Week 8 EOC: Exercise

Many of us have an idea for a branded fashion product that is missing in the world. Design and brand a fashion product that you think is missing from the marketplace. Before you start you will need to conduct research to see if it already exists. Also you should figure out if there is a need for the product. Use current periodicals such as Women's Wear Daily or WWD Accessories to help you with your research. Explain your findings to the class.

One idea for a product that doesn't already exist in the marketplace is a vending machine that offers a variety of supplies for mothers. These vending machines would be found in such places as malls, amusement parks, zoos, and generally every public place that families may frequent. Diapers, baby wipes, first aide kits, socks, pull-up training pants, baby formula packs, snacks for small children and toddlers, basic clothing items, and even Tylenol for mothers would be found in these vending machines. They would supply moms with necessities that are sometimes needed in an emergency or forgotten at home. This vending machines could be fashionable by offering things designed specifically for them by different designers every few months. This would give the items offered in the machines an exclusivity factor that would make the product even more desirable. Even if some of the things weren't needed, maybe stylish mothers would just start collecting the designer goods because they appeal to her fashion sense.

Week 8 EOC: Review Questions

1.Why do consumers feel such a close attachment to their bags? Many people form attachment to their bags because they were expensive and they had to save for a long time in order to get them. Or it could be a bag of a particular brand that means something to the person. Bags are important to people because they hold all of their important belongings and are used either all the time or on very special occasions, like a wedding or special trip.

2.What is your favorite brand of bag, briefcase, or backpack, and why? How does this brand reflect your personality? Do you think you will ever switch to a different brand? My favorite backpack brand is Dakine. They are innovative in their bag designs and they have unique features, like a cooler pouch. They are also made very well and hold my snowboard. It reflects my personality because I like to stay organized and the bag has a lot of pockets that enable me to do so. Also I’m as unique as the patterns and colors these backpacks come in. I would switch brands but only if the new brand offered the same quality and uniqueness as Dakine.

3.Now that you have read this chapter, go to www.dantebeatrix.com and explain how the company has evolved. What is the latest news? How do you think the line reflects current fashion? For one the name of the website has changed to beatrixny.com. Most of the latest news revolves around the line being named by many publications as the best choice for eco friendly mom’s that need to buy their kids a new lunchbox or backpack for back to school. The promotion of its eco friendly materials reflects the current fashion trends, as that is what most people are concerned with when buying anything these days. The actual design elements are still relying on the cute graphics because they haven’t really changed much since the writing of this chapter.

4.Why do you think Dante Beatrix is so successful with the company’s ideas to pursue graphic design instead of just focusing on bag design? Is branding the key element that drives you to purchase a bag, briefcase, or backpack? Look at a bag you have now. Is it the designer? What is the brand? What features really make it special, or is it really just the name that makes it unique? Describe your answers in detail. Backpacks and lunchboxes are kind of limited on the different ways they can be designed so pursuing graphic design is a smart way to appeal to the brand’s customers and keep them coming back for more. The graphics combined with the quality of the product will create loyalty among the customers. The brand is not the key element that drives me to purchase a bag. I buy bags because of price most of the time, but there are bags that I want because of the brand. The bag I am currently carrying is Bebe. It’s not really a designer bag, nor is it made very well. It was given to me and it goes with everything. It’s black and more adult the any of the other bags I own. It’s not really unique in anyway, as it is just a black bag. It’s not made of any special materials and I probably wouldn’t have even bought it.

Week 8 BOC: Trend Forecasting

Trend forecasting is an important part in creating a new brand. The brand will have to reflect current trends and styles in order to be successful. With every season comes new color palettes that can be seen in every store all over the country. I can't say if it's the same way in other countries because I haven't been, but judging by the industry accepted publications and international magazines I have looked at, this practice is widely accepted in all modern societies where fashion is the least bit important. When it comes to trend forecasting, noticing the world around you is the most important thing. In order to be an innovator in the fashion culture you have to pick up on the smallest details that could turn into a whole new style. A certain color that looks different from anything that has been in stores in as long as you can remember or a shape that could be transformed into a new silhouette are examples of something that would deeply impact the fashion industry as a whole. Forecasters take it upon themselves to tell the rest of the world what is popular and what is fashionable. The designers all look to these forecasters before they design the next season's merchandise. That's why so many things look the same from one label to another. A good forecaster will have been paying attention to the look as it changes over time in order to predict weather a trend will become a classic or fall into oblivion. The role of a fashion forecaster is challenging yet rewarding. These are the people that set the scene for the next things that everyone will buy and wear for years to come. Fashion generally runs on a cycle with time. Since it is very hard to create something truly original in the fashion industry anymore, people look to the past for inspiration to build on in order to create new trends. Forecasters have to be able to predict where in the past designers should look.

EOC Week 7: Review Questions

1. What is viral fashion branding? How did this form of branding make Johnny Cupcakes a well-known product line in the youth market? Viral fashion branding occurs when a brand's entire promotion and marketing is implemented through self-promotion, word of mouth, or by using electronic methods, such as Facebook, Twitter, and other internet services. He appealed to his younger target market by having his band members where his product and then that in turn would be seen on the internet by fans of the band.

2. Why is viral fashion branding a good method for promoting product? Can you think of other brands that are currently using this process? Viral fashion branding is a great method of promotion because it reaches an innumerable amount of people. Today, everyone belongs to Twitter and Facebook. It expands the market far beyond the reach of a brick and mortar store. Almost every brand today uses viral promotion.

3. How does Johnny Cupcakes allow customers to feel they are special? Is this important and why? " Bloggers can see his daily routine, his friends, his family, his personal associations with specific customers, and his own convictions concerning culture and society. This allows each person who visits the site to feel as if he or she is a part of his success." (Brand/ Story, p. 109)

4.Do you think the Johnny Cupcakes brand relates to older customers like the baby-boomers and generation Xers? Why or why not? How does his use of nostalgia and popular culture influence his ability to reach different audiences? It doesn't relate as much to older generations because it is a very youthful look. However, I can see because of the use of nostalgia that can be found throughout the brand, how he is able to reach some members of an older audience. People like to connect to something that they loved in their youth and if it meant a lot to them then, chances are it still will.

5. In you opinion, is Johnny Cupcakes a unique brand? What other items would you include in his product line?Johnny Cupcakes is a very unique brand not only because of the way in which it gained popularity but also because it became so main stream. In addition to all of the items discussed on page 122 of Brand/ Story that the company has added to the mix, I would add denim, children's clothes, and jewelry.

EOC Week 7: Exercise

You are the new designer of a product line of fashion goods. Using Johnny Cupcakes as a model, how would you promote this product to your target market? You have a very limited advertising budget and have to do most of the work yourself, so how would you spread the word about your product? How long do you think it would take for you product to reach the national or international markets? Why?

I would use Facebook, Twitter, even Myspace, to promote my new brand. I would also use Linkedin to connect with other members of the fashion industry that may be able to aid in the production and promotion of the brand. Getting the most people involved is the goal in a new brand's marketing techniques. Also, by having industry people involved can get the brand noticed by people in the magazine, television, and radio industries, all of which are invaluable. I would also create a blog about the line that my customers can relate to and comment on. Getting the public involved is helpful in creating a new brand because then you can respond directly to customer requests. If the customer thinks you sincerely care about their opinions they are more apt to buy the brand thus resulting in the best kind of promotion, free.

Week 7 BOC: Exercise

How do retailers convey their brand image through their retail stores? Visit a retail store and observe its atmospherics, store marketing, fixtures, customer service, and sales associates. Does the retailer convey a specific brand image to the customer? What is it? Is a story being told? How does the store space influence your opinions about the products being sold?

I visited Betsey Johnson. The whole store screams Betsey from the floors to the ceilings, everything is in the motif of the clothes. The music is as loud as the patterns and colors and all of the associates are sporting the clothes.

Week 6 EOC: Review Questions

1.Does A&F reinvent its brand strategy every year through its product assortment? Is it successful? Why or why not? The brand has not reinvented itself since 1988 when it was bought out by Limited Brands. It has maintained a consistent image since then and continues to be successful.

2.How does A&F brand its products? Do you think its brand practices are successful? "Symbols such as collegiate flags, sports mascots, and the letters A&F appear on almost all products. The company has even adopted the logo of a moose that it embroiders on all its polo shirts and oxfords. Almost every garment at A&F is imbued with washing, styling, and distressing that distinguishes it as authentic A&F. The company brands each garment through this finishing process." (Brand/ Strategy, p.92) The company is very successful with its branding practices because they continue to grow and don't have to really change anything in order to do it.

3. How do retail store atmospherics such as music, fragrance, lighting, store props, and retail brand associates strengthen a brand message? How do they weaken it? "By associating its brand to themes of masculinity, the company creates a triple threat to its competition: it draws the male customers who want to look like an A&F man, the woman who wants to resemble an A&F woman or who wants her boyfriend to look like an A&F man, and the overmasculinized look of the store and shirtless greeters get s the attention of gay en who feel the company is sympathetic to their lifestyle." (Brand/ Story, p. 106) The brand message is constantly strengthened through the atmosphere of all A&F locations. The consistency makes it comfortable for shoppers to always know what to expect when they visit a different store. However, if they are alienating any customers with the message then the atmosphere continues to do the same which could be negative.

4. What feelings or emotions do you experience when you enter an A&F store? Do you think A&F tries to intimidate its customer by using extremely attractive models? The A&F store makes me immediately cover my nose because the smell is SO strong that it makes my eyes water. Once the initial disgust wears off and I can see again, I do love the half naked pictures of men all over the walls. I don't really find the store at all intimidating, but I can see how some people might. There is a certain persona one may feel they have to fit into in order to be able to pull off the clothes. However, once the product reaches the light outside the store, it's just a tee shirt and a pair of jeans and most anyone can pull those classics off. I think A&F intends to outfit attractive people and make people that aren't as attractive feel like they are more so. I don't think they intend on making people feel intimidated.

Week 6 BOC: How Can Jeans Cost $300?

Jeans are worn by billionaires and homeless people alike. They have been around for 150 years and are more popular than ever today. People not only wear them as an everyday item, but to formal functions and on the red carpet. “If you’re buying high-end jeans, you’re paying for the fit, fabric, and finish. Every little detail affects the overall price. The most obvious factor is the pure fabric cost. For jeans that sell for, say, $39, [the designer] is spending around $2.50 to $3 per yard in fabric, whereas premium fabrics go for $8 to $12 a yard. Right there, you’re tripling your costs.” (http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionables/70968/) “ For those who want exclusivity, there are custom couture jeans with prices that are even higher. "For the most part our jeans are in the $150 to $225 range, but there are, in designer, some very expensive jeans, and it's because they're highly embellished and have treatments that really bring the price point up," says Colleen Sherin, fashion market director at retailer Saks Fifth Avenue. (http://www.forbes.com/2005/11/29/most-expensive-jeans-cx_sy_1130feat_ls.html) “As with all fashion, a big part of the price of luxury denim is in the multiple profit margins taken at each level of production. Most any piece of clothing contains parts and services from potentially dozens of providers: from fabric and button makers, to designers and seamstresses, and wholesalers and sales agents. After all this, designers and retailers say the typical retail markup on all fashion items, including jeans, ranges from 2.2 to 2.6 times cost.” (http://atlantapost.com/2011/07/08/why-jeans-cost-so-much-premium-denim-makers-justify-markups/) So the high price points on jeans can be blamed on domestic production costs being higher than that of internationally getting the denim made as well as the mark up that the designers make in order to turn a profit.

Week 5 EOC: Exercise

It is time for some self-reflection by answering the following questions: What are your professional plans for the future? How do you intend to make those plans happen? What stumbling blocks do you think you will have to clear along the way? How long do you think it will take to reach your goals?

Eventually I would love to be a travel writer for a website like Jetsetter, a site produced by Gilt Group. I would also really like to open my own snowboarding store and bar. The writing plans will probably take the most amount of time and effort because it is a very coveted job with some of the best perks you can think of. Traveling around the world on someone else’s dime while getting paid to write about my experiences would be just about the best career I can think of. I think it will definitely take a few years, maybe even 10, to reach these goals. The store will take a lot of money to fund the start-up costs. I have the location in mind of where I want the store to be at, however, I may run into the hurdle of the spot not being available when the time comes or competition that doesn’t exist now moves in on the territory.