Issue 6 | AUGUST 2015 ‘WITH THE GODS’ Mainstream fashion A capital with football clubs A local trend industry Branding at London A look at the legacy Fashion Week of textile mills Editor’s note AUGUST 2015 Contents Marketing: elcome to the a merging market; male sports fans August edition with a penchant for style. A look at of Labelling If you have a burning question branding Fashion, the or industry interest that you’d like at London 04 onlineW magazine that reaches to see covered in our magazine, Fashion Week beyond fashion, textiles and or you would like to contribute to future editions, please email apparel to explore exactly News: [email protected]. All what’s going on in the industry interesting and relevant content Stories and from a marketing and labelling will be considered. We also have comments perspective. advertising space available, so from the This month’s edition has two if you’re in the fashion, textiles industry 06 main themes; Fashion Weeks and apparel industry, why not and the hybrid world of Football book a space and see how far Case Study: fashion. We have an interesting your audience reaches? To see case study exploring a new niche what’s going on between issues Fashion with in terrace fashion and style. A new of our magazine, follow us on football clubs: brand WITH THE GODS is the social media: WITH THE brainchild of two ex-footballers – GODS 08 well worth keeping an eye on these guys and waiting for them to come Review: to a club shop near you. As we look towards the autumn A look back fashion weeks, we are also at the local exploring how the traditional Editorial team, history of fashion format is evolving to include textile mills 10 menswear specifically. It certainly is Labelling Fashion Looking behind the label Labelling Fashion | August 2015 03 Marketing Source: Melissa’s Blog Melissa’s Topshop Source: A capital trend Lynsey J Bowen takes a look at branding at London Fashion Week s we look to next month and the excitement that London Fashion Week brings to our industry, we cast our eye to the Aunseen tactics used by brands as they demonstrate their latest designs. September 18-22 will see London play host to many of the world’s biggest fashion brands as they seek to showcase new collections and reinforce their brand in the minds of their target market and the fashion sector in general. London Fashion Week is about so much more than ‘this seasons look’ – it is an opportunity to impress buyers from massive high-street and boutique retailers, the world over. This is why branding, and the use of branding techniques to convey specific, subliminal 04 Labelling Fashion | August 2015 Looking behind the label messages to their target market, plays such a vital, yet unseen, role at London Fashion Week. Classic fashion branding Source: londonfashionweek.co.uk Source: One of the biggest challenges facing fashion labels and brands is whether they are an artistic business or whether their designs are pure art. This subtle but crucial difference will change how you approach branding. If your label Award winner Mary Katrantzou is an art, there will be less focus on creating a message or story behind the communications used to ‘sell’ your designs. BOSS, Barbour and so on. There is and so on that will communicate the The primary focus for your brand even a website aimed at this exact brand on show to the public. A logo, at will be the artistic notions behind each niche tribal market which brings the Fashion Weeks, will be the reserve design. The journey and creation of together all of these brands called of the marketing department who will the piece will be the story and not the Terracesmenswear.co.uk be using it on print collateral, banners, concerns of the wearer of how they will In a similar vein, a fashion labels adverts and online but rarely, on the look or feel in your pieces. branding should always have its ideal collections themselves. client in mind. Understanding the needs, wants, desires and expectations of your Awards fantasy muse can help shape the brand Every year there are a number of messages used at London Fashion awards that are presented at the Week and beyond. relevant Fashion Weeks and this is an excellent, and much underrated, Logo or device form of branding. Earlier this It is so easy to slip into year, Mary Katrantzou the mind-set that was announced as branding equals a the winner of this logo. And yes, year’s BFC/Vogue your brands logo Designer Fashion is an important Fund. The Fund Source: Hayden Williams part of your was established brand and the in 2008 and In contrast, an artistic business will communication of provides one place more emphasis on creating a what your brand helpmystyle.ie Source: designer with brand personality which their target stands for, but it a bespoke, high market can relate to. Executed well, isn’t everything. level mentoring brands who do this create a social You will notice that support programme tribe which has social traits similar to very few of the designs over a twelve month those of the brand, essentially creating on the catwalk at next month’s period, as well as a a niche target market for their brand. fashion weeks across the world will £200,000 grant to provide necessary This branding practise is designed to have logos on them. Logos are saved for infrastructure to take them to the next stimulate sales which is where it differs display boards at the entrance to events stage in their business. from an art brand. and exclusive parties where new clothing Winning any sort of prize or award A good example of this is football lines will be showcased ‘in the flesh’. certifies a brand as trustworthy, of high fans which, as a social tribe, tend to It will be the cut of the fabric, the quality and worthy of your time as a wear fashion brands such as Ellesse, colour combinations, the textiles used purchaser. It gives the brand external recognition demonstrating independent confidence in it. IT WILL BE THE CUT OF THE FABRIC, THE So, look out for the winners of next months London Fashion Week, and, COLOUR COMBINATIONS, THE TEXTILES the different forms of fashion branding. USED AND SO ON THAT WILL COMMUNICATE THE Why not Tweet us with your favourite designers, collections, labels and forms BRAND ON SHOW TO THE PUBLIC of branding @GBLabels Looking behind the label Labelling Fashion | August 2015 05 News First Men’s Fashion Week in NYC celebrate all that is good about The Menswear-focused event seems their niche of the fashion world. to have been a huge success as it steps The event attracted new out from the shadow of the Fashion designers including Football Weeks around the world. star and Superbowl champion The most frequently used adjective Victor Cruz, who has teamed used to describe New York Fashion Source: hypebeast.com up with actor and producer Week: Men was “chill” as people were in Tyson Beckford, to promote good spirits. There were fewer designers Men’s Fashion Week: State-side the importance of menswear on the calendar and the venues were and fashion in their roles as closer together making the agenda far As we all prepare for this month’s ambassadors for the event. more manageable and relaxed. fashion weeks around the world, last Cruz said on Today.com ‘Menswear In fact, Alyssa Vingan, who covered month saw the inaugural Men’s Fashion is outselling womenswear right now and the event for Fashionista.com writes Week hosted in New York City. that just goes to show how much men ‘attendees seemed to exude more actual Back in February of this year, are paying attention to fashion.’ “style” than we see during the women’s CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers Cruz is renowned for caring about ready-to-wear and couture weeks…’ of America) announced that it was how he looks outside the stadium suggesting the event has actually achieved launching its own menswear-dedicated and has created his own fashion line something quite significant in its innovation. fashion week, underlining menswear’s Young Whales. Whilst the New York event was growing importance in the American Kicking off the event was a low-key focused on Menswear in the American fashion industry. day of presentations in the West Village fashion world, we are hoping the The event was a fantastic opportunity that closed with John Varvatos’s highly success of NYFW:M will catch on and for menswear designers, editors, bloggers publicized return to New York after we will see similar events hit Europe and buyers to come together and eight years of showing in Milan. very soon. London Fashion Italian fashion designer Week comes to Soho Elio Fiorucci dies aged 80 Source: Londonfashionweek.co.uk His clothes caught the attention of the 1970s “jet set” and clients included Andy Warhol and Bianca Jagger. His Fiorucci brand went on to pioneered stretch jeans and Brewer Street: Venue Source: BBC News was famous for using bright and The 62nd edition of LFW, a global fluorescent colours. highlight on the international fashion The Milan shop became a focal calendar, will move to Brewer Street point for youth culture and stores in in the heart of Soho. This new central Elio Fiorucci: Denim legend London and New York later followed. London location fulfils the British Mr Fiorucci sold his company in Fashion Council’s (BFC) goal to host It was announced at the end of 1990 to a Japanese firm but 11 years London Fashion Week in the West last month that the famous Italian ago founded a new brand, Love End, providing an epicentre for a city- octogenarian had sadly passed away Therapy.