idea of beautiful, countryside landscape. The product therefore carries this idyllic journey with it, allowing the consumer to grasp a feel of the serene locations it was created in. On the other hand, the description of the luxury artisans that hand-roll the scarves casts the impression of a small, manual workshop in the streets of Lyon, an image that could almost only exist in a story tale.

Les Belles Heures is efficiently telling a story through the brand. This emerges both from the website and the brand’s Instagram page, meticulously curated and intriguing to scroll through.

The brand also has a Facebook account, whose audience only amounts to 285 followers. This

Moreover, LBH aims to flourish based on three ideal pillars: design, quality and price (Deleuze, 2018). The products are timeless, created for a consumer that nurtures a passion for luxurious, beautiful to touch and organic pieces. Coupled with their Italian origins and assemblage of colours, Sylvain’s scarves are directly connected to the essence of Joanna Lyle.

Your scarves are weaved in Italy and all the pieces of La Collection N°1 are inspired by Italian places.

Would you please tell us more about the ties you have with this country ?

“I have always felt close to Italy. My home town is a place crowded by a lot of Italian families where I have been exposed to that culture early on. I lived in Roma and Milan. I speak the language and been extensively fed by this aesthetic. Italy owns a secular textile savoirfaire. It felt natural to source part of the production there.” (Deleuze, 2018)

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evidences the strength of a visual-based platform such as Instagram for a brand whose core is art and colour. Les Belles Heures have 2289 followers on Instragram, which shows this platform is certainly more fruitful than its Facebook profile.

Finally, the French brand has a Pinterest page, which clearly is not used as the audience consists of 7 followers. Nonetheless, this is another visual platform which could greatly benefit the brand by engaging with consumers through a more direct artistic orientation.

Sylvain as the designer is not at the focus of the brand, which rather emphasizes the object and role of the scarf. Despite the quality traits of the brand exude from the designer, the scarf as object and more than an accessory is personified as the core of the brand.

Additionally, despite a devoid of photography mentions, Les Belles Heures relates to an artistic and visual-led consumer due to its incredibly curated Instagram page. The brand is efficiently using an angle of its product (colour) to interact and attract a consumer which may not necessarily be a scarf buyer.

The dedication and singularity of its imagery reaches out to a consumer scope much wider than a person who is interested in scarves, capturing the attention of an artistic based audience and offering several angles for media attention.

Les Belles Heures has successfully grasped the importance for an emerging brand to offer something original and eye-catching, in order to grow a base audience that will gradually prosper from word of mouth and the continuous sharing activity of social media.

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This accessory brand can be used as inspiration for the new direction of social media and online presence for Joanna Lyle. The deducted analysis shows that a fashion company does not have to limit itself to the product but can experiment creatively with its identity and art in order to attract potential clients. Hence, the key to a consistent identity is a painstakingly planned content calendar and clear vision in mind.

les belles heures instagram

Made in Italy les belles heures

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Joanna Lyle 90

Milano

external environment 91

external environment

made in Italy & the silk industry

“The excellence of Italian craftsmanship and of Made in Italy - which evolved over the years, propelled, among other things, by investment in research and innovation - is a key factor in safeguarding the value of Italian products and worldrenowned creativity, and represents the quintessence of the Italian life-style.”

(Ferragamo, 2015)

THE ROAD TO SILK Since the XVth and XVIth century Italy maintained global hegemonic power in artisanship and textile production, until the industrialisation of neighbouring countries such as the United Kingdom and France, which implemented a decline of manufacturing in cities like Florence (The Italian Tribune, 2016).

Subsequently, the industrialization shifted to local communities, often close to rivers and sources of water, dedicated to the production of textiles.

In the centuries to come, The North of Italy evolved as the hub of textile manufacturers, who gradually gravitated to the Lombardic region and area of Como to settle their businesses (The Italian Tribune, 2016).

The district between Como and Milan, known as Brianza, has remained the most eminent region for textile artisanship in the country (The Italian Tribune, 2016).

Small businesses mainly focused on the production of cotton and silk developed in the region of Brianza and have cultivated a reputation for their first-class quality and skilfulness.

The region between Milan and the iconic lake situated in front of the breath-taking Alpine backdrop has gained worldwide recognition for the production of silk, which in most cases is imported from China, the biggest silk producer in the world.

Making 800,000 tons of silk each year, China sits at the forefront of the global production of silk, and has since Ancient China (Udas and Jensen, 2015). Silk is intrinsic to Chinese tradition and constitutes one of

As analysed in the previous sections, Joanna Lyle’s communication lacks focus on the Italian manufacturing process of the products. All Joanna Lyle’s textiles are born from the designer’s experiments with watercolours on paper creating sinuous patterns which are then edited digitally online by herself and her partner. The images are then printed on fine materials at a later stage in partnership with the industry’s leòàading experts from the region between Como and Milan.

The organic procedure through which the brand creates its product puts the label at the forefront of the Italian artisanal industry. Italy is renowned for its prime quality of manual labour and quality, intrinsic to the national history since the late Medieval ages.

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the principal commodities for the country’s trade industry. Naturally this opulent material, composed of the raw threads made by larvae that feed off the leaves of mulberry trees, is no longer produced manually but through machinery (Udas and Jensen, 2015). Nevertheless, Chinese silk triumphs over other countries for its superlative quality and affordable cost. The mild climate in China allows the abundant growth of these trees in the region, and coupled with the great deal of silkworm farms, the country’s economy thrives on this activity.

Other regions such as the Como area, characterized by an idyllic climate for this industry, were prolific in the production of silk. China however remains the principal and leading country for producing silk in terms of quantity and quality. (Udas and Jensen, 2015).

on the procedures of dye-printing and weaving the raw silk imported from its Asian competitor (The Italian Tribune, 2016). Mantero, founded in 1902 by Riccardo Mantero and source for La Double J’s prints, was and remains one of the leading silk producers in the country (Mantero, 2018)

“Today, raw silk is imported from China, but the final stages of production are carried out in Como - from weaving, dyeing, designing and printing.”

(Johnston, 2010) Joanna Lyle’s designs are printed in this region by the finest experts, using internationally sourced fabrics and producing a small number of items at a time, in order to supervise every subtle detail.

Manufacturers in Italy have therefore turned to the importation of the raw material from Chinese sources and specialize in the final procedures of treatment and finishing. From the early decades of the 20th century, the Como silk industry has mainly focused 93

EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

milano

“The capital of the Nor th”, or “Real Italian capital”, as the Milanese often refer to their city, has for decades been at the vanguard of international fashion.

However, unlike the other global fashion capitals, Milan is also considered the Design Mecca, and has been since the prominent, avant-garde design movements of the 80s.

ends of “hot” places to visit.

Listed amongst the same travel pages that recommend minimalist trendy cafés in Copenhagen, Lisbon or Berlin, the past few years have seen the rise of a new, ar tistic side of Milan.

In par ticular, the Nor th par t of the city has seen a huge evolution in the past 10 years.

The rise of the colossal Unicredit tower and the futuristic plaza beneath has become a new destination for luxur y and high street shoppers.

Corso Como is at stones through away, famous for the iconic Corso Como 10 concept store founded by Carla Sozzani in the 80s. Being one of the most influential locations for fashion worldwide, it is only natural that this area has become highly popular for tourists from all over the world.

This contemporar y area of Por ta Nuova overlaps with the old, distinctive district of Brera.

Joanna Lyle sits in between, benefitting from both waves of people who visit each area.

This is in fact what Milan has been lauded for : a culturally ancient city that unlike any other, inimitably merges modernity within its old walls.

This insight of Milan proposed by LSN:Global analyses the city’s high position amongst other Italian metropoles in terms of business and finance, continuing with an obser vation of how the Luxur y Matrix behaves. This Matrix is the result of 10 years of qualitative and quantitave research in the field of luxur y

bar luce, fondazione prada - designed by wes anderson

Memphis, Ettore Sottsas, De Padova and other design pioneers used Milan as their base, so it only makes sense for the Lombardic metropolis to make sure their heritage lives on. Each year the streets of Milan are inundated with millions of visitors for Design Week (il Salone del Mobile), the world-leading design festival. This takes par t across the whole city, but really exudes from the quirky areas of Tor tona, the hipster vibe zone based near the Navigli canals, or the characteristic and old town centre of Brera, home to the acclaimed Ar ts Academy.These two hubs are where ever y year, ever yone and anyone who is interested in design takes par t in aesthetically stimulating events.

Concomitantly to its huge expansion as a financial and business city, Milan has attracted more and more tourists and visitors.

Architectural and cultural endeavours such as the Fondazione Prada, the Bosco Ver ticale or the 2015 EXPO, are just a few examples of Milan’s creative renaissance.The rise of “instagrammable” bars, sleek fusion restaurants and “aperitivi” hotspots, has thrown Milan into the deep 94

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brands, which “highlights staging posts on a path of luxur y consumer development” (Walker, 2017).

This Milan-based trend also taps into the ar ts of fashion and design, therefore influencing the industr y that Joanna Lyle works in. The brand does indeed occupy two different lifestyle sectors, and offers a multifaceted experience. However, this study shows that there are oppor tunities for brands in Milan to use the Convergence Economy in their favour, creating the “have-it-all lifestyle” that consumers are demanding.

LSN:Global has identified a type of behaviour within this city: The Convergence Economy.

“It no longer befits brands to specialise in one thing. The Convergence Economy is a response to the consumer demand for a have-it-all lifestyle, where they can get a coffee, evening gown and glossy magazine under the same roof.”

(Walker, 2017)

Fur ther research shows that Milan is frequently adver tised as a priority mustvisit city on the trendy bucket-list. Ar ticles in alternative magazines such as Surface shows that it has become a destination for people that are interested in less mainstream brands and activities (Marshall, 2017), whilst publications such as EasyJet confirm that it is also ideal for a variety of people who travel for both leisure and work (Klinger, 2017).

The trend analysis looks at locations such as the Prada Foundation and the AC Milan newest headquar ters as examples of the Convergence Economy. According to LSN, consumers are looking for 360° lifestyle experiences in places outside their homes.

Bookshops, cinemas, coffee shops, hair salons- why not merge them all into one space?

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A flick through any interiors magazine or website will show that luxury brands have started to turn to this sector to tap into the 360° degrees lifestyle concept that has arisen recently.

“From high-end to high street, the worlds of fashion and interior design have never been so closely aligned. Recent years have seen countless collaborations between prominent fashion designers and established homeware brands, who have realized that consumers are hungry for a complete lifestyle experience.” (Morris, 2017).

Nowadays, consumers are not satisfied with the limited scope of fashion brands, and are constantly yearning for companies they can buy into from all perspectives.

An article on CNN published in September 2017 affirms that the fashion and interiors spheres are merging more than ever, due to the opportunity for fashion houses to tap into the luxury home and furniture sector, which, “according to a report by Allied Market Research, is forecast to reach $27 billion by 2020” (Morris, 2017). The same report asserts that the largest market for luxury home is Europe (Chaudari, 2017), giving space for Italy to thrive in this field with brands like Gucci.

Gucci has been the main player in this recent surge of interior collaborations, creating a demand for consumers to blur their fashion style with their taste for interiors.

For smaller, more economic brands such as Joanna Lyle, this signifies an opportunity for an increase in demand. People want to live brands from several angles, allowing these businesses to grow across different spheres. Simultaneously, there is an even higher risk of consumers leaning towards highfashion brands in order to live these multi-faceted lifestyles.

Raf Simons has also focused his latest work on the value of textiles, collaborating with the textile producer Kvadrat for a new range of upholstered designs launched in early 2017.

This is another relevant example of the rise of demand for luxury, high quality fabrics.

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In addition to luxury brands such as Gucci and Raf Simons, research has also indicated a growth in collaborations between artists and textiles, which has led to an expansion in this particular market.

Loewe has also expanded to homeware under the direction of Jonathan Anderson, whose passion for design is widely renowned. The Spanish brand launched their first collection of interior furnishings at Milan’s Salone del Mobile in 2017 in collaboration with Roberto “Mouseman” Thompson. According to CNN, Anderson stated he in fact believed creating for the home was “a substantial way for brands to show their talent”, which explains this trendy participation of fashion labels in design events like the Salone. (Morris, 2017).

Italy seems to be the place where this trend is growing the most. As previously mentioned, Joanna Lyle is also a participant of the Salone, which denotes a great opportunity for the brand to arise amongst the wave of newly turned “fashionable interior brands” but also represents a great threat as consumers could turn to bigger labels.

In order to look at the “patterned fabrics” industry from a global perspective, research came across the works of Catherine Martin.

In 2016, Australian award-winning costumier

Catherine Martin created her third line of fabrics for Mokum Textiles, a section of James Dunlop wholesale textiles, based in New Zealand.

Catherine Martin is an established Oscar winning costume and fabric designer who was worked on the sets of films such as the Great Gatsby and for brands including Brook Brothers. Having launched her career in this domain, Martin has also experimented and brought her authentic vision to the interiors industry.

Her collaboration with Mokum portrays a new side to the multifaceted interiors world, which gained a lot of media attention from magazines like Wallpaper.

Her patterns have been acclaimed by the industry leaders, from Vogue covers to collections for Anthropologie, positioning Martin at the forefront of this less exposed textile industry.

The collaboration with Mokum was featured on Wallpaper online, a very popular magazine for creative professionals around the age of 35.

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Wallpaper Media Kit • 34 Median age • 86% have a university degree • £79,866 average annual income • 14 fashion purchasing frequency • 93% will spend extra on Quality • 52/48 Male / female • 33% have a postgraduate degree • 11 average no. of flights taken each year • 85% purchase something they saw on w*.com (Wallpaper, 2017) As Catharine Martin’s collaboration is relevant to Wallpaper’s content, it is evident that textiles and bespoke fabrics are part of this magazine’s areas of focus. Therefore, according to the data gathered from Wallpaper’s media kit, the people who show interest in this field are around 34 years old and affluent, with an attentiveness to quality and likely to buy products from the magazine.

For Joanna Lyle, this is an ideal target consumer, and reflects the type of publications the brand should be targeting.

Excavating into the realm of textiles and fashion, Wallpaper was certainly the nucleus for relevant sector research. Alongside Catherine Martin, there are many more names that are delving into these sectors, making it apparent that the textile industry is very relevant today.

On the other hand, modern brands like Margaret Howell are approaching the sector in an original manner by celebrating long forgotten textiles pioneers such as Gerd Hay-Edie with an in-store exhibition and a three-product launch.

Once again, the textiles and quality of the fabrics have been prioritized over the actual product, signifying a demand for quality rather than style.

Focusing on Joanna Lyle’s approach to textiles through art, as she applies watercolours to create the final product, research in artistic textiles has also

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been carried out.

In LA, Slowdown Studios has heightened this idea by literally creating artworks on 100% cotton throws, and soon hoping to conquer the ceramics, stationery and accessories landscape.

The company is creating art we can carry around, or snuggle up in bed to, ultimately opening a very accessible door to the elite art world for the joy of art lovers. The prices of these pieces fluctuate around 200$, offering a great mix of quality, affordability and exclusivity all in one (Slowdown Studios, 2017).

Slowdown Studio has 84,7K followers on Instagram, which shows that there is a large interest in artistic textiles.

The fascination for luxury textiles and art has also hit Europe: London College of Fashion graduate Victoria Rowley has merged the art and textile world in her celebrated exhibition held in the basement of a Pan-Asian bar in South Kensington, which gained its artistic cult status in the 80s (Parsons, 2017). Her provocative silk prints are another exemplary form of textile art that is gaining excellent attention.

This brief overview of what is happening in the sectors of art and textiles depicts an upcoming, developing and niche part of the overlapping industries that are art and fashion.

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“The decorative silk scarf was a big hit on A/W 18/19 catwalks and is set to be a commercial winner for the season. Gold gilt borders are key for the younger end of the market, while striped borders offer a more wearable option. Vintage prints have been bubbling under the surface for some time, and will continue to be important as designers get more daring with their archives.”

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TRENDS: THE HEADSCARF

“The silk scarf remains key

thanks to its timeless appeal and transseasonal qualities” (Correa from WGSN, 2018)

(Correa from WGSN, 2018)

As revealed by WGSN’s summar y of this season’s hottest trends, scar ves were a massive hit on the catwalks.

Brands like Gucci, Prada, Ferragamo, Marine Serre and many more explored the versatility of the most “simple” of accessories. The silk scarf has made a reappearance in fashion, and what is most interesting is, it nebver looks the same.

Some prefer it as as headpiece, others use it to decorate bags. Neckties, hair pieces, belts- boggling how many things a foulard can do.

This ultimate trend is a great oppor tunity to add an ‘in-trend’ touch to Joanna Lyle, and numerous occasions for the designer to gain relevant press coverage in fashion editorials.

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niche brands The rise of Instagram as a tool for brands to raise awareness in the industry has consequently led to a sudden explosion of niche, emerging labels across all sectors. With an efficient recipe made up of smart PR tactics and following-worthy visual feeds, brands such as Mansur Gavriel have demonstrated it is possible to soar to success with a low budget and very few means.

Although Mansur Gavriel is not a direct competitor, the NY based brand that started in 2012 with only two styles (Chitrakorn, 2017) has a lot in common with Joanna Lyle.

It is a perfect example in terms of an emerging niche brand that began due to the designers’ vision of a gap in the affordable luxury market.

By 2017 Mansur Gavriel is stocked in the most notorious shops around the globe, is a favourite amongst influencers, and boasts 513K followers on Instagram.

In an interview with BoF (2017), the two designers talk about how they started and highlight the importance of a meticulously planned brand identity.

“The graphic design, photography and emotion of the brand are as important to us as the perfection of the actual product, which we achieve through material, form and colour.”(Chitrakorn, 2017).

Another piece of advice that the duo suggest in the interview is to “take things step by step” and to not do everything at the beginning (Chitrakorn, 2017).

Part of their success can be traced back to their pre-planned journey, which started with a line of

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external environment niche brands two bags and is now delving into the ready-to-wear sector.

Their great, international and successful growth as a niche brand is important to look at, as it reiterates the impact of a strong brand identity and business plan, elements that are lacking at this time for Joanna Lyle.

In addition to this interview, a second article on BoF regarding three other niche bag brands (Cult Gaia, Staud and Danse Lente) states: “This boom in niche bag brands is the result of several changes in consumer behaviour: the expectation for luxury quality at an accessible price point, demand for uniqueness, and that Instagram has become a key discovery tool for shoppers and wholesale

buyers alike, according to Claire Foster, director of accessories and footwear at WGSN.� (Morency, 2017) This statement can be applied to areas external to the bag industry, as proven by Mansur Gavriel which is creating ready-to-wear. The consumer is indeed scouting the vast fashion industry to place trust in new emerging brands with lower price points compared to the historic luxury names, especially in the accessories business. There is a clear need for uniqueness, which transcends the name and logo of a brand. This demand is opening new grounds for brands to grow their audience, using Instagram as the main medium to do so.

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Another emerging brand to observe as an example of successful niche brand is Kitri, founded in February 2017 by Haeni Kim who “spotted a gap in the market for well-priced, well-made clothes for thirtysomething professionals with a healthy interest in fashion” (Pithers, 2017).

This is an interesting case study as both Kim and Lyle noticed a gap in the fashion market for professionals and are involved in design: Kitri’s first pop up shop was conceptualized by creative consultancy Campbell-Rey, whose creations were at the “talk of the Salone del Mobile” (Pithers, 2017).

Kitri differs from other examples previously analysed because it’s main strength is not Instagram, which only has 7.000 followers, but the press coverage and the savvy pop-up shop location in the heart of London’s Marylebone.

Similarly to Joanna Lyle, Kitri’s social media presence is a weakness,

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but on the other hand the label is greatly advantaged due to its retail location. By opening in Marylebone, Kitri is automatically targeting a certain type of consumer, in the same way Joanna Lyle does in Brera.

This Kitri pop-up shop has been the key to important press coverage in publications such as Drapers and Vogue, which is decisive in the direction of an emerging brand.

This study of niche, new brands has identified two strategies for an increase in brand awareness: it is necessary to either focus on a robust visual identity portrayed on social media channels, which could be futile for a brand with an older demographic that does not use Instagram, or to gain attention via other touchpoints such as the retail store.

Ideally, each tactic will lead to the other and subsequently go hand in hand.

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HETI’S COLOURS

Heti’s Colours is a luxur y scarf brand by Central Saint Mar tin’s graduate and textile Designer Heti Ger vis (Heti’s Colours, 2018).

The first collection launched in SS14, and only three years later is stocked in Liber ty London, one of the world’s most influential stores for textiles and prints (Heti’s Colours, 2018).

Heti’s Colours is an additional small, independent brand that has gained notorious success for its luxurious and staple pieces, coupled with a bold visual presence on Instagram. Once again, research has obser ved the impor tance of Instagram’s role in the establishing process of a brand.

Heti’s Colour’s provides followers with a painstakingly curated feed which follows a clear ar tistic and chromatic strategy. This is one example of Instagram strategy, but many others can be applied in order to reach an aesthetic, multi-faceted but brand-aligned appearance.

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All the evidence that has been deduced through the research done so far has corroborated the significance of a clear brand identity on social media and online. From La Double J’s influencer savvy reputation to the rocket growth of Mansur Gavriel, it is safe to say that branding and visuals are almost as important as the product itself.

With branding being at the core of consumer culture, it is essential for brands to stay up to date with the trends around this sometimes eclipsed element of businesses.

Joanna Lyle’s branding is not up to date, and stands out as oddish and outmoded. In branding, details are positioned under the spotlight that is the consumer’s experience. Packaging, logos, business cards, press releases and anything tangible must be coherent and

visually pleasing.

According to Dezeen, “brands have been scrapping their previously complicated logos in favour of flat designs”, (Aouf, 2016). By looking at brands like Airbnb, Calvin Klein, or even McDonalds, it is evident that the world of visual identity has been overwhelmed by a need to rebrand and have been influenced by this flat, minimalist trend.

In a conversation with Creative Review and one of the world’s leading design studios, ironically called DesignStudio, the experts stress the importance of really immersing oneself into the consumer’s lifestyle in order to conceptualize design ideas. This reveals the importance of knowing your target consumer inside and out, and then proceeding to create a brand (Steven, 2017).

Joanna Lyle’s graphics and visual identity are weak, as

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analysed in the prime part of this research. In order to directly communicate with the consumer, it is fundamental to take a step back and amend these issues.

Silken Favours, La Double J and Maliparmi have cleverly built the image of the brand that they want the consumer to see and live. Therefore these brands will be used as models to imitate when approaching branding tactics.

Collaborating with a design studio may not always be possible due to budget costs, but a simple solution can still be found.

Luxury Milanese store Corso Como 10, founded

by Carla Sozzani and renowned for the futuristic interiors by Kris Rhus, uses an iconic, simple pattern for its merchandise.

Corso Como 10’s concentric circles have become the emblem of the store and bring visibilty to the brand (Rehyle, 2016).

Branding is a critical tool for marketing, as visual contents are far more memorable than text.

Furthermore, efficient packaging makes a brand stand out from its competitors and creates recognition.

It is vital that an emerging brand stands out and is a memorable shopping experience for the consumer.

A striking bag or wrapping paper can make this happen, in addition to conveying professionalism.

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POLITICAL Politically, as analysed by Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, Joanna Lyle as a fashion and textile business may be affected by the new government of Paolo Gentiloni (Crivelli, 2017).

Unlilke previous premier Renzi, he has not shown interest in strengthening this specific part of the manufacturing industry.

Additionally, as Italy’s main strength is the vocationo of export, Brexit has already and will progress to affect the entire European import/ export industry (Crivelli, 2017).

ECONOMICAL Economically, Milan has seen a robust boost in the past decade. As seen on articles in magazine such as Surface or Wallpaper, Milan is as trendy as ever. Expanding from a cultural and artistica angle, the city’s reputation is shifting from antiquated to modern and versatile.

From a design pespective, the rise of new districts like Porta Nuova with projects like il Bosco Verticale (by Stefano Boeri) and piazza Gae Aulenti (designed by César Pelli), and the perpetual reputaition of older ones like Brera has attracted millions of visitors each year. Italy is third in the global manufacturing industry after China and Germany, and has seen a revenue growth of 52 million (ITA, 2017). Joanna Lyle is directly impacted by this stage of economic “prosperity” and can benefit from the opportunity of its showroom location and manufacturing partners.

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TECHNOLOGICAL LSN:Global has spotted an economy defined as “Convergence”, determined by the consumer desire for a “have-it-all” life-style (Walker, 2017).

Brands are responding to this demand by creating multi-faceted experiences in store and online.

This is an opportunity for Joanna Lyle to creatively branch out and tap into this highly popular trend, focused in Milan and using technology in order to compete in today’s tech-saturated market.

Technologically, there is a wide array of opportunities from a technological perspective, consumers have a wider access to international brands by online shopping and social media. Research also shows Additionally, future research will analyse how technology is affecting the textile industry, and understand in what way Joanna Lyle can apply faster and better technology to the production process.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND LEGAL Joanna Lyle is not involved in any corporate social responsibilites, and although her products are made according to an ethical conduct, the brand could strengthen this aspect of the brand and communicate it in a clearer manner.

Legally, Joanna Lyle is not in any threatening situations or legal matters to resolve.

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II.

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strategy tact ic # 1 : v i s ua l i d e n t i t y

Following the communication audit and analysis of Joanna Lyle’s essence, it is clear that the brand is in need of a new identity.

All of the brand’s touchpoints (social media, website, packaging) will reflect the brand’s new creative vision.

In order to concretize a new identity, it was necessar y to break down the company and pinpoint the key words that describe Joanna Lyle. These words were then used to create a new logo, packaging mock up and online editorial content.

Visual Identity research was conducted in the analysis of niche brands such as Mansur Gavriel.

Below is a representation of the L.A. store and on the following page is a visual moodboard designed by collaborator Sabrinna Baglio that depicts the brand’s mood and tones. The same process has been applied to Joanna Lyle in order to create the moodboard on the left hand-side.

Consistent Visual Identity - e,g Mansur Gavriel

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TIMELESS COLOURFUL M AT U R E E X P E R I M E N TA L INSPIRED LOUD SOFT E D U C AT E D A RT I S T I C C R E AT I V E L OV I N G ELEGANT C U LT U R A L OPEN-MINDED

Visual Identity Moodboard of Mansur Gavriel by Sabrinna Baglio

Joanna Lyle’s new visual identity will take the form of two tangible elements:

1. Logo and Typeface 2. Packaging These brand touchpoints will aim to resonate with Joanna Lyle’s identified brand personality.

The brand’s new visual identity has also taken into consideration all conducted research into external environments. By analysing competitors and their communication strategies, this tactic will apply the findings in order to create a strong and coherent brand identity for Joanna Lyle.

The final outcome was a result of multiple experiments done by myself and in collaboration with two separate graphic designers: Alice Marani and Tecla Cutuli.

These collaborators provided me with options for a new ar tistic direction, but I did not agree or believe they were strong enough. Coupled

with my research, I finally decided that the brand logo should exude luxur y and quality, and therefore just include text.

In terms of packaging, Joanna Lyle should compensate the simplicity of her logo and voice the uniqueness of her patterns and colours. As seen in the Corso Como 10 case study, a brand can rely on an iconic symbol to catch the eye and establish itself as a visual entity.

For this reason, Joanna Lyle’s packaging has been mocked up to look iconic and recognizable.

In collaboration with graphic designer Sabrinna Baglio, who I met through a classmate, Joanna Lyle’s identity began to take shape.

I asked Sabrinna to create a branding pitch, and based on my previous work on InDesign, she provided me with the following visuals as well as more professionally designed packaging mock-ups.

Sabrinna’s Branding Pitch:

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Exper iments done by me:

E x p e r i m e n t s d o n e b y Te c l a C u t u l i :

Exper iments done by Alice Mar ani:

It was crucial that Joanna Lyle’s new visual identity represented the quality, craftsmanship and uniqueness of the brand’s products. As seen throughout these experiments done by myself and two collaborating graphic designers, these logo proposals do not resonate with the message Joanna Lyle is tr ying to convey.

For this reason, I began to browse amongst luxur y Italian brands online and the conclusion I reached was that the key to sophistication was keeping the text separate from graphics.

Therefore, ‘JOANNA LYLE’ was written in NEOU, a par ticular font that seemed suitable for the brand.

MILANO was added in order to emphasize the heritage and quality of the brand, seeing as the Italian reputation for quality is paramount.

Adding Milano next to Joanna Lyle also immediately creates an identity for the brand, leading consumers to impor tant information before they research more into it.

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Joanna Lyle’s new packaging will be created through the Italian company Pixar t Printing, which offer complete professional ser vices for labels, bags, boxes and so on. The packaging from online orders will also be aligned to this identity, in order to guarantee customer satisfaction even from online experience By selecting the kind of bags on the brand website, Pixar t gives an estimate of how much the order would cost. Joanna Lyle would order 3000 personalised shopping bags (the smallest batch available) that reaches a total of €1,432.

The labels can also be made through Pixar t, and would be 7x3 cm large. For an order of 3000 labels, the estimate cost would be €144.

b u d g e t : The creation of the logo and the

use of an Adobe typeface was free of cost.

The only cost would therefore be the production of shopping bags and labels with a total of: €1.432.

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Packaging Exper iments done by Sabr inna Baglio;

When?

Joanna Lyle’s new identity will be publicly visible from April 2018, at the same time of the Salone del Mobile and of the launch of the editorial campaign on social media and website.

The resaon behind this is that the rest of the tactics of this PR campaign have been designed according to Joanna Lyle’s new identity. Therefore, it only makes sense that this is to be launched at the beginning of the 12 months.

Together with the launch of this new identity, the showroom will change its name from Amoeba to Joanna Lyle, in order to amend any confusion and incoherency this may have entailed previously.

Packaging Exper iments done by myself:

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strategy tact ic # 2 : e di to r i a l c o n t e n t The aim of the second tactic is to create content for Joanna Lyle’s online platforms: Instagram, Facebook and Website.

The brand has never executed a professional shoot for the products, so this tactic will create a campaign for Joanna Lyle’s general collection.

Joanna Lyle does not produce seasonally, making it hard to define her collections as so. This professionally shot campaign aims to encapsule Joanna Lyle’s signature products such as the line of silk shirts, velvet coats and Sicilia scarves in order to present itself as a newly concepted brand.

Joanna Lyle has affirmed that her vision and inspiration stems from the 20’s, which will be the main era taken in consideration for moodboards and pre-planning. Nevertheless, Joanna Lyle must appear appealing to a younger demographic in comparison to her current consumer.

In alignment to the “Headscarf ” trend, as analysed from WGSN’s article, and research on current campaigns such as Gucci and Marni, the shoot aims to revamp a staple, ‘mature’ piece by adding a modern and sophisticated twist.

The models selected for the shoot were found on social platforms, based on a criteria that needed to appeal to the Milanese ‘Brera’ demographic.

The required look neeeded to be clean, young, stylish and neutral-European in order to avoid the risk of categorizing a smaller audience.The models were respectively 27 and 30 years old, in order to represent and appeal to a slightly older woman that wants wants to dress according to her own age without leaning against a ‘older’ style.

Luckily, I already had a fashion photographer connection with Henry Hewitt, who has worked with numerous brands and models previously.

The shoot took place at Lime Grove studios, on March 20th.

Joanna was able to attend and provide the garments, which were styled into looks by myself and fellow LCF student Emily Kelly.

The shoot took up to 3 weeks to plan, and involved collecting a selection of backdrops from Loft Film Studio in Kensal Rise, shopping for accessories, moodboarding and set design. In terms of hair and make up, I relied on Isabella Bedford-Davies with whom I had previously collaborated with.

Moreover, Rhoneil Tiburcio from LCF Creative Direction assisted with set design and backstage video content.

The storyboard for the shoot included 5 looks (plus variations) and a selection of backdrops which were chosen based on the main colours of the collection. These colours were bold and flat, in order to compensate the eccentricity and vibrancy of the clothes.

The mood of the shoot took inspiration from editorials in magazines such as Vogue and brands like Celine and Gucci, which have used ‘mature’ models before.

Once the photographs were taken and edited to a narrow selection, the photographer was given two weeks for post-production.

This editorial shoot will be mainly used as brand content for social media and website, but also for all 2018 press assets in preparation for Joanna Lyle’s next collection debut.

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Ta c t i c # 2 cèline

Celine’s and Gucci’s recent campaigns were used as inspiration for Joanna Lyle’s shoot.

It was pivotal that the final result expressed the brand identity, which was in some ways present in these images.

Although Joanna Lyle’s products are entirely different from Celine, who is known for its clean aesthetic, both brands target a sophisticated, cultured woman. Celine has repeatedly used ‘older’ models for its campaigns, suggesting that this is the target audience.

Gucci on the other hand was used as inpiration for its artistic vision. Gucci has a romantic, flamboyant personality, which adds a quirky twist to its collections.

Joanna Lyle’s first editorial campaign will, as mentioned previously, be used as a presentation of the brand to the press and industry.

The launch of a brand with a new, defined identity, will captivate more attention to the brand’s platforms.

The most important aspect of the campaign is to share it on Instagram for about four weeks consecutively so that the images become ubiquitous and grow the number of followers.

The frequency of the posts will be circa 4 posts a week, using Instagram’s marketing tool “Insights” to understand when the best time to post and who the posts are directed are.

This happened to be 6pm during weekdays to target Milanese women over 35. Consequently, this will be the strategy applied to Joanna Lyle’s Instagram feed.

Gucci’s use of pastel, burnt colours was very inspiring.

The set design, styling and photography style was also a strong reference for Joanna Lyle’s shoot.

The posts will alternate between editorial and inspirational images from external sources and nicely styled product shots, in order to create an aesthetic feed that attracts both current consumers and target consumers.

The images will be posted at intervals with other nicely shot products or inspiration images found on other platforms and profiles. As seen on Heti’s Colours or Les Belles Heures, Instagram is not all about sharing brand content but also providing the audience with aesthetic pictures that represent the brand essence.

gucci

The shoot images will also be printed as postcards to keep in-store and in the shop window, attracting more shoppers into the space.

budget:

The budget for the editorial campaign amounts to 600 euros.

This included: -Photographer and Assistant: 300 -Post-production: 50 -Backdrops: 0 -Van: 30 -Model (Agnieszka) x 8hours: 120 -Model (Lily) x 2 hours: 40 -Hair & Make-UP: 60 -Food and Drinks: 30 Total: 630 euros

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shoot moodboard

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shoot storyboard

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strategy tact ic # 3 . 1 : o n l i n e b lo g c o n t e n t Brands across all sectors (fashion, beauty, design etc.) have tapped into a multi-experiential pattern in order to continuosly engage with their audiences.

As analysed in the surveys and consumer profiles, Joanna Lyle’s audience relies on picking up information in “old-fashion� manners such as magazines and online features rather than usign infuencers as their main source.

A website must therefore be a representation of the identity, messages and content that the brand wishes to be associated with.

Online blogs and newsletters are an efficient way to stay in contact with current and potential consumers, whilst keeping them updated on brand news.

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Ta c t i c # 3 . 1 a e s o p : o n l i n e b lo g

Why Daniela?

Aesop is a prime example of efficient online content: on Japanese writer Yoko Tewada, a novelist whose the brand is known for its excellent knowledge works inspire and align to Aesop’s essence (Aesop, in skincare, which goes hand in hand with its 2018). minimalist, scandinavian life-style aesthetic. Aesop communicates its essence through its tangible touchpoints, in particular through the architecture of its stores which are now based in most capitals around the globe. Aesop’s stores reflect the brand’s zest for architecture, design and minimal living and are all designed individually in order to create a different experience for each shop.

In parallel to these first-person experiences, Aesop offers a similar journey online, through a “reading” dedicated section of its website.

Aesop’s ‘writers’ allow the brand to engage with its consumers through captivating articles on brandaligned content. Art, literature, design and generic culture are featured in Aesop’s reading quarters. By focusing on a specific angle, the brand has managed to interact with a community of minimalist, cultural literature lovers.

This is another example of brands’s tapping into multiple sectors in order to provide a multi-faceted lifestyle for consumers.

An example of Aesop’s writing content is an article Joanna Lyle needs to engage with her consumers in order to grow her audience. Due to the identified consumer profiles and strong interest of all overlapping profiles in literature, art and culture, these will be the main themes that the brand’s online content will cover. Joanna Lyle’s “unique angle” for the blog is to create a community of artistic women that have impacted their industry and are representative of creative, female independence.

Because it will either be myself or Joanna Lyle that will be writing the articles, the content will vary monthly, taking inspiration from current events.

The first piece that will appear on Joanna Lyle’s website will be an exlusive interview with Daniela Cattaneo, co-founder of (h+), BASE Milano and multuple cultural events such as Book City Milano, Piano City Milano and Green City Milano which have rapidly transfomed the Milanese creative scene (Brera pi a n o ci t y m i l a n o 2 01 6 Design Days, 2018).

Daniela Cattaneo is also a mother of two girls, representing all successful business women who have made a change and impact on their community.

She lives and works in Brera, where she manages both (h+) Productions and Base.

Daniela is a frequent traveller, art enthusiast and literature fan, and is over 35.

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Daniela therefore embodies multiple Joanna Lyle consumer profiles:

1. The Milanese Maximalist 2. The Niche company C.E.O. 3. The Upper-Class Milanese Mum For this reason Daniela would perfectly voice Joanna Lyle’s essence and reach out to the brand’s target consumers.

Daniela is also in connection with the Salone del Mobile, as she works closely with Brera Design District and multiple brands in the Milanese design scene.This would reinforce Joanna Lyle’s reputation within this industry and be valuable for media relations.

The blog piece containing the interview with Daniela will be released on Joanna Lyle’s website in May 2018.

The online blog will vary from month to month, and will follow this imprint.

The influencers that will be analysed in the next section of the tactic development research will also be assets to this online content.

The blog will therefore be an artistic, cultural and informative platform for all of Joanna Lyle’s consumers to create a community based on similar interests.

Joanna Lyle will aim to build a circle of loyal readers that will expand as the year progresses.

Featuring the creative on the website would optimally increase brand awareness and establish Joanna Lyle as a professional, sophisticated Italian brand.

The online interview will cover questions such as: 1. What does a normal day look like for you?

2. How did you think of PIano City? Did you expect it to grow so fast?

3. What is your opinion on the creative development in Milan in the recent years?

4. You have a very individual style, do you think it is important for a woman to distinguish herself in the working environment?

5. Can you give away any information on exciting upcoming Milanese events?

b u d g e t : All online blog interviews will be at zero cost. I personally know Daniela Cattaneo and therefore will ask her as a courtesy. In exchange, all interviewees will receive one Joanna Lyle product.

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strategy tact ic # 3 . 2 : I N F L U E N C E R S

The examination of these three influencer profiles evidenced that the interviewed women, over 35, only follow respective influential women over 35.

Elena, Johanna and Paola are three examples of ‘mature’ bloggers that use Instagram as a sharing platform for their hobbies, ideas and shopping preferences. Nevertheless they all have careers on the side and don’t necessarily conform to the stereotypical “instagrammer”.

The parallelism between consumers of a certain

age demographic and influencers that correspond to that demographic verifies the theory of brands refining their influencer activity to specific profiles.

Joanna Lyle must therefore be aligned to the brand’s consumer demographic, subsequently publicly being correlated to a specific profile of women over 35 with similar interests.

The study of these three influencers also showed a strong difference of interests, style and aesthetic between them. Elena, known as ‘Catching Instants’ has grown an audience base of 82K followers for her eye for photography. Her profile is carefully curated to resemble a minimalist gallery. Her profile may not be suitable for product placement but Elena’s adoration for Sicily, clearly transmitted through her photographs, is similar to Joanna Lyle’s love for Italy, quality and beautiful scenery.

Moreover, Elena’s abilty to capture moments could

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ELENA BRAGHIERI

The research and survey questions posed to 29 Milanese women deducted that Joanna Lyle’s target consumer has very little, or almost zero, interaction with bloggers. Out of the 29 women surveyed, only two affirmed they followed the following fashion bloggers: Elena Braghieri, Johanna Maggy and Paola Turani.

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be an effective way to immortalise Joanna Lyle’s timeless pieces.

Johanna Maggy is not only an ‘influencer’ but primarily a mother of two, a wellness coach and a pilates teacher. Johanna’s profile does not correspond to Elena’s immaculate page, but conveys strong transparency. Moreover Johanna’s style is similar to Joanna Lyle’s products, suggesting a collaboration could work amiably.

Lastly, Paola Turani fits more into the category of ‘public figure’, as many of her pictures are sponsored and paid for. Her audience reaches a gargantuan 767K, meaning her influence is significant. Her style is very aligned to Joanna Lyle also, therefore branded content on Paola’s profile would create huge visibility for the brand.

Nevertheless, Paola Turani is a very well-known ‘celebrity/influencer’ and is out of scale in respect to Joanna Lyle’s presence on social media. For this reason it would not be appropriate for the brand to work with her.

‘Micro’ influencers and influential women with a smaller audience would be more suitable for Joanna Lyle’s identity, message and values.

Research in competitor activity on Instagram has allowed to identify more suitable profiles for Joanna Lyle to collaborate with.

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Ta c t i c # 3 . 2 This tactic was initially going to comprise of a content calendar for ‘influencers’ (bloggers, editors and community members) to post Joanna Lyle content on their feed throughout the 12 months.

Research showed that Joanna Lyle’s consumers engage very little with Instagram bloggers, as these are usually younger that this demographic and are very dependent on trends.

As an independent brand, that strives to create timeless pieces rather than seasonal collections, Joanna Lyle does not suit this type of blogger endorsement.

Joanna Lyle and her consumers are women that enjoy cultural activities, art, literature, design and fashion.

For this reason, these women are more likely to engage with influential people from various industries, in such a manner to gain insightful advice or interesting news in regards to trends or personal interests.

These are the potential women that work in creative fields with a substantial audience following that Joanna Lyle could partner with to promote the products over 12 months:

Independent Artists Liselotte Watkins Barbara Frua Ludovica Palomba

Editors And Press Martina Mondadori Amanda Ross Clio Raffalli Michela Moro

In order to build an online presence and to engage with the local community, constituted of cultural, leading women interested in art but not necessarily part of the industry, the brand will include a selection of ‘impactful’ profiles on its online blog. In the same manner that Daniela Cattaneo will be interviewed and photographed for the brand website, Joanna Lyle will continue this initiative for 12 months and, if successful, beyond, in order to culturally engage with its audiences.

stable media relations and a growth in coverage throughout the year.

The following pages will provide a brief description of these women’s careers and influence. From an Instagram perspective, these women have very different sizes of audience. Some have more than 30K followers, whilst others only reach 1-2K. This does not matter as Joanna Lyle will be focusing on online content rather than social media, and although they have different audiences all these women are linked by their passions and careers, Therefore, this variety is positive as it will allow Joanna Lyle to talk to both ‘social media’ infuencers and more ‘old-fashioned’ influencers.

In the process of creating this tactic, research into other online blogs by Milanese fashion brands showed that it is important to have a niche, unique angle for the content.

The content that Joanna Lyle will produce will also be formatted to Instagram, in such a way that both the brand and the interviewees can share the content on their social media feeds. This will create a community around Joanna Lyle and the women she interviews, which will increase social media activity and brand awareness. Also, this tactic will accurately target the people that do not know of the brand yet but are likely to see themselves buying from it.

The online blog will also lead to other opportunities: a range of editors, journalists and freelance stylists have been selected as interviewees. These women are, of course, well connected in the industry and to personally know them and interview them will lead to

Fashion

Enrica Ponzellini Micol Sabbadini Helen Nonini

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La Double J: “ L i v i n g l i ke a n I ta l i a n ”

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La Double J is a brand that effectively manages to create interesting and insightiful content for their web-page.These articles are insightful segments regarding aristocratic, respectable Milanese women and their style.

La Double J’s online blog is an effective method to engage with the brand’s target consumer, which has been defined this audience as upper-class, Milanese style icons, who may not have achieved enourmous things career-wise, but have made themselves a reputation through image and connections.

La Double J’s blog is a unique space where readers are allowed a snippet of these women’ s lives, through fascinating images of their homes, clothes and personal life. By using her reputation as a style-icon herself, JJ Martin has managed to create a community around her brand that women want to be a part of. By lauding their style and offering these women exposure from a matter that interests to them, La Double J managed to create a selling platform with a unique angle.

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Liselotte Watkins 33,4K

Ta c t i c # 3 . 2 1. Liselotte Watkins is a Swedish ceramic artist based in Rome.

Her Instagram feed features a mix of Italian landscapes and her own work, following an ‘artisanal’ and colour-schemed aesthetic.

Not only is Liselotte an expat artist living in Italy, like Joanna, her work is very colourful and patterned.

Liselotte has collaborated with JJ Martin and has a substantial audience. She has also been featured in magazines such as Vogue.

2. Michela Moro is an Italian Art critic that has appeared on multiple art TV pro-

grammes for Italian channel RAI. She was the Communications Manager for the Milan Triennale and considers herself as the first Italian Art Blogger, creating a column on the Rizzoli website in 2008 dedicated to this industry.

Michela also writes for the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera as well as having contributed to numerous magazines incluiding Glamour, Capital, Traveller and Condé Nast (MichelaMoro, 2018).

Michela is in her 40s and perfectly represents successful academic women in creative industries.

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3 Martina Mondadori is the Editor in Chief of Cabana Magazine and

heiress to the Italian publishing mogul Mondadori.

Coupled with her passion for travel and textiles, Martina who is now 37, launched Cabana magazine in 2014. The niche publication is inspired by Martina’s background in publishing, interior design, interiors and branding (Law, 2018). Cabana is now based in London but is actively present in the Milanese Design circle, sitting at the vanguard of collectible magazines.

Michela Moro 1,570 K

Martina Mondadori 154

26,7K

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Ta c t i c # 3 . 2 4. Amanda Ross is an international editor, stylist and designer. She is good

friends with JJ Martin as they used to be collegues.

She is influential in both fashion and design, and has collaborated with Cabana Magazine in the “Indagare Collaboration”. This was a partnership during Milan Design Week with the aim of visiting the most interesting and hidden Milanese spots and artisans.

5. Enrica Ponzellini is the Vogue Italia Fashion & Accessory Market Director.

An interview witb Enrica would be hugely significant for Joanna Lyle. This would incerase chances of coverage in Vogue Italia, and long-enduring relationships with the magazine.

6. Ludovica Palomba is an influential interior designer and part of the

design duo “Palomba-Serafini”. Ludovica is over 40 years old, works and lives in the creative sphere and has 25K followers on Instagram. She works closely with the Fuorisalone and Brera Design District, which would assist Joanna Lyle engage with the community.

7. Helen Nonini is an internationally recognized brand advisor and strategist, with a strong audience on Instagram and in the industry.

An interview with Helen would be extremely beneficial for Joanna Lyle’s brand awareness and reputation.

8. Barbara Frua is an Italian interior designer with a strong reputation. She is linked to La Double J and has good connection in the industry.

9. Micol Sabbadini

is an Italian socialite, textile designer and influencer, She is connected to the fashion and design industry and has been featured by influential editors including Anna dello Russo. It would be interesting to interview Micol and discuss her views on current design and her inspirations.

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strategy tact ic # 4 : P R E S S DAY Press days are a vital part of fashion PR and are incredibly valuable tools in order to present new collections and secure future press collaborations.

Competitor brands including Momoni and Maliparmi have engaged with press in this manner, which will be one of Joanna Lyle’s tactics.

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According to the ‘fashion system’, and in order to show press collections in time for long-lead publications, brands present new collections 6 months before the public launch. aIt is typical for brands to have press days bianually, in correspondance to the fashion seasons.

These usually happen in October and April, but this rule does not necessarily have to apply for every label.

Joanna Lyle will host a press day in October 2018 in the time leading up to Christmas, so that the brand can gain valuable coverage and increase visibility in this peak time.

TAC T I C P L A N The aims of this press day will be to build media relations and educate the Italian press on Joanna W h o Lyle’s projects in fashion and design.

Joanna Lyle’s products will be presented as one collection, but explained in more details in separate sessions dedicated to fashion press and interior press.

Where

As Joanna Lyle’s showroom is too small to host a press day, the brand will be renting a showroom for the selected day in October.

In order to find a suitable space for Joanna Lyle’s Press day, I began to research showrooms around Milan.

This was hard as most showrooms are very vast in size and consequently cost a lot to rent. Joanna Lyle needs a small space so that her limited, slow-fashion collections don’t seem insufficient compared to the space, and additionally, the brand’s budget is very low as it is still emerging.

Through research in different areas in Milan, I came across the Milan Space Makers website: a company dedicated to fashion and design events which provides an array of services including spaces. They also provide brand strategy and PR, but due to budget costs this will be all done in-house.

One of their showrooms. Punto 31, in the Tortona district of Milan, is a perfect location in terms of size and strategy.

Tortona is also home to Milan’s other Design District, and offers a larger number of showrooms and has a reputation of being the hub of Milanese bars and trendy nightlife. The average price of showrooms is also much more affordable compared to the rent in Brera, which will benefit the brand as its small budget can be spent on more details.

Despite attempting to contact Milan Space Makers, I could not get a quote for Punto 31. In pursuance of an idea of prices for budget planning, I compared prices of other showrooms in Brera and Tortona.

The second ideal space I found was a showroom in via Solferino, Brera, about a 5 minute walk from Joanna Lyle’s shop. This space is a lot more central that the Tortona showroom, and is overall more aligned to the brand’s identity.Tortona is a young, upcoming area of Milan known for nightlife, whereas Brera is home to Joanna Lyle’s target demographic.

Between the two, it is safer to spend more money on the Brera showroom and be coherent to the brand’s image and key messages.

Editors from both fashion and design publications will be in the area during ‘press days’ season as it is where the majority of showrooms are located and is perfect for drinks by the canals after a long day of work.

To be based in Tortona would also mean bringing Joanna Lyle to a different part of town which would subsequently increase visibility and as a result, grow awareness.

Brands have not released their press day dates yet, but by analysing the peak days, fashion companies usually host press around the final weeks of October.

Considering this will be a very busy week for editors, which will not consider Joanna Lyle if there are more important events on, the brand will have a press day slightly earlier in order to ensure more visitors.

For this reason, Wednesday October 10th has been selected as the best date for the brand’s press day.

How

The October 2018 press day will be a presentation of Joanna Lyle’s latest collection of AW garments, textiles and interior pieces.The collection will comprise of last season’s hero pieces as these were not seen by the press at all but were a hit with in-store consumers.

Products such as the velvet coats were not sold on the online shop either; this means that very few people knew of Joanna Lyle’s collection. Furthermore, the editorial campaign which launches in April 2018 features four key velvet coats. The photography from the editorial shoot will be used as press assets for the press day. Postcards of the shoot pictures and velvet Joanna Lyle eyewear cases will be given out to press at the end of the day.

The press day will start at 9am and finish at roughly 5pm, and will be organized into sessions where Joanna Lyle will present the collection and talk about herself and the products. Myself and Luca, Joanna’s business partner, will also be present to answer any questions.

Each session will be made up of 5-7 editors, in order to create an intimate environment and be able to personally talk to each person and build valuable contacts and pitches.

Light snacks and beverages will be served throughout the day, provided by a local caterer. Take Away Bistro, which wil be used for the Salone, can provide catering services for this event.

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S H OW RO O M P U N TO 31

S H OW RO O M via solferino, brera milano

V I A TO RTO N A 31 MILANo

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Ta c t i c # 4

Press Justification

GIOIA

Joanna Lyle’s press day will be in Milan, therefore it is unlikely that international editors (mainly UK as this is Joanna’s heritage and target international audience) will assist.

Focusing on Italian press, this event will aim to secure press coverage in mostly fashion magazines, supplements and online pages to get coverage on clothes, accessories and interior pieces.

The focus will mainly be on fashion publications as these are more likely to have ‘Christmas shopping pages’ than interior design magazines.

Research into the mainstream Italian publications, validated with consumer research and the surveys posed to the Milanese target audience, showed that women over 35 will read the following magazines: Donna Moderna, Elle, Gioia, Glamour, Grazia and Marie Claire.

These have therefore been selected as top tier publications to pitch to.

All of these publications are suitable, as they could include Joanna Lyle’s range of products on their Christmas shopping pages.

Ideally, Joanna Lyle would gain coverage from a handful of these publications, most specifically from Gioia and Donna Moderna for the following reasons:

Gioia is an Italian weekly women’s magazine focused on fashion, beauty and lifestyle.

Although many pages would be suitable to feature Joanna Lyle, an ideal piece would include the designer as face of the brand, covering her history and in-detail process of the design and quality fabrics used.

Gioia has previously featured emerging designers, for instance the below article on textile designer Emanuella,.

The article includes an interview with the designer and a selection of images of her work. This page is called “inventalavoro” (which means invent a job) and is edited by Alessandra di Pietro. This page would suit an interview with Joanna Lyle and a discussion on how the designer embarked on a fashion mission from a background in design.

DONNA MODERNA

Donna Moderna is another popular Italian publication read by a wide audience.

This publication would be an ideal title for a classic preChristmas shopping pitch, featuring accessories, clothes or interior design pieces. For instance, Joanna Lyle’s scarves would be a perfect example of “Christmas gift for her”.

Joanna Lyle’s press day will also invite editors and online writers from the following publications that concern design and business aspects of fashion: Strategic Footprints, FT How to Spend it Italy, Elle Decor, Corriere Della Sera Style, Il Sole 24 Ore, Moda 24, Corriere Living and Apartamento.

The press sessions that will be held with these titles will cover aspects of the brand such as fabrics, design and small Christmas gifts.

SCHEDULE: 9am-10am: Focus on Fashion • Donna Moderna- Alessandra Cipelli fashion editor • Donna Moderna- Orsina Baroldi fashion editor • Elle Italy- Adriana di Lello senior fashion features editor • Elle Italy- Giulia Pacella online fashion writer • Elle Italy- Eva Fontanelli freelance stylist • Gioia- Alessandra di Pietro deputy fashion director • Glamour Italy- Alessandra Pellegrino senior fashion editor • Glamour Italy- Paola Bonazzi fashion director 10:30am-11:30am: Focus on Interior Design • Strategic Footprints- Martina Gamboni influencer • FT How to Spend it Italy- Alexis Paparo journalist (lifestyle and design) • Grazia Italy- Annalisa Varesi online design editor • Elle Decor Italy- Francesca Benedetto editorial (interiors production ) • Elle Decor Italy- Paola Carimati editorial (design and trends) 11:30am: Interview with Stefano Cardini (Icon Design) 12:30am- 1:30pm: Focus on Fashion • Marie Claire Italia- Alessandro Argentieri Fashion and beauty news editor • Marie Claire Italia- Marta Stella online fashion editor • Vanity Fair Italia- Roberta Pezzani PA to director • Vogue Italy- Massimiliano Sortino online fashion editor • Corriere della Sera Style- Valentina Ravizza journalist (Style) • Il Sole 24 Ore- Elisa Furlan fashion editor • Moda 24- Marta Casadei digital (freelance) • Io Donna- Bruna Rossi fashion editor 1:30-2:30 LUNCH BREAK 13pm-4pm: Design Focus • Corriere Living Mara Bottini design and lifestyle editor • Corriere Living Luigina Bolis design and lifestyle collaborator • Apartamento Marco Velardieditor in chief

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strategy tact ic # 5 : j oa n n a ly l e x b r e r a lo f t Research into design trends shows that collaborations with hotels, apartments and the general hospitality industry is highly efficient.

Joanna Lyle will be collaborating with a hotel or apartment in Milan. This would entail local, national and international press coverage from various perspectives.

Ultimately, it would signify an increase in sales, digital presence and more generally a boost of reputation.

As Joanna Lyle is based in the Brera district, it would only make sense to collaborate with a neighbouring party, as a celebration of local design.

Although research shows that there is a high number of hotels in the historic part of Milan, the hospitality industry of the city is overshadowed by a small number of luxurous names. Many of these belong to fashion designers, who have great influence over the city’s reputable ‘hot-spots’. Armani, Cavalli, Bulgari are examples of luxury brand’s whose hotels sit at the forefront of the industry. Simultaneously, hotels such as the Mandarin Oriental, Principe di Savoia, STRAF and Room Mate Giulia are prestigious hotels that have been designed by the most outstanding designers and architects. Subsequently, these locations are not appropriate for Joanna Lyle, who, as a designer with weak exposure, is not “famous” or established yet for a commission of that weight.

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i n t e r io r d e s ig n e rs x h ot e l s pat r ici a u rq u io l a Patricia Urquiola is a successful Milan-based Spanish interior designer that has worked alongside leading designers such as Achille Castiglioni, Eugenio Bettinelli, De Padova and Vico Magistretti- possibly the four most influential Italian architects (Terruzzi, 2018).

Moreover, she has collaborated for renowned brands such as Alessi, Moroso, Rosenthal, Mutina, and is now art director of Cassina, a Milan based luxury furniture and decor company (Terruzzi, 2018). To sum up, Patricia Urquiola is incredibly successful and epitomises the influential Milanese design community.

Urquiola may also have reached the apex of her success through copious hotel collaborations, refurnishing big names like the Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona and more recently, working with the Spanish chain of hotels “Room Mate”, to open the newest edition in the historical center of Milan in 2016. This hotel, which boasts 85 rooms, is called Giulia, after Urquiola’s eldest daughter (Grioletti, 2018).

Urquiola, leading the brand Cassina, completely decorated the Room Mate property inspired by the decor of its city; Milan. Pink marble (the same used for the Duomo), Italian volts and a midcentury vintage feel put Roomate Giulia at the top of the design-led hotels that the Lombardic capital has to offer.

The collaboration received abundant press coverage in both local and international media.

pat r ici a u rq u io l a x ro o m m at e gi u l i a

This evidences and validates the choice of a hotel for a collaboration that serves to raise visibility.

Despite being a Milanese hotel, the story was published in international press such as Surface and Dezeen, which will have attracted tourists to both the hotel and Urquiola herself.Elle decor, Corriere Living, Icon Design, Surface magazine and Grazia are a few of the online publications that featured the collaboration.

The story was covered by the press with multiple approaches: Surface: “Room Mate Giulia is a Hotel Worthy of Milan’s Fashionable Travelers”.

Dezeen: “Patricia Urquiola designs colourful Milan outpost for Room Mate Hotels chain”.

On the other hand, Milan-based newspaper Corriere della Sera added a twist to the previous publications and rather celebrated the city and Milanese architects.

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interior design X HOSPITALITY

Research has picked up on a very relevant trend in the design and reatail industry.

In two distinct articles in both Surface and Monocle, two of the pioneering international design publications, experts discuss the increase of experimental methods approached by brands in order to engage with consumers. The latest consists of partnerships with hotels, which seems to be one of the most efficient and desired trends of the moment.

“Traditional retail seems to be loosing its power, but what is not losing power is our desire to see or do something interesting. I see our hotels as the experience economy coming alive,” says Kasper Egelund, CEO of Denmark-based Vipp (Katz, 2018) A wide number of leather accessory minimalist-favourite of lifestyle brands collaborations.

brands including Detroit-based brand Shinola and Japanese Muji are two prime examples that are embarking on hotel

Muji’s collaboration with Bejing based hotel debuted in January 2018, and will soon be followed by a Japanese edition in the Ginza district of Tokyo in 2019 (Katz, 2018).

The brand has fully equipped the hotel with its famous key products, such as the toothbrush holder

and and ceramic kitchenware (Katz, 2018). Of course, all the products are also available to purchase from the hotel website.

A quick google search of Muji’s Shenzhen (Chinese location) hotel shows the efficacy of a hotel collaboration in terms of press coverage.

Of course, Muji’s reputation and general awareness is very high, positioning itself amongst the leading highstreet brands all over the world. Nevertheless, this does not mean that collaborating with a hotel cannot be as prolific for smaller brands.

The hotel appeared in a vast array of online publications and guides which include: Lonely Planet, Dezeen, WGSN, AD and not to mention international papers such asThe Guardian,The Telegraph and Italian Sole 24 ore. This evidences an interest for worldwide design and brand news from local papers and publications in various countries.

Therefore, an English publication with a section on design. travel and lifestyle, will be interested in a hotel collaboration happening outside the UK. Subsequently, if Joanna Lyle were to partner with a hotel in Milan, there would be a selection of press angles and international online and print outlets to pitch to.

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In more local territory, Milanese designers Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara di Pinto have also inclined to the hospitality sector. The duo have an established reputation spurred by their initiative ‘StudioPepe’, a design agency to watch every Design week.

Instead of proposing a hotel collaboration for the most recent Salone, the designers created a secret club for guests on invitation only.

The apartment, located in the center of Milan, was rigorously designed by the creativity of Studio Pepe, to give birth to a fusion of mysterious suspense and instagrammable decor.

The secret space was only open for the duration of the Salone, to add hype of “must-see” short-term places and things to do. Of course the exclusivity of the project added to its uniqueness and only stirred the gossip.

Studio Pepe’s club is yet another demonstration of experiences that tap into momentary trends such as hospitality and immersive contact with brands.

The project received much positive media attention and positioned the partners under the spotlight in hasty preparation for the next edition of Milan’s Design week.

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studio pepe x salone del mobile

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i n t e r io r d e s ig n e rs x h ot e l s c o m m u n icat io n st r at egi e s

In order to understand how Joanna Lyle should approach communication strategies for an apartment collaboration, I looked at the social media activity implemented by StudioPepe for the launch of Club Unseen during this year’s Fuorisalone.

Starting from roughly two weeks before the start of Design Week, Studio Pepe began to post an inspiration mood-board images on their Insragram feed, These images would mention an upcoming Club Unseen, without giving away details of what exactly this project entailed.

The images have clearly been taken from an external source, and are not an exact reflection of the upcoming project. Nevertheless, this strategy created a hype around Club Unseen before people knew what it was or seen it, creating anticipation and suspense.

This strategy was very effective, as StudioPepe gained abundant press coverage during and after the Salone. Interestingly, a large part of this coverage 172

st u dio p e p e : c l u b u n s e e n

appeared on social media, with posts by top tier publications such as Interior Design Mag and Corriere Living on their Instagram.

Instagram is an effective and faster way to gain press coverage, as it is instantaneous and much more frequent than print.

Joanna Lyle could consider Instagram press including Corriere Living, which focuses on interiors and design apartment projects around the Salone del Mobile.

This will be beneficial to Joanna Lyle as it is a distinguished platform, but ideally the designer will be targeting online and print press as these are the platforms most accessed by her consumers.

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Brera Loft

Joanna Lyle Showroom

time. Both Joanna Lyle and Brera Loft will mark their position within the design industry, hence getting more exposure.

This will be reinforced through strategic media relations and press assets. In order for this collaboration to be visible both locally and internationally, Joanna Lyle will pitch her design endeavor to Italian and foreign publications.

This will be achieved through the issue of a press release containing the essential information and a digital gallery of images of the apartment. In this manner, foreign publications will be able to feature the news without physically visiting the flat.

The designs that will be exhibited throughout the apartment will be an exclusive collection of interiors and upholstery designed specifically for the space.

This will see a selection of cushions, curtains, bedding and lamp-shades,

BRERA LOFT After researching hotels and apartments in Milan, Brera Loft seemed like the most suitable choice for Joanna Lyle.

The Brera Loft is an apartment in close proximity to the design district, the civic Arena, Sempione park and the Sforzesco Castle. Located in the heart of Brera, it is therefore an optimal location for tourists and it is efficiently advertised on websites such as Booking.com and Bed & Breakfast.

The space consists of a ground floor with a double room and bathroom, following to upstairs where there is a living area, a kitchen and a second bathroom. The apartment already boasts 9.3 points out of 10 on Booking.com.

Brera Loft is however lacking of strong interiors and is currently furbished with a bleak décor. This was the ultimate reason for choosing the apartment: coupled with the ideal location and high reputation, the need for an interior redecoration confirmed this was the right choice.

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A collaboration with Joanna Lyle, consisting of the refurbishing of the flat with the designer’s iconic textiles, would benefit both parties. Firstly, as analysed in the previous sections, hotels benefit from partnering with designers as this establishes their name within a design-led industry, attracting more media and more visitors.

Effectively, Brera Loft would not have anything to lose by collaborating with Joanna Lyle, as this would be the designer’s initiative and cost at wholesale price.

The collaboration with Brera Loft Apartment would strategically be implemented around the time of Milan Design Week in April 2019, allowing plenty of time for the brand to announce the project to press and physically execute the tactic.

Also, the chosen date will entail more press in the area of Milan and another opportunity for the brand to participate in the design hype around that

COMMUNICATION

Joanna Lyle x Brera loft will implement a conventional communication strategy across social media and online. The collaboration will be announced to the public through posts on Instagram and Facebook in the month leading up to the project launch. As analysed through the StudioPepe launch of Club Unseen, it is important to create hype and suspense before the launch.

Joanna Lyle will release images of fabrics and inspiration before the opening of the loft.

The hashtag #BreraLoft will be used to prompt followers to share and comment the images, inciting word of mouth and excitement before the Salone.

Once the loft has been decorated, a tour of the apartment will be streamed on Instagram Stories and three photos will be published during Design week.

The press release that will be sent out to inform editors of design magazines on the apartment will be sent via e-mail two weeks in advance of Design Week. Press will also be informed of possible appointments to visit the flat in first person and talk to the designer.

All press assets including photographs of the loft will be prepared by this point, in order to be available for press requests.

Moreover, to ensure special coverage, Joanna Lyle will invite two interior design magazine editors from the UK to stay at the loft, free of charde, during the Salone. These editors will be amongst those who will receive press releases, and have been selected from Living Etc. and Elle Decor.

Joanna Lyle will also send the following in-flight / travel magazines press releases regarding the Brera Loft Apartment as this will increase international awareness and reach out to Joanna Lyle’s fourth consumer profile. This demographic consists of foreign men and women who visit Milan for work or leisure, and are interested in the Milanese shopping district.

The following publications are the flying magazines in central Europe that are relevant to Joanna Lyle. The apartment could be pitched to these publications as a place to stay in Brera or amongst design-savvy hotels in the center of Milan. These pitches will be very similar as these publications tend to feature very resembling content.

In this manner, travelling men and women can read about the Brera Loft and will be prompted to look into Joanna Lyle, increasing tourist footfall in the Milanese showroom.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

Hannah

Hudson

Deputy editor

BRITISH AIRWAYS

Kerry

Smith

Content Director kerry.smith@cedarcom.co.uk

HIGH LIFE (BA)

Melissa

Lawford

Editorial Assistant

melissa.lawford@cedarcom.co.ul

EASYJET TRAVELLER

Jonny

Ensall

Editor

jonny.ensall@ink-global.com

AIR FRANCE MADAME

Marie

Pointurier

Editor in Chief

mpointurier@condenast.fr

AMICA ITALY

Giovanna

Ruosi

Editorial Secretary

giovanna.ruosi@rcs.it

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hannah.hudson@cedarcom.co.uk

LIVING ETC.

Living Etc. is the top tier publication for this tactic as this publciation’s audience is aligned to Joanna Lyle’s.

The below page is an extract from Living Etc.’s June 2018 edition, where Fiona Mccarthy (Contributing Editor and Freelance journalist) interviews interior desingner Lucy Barlow, a ‘rising star designer with a love for maximalism’.

The interview is part of the ‘Life in Design’ pages, ideal for a detailed interview with Joanna Lyle and Brera Loft. Living Etc. would have an exclusive piece regarding the collaboration, and Fiona McCarthy will be invited to stay at the loft during Salone 2019.

ELLE DECOR UK

Elle Decor UK is another top tier publication for this collaboration as the magazine often covers homes, apartments and hotels in foreign cities.

In the June 2018 edition, in the section Elle Decor HOMES, editors write about their favourite pads across the world. Homes from Milan, Venice, Oslo and New York are featured in this section, which would be ideal for a piece on Brera Loft.

These homes are chosen according to a theme, which in this case was ‘Greenery’.

The first article is on a villa in Milan owned by architect Barbara Ghidoni, and is accompanied by spreads of exquisite photographs of the interiors.

Each photograph depicts a room, so that the reader can truly see the interiors of this stunning house.

The article also discusses Barbara Ghidoni’s background and career as an architect, then moving on to how she physically created this space.

This section in Elle Decor would therefore be a top tier pitch concerning the manual process of creating the new Brera Loft. Pip McCormac would also be invited to the loft during the Salone del Mobile, after McCarthy from Living Etc. Both magazines will feature Joanna Lyle in their upcoming issues in either May or June 2019, according to the themes and personal timings.

ELLE DECOR: EXTRACT FROM HOMES BY PIP MCCORMAC

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BRERA LOFT GENERAL MEDIA LIST BRERA LOFT GENERAL MEDIA LIST Living Etc

Hannah

Franklin

contributing editor

franklin-hannah@hotmail.com

Living Etc

Maudie

Manton

news & shopping editor

maudie.manton@freelance.timeinc.com

Town and Country

Rosie

Arkell

senior fashion assistant

rosie.arkell-palmer@hearst.co.uk

Country Homes and Interiors

Thea

Babbington-Stitt

news and features editor

thea.babington-stitt@timeinc.com

Women and Home

Charlie

Moore

fashion and shopping editor

charlie.moore@timeinc.com

Women and Home

Amy

Hunt

digital writer

amy.hunt@timeinc.com

Marie Claire UK

Hannah

Freeman

International fashion director

hannah.freeman@timeinc.com

Marie Claire UK

Lucia

Debieux

fashion editor

lucia.debieux@timeinc.com

Telegraph Magazine

Caroline

Leaper

fashion editor

caroline.leaper@telegraph.co.uk

Telegraph Magazine

Charlie

Gowans-Eglinton

senior fashion editor

charlie.gowans-eglinton@telegraph.co.uk

Surface USA

Courtney

Kenefick

fashion editor

ckenefick@surfacemedia.com

Surface USA

Nate

Storey

associate travel editor

nstorey@surfacemag.com

Surface USA

Elizabeth

Ferraro

design director

eferraro@surfacemag.com

Elle Decor UK

Jackie

Daly

Homes director

jackie.daly@hearst.co.uk

Elle Decor UK

Kiera

Buckley-Jones

Decorating editor

kiera.buckley-jones@hearst.co.uk

Elle Decor UK

Amy

Bradford

Contributing editor

amybradford50@yahoo.co.uk

Elle Decor UK

Amy

Moorea Wong

features editor

amymoorea.wong@hearst.co.uk

Wallpaper UK

Lauren

Ho

travel editor

lauren_ho@wallpaper.com

Wallpaper UK

Matthew

Morris

Interiors stylist

matthew_morris@wallpaper.com

Apartamento

Marco

Velardi

editor in chief

marco@apartamentomagazine.com

Apartamento

Robbie

Whitehead

managing editor

robbie@apartamentomagazine.com

Apartamento

Marco

Velardi

editor in chief

marco@apartamentomagazine.com

Apartamento

Robbie

Whitehead

managing editor

robbie@apartamentomagazine.com

Elle Decor Italy

Murielle

Bortolotto

editorial design and trend editor

mbortolotto@hearst.it

Elle Decor Italy

Paola

Carimati

editorial (design and trends)

pcarimati@hearst.it

Corriere Living

Benedetto

Marzullo

caporedattore

benedetto.marzullo@rcs.it

Corriere Living

Mara

Bottini

Design and lifestyle editor

mara.bottini@rcs.it

Corriere Living

Luigina

Bolis

design and lifestyle collaborator

luigina.bolis@rcs.it

AD

Hannah

Martin

editor

hannah.martin@condenast.co.uk

FT How to Spend it Italy

Alexis

Paparo

journalist (lifestyle and design)

ext.alexis.paparo@ilsole24ore.com

Grazia Italy

Annalisa

Varesi

online design editor

annalisa@grazia.it

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Ta c t i c # 5

Based on Joanna Lyle’s usual rates and discussing the cost of the materials/production with her, it has been possible to estimate a cost for this tactic.

Joanna Lyle will be providing Brera Loft with her furniture and bespoke upholstering off her own expenses, as the apartment did not approch the brand.

For this reason, the cost of the details that Joanna Lyle will be adjusting will be at wholesale price rather than retail.

As mentioned previously, Joanna Lyle will be looking at redecorating only certain parts of the loft, in order to add a touch of vibrance and colour without exaggerating and clashing too many prints.

Here is an indication of production costs and times to make each piece:

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strategy

tact ic # 6 : A PA RTA M E N TO

Apartamento Magazine is an “everyday life interiors magazine” (Apartamento, 2018) founded by Catalan creatives Nacho Alegre and Omar Sosa in 2008.

In the past 10 years the Spanish duo have conquered the scene of cult publication, interior design and photography, and their magazine sits at the forefront of this industry.

Unlike other traditional interior design magazines, (for instance Architecture’s Digest), Apartamento focuses on the quality of creativeness in smaller spaces rather than large, expensive spaces. The articles cover a range of artistic figures and their habitats, learning about the stories that are lived in cluttered, used rooms of real life homes.

Instead of portraying utopian, out of reach, idyllic poster houses, Apartamento seeks interesting and authentic interiors that can narrate quirky anecdotes and funny memories.

"The idea is about how people live in their homes and being able to tell their amazing stories. It's more like a diary." (Alegre in Jonze, 2012) Apartamento is based in Barcelona but has expanded its offices to Milan, Berlin and New York. Moreover, it has featured designers such as Alessandro Mendini who has previously worked with Alessi.

Apartamento is an ideal publication for Joanna Lyle to tell her story as a designer and an expat 182

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that found her career paradise in the cobbled streets of Milan (also home to the magazine).

Joanna’s trajectory as an Alessi collaborator to a self-employed textile designer is a spin that could easily be featured in the Spanish magazine and gain multiple benefits.

Firstly, Joanna Lyle would re-emerge from years of media silence in the industry, to re-appear with a new brand identity and direction.

Secondly, a large piece in Apartamento concerning the designer as face of the brand would immediately gain the brand international awareness amongst cult creatives as an influencing figure.

Apartamento is published internationally in English, and is stocked in multiple newstands around Milan.

Apartamento’s 21st issue launched the day before the start of Salone del Mobile as a limited pre-edition of the worldwide release launching a week later. The magazine is correlated to the Design industry of course, and has participated to events throughout the festival.

The pitch to Apartmento would be an exclusive interview with the designer in her home in the upcoming Garibaldi area of Milan.

Just a stone’s throw away from the bustling Gae Aulenti Piazza and the iconic Bosco Verticale designed by leading architect Stefano Boeri,

Delilah sofa (White ver sion)

The photography present throughout Apartamento’s spreads shows the editor’s strong zest for interiors that express idiosyncracy and interesting personality traits.

Joanna Lyle’s apartment is a reflection of herself, her life and her creativity.

Naturally, the beautiful images that would be published by the magazine both in print and online would also be featured on Joanna Lyle’s social media and website, strengthening the brand’s visual presence online.

A collaboration with Apartamento would grant Joanna Lyle significant visibility and to be associated with such a niche magazine would subsequently attribute the brand with a more unique nook and feel.

It would also immediately generate interest from press, industry experts and consumers in both fashion and interiors.

In Apartamento’s most recent issue (#21), launched exclusively in Milan at the same time as the Salone before the rest of the world, the magazine interviewed an array of artists, designers and even chefs, to grasp a glimpse of their everyday lives and natural habitat. In order to visualise this exclusive interview with Joanna Lyle, analysis was conducted in a selection of previous interviews and Apartamento articles.

The below images belong to the interview with Nicholas Party, a young NYC based artist.

Apar tamento x Joanna Lyle will ser ve as an oppor tunity for Joanna Lyle to be the face and spokesperson of her brand.

Joanna Lyle’s apartent sits within an early 1900s typical Milanese building.

The apartment boasts a spacious terrace with very close-up views of the Unicredit tower and Milanese skyline. Moreover, the interiors are of course decorated by Joanna Lyle herself, including the striking pink Delilah sofa in the middle of the living room.

Joanna Lyle’s brand is reflected in the curation of her own home. Colours, patterns and an array of textiles embellish the rooms, perfect for glossy spread in an interiors magazine. Apartamento is not necessarily glossy, but perfectly depicts Joanna Lyle’s eccleticism and colourful personality.

The piece in Apartmento would include photographs of the apartment and of the designer, a typical imprint for the magazine.

The interview would appear in the edition that launches during Milan Design Week, in such a manner that the Salone Event could be one of the topics covered in the conversation. 2019 also marks Joanna’s 10th anniversary partaking in the much celebrated Design Week, providing a great occasion for the magazine to feature her in their special Salone edition.

Apartamento publishes its articles in the print edition as well as online, coupled with snippets of pictures and extracts of interviews on their Instagram page, This means that Joanna Lyle’s exclusive would receive coverage on multiple platforms, most importantly Instagram, where photos circulate rapidly and gain an easy increment of followers.

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The interview with Nicholas Party opens with a brief outline of the location, situation and synopsis of the conversation. The language used is very informal, evoking an idea of a friendly chat and the reader as a familiar third party member, joining in a little bit late.

“It’s too lamb-y for me. Do you like lamb?

Yeah, I like everything. Niçoise sounds good.

But you’re getting fries, that’s going to drive me crazy” This extract from the interview portrays the mood and feel of the script.

Gradually, the conversation moves onto exhibitions and the artist reveals more information about himself.

Before long, the journalist asks Nicholas about the correlation between his exhibiting space and his apartment, creating a link between his creativity and his home.

If this same imprint was to be applied to an interview with Joanna Lyle, the results would be prolific as there is an evident relationship between her home and her work.

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Similar photographic content would be created for Joanna Lyle.

Shots of the designer at her work-space and of her creative habitat will portray a conception of labourious designer-artist which consequently entails quality and craftsmanship.

BUDGET; ZERO COST

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strategy Ta c t i c # 7

tact ic # 7 : J OA N N A LY L E X SA LO N E D E L M O B I L e According to the trade specialist website Tradeindia the annual Salone del Mobile which takes place in Milan attracts a variety of visitors each year.

These are mostly “architects, interior designers, wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers, importers, exporters, retailers, agents and general contractors” (TradeIndia, 2017).

In order to refine this data, an email with the Press Coordinator for the Salone del Mobile, Patrizia Mafatti, illustrated some more specific numbers in regards to their consumer profile.

The information reveals that the 40% of the Salone attendees are: purchasing groups (buyers), facility managers, general contractors, architects, designers, interior decorators, lighting designers The same percentage is made up of: distributors, traders, retailers.

5% of the visitors are agents and representatives, and the remaining 15% consists of “other” areas (Malfatti, P. 2017).

This data confirms that the majority of people who are visiting the Salone del Mobile each year, and hence the Brera Design District, work or are related to the design industry.

This evidences a wide array of opportunities for Joanna Lyle’s endeavours during this time of the year.

The shop could easily tap into this wave of industry experts and host events or work in collaborations to expand the brand’s reputation within the sector.

Joanna Lyle needs to define its image as both a fashion and design brand, and gain visibility in both fields. By attracting the type of person that visits the Salone, Joanna Lyle would, as a result, increase awareness and gain more press coverage.

interview Patrizia Malfatti Salone del Mobile Dear Mr. /Ms., Good morning, I am a student from London College of Fashion and I am contacting you to kindly ask for information regarding the Salone for my university project.

I would like to know if it were possible to receive a Media Kit or a consumer profile for the Salone del Mobile. I am looking to understand elements such as gender, age and occupation on this specific type of person.

I am conducting a study in the field of Milanese design, and therefore need to comprehend to a greater extent who attends this event.

I fully understand that you must be very busy, and for this reason your time will be even more valuable to me.

Thank you for your assistance, I look forward to hearing from you, Sincerely, Alexandra Regazzoni

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Good evening Sasha, Thank you for your attention to the Salone del Mobile Milano.

As you can imagine we are very busy in this period due to the upcoming 2nd edition of Salone del Mobile Milano which will take place in Shanghai from 23-25 November.

The information you require is not in my posession, but I could attempt to retrieve it from the competence Office, although I believe an answer would not be immediate at this moment.

In the meantime I can provide a rough estimate of the various categories of visitors, hoping this will be sufficient: purchasing groups (buyers), facility managers, general contractors, architects, designers, interior decorators, lighting designers 40% distributors, traders, retailer 40% agents and representatives 5% others 15%

“ A PLACE TO GROW”

If you need any more information please let me know.

I invite you to visit our website at www.salonemilano.it and to follow us on our social media.

Milan’s deputy mayor Cristina Tajani sings the praises of Salone del Mobile, the most impactful design fair, and the value it brings to the city’s infrastructure, as well as the rewards citizens reap by being exposed to this multifaceted event.

I wish you a good evening.

Patrizia Malfatti

In 2018 Monocle launched its first edition of Monocle: The Salone Weekly, a newspaper solely dedicated to the economical, financial and trend perfomance of the Milan Design Festival.

agents and representatives 5% other 15%

purchasing groups (buyers), facility managers, general contractors, architects, designers, interior decorators, lighting designers 40%

distributors, traders, retailers 40%

purchasing groups (buyers), facility managers, general contractors, architects, designers, interior decorators, lighting designers distributors, traders, retailers other agents and representatives

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and innovation in design, fashion brands are more persuaded than ever to join in. Cos and Loewe are two prime examples of brands that have engaged with the Salone in order to make their mark on design. The Spanish brand which was bought

by LVMH in 1996 has reported solid growth, demonstrating the impact and resourcefulness that branching across different industries can entail (Giles, 2018).

Monocle’s special edition also oversees an exclusive interview with the city’s deputy mayor, Cristina Tajani. In a lauding discussion of Milan and its creative growth,Tajani praises the local, independent businesses that are the engine behind the success of the Fuorisalone, the fringe events that happen alongside the main trade show (Salone). Tortona, Lambrate and Brera are the main ‘design’ districts where crafty lofts, slick showrooms and prestigious events are the must-see throughout the week. But the beauty of the Fuorisalone is the democratic atmosphere of it: any brand can participate and everyone can enjoy the hustling and bustling feeling that exudes from the streets.

In the aftermath of a prosperous Expo and economical elevation for Milan, the Salone del Mobile has never been so influential.

For a country renowned for its slowpaced lifestyle and relaxed attitude to work, Italy has silenced the rest of the world year after year by showcasing the prime designers in the industry and hosted the most exciting and eventful week of the design industry.

Monocle’s recent participation in the proliferation of Salone-related news is just one example of the Design Week’s impact on culture, finance, art and fashion.

In one of the articles of the Salone Weekly, journalist Nolan Giles talks to the CEO of Danish furniture company MUUTO, and discusses the importance of the merge between the fashion and design industries. “Milan is where design and fashion interests overlap” says Giles (2018). Although the Salone del Mobile is focussed on the progress 193

The Fuorisalone In addition to the Salone del Mobile, which is the name for the international trade show held at the Milanese Fiera, north west of the city, the Italian city also hosts a parallel string of events under the name Fuorisalone, meaning “outside the Salone”.

“The beauty of

Salone is that it functions not just as a trade venue but also as an emissary engaging multititudes of people with the world of design and with the city of Milan itself- Compared to Fashion Week it is much, much more democratic and we continue to find ways to make it more so”

Joanna Lyle has taken part in the Fuorisalone since the shop opening in 2009. Due to the strength of the showroom location and influence of the area in the sector, Joanna Lyle’s events have attracted some new faces. Nevertheless, these annual events have not gained the sufficient attention as other designers that have also participated.

The Fuorisalone is not solely dedicated to interior designers either- it is an occasion for all Milanese enterprises to make the most of the beautiful Spring weather and to attract new consumers through unique experiences.

The Fuorisalone refers to all the events that take place, literally, outside of the main trade show across the city during the same days of the Salone. These events are privately hosted by designers and brands that wish to take part of the cheerful atmosphere that exudes from these few days of Spring. Every year, over a few days, Milan’s streets are filled with enthusiastic members of the community, travelers and tourists who wish to live this design phenomenon.

(Tajani, 2018) 194

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An interesting case study is the brand Momoni, an Italian fashion brand located in Corso Como, a stone’s throw away from Joanna Lyle’s showroom.

Momoni is a mid-luxury brand for women, focusing on high quality casual wear and accessories. The brand also has a physical space in Paris and in other cities across Italy.

Momoni’s online presence is significant, boasting 21,9K followers on Instagram, used as the main channel for information and promotion of collections.

The company has also seen successful collaborations and influencer endorsements, such as a signature jacket worn by the Italian singer Arisa on numerous occasions.

Overall, Momoni is successfully growing as a consistent luxury brand with a defined consumer profile. The brand is clearly targeting women in their late 20s to late 30s, as portrayed by the choice of models, photography and price point.

Although this audience does not necessarily show an interest in design, Momoni is aware of its location on Corso Como, a hotspot for the Fuorisalone and creatives due to its proximity to the legendary Corso Como 10 boutique.

For this reason, in 2017, Momoni collaborated with

the interior designer and architect Isacco Brioschi and Posh Magazine to launch a “Special Cocktail Party” in the heart of Design Week.

The event marked the launch of a capsule collection created with Posh Magazine, inspired by the avant-garde lamps designed by Brioschi which were exhibited in the store for the following days. Brioschi’s lamps embraced innovation and discoveries in the world of design, such as 3D lasers and fil rouge. By tapping into recent design innovations, Momoni managed to attract potential clients and design enthusiasts.

The collaboration also received a handful of press coverage dedicated to the details and design. The brand efficiently worked with an opportunity -the store location- in order to raise awareness and tap into a different experience for its clients.

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For Salone del Mobile 2018, Momoni repeated the collaboration approach to the design industry, this time to partner with another designer: Paola Croce.

Known as ‘Paola e i suoi vetri’ (Paola and her glass) on instagram, the interior and glass architect joined Momoni on another fringe event of the Milanese Design Week.

The collaboration consisted in the flagship store on Corso Como to be decorated with Paola’s creations in occasion of a cocktail party on the Friday of the Fuorisalone (Momoni, 2018). This dates was conveniently chosen based on the main events of the week. The biggest firms, including Ferragamo, Fendi, Marni, Gio Ponti, Cassina, Marras & Co held event around the beginning of the week. Although Design Week oversees a plethora of events every day, smaller businesses should lean to the quieter days to host events to gain more visitors.

A glance at the Fuorisalone calendar is reminiscent of the biannual fashion week- validatig the ordinariness of brands partaking in the biggest design event of the year.

In terms of publicizing the event, Momoni used

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Instagram as its main communication platform.

Stories were used to attract people to the event, and a press release was published on the brand’s feed.

Fuorisalone offers a twofold opportunity for press coverage. Consumers are interested to know about the occurring events both before and after the week is over. For this reason, brands can take advantage from the abundance of editorial space in a vast array of publications.

Momoni appeared in several articles online, including Vanity Fair, Shopping Milano Roma and Design.Me (Momoni, 2018).

momoni x paola croci press release What? A brief synopsis of the collaboration.

When?

Headliner with time and type of event

Body Description of Inspiration, materials, result, product

Quote: Explanation of materials

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Ta c t i c # 7 COS X PHILIP K SMITH III Cos’ reputation as a design-led brand has been established by its repetitive participation in the Salone del Mobile.

Every year since 2012, the Swedish brand has collaborated with different designers in order to produce a series of installations to showcase during Design Week.

Rather than applying a ‘loud’ approach to market their design-savvy endeavours in the Salone, Cos’ creative team opts for a quiet, subtle policy that is rather aligned to the brand’s personality.

In Monocle’s Salone edition, Cos creative director Karin Gustaffson tells the audience that the aim of these installations is “to personify the good taste the label tries to promote in its clothes” (Giles, 2018).

Therefore, Cos is tapping into a sector external to its field in order to portray its essence through a tangible vehicle.

“Excitement around COS’ Milan projects increases exponentially with each new edition” (Keh, 2018).

Cos does not showcase its collections alongside the installations, as these design pieces subtly reflect the garments with no need to add a visible reference.

Cos has made its consumer aware of its essence, in a way that its audience can immediatley grasp the connection between architectural installation and brand.

The amount of brand’s that work with designers and artists to create content during the Salone has reached a peak,. giving origin to its new name “Salone del Marketing”, due to its ability to create savvy content for brands in a variety of industries.

Every year, Cos’ installations attract huge crowds of tourists to reveal the latest aesthetic innovation, creating new content for the brand to be featured in design press such as Wallpaper, Monocle, Dezeen and AD.

“We see this as an opportunity for us to share with our audience what it is that actually inspires us as designers and to give back to the world of art, design and architecture ” -Karin Gustaffson, 2018

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Ta c t i c # 7 PRESS AT THE SALONE DEL MOBILE The Salone del Mobile is a prolific opportunity to receive abundant press coverage.

MIlanese, Italian and International press flock to the design capital every year to discover the newest installation or fashion collaboration.

2018’s Salone received copious amount of coverage, spanning across newspapers, magazines, supplements and online content.

In this day and age, Instagram is also one of the pivotal channels to spread pictures and news relevant to this sort of occasion.

-ABITAREfirms.

One of the key articles that was useful to this research was, for instance ,an article on the textile designer Arthur Arbesser, who designed a collection of patterned throws inspired by the Austrian Artistic movement Wierner Werkstatte.

-IO DONNA-

Io Donna is Corriere della Sera’s fashion weekly supplement which comes in both print and digital format.

Like most fashion magazines, Io Donna also has a “lifestyle” section where the Salone del Mobile was covered.

A prime example of their content is an article by Anita Sciacca regarding titled “Salone del Mobile:Three young emerging creatives showcase their projects”. This validates Io Donna as a smart media outlet for coverage on Joanna Lyle’s design and fashion endeavours during the Salone.

An overview of the salient and most similar brand content that was featured in 2018’s edition of the Salone determined the publications that would most likely include a piece on Joanna Lyle.

Interestingly, it is not just design publications that cover the Design festival; Vanity Fair for instance, dedicated its pages to the fashion brands that participated in the Salone, targeting their audience which is more inclined to read about fashion news rather than interiors or architecture.

ITALIAN

-CORRIERE LIVING -

Corriere Living is a supplement of the newspaper Corriere della Sera, the principal paper for the region of MIlan. Due to it’s excellent reputation as a paper, Living is also a very popular magazine, targeting both men and women who read papers daily, Corriere Living produces the largest amount of coverage for the Salone, featuring news regarding events, installations and exclusive interviews with designers, textiles and fashion experts and artists.

Corriere Living also appears online and on social media which produces more content at a faster pace.

Analysing the online website showed that many of the articles published around the time of the Salone were dedicated to local brands rather than international

Abitare is another Corriere della Sera online supplement, entirely dedicated to interiors and architecture.

Although this platform does suit the Salone del Mobile, examples of articles from the 2018 edition are imprinted on technical aspects of the installations and design brands that showed across the city. Abitare is therefore not appropriate for a textile brand such as Joanna Lyle, but rather fits well with a home interiors firm that treats materials such as marble or ceramics.

-VANITY FAIR ITALY-

Additionally, Corriere Living online has a section entirely dedicated to the Salone and Fuorisalone.

These articles range from specific installations by brands such as Marni, to a general overview of the best talent to look out for.

For instance, Luca Trombetta wrote a whole piece on the “best of the Brera Design District”.

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Vanity Fair Italy is a widely consumed magazine across the country and has a very similar content as its international versions. Mainly focused on lifestyle and news, Vanity Fair branches across all generic sectors, including design, fashion, beauty and so on. Vanity Fair has a journalistic approach to events such as the Salone del Mobile, rather than listing the trendiest collaborations.

Vanity Fair’s audiences are also parallel to Joanna Lyle’s target consumer. In its associated media kit, the magazine affirms to be a “Cultural Catalyst”, meaning it has an authorative. selective and credible approach to cultural and social themes.Vanity Fair is directed at a female audience up to the age of 44, which also fits a part of the brand’s target consumers.

-MODA24 ORE-

As a recently added supplement to the popular Sole 24 Ore, a financial and business-lead Italian periodical, Moda24 Ore is a very successful online platform dedicated to news from the fashion industry. This publication deals with the financial and trend aspects of the sector, but occasionally focuses on more artisanal topics too.

Sole 24 Ore’s audience perfectly coincides with Joanna Lyle’s target demographic, as it is an upper-class paper with a strong inclination to culture and arts. It resembles the British Financial Times in many ways, and would be an ideal platform to feature Joanna Lyle. Nevertheless, it would be unrealistic for the paper to write a piece on the brand, if not from a general industry perspective. For instance, Joanna Lyle could pitch her journey as a self-employed designer who is moving forward with the help of her daughter. Another pitch could be in regards to the niche industry of Brera-based independent labels who show during the Salone.

-GRAZIA-

Grazia is a popular weekly magazine that focuses on news, lifestyle, celebrity, beauty and fashion. Due to its large quantity of content as it is a weekly publication, Joanna Lyle could tap into Grazia’s features by pitching the new collection, with a focus on the colours and prints of the garments. If Grazia were to feature the brand in April, around the time of the Salone, when the weather is usually already around 25-28°C degrees, then colourful scarves or light coloured shirts to wear at work in the heat could be a potential story.

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J o a n n a L y l e i n A D, 2 0 0 4 ad

Architectural Digest is a renowned publication in the design industry. This will be a top tier title as Joanna Lyle has previously been featured in the Italian edition, in both 2004 and 2005.

This legacy will be valuable to gain press coverage, showing a strong interest by their part in Joanna Lyle’s endeavours.

AD would also be an excellent online feature, as research shows that articles on similar topics are part of AD’s content. Below is an example of piece regarding a Milanese outdoor furniture designer, Derek Castiglioni by Hannah Martin. This article’s angle could be applied to Joanna Lyle, including some professionally styled photographs of the designer and her creations.

AD would suit a piece of Joanna Lyle before the event, focusing on the inspiration of her new collection of cushions and textiles, accompanied by beautiful imagery.

AD Italy and UK will be sent press releases and the Italian editor will be invited to the Salone event.

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Other international publications that will receive the Joanna Lyle press release are; Besides the press that has been studied in the previous section, which, because are based in MIlan would potentially assist to the event., Joanna Lyle will pitch her 10th anniversary of Salone del Mobile to the International press in her general media list.

From an international point of view, Joanna Lyle will focus on design-led magazines as the Salone is a niche topic of interest for many publications, and can only receive press coverage in that time of year.

By analysing the main International publications that report on the Milanese Design Week, these are potential press outlets to pitch to:

Apartamento country homes and interiors living etc. women and home

ELLE DECOR UK

Elle Decor is a popular magazine in the UK and deals with trends and designs. Elle is a reputable publication and there are several pages where Joanna Lyle could be featured.

For instance, in the Style pages, the editor writes about small brands and answers four quick questions: What’s the story, What’s its style, Why do we like it, Our top picks.

This is a perfect occasion for a brief column piece on Joanna Lyle, as it is not realistic that Elle Decor did a multi-page spread on the brand at this point. Elle Decor’s audience is extremely similar to Joanna Lyle’s, constituted by the vast majority of over 35 women with an education and marital status. 78% of the readers earn more than $150.000 and own a home.This signifies that Joanna Lyle would be targeting the perfect demographic, congruous to the brand’s audience.

WALLPAPER

Wallpaper is design, arts and lifestyle magazine. As reviewed in the section regarding fashion and interiors, it was considered as a potential publication for Joanna Lyle.

This assumption was based on the audience’s age and interests, but Joanna Lyle’s consumer profiles do not actually match this publication. Wallapaper’s audience is, indeed, the right age for Joanna Lyle. However, this demographic is interested in minimal design and architecture, rather than ecclectic prints. For this reason, Wallpaper will be sent a press release and invitation for the event, as it is worth trying to get them involved. This, however, will not be considered as a top tier publication for Joanna Lyle.

The world of interiors

This prestigious interior design magazine has an excellent reputation in the industry and is considered very influential. Press coverage in this publication is very ambitious, but realistic.

During the Salone, the team from TWOI was present in Milan and covered luxury brands including Bottega Veneta.

In the magazine, Joanna Lyle could be featured in the pages Antennae, edited by Nathalie Wilson.This page is dedicated to “what’s in the air this month”, which in April will cover brands from the Salone.

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TAC T I C P L A N

TAC T I C P L A N the SPACE

the EVENT Joanna Lyle will host her event during the allocated week for the 2019 Salone del Mobile edition.

For this occasion, Joanna Lyle will present a retrospective of her archivial furniture pieces, including the Delilah sofa, the Joker armchair and a range of lamps.

The newest Joanna Lyle SS19 collection will be showcased amongst these pieces, in order to present the audience with a physical representation of the brand.

Previous analysis has shown that brand such as COS or Maliparmi have collaborated with external parties in order to create a design-savvy experience.

Nevertheless, Joanna Lyle will produce the event as a solo artist, with the help of caterers and an independent space to make it happen.

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Joanna Lyle cannot host an efficient event in her showroom, where products are put on display, as the space is too small to contain a sufficient amount of guests and food/drinks.

For this reason, Joanna Lyle will have to rent a space in Milan and collaborate with a catering partner in order to provide guests with beverages and food.

The event will take place at the end of the Salone, which is the quietest part of the week when smaller brands tend to host events (Momoni). Although these dates are not determined yet, the Friday of the Fuorisalone is the best choice as it is the last day of the festival.

Joanna Lyle’s showroom will not be used as the location for the Salone 2019 event as the space is too small.

Therefore, Joanna Lyle must find an alternative location that can be used for her fashion and design retrospective.

The inspiration of having a sofa as the main element of a stand or presentation also developed from a picture I came across on Instagram whilst researching into competitor brands. Vivetta is an Italian womenswear label, and the below image is a photograph of their showroom.

The idea of hosting a retrospective stemmed from the urge to bring Joanna Lyle’s iconic pieces of furniture from the 90s back to the media’s attention.

The Delilah Sofa for instance, is a beautiful and emblematic piece of design that in this day and age, would be defined as very “Instagrammable”.

Brands are trying to captivate their audience’s attention and to trigger their senses by showcasing ground-breaking installations (eg. Cos) or presenting new innovations in the industry (eg. Momoni).

Joanna Lyle’s archivial designs represent a “vintage” architecture that brought back to the present, would embody the “innovative” wave that brands are so keen to be part of.

Joanna Lyle’s event does not need a huge space, as it is better for the guests to be in a smaller area so that the room feels more full. As this will be Joanna Lyle’s first ‘curated’ event, coupled with the high quantity of events during the Fuorisalone, many press guests may not turn up. It is safer to have a smaller venue which will be crowded with friends and clients in case this is the turnout.

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For Joanna Lyle’s Salone event, the brand will be able to utilise the space owned by LOOM Gallery: an art exhibition space on the same road as the brand’s showroom.

The space is made up of several rooms, but Joanna Lyle will just need one for her retrospective.

The gallery will have to be booked with a lot of advance, to avoid clashing of exhibition dates and the Salone del Mobile.

However, the brand would need to hire it for two days only, as it will not take long to set up and the transportation times/cost will be very low as the showroom is about 20 metres away.

Using a location so close to the showroom is also a way to engage with the local community and to convey the strong essence of Joanna Lyle as a local artist. Using a gallery as a venue will attract more people because it will be conceived as an artistic/ design initiative, rather than a fashion presentation.

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Loom Gallery’s entrance is on Via Marsala, so that passing by people can quickly walk in to have a look if they are interested.

As mentioned previously, the display will comprise of the Delilah sofa in the center of the set, but pushed against one of the walls so that it isn’t in the way. Around the sof a will be the clothing rails with Joanna Lyle’s collection of garments, illuminated by her iconic lamps.

Away from the set will be a table providing food and a second stand for drinls.Take Away will provide the event with one barman to serve prosecco and white or red wine.

By personally knowing the owner of the gallery, Luca Mansi, it was possible to find out the cost of the space per day. For two days, which is the necessary time needed to set up and empty the space once its over, would be circa 800 euros.

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Ta c t i c # 7 FOOD & DRINKS

Joanna Lyle’s event will need food and drinks provided for the guests.

In order to receive positive press coverage, all aspects of the event must be curated and carefully thought through.

Joanna Lyle could collaborate with the traditional Italian Bistro Take Away, a very characteristic locanda situated just a five minute walk from the Joanna Lyle showroom.

Take Away is a charming location and has a large loyal consumer audience. The restaurant’s instagram page has almsot 2K followeras, signifying if they were to share news regarding the event on this platform, loyal customers would also be interested in attending, hence increasing brand awareness.

Take Away is typically Milanese, re-inforcing Joanna Lyle’s Milanese heritage and atatchment to Italian culture despite being of British origins. Additionally, as Take Away is also based in Brera, this collaboration would establish the brand within the district and reach out to local women who live in the area, perfectly targeting Joanna Lyle’s audience.

The event would only host a small variety of food, offering a vegetarian option alongside a light and nonmessy dish. As the event will not include a proper dining area, the meal needs to be easy to eat whilst standing. Tapas, cheeses, delicatessen and small, fresh bites will be available.

As mentioned in the previous section, the drinks menu will only consist of prosecco or white and red wine.

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Ta c t i c # 7 MUSIC

Every event needs extra details to make it memorable and fun.

Details such as candles, flowers, lights and music are all pivotal elements to any event and will also apply to Joanna Lyle’s 10th anniversary Salone.

Of course, Joanna Lyle is a very small and emerging brand, and does not have a very large budget. For this reason, the event planning must take this aspect into consideration and find cheaper solutions.

For instance, music can be easily arranged by a young person with an interest for DJ-ing, such as my close friend Pietro Beretta.

Pietro started organizing events five years ago in Milan, and has built a reputation on his great music skills and event planning.

He has collaborated with successful young Milanese

and International DJ’s such as REIBU, Max Vaahs and Kunda.

Pietro will DJ himself at the event, which will attract more people to the evening as this will be shared by him and myself on Facebook too.

However, by listening to previous clips of his events, Pietro’s music is usually a mix of techno and 80s. As Joanna Lyle’s audience will be older than his usual demographic, this music must be slighlty different.

Pietro will be asked to play more relaxed, instrumental techno, so that is mixes into the background without affecting people’s conversation.

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EXTRAS

An event ambience is greatly owed to extra details such as decorations, smells and mood.

Loom Gallery will be decorated according to the moodboard on the right hand-side, inspired by floral “architectural� decors rather than typical colourful arrangements. This will look complimentary with the arrangement of furniture and garments, adding structure to the ensemble.

Candles will be bought in bulk at IKEA Milan, two days before the event and the flowers will be delivered on the Friday morning by a local florist: Fioraio Bianci in via Montebello.

Fioraio Bianchi is an excellent florist that works with showrooms and events to deliver beautiful, colourful set-ups.

A telephone call was made to the Fiorario Bianchi in order to find out more about price quotes and timing.

For a private event of this dimension, Joanna Lyle would be looking at about 10-15 bunches of flowers. The vases would be find separately from a cheaper location to stay within a small budget.

The estimate price is of 400 euros.

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Ta c t i c # 7 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

INVITES INSTAGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRESS RELEASE

EVENT CLIP PRESS COVERAGE

SALONE 2019

The communication strategy of Joanna Lyle’s event at the Salone del Mobile will be primarily based on raising awareness regarding the event in the lead up to the evening itself.

This will be executed by multiple Instagram posts on Joanna Lyle’s feed starting from two weeks before the event. As the evening draws closer, the posts will be more frequent and an announcement will also be made on the Stories feature of the app.

By analysing other brands that have participated in Design Week, such as main competitor Maliparmi, it is evident that reportage of the event while and after it has happened is also indispensible.

Stories and photography of clients, press and the space must be published on all platforms so that target consumers can get a glimpse of what the event looks and feels like, making it more likely that they will come next time or visit the shop in the following days.

Joanna Lyle will also approach all relevant press with enough time in advance depending on their lead times.

The event will be featured on the home page of the brand’s website and Facebook, where friends and followers will be invited and asked to RSVP. A week before the event day, Joanna Lyle will send a press release out to a general media list (see appendix) to announce the celebration of her 10th year anniversary of Salone del Mobile.

The event will also be featured on the Brera Design

District website, alongside the other main events that take place in the time-span of that week..

In this manner, press and clients will know that Joanna Lyle is officially recognized by the Brera Design District and will head over to the event.

On the night of the Salone event, Joanna Lyle’s Instagram stories will show the decorated space and share multiple stories as people arrive, in the same way that Maliparmi shared their event for the launch of the Murrha Collaboration. Maliparmi efficiently translated a positive, fun atmosphere through Instagram stories, in order to show their audience another aspect of the brand.

Hashtags are another way for people to engage with an event, so postcards with #JOANNALYLE10 will be placed around the room to incite guests to share the evening on their social media.

This will ultimately gain much visibility for the brand and increase its audience.

After the event, Joanna Lyle will post a sequence of photographs from the event featuring herself, myself and guests on Instagram and Facebook. The people in the post will be tagged in the possibility that this content will be shared by them.

The posts from after the event will continue throughout the following week, Subsequently, the communication strategy for the Salone event will end.

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the INVITATIONS

the INVITATIONS

APRIL 2018 SALONE:

APRIL 2019 SALONE: The 2019 Invitation will be sent via e-mail to Joanna Lyle’s friends, clients and most importantly press.

Due to Joanna Lyle’s very young reputation, press will need to be immediately attracted to the invite, imagery and general visual identity of the brand in order to RSVP. Research was conducted into luxury brand’s to grasp a more solid idea of what type on invitations are sent out to press during Design Week.

What

Where & When

Who

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strategy tact ic # 8 : S U P E R M I L A N O

trade shows According to RetailMinded, there are many reasons for a retailer to attend tradeshows, although this is a cost as there are registration fees and extra expenses.

However, trade shows are extremely valuable for emerging labels from several perspectives: they are efficient for brand awareness and exposure, they stimulate creative ideas, they are valuable for business connections and liaisons, and finally, they allow you to meet press and buyers (RetailMinded, 2018).

Joanna Lyle’s visibility is a crucial issue for the brand, therefore a trade show is a perfect occasion for the designer to increase exposure and meet both press and potential stockists. In this manner, Joanna Lyle can build contacts and grow as a brand.

For the moment, Joanna Lyle should focus on Italian trade shows and establish a solid base in Milan.

There are several annual trade shows that take place across Italy, but Milan and Florence host the most reputable events.

These include ModaPrima, ModaUnica and Super PItti Immagine. Amongst these three, Super is the best option for Joanna Lyle as it is based in the center of Milan (not at the Rho Fiera), in the newly constructed The Mall, and focuses on pret-à-porter brands with strong, craftsmanship values.

SUPER Milano Trade Show

“A Pitti Immagine project that focuses on women’s ready-to-wear and accessories.

SUPER emphasizes product innovation and new approaches to accessories, bringing together established brands and emerging labels in an entirely new format. The aim is to promote up-and-coming designers from Italy and abroad and feature them at eye-catching events.”

(Super,2202018)

Super Milano is part of the international trade fair Pitti that takes place in Milan biannualy.

February 2018 saw the fair’s 9th edition, where Italian and International visitors celebrated Italian fashion, quality and style, reaching the highest number of guests registered until now. More than 20% of the 5000 Super visitors were in fact foreign, signaling a strong interest from overseas for Italian style. The show also hosts foreign brands and has an excellent reputation for spotting new talent.

By observing the brands that exhibited in the latest edition, two elements stand out. Firstly, the majority of the brands have a strong focus on craftsmanship and honesty concerning the sourcing of materials and artisanship. By visiting some of these brand’s websites, including Aline and Bagutta, this is the strongest aspect that speaks out. In fact, the manufacturing process overshadows the product itself, which must not be put in second place.

The second point I came across in my research is that these brands, including Aline and Bagutta, have very simple products. Both brands, used as examples, produce plain white shirts. The USP of their product

is, therefore, the manufacturing process and attention to detail that was so strongly depicted through their website.

From the research conducted, Super is a great opportunity for Joanna Lyle for multiple reasons.

Firstly, partaking in a show that collaborates with brands that put quality at the forefront of their identity shows that this aspect is of great importance to the buyers and visitors.This would reiterate Joanna Lyle’s dedication to fabrics and slow-fashion, which is evidently very attractive.

Secondly, Joanna Lyle could benefit from Super because of the coverage this receives, and more importantly would be able to stand out amongst the simple, msinimalistic brands that constitute the majority of clients. Coupled with a strong, revisited visual identity and branded packaging, Joanna Lyle could attract both Italian and International buyers and potentially be stocked in bigger stores.

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bagutta: photography from the brand website

brands showing at super: VIDEO CONTENT As mentioned previously, Super showcases a vast array of Italian and International brands with a strong ethos of craftsmanship and quality.

Joanna Lyle must stand out amongst this large selection of competitors, and must have all the tools necessary.

These competitor brands, such as Aline and Bagutta, have visual press assets and online content to present to press and buyers.

Also, as previously analysed, their websited portray laborious procedures of craftsmanship and slowfashion.

Joanna Lyle must be just as prepared for Super 2019.

Besides professionally taken images, Joanna Lyle will create online content representing the artistry behind her iconic watercolour prints and the diligent procedure of creating the final product.

The video will portray the making of these garments, incorporated with scenery from the surrounding area of Joanna Lyle’s production factory, in the region of lake Como.

The video won’t have sound, as it will appear on a loop on the screen at the stand.

The aim of this video will be to capture Joanna Lyle’s essence and truly represent the quality and detailed thought behind the products.

In addition to the video, Joanna Lyle must be equipped with all press kits and assets to show press and retailers.

This means she will need to prepare a lookbook, a press release and a pricing list for all of her products.

A short video will be made in preparation for Super, which will be shown on a screen at the Joanna Lyle’s stand in February 2019.

The video will portrary these procedures in a similar style to the images taken from Aline and Bagutta’s websites. It will be made by a collaborating filmmaker.

Due to the expensive registration fees, Joanna Lyle will not have much budget to spend on this video.

Nevertheless, the representation of the craftsmanship behind her products are key to a strong impression with press and buyers. Therefore it is important the short film is professional and brand aligned.

aline: still shot from online video

For this reason, a personal connection of mine and the designer will create this video. Davide Valsecchi is a graduate from the London School of Film and has directed several short films in the past years.

His knowledge of the camera and expertise of light will be valuable for the production of a high-quality film that will capture visitors attention at Super.

This video will also be published on the brand’s website and short extracts will be available on Instagram. These posts will be shared in the weeks leading up to Super,.

Super 2019 will be in February, therefore Joanna Lyle will exhibit her latest SS19 fashion collection..

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Ta c t i c # 8 super milano: press & buyers Over the past 9 editions, Super has attracted press and retailers internationally.

“Pitti Immagine’s investment into the presence of buyers and international distributors, realized also thanks to the contribution of Agenzia ICE-ITA Italian Trade Agency, is consolidated at this edition with the participation of a selection of around 30 top buyers from Russia, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, China, India, United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Spain and Portugal who will travel to Milan especially to learn all about the new collections from the companies at the fair” (Pitti Immagine, 2018).

Joanna Lyle would be able to meet retailers on appointment to show the most recent products and engage with them through visual content and physical material at the stand.

The September edition of Super lasts three days, meaning that next year’s will most likely be of the same length. This allows Joanna Lyle to have enough time to dedicate to specific retailers and press, having a day for each.

In order to get a more specific idea of what buyers and press attended Super in the last edition, I emailed

Andrea Mugnaini, Buying Coordinator. Unfortunately I was told this information was confidential, and online details of Super do not include specific names of buyers or press. However, Super has a great reputation, owed to the ‘made-in-Italy’ aspect of the brands that participate.

For this reason, I am convinced that many suitable stockists from Italy and foreign countries would potentially see Joanna Lyle.

In terms of cost, Super does not release information for research purposes, therefore it was not possible to find out the specific cost of registration.

However, I conducted research into other fairs to grasp an idea of what an average registration fee amounts to.

By coming across the UK fair Pulse, which is very similar to Super when it comes to pret-a-porter, I found out that registration fees are high as £3000 for a good-sized stand. As London is typically more expensive than Italy, Super might be a little less.

However, this is the esteemed maximum cost for a stand at Super.

screenshot of email with super buying coordinator

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Although we can’t find out what press attended Super, analysis of Bagutta’s press coverage in 2018 shows that the brand’s exposure was on a growth after attending Super’s male equivalent: Pitti Uomo.

Research shows that trade magazines such as Fashion and Arbiter featured the brand around the same time of the trade show.

can derive from participating in distinguished events such as Super.

More importantly, the article in Fashion solely focuses on Bagutta’s excellence in quality and textiles, validating once again that Super and Pitti suit Joanna Lyle’s participation.

These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of tradeshows and prove that immediate press coverage

In terms of internal communication strategies, research has not seen any significant strategies.

In the last edition of Super, many brands posted pictures of their stand on Instagram with the hashtag: #SuperPitti, in order to appear on the Super Pitti location feed. This is an additional way to gain

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exposure from potential buyers and press that use Instagram to see exhibiting brands. Also, by posting feed on the general whereabouts and updates of a brand engages with the current audience and conveys loyalty and confidentiality.

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