Archive for September, 2009

Yesterday saw London Fashion Week favourite Christopher Kane present his spring/summer 2010 collection to a hugely oversubscribed crowd of excited onlookers, including American Vogue’s iconic editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and eternal glamourpuss and trendsetting veteran English actress Joan Collins. Our team of LFW reporters headed to the Topshop space located within the University of Westminster, Luxborough Street, to the ‘must see’ show and catch the uber trendy fashion pack audience on arrival. As we waited about the deliciously un-glamorous underground entrance we spotted droves of ‘polished to perfection’ Mercedes dropping of a veritable who’s who of models and celebrities while the street teemed with a mix of invite holders and avid Kane fans hoping to squeeze in to the venue at the last minute.

The love for London’s young fashion maestro who boasts a desirable good taste/bad taste signature style was undisputed and clear for all to see. Those who could were dressed in characteristic, Christopher Kane ensembles from his mainline label. Creative Consultant for luxury London department store Liberty’s Yasmin Sewell swooped into the show in a monochromatic sheer & opaque panel dress from the a/w 09/10 collection teamed with peep toe ankle boots and a fantastic pair of super round mirror shades. Budget fashionistas  at the show and indeed all about the LFW venues took advantage of Topshop’s well timed Chistopher Kane for Topshop diffusion line, released just last week. Favourites from the high street line included idiosyncratic crocodile print t-shirts & jersey dresses and stud and rivet embellished leggings. Often styled up to create tough and subversive looks; masculine blazers, statement platform boots and body-con miniskirts or leather look leggings proved  popular accompaniments to the sort after Kane pieces.

Day four of London Fashion Week saw a bit of a celebrity frenzy, with shows from Luella, Christopher Kane, House of Holland and Pringle of Scotland attracting a-listers, the worlds editors in chief and fashionistas a plenty.

Within minutes of each other Mpdclick spotted model and journalist Peaches Geldof, funny man David Walliams, model pals Erin O’ Connor and Laura Bailey, model of the moment Lara Stone and hot London scenester Alice Dellal milling around the Somerset House venue.

We also had a good nose around the accompanying exhibitions to fashion week, seeing millenary from Stephen Jones, Mary Katrantzou’s fantastic prints up close and Linda Farrow’s latest glasses – a retro TV-shaped pair particularly caught our eye.

London Fashion Week is not just about celebrities and well known collections however, among the huge shows that took place (don’t miss full coverage in our Runway area, and here on the Journal) the On/Off venue at 180 The Strand played host to some seriously sought-after up and coming names. We headed over to the Avsh Alom Gur showcase, where a feast of heavily printed chiffon and Biba-esque 1970’s silhouettes were on offer (main image).

The London based designer, and Central Saint Martins graduate has worked as a fashion consultant across the globe, and began his own label in 2006. For spring/summer 2010 sequin shifts and maxi kaftans were covered in black, white and emerald geometric forms that played with perspectives.

In addition, Monday evening saw Untold, the collaborative organisation that promotes emerging designers from London, host a private event at the Kensington Rooms on Cromwell Road. Mpdclick loved the Onescouture collection from Jeniene Scott; the origami inspired creations in felt and wired cotton marked her as one to watch.

Day five is hotly anticipated with shows from Peter Pilotto, Jonathan Saunders and Burberry Prorsum – we can’t wait!

The 25th anniversary of London Fashion week kicked off this week, and the organisers have really outdone themselves in terms of venue and all round creativity.

London’s beautiful Somerset House plays host to the main event, with its continuous runway shows and surrounding exhibitions. Events including the ShowStudio exhibition, documenting works of prestigious photographer Nick Knight, unveilings of the latest designer accessories lines, and fashion-house showrooms occupy many of the buildings, while the main courtyard houses the main catwalk. Designers such as Eley Kishimoto and Jeremy Scott are set to send their spring/summer 2010 offerings down the plank.

This edition of fashion week also sees top designers Jonathan Saunders, Burberry and Stella McCartney for Adidas showing on home turf, to mark the anniversary.

Down the road at 180 The Stand, the On/Off shows and exhibitions mark the best in emerging British talent. Up and coming designers showcase their finest clothing, accessories and jewellery in the remarkable building. The likes of Jasper Garvida, Avsh Alom Gur and KTZ reveal their latest collections in the unique platform which traditionally runs alongside fashion week.

Don’t miss Mpdclick’s full coverage of London Fashion Week here in the Trend Journal, and in the Runway area.

Covent Garden’s Opera House provided the perfect setting for a high-summer collection, and Nicole Farhi succeeded in an absolutely wearable and contemporary range featuring hazy candy shades, outsize silhouettes and subtle structure. The spring/summer 2010 line had the summery air of a resort collection; a kind of pastel Riviera-bound capsule wardrobe.

Colours were fresh and warming, whilst not being too dramatic. Mpdclick loved the dirtied emerald greens and cinnamon shades. A burnt orange on a short Grecian knotted dress, and the voluminous harem trousers in blush pink paired with a teal anti-fit vest were also appealing combinations.

Delicate structural touches were added in the form of asymmetric cowl necks, exaggerated capped sleeves, knots and gathers; often concealing large pockets. Fabrics were loose and light, with subtle texture added, overlaid on blocky prints. Art prints inspired half of the collection with splats and drips in geometric forms, while wave stripes added a bold edge to the range of patterns.

A double breasted sleeveless blazer, belted and often dubbed ‘the jacket dress’, in shimmering white marked a continuation of autumn/winter’s must-have shapes.

Proportion played a large part, with block coloured bandeau tops combined with tailored blouson shorts and  slouch blazers. Mannish shirts and smock shapes were apparent while shift dresses were given a contemporary lift with ears distorting the silhouette from arm hole to waist, and rich argyle print further confusing the eye.

Open knits added another dimension, while loose playsuits with super-short shorts added an element of high-summer fun.

The spring/summer 10 womenswear season is in full swing thanks to an enthralling display from New York Fashion Week. The highly anticipated event that ends today gave us seven days of nonstop, all inspiring, must have fashion from a host of the country’s own premier design talent along with a healthy mix of international names and new comers. The first of the big four fashion week’s offered up a fantastic preview of what to expect for the upcoming summer and happily gave us hope for a range of rock solid, commercial and wearable trends. Girl power has never been quite so stylish and desirable with many designers opting for maximum femininity whether soft and traditional or strong and vampish it’s clear that 2010 is all about celebrating the female form. 

 Donna Karan’s strikingly sophisticated collection procured abundant praise from mesmerized onlookers and reminded us of the designer’s affinity with classic womanly style. Inspired by her love of nature and the wonder of the elements air, earth, wind and fire, Karan provided a truly wearable body conscious look with a soft rather than restrictive feel. A muted palette of sand, dove grey, apricot blush and dusty blue reinforced the romance of the collection that featured cocoon wrap jackets, diaphanous organza maxi dresses and plenty of alluring jersey basics. Matte Twill weaves and weathered and crumpled silks reminded us of the refreshing natural theme. We are happy to note that Donna Karan along with a handful of New York’s esteemed designers pushed the strong 1940’s shoulder shape for quiet statement jackets, a happy remnant from the fall collections.

Pushing the burgeoning love affair with classic feminine design, New York Fashion week favourite Vera Wang took us on a charming jaunt back to the 1920’s with a collection entitled “Partying with Poiret.” Inspired by Parisian fashion designer, the late Paul Poiret, Wang skilfully summoned a little of his Orientalist spirit and cleverly combined it with her characteristic minimalist style. The mood of the season pushes soft and loose silhouettes perfectly exemplified by Wang’s one shoulder sarong dress in black silk jersey and fluidly draped harem jumpsuit, ideal for runway to retail translation. Sultry layered tulle gowns remind us of the designer’s bridal roots while romantic floral prints and bead and paillette sequin embellishment in celestial shades of pink and silver lifted the otherwise dark collection.

Family design duo sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy of label ‘de jour’ Rodarte opted for maximum impact with their apocalyptic vision for s/s 10. 35 Urban warriors were sent strutting down a catwalk finished with oppressive black grit and clouded by an intoxicating mist of dry ice. Artfully combining ancient primitivism with their signature futurist style the Mulleavy’s offered their best collection to date striking a perfect balance between innovation and wearability without forgoing their love of gothic and heady surrealism. Ragged layers of ‘beg, borrow and steal’ fabrics were in their words ‘ruined’ shredded, burnt and aged for grungy appeal. Delicate cobweb knits, cheesecloth and macramé were intertwined and laced with scraps of leather and plastic and dusted with Swarovski’s to create the most alluring ‘scavenger’ ensembles imaginable.

Supremely influential fashion maestro Marc Jacobs gave us all out theatre for his mainline collection counting on a more commercial look with his secondary Marc by Marc Jacob’s line. Absurdly beautiful the signature collection is without a doubt the talk of the season so far drawing in a star studded audience boasting the likes of style icons Madonna and Lady Gaga, whose electro pop beats provided the soundtrack to the extravagant show. The designer who admitted he “felt no need to rein in my creativity” had models styled to look like haunting pale face clowns and modern Geisha’s with bee stung scarlet red lips. Frock coats, miniature tutus and excessive ruffle dresses and separates decorated with decadent micro pearls were offered in shades of silver, taupe, bijou blue and peach and sat happily with enough wearable pieces to please. Expect demand for copycat semi sheer, pearlescent leggings and Geisha block shoe come flip flops on the high street.

Elsewhere Mpdclick favourite Alexander Wang offered up his brand of sports chic with a ‘must have’ urban grunge appeal, perfect for casual yet edgy streetwear fans. Wang’s self proclaimed “very American collection” was one of many to hail statement jersey for s/s 10. Asymmetric sports bra’s, sweater dresses and gathered knee high sports socks had school team nostalgia and proved ‘too cool’ when layered with the designers modern and desirable interpretation of the classic khaki trench. Sheer fabrics were combined with leather and fierce body con fits with relaxed and slouchy shapes resulting in a range of saleable juxtapositions. 

Be sure to check out our comprehensive coverage of New York Fashion Week and stayed tuned to Mpdclick for our concise s/s 10 overviews guiding you on the best shapes, colours, fabrics and fashion trends to translate from runway to retail.

main image: Marc Jacobs

Below: Donna Karan; Vera Wang; Rodarte; Marc Jacobs; Alexander Wang.

Words by Gill Linton

Gill is the co-founder of The Joneses a creative brand and communications company in New York, with 15 years experience marketing brands such as Agent Provocateur, Lee Jeans, Theory, Courvoisier Cognac, Virgin Atlantic and HBO. She’s also a contributor for the business trend and innovations news site PSFK.com, and as a stylist has produced editorial features and campaigns for S Magazine, City, Surface, Flaunt and Fuse TV. You can contact Gill at gill@thejoneses-nyc.com

Now that fall fashion marketing is here and the industry is working on what’s next, what should fashion brands do differently to make up for a terrible fiscal 2009?

Everyone’s a brand strategist these days, including people in the fashion industry whose core business is to produce fashion shows, generate publicity and create ad campaigns. In which case you’d expect fashion brands to be more distinct from each other, wouldn’t you?

Considering fashion is all about change, the fashion-marketing model is fairly old-fashioned.  It took a recession for people to accept that the selling cycle doesn’t work, and although advertising isn’t as effective as it used to be, brands still invest heavily in formulaic print ads, along with the same old sponsorships, trunk shows and pop-up shops, or more recently, blogs, videos and social networking.

The fashion-marketing model certainly has its place, although the only tangible difference between brands here is the personality of a designer/retailer and their collections.  Brands can PR, collaborate and Twitter all they like, but without an original brand strategy that frames a different way for consumers to think about them beyond a cool image or shiny mobile app, the focus will always be on outdoing their competitors latest tactic rather than doing something unique.

Daniel Chu, Executive Creative Director of marketing agency Momentum, who has worked with brands like Nike, Thom Browne, Kenneth Cole and Target, points out that, “In fashion, we create mystique, and that’s the strategy. To make it more complex, fashion is a culture that thrives on itself; at its root, fashion is and always will be about itself. It creates to impress itself.”
 
I understand that in respect of brands like Margiela where the mystique and creativity of the designer is the brand, and he is uncompromised in delivering it, but that’s one strategy for one brand, and the point of marketing is to create difference.  Chu goes on to say, “Obviously as demand increases, fashion becomes a populist commodity.”  My point exactly.

Before starting her own brand consultancy Vernon Company, Kim Vernon was CMO of Calvin Klein.  Kim points out that the biggest change in fashion right now is that brands are trying to adapt their take-it-or-leave-it aspirational marketing to involve the consumer online. “We are right now seeing a quick shift in fashion brands jump into the SMM [social media marketing] pool, DKNY, Diane Von Furstenberg, Oscar de la Renta etc have put their foot, not toe in the SMM water in past months.  It is an exciting time for SMM as the image and great product brands won’t fear the medium but have fun with it.”

Which is great, given that digital is just the world we live in, but isn’t building the future of a business around SMM as tactical as placing an ad in Vogue?  I recommend reading ‘Impatient CEO’s are all of a Twitter, but it doesn’t work like that’ by John Naughton.
 
It’s not that the fashion industry isn’t strategic; some of the most revered and successful brands in the world are in fashion.  However, the words are misused so much that anything and everything is a ‘brand strategy’ when it’s not.

A good brand strategy creatively reframes what the brand stands for beyond a product description and tactical marketing ideas.  It’s a directional idea that drives everything the brand does, and goes much deeper than the surface aesthetics of the fashion business.  One of the best brand strategies that I know of came from the AA, a road side recovery service in the UK that became market leader after reframing their brand as the ‘fourth emergency service’ alongside the police, ambulance and fire services – brilliant because no other brand could ever literally or emotionally replace them.

The fashion industry thinks they already have issues with replicas.  They don’t know the half of it.

Paul Lemmens is a cognitive scientist in the ‘User Experiences group’ within the Lifestyle sector at Phillips. He is researching why there is such a strong connection between emotion and touch and how this can be used as stimulus for people to master their desired mood, from the excitement of adventure to the achievement of pure relaxation through garment technology. With its 4 kilos in weight and almost 2 square meters in size, the human skin is our biggest, heaviest and most sensitive sense. Not every touch feels the same, nor does it have the same meaning. A relatively unexplored territory it provides a new and additional dimension in creating experience.

One application would be film. A major development from the 3D specs of the 80s and the IMAX revolution of the 90s “One of the projects we are working on is the emotions vest, which was shown at the IEEE-sponsored WorldHaptics 2009 Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. The vest does not focus on feeling the punches that the movie character gets, but we want people to feel Bruce Lee’s anxiety about whether he will get out alive, for example” says Paul Lemmens. The jacket will read  signals encoded in a DVD or program to create feelings such as “causing a shiver to go up the viewer’s spine or butterflies in the stomach.” The jacket will even create a pulsing in the chest to simulate elevated heartbeat. The aim, he says, is investigating how to create emotional immersion.

In the future Phillips are looking  to develop what kind of touch is associated with what emotions and discover if every touch conveys the same emotion for the same person. The development may be in that the emotions are generic applications or  trainable by its user. With an understanding of how touch relates to emotion the intention is to help people in achieving a certain emotional state or mood even for example being able to create an environment in which a baby feels happy and safe. This would be an important progression in Philips’ efforts to promote Health and Wellbeing through  technology.

Source: http://www.talk2myshirt.com/blog/archives/2701