Designer Websites & Fashion Blogs

Faustine Steinmetz

I like that Steinmetz shows the consumer how the garments are made and presents the importance of traditional and handmade methods.

"Enter your piece number on our website to see images of your piece being made #myfaustinesteinmetz"

It would be interesting to see how the garments are made, since handmade techniques make each garment unique.

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Introduction to branding

SWOT analysis is an efficient way for a brand to establish an action plan in order to improve and grow, as well as how well they compete with others who share their market sector. This SWOT analysis personally addresses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats:

Strengths

• Has a satisfactory understanding of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator - Uses these skills professionally to communicate designs and prints.

Using Photoshop to develop print design

Illustrator is a useful too to communicate location of seam lines and cutting lines

• Has moderate pattern cutting skills - Able to draft and adapt from draped silhouettes and can flat pattern draft.

• Has an excellent understanding of fabric and fibre properties and can apply this directly to design development.

• Has good presentation skills in terms of communicating through visual narrative.

• One is learned in garment manufacturing processes such as Progressive Bundle System, UPS and Modular Production System - How this benefit certain fashion markets.

• Has realised the interest for using deconstruction as design inspiration.

• Has a disciplined work ethic - Determined at an energetic level.

Weaknesses

• Lack of confidence in illustration skills.

• One sometimes struggles to imagine sewing outcomes - Therefore making sewing process slower.

• Needs to practice time management to push work to its boundaries.

• Lack of confidence when speaking publicly.

• Has lack of connections and experience in fashion industry.

Opportunities

• Websites such as Youtube and Tech U create an opportunity for self teaching, thus expanding knowledge outside conventional teaching.

• CAD and CAM software enables manufacturers to speed up processes from pattern drafting and cutting, to garment construction.

CAD/CAM software can create lay plans to reduce the amount of waste  in the process. In addition, lay plans can  be visualised in 3D on the body.

• Social media and networking sites and applications allow for easier promotion of services and goods.

• E-commerce platforms such as SAXA STORE, bring together a specific target market - This is a way of allowing designers to clearly design for a specific market gap/group which the brand has readily collected on this platform.

• Networking from industry placements for collaboration and guidance.

• To primarily learn certain processes that are practiced at indicatory level (from industry placements).

• To have a opportunity to work to industry deadlines and how to work quickly and effectively (during industry placements).

• Identification of the market gap for short statured individuals - A consideration that may be pursued.

There are stores which include petit sizes, but not a store dedicated to them

Threats

• It is important to have confidence in the knowledge already obtained, in order to carry out tasks completely independently - For example, how to problem solve without needing help from the task giver. Lack of confidence should be interpreted as not being pro-active.

• The creative industry is highly competitive and saturated - It is harder to impact this sector with individuality.

• The internet has created a threat by making everything accessible, thus making it more difficult to be original.

• The importance of brand recognition is reinforced by the need to have "likes" on social media to become known - For instance the opportunity to buy likes and followers on Instagram.

Is money an issue? - "offers a great opportunity for individuals and businesses to announce their presence"

• Garment construction must be practiced to speed up task completion - The importance of working quickly with the least errors is a highly required quality. 

Brand Message

"Regenerate your style"

 - For the individuals who want to reanimate their style. Designed  from the concept of reconstructed garments to recreate a wearable, yet modern silhouette.

Future Plan

Each opportunity will be taken to speak in front of people professionally to increase confidence for presentation purposes. A more proactive mindset, in terms of sharing work professionally on social media and and looking for work experience - This will be achieved through improved confidence

1 year - To gain more confidence in pattern cutting and construction and work out a strategy to make me work faster. To achieve better time management.

3 years - To collaborate with designers - To find one's feet and gain more experience with professionals. To work for a fashion house to gain money for starting own brand.

5 years - Working for own brand and have expanded it by employing professionals (e.g. visual merchandiser). Growing and developing my designs and further investigating the brands target market wants and needs.

5 objects to describe me

Music: DARE - Gorillaz

The narrative of the song is to push oneself to do something about their problems, rather than complaining about it. It portrays the person pushing themselves to the limit.

Film: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. As a student and future employee, there are many tasks and challenges that are juggled simultaneously. Future employees versus the world as they are always competing with the next potential employer.

Architecture: This abandoned fishing hut in a picturesque valley represents the potential a structure has and how it is surrounded by inspiring landscape. The landscape represents the opportunities the architecture is surrounded by.

Furniture: A sofa that transforms into a couch. Having more than one purpose of able to adapt to different needs.

Art: "We Can Do It!" - This poster portrays the determination one wished to achieve.

Inspirational Designers:

Creating new shapes from past clothing creates completely new styles. One is able to freely adapt and be inspired by certain cutting lines or seams, which are not conventionally used.

Using textiles which is hardwearing allows one to experiment with its structure, such as distressing or restructuring the yarns in a new way to create unusual fabrics. 

Portfolio advice

In order to create a successful portfolio, examples were used to explain what is needed:

• The individual must identify at least 3 designers who they aspire to work for, or believe their work resembles.

• The portfolio show flow and act a s a journey through different projects.

• The layout of the portfolio must be constant (consider the orientation of pages).

• Each project should be labelled and have a context (a small paragraph explaining the brief).

• Most of the work should be the individual's own - Other work should be credited and used to describe who you are as a designer.

• The portfolio pages must include designs a rough work, illustrations and moodboards.

Illustration by Richard Gray

Research and Archiving

This archiving session was a very useful exercise in identifying a certain demographic. The magazine of choice was Italian Vogue for 1990.

Silk trimmed dress: Adrienne Landau

Makeup: Clinique

Pages: 158 - 165

The editorial on Editha Dussler also promotes a sense of aspiration to the target audience. She is a star model, who made it from the 60’s and is still regarded as a “Beautiful aristocrat” 30 years on. Women reading this would want to be Editha, who can still be regarded as attractive in her mature life. This magazine focuses heavily on beauty and material things by including a lot of adverts for beauty creams and make up.

Throughout the editorial, Editha poses in very strong, yet elegant ways. For instance, the picture of her looking directly into the camera with a stern face and a blazer creates the idea that she is a strong and independent woman, who has worked for her fame. Despite some images of her being sexualised, the poses and expressions she uses enforces individualism and self-awareness. This could be linked to the third-wave feminists, which was marked at the beginning of the 1990’s. Noticeably there are hardly any men in this issue of Vogue, creating a strong sense of female importance. It could be thought that the magazine emphasizes the fact that this is aimed at an independent woman who does not rely of the income of a spouse.

Photographer: Alfa castaldi

Pearl production started in Australia in 1956. In 1990, the value of Australian cultured pearls rose tenfold from the mid 80’s, therefore this could be an indication as to why the word “Rich” is in bold capitalized letters. The amount of pearls in the jewellery would indicate that this advert was aimed at the affluent female. This is emphasised by the amount of gold used to make the jewellery. The previous images associated with the advertorial further depict a fashion conscious, wealthy woman, displayed by leather bag and diamond encrusted watches and the word “gold”. The advert includes a Louis Vuitton suitcase, advertising luxury goods to its audience. The UPS is soft sell, which is implied by the selected words such as  “Charme” and “Luxe”, to entice the target market.

This magazine could also apply to an aspirational female who wishes to have these materialist objects. This particular person may come from a different demographic from a slightly lower class, therefore she strives to become a woman who can afford all of these things. This may also imply she is could be working at a lower level, belonging to a C2 or C1 demographic group.

Photographer: Niel Kirk

Coat: Gianfranco Ferré

Fashion editor: Anna Dello Russo

Page: 230 -237

The editorials and advertorials in the December 1990 Vogue Italia targets the affluent woman. This editorial may mirror the demographic that read this magazine. It depicts a woman wearing fur, which is regarded as an expensive material for clothing. In addition, she is seen wearing what seems to be expensive jewellery on her neck, ears and hand. The highly embroidered and tailored jacket could indicate she is fashion conscious and can afford such things. The age and dress of the model indicates this magazine could be aimed at mid 25- 40 as the style is very sophisticated. She seems to be a lady of leisure, shown in the image of her at the restaurant, maybe conveying the idea she may not need to work since she is able to dress expensively. She is seen by herself thought the advertorial, which could depict she is an independent woman.

The actions against fur peaked in the 80s to 90s, therefore it is questionable why this model is wearing fur. It has been concluded that Italy had, strict welfare conditions for fur farming which were adopted in March 2001. This meant that the fur was acceptable in Italy past the 90’s, whilst other countries had banned fur farms at this time.