February Monthly Summary

Given my recent trip to London, February has been filled with very commercial-driven topics.  I visited Regent Street for the first time and got a brand new insight into the flagship stores that I have learned so much about in the past year and I was really excited to finally understand what was so extraordinary about them. Burberry's flagship store is more like a work of art than a store, which is completely fitting for such a powerhouse of British fashion.

I conducted a very extensive Week In Fashion from the 16th to the 22nd which coincided with London Fashion Week. I didn't really see as many patterns in the stories as I expected, although there were some recurring themes of diversity in the industry which took the shape of features on ageism and the relevance/importance of older models in fashion and modesty, as the UK held its first Modern Fashion Week. The majority of features mainly recapped the weeks events and the highlights of the more significant shows which started to make me question to importance of documenting Fashion Week day-by-day in print at all; the pace of fashion itself is very fast, but fashion weeks always seem to go by in such a blur that I have been much more reliant on the internet gain access to details this week rather than turning to newspapers. Especially considering so many brands now stream their runway shows live - completely turning what used to be such an exclusive and secretive event on its head - I'm not sure that there is really a place for Fashion Week in weekly newspapers anymore. 

I visited the Soho district during my time in London and decided to do a City Experience because the area is so rich with character and commercialism. Again, I visited Carnaby Street and Liberty London for the first time, getting another fresh perspective on areas I had once been unfamiliar with. It was interesting to compare the stores found in this area to the ones in tourist hot-spots like Oxford Street and commercialised high-streets. Independent stores and lesser-known foreign high-street brands are abundant here, which is most likely why it is such a popular area for youth and a younger generation looking for something alternative in their shopping experiences.

In my Weekly Round Ups, preparation for the lookbook assignment took the centre-stage as plans are now well underway for our photoshoot.

Burberry Makers House

The Henry Moore: Inspiration & Process exhibition is showcased in Makers House, an impressive warehouse space with staggeringly tall ceilings, white-washed walls and exposed wooden beams. Initially, this space doesn't sit very cohesively with my preconceptions of the Burberry brand; yes, craftsmanship is a key value, but I had been of the opinion that luxury, lavishness and British heritage all outweighed that. The exhibition really opened my eyes to the significant process of craft applied to the Burberry brand and ultimately, the setting complimented my new-found appreciation. 

The layout of the exhibition space is structured effectively in a reverse-chronological order, beginning on the ground floor with 'The Cape Reimagined' which consists of 78 couture capes hanging from the ceiling or placed on mannequins around the edge of the room. With the majority hanging in two long lines down the length of the warehouse space, the public get a unique chance to weave through the garments leisurely and up-close as they spin gently from side to side. A visually impressive hardback book which showcases the entire collection is available to browse through and purchase at Maker's House, as well as online via the Burberry transactional website. The relationship between the work of Henry Moore and the final couture pieces is prevalent; the inspiration taken from Moore's use of shape is communicated in the collection's shapes: from the exaggerated cuffs to the abstract, deconstructed jackets and clean minimalist lines. Some of the key pieces which stood out to me as symbolic of the entire collection included a twenties-esque heavily sequin-embellished shawl-style cape adorned with feather shapes, an astonishingly constructed piece made from a length of silver rope, twisted, weaved and plaited into a unique armour-like cape and a bodice made of sea-shells which featured exaggerated curves and negative space.

Having explored the AW17 runway presentation, again formatted in two rows down the length of an adjacent room, I was greatly inspired by the fact that I was freely allowed to touch and interact with the garments which last week, had only just been photographed at London Fashion Week, worn by iconic models and lusted over by front-row guests. On the second floor, reached by a spiral staircase, the exhibition explored the inspiration and creative process of both Henry Moore and Christopher Bailey respectively. Having already viewed the connection between Moore's sculptures in Burberry's latest runway and couture collections, it was extremely insightful to take a step back to see the inspiration process begin in the form of line drawings, tools, basic models, swatches and polaroid photos. I gained the sense from the exhibition that the curators' priorities had been in developing a strong relationship between the artists and the public. As to be expected given Burberry's innovative and interactive brand strategy, footage was projected on walls and cassettes from the archives were played through headphones around different stations of the exhibition. In addition, virtual reality was a notable feature which granted visitors insiders-access to the collection and it's progression. A 'Portrait Studio' allows visitors to leave with their own personalised images, said to 'immerse' them into 'the world of the new runway collection', shared online and printed physically to amass a perception of exclusivity while broadcasting the event to the masses. 

While the exhibition space - and perhaps even the choice of collaborating with a semi-abstract sculptural artist - initially seemed ill-fitting, it became clear that the thought process, experimentation and creative vision of these two champions of British design is extremely complimentary. I am now so appreciative of the curative decisions of this exhibition that I was extremely disappointed to read about plans to knock down the Makers House building. I feel that this building has housed history in the making for one rainy week in February 2017 and it is certainly a shame that its legacy won't live on, as Burberry's legacy has survived since its establishment in 1856. Burberry does things on a large scale. The brand's notability in pushing the boundaries of luxury fashion, its decision to pioneer the See-Now, Buy-Now system, its combination of mens and womenswear down the runway and its impressive flagship store and stores worldwide truly are all iconic. As iconic, perhaps, as the large-scale and breathtakingly symbolic sculptures of Henry Moore, who arguably leave art-appreciatists as in awe as a fashion student and aspiring fashion professional is left by coming face-to-face with the latest Burberry collection just a week after its release to the world.

The Henry Moore: Inspiration & Process exhibition at Burberry's Makers House, London is available to the public for free from 21st - 27th February 2017. Located on 1 Manette Street (W1D 4AT) in the heart of the Soho district, it comes highly recommended. 

Henry Moore Foundation & Burberry

24th February 2017

Makers House, 1 Manette Street, London, W1D 4AT

City Experience: Soho District, London

Today was my first visit to the Soho district of London, which was distinctively diverse and rich in character from the offset. I decided to document the city experience in my Critical Journal because of its strong personality and eclectic mix of designer and high-street stores, independent boutiques and diverse dining places. Despite never visiting, I had established that Carnaby Street would be a lively, bustling place having seen Gay Pride events pass through it and images of the brightly coloured buildings online via social media and blogs countless times. 

There were a number of 'alternative' fashion stores, including Monki and Cheap Monday. Owned by the H&M group, these two brands are much more in-fitting here than on Oxford Street for example where heavy footfall brings in the masses rather than a more dedicated and loyal customer base. Monki's interior design is really distinguishable; its quirky personality is much more suited to the personality of the Soho district. I also noted that there were a number of high-end make-up brand stores which stood alone - unusual, given the high number of department stores in the city centre of London which usually stock these brands within. I visited the Benefit and Urban Decay stores. Independent restaurants as well as 'fashionable' chains were prevalent in the area. I visited 'Veggie Pret', a vegetarian/vegan sub-chain of Pret-a-Manger, the breakfast and lunch spot which dominates London's high-streets. I noticed that a lot of the cafés and restaurants in the area catered well for vegetarians, vegans and coeliacs, suggesting that the area is extremely current and inclusive by following trends of the younger generation. 

I also visited Liberty London department store for the first time today. It's possibly the last department store that I've visited in London but I appreciate its history and background like I do with Harrods or Selfridges for example. During my visit to New York last year, which I documented in my critical journal, I learnt a lot about the Macy's department store through guided tours and my own independent research. The shopping experience is a really fundamental part of the structure of the Liberty brand; its construction was concerned with creating a "homely feel" by installing fireplaces. The building is incredibly striking among the more modern structures in the area as it was designed during "a revival of Tudor fashion" in the 1920s. Its influence initially came from the inspiration behind Eastern bazaars and Japanese society which still seemingly remains to this day, as goods of all kinds are displayed in full and organised by distinct categories. While Liberty has prolonged its historical influence and trend inspiration to modern day, I also saw examples of modern trends being adopted like the sale of iron-on patches, stickers and pins sold exclusive to the department store. These patches are good tools to encourage customers to make an additional purchase to their brand new designer item or to prompt customers who don't have enough disposable income to make a small purchase with the aspiration of one day shopping for something more expensive.

The visual merchandising in the front shop windows and within store was consistent throughout. The theme instantly lead me to think of summer given the dry and natural aspects including hay, wooden beams, grass and plants. The simplicity in some ways was more striking that the intricate displays often seen in Harvey Nicholls as it drew my attention closer to the clothing and garments. In-store, the arrangement of the clothed mannequins and the large-scale hay bales was really attractive to the eye and it was refreshing to consider the visual merchandising on par with the beautiful artworks and unusual pieces sold within the store. In the front windows, I appreciated the way that they were divided by brand; certain brands caught my attention more than others and I was therefore far more likely to stop and take a closer look than I would have been if the windows had been brand-mixed.

I also picked up a free copy of the London Evening Standard today, which was full of fashion content in the aftermath of London Fashion Week. The London Evening Standard paper has a large readership of 1,667,000 which actually exceeds Vogue UK. Because of this, the content in the newspaper must cater for a wide audience on a large scale. There was a small section which discussed Kendall Jenner's appearance on the runway of Moschino's latest collection at Milan Fashion Week. This small feature is appealing to a variety of London Evening Standard readers; the business commuter may not immediately recognise Jenner or have much interest in fashion, while others with some fashion/pop culture based-knowledge would appreciate the large image provided alongside the small writing feature. A two-page spread was provided midway through the paper in the 'Going Out' section, which concentrates on film, music, festival and food content, on the recent Oscars award ceremony. I was surprised to see very limited fashion content within this feature, as I have already been exposed to a number of style based red-carpet features about the Oscars online and in print. Despite not honing down on specific gowns or red-carpet looks, the language used was extremely concentrated on style descriptives like "glamorous" and "glitzy". One section briefly made the comparison between the awards as a celebration of creativity and the creativity of the gowns and fashion actually worn and seen there. Finally, there was a two-page spread on "the week that the hijab become hot news" in the aftermath of London's first Modest Fashion Week. I had followed this story intently during LFW so was already quite informed prior to reading the article, although the informative content in this article was nevertheless quite impressive and effective. The writer referred to the recent wave of increased sensitivity to alternative faiths as 'Generation M' which I appreciated, as it makes it clear that despite the youth of this new factor in fashion, it has been recognised as significant and 'here to stay'. The article took a number of quotes from a variety of different direct sources including:

• Lindsay Lohan who was recently racially profiled while wearing a veil
• Shaista Aziz, founder of an anti-racism platform
• Sheila Janmohamed, vice president of an international consulting and marketing agency who reach out to Muslims
• Mariah Idrissi, H&M model for the recent modest campaign
• Ian Griffiths, Max Mara's creative director

The inclusion of opinions and thoughts from a variety of reliable and credible sources contributes significantly to the informative nature of the article overall. The sheer number of quotes bulked up the feature to make it an extensive and thoroughly researched piece.

A Week In Fashion

Thursday 16th

The Daily Telegraph

The first column in the Daily Telegraph today was about Amazon's efforts to break into the fashion market. I was surprised to read this as I hadn't realised how much Amazon had advanced already with its range of brands and clothing stock. The article was very informative for this reason; and it developed an informative argument by discussing its past progression then leaving an open-ended alternative. The introduction of an existing opinion from a Drapers feature left me with more to consider, as it suggested that Amazon would make limited impact in the fashion market without opening physical retail stores. Given the immense advancements that Amazon has already made (which I have recorded partially in this critical journal) I believe that it is totally feasible that Amazon could one day have physical clothing stores.

Another more lengthy article by the same journalist discussed expensive business rates and what this worryingly means for our high-streets. London Fashion Week got a mention with regards to Amazon's progression of its own fashion label, which Armstrong had previously discussed in a much more informative style. The article as a whole acted like a commentary on the state of the UK economy and its prospects, including discussion on the NHS, the closures of pubs across the country and the way that British retailers have struggled for many years. I worry that this kind of attitude and plea is ignored far too often and it gives me a real urge to act despite being powerless.

Coverage of the final days of New York Fashion Week was limited, which surprised me, although there was this one summary page and large image about the Michael Kors collection that named Anna Wintour as a front-row guest. I watched coverage of the Marc Jacobs show live on the Snapchat Discovery feature; the coverage included snaps from models Kendall Jenner and Winnie Harlow, as well as behind-the-scenes styling and footage from the show guests.

Friday 17th

The Guardian

Features on fashion in the Guardian was limited as today is the first day of London Fashion Week and therefore a bridge day between NYFW and LFW coverage. This article discussed the patterns in UK household expenditure which shows that people are spending less on alcohol, cigarettes and narcotics but more on meals out and leisure activities. Both 'recreation and culture' and 'restaurants and hotels' are priced significantly higher than 'clothing and footwear' in this infographic. I had already noted these spending patterns by using Mintel to look at marketing reports during term one. I think that during uncertain and worrying times, the public find much more confident in making memories and enjoying themselves than they do in purchasing unnecessary goods. This certainly helps to reduce the damages of fast fashion and negative effects of consumerism but it could create an imbalance in the economy which pushes our high-streets into further closures.

This broadsheet also documented the Marc Jacob's show with a short summary - much like the Daily Telegraph. I expect that this is due to the often controversial nature of the Marc Jacobs shows and the outlandish style that is so often seen. I recall an article in the Guardian from the SS17 show which commented on the controversial cultural appropriation of it.

Mail Online

The Daily Mail discussed the appropriacy of wearing real fur over faux. A quote in the article said: 'So-called 'celebrities' who wear fur from this junky shop are invariably taking freebies, while elegant, glamorous stars choose Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, or other luxury British brands that are proudly fur-free.' I thought that this was quite ironic as the Mail Online so often commentates on the lives of D-list celebrities and controversial well known-figures. While wearing real fur could be seen as scandalous, I don't feel that the Daily Mail has the reputability to criticise people for it. A stylist for the Daily Mail suggested that our ideas of real fur as a taboo are outdated as many think of floor-length mink coats, while nowadays, real fur is often only found used an an accessory or small part of a bigger garment.

There was also a feature on Iskra Lawrence, a plus size model, and what she wore on day one of LFW. Links to her dress were provided in the article so that readers can click through to take a closer look or make a purchase. The article was ultimately used to discuss her attitude towards online bullying and trolls in order to bulk it out. It ended with images and a brief description of the show that she attended and overall, I don't think it was an especially informative piece.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4234814/Iskra-Lawrence-flaunts-curves-floral-print-dress.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4231974/Is-brand-making-fur-acceptable-again.html


Saturday 18th

The Times

The Times was extremely heavy in fashion content today - as to be expected - as the Saturday supplement is always packed full of different features, including the Times weekend magazine. The first article on page 3 discussed Samantha Cameron's recent interview with the publication (featured in the Times magazine) which has been headlined to emphasise her son's death. She was briefly referred to as "Mrs Cameron, who is launching her own fashion range, Cefinn", which is interesting as she clearly no longer needs to be referred to as 'the wife of David Cameron' etc. as she begins to establish her name in the fashion industry. 

The next article discussed shares investments in luxury brands which isn't something that I'm honestly particularly knowledgeable about. The article stated that "Burberry is among several brands that have been given a boost by tourist sales", which I would imagine is due to it's innovative flagship store which gains heavy footfall and the brand's British personality which is novelty to those coming from abroad. The article also highlighted that there has effectively been a 20% price fall in luxury goods since the Brexit vote. Brexit has been at the forefront of worries and anxieties in the fashion industry this year and I have been watching it quite closely to see its impact on consumer behaviour and the economic forecast. A second feature, in the form of a trend column, also discussed fashion and Brexit. It mentioned the worry that young designers have about their increased production costs given the falling rate of the pound, concerns that more designers will leave London to showcase their collections at other fashion weeks and the fear that UK brands will generally be seen as less desirable post-Brexit. 

Another small column counted down the top 10 events/things to know of the day, including a statement that "retail sales have fallen for the third consecutive month" despite forecasts which expected it to rise by almost 1%. The column was then expanded into an article later in the newspaper, where the headline read that a slide in retail sales "sounds [an] alarm for [the] economy". 

The Times Magazine (Weekend supplement)

The magazine supplement of the Times on Saturday delved further into the story about Samantha Cameron and her interview with the publication. This article is much more fashion-orientated with a description of her clothing line which is said to be "simple, sleek and very wearable, for women who work and have a family". I really enjoyed this magazine article because it gave a very personal look into the lifestyle of a woman who until her husband's resignation last year, the public had seen very little of. It's interesting to see the way that her 'personal branding' has and will continue to change as she breaks away from her past political associations and forges a new path in fashion for herself - much like Victoria Beckham has done. 

There was also a style page on Gucci and which key characteristics of their clothing have become extremely on-trend lately. This feature is very personable; it includes a number of opinions and personal statements from the writer, Anna Murphy, and a picture was included of her in a Gucci-inspired look. The abstract comparisons and number of synonyms used create a very opinionated piece which exaggerates the writer's feelings towards the Gucci brand.

The Independent (Online)

I found the Independent to be extremely lacking in any fashion coverage which was both surprising and disappointing as I really enjoyed reading this broadsheet last year while it still remained a physical print press. One article discussed the hidden significance of London Fashion Week and rejects the opinion that it is a frivolous and superficial event because it's purpose is really to reflect views in modern society. The article really emphasises LFW's importance by highlighting that while the majority of designer pieces that come down the runway aren't especially wearable, they "serve to inform clothing across the board". Another article (and the only other relevant and recent article that I could find) informs its readers about Anniesa Hasibuan, a Muslim designer who cast her recent NYFW show entirely with immigrants and second-generation children of immigrants. I feel that articles like this, which show some level of political bias and suggestion of anti-Trump rhetoric, are extremely important in fighting racism and bigotry.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/new-york-fashion-week-hijabs-islam-immigrant-fashion-show-anniesa-hasibuan-a7583321.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/london-fashion-week-2017-latest-what-is-the-point-lfw-seven-days-runways-style-trend-a7584181.html


Sunday 19th

The Sunday Telegraph

The first article in the Sunday Telegraph discussed the comeback of the noughties and different nostalgia-inducing aspects of it which we should praise and reflect on. This week it was announced that the famous Nokia 3310 'brick' phone would be rereleased in an up-to-date version. This phone, to me, represents reliability, simplicity and security - so it seems natural that as virtual reality and voice control technologies are ever-growing, a fearful part of us would want to retract back to more basic times and more basic technology. The feature also reflected on "buying magazines religiously" including Smash Hits, Bliss, Sugar and Company - all of which are extremely nostalgic to me. There was also a mention of "layering a T-shirt over a long-sleeved top" which could be something that develops into a fully-fledged trend as the next few years progress, along with references to MySpace, Woolworths and a life pre-Youtube.

There was an article about the increasing fashionability of exotic breeds of cats with flat faces and the dangers that these breeds are facing due to their rapid breeding and consequent health problems. Having heard of similar patterns happening in dogs too - with pugs becoming especially fashionable - it is interesting to see trend patterns emerging in all areas of life.

A third feature in the paper today was a runway review of the Versus Versace show at LFW. I really enjoyed this feature and having studied runway reviews during last year's writing module, I understand what elements have been included to make it particularly good. There are a number of quotes and testaments from Donatella Versace which effectively frame the whole piece of writing and care has obviously been taken for the piece to start and end with a quote from her which makes the piece much more cyclical and balanced. There are details about the designer's previous collections which demonstrate good knowledge from the writer and the style of writing always remains very descriptive, with certain pieces being zoned into more in-depth. I was interested to see that Donatella doesn't like the new See-Now, Buy-New structure of fashion week collections, despite being one of the first to experiment with it.

The Sunday Telegraph Stella Magazine (Weekend supplement)

Stories on the cover of the weekend supplement magazine of the Telegraph include topics on ageism in fashion and models at 50, the must-buy British brands of the year, regional trends in beauty (such as the Scouse brow or the London lip) and a lifestyle article on taking family gap-years. The magazine today is a 'Great British Special' which has been timed well to coincide with LFW so that the magazine can effectively act as a celebration of the UK's fashion heritage and dynamism. Lisa Armstrong discusses the issue with searching for the perfect coat in Spring given the UK weather and provides a still-life spread of her favourite picks. It was interesting to note that her 'top picks' didn't involve high-street stores. Their price point ranged from £119 (Autograph, M&S) to £450 (Whistles) which fits their demographic of an older and wealthier audience with a slight female majority. Using BRAD, I compared the Stella magazine readership with the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph readership below to see emerging patterns and differences.

Stella magazine

The Sunday Telegraph

The Daily Telegraph

The Sunday Times (Online)


There was a really interesting article online from The Times on Sunday which covered Burberry's latest collection and it's release to the public at Maker's House. This topic is particularly interesting to me as I'll be visiting the exhibition later next week. The article emphasised the importance of Burberry in the Brexit era as a tool to showcase British style, production and manufacture. 'Britishness' as a brand characteristic has been seen as increasingly valuable to the public in recent times, both to UK citizens who want to feel proud and boost morale in their nation, and to customers from abroad, who are intrigued and want to maximise their designer collections while the value of the pound is weak. British heritage is a notion which I have been exploring in my Strategic Fashion Communications module in terms of building my group's brand personality/values - therefore, this article has been relevant. 

There was also an article which picked up on business rates like the Daily Telegraph did on Thursday although this particular article seemed to be a lot less concerned with scare-mongering and the concerns of a nation and more to do with the basic facts and figures. This initially surprised me, given that a weekend supplement naturally receives higher readership than a weekday issue - however, it's position as an online feature could influence the target audience who may be more inclined to seek unbiased information about inflammatory pieces. The article was broken down into bullet-pointed Q&As and headlined as 'Five things you need to know about the business rates raid' which suggests that the writer and its publication are knowledgeable about SEO (search engine optimisation) so key words and structural tools are used accordingly.

Finally, mentions were both given briefly to style at the Grammy Awards and the feature of model Jeremy Meeks on the runway at New York Fashion Week during a series of images within the feature 'The week in pictures' which extracts and pin-points the most memorable or significant moments during the past week. 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/burberry-shows-macs-among-the-maquettes-jx5wxjgkc
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/the-week-in-pictures-h0k00qjq0
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/business/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-business-rates-raid-m2cdxrvnx


Monday 20th

The Guardian

Today, the Guardian had two large spreads on the state of the high-street/retail economy and the Roland Mouret show at LFW. The first article is concerned with Brexit which I have noticed has been a huge talking point this week, as I imagine it is every week. It discusses the patterns in retail since the referendum, commenting on the slumps or highs of consumer spending and suggesting reasons for it. It also compares figures between the years and discusses how different events have affected the economy in different ways. I find it really interesting to see the press coverage and commentary of Brexit and its effects on the UK economy as every announcement or revelation is often so unanticipated; while it's worrying to realise that even specialist economists don't have the future clearly mapped out, it's interesting to see it develop firsthand in the case of this particular article and the many others just like it. 

The second article reflects the same message as The Sunday Time's piece on Burberry, in that it often comments on the importance of British heritage and manufacture. While I had read a piece earlier on in the week which suggested there was a threat of many designers opting to showcase their collections elsewhere post-Brexit, this article notes that Roland Mouret yesterday brought his show back home to its origins in London after having shown it in Paris previously. The article also notes that the Mouret company employs a mere 75 people and highlights the fact that "75% of the latest collection was entirely produced in the UK", making it (in my opinion) much more appealing to the consumer that buys into British heritage and genuine quality.


Tuesday 21st

Daily Mail

I looked at the Daily Mail today for fashion-related coverage. This tabloid is never my first choice for good content as it is always very concerned with scandalous stories and attention-grabbing headlines over informative facts and valuable opinion. This is why I was unsurprised to find a four-page pullout spread on Princess Diana and 'her life in fashion within the paper today, continued on from a more in-depth weekend addition where she made the front page which I had noticed on Saturday. The Daily Mail often included stories on the Royal Family which is expected given its stance as such a popular British newspaper.  

A good example of the Daily Mail's inflammatory writing style is this feature from today which compares garments on the runway at London's first Modest Fashion Week to the more revealing outfit that Daisy Lowe wore to attend an event in. Instead of celebrating ground-breaking and positive news, I feel that this paper naturally takes a more discriminating angle with most stories. A small feature discusses 'a blow for M&S' as former Next boss Christos Angelides unexpectedly accepted a position with Reiss over the struggling longtime British retailer. The piece finalises by stating that Reiss' profits were boosted due to the Duchess of Cambridge's liking for the brand, and while I don't doubt that this has significantly increased profits, I still question why Marks & Spencer's association with Alexa Chung hasn't mirrored the same profitable effects. 

Independent (Online)

The first online article in the Independent today was concerned with the changing views of the older generation in fashion - a topic which caught my attention during last year's critical journal. The article referenced to the fact that the population of the UK is growing increasingly older and highlighting the sense in targeting this key consumer more effectively. I liked this article as it's very current and the writer is clearly very aware of the recent introduction of older 'style gurus' like Iris Apfel and Baddiewinkle, who have been present in fashion and popular culture for decades but have only recently made it to the forefront. 

Another article comments on increasingly common political response of designers in their work, showcased this week down the London catwalks. This was something that made the headlines during Men's Fashion Week earlier this year, so I haven't been surprised to see it replicated in womenswear too. I'm glad to see the fashion industry offering such a powerful response to Trump and the White House administration in the public eye because, as the article notes, "the fashion industry is so readily criticised for being insular, concerned solely with its own importance". 

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/iris-apfel-baddiewinkie-why-older-women-it-girls-fashion-nyfw-celine-saint-laurent-marc-jacobs-a7549076.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/london-fashion-week-british-fashion-responds-to-donald-trump-a7590721.html


Wednesday 22nd

The Daily Telegraph

London Fashion Week came to an end yesterday, which meant that The Daily Telegraph published a summarising commentary of the weeks shows and collections today. The Daily Telegraph has been my favourite publication this past week for the amount of fashion content and relevant popular culture in its page. LFW made the front page today with a large banner across the heading.

The Daily Telegraph replicated a similar piece to the Times earlier this week as Samantha Cameron featured in an interview which saw a more personal side of her away from the politics. Lisa Armstrong often writes fashion/popular culture content so I enjoyed reading style and design related Q&As in this piece which really focused on her new line, her positioning and day-to-day life post-resignation of her husband from prime minister and details on her personal life which are recorded in a tasteful way, rather than scandalously. 


A large two-page spread titled 'the best of London Fashion Week' gave details of the week's fashion shows and events gave details on emerging trends, highlights, insider information on models and guest appearances as well as a closer look at the significance of particular aspects of some runway shows and their hidden meanings. One example of this was a small section which commented on the Simone Rocha show and the inclusion of older models which were identified within the text. This feature did a good job of communicating a message in such a small space on the page, although perhaps a large space wasn't necessary anyway as I have already read content concerning ageism and the older generation in fashion this week - including an extensive online article from the Independent yesterday. Given the repetition of this important topic during the week and assumedly throughout the year too (considering its frequent appearance during last year's Critical Journal) this piece works well as a reminder rather than a source of facts and information.

The Guardian (Online)

Outside of my week in fashion coverage, I've also kept up with the positive momentum of the UK's first Modest Fashion Week. Last year, I saw an increased trend for the fashion industry beginning to cater for the women's muslim market as high street store H&M as well as luxury designer brands began to bring out modest/ramadan collections. This article in the Guardian was really informative - getting the message across successfully about how quickly attitudes have changed and why there is such a necessity to it. I like that the writer chose to speak positively about the attitudes of a new generation rather than predictably approaching the subject as a defiance of the Trump administration and ongoing racist rhetoric. It's been really inspiring to me to see women celebrated for wearing an item of clothing that they are so often demonised for.

It was announced today that a memorial would be erected in London to commemorate David Bowie, a significant influential figure. After his death, articles were laden with words of his driving force in fashion and popular culture for the way in which he defied gender stereotypes and didn't confine to style constrictions. The BRIT awards also took place last night, demonstrating how his influence in popular culture remains prevalent.

Now that London Fashion Week has come to an end, the Guardian and other publications I have looked at this week have posted their 'best bits' and summaries of the week. The Guardian published a collective street style photo album of guests throughout the week, including stylists, photographers, fashion journalists and editors, creative directors and students. Articles like this are really effective when published online as they don't require the reader's prolonged interest.

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2017/feb/22/generation-m-how-young-muslim-women-are-driving-a-modest-fashion-revolution
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/feb/22/campaign-david-bowie-memorial-brixton
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/gallery/2017/feb/22/london-fashion-week-street-style-in-pictures

Weekly Round Up: Five

On Tuesday, I started the day with the usual Trend session. While waiting for Linda and Tiffany to come to our group to discuss our progress, I started to narrow down the images I'd gathered in relation to my trend. Last week, I put more personality into my trend by drawing up a mind-map of its key traits and characteristics. I feel like I've made a lot of progress over the course of this week since then as I have a much more focused idea of what shapes and textures define my trend and what emotions it should evoke. As a result, I've produced this series of images which I'm really happy with so far. Linda and Tiffany's response to the images was positive and they noted that they definitely got a sense that they conveyed the words I had noted in my mind-map. Next week I plan on progressing my moodboard of images by considering the layout of them. I will arrange them in a more experimental way which is suggestive of the nature of the trend itself. Linda and Tiffany suggested altering the opaqueness or shapes of some. I could overlap them or work into the shapes of the images to produce something different.

In the afternoon, Stephen took us for Fashion Writing and the Industry to talk us through Advertorials and their purpose. This was a really useful session as I had very limited understanding of them and hadn't found any reliable information in my own independent research up to that point. I'd been a bit confused about how they differed from adverts last term but now I understand that they work in a similar way to advertising, given their fundamental purpose of selling a product/brand, but their writing style, layout and engaging content mean that they are more believable and therefore, more effective to an audience.

On Wednesday, we had an independent study session as Charlie was absent so I met with my Intercultural Consumer group to practise our presentation and offer tips and advice to each other. We decided on the last few details, such as who would read out our conclusion (which we put together jointly) and who would change the slides throughout the presentation. After we watched everyone else's presentations and finished our own, I went to the library to work on my media list, which accompanies the press release which I wrote last week. I used the library's resources by browsing through different magazine publications which I believe will target the correct audience for my chosen brand, which is Molly Goddard X Topshop. I looked at Pigeons & Peacocks, Vogue and Wonderland magazines. At home, I also have copies of Dazed & Confused and iD which I will also be including.

Thursday began my next Week in Fashion, which I have chosen to coincide with London Fashion Week AW17. I picked up a copy of the Daily Telegraph and visited the Mail Online site to gather my information. I'm going to alternate my sources to get the best range of coverage throughout the week. Today I used a physical broadsheet and an online tabloid, so tomorrow I will use a physical tabloid and an online broadsheet. I also visited Abi at the placement drop-in to discuss some important things with her. I received a placement offer last week in an online magazine journalist role! However, I was unhappy with some of the terms of the placement including a lack of travel expenses and strangely, no set lunch breaks. I asked her whether there was any way this could be renegotiated on behalf of the university, as I'm wary about jeopardising my position by asking upfront. We had a tutorial with Stephen in which we played around with some ideas for names and logos and discussed our progress. Then we had a group meeting, solidifying our brand name, logo and our next steps. We have delegated roles to create content for the handbook and aim to have this completed over the course of Creative Exchange Week.

On Friday, my group met to put together our lookbook outfits and style them. We brought some clothing in to mix and match and decide what kind of items we were missing. We have sourced these missing items online and plan to buy them in advance of the shoot. 

Flagship Store Experience: Burberry & Coach, Regent Street

During my recent fleeting visit to London to see the Burberry Makers House exhibition with Henry Moore, I paid an extremely overdue first visit to Regent Street where I browsed the Coach and Burberry flagship stores that I had only ever read about previously. 

The Burberry store was expectedly beautiful and despite having read so much about its innovation and jaw-dropping size, I still wasn't prepared for the sheer scale of it. It felt much more like I was walking around a museum than a store but of course, given Burberry's leading stance in UK designer brands, this was naturally fitting and I wouldn't have really expected any less. Having just come from the Makers House exhibition after a quick walk through Carnaby Street, I was very attuned to the constant references to Henry Moore throughout the store. I really liked that a 'mini-exhibition' or a wall full of sketches and swatches like those at Makers House had been hung on the first wall by the entrance; it was a really authentic touch and I think it played well to Burberry's strengths as a brand of finely crafted and quality pieces, telling a story of its production and its association with a number of artists and influential figures. 

A topic that I have been subconsciously tracking throughout the year has been the innovation of digital technologies and virtual reality in the fashion industry. As my critical journal is intended to track the developments of the fashion industry throughout the year, this of course meant that digital advancements have been abundant - especially those related to fashion and the big changes taking place in the industry this year. Burberry have always been at the forefront of those changes in mine and in fashion professionals' eyes and it was really encouraging to come to the flagship store and see their influence and daring retail strategy firsthand. 

An LED screen on an immense scale - stretching across both floors - played a series of images and video clips of the recent collection, as well as footage of the Henry Moore exhibition while slimmer screens on the top level played more clips of a similar nature. The music was signature Burberry; the same audio that can be heard in their advertorial videos blasting out across the store from the second level. The whole experience was extremely immersive with every sense being targeted; I wouldn't have been surprised to find out that Burberry's perfume's weren't sprayed around the store regularly throughout the day. It was clear from my visit that Burberry have a lot to say and do in the fashion industry before any one else does it first. The atmosphere was very special; I felt quite 'VIP' just walking around and surprisingly, the experience wasn't especially intimidating - even with a paper Primark bag in hand! Catching a glimpse of the signature Burberry trench coats was another memorable element and (naturally) I had to try one on, if only I'd been brave enough to take a photo in it with all of those shop assistants' eyes on me! 

I then headed over to the Coach flagship store which I had extremely high expectations for, given how much I had studied it last term - and I wasn't disappointed. While Burberry's store oozed sophistication and boasted about the brand's stance as a powerhouse in the industry, Coach's store felt much more authentic; its decoration matched its laid-back New York style and heritage remained a prominent aspect of the brand's personality throughout. Craftsmanship, a core value of the Coach brand, is visibly important to the brand and was evidence of it was displayed throughout the store - from printing machinery and sewing machines to a large display of personalised tags. While Burberry's store felt quite cold and luxurious, Coach seemed much more approachable given its carpeted floors, stacks of merchandise and foliage decoration. Just the act of walking down Regent Street felt very unique; I noticed that the streets seemed cleaner and rather than walking head down, the people on the streets turned their heads as the impressive visual merchandising in the front windows caught their eyes. Tourism was clearly very high on this street and I saw a number of guided tours and tourist buses passing through, drawn into the idea of making a purchase on the famous designer street of the rich and wealthy.