Global Sourcing

Shop Layout

In a presentation, the best ways to promote an idea is with imagery. If there is an actual product to show it will be easier for the audience to understand. So for us as a start up brand we wanted to portray not only our ethos but how we would envision it. 

If we were to have a store, what would it look like? having previosuly done a shop report for Cos and The Kooples we had an in-depth ideology on the importance of a good shop layout. 

I created  range of shop floor ideas from a birds eye view perspective, then choose one within our team. 

Once we had the initial layout i could get to work on constructing it. Luckily i had practice designing layouts for areas as my Father is an architect and Mother is an interior designer.  I collated the ideas the team had, with what they would want in our store. From shelving to colour palettes. Then processed all of these ideas with my father, guiding him (as i did not have a strong grasp on sketch up) with what we wanted.

We chose a mixture between natural and man made, waiting to play with the dichotomy of these. Having a focal point, would be the living wall, which would be made up of living plants to coincide with our ecological ethos in our garments. 

These Ideas are further reinforced with our choice of bamboo and ethically sourced stone and timber materials. Importantly we also looked at the  vitality of recycling in the modern world and so used old milk bottles in an innovative way for lighting.

We feel that having this shop floor visual shows our brand's image and how it could be portrayed.

Global Sourcing

Brand Name

I was interested in milk baths and their benefits on the skin, and knew that Cleopatra was an advocate of them. 

I started to research further and found two other devotees, Elizabeth I of England and Elisabeth of Bavaria. Whilst thinking about names for our company I thought of ‘Elizabeth of Luxury’ but found this too long and cumbersome, and it also stated the obvious.

Our clientele should know our products our luxury without having to state it in our name. We wanted something short and snappy so I started look into each of the women individually.  I discovered that Elisabeth of Bavaria had a nickname, Sisi, which we thought was perfect, a short but sweet name with a significant meaning behind it. 

As we are a company that would want to branch out into Europe, SiSi is ideal, as it is easily translated into different languages. 

For example, ‘si’ is ‘yes’ in Spanish. 

We want this to be a brand women will say yes to.

As a group we decided to run with SiSi and got the brand manager to create our logo, something clean and timeless but not dated. This will show of our brand image instantly as it will be the first thing the market will see.

Global Sourcing

15/1 - London baby! 

We had a day trip up to London to look at some USP's of brands/companies whilst looking out for shop layouts, promotion, adverts, window displays, customers and staff workers! On top of the actual garments (quality, standard of production, where it was produced etc.) to see where in the market, our brand would fit in as well as if there is an opening for it!

First it was off to Liberty's, traditionally English and after new management have propelled the once Mock Tudor building into the luxury battlefield of the 21st century, housing contemporary designers such as Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto contrasting with Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood! we found some interesting shapes, textures and layouts, yet what we all realised, there was only one small secluded section for loungewear, which was yes, beautiful but was not that contemporary in design and did not have the health benefits! 

Also, at Liberty's the rest of the group spoke to a skincare representative of Aromatherapy Associates, whose oils smelled wonderful, one especially that relaxed you and made you go to sleep. something that would be perfect if infused with one of our garments. This also gave me the idea of a scratch and sniff business card's!

Then to The Kooples, yes, because I love to shop there anyway, yet the atmosphere, the layout and the way the brands ethos is shown is so clear and contemporary which is why I wanted to show  it to the rest of the group! Plus the staff in there are always so very friendly, even in Paris and Nice they are utmost presentable, professional but by no means un-approachable. Their shop layouts utilise the space to get enough information in without feeling overcrowded and overwhelmed. The latest look book/adverts hung on the walls above the shelves, as the rails of clothes methodically progressed, from lighter wear (t-shirts etc.) to outwear jackets and suits. 

What also appealed to me with The Kooples, are there packagings, always with a dust bag, and when you buy online the receipts are kept in a black envelope with their embossed logo! something that we two could adopt, and potentially even use in store, nothing is more annoying trying to organise your receipts in your bag or to find one, so having it in a envelope would keep it from being muddled among the rest of the many, many miscellaneous receipts!

Cos was next on the list of places to see, their clean cut lines and simple silhouettes transfer to their store so effortlessly, its a shame they are always so busy, which does add to a bit of chaos, yet the clothes and decor bring you back to a sense of mellow.

As we were in the area, we decided to look at some of SoHo's fabric stores to get a feel (and some swatches) for some luxury fabrics and what we would want our garments to be made from. 

Then last on our stop was Selfridges, where we journeyed straight to the 6th floor to discover, yet again a niche in the market! only  a small select of lingerie brands where there to greet us and hardly any loungewear items! 

This trip has defiantly confirmed;

 - where we would want to be in the market

 - that the market we were trying to find would have a place

 - what aesthetic's we are really trying to portray

 - and what mood and ethos we want to promote

With this, our survey that one of the group members created will give us enough evidence, research and information to really get the ball rolling!

-F-

Global Sourcing.

Weekly blog updates into my time studying the unit 'Global Sourcing' where i have to work within a group to create a brand that will be marked by a selection of judges in a "Dragon's Den" scenario.

I have Chosen to work as the Creative Director for our group, as thats where my strengths lie, focusing on the aesthetic. Yet, we decided as a group, instead of limiting ourselves into specific roles, we will all contribute towards each others. In theory, this would give us practice into the different roles but also support from everyone within the group.

09/1 - For the first week, we met up as a group to establish what type of brand we are trying to create. We decided to create a mood board, highlighting key areas within the fashion industry, and what aesthetics we like. We decided originally to create a new lingerie brand that was for the women's fantasy, but after further exploration it was not an innovative idea or marketing strategy. 

After further contemplation we came upon the idea of creating a Loungewear brand, with an aesthetic and health benefit twist. Combining fabrics with smart technology and natural fibres make, for a (still) highly unexplored area. For the Brand we want to partially focus on four main fabrics;

 - Milk

 - Bamboo

 - Micro-encapsulation

 - Ofly/ insect repellent.

 

Gathering images to hone in on our brand image was the next step, and once we had gathered enough images, i went home and created the mood board for the target audience, giving a straightforward answer into who we are selling to. A Hard working Woman, who has to travel a lot and needs a way to be pampered and to unwind, whilst caring for her skin and still looking like the strong woman that she is. 

As you can see, the mood board gives an essence of cool and relax whilst not being boring or dreary, no one wants to be seen in there favourite (yet still hideous) onesie or hoodie! We are trying to give the customer a way to relax in our clothes, have benefits to their health and wellbeing. Most importantly to feel comfortable and not have to worry if a friend decides to pop over, if you need to travel on short notice or be seen in public, because damn, our clothes look good!

The mood board also encapsulated a colour palette, despite ever changing and evolving shades and tones with every collection, yet this selected palette gives us a broad and aesthetically pleasing appeal that intrigues even the most fashion shy.

-F-