CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT

Just this past week it was announced that Caitlyn Jenner is launching a shade of lipstick with MAC, the cosmetics brand at the forefront of unexpected yet inspiring collaborations.

 

There are many reasons as to why collaborations between brands and celebrities are so popular, such as the increasing need to differentiate and to provide new and exciting content for social media.

 

However endorsements also have the potential to be a bad pairing and can therefore be detrimental to a brand's image.

 

Using Pinterest I've collected a number of examples of notable celebrity endorsements, and a number of endorsements that (in my opinion) really should be forgotten!

 

Here are two illustrations of endorsements within the fragrance sector of which I hold a contrasting opinion on/about.

 

CLEMENCE POESY FOR CHLOE

 

 

The perfect Parisian image. Poesy is the perfect casting for this graceful and delicate image.

 

GISELE BUNDCHEN FOR CHANEL

 

 

This advertisement and short film that was provided as an accompaniment proved to be popular. However (controversially) I am not a fan. I can understand why Chanel chose Bundchen as the woman to represent the iconic No5 fragrance, seeing as she was recently graced with being announced by Forbes as the highest paid model. To me this collaboration just doesn't sit quite right. I feel that Gisele (although beautiful!) does not fit with the usual 'classical beauty' that Chanel would usually choose, such as Audrey Tatou. Perhaps this was an intentional move by Chanel to shift into a new direction?

 

More posts surrounding my current fragrance project coming soon!

 

- A

YOUTUBERS WORTH WATCHING

In today's world Youtube has become a very saturated market, filled with beauty, fashion and lifestyle vloggers and Youtube personalities.

 

If you're interested in this online platform, here a select few channels which I feel are worth watching, most of which are fashion focused.

 

1. THE LINEUP

 

This channel consists of a young fashion duo from Sweden. They're relatable (as I myself are of a similar age), and they both have a super cool minimalistic Scandinavian style. I would highly recommend watching if you enjoy look books, styling tips and documentation of travel adventures through vlogs. Not to mention they're both hilarious!

 

 

Check out Julia and Maya here: https://www.youtube.com/user/thelineupjm

 

2. CASEY NEISTAT

 

If you haven't heard of Neistat, where have you really been living for the past year?! This vlogger is based in New York, and vlogs consistently each day in the form of short films. I cannot imagine the work that goes into producing a short film every single day for 365 days. And this is exactly what makes Neistat stand so far above the rest/others.

 

 

Neistat has also been commissioned several times to film for Vogue's own channel on Youtube.

 

Check out Casey here: https://www.youtube.com/user/caseyneistat

 

3. SUNBEAMSJESS

 

I've been watching Jess for a few years now and it's been great to see the content and quality of her videos flourish. The core of Jess' channel is fashion, however she also occasionally produces the odd video about lifestyle, which often includes her life at university.

 

 

I love Jess' fresh approach to fashion, her beautifully shot lookbooks always leave me feeling inspired and super jealous! She holds an effortless, undone appeal of which I feel are why her videos are of such popularity.

 

Check out Jess here: https://www.youtube.com/user/sunbeamsjess

 

4. CARTIA MALLAN

 

Mallan is the perfect Aussie gal. Whether she is taking you along on road trips or holding the camera whilst dancing at a festival, her channel truly makes you want to go out explore and create your own adventure. Her 70's inspired style is also something of which I adore!

 

 

Check out Cartia here: https://www.youtube.com/user/carty186

 

5. CLOTHES ENCOUNTERS

 

Jenn Im, also known as Clothes Encounters is basically the queen of the Youtube fashion world, holding over 1 million subscribers and having graced the pages of Teen Vogue. Whether you're looking for back to school style inspiration or tips on how to maintain a long distance relationship, Jenn has got your back!

 

 

Check out Jenn here: https://www.youtube.com/user/clothesencounters

 

Who are your favourite Youtubers?! Let me know below!

 

Thankyou for reading.

 

- A

CAMBRIDGE SATCHEL CO X VIVENNE WESTWOOD

A match made in heaven!

Just this week we were given a lecture on the importance of collaborations within the fashion industry, and to follow up on this lecture I thought it would be a great idea to write a short post about a excellent collaboration I came across a couple of weeks ago.

This is the second time that the iconic Brit brands Vivienne Westwood and the Cambridge Satchel Company have collaborated together for this SS16 collection.

The collection of satchels are available in four different colour ways: navy blue with a yellow squiggle, coral pink with a grey squiggle, jet green with a black squiggle and oxblood with a red squiggle. The jet green is an exclusive for this collaboration, which is inspired by Westwood's A/W15 collection, and the squiggle pattern is one of Westwood's most iconic prints (which has been produced on her pirate boots for over 30 years!).

The reason that I feel that this particular collaboration works so well is due to the fact that both brands are so similar. Both are traditional, heritage brands with strong British roots which is why the Westwood's designs fit hand in hand with the Cambridge Satchel Company's classic satchel signature shape.

This partnership also allows admirers of Westwood to buy her designs at a more affordable price, the satchels ranging between £115.00 - £245.00.

My personal favourite, the 'JET GREEN/BLACK SQUIGGLE 14" SATCHEL'.

Check out the collection here: http://www.cambridgesatchel.com/en-gb/vivienne-westwood-collection/vwlanding.html

Check out behind the scenes: http://schoolboycouture.com/blog/2015/6/28/the-cambridge-satchel-company-x-vivienne-westwood

Thank you for reading.

- A

SUMMATIVE PROJECT #2 | INITIAL FRAGRANCE RESEARCH

As university students we are now into our second term, and with a new term comes a new summative brief.

 

This summative brief will last the duration of the rest of this year, and is focused upon the creation of our own unique fragrance in teams.

 

 The brief is split into a total of four parts:

 

1. Context and Insight Presentation

2. Insight Comparison and Analysis Report

3. Brand Development and Launch

4. Extended Promotion Plan Report

 

 

As an introduction to our initial research of fragrance promotion, Tim (one of our lecturers) categorised four different reoccurring narratives found within fragrance advertising.

 

These are:

 

1. Sensuality and Indulgence

2. Trust and Honesty

3. Humour and Kitsch

4. Tradition and Heritage

 

When looking into each category in further depth, we were not only asked to 'unpack' each individual story, but also consider and identify visual contrast with competing advertisements.

 

Here are two advertisements I have begun to analyse, both under the narrative of 'Sensuality and Indulgence'.

 

NARRATIVE AND VISUAL CONTRAST -

 

Versace | Bright Crystal

 

 

Marc Jacobs | Decadence

  

 

Similarities -

MODEL - predictable casting (both high profile current supermodels), heavy dark eye makeup and nude lip

POSE - both females lying within a luxurious interior, both models gazing seductively into the lens of the camera, both holding the perfume bottles themselves

 

 OTHER ELEMENTS - perfume bottles and brand logo present within both advertisements, both images hold an element of playfulness with an edge of sophistication

 

Differences -

 

MODEL - blonde v brunette casting, angelic v 'sex kitten'

POSE - clutching the bottle in her hands as if it is a precious object v holding the bottle as an object to lure in her 'lover'

 
OTHER ELEMENTS - light v dark, angelic v raw/dirty, crisp v slight distortion, whole v partial, luxe v luxe with a grungy edge

I have not covered all the visual contrast points that I have analysed here, but hopefully from this it is clear that these advertisements both have distinct similarities and differences.

I shall be documenting the process of this fragrance project through a series of blog posts. So stay tuned for more posts coming very soon!

- A

TREND SPOTTING | INFLATABLE ART

I stumbled upon this new trend whilst reading this February's issue of Vogue.

Vogue describes inflatables as a 'symbol of our time', a creation often associated with youth, playfulness and irony.

Firstly consider the 'born again' pool inflatable, that can be found clogging up Instagram feeds, and also our ASOS saved items section (oops!).

But looking beyond this, inflatables are not only dominating social media channels, but inflatables can also currently be found within the art and culture scene.

Here are some examples of this:

ACTION SPACE INFLATABLE (2015)

A two-day programme of performances, workshops and screenings housed inside a giant, temporary inflatable; a re-versioning of pneumatic structures built by Action Space in the late 1960s and early '70s.

INFLATABLE FELIX (2014)

Mark Leckey featured a giant eight meters tall inflatable cat within his exhibition in 2014, named 'The Universal Addressability of Dumb Things'.

WORK NO.965: HALF THE AIR IN A GIVEN SPACE (2015)

One of Britain's most acclaimed contemporary artists, recreated his 1998 'Room of Balloons' to entertain guests at Victoria Beckham's Dover Street Store dinner during London Fashion Week.

In my opinion, inflatables will always hold popularity is down to their nostalgic quality. As children we often come into contact with many inflatable objects and items, as they are deemed 'safer' than others. Therefore, we find it easy to reconnect with these creations at a later age. Through our senses we can resume our love for these inflatables creations, their unique scent and squeaky like texture.

Thankyou for reading.

- A

'DESIGN IN A NUTSHELL'

One of the many tasks were given as part of our reading week, was to watch the six short episodes of the series 'Design in A Nutshell'.

 

Each individual episode was focused upon a different aspect of design throughout history.

 

1. Gothic Revival 

2. Arts and Crafts

3. Bauhaus

4. Modernism

5. American Industrial Design

6. Postmodernism

 

The episode that I found most interesting was episode six: 'Postmodernism'.

 

Postmodernism is a late 20th century movement. Postmodernists believe that the previous design movement, Modernism, was a failure. Postmodernists hold that we need as many references as possible to make our own subjective conclusion, rather than simply one. There is a emphasis upon creative expression, rather than just designing for a functional purpose.

However many criticise Postmodernism for:

1. The unnecessary need for decoration and ornamentation.
2. The tendency to recycle the past to make something new.
3. Inappropriate and pointless ideas, with little to no functionality.

Here are some examples of Postmodernism today:

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Often tongue in cheek, covering a range of styles in art from throughout history.

1. CINDY SHERMAN

'Untitled Film Still #30'

'Untitled Film Still #40'

2. BANKSY

'Mobile Lovers'

'Slave Labour'

3. JEFF KOONS

'Balloon Dogs'

'Puppy'

ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

1. PORTLAND BUILDING (By Michael Groves - 1982)

2. PROUST CHAIR (By Alessandro Mendini - 1978)

3. PIAZZA D'ITALIA (By Charles Moore - 1978)

ICONS

1. LADY GAGA

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the six episodes of 'Design in A Nutshell'. It's surprisingly how much you can learn in just two minutes!

Watch 'Design in A Nutshell' here:
http://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/engineering-and-technology/design-and-innovation/design/design-nutshell

Thankyou for reading!

- A

DR MARTENS VALENTINES COLLECTION '16

This February, with Valentines Day looming, it seems as though many brands have decided to create unique collections themed around this special day. 

Aside from the usual collections brought out by brands typically associated with this day, such as several jewellery designers and chocolatiers, it appears that more unconventional brands are taking a risk by creating their own individual Valentines Day collections.

One of those being Dr Martens - a brand you would not typically partner with this well known day in the yearly calendar associated with romance.

The collection consists of only four items: two pairs of shoes and two satchels. However small, I feel that this collection is effective, as a more expansive range of themed items in this collection would be a much greater risk. This is because, firstly, the signature Dr Martens shaped shoe and products mixed with loud and bold themed items would not be popular with the majority. Another reason this collection is a success, is that the  heart motif used within this collection already has great popularity within fashion as a pattern, and as a singular shape. Finally the fact that Dr Martens have only released four items in this collection creates a sense of exclusivity, which in turn will be likely to create higher demand for such products. 

My personal favourite amongst this collection is the '1461 Heart Shoe'.

Check the collection out here: 

http://www.drmartens.com/uk/collaborations/valentines

Thankyou for reading, 

- A

BOOK REVIEW | LOVE X STYLE X LIFE

Before receiving this book as a gift at Christmas I was unaware of the blogger 'Garance Dore'.

 

The book starts with a short but sweet insight into the life of Garance Dore, and how she became the world renowned blogger she is today.

 

The rest of the book covers various aspects including: style tips from Dore herself, many inspirational quotes, beauty essentials, friends and family.

 

Not only is this book a charming, easy read, but it is also visually appealing. I will most definitely be taking inspiration from this book for my upcoming work, as the overall aesthetics are wonderful.

 

This book is far more of a 'coffee table read' than an intense, gripping written piece. Nonetheless it is definitely worth purchasing!

 

 

Thank you for reading,

 

- A