The FUTURE of Fashion

Everyone is watching you, and everyone knows where you are, what you’re doing and when. The project is about if you put your phone in ‘the Stealth Pocket’ you are invisible, no one is able to contact you, or talk to you at all.

Meat Pack Hijack is an app which is available on phones, which sets up an app and lets you know the discounts which are available in the Meat Pack store – each second that goes by the percentage of discount decreases each time; which brings an excitement and individuality to the store. 

Nectar points and discount cards are the future of shopping, with giving and signing up to this information, you are able to be contacted and individually publicised to about certain products which they have seen that you already have bought. Something that you are common and more likely to buy will be pushed to you first with a discount to enable you to feel special and have a more personal feel with the company; as well as keeping customers loyal within a certain industry.

Fashion as a Movement

• The Age of Collaboration: There have become a lot of collaborations within industries, such as Apple and Burberry, to create a cool, and other industry specialistic work. There is a lot of Fashion with Tech, Film, Music, which has enabled brands to really push publicity as well as almost rebranding themselves. 
• Avoiding Mega-Systems: Amazon, Google, Starbucks, Armani, Doche and Gabbana, Apple – all of these do not pay tax, which means that they have a different company which has a much lower tax, so that they only have to pay the smaller amount of Tax to allow them to wiggle their way out of paying. The Irish and Dutch Government are known for helping the lowering of Tax within companies. 
• Digital Craft:  The online experience has to now appear like magic; the Gucci Store in Milan, and the Burberry Store in Regent Street are an example of this. 

Punk

When you have an object, or a piece of clothing, a haircut, which has a very specific meaning within an industry. Vivienne Westwood created a t-shirt in the 70’s with a Swastika and with Christ hanging upside down on a t-shirt, which is so offensive to each. This is very commonly found within a country where disposable income is high. The youth of today have become very aware that there is a lot of pressure, and a lot of power with what you wear now, and the way you present yourself. Meaning that offensive and outrageous clothing has become very limited, as people are aware of the lack of money that is available now, and the fact that industries are very key to look at the whole image.

Also, within this culture, there is a lot of pressure from the media and what is acceptable within this day and age, however in the 70’s there was a much more independent look on fashion. Constantly different sub groups of fashion and independent styles are pushed by the media, there is a norm which is therefore created within the industry and what the youth of this age wear. Social media also has such an impact, and we also absorb and look over different fashion styles, such as customisation or hand making outfits like it used to, and instead we look at the high streets, music, celebrities and what is considered acceptable and fashionable to style ourselves.

POLITICS OF FASHION

In the 80’s people would spray your coats and jackets with spray paints as it was so frowned upon; it is something that people are constantly questioning. Leather is another, although it is within the food market too, big cats like tigers, leopards are not considered acceptable within this day and age; and a lot of magazines and boutiques will not touch it. Prada this year have focused on fox fur, which is being looked at in great detail with the Anti Fur Lobby and cosmetic testing. Within the UK, there are no fur farms, and there are no large fur creations within the UK, however it is still large in Europe and other countries abroad. 

An 18th Century Man of Fashion, within the fashion industry there is a stigma, which has been around for 200 years is for men who are too groomed and too into fashion for what is seen acceptable. A Macaroni is someone who pays too much attention to themselves, too much styling and fashion incorporated within one look, has its own term within the industry. Within the industry there is a lot of Social Conditioning, of what is said, and what is acceptable; this is very interesting and something which is looked at and studied very closely within the industry.

Break Through in Fashion

In 1966, there was a new face on British Vogue’s cover on the March Issue; Donyale Luna. She was the first American black model and actress to be seen in the lime light; she was shot by David Bailey, one of the largest photographers of the time. Because she was such an inspiration and a new life for the fashion industry and the world of modelling, she created and opened a door to other black women aspiring to have their say in the industry. She enabled models such as Naomi Sims, Iman and Naomi Campbell to become an inspiration to the younger generation. Donyale Luna will always be remembered and inspired by those who knew her, as well as those whose lives she has opened up. She was described as:

“A new heavenly body who, because of her striking singularity, promises to remain on high for many a season. Donyale Luna, as she calls herself, is unquestionably the hottest model in Europe at the moment.”

All walks – Beyond the Catwalk

Three innovative, creative and very ambitions ladies within the fashion industry in 2012 created a way of showcasing the work of ‘8 cutting-edge designers on a 8 professional models aged between 18-65 and size 8-16, as a celebration of individuality and diversity.’

‘The All Walks mission is simple: to expand upon the imagery coming out of our industry and mirror a more realistic range of women, in age, size, race and appearance than fashion standards currently offer. We also challenge growing hyper-sexualisation of young women in fashion. The All Walks brand asks all fashion practitioners new and old to consider their own viewpoint on moral and ethical boundaries believing that positive messaging around self-esteem fro young women and men is crucial.’

Caryn Franklin, Debra Bourne and Erin O’Connor created All Walks Beyond the Catwalk. Franklin is a Fashion Commentator and broadcaster within the industry, O’Connor, the Model of the Sanctury and Bourne, a fashion consultant and former PR director at the company Lynne Franks. They set out  and recruited a team of casting agents, film directors, leading style magazines, printers and make up artists to create this project. 

Fashion Monitor – MY profession

When looking deeper into the fashion industry, and the promotional aspects within the business, I have realised that not only is there such a range of available jobs, but they have come so far, and developed so much over the years! This therefore leads me to believe that although I have an idea of a job at the end of my degree, the fast moving industry may therefore have a more in-depth and up to date position instead; which is in fact incredibly exciting.

Looking into my profession is something which I find so interesting, yet due to the amount of jobs, and the development of the existing ones, I have to be incredible careful to be open and willing to change with the industry, therefore looking at an exact job can be hard, but using Fashion Monitor has enabled me to look at what is current, and possible jobs I would find myself working in within the next 5 years. This has enabled me to look in more depth at the industry, as well as myself and what I want to get out of the fashion industry, and where I will be able to leave my stamp.

http://www.fashionmonitor.com

The GRANDE-Mère of couture

There is one woman who has stood out to me over the years as one of the leaders of Couture, a woman whose work was so different and unique at the time, and even though art and poetry was the route in life she wanted to take, fashion took over and snatched up her talent and brought her into the ever-moving industry. Forty years after the death of Elsa Schiaparelli, her life has come back into the light as her work is reviewed and looked at again by many. Her passion and determination for doing something special with her life was such an inspiration, to not only her family, but young photographers, designers and fashion followers. From Giacometti designed ashtrays, to Dali dressing her windows, Schiaparelli was one of the most glamorous, genuine and loved designers of her time, and her mark has been left after all these years. 

‘Elsa Schiaparelli was the most influential fashion designer of the 20th century. She was the first to use the art of her time in a provocative dialogue with fashion, and hoovering up elements that caught her fancy from all over the world.’

– Meredith Etherington Smith

There has recently been a book released about the life of Elsa Schiaparelli and her personal photographic collection of her family, lovers and the house she once lived in; which have all been selected by her granddaughter to bring her name back into the light and teach those about just how incredible she was. She is a name that I will always follow, and a book which I have ordered and am more than excited to read.

FASHION AND TEXTILE MUSEUM

Over the years, the Fashion and Textile Museum has held so many incredible and memorable fashion exhibitions, which have always been a great inspiration for my work and looking into greater detail of the history of fashion. This season, it focuses on Knitwear; Chanel to Westwood. The vintage inspired knitwear focuses on the 1920’s jersey, the 1930’s swimwear collection, all the way to Vivienne Westwood and Julien MacDonald’s work. This range of designers and the impact that the whole exhibition has is just incredible, and the art movements over time become so impacting as you enter the world of knitwear. 

When looking around the exhibition, my favourite piece of knitwear would have to be Julien MacDonald’s’ Mixed Synthetic 1900’s sequinned dress. The change between the inner body within the dress and the high neck was just such a different style and added such a power to the piece. Although a neck length, tight, short sleeved garment, there was something very uniquely beautiful about it, and the whole piece was so delicate yet powerful in itself. The panelled body had this incredible, yet simplistic, pattern of silver tones which shaped the figure perfectly. I believe this was one of the most interesting and diverse exhibition that the Fashion and Textile Museum have displayed, and I thought it was just fantastic.

Fashion Trend Forecasting

Within trend forecasting, there is Shared Situation Awareness, which is the themes and ideas which are shared amongst a group – the opinion formers- fashion does not feed fashion, we have to look outside of this for new trends and fashion designs which in turn feeds to the audiences. Trend Forecasting is a teams ability to recognise a pattern in a fluid situation and to use this information to anticipate what might happen. Fashion is forever moving, you have to take a snapshot of what is happening in that section of time. Some looks have defined decades, like the bob, now they define a season, or a year, it is incredibly fast moving, and you have to constantly be aware of what is coming out; exhibitions, music, films and other emerging areas. You have to be incredibly quick with this.

There are three steps in this process:

1. Observe the raw data
2. Spot patterns to form hypothesis as to how the situation might unfold
3. Test the hypothesis

Ford – you have designs which are going to be large within the industry, something that will be sold quickly, something that will be very popular, however it is fast fashion meaning it appears very quickly.

Trafalgar – slow fashion is where an idea will evolve over a period of time, which will become very developed and destined and will be right and exactly what the audience will mean. It will be touched on time and time again, a theme or a technique which is constantly revisited within the designer. Vivienne Westwood is an example of this, as she has a strong British essence within her work.

Bubble up is where trends enter from the street and work there way up within the fashion industry. Trickle down is conceptual dresses, where the clothing is very difficult to understand and interpret, but has been observed and has made its way into the high street. Zara is incredibly good at this, as they have looked at what is new and couture within the industry, and they make their own look out of it, the look becomes very simplified and enters the high street, fast fashion market. Often this moves around regions within the country, what is good where and why?