In today’s complex and diverse consumer world, there is a need to provide marketing solutions for the fashion industry at a national, global and multiplatform level. This project will ask you to research into the business strategies employed within fashion with a view of producing an innovative, multi platform advertising campaign for a brand or a fashion store of your choice, which is designed with a particular season or calendar in mind.
Tasks
Identify brand of choice.
Shop report for chosen brand.
7P’s marketing strategy.
AIDA Model.
SOSTAC planning system.
Fashion advertising campaigns research.
The effect of the fashion industry, zeitgeist within fashion and fashion weeks timeline.
Shoot plan.
Advertising campaign created that will work on a multiplatform level.
Rough plan
Week 1 - Look at potential brands, rough research, identify chosen brand, create moodboard and mind map. Look into shows from that brand and start to think about the shop report.
Week 2 - Shop report completed. Including the 7P’s, AIDA and SOSTAC Models. Shoot rough plan, pull looks.
Week 3 - Effect of industry etc, shoot moodboard, mindmap, model scouting and looks put together. Studio shoot and from that content created ready to edit and put everything together. All research on blog and conclusion.
Potential brands
Balenciaga
Maison Margiela
Craig Green
Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY
Sacai
Comme des Garçons
Martine Rose
Nensi Dojaka
Supriya Lele
Ann Demeulemeester
Here I have picked out my favourites of the selection to delve a bit further, building on my personal knowledge before I pick my chosen designer.
Martine Rose
Martine Rose is a British-Jamaican menswear designer. She studied at Camberwell College of Arts for a year before enrolling at Middlesex University where she graduated from in 2002 with a degree in Fashion Design. Her designs are inspired from her love for rave, hip-hop and punk subcultures.
Nensi Dojaka
Nensi Dojaka is a London-based womenswear designer from Albania. Nensi graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2020 and had since presented with Fashion East. Her first show under her eponymous label was her S/S 22 collection at London Fashion Week. Her designs are feminine and sexy, mostly constructed from mesh materials.
Supriya Lele
Supriya Lele is a Indian-British womenswear Designer based in London. Supriya studied at the Royal College of Art and The Univeristy of Edinburgh, founding her fashion brand in 2016. Supriya was a finalist of the LVMH Prize 2020 and shared the €300,000 prize with the other seven finalists when the competition was cancelled due to COVID-19.
Ann Demeulemeester
Ann Verhelst (aka Demeulemeester) is a Belgian Fashion Designer. Ann studied Fashion Design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, showcasing her graduate collection in London (which turned out she could only display a selection of sunglasses as she was pregnant and unable to fly to London). She is part of the ‘Antwerp Six’, a group of avant-garde designers known for their deconstructive styles of clothing. A year (1982) after her graduation she won the Belgian Gouden Spoel award for the most promising designer, but struggled to find a job. Ann began working freelance assisting Martin Margiela, on an undisclosed Italian coat brand.
In 1985, Ann launched her own brand Ann Demeulemeester-Verhelst alongside her husband and business partner Patrick Robyn, opened her first store in Antwerp in 1999. Ann left her brand in 2013, leaving it to French designer Sébastien Meunier to take the role of Artistic Director for the brand. Sébastien had previously worked for Martin Margiela for 10 years before joining Ann. In 2020 Italian retailer Claudio Antonioli purchased the company after the resignation of Sébastien; Ann announced in September she would be returning to the brand. Claudio Antonioli positioned Nina Maria Nitsche as “ghost” Creative Director; Nina is an alumnus of Maison Margiela, Vetements and Britoni. All of which share similar codes and approaches to fashion as Ann Demeulemeester. Francesco Francavilla was named Global Marketing and Communications Director and Tobia Beretta was appointed CEO.
I chose to look at Ann Demeulemeester for this project as it is the perfect example of a brand with such a rich heritage and interesting references. I feel not too many people in the UK know about Ann and I want to bring it into the now, helping to make it current and desirable to a wider audience, after multiple changes of ownership and brand direction. With such a defined aesthetic think black, leather and deconstruction; it is much more than just a brand.
The Antwerp Six
Walter Van Beirendonck
Ann Demeulemeester
Dries Van Noten
Dirk Van Saene
Dirk Bikkembergs
Marina Yee
The Antwerp Six was the name given to a group of six graduates of Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine (between 1980-81). The group really emerged in the '90’s when the press started to refer to them as The Antwerp Six; a group united more by origin and experience than by style. In 1986 the group rented a truck and headed to London Fashion Week with their collections, it was since that time that their reputation grew and they created a buzz within the industry. United with their love for monochrome, deconstruction and expert tailoring they all shared similar visions that they have kept to this day.
Mind map of Ann Demeulemeester’s codes and DNA
Moodboard
Pinterest inspiration
Spring 2019 Menswear
Ann Demeulemeester’s Spring 2019 Menswear show by Sébastien Meunier referenced movements from the late 19th century. ”She Moved Through the Fair” playing in the background set the scene for the eerie, mourning clothes that followed. Like with any Ann Demeulemeester show the cast contained both genders, predominantly a Menswear show but women were added. A fusion of period dressing, the models looked like they had just stepped out of the 1880s. Deconstructed, monochromatic and tailored pieces flooded the runway. Undoubtedly this is one of the best collections I have seen from the brand, it stays so relevant and close to the brand DNA, I can’t help but love every piece.
Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear
For Ann Demeulemeester’s Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear Sébastien Meunier went all out with lace, tulle and silk. Creating both voluminous and dramatic silhouettes that looked like they had rolled straight out of the 19th century. This show felt much more feminine than the usual masculine references, fusing the monochromatic looks with hints of pale pink and burnt orange. Lace veils created volume, shielding the face or blowing in the wind as the models paraded down the runway.
Fall 2012 Ready-to-Wear
For Ann Demeulemeester’s Fall 2012 Ready-to-Wear show, the collection was undoubtedly one of the most extravagant statements of the time. Ann wanted all black, however she did end up adding in some electric blue which helped break it up and elevate the show. Eugene Souleiman did the hair, creating crazy spiked do’s made that more magnificent by the feather additions. “Construction, shape, architecture” Ann’s three main points of inspiration behind the brands collection of that season. Leather, vinyl, silk and wool met with deconstruction for the perfect Anti-fashion look.
Anti-fashion definition
Anti-fashion is an umbrella term for various styles of dress which are explicitly contrary to the fashion of the day.
Brand Report
Competitors: RICK OWENS
Rick Owens is undoubtedly a prime competitor within the anti-fashion world. The Dark Lord when it comes to fashion, not only sells his futuristic designs, he is very clever when it comes to marketing. When thinking of the Fashion Industry, designers are of course very talented when it comes to drawing and creating pieces. However, most of them aren’t business savvy, this can easily let you down. Rick Owens has mastered what he needs to do to sell product, which starts with being relatable to the wider audience. 83% of models who are sent down the catwalk are tall and thin (although this is changing much more now). For Rick‘s Spring 2014 collection, Rick chose real women, they were mainly mid-size African American’s. This ground-breaking step paved the way for other designers to follow suit, particularly since this went down with the press. It is often hard to imagine what clothing would look like on a “normal body” when we are constantly shown standard size models. Fashion is starting to use more diverse castings, which is something that needed to happen. Ann Demeulemeester is one of those brands that uses a standard model size cast, I strongly feel that they need to start becoming more inclusive.
Advertising areas to consider:
Utilising Instagram more, videos, promotion etc.
TikTok, who doesn’t have TikTok nowadays?!
Youtube, sponsorships, AD’s.
Tube and Billboards around London.
Website mockup.
Fashion Zeitgeist of today:
Ever since “The True Cost“ came out in 2015, the Fashion Industry has been working out how it can become more sustainable. Sustainability is something that will never be 100% achievable, it is a word that gets thrown about far too many times for one to truly understand how it could Be possible. The Fashion Industry is constantly adapting, it has to to keep up with what is going on today. Pandemic, Environmental Issues and Liberation were what we have been focusing on the past two + years, now add War. It is hard to gauge how Fashion can be relevant in the current situation between Russia and Ukraine. Paris Fashion Week went ahead whilst innocent people are in hiding and being killed. It doesn’t seem right, but it is refreshing to see brands like Balenciaga speak out and push for change. The Industry is moving forward, arguably slowly, but in the right direction. We are seeing diverse and inclusive shows now which is something that wouldn't have happened years ago. Brand transparency about core values and ethics is finally becoming essential. I just hope we can continue moving forwards and furthermore tackling these issues that are still around and relevant today.Being cutting edge visually needs to reflect ones current internal values.
Ann Demeulemeester’s Stylists
Robbie Spencer
Robbie Spencer is a stylist and the former Creative Director of Dazed Magazine. He has worked with some of the fashion world’s most respected photographers, magazines and brands. Building his own unique, venerable style that is reflected within his work. Robbie is one of the most influential stylists in the past 10 years, styling covers for magazines such as Dazed, AnOther, AnOther Man and L’Uomo Vogue. Working with talents such as Iris Apfel, Grimes, Vivienne Westwood and Rihanna. He styles multiple brands for runway shows and editorials, of course one of these is Ann Demeulemeester. Adding his creative flare to the brand on many a catwalk show.
Olivier Rizzo
Belgian stylist Olivier Rizzo has been commissioned by Christian Dior, Miu Miu, Raf Simons and Jil Sander to name but a few. Olivier has worked at Prada as their in-house stylist since 2011. Olivier has worked with photographers including Steven Klein, Alasdair McLellan and Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot. His work has been published in magazines such as; Arena Homme Plus, Vogue, i-D and AnOther Magazine. Olivier studied at Antwerp’s world renowned academy, where Ann Demeulemeester first heard of him perhaps?
My shoot moodboard
Things to consider for the shoot
Look 1
Look 2
Look 3
Models
After making my rough plans for the different looks, I had to find some models that would fit in well with the Ann look, but also challenged and went against their normal casting. It was tricky as many people cancelled last minute, but luckily two were able to make it. I had Mason for my Menswear look and Enny for my Womenswear. I knew I wanted to push myself and use a male model, but in typical Womenswear looks.
Look 1
Look 1 consisted of a Tomasz Starzewski coat, Ann Demeulemeester skirt, black vinyl gloves, balaclava and Balenciaga sunglasses. I hadn’t planned to use sunglasses or a balaclava in this shoot ( I was doing a streetwear shoot at the same time, so thought I would try out some of the pieces I had for that). I really liked how this turned out, it felt futuristic and powerful.
I added a scarf to this look as I was not sure about the gap on the chest. It helps exaggerate the winter feel of this look and I like how covered it is.
Look 2
For the second look I wanted to push the feminine feel further, I removed the coat and added a Snarl Extra vest (a popular brand for most the '90s). A Dilara Findikoglu necklace added an edge, with the silver cross earring too. I had this belt which I flipped over and tied it so it was off centre, I felt there needed to be something to join the vest and skirt. Black leather ruched gloves and Balenciaga sunglasses added further to the utilitarian inspired look.
Look 3
For the third look, it was my first Womenswear look. I paired a white shirt with black waistcoat, black tailored trousers and chunky boots. This look felt very safe, so I added an Ann Demeulemeester white fishnet skirt over the top and a belt to help add a bit of shape. The necklace I made with lots of cross pendants I had found. I like this look, however it feels very simple.
I shot them together, I think the outfits work together and compliment each other. I added some red Prada sunglasses to Enny, as I felt she needed something more to elevate the look against Mason.
Look 4
For look 4 I paired this Ann Demeulemeester jacket with an Ann Demeulemeester skirt and white knee high fluffy boots from Truugo. Fluffy boots are so popular at the moment, so by adding them I felt this look would appeal more to the younger viewer. I kept the vinyl gloves, Dilara necklace and added some Bottega Veneta sunglasses.
Look 5
Look 5 was about building upon my previous womens' look, I undid the shirt, added a big black trench coat and leather gloves. Removing the necklace and adding Balenciaga sunglasses, this look felt very matrix-esque and I love it. Simple and refined, yet elegant.
For these group images I played around with different compositions and poses to see how I could make the images look professional and campaign worthy.
Look 6
For the final look I added a top from a CSM graduate, which felt very Ann Demeulemeester to me, with both the fabrics and deconstruction elements. I added some black leather trousers, pointed boots, leather gloves and a hat. I wanted to incorporate a hat somewhere and I felt this look felt most appropriate for this.
Outputs: Producing the posters [ABOVE YOU TALK ABOUT INSTA, TIK TOK - NEED TO INTRODUCE TEH POSTER/ BILLBOARD, VERY OLD-SCHOOL AD FORMAT SO SAY WHY?]
Here I have created the posters, I wanted to have the information in different places to make it a bit more interesting. Now I need to look at adding the posters to places around London.
Website mockups
Tube advertising
Street advertising
Instagram mockup
Tiktok mockup
I had initially planned to make TikTok’s of my models getting ready for the shoot. It was only me on set so it was quite a struggle to do everything myself. They needed no makeup (I only added red lipstick to Enny’s look) so there wouldn’t have been much content to film. Instead I played around with some of the images at the end and made a rough example of what an Ann Demeulemeester TikTok could look like.
Conclusion
This project has been thoroughly enjoyable. I have loved learning more about a brand that inspires me, delving into business models and looking at it from different angles has been fascinating. The shoot was my favourite part, experimenting and pushing myself to create innovative and exciting looks with new models. I am happy with how the images turned out and feel they fit in well with what I had initially thought and tried to achieve. I have progressed with my photoshop skills too, something I always struggle with but I do like how the advertisements have turned out (would be great if they were real!!) All-in-all this has been my favourite project to date, as much as I enjoyed the previous collaboration projects it is nice to have full creative control back, and I am looking forward to the events project!
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