Archive Oct - Dec 2009 - Fashion Exposed Online

iSpy... Online Mood Boards

December 09 2009

As any designer or student knows, playing around with a collage or mood board is a great way to unleash your creative mojo. As iSpyStyle reports, online moodboards take the glue and scissors out of the equation, while adding a whole lot more.

Kate Vandermeer is director of iSpyStyle - a website and consultancy that spies on the design and fashion industry providing trend and business information targeted to inspire, inform and connect. Follow Kate on Twitter at www.twitter.com/iSpyStyle_Kate or subscribe to her website for free on www.ispystyle.net

Remember growing up and compiling collages on your pin board? It's a great way to keep the things inspiring you at that given moment in your eye line. Taking this concept to the next level, three ex-Yahoo engineers have created Polyvore - a community of stylish people who can create their own online mood board. You can take individual clippings from their library of fashion images and create a collage. It uses a drag and drop editor which is simple and intuitive to use.

Once you've created your set (finished collage), you can publish it on the Polyvore website and share it with your friends and the community. Those viewing the set can click on a dress or shoe and be taken to the website that sells the product, driving qualified traffic. It's free to use and view and it uses images from all over the web.

Why we love it

1. It gives all fashion magazine editor wannabes the chance to strut their "online styling" skills.

2. It's great for inspiration (artistic, style tips or online shopping).

3. It's a great tool for e-boutiques to promote their site and labels.

4. It takes online interaction to a whole new level.

5. Trends that bubble up from users can be tracked and reacted to quickly.

Polyvore is so popular worldwide, it's rivalling style.com, with traffic figures per month of around 4 million unique visitors (as of Aug 2009). "Its 928,000 registered users create 28,000 new sets a day." (source - New York Times as of July 2009)

www.polyvore.com

Maximum statement...

December 9 2009

The Maxi dress is coming of age. Ginger Trend Consulting for Mudpie looks at its recent evolution from a summer staple to a cooler statement altogether.

Eryn Behan is director of Ginger Trend Consulting, the exclusive agent for UK trend forecaster Mudpie and its online platform MPDClick, and a provider of fashion forecast services and consumer insight trends to the fashion and interior design industries throughout Australasia.

Maxi Dresses are no longer restricted to their seasonal and evening roots. For autumn winter 09/10 we see the summer staple receive a casual day make over and become an absolute 'must have'.

Spotted on streets across the globe, we saw a host of savvy dressers showcasing the ‘maxi' trend. Outsized layers provide a beatnik look while jersey body-con numbers are teamed with hefty bovver boots for grunge appeal. British radio starlet Fearne Cotton adopts a thrift shop approach combining a floral maxi with sneakers and piled-on accessories.

Meanwhile, showcased on Fall runways from London to Paris, top designers celebrate the maxi dress as a day-to-eveningwear staple for autumn winter 09/10. Statement styles are favoured; full length sheaths feature block graphic and photo montage prints, while flowing A-line versions feature eclectic fabric patchworks, assuring full length dresses as the latest answer to fashion forward daywear.

The 1990s were all about maxi length styles for grungy and indeed smart/casual daywear; for too long the retro garment has been restricted to the summer wardrobe. Clever retailers have already noted the renaissance of the casual maxi dress and have begun to include them within top selling womenswear ranges. Follow suit to ensure the custom of ‘Gen Y'.

Left to right: On the street (Face Hunter); Runway (Bernard Willheim); Runway (Richard Nicoll); In store (Asos)

Denim dreaming...

November 25 2009

The secret to the almost mythic longevity of the world's best known fabrication lies in its ability to re-invent itself. Ginger Trend Consulting for Mudpie looks at some of denim's latest incarnations.

The AW 10/11 season seeks to explore the very essence of denim, looking deep into our imagination for new discoveries and re-investigated pasts.

Shimmer coatings and colour washes stick to a muted palette of sugar almond tones, while acid wash appears softer and more fragile. Considered areas of over-mending, using appliqué patches and frayed edges, give darker washes a new perspective, while intelligent simplicity in embellishment and detailing is a must. Prints are either barely there or pushed to the extreme.

iSpy... Newspapers as the new retailers

November 25 2009

With online sales now playing a mainstream role in the fashion retail world, new and unexpected partnerships are now emerging, as iSpyStyle reports.

Selling fashion online is by no means a new phenomenon, however the type of player entering this market is now coming from unexpected sources; witness the recent launch of the UK's Guardian News & Media Group online fashion store at www.guardianfashionstore.co.uk

Seeing the opportunity to make a commission on the sales of all products/brands featured in the fashion editorial section of their online site, The Guardian have approached this opportunity with little risk, partnering with LynkU.com, who act as a fashion e-commerce search engine to display products for online and offline retailers.

This kind of partnership is increasingly common in the current climate. Established print and online media are looking for new ways to increase their revenue (given the recent reduction in print sales).

The real beneficiaries here are the technology companies like LynkU who have established e-commerce platforms that are templated and ready to go. There is little technological risk for The Guardian as Lynk U have spent the last couple of years refining their e-commerce offers, ensuring they have world's best practice facilities available. The store aims to feature over 150,000 products from brands like French Connection, Browns, Jigsaw, Diane Von Furstenberg (pictured left) and Matches to name a few.

If newspapers and media groups follow suit with this concept, where does that leave the smaller e-boutiques, and how will this affect the bricks-and-mortar retailers?

Well, the initial response has been very strong from consumers. Just as a department store appeals to the masses, I believe those who shop the e-boutiques will continue to do so as there is extra service online, more editorial and styling advice and a certain ‘cachet' around shopping with these boutiques.

The phenomenon will however impact on more generic high street stores. With Internet shopping growing market share every quarter, consumer confidence to shop online will only be encouraged when a big brand like a newspaper lends its endorsement.

iSpy... Crowd Sourcing

November 11 2009

Crowd sourcing is the new 'big thing' for any brand that wants to stay tuned to customer demand while also forging an inclusive rapport with its target market, as iSpyStyle reports.

Kate Vandermeer is director of iSpyStyle - a website and consultancy that spies on the design and fashion industry providing trend and business information targeted to inspire, inform and connect. Follow Kate on Twitter at www.twitter.com/iSpyStyle_Kate or subscribe to her website for free on www.ispystyle.net

The role of customer involvement with a brand is not a new phenomenon, however some brands have recently taken the concept to the next level. Crowd sourcing is the term given when a brand actively involves their customers to create a new range of product, flavour, marketing campaign or promotion.

Sportsgirl had their "Search for a Super Stylist" competition a short time ago with a strong application response and then had a "style off" to decide upon a winner, at their recently opened Chadstone store. Diva ran a "design your own range for Diva" competition which would be produced and sold in Diva stores with a feature in Grazia magazine.

Bonds Tees launched a "How do you wear your tee?" promotion on their website that is interactive, encouraging customers to pick a favourite tee and then add personal and online photos of their favourite items to wear with tees to create a fabulous collage (pictured). Customers' work is then profiled on the site with their comments alongside the collage.

All these concepts have a great 360-degree approach, with entries and promotion online and in store. Involving the core customer and their creative pursuits ensures a legion of loyal fans eager to become linked with the brand.
The repetitive nature of seeing the campaign promoted online and offline means that a wider group of customers will be introduced and reminded of the concept, creating a better cut through.

www.sportsgirl.com.au
www.diva.com.au
www.bonds.com.au/MiniSites/tees2/

The dark side of menswear

November 11 2009

Two years ago Robert Pattinson was a mere extra from the screen adaptations of cult fantasy book series ‘Harry Potter'; now he has a mass following of ardent fans who know him only as Edward Cullen, the tortured, brooding immortal heartthrob of ‘Twilight'. Ginger Trend Consulting for Mudpie takes a look at how men's fashion is re-"vamping" Pattinson's signature style.

Released in November 2008, Twilight is the film version of the teen romance novel of the same name by American author Stephanie Meyer.

Images from - Mpdclick.com

In real life Pattinson is a rather crumpled 23 year old British musician and actor who shies away from any kind of attention and is often seen with his thick ‘bed head' tresses pushed back into a well worn woollen beanie.

The Twilight package, from books to film and merchandise, had been targeted at the teen market but found an enraptured audience in the young adult market who are most likely to demand lookalike Edward items in-store. If you thought vampire fashion equalled to novelty Victoriana gear and an abundance of black lace, think again.

Edward's characteristic pea coat and dark wayfarers will be hot retail items for the winter, injecting a modern debonair appeal to young menswear ranges.

Images from - Topman, Forever 21, Paul Smith Jeans, Office, Topman, Rayban

Sports trend plays to win

October 28 2009

The trending of sportswear into fashion just keeps on keeping on, with each new manifestation bearing its own hallmark. Ginger Trend Consulting for Mudpie dissects the latest looks.

Eryn Behan is director of Ginger Trend Consulting, the exclusive agent for UK trend forecaster Mudpie and its online platform MPDClick, and a provider of fashion forecast services and consumer insight trends to the fashion and interior design industries throughout Australasia.

For Men:
Sporting attire ranges from ultra modern to all out retro. Expect plenty of high tech mesh with a heightened emphasis on transparency. Short shorts have old school appeal while structured hoods offer a contemporary look. Racer orange is a key hue with cosmic silver.

For Women:

Crop Tops enhance the current vogue for 1980's style 'Fame' looks. Slogan vests and T-shirts reinforce the popular decade's appeal. High leg running shorts are daring in retro bright shades while tapered jogging bottoms and jersey trousers are perfect for yoga to streetwear.

Perth "eco-fashion" designer takes Paris by storm

October 28 2009

by Elise Carr from Paris

Paris fashion week roared, as the city burst at the seams with creators, models, fashion workers and fashion lovers. To stand out in the crowd and be recognised in Paris at this key moment in the fashion calendar is a dream come true for any designer.

Fashioning the "Parisienne dream" is now a reality for Western Australian textile artist and designer, Charlene O'Brien. While stunning fashion is her talent, ethics and eco come first, even in Paris.

Revolutionising fashion from the roots up, O'Brien's eco creations have captivated fashionistas internationally. The only Australian designer to be showcased at the Paris Ethical Fashion Show, her Eco Logika Luxe Collection is paving the way for ecological and ethical fashion around the world.

The Paris Ethical Fashion show promotes and supports the need for environmental fashion and ethical textile awareness. By endorsing sustainable designs internationally, creating a global space for fashion education, consumer support and opportunities for unique designers like O'Brien, it is leading the fashion world, as well as expanding Australia's connection to the fashion market.

Bringing eco Australian textiles into the French fashion arena of Paris's Ethical Fashion Show for the third time, the Perth hills based O'Brien established Eco Logika in 2007, and since then has been dedicated to refining her label and company to create a fusion of eco fashion conscious and environmental awareness. From working with pure, natural elements, buying discarded materials off fellow designers to use as embellishments on her garments, to creating her own dyes and running her entire production from home with the support of solar energy and rain tanks, Eco Logika is one hundred per cent pro-environment and ethical fashion production.

Described as poetic and romantic, the brand's support for the environment and ethical values has been made easier thanks to the certification of organic material which in turn is becoming more readily available.

"Having a more diverse range of materials has opened up the use of other natural fibres, such as silk and Australian merino wool," O'Brien says. Some of her techniques border on ingenuity.

"I have friends who own local restaurants and supply me with pomegranates. Once I dry out the skin and use the tannin for colouring the fabrics, a beautiful natural, pesticide free colour is created. Other friends who make wine give me grape juice, which I also use to dye the fabrics. It is an extremely effective, none harmful and entirely environmentally friendly way of colouring the materials."

Born in Rhodesia, Africa, O'Brien studied at the London College of Fashion, and was inspired by the Body Shop founder Anita Roddick's commitment to no animal testing and ethical business.

"I thought, how could I bring that into fashion, because the industry is notoriously known for its negative influence on the environment with harsh chemicals and lack of ethics. Seeing the Body Shop's campaign was my catalyst to make clothing and do it ethically."

Living in Vietnam, and working with local artisan women's groups to create fashion textiles, was another driving force behind the designer's vision to support global fashion ethics. Working as a textile artist and designer in Vietnam between 1997-2002, she focused on reducing the waste from denim. ‘"Instead of allowing remnants of denim material to go to landfill, I had the cut-offs shredded and re-spun into a yarn, and then rewoven into a recycled denim textile. But I was still creating waste, so my next step was to eliminate that. Working in Vietnam, I was supporting a local community of women, with incredible textile skills, to create hand knitted bags and jumpers etc from this re-spun denim. This was not only supporting fair trade and local industry, but also contributing to ecological fashion."

Coco Chanel is another driving force behind Eco Logika. The French designer's desire to strip back tradition, and allow women to express their individualism, is still a source of inspiration for O'Brien's designs today.

"I believe my dresses express an individual style which was pushed by Coco Chanel in her creation of textiles. Each Eco Logika garment is an expression of the woman who wears it. They create a confidence, an elegance and grace. One of my French clients told me the dress she just bought was like poetry to her and she was searching for something like it for fifteen years."

www.tierraecologia.com

Two minutes with... Mela Purdie

October 14 2009

In 2001 Mela Purdie founded her self named label with a vision to create ‘clothes that travel with you'. Fashion Exposed Online took time out with the designer to see how far she's travelled.

Mela Purdie's mission is to create luxurious yet simple clothes that make dressing easy. "Style is about the individual," she says. "You wear the clothes; the clothes don't wear you, so my clothes are designed to skim and not cling, to move and stretch with you, to layer and interact, creating solutions as seasons change and as your mood moves from one occasion to the next.

How did you start in fashion?
I cut my teeth working with Carla Zampatti, taking the role of head designer a year after graduating top of my class from Sydney College of the Arts and winning the ‘Design Excellence Award' in 1983.

How far have you travelled since launching your own label?
I started with just one roll of fabric and one customer. Today the business has grown to include a store base of 250 and a staff of 14.

How many accounts does the brand operate?
Over 200 stores across Australia and further stores in New Zealand, Singapore and Germany.

What's your point of difference?
Almost all Mela Purdie product is made locally in Australia excluding Merino cashmere knits, denim and rainwear that depend on technologies not available in Australia. There is also little waste at the label due to minimum stock returns.

Your best trade secret?
Delivering product monthly rather than seasonally has enabled our customers to better plan their spending and benefit from the quick restock of winning styles. It's this level of attention to process and on time delivery that has developed strong relationships between the company and its retailers and has led to year on year growth.

What is your strategy over the next three to five years?
To maintain the essence of the brand "clothes that travel with you" offering our customers a consistently wearable product with a distinctly seasonal fashion edge. As the brand expands we will offer "something more for everywhere" by continuing to address the needs of essential dressing and including more coordinating product for street wear, travel wear and modern glamour.

www.melapurdie.com

iSpy ... Levis on Twitter

October 14 2009

Word on the street is that growing numbers of jeans wearers are taking their pants off in public. Thankfully, the ever observant iSpyStyle is here to explain why.

Everyone is a-twitter (or so it seems). The irony is that whilst many people believe Twitter is for Gen Y, the stats indicate that the biggest growth market is Gen X and the Baby Boomers. Using twitter for business can be a useful, free tool and (when used properly) will help your brand communicate effectively with your audience.

One example of a successful branding exercise on Twitter is the Australian leg of Levis. Instead of simply joining Twitter and then going about amassing a database, Levis came up with a clever campaign to keep the dialogue open with its customers, between online and offline.

If you get approached in the street and asked to drop your pants - don't be offended. You're probably just part of the I Spy Levi's Twitter campaign. The concept is simple. Follow @ispyLevis on Twitter and piece together the clues of where they are located, in order to score some free jeans. If you think you see someone wearing a pair ask, "Are they Levi's?" If you get it right, there's a strong chance they'll drop their pants and give them to you on the spot!

Levi's have effectively created an online competition engaging social media, increasing followers and regular community based tweets whilst also maintaining their elusive guerrilla style marketing cachet. With around 1,825 followers and the concept rolling out across most of the major cities in Australia and New Zealand, this treasure hunt style campaign has created quite the buzz and effectively showcased how something as simple as Twitter can be used to create a different type of communication with your customer.

Feminine Mystique - New York Fashion Week SS10

October 14 2009

It may once have been a man's world, but one of the fashion calendar's most celebrated events has put paid to that idea for good, as Ginger Trend Consulting for Mudpie confirms

Girl power has never been quite so stylish or desirable, with many designers opting for maximum femininity. Whether soft and traditional or strong and vampish, it's clear that 2010 is all about celebrating the female form.

Shoulder shapes from the 1940s remain popular for sophisticated statement jackets and dresses, while an abundance of clever jersey separates and relaxed silhouettes have sports chic appeal.

Rich sunset shades give summer collections vibrant warmth while cloudy puffs of semi chiffon and organza offer all out romance.