Helmut Lang Mood board

31st October 2013

This is my completed mood board for Helmut Lang for our group brand presentation. I have included a variety of images from left-right:

Top Row - Issey Miyake structured dress, Japanese house, scanned White Stuff necklace, Alexander Wang image, scanned printed top

Bottom Row - Scanned black disco pants, Scanned black fabric, Alexander Wang image, Zara model, Helmut Lang shop window and image of Helmut Lang's menswear

I decided not to do squares of colours as we had been shown in the Photoshop workshop as these seemed too harsh for Helmut Lang. This is due to Helmut Lang selling mainly textured items and so I think the scanned versions work better to show the colour.

However, I am going to try to improve my Photoshop skills to enable me to improve the composition of the mood board. 

Helmut Lang Brand Analysis

29th October 2013

WHAT is the benefit & purpose of the brand?

Helmut Lang offers luxury apparel for both men and women throughout its stores in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, South America, and the United States. The benefit of the brand for me is the price range – as although it is a luxury brand some products could be described as affordable luxury, this is shown in the images below

Left image – Two-tone wool-blend top £225 

Right image - Fontana hooded leather trimmed rabbit gilet £1,530

WHO is the target customer?

This is a difficult question to answer with a brand that

Supplies to such a wide range of countries as within

that there is such a  diverse range of people. I believe

the target consumer is fashion conscious people who

follow trends but want classic items that can be mixed

with on trend items. The target customer would  have

to be someone in their mid to late twenties with a highly paid full time job due to the price of the items.

AGAINST WHOM is the competition?

I think Helmut Lang’s closest competitor is probably

Alexander Wang due to the style of the garments and

price range within the brand. However Alexander

Wang’s prices seem generally higher ranging from

£400 to well over £1000

The image on the right shows the prices of Alexander

Wang items from the netaporter website which are

similar to Helmut Lang’s more premium products.

Case Study Of Converse

24th October 2013

Converse's brand image has changed drastically over the years it has been linked to basketball, punk movements and then Nike. However, the Nike ad campaign in 2005 caused a major threat to the brand and brand image due to it completely contrasting to what Converse stands for. 

'Discovering that Nike had bought Converse was like hearing Elvis Costello had started writing singles for Microsoft'

New 2013 campaign: Converse Get Loud

http://getloud.converse.co.uk/ 

Through YouTube videos and collaborations they have kept themselves current and up to date. 

2013 has seen them collaborating with Wiz Khalifa and Maison Martin Margiela

Maison Martin Margiela is a Belgian fashion designer who graduated from the Royal academy of art in 1979.  He is a founding member of the Avant-garde fashion collective 'the antwerp six'.

He created a range of coloured Converse that he painted white so that as they are worn they reveal the colour below. 

Visual Contrast

22nd October 2013

Variety through limitation is key

Contrast is a useful visual approach and can perform various vital functions:

VISUAL POWER - Attract, delight and seduce
VISUAL COMMUNICATION - Inform, Underpin and Explain
VISUAL INTEREST - Revive, refresh and sustain

Think variety:

Vertical V Horizontal
Colour V Mono
Matt V Gloss
Single V Multiple
Type V Image

Conceptual Contrast:

Male V Female
Narrative V Poetic
Lux V Grunge
Lateral V Literal

Contrast as a useful visual approach and can inform various key aspects:
-Narrative Focus
- Location Selection
- Model Casting
- Styling
- Prop Selection
- Composition
- Post Production
- Editing/Print

Brands Branching Out

23rd October 

Today in Topshop I picked up this card showing an effect that can be created using Topshop's make up. Topshop now selling makeup products and marketing themselves as a cosmetic brand means they are taking over other sectors of the market. Although this is good for them to increase sales and popularity for them it reduces the chance of customers going to other stores and may therefore affect sales of cosmetic brands as Topshop's products are being sold at relatively low prices. 

Positioning and Re-positioning

21st October 2013

Marks and Spencer:

2013 Campaign - LEADING LADIES

M&S are clearly trying to re-create the brand and show it in a new light to increase womenswear sales due to them decreasing over the last 3 years. The new strategy for its clothing is trying to reassert M&S in the market for its quality position and revive its sales.

Some people say that the sales decline of M&S is due to it failing to differentiate from other mid-market companies such as Next and Debenhams. However it is also facing trouble from low end brands such as Primark selling similar items at a much lower price. 

According to M&S the women share 'a strong sense of personal style and inspirational achievements which have propelled them to success'. However I think it is a confusing poorly thought out campaign. This is due to the difficult message they are trying to convey. All the women involved are so different and so it is confusing who the target consumer of the campaign is.

Shop Visit: White Stuff, Nottingham

20th October 2013

Today I visited one of White Stuff's flagship stores based in Nottingham. White stuff is a shop I have only previously seen in Milton Keynes and John Lewis however this store is a completely different experience. 

The store even had a 'Nottingham Picture House' which was a mini cinema with blankets and cuddly toys which is a good selling point for parents as their children are kept entertained while they can spend more money. 

Every aspect of the store seemed carefully considered with constant surprises throughout the store including vandalised classic images and paintings on the stairway leading from womenswear to upstairs. Another clever aspect were the sweets behind the shop counter - these were sold for charity which is something which would encourage customers to return and works as positive marketing for White Company as they are not seen to be all about profits for themselves.  

The changing rooms were a visual merchandising dream. Laid out as if part of an allotment; each individual changing room was laid out like a mini shed with spades, watering cans and aprons.