Ok, so I'm gonna talk about the first group project.
So we were put into groups. A combination of promoters and designers. There were only a couple of Textiles students that were interested in working with us fashion students but I managed to grab one to work with us. That's Kay. We all went to see samples of their work and I thought that her rustic style would be ideal for our theme. Also she has a really cool personality and seemed driven and so I thought she would fit in with our group and encourage jasper too as they are both quite hippy like and layed back. Having compatible personalities within a group can make all the difference. And I found that to be true.
I was supprised at the lack of enthusiasm from the other students and I think they wasted a good opportunity. I jumped at the chance. Fashion is too competitive for you to faff about.
So our group:
Promoters: Me and Sam Mason
Designers: Paddy Jasper, Amy Burns and Jenny Barnett
Textiles: Kay Burglin ( who joined the group a little bit later).
When we were first put into the group I was unsure of how it was going to turn out. I thought Jasper would be lazy, Jenny would cause opposition and the others would work well.
I had a feeling that I would take on the role as sort of project manager as I always tend to get that role in most group situations, and I did.
The group had it's ups and downs with a rocky start with conflict from Jenny not liking our ideas and lack of communication, but I feel we all worked well together throughout after we had resolved our differences and agreed to move on, right up until the last mineut where it all fell to pieces. :-(. I was soooo dissappointed. But I'll go on about that in a bit.
The Brief: Memories shape who we are.
Each generation has it's own thread or narrative, weaving together collective or personal memories with objects that evoke a particular time, person or place.
In our virtual era what human traces will we leave behind?
In this digital age, are we in danger of losing our memories?
We favour technology over traditional methods of recording memory. In doing so we may be neglecting to archive our heritage for future generations.
Memories can vanish from the internet. Emails and texts are instant and erasable. In the past photos offered accidental references to history but nowerdays everything is edited so that our unconcious is no longer being recorded.
Memories connect the past with the present. The fabric of memoryis ever changing, our memories alter as they travel metamorphosing with our changing thoughts, emotions and perceptions.
We dress in memories. Garments can connect with our senses, evoking vivid recollections through sight, sound, touch and smell. Through it's vocabulary- drape, fold, stitch, cut, tear- clothing signifies the emotional range of our mamories.
Basically the aim was to show memory through clothing. Looking at our own memories and collectivly as a group. Looking at family history, cultural narratives, folklore or social history.
Also to look at stories behind objects/garments.
Using a colour palette of two main shades and up to four accents that reflects research/ memories.
To plan,research, develop, design, cost and execute a minimim of two outfits as part of a well balanced and co-ordinated collection, which must include the realization of two jackets to be presented on Tues 15th Dec 2009. With fully styled models for each jacket, supporting design work, marketing plan and customer profile, mood boards, evidence of team work and trend books .
Progress to be monitored throughout with tutorials.
Through fashion, construct new narrotives to be passed onto future generations.
The Idea:
(This is taken from the business plan)
Title:
The Industrial Shutdown
Business Plan
Executive Summary and Nature of the Business
Our brand name is DeReCon, Taken from the idea of De-construct/Re-construct (one of the main thoughts of the collection).
The name of the collection is The Industrial Shutdown (our inspiration).
The inspiration is sectioned into four categories:
§ Survival
§ The Female Dandy
§ Broken Down Basics
§ And The Unfinished
The idea of the brand is to use what you have and make do by using second hand fabrics, trims, buttons, buckles etc…. that are only sourced from British markets, charity shops, junk shops and car boot sales etc….. And to breath a new lease of life into a forgotten design/creation. With an emphasis on the phrase “One mans junk is another mans treasure”.
We will be creating a modern, stylish, wearable and forward thinking collection of three outfits each including a jacket to be retailed within our own boutique in Topshop’s Flagship store in Oxford Street, London.
The overall aim is that within five years we plan to have expanded into a respectful number of their smaller stores (similar to the Kate Moss brand). And to have progressed into Topman.
We would like to keep the culture of our brand British as we feel that Britain has lost its sense of Identity and community spirit.
We are in the middle of a depression and war and our collection represents that like a wearable newspaper. Our collection will offer an optimistic outlook on the future and a fighting spirit.
There is an appreciation of Britishness within the fashion industry at the moment with London Fashion week celebrating its 25th anniversary and many British designers finally gaining success for their innovative ideas.
As we are sourcing from the U.K we are putting less strain on the environment. We will not be importing from abroad and so will not be using as much transport, we are using fabrics and components that are already made, we will be using recyclable packaging and tickets and focusing on Internet advertising and sales so will not be using as much paper and the customer has the option to shop from home without using transport.
“We consume waste at an unsustainable rate and contribute unnecessarily to climate change. Each year we generate about 100 million tones of waste from households, commerce and industry. Most of this ends up in landfill, where biodegradable waste generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. And much energy is used up in making new products which are later disposed of, also contributing to climate change”.
“The Government wants to make greater use of third sector
expertise in waste management and to capitalise on the
multiple benefits – social, economic and environmental – it can bring to communities. These wider benefits typically involve training and employment opportunities to disadvantaged members of society and the provision of low cost furniture and other household items to those in need.” (Taken from the website Defra).
Most successful and well known companies such as M&S, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Nike are acting on reducing their impact on the enviroment and looking at fair trade. With schemes such as Increasing take back and recovery of unwanted clothing and supporting fibres/fabrics that enable clothing recycling, green clothing factories, washing at 30 degrees and designing for sustainablity for a longer shelf life. I have named only a handful of companies and schemes compared to the vast ammount going green.
Many designers and celebrities such as Jimmy Choo, Christopher Kane, Matthew Williamson, Kate Moss and Zandra Rhodes are collaborating with many of the high street giants such as Topshop, H&M and Marks and Spencer. That looks like the way forward as the consumer can enjoy a wardrobe full of designer skill and quality at affordable prices.
A sensible idea as our economy is on a down turn and people’s disposable income is lacking. By joining forces success will follow for all involved.
The designers benefit from publicity and open’s up their target market generating more profit and the stores benefit from increased footfall, profit, an expanded cliental, end an exclusivity to their store giving them a USP. That is what our brand will do for Topshop.
Our brand is sustainable because we are forward thinking and are aware of what is going on around us with regards to recycling and the economy.
The collection is keeping with future trends and we promote individual identity which is on the up with inspiration taken from the 80’s where customization and unique styling was the culture of fashion.
People are missing their own identity as everything is mass produced and corporate. No one likes to go on a night out and see another person with the same outfit and with our brand you wouldn’t have that problem. Every garment will be different in one way or another with ever changing detail even if the fabric is the same as another, something on that garment will make it unique weather it be buttons or a buckle. This will be our USP. Many of our aims and influences, color, fabric and silhouette inspirations are mentioned in Peclers trend forecasting journals so we are sure that our collection will attract the forward thinking customer.
Topshop originated in the basement of a department store called Peter Robinson in the north of England, Then progressed into the Oxford Circus store. From there Topshop has developed into an iconic British success.
They can empathize with new designers and businesses like ourselves and they understand about starting off small and working your way up, as they have.
They have many ongoing projects supporting new designers and graduates and so this will be a great help for our boutique and so makes the store more accessible to us, giving us the break we need.
Executive Summary and Nature of the Business
Our brand name is DeReCon, Taken from the idea of De-construct/Re-construct (one of the main thoughts of the collection).
The name of the collection is The Industrial Shutdown (our inspiration).
The inspiration is sectioned into four categories:
§ Survival
§ The Female Dandy
§ Broken Down Basics
§ And The Unfinished
The idea of the brand is to use what you have and make do by using second hand fabrics, trims, buttons, buckles etc…. that are only sourced from British markets, charity shops, junk shops and car boot sales etc….. And to breath a new lease of life into a forgotten design/creation. With an emphasis on the phrase “One mans junk is another mans treasure”.
We will be creating a modern, stylish, wearable and forward thinking collection of three outfits each including a jacket to be retailed within our own boutique in Topshop’s Flagship store in Oxford Street, London.
The overall aim is that within five years we plan to have expanded into a respectful number of their smaller stores (similar to the Kate Moss brand). And to have progressed into Topman.
We would like to keep the culture of our brand British as we feel that Britain has lost its sense of Identity and community spirit.
We are in the middle of a depression and war and our collection represents that like a wearable newspaper. Our collection will offer an optimistic outlook on the future and a fighting spirit.
There is an appreciation of Britishness within the fashion industry at the moment with London Fashion week celebrating its 25th anniversary and many British designers finally gaining success for their innovative ideas.
As we are sourcing from the U.K we are putting less strain on the environment. We will not be importing from abroad and so will not be using as much transport, we are using fabrics and components that are already made, we will be using recyclable packaging and tickets and focusing on Internet advertising and sales so will not be using as much paper and the customer has the option to shop from home without using transport.
“We consume waste at an unsustainable rate and contribute unnecessarily to climate change. Each year we generate about 100 million tones of waste from households, commerce and industry. Most of this ends up in landfill, where biodegradable waste generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. And much energy is used up in making new products which are later disposed of, also contributing to climate change”.
“The Government wants to make greater use of third sector
expertise in waste management and to capitalise on the
multiple benefits – social, economic and environmental – it can bring to communities. These wider benefits typically involve training and employment opportunities to disadvantaged members of society and the provision of low cost furniture and other household items to those in need.” (Taken from the website Defra).
Most successful and well known companies such as M&S, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Nike are acting on reducing their impact on the enviroment and looking at fair trade. With schemes such as Increasing take back and recovery of unwanted clothing and supporting fibres/fabrics that enable clothing recycling, green clothing factories, washing at 30 degrees and designing for sustainablity for a longer shelf life. I have named only a handful of companies and schemes compared to the vast ammount going green.
Many designers and celebrities such as Jimmy Choo, Christopher Kane, Matthew Williamson, Kate Moss and Zandra Rhodes are collaborating with many of the high street giants such as Topshop, H&M and Marks and Spencer. That looks like the way forward as the consumer can enjoy a wardrobe full of designer skill and quality at affordable prices.
A sensible idea as our economy is on a down turn and people’s disposable income is lacking. By joining forces success will follow for all involved.
The designers benefit from publicity and open’s up their target market generating more profit and the stores benefit from increased footfall, profit, an expanded cliental, end an exclusivity to their store giving them a USP. That is what our brand will do for Topshop.
Our brand is sustainable because we are forward thinking and are aware of what is going on around us with regards to recycling and the economy.
The collection is keeping with future trends and we promote individual identity which is on the up with inspiration taken from the 80’s where customization and unique styling was the culture of fashion.
People are missing their own identity as everything is mass produced and corporate. No one likes to go on a night out and see another person with the same outfit and with our brand you wouldn’t have that problem. Every garment will be different in one way or another with ever changing detail even if the fabric is the same as another, something on that garment will make it unique weather it be buttons or a buckle. This will be our USP. Many of our aims and influences, color, fabric and silhouette inspirations are mentioned in Peclers trend forecasting journals so we are sure that our collection will attract the forward thinking customer.
Topshop originated in the basement of a department store called Peter Robinson in the north of England, Then progressed into the Oxford Circus store. From there Topshop has developed into an iconic British success.
They can empathize with new designers and businesses like ourselves and they understand about starting off small and working your way up, as they have.
They have many ongoing projects supporting new designers and graduates and so this will be a great help for our boutique and so makes the store more accessible to us, giving us the break we need.
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