DIOR vs CHANEL

When looking at the competitive market of the fashion industry, there are two names in the couture world which have battled it about for years and years: Chanel and Dior. These two are the giants of the couture world, and have such a targeted market, however, product placement and store placement are vital for this competitive market, having the best position within the market. This can be set up through the companies themselves, they choose exactly where they’d like a new store to be built, or is can be done by organisations such as John Lewis, Boots and Selfridges. 

When you walk into the fragrance section at Selfridges, first on your left you’ll find Dior, right at the door, and about 6 meters away you’ll see Chanel. This close placing of the leading brands is no coincidence. As I am interested in Dior, this was such an incredibly experience to be able to talk to the experts about the fragrances, and a chance to smell, touch, hold and get to grips with Diorissimo, which is such a magical smell. The two companies often find an overlap with the customers visiting, as they go to one first, then visit the other. Both are very sophisticated in look, and the colours are very monochrome to allow the products to speak for themselves. This is a perfect technique, as both brands are so well known, they can keep their publicity to a minimum and allow the products to speak the dream and the story behind the brand. 

Selfridges is the perfect place to find both Chanel and Dior, and both are such in-depth brands, but Dior, in my opinion, in this store has prime placement as you have to walk past the stand to get to Chanel; perfect for the competitive market.

Diorskin Star Foundation

With this month’s issue of Vogue, amongst Taylor Swift, Jamie Dornan and Zoella, there is a hidden gem in regards to Dior’s cosmetics promotions. In this months issue, Dior is mentioned or shown 8 times throughout the magazine, but a whole page is designated to Dior this month, which is such an incredible feature to find. With Diorskin Star Foundation being the main attraction, it is so important that Dior finds it’s name in THE fashion magazine. 

The article is based around Dior’s new piece of technology; the Diorskin Star Foundation Analyser: which is a perfect shade match to the customers skin. Although this has been created by other brands, it is important for Dior to be up there and publicising their technology too. The light weight foundation comes in 14 different shades, and the customer is able to mix two foundations together to create the perfect blend. This very personal experience is exactly what keeps Dior ahead of competitors, as well as they’re exclusive cosmetics and their tool kits. The need for flawless completion is so vital, and with connections to backstage makeup links, this is such an incredible product to be selling; as well as being so widely publicised to the target audience.

http://www.vogue.co.uk/brand/christian-dior

My Burberry

When looking into perfume adverts, and the way they are created and the narrative behind them, My Burberry the new fragrance is a perfect example of this. The very traditionally British advert is such an incredible advert to represent the British brand: it is raining, the mac and the British models. Burberry have really thought about the message they want to send out to their audience, and it is such a strong one. Both Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne work perfect together to create the dream of Burberry; an incredible perfume advert, and one that I will destruct and look at in much greater detail for the project.

ALEXANDER WANG – H&M

On November the 6th, all eyes and ears will purely on the Alexander Wang collection for H&M. The fashion world is now on edge waiting for the full collection to become released, the American sportswear with his own twist. Following Isabel Marant, Versace and even Stella McCartney, this collection in particular has become a very popular look which not only his target audience want; but the dropped prices have attracted a much broader audience for purchase. These events are so vital to the way the fashion world works, as it allows each and every one of us to have a piece of the design collection’s dream, we are all able to make our own story with the garments. Alexander Wang is someone who I have previously looked at in great detail, and I have to say I am incredibly excited to see this collection.

Unique Selling Point of Dior

• Dior offers complete package of luxury, it contains the whole product package.

• Giacopelli: “Dior is a luxury brand. Christian Dior wanted a woman to feel elegant from head to toe.”

• Dior has constantly found what is missing from the market.

• Dior has created a dream, an essence, and a strong narrative within the company.

Autumn/Winter 2014-15

This year, Dior looked very deeply into the traditional focus of Autumn/Winter; looking into colours, materials, and elements of the holiday which all of the audience can relate to; which lead to fur, white outfits and a lot of long, draped materials. This season Dior used bold colours to represent the silhouettes of city workers, as he wanted the women to be seen completely equal with men – each form was echoed in traditional masculine fabrics. Peak lapels, double breasting and horn buttons take the place of more traditional elements of the feminine tailor. This is one of my favourite collections of the Autumn/Winter Dior range, and has been praised by all, the incredible and beautifully created garments are just stunning; Raf Simons has yet again made an unforgettable collection.

“I wanted to approach the idea of the city as an abstraction, it is how I perceive the world of the city in this collection,” says Raf Simons. “It is an idea of the romantic and the real, a world of possibilities. At the same time I wanted to present women with freedom and possibilities in the way they dress too.”

http://www.dior.com/diortv/en_gb/videos/fashion-shows/haute-couture-autumn-winter-2014-15-fashion-show

Positioning between DIOR and CHANEL

The positioning between Dior and Chanel shops, boutiques, perfume and cosmetic stores in Central London. This is vital to understanding both companies and the competitive market which they face. The placements are to re-enforce the Couture element of both brands; and having them so close can cause a lot of friction, but it also allows both to become the better brand as they’re so close to the competition, they’re able to work side by side to push one another, as well as uniquely improve and challenge not only the other brand, but the customers choice.

Dior – J’adore Advert

The J’adore advert is the latest that Dior have published, after rebranding and creating secondary perfumes within the J’adore umbrella. With names such as Charlize Theron and Marilyn Monroe, this is one of the most luxurious and beautifully created adverts. Set in Verselle, the home of Haute Couture and Fashion itself, it is such an impacting and interesting advert when it is broken down; The initial comparison between the bottle and the model, is the tight, elongated necklace, which is reciprocated on the bottle neck; originating from Africa, where women were only beautiful when they accessorised and tried to manipulate their body to become what was deemed beautiful. The whole colour scheme is golden throughout, to highlight the heavenly bottle, and the golden smell which is needed by every women – which is why at the end of the advert, Charlize Theron is highlighted by a halo, to indicate the beauty and elegance beaming off of her, due to the fact that she is wearing J’adore Dior perfume. All of these subtle factors all work in synergy to draw the eye in and send the audience little hints of what is perfection; Dior are therefore selling the dream.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm-vBq-1T1k

Diorissimo 1960

These are four of the posters which were used to publicise the 1960’s Diorissimo perfume, some of the first promotion platforms used by Dior to entice the audience in.

DIORISSIMO

Diorissimo is not only a fragrance created in the 1960’s but Dior himself created a handbag collection along side the perfume. This has, however, now be re-branded and upgraded within the fashion industry. Dior are currently publicising the new Diorissimo bag, made from calfskin with contrasting pockets; this re branding is exactly why Dior are so successful within the industry. They look back at their existing products and see which were especially successful and work with the products, and try and reinvent them to fit the new target market. This is key within this industry in particular, the essence therefore of the product is kept the same, attracting the old market to reminisce within the brand. 

The old bottle, created nearly 55 years ago, was a lot smaller, and rounded at the sides to make a thin oval shape, with half the bottle class to see the perfume itself, then delicately wrapped in a dog tooth print, to match the lid. A small bow was tired around the lid of the bottle; which was a very feminine and the style of the time, which is why Dior is such a successful brand, it continually evolves and changed to fit the target audience. The sectioned bottle is such an effective way to entice the customer, as the eye is drawn toward the bottom of the bottle, showing the buyer just how much perfume you are getting for the price; which is a commonly used technique within the perfumery industry. Although, the old bottle looks very bulky and solid in shape, it was a very different shaped bottle in the 60’s, and attracted a lot of attention within the target market; it was the perfume which was desired and work by those who were upper class. Christian Dior has always had such a positive relationship with his target market, and always will be such an inspiration within the perfumery world. 

The bottle which is still available to buy now is a similar block shape, with rounded edges; but with a modern twist. The oval indented into the bottle to display the brand and name of the bottle is placed in the centre of the bottle itself. There is no dog tooth, however there is a sense of where it used to be, on the rim where the perfume lid is taken off, there is a metallic texture to the neck of the bottle, which is where the dog tooth was placed on the old bottle. There are similarities within the bottles, however the old bottle was a lot more unique and recognisable for customers to quickly distingusish. This is a disadvantage for Dior, as for this perfume in particular they haven’t made the bottle interesting or unique in any way, though it does fit with the collection of bottles; which when they are all together looks sophisticated and simplistic in design.