Tom Ford- Free Writing

After participating in the free writing seminar I took it upon myself to adapt what I learnt to my assigned brand 'Tom Ford', as I found the free writing workshop so helpful on getting past writers block. It helped me to fully open my mind and just scribble whatever I knew on a piece of paper as a starting point for bigger and better things. With 2 minutes on the clock this is what I came out with.

Tom Ford

When first thinking of the name Tom Ford, my mind skips straight to mens wear and suits but delving deeper I see that he is the definition of glamour and sex appeal, his campaign Neroli Portofino was borderline pornographic, but as a designer he likes to push controversy. He adores the female figure and his clothes show high end glamour influenced by housewives of the 50's, 60's and 70's. 

Free Writing

Free writing is a technique in which a person writes continuously for a set period of time without regard for spelling or grammar. Following on from analysing tone of voice we were given a topic and 2 minutes to scribble down the first thing that came to our heads. 

Topic 1- Who I Am
my full name is sophie jane howells and i am welsh i am very proud of where i come from, i can speak welsh, not fluently, but well enough to understand what people are saying. i love living away from home but speak to my parents almost every day. i enjoy films and really want to see filth hopefully i can get a job and afford more tattoos. 

(obviously informal, repetitive, messy) 

Topic 2- Death of the High Street
if i'm honest i had no clue the highstreet was even dying, walking through Cardiff, Topshop is always heaven. I dont really go out to the high street a lot mainly because I am skint, after my student loan all going on my accommodation, as long as shops still have websites then I'm not that bothered, although I will miss the occasional wander through the shops, feeling blinded then all of a sudden leaving with 4 bags of clothes, how? Rather than crying over the descent we should all just be happy the internet and vintage shops are still on the uprise. 

(reflective, aggressive, stupid, informal)

Topic 3- World without Fashion magazines
as a fashion communication student the downfall of the magazine should be a catastrophic blow for the industry but as myself, am i really not that bothered? yes it is always lovely to have a glossy print out in front of you but for the sake of the magazine it's best to just get it digital, the amount of magazine i just deface with drawings and notes you could probably save the Amazon rainforest. with the decrease of magazines we can all hope the book industry will rise, printed, thick and collectable pieces of art.

(opinionated, informal, reflective)

Our last free writing task was to pick 1 of the last 2 topics and free write as if writing for your previously chosen magazine...

Vice- Death of the high street
The death of the high street sounds like a monotonous b & w film conveying the shops coming alive, as if like Godzilla, and us as a consumer shooting them down. describing to you the death of an industry that has been strong for the past 10-15 years makes it all seem so boring. Get out, live a little or spend the next 10-15 years in front of a computer searching and sieving through online boutique stores in the comfort of your own home.

(argumentative, informal, aggressive)

In conclusion i highly enjoyed free writing and will definitely do it again. 

Tone of Voice- Vice

Within our recent seminar we were asked to bring along a magazine that we religiously read, as I am not a huge reader of magazines (needs to change), I cautiously picked one from the pile at the front of the seminar group that I was unfamiliar with. I think that picking a magazine that I did not know would be more of a challenge and I would be able to use my first impression of it to analyse its content deeply. I picked up the magazine Vice.

We were then asked to choose an article at random and analyse it's tone of voice to establish the magazines content and audience. I looked at the article 'A Semi-transient Expert on Hobos' written by Liz Armstrong, an interview with film maker and photographer Bill Daniel who documents the graffiti that hobos write on freight trains. I established that it was full of colloquial language and came across as chatty, conversational, humorous and laid back even before the interview had begun. It was a reflective interview (not a narrative) and the interviewer was very different than most. A lot of taboo language was used "I fucked up his plans" this to me signifies that the audience of the magazine is older and more mature.

Bill Daniel

From the article and flicking through the magazine I came to the conclusion that it is a photography, art, common interest, political and lifestyle magazine for 18+ audience with immature minds as you must need to be laid back to understand the language and tone of voice which was being used for some serious articles and interviews. This activity helped me to realise to use the same technique for analysing brands, make connections? What attitude do they have? What are they trying to represent?

Visual Analysis- Tom Ford

Within our seminar groups we have each been assigned a brand or designer for us to now continuously work on for the remainder of the first module, mine is Tom Ford. A skill for a fashion communicator is the ability to analyse an image. When you first look at an image you immediately begin to decode its and establish it's concepts, a semiotic analysis takes a step back so that you may work out what it signifies and how it has meaning. I chose a recent image campaign by Tom Ford to semiotically analyse.

1. Take a quick look at the image (no analysis)
I respond well to this image, it makes me want to look more closely at whats going on, 60's style, robotic, futuristic, simple image, plain, all about the garments and name, nothing to distract from them, signifies stylish chic modern women's wear

2. What kind of visual is it?
New advertisement, on trend, magazine spread? billboard?

3. Systematically and thoroughly list all the elements of the image (Denotation)
A young slim woman with a pretty face (pulling a shocked expression) and mid length brown hair sat manly but dressed feminine, sat awkwardly in a geometric shape on a white chair against a white background. The girl is dressed futuristically in a mid length sleeveless sequinned silver dress with a net mesh top, paired with over the knee gold gladiator style stilettos, he legs and placed as if holding her up awkwardly. Tom Ford is capitalised at the bottom left hand side of the page in a contrasting black colour, its stands out fully against the white background

4.Connotations?
hair, 60's style bouffant, beehive, fringe, sultry look,
dress, body con, sexy, tight, glamorous
shoes, roman, gladiator, gods, Greece, over the knee, stiletto 
(UP MARKET)

Diana Vreeland- The Eye Has To Travel

Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel is an artistic masterpiece displaying the upbringing, inspirations and life time works of renowned fashion editor Diana Vreeland. She had a somewhat troubled childhood, but despite not having any qualifications became the 'Empress of Fashion' for over 50 years. Throughout her reign she launched Twiggy's career and celebrated Barbra Streisand's nose, she saw things in people before they saw it themselves essentially launching a new generation. 

For 25 years Vreeland was the editor for Harpers Bazzar where she became a household name and to this day is an inspiration. She then went on to become the editor-in-chief of vogue, followed by a remarkable visionary at the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute , where she popularised historical collections of clothes. The film itself educated me about styles of the 20th century and their history (even if it was over exaggerated by Vreeland herself).

I enjoyed this film very much as before university if you'd asked me "Who is Diana Vreeland?" i would've had no clue but she was the driving force behind so many different factors within the fashion industry I feel ashamed that I had no idea. A definite recommendation for anyone wanting to work within the fashion industry. 

Introduction to Photoshop

As a fashion communication & promotion student, it is essential that I get to grips with photoshop and eventually (hopefully) be able to use it at a professional level. I consider myself a good 7/10 with computers and I find it relatively easy to pick up on things but photoshop is somewhat confusing having only ever used it 2 times before. As you can see by my notes I wrote everything that was going on down in order for me to attempt to do it on my own (fingers crossed). 

By the end of the tutorial seminar I created an oriental themed mood board by using such tools as creating and naming layers, distortion and the elliptical marquee tool. I found the relaxing atmosphere in which we learnt what the tools were very useful as I didn't get distracted or lost with what was happening. I also found it very easy within my group to ask others around me who had more experience with photoshop for help. 

Retail Activity

Following on looking and evaluating brands in seminars, in groups we were given a task to go out around the streets of Nottingham again and look for examples of mens trainers, mens jeans and women's dress', critically evaluating an expensive, mid market and cheap item from each. We were also asked to investigate the 7p's and consumer for each shop and item that we found. In a group of 6 we split the items between us then, when presenting our findings to our seminar group, neatly placed them into a powerpoint presentation. I enjoyed looking at mens trainers with my partner in the group as it gave me a chance to once again get familiar with my surroundings and talk to new people but to also apply the marketing techniques that we have newly been taught to actual shops and items. 

Cheap- Duffer Trainers- JD

•Product

JD- trainers, menswear, womens wear, sportswear, casual

Duffer- Trainers, menswear, hats, belts,

Black, blue and white trainers- male colours, cheap version of more famous brands

•Price

£15 reduced to £10, offer in Sale

•Place

On a stand with other popular trainers placed around it on offer, highstreet store, up against other consumers such as foot asylum and footlocker located next door, online shop (Duffer and JD)

•Promotion

Duffer- brand promotion, no other ways of promoting themselves, not a hugely well known brand, words like ‘OFFER’ scattered around the trainers, consumer= men/teenagers/ young adults. 

JD- expectation of good shoes from a well known brand, 'chavy', TV adverts, billboards, sales items presented on a sale stand

•People

people on hand in the shoe section

franchise brands- Nike, Converse, Adidas, Fila, Puma

•Process

when sold given in a shoe box, try before you buy, a variety of sizes

•Physical Evidence

Good service, bright and inviting colours (not gender specific), shoe section at the back of store to complete outfit when walking around

Mid Market- New Balance- Foot Asylum

•Product

New Balance- trainers (indie, hipster) unisex, lots of different colours and styles cater for all needs, high in demand, all of a sudden urge for the brand

Foot Asylum- fairly new shop, popular, trainers,  menswear, streetwear

•Price

£69.99- value for money considering their popularity

•Place

Highstreet, websites (both new balance and Foot Asylum), Internationally known, shoes take up half of the store, right next to the entrance, goes around in a circle, bigger arrangement in shoes, expensive looking

•Promotion

Stylish interior to shop, placed on their own stand with the name clearly shown, ‘UK exclusive’ well known international brand draws in consumer, billboards, TV adverts 

•People

On hand friendly staff in shop on hand to help you choose the shoe you desire and find the right size, celebrity worn shoe

•Process

Can try before you buy, when bought comes in a box and in a plastic backpack bag, everyone wearing them (popular) makes you want that ‘look’

•Physical Evidence

Staff very friendly, know their facts about each type of trainer, less harsh lighting in store (luxurious), certain style of interior different to most shops.

Expensive- Nike Air Max Light- Size?

•Product

Nike- shoes, sportswear, women’s, men’s, accessories, sponsorships

Size?- street wear, accessories, all menswear, collectable trainers, special edition trainers

•Price

£100, expensive shoes all in store, some mid range though

•Place

Exclusive small shop (more personal), shop located in a more smaller exclusive part of town mixed with brands such as Fred Perry and Ted Baker. Trainers located in a glass case (importance), Nike globally known, size? Is internationally know, both have websites.

•Promotion

viral adverts, television adverts, Size? Mainly relies on word of mouth, A-board outside store, exclusivity, both have websites, Nike endorsements include the Olympics and many well know athletes

•People

Not much service on hand however as the shop is small you can see everything and if anything is needed they’re just an ask away, celebrity endorsements for Nike.

•Process

Air Max trainers almost vintage (brought back), when bought you get a box and a paper bag, dressed professionally.

•Physical Evidence

More of an in shop experience, try before you buy, edgy different shop, well laid out modern and stylish

Brand Seminar

Within todays seminar following my introduction to the process of fashion marketing we were asked to choose a non fashion brand and apply the 7 p's to it. I chose the energy drink brand Relentless as they are a popular globally well known brand.

Product:

Energy Drinks, young, trendy, stylish, appeal to sports and street, edgy, colourful, won't go out of style, constantly evolving, new flavours always, 

Price:

cheap, affordable, but a bit more expensive than other energy drinks- pay for the quality, high expectation, always available, 

Promotion:

TV, cinema, celebrity, appeals to a more young hip and cool market, pop up stalls (Reading Festival), relentless truck, Extreme Sports, Skateboarding, Motor cross, 

Place:

Globally well known, has a website, sponsorships

Process:

colourful packaging for different colours, well known logo (graffiti esq. street, urban) 

Physical Evidence:

Pop up stalls/shops, feel involved with the brand fully

People:

Celebrity endorsements, Sport sponsorship

After individually doing this task we then in groups, did the same thing but for a high price designer brand. My group chose Chanel as again its a globally well known popular brand. 

Product:

mens wear, ready to wear, couture, women's wear, d'art collection, cruise and resort wear, fine jewellery, watches, bags, shoes, sunglasses, eyewear, perfume, makeup, skin care, books, notebooks, pens, nail varnish, sportswear

Price:

high end, lowest price is makeup £25+ 

Place:

concessions in Selfridges John Lewis, fashion stores in fashionable cities, online shopping

Promotion:

TV adverts, most promotion for perfume (most affordable for the everyday woman), magazines, legendary adverts, celebrity endorsements, film, TV series, reference books, fashion shows, billboards, "The mark of class" Karl Lagerfeld, iconic, brand history, vogue features

People:

Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel makeup counter workers, exotic good looking staff, good customer service, well dressed, groomed (Chanel image)

Process:

dress everything in packaging, tied up with a bow

Physical Evidence:

Personal shoppers, experience in store, trial attitude, whole experience (greeting, champagne)

Both these activities helped me to get a grasp on the 7p's in order to use them within further work, I also found them very enjoyable to delve into a brands identity. 

What is Fashion Marketing??

"meeting the needs of your customer at a profit" 

Professor Phillip Kotler

"Creating irresistible experiences that connect with people personally and create the desire to share with others" 

Saul Colt

"Products that dont come back and consumers that do"

 Steve Dawson

Within todays lecture we thoroughly discussed the ins and outs of marketing I found this very interesting as I have only ever brushed over the surface of marketing fashion within A-level textiles, we looked at a few key terms in which marketing is defined

. analytical

. targeted

. personal

. persuasive

. conversational

. timely/ immediate

. responsive/ human

This was very useful as I am only just being introduced to marketing as a career within university it is very easy to get confused and sidetracked on the actual meaning of it, defining it into terms makes it easier to understand. I was also introduced to the 7p's (more commonly known as the 5p's) of marketing, these are:

PRODUCT

PRICE

PLACE

PROMOTION

PROCESS

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

PEOPLE

Fashion marketing is different to other industries as it is based on need, it manufactures desire and no other economy associates so closely with the designer and no other industry like fashion displays its work on a runway (essence of marketing). Marketing fashion is led my season, trend and the media without which nothing would be marketed. The fashion industry is huge and items can be trickled down to the high street or urban styles can be bubbled up, no other economy can define itself as being so closely inspired by its consumer. No other industry or product has such a fundamental part within its economy for celebrities. 

'The A-Z of Mod'

On my recent trip up to London to visit a friend in university I purchased this book for a little bit of light train reading and immediately got hooked. Mod styling has always been an interest of mine (having a dad like mine its a must), being introduced to bands like The Jam, The Who, The Specials and The Small Faces at a young age has stuck with me for the past 18 years of my life.

The book itself goes into detail about everything Mod from the classic parka to the Atlantic Records company who signed artists such as Otis Reading and Aretha Franklin. A definite must read for anyone who is interested in Mod fashion or if you're just curious. 

Fred Perry Photography

Here are some of my favourite shots from my Fred Perry inspired photo shoot. I am not the best photographer in the world but I feel that it is something in which i would like to keep practicing and hopefully get more familiar with.

Fred Perry Moodboard Activity

Todays activity entitled us (being pre prepped) to create a physical mood board depicting our favourite designer or brand. Being an eclectic person I like a lot of  different brands, mainly menswear as I am an androgynous dresser and feel a mens shape on a female form can be extremely flattering and stylish. My favourite brand is 'Fred Perry' as I love the classic polo shirt but the history of the brand itself and the different sub cultures you associate with it including the 'mod' culture of the late 70's and 80's. 

Within the mood board seminar activity we were asked to create different variations using the same images in which we brought with us including magazine snippets, print outs from the internet and our own photography.

I feel that this helped to create different looks and inspirations for us as students, it also gave us an opportunity to move around our photos before sticking them down in order to finalise the look. 

(My finished mood board) 

'Cause We Got Style!'

Cause We Got Style! is a street style esq. book which depicts European Hip Hop styles from the 80's and early 90's. I purchased this book for the main reason to gain a wider insight into street style and street photography of a different era in order to help push my own thought process' and current work. I found the photographs inside extremely interesting primarily for the fact that most of the brands such as 'Fila', 'Nike' and 'Adidas' are still around within todays fashion industry. I also enjoyed looking at past styles from different countries such as Denmark, Switzerland and Germany, countries in which I thought had no style or style origins

I have always been a fan of old school hip hop but have never experienced a fandom which is so inspired as the photographs within. Artist such as Flava Flav prove within this book to be one of the main inspirations of the styling itself. I can also see further inspirations from other artists such as Grand Master Flash, Jeru the Damaja and Salt N Peppa. 

The book itself to me shows how brands can evolve and how style from a different era can inspire so many new modern street wear brands such as Supreme, Obey and Stussy.

Bill Cunningham, New York a film by Richard Press

Bill Cunningham, New York is a visual masterpiece depicting the life and photography work of noted and extraordinary New York Times style veteran Bill Cunningham. He himself is an inspiration to young photographers and street style enthusiasts around the world, watching the documentary i felt compelled to go out around Nottingham and take more photos. Throughout the documentary itself admittedly I didn't take as many notes as I would have wanted to (I was way too engrossed with what was happening on screen) but my note pad displays single words such as 'inspiration', 'artistic' and his famous quote 'fashion is the armour that protects us from everyday life'. The idea that anything is possible if you have passion, shone through throughout the whole film.

The way in which he views clothes and finds inspiration in the smallest detail makes him one of the best (if not the best) street photographer i have come across. I highly recommend the documentary to anyone who is interested in photography, street style, or fashion in general. It was thoroughly enjoyable and in parts emotional, as soon as I got home I downloaded it for myself. 

(An example of Bills work in the New York Times)

Nottingham Street Style

The aim of this first task while at university was to portray Nottingham's individual style, as well as for us, in groups, to start to become familiar with the new city we will be living in the for the next 3 years.

My group decided not to focus on one specific type of person but to find a wide diversity of people when choosing who to photograph, we then had to upload it onto the university Pinterest (link provided) and present our findings to the rest of our seminar groups. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this task as I aspire to become a stylist one day, looking and analysing the way in which people dress helps to determine sub cultures and personality traits within a person. Here is what we found...

The general vibe of fashion that I depicted around Nottingham is that there isnt one style, the clothes are widely diverse from the 'Mod' style right up to 'Punk' inspirations and touches of 'Glamour'. I especially loved finding couples who style themselves similarly very much like 'The Kooples' adverts/marketing strategies. 

http://www.pinterest.com/fcp1streetstyle/nottingham-style/