fashion journal

Fashion Journal

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Table of Contents Entry #1: ..................................................................................................................................... 3 WWD: “Vlogger’s Winning Online Battle Over Brands” March 2014 ................................................. 3 Entry #2 ...................................................................................................................................... 8 Wall Street Journal – What Shopper [Need] Want – April 2014 ........................................................... 8 Entry #3 .................................................................................................................................... 11 Vogue – High Heel Hiatus – March 2014 ....................................................................................................... 11 Entry #4 .................................................................................................................................... 14 Spring 2014 vs. Spring 2013 .............................................................................................................................. 14 Entry #5 .................................................................................................................................... 15 Bloomingdales – Soft Line vs. Hard Line ....................................................................................................... 15 Entry #6 .................................................................................................................................... 16 Trends Found On The Runway .......................................................................................................................... 16 Entry #7 .................................................................................................................................... 17 Fabric Trends ............................................................................................................................................................ 17 Entry #8 .................................................................................................................................... 18

Entry #9 .................................................................................................................................... 19 Global Trends – WGSN – Trend Analysis Spring 2014 ............................................................................ 19 Entry #10 ................................................................................................................................. 20 Visual Store Displays ............................................................................................................................................. 20 Entry #11 ................................................................................................................................. 22 Fashion In Movies ................................................................................................................................................... 22 Entry #12 ................................................................................................................................. 23 Favorite Designer – Oscar de la Renta –Ready-‐to-‐Wear – Spring 2014 .......................................... 23 Entry #13 ................................................................................................................................. 24 Fashion Industry Job Descriptions .................................................................................................................. 24 Entry #14 ................................................................................................................................. 25 Fashion DON’TS ....................................................................................................................................................... 25 Entry #15 ................................................................................................................................. 26 Possible Career Path Opportunities ................................................................................................................ 26

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Entry #1: WWD: “Vlogger’s Winning Online Battle Over Brands” March 2014

The Women’s Wear Daily article, “Vloggers Winning Online Battle Over

Brands”, talks about how YouTube beauty gurus have larger followings than the

major cosmetics brands. Vlogger, Michelle Phan, is leading the pack with about 6

million subscribers and has recently even launched her own line of cosmetics. Phan

attributes her success to her authenticity and being able to connect with her fans.

Establishing that authentic personality is extremely difficult for the major cosmetic

companies. The brand Dove was one that had some success with implementing

authenticity with there “It’s Real Beauty” campaign. The short video became the

most watched online ad ever with more than 170 million views. One point made

Marisa Thalberg, of Estee Lauder, is that the lack of video content can be looked at

as a plus because it’s the independent contractors that give the company legitimacy.

I completely agree with the article. I love Michelle Phan, but I only feel this

attachment because I watched her videos long before she became so popular. There

hasn’t been much change in her personality from then until now so I see her as an

authentic soul, selling an authentic brand. I don’t think that companies can compete

with the authenticity by putting their own material out there, but they can use the

real voices of beauty bloggers to boost their sales.

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Entry #2 Wall Street Journal – What Shopper [Need] Want – April 2014

In this article by the Wall Street Journal, Saks Fifth Avenue’s new president,

Marigay McKee, plans on changing the direction of the company’s appearance.

Unlike other luxury department stores, Saks has been focused on cost-‐conscious

apparel ever since the 2008 financial crisis. That was until McKee. She see’s herself

as “Mrs. Average,” because she fits into the demographic of the average customer.

She wants to change the company to have a more high fashion and edgy feel. Rather

than changing color palettes to fit the season, she wants to have a black and white

theme, giving off a chic, glamorous 1950’s atmosphere. The goal is to go from bland

merchandise to those rare must-‐have pieces. I think this has a lot of great potential

because as we move out of the recession, more people get back into the groove of

shopping. This is an example of how economics affect the fashion industry. I assume

that when we had the downfall in 2008, people weren’t as likely to spend $4000 on

a designer dress. However, that is changing and so now it’s time for Saks to think

about what they can do to encourage purchases like that. I think that offering the

more exclusive experience is a great way to encourage purchases. I say this because

that is one thing that I look for when shopping. It’s about that total experience, so I

respect what McKee is trying to do.

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Entry #3 Vogue – High Heel Hiatus – March 2014

This article in Vogue talks about a recent trend from the Spring 2014 fashion

shows. Rather than garmenting the models in towering heel, there were more and

more flats that walked the runways. From gemstone decorated athletic sandals to

embroidered Vans, flat shoes were “the it” thing. Author of the article, Sarah Brown,

takes the trend to a few podiatrists who joke that the trend is towards having

healthy feet. All jokes aside, the article continues to touch on the point that wearing

high heels too often can cause shortening of the calf and Achilles tendon. However,

they also advised going to flats shoes gradually, as if easing off an addiction. Some

people, though, need a little arch when walking. In this case, a little heel is better

suited than a completely flat sole. This can trend can be found in the marketplace

because although one style of shoe may be more dominant than another at a time, it

is allowed to have more than one type of shoe in style at a given moment. Therefore,

although flats may be gaining popularity, it doesn’t mean heels are loosing their

place in the market. I feel like there is room for both flats and heels in my closet. It

really just depends on the occasion.

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Entry #4 Spring 2014 vs. Spring 2013

After looking through the Ready-‐to-‐ Wear collections from a few designers, I

noticed that Spring 2014 was all about the tea-‐length skirts, embellished detailing’s,

white on white, pastels and popping graphics. These trends have definitely trickled

down to the fast-‐fashion and the consumer level because you can find these trends

at stores like TopShop and H&M. These trends weren’t as common in Spring 2013 as

they are today. Last year there were more of the shorter A-‐Line skirts, statement

sunglasses, chambray, and crop tops. Although, we still find those styles in today’s

fashion as well.

Diane von Furstenberg 2014 Tory Burch 2014 BCBG Max Azria 2014

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Entry #5 Bloomingdales – Soft Line vs. Hard Line

Bloomingdales is a department store that houses both hard line and soft line

merchandise. When walking through the store there stands to be some noticeable

trends that cross-‐over between the two lines. One of reoccurring trends was

detailing beading. I noticed it both on the apparel and on the pillows and bedding.

Another trend was black and white polka dots that adorned everything from ties to

napkins. Lastly, there was an abundance of paisley-‐like designs on the bedding and I

found similar designs on the soft line merchandise.

Dots Paisley

Beading

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Entry #6 Trends Found On The Runway

Polka Dots Dolce & Gabbana – Milan Fashion Week 2014

Paisley Marc Jacobs – New York Fashion Week 2014

Beading Versace – Paris Fashion Week 2014

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Entry #7

Fabric Trends

Snake Skin is a trending fabric for the current season.

Designer brands like Gucci, Prada, and Roberto Cavalli are using

this graphic print repeatedly in their 2014 spring collections.

However, it may be hard to come across actual snakeskin because

most of the time it’s just the snake skin print on a polyester or

cotton fabric.

Leather is another huge fabric trend for spring 2014.

However, this time designers are taking it a step further by

including laser-‐cut and engraved designs into the fabric. Designers

like Diane Von Furstenberg and Dolce & Gabbana have used this in

their recent collections.

Crochet knit fabrics have really shown their popularity

during the spring 2014 season. Designers like Emilio Pucci,

Roberto Cavalli and Oscar de la Renta have all accepted this trend

into their own lines. The main fiber content for this fabric is

cotton.

Italian Trade Show: Federico Albarello, Spring 2014 Fabric Swatch

Beijing Trade Show, Kunshan Huarich, Spring 2014 Fabric Swatch

Beijing Trade show, Spring/Summer 2014, Fabric Swatch

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Entry #8 Color Trends

Color Trend: Blush Viktor & Rolf Fashion Week spring/summer 2014

Color Trend: Pastel and pale grey Chanel spring/summer 2014 Fashion Week

Color Trend: Cobalt Blue Emilio Pucci – Spring 2014 Fashion Week

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Entry #9 Global Trends – WGSN – Trend Analysis Spring 2014

Summer white-‐out is coming on strong, especially for countries like China,

Japan and Korea. They have taken the all white outfit and put a sporty twist on it.

The theme is head-‐to-‐toe white styling with

an emphasis on sports and street wear. This

is a trend that I can see American youth

catching on to. I feel like there is a lot of

emphasis on black when it comes to sports

and street wear that this could be seen as a

refreshing twist.

In Milan, the trend continues.

Solid white features paired with

monochrome graphic prints are quite

popular. The dark graphics on the white

apparel ads a little edge to the soft and

simple white garments. I can see this as

being a trend that not only reaches soft

good lines but also hard good lines as

well.

Right: Daniel Arsham – China – 2014 Left: Kyle – Japan – Spring/Summer 2014

Right: Nadine – Milan – April 2014 Left: Max&Co. – Milan – April 2014

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Entry #10 Visual Store Displays

At United Colors of Benetton, I liked that the visual

displays were well keep. The t-‐shirts were organized and color-‐coded, which made

the display flow and aesthetically pleasing. I also really liked how they tried to add

flare by cuffing the sleeves of the parka’s and button-‐downs. The mannequins in the

windows were well dress, but I felt there was a lack on consistency with them. Some

were wearing shoes and the others weren’t and the side view didn’t show off the

garments to the best of its abilities.

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At the Loft, I really enjoyed the visual displays at loft

because they felt authentic. There were shoes, scarfs,

pants, blazers and tops all on one table, but it never felt

too crowded. It simply felt that they putting together an outfit for you. I think this

makes the store more shop-‐able because it’s showing you some different options.

Just like with United colors Of Benetton, Sleeves were cuffed, giving a lived in vibe.

The one thin that I didn’t like was the waterfall, stacking of skirts and shorts. I

understand that there may be more shorts than display space, but this is

inconvenient for shoppers.

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Entry #11 Fashion In Movies

In the 2013 movie, Hungar Games: Catching Fire, the main character, Katniss,

is seen wearing an almost sheild-‐like scarf above a leather jacket. Katniss is known

for her triumph in battle; therefore, the garment appears to be a soft-‐good armoury.

This design has actually already gained some popularity on websites like etsy and

pinterest. People have started to attempt making their own sweater scarves for the

cold weather. I imagine that next winter similar designs or influences will show up

in the major retail stores because it’s very innovative and there’s a market for it.

Katniss’s admirable personality has made this an item of interest.

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Entry #12 Favorite Designer – Oscar de la Renta –Ready-‐to-‐Wear – Spring 2014

I looked through a few collections on Firstview.com however none of them

stood out to me as much as this collections. There were many pieced that I loved,

but the following three garments are my favorites. I just love the tulle because it

gives the gown a youthful vibe with the resemblence of a tutu. However, it isn’t too

youthful that it lacks sofistication. I could see there gowns in Neiman Marcus and

Saks, but also used as inspiration for the prom dresses sold at Macy’s and

Nordstrom.

Oscar de la Renta – Women’s Ready-‐to-‐Wear, Spring 2014

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Entry #13 Fashion Industry Job Descriptions Fashion Designer: The designer creates original designs for garments. This includes sketching

silhouettes, selecting fabrics and instructing the manufacturers on the assembly of

the product. A designer needs to have an eye for color, texture and pattern and

should always be analyzing upcoming trends in order to implicate them into their

work.

Buyer: A buyer’s is responsible for planning and choosing which merchandise shall be sold

in stores. This job requires a great understanding of consumer demands, market

trends and financial budgets. They must be able to choose new products, which will

maximize profit, and review existing products to ensure they stay competitive. A

buyer holds a lot of responsibility for the well-‐being of the sales.

Product Development Manager: A Product Development Manager’s role is to manage the entire product line’s life

cycle from start-‐to-‐finish, analyzing strategic activities that would better sell the

line. This includes conducting market research, developing a marketing plan, and

possibly finding potential product partnerships. This job requires a great

understanding of the market in order to further the success and solve problems for

the product line.

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Entry #14

Fashion DON’TS

DON’T wear Capri leggings under your skirts and shorts. It isn’t flattering and cuts off your legs making you look shorter

DON’T wear platform sneakers. This was a trend back in the 60’s – 80’s; however, I don’t see why it’s come back to haunt us. They are so bulky that I can’t see the functionality

DON’T wear fringed boots. Fringe is tricky because it can be done well; however, you must be careful to not look too costume-‐like. Fringed boots look like you have bear-‐feet.

DON’T wear leggings under your ripped jeans. I used to do this back in my early high school days and it takes away from any portrayal of sophistication. Ripped jeans can look edgy while still maintaining style. It just has to be done properly.

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Entry #15 Possible Career Path Opportunities Financial Planner: A Financial Planner’s job is to critically create, evaluate and correct merchandise

financial and sales plans while working closely with buyers and the merchandising

team to generate effective sales goals. I’d be interested in this job because I am

really good with numbers and like to map out plans.

Visual Director: As a Visual Director I would be responsible for the various visual merchandising

aspects from window displays to even store renovations. I know that I’m very detail

oriented and that would be a skill I could put to good use with a job like this. I love

creating the ultimate appearance so this is a job I’d like to look further into.

Buyer: I didn’t see myself wanting to be a buyer but after listening to the guest speaker’s

transition from visual merchandising to buyer, it seems more possible for me. As a

buyer, I feel like I could use my detail-‐orientated skills to manage the product

inventory, analyzing what worked and what didn’t.

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