Monday, December 13, 2010

Fashion Concept Report

Culture Trek - Fall 2011

At a time when the economy is lacking the necessary confidence of customers the fashion industry has focused on nostalgia and serenity right now.  How better to capture customers then with an emotional connection to the past.  These emotional connections evoke feelings of serenity, comfort, and familiarity.  Marc Jacobs is quoted as saying "It's the emotional connection that makes the sale these days".

The meaning of the trend is how a series of cultures can be inter-related without any full knowledge of the history of fashion or cultures.  Knowing how cultures develop certain themes or patterns associated with their heritage can eliminate misunderstood fashion history. 

Fair Isle is an island along the Shetland Islands in the north of Scotland.  Fair Isle knitting gained popularity when the Prince of Wales, who became Prince Edward VIII, wore Fair Isle tank tops in public in 1921.  Fair Isle is a traditional knitting technique used to create patterns with multiple colors.  There is a palette of at least five colors and only two colors are used per row.  Fair Isle knitwear is the islands heritage and it is named after Fair Isle.  "Fair Isle" has been used as a generic brand to sell retail products that have nothing to do with the island. 

Currently the islanders are seeking protection from patterns that have been knocked off.  Retailers like Gucci and Prada can't keep up with the demand for the colorful knits.  There are only a handful of knitters and they have more orders than they can fill.  A genuine Fair Isle knit sweater must come from Fair Isle.  The knitters who are seeking protection for their knit patterns will have a difficult time considering the fact that in the 16th Century a Spanish Armada galleon was shipwrecked on Fair Isle and the locals copied the Moorish designs on the sailor's garments.  Fair Isle had been adopted as the generic name for colored stranded knitting.  Does that mean you can only get jerseys in Jersey?  Something to think about.

Today's fashion in patterned knits is still referred to as Fair Isle, however, Iceland, Switzerland, Norway, Tirol, and America also have traditional knitted fashion which can be easily mistaken for Fair Isle.

The current trend suggest wanderlust and a sense of adventure.  The individual patterned pieces in mostly neutral colors make a strong statement, which makes them easy to pair with your favorite basics  People love the retro print because of the nostalgic value.  It evokes memories of mulled wine by the fire, skiing seasons and mittens on a string, snow covered mountains, hot chocolate, and winter snow sports.  The Fair Isle prints are also associated with comfort, tradition, chunky without being showy, and is considered a recession-buster.  The patterned knits today are trendy to the mainstream but with some variations.  Celebrities, runway models, and fashion leaders help make it acceptable to more consumers.

The most popular way to style patterned knits is with skinny jeans or leggings to offset the bulkiness of the sweater.  Besides the traditional sweater there are tunics, cardigans, sweater coats, skirts, bodysuits, shorts, vests, hoodies, leg warmers, scarves, and gloves.

The concept applied to visual merchandising a sore would be to display the merchandise in a meaningful way by telling a story.  It would be important to include the setting and accessories for fur boots, skinny jeans, leggings, hoodies, gloves, and scarves.  Having only one item in the store would lack appeal and not capture the true mood of the trend.  The visuals should also include faux snowflakes, scenes of snow covered mountains, snow covered ski lodge, and hold a special event in the store and serve hot chocolate.

The fabrics used in this trend would be exquisite fine wool, wool blends, depending on the target market., authentic mongolian lamb fur, authentic shearlings, sturdy leather, alpaca wool, soft woolly patterned knits.

The colors used are soft neutrals, pale pastels, and the color accents are St Moritz Red, Fair Isle Green, Navajo Gray, Nordic Burgundy, Icelandic Ivory, and Tyrolean Pink.

The life style of the customer would be casual, sporty, enjoys, travel and adventure.  The target customer covers a broad range of customers.  Starting from infants to retirement and for both genders.  Since patterned knits are still considered a classic today they appeal to a broad range of personalities who want to avoid unconventional or extreme ways of styling.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Featured Boutique of Orange County

Olivia's Closet Boutique

If you like shopping in a boutique filled with your favorite things then you will love Olivia's Closet Boutique located at 22411 Antonio Parkway, Suite C220, in Plaza Antonio, Rancho Santa Margarita, California 92688, Tel. 949- 709-7960.

I loved the fresh and charming atmosphere of this boutique.  The owner, Doni Orsini was busy getting ready for the holidays by decorating the boutique in festive ornaments hanging from the ceiling. The boutique setting was decorated in accents of black and white.  Spacious dressing rooms with the biggest mirror imagined adored the dressing room area.  Throughout the boutique were coordinated outfits in trendy fashion.  Shearling boots that were embellished lined the shelves, trendy handbags were draped throughout the boutique, accessories and jewelery filled one wall, so you can be sure to complete your look by finding that perfect accessory.

Many trends were featured throughout the boutique.  A chic faux fur leopard print handbag hung from a rack that attracted my attention and a little black leather studded biker shoulder bag hung on an adjacent rack.  Leopard prints and biker styles are in fashion.

When asking the owner what has been really popular and sold well she showed me a purple chiffon leopard print top.  Again, leopard print is on trend.

This information can be applied to trend forecasting by knowing that my personal thoughts, knowledge, research, and  ideas about what is on trend can be confirmed.



Monday, November 8, 2010

Transform Avant-garde Apparel for the Mass Market

Elie Saab's Fall 2010 Couture Collection was inspired by Venice's legendary opera house, La Fenice.  He used the ruched red velvet curtains, gilt and blue decorations, and chiffon and lace "liberally doused with sequins".  His focus was on classical draping, asymmetric single-shoulder designs, and exaggerated bat-winged styles.  The red gown needs a reduction of the asymmetric details at bust and waist and the removal of  fabric some on the skirt.  The gold sequin gown with bat wings needs to eliminate the wings and reduce the number of sequins.  The gown length could be shortened and the lower skirt width needs to be reduced.  The blue-green gown needs to be thinned out at the asymmetrical draping on the bust and arm.  It is too heavy at the bust area and the slit on the upper leg is too high.  The length of the gown needs to be shortened because it appears to be draging on the ground.

Artwork Crosses Into The Fashion World

Designer Alexis Mabille's Spring 2010 collection is called "Graphic Surgery" , which crosses over to geometric themes of color blocking, cubist, and suprematist art. The model's hair were vertically spliced and bi-colored,  Even the their shoes were mismatched in color.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Website Review

THE COLOR ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES  (CONTINUED)

As a trend forecasting professional I could see how this website and especially being a member would be very beneficial to help me make accurate color decisions in the direction of color selection and also patterns.  Their website talked about a new up-coming trend of Navajo prints that I was not aware of.  I see these prints and have always liked them and learned more about the history of the Navajo prints and its relationship to the Native American roots.  The use of warm gradation of colors used that arouses the felling of security and warmth was something I never realized.

After visiting this website I became more aware about Navajo prints and how it would be beneficial in reinforcing my trend forecasting abilities.

Website Review

THE COLOR ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES

This website was very informative!  First, the title lone said it all.  "The Color Association of the United States".  What a great find!  It started off talking about the opening of Julian Stanczak's Exhibition.  It thought who the heck is Julian Stanczak?  I learned that Stanzyck had been producing color-centric art since the early 1960's despite the loss of his arm at an early age.  apparently, his art doesn't mimic nature, but is very modern and stark.  The website can take you to further details about his work and samples of art work currently at his exhibition in New York.  His works on canvas include cut squares and rectangles painted in gradations of color that jump out at you.  If I were in New York I would visit the exhibit for possible inspiration!

Another feature on this website included an upcoming trend of Navajo prints in fashion and interior design.  There was a photograph of six people dressed in Navajo prints that included pants, jackets, and shirts, while laying on a pile of other Navajo prints.  The article tells about how the Navajo prints brings us to our Native American roots and that the pattern is usually used on heavy woolen coarse material.  It also explains the many colors used in Navajo prints and how graduated warm colors creates warm feelings for the relationship we have with nature like water, sunsets, and minerals.  It sounds so wonderful!

The company also offers a color consultancy division that includes color development for companies that need to revise their color strategy, methodologies, research, and technology.  Wow!  I'll be dealing with qualified professionals!

This website also has membership with benefits of receiving full color forecasting reports in selected categories of women's, men's, youth, or interior design.  Other benefits include inspirational images, forecasts on trends and influences of color, access to archives, and invitations to events.  The annual membership fee for a small business is $650.00 or a member @ large is $249.00 plus a one-time $300.00 registration fee.  I'll will give it some thought.  So many benefits!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Distinctive Style Niche

Preppy Fashion Style is a fashion niche and customers who are likely to identify with this style are conservative and sporty.

It's cool to be dressed in plaids, sweaters, and school girl skirts.  Thanks to shows like Gossip Girl and 90201.  To get the look you need a collar shirt, cardigan, school girl skirt, and for a real fashion statement put on a pair of colored tights.


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