Susie B - Profile of my Clothing Label

My intention for my Clothing Label will be feminine but quirky with a predominate 50's/early 60's influence. Maybe with a slight Australian girly "Rocker" sub-culture influence.

Audrey Hepburn fashion style in the 1950s movie "Breakfast At Tiffanys" is very feminine and classy, so too is Grace Kelly of course!

I would like to explore and add an Australian kitsch feel to my clothing label and maybe have a cute BBQ dress in the collection.

Totems that I am considering are... Pink or red roses or an Australian native flower.

Symbols maybe... buttons, bows, parasols or an Australian native flower

Colours will be predominantly pastels - pink, powder blue, antique beige, red, black, white, green.

The Age group will be starting at maybe 20+ years and will be only for females.

The clothing I am considering will be suitable for Australian Spring and the range is to feel comfortable and light and promote confidence, fun and love.

The range will consist of...

• Little Black Dress
  
• BBQ Dress
  
• Cocktail Dress
• Cardigans
  
• Skirts
  
• Capri Pants
  
• Cotton Shirts
  
• Bags
  
• Sunglasses
  
• Jewelry & hairpins
  
• Maybe hats & scarves
  

Types of Fabrics...

Florals, cottons, knits, organza, silk, lace, satin, taffeta, velvet and poka dots!

(Obviously I love vintage clothing styles, but I will not be using vintage fabrics unless they are in mint condition.)

When considering possible Names of my Brand, I was thinking of some typical Australia sayings like "Bob's your uncle", or "Cheese & Kisses" but wanting a more feminine, girly or romantic feeling and these are my thoughts...

• Buttons & Bows
  
• Cute as a Button
  
• Picnic in the Park
  
• Just Peachy
  
• Stolen Kisses
  
• Coconut Ice
  
• Lizzy Lou Lou
  
• Antique Rose
  
• Missy
  
• Better to Have
  
• Loved & Lost
  
• All About Me
  
• Cotton Candy
  
• Hugs & Kisses
  
• Little Miss Perfect .... Bossy Boots etc.
  
• Cotton Candy
  
• Tickled Pink!

I am happy with "Tickled Pink" so far. I think I will probably edit or add to this blog over the weeks. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear from you.

Tickled Pink Clothing Store

The Tickled Pink label has a 50’s & early 60’s influence, it is very feminine and there are florals, pastels, poka dots, a little black dress and pretty BBQ dresses!

Tickled Pink is a new designer label and not a mainstream shopping centre chain. I imagine the label had humble beginnings in a City market, found a client base and quickly progressed to it’s first store. Like many new designer labels, the Tickled Pink store location is very important and needs to be located in a city designer fashion strip or close to it or in a quaint township main shopping street like in Bangalow, James St Burleigh Heads, West End, or maybe Oxford St Paddington, King St Newtown.

In keeping with the Australian 50’s & 60’s, Tickled Pink’s first store is to be in an old Queenslander or townstrip cottage which helps to complement the essence promote the label. The interior would complement the label by retaining a lot of the original Queenslander décor.

The front elevation has a typical Queenslander verandah, the entrance being French doors (and stained glass fan window above) and two large display windows either side. On the roof of the verandah will be the signage “Tickled Pink”.

The interior walls of a Queenslander are usually painted wooden panels. I am thinking of course a pastel maybe a neutral cream colour but not Pink! The rear wall will have a change room in each corner with a large circular mirror in the middle. These change rooms will then have heavy generous floral curtains. A comfy two-seater lounge will be outside the change rooms next to the stained glass window and a floor lamp and a coffee table. On the other side of the window will be an Australian antique bookshelf/display case with some old books and Australian quirky curiosities/collectables.

The high ceilings create space and the stained glass windows and ornate ceilings gives a sense of nostalgia. Wooden floorboards are perfect flooring for a clothing store and add a warm Australian feel. A lovely rich rug fills the floorboards just infront of the change room area. An Australian antique wooden table will sit on the rug with folded clothes, shoes and accessories displayed and of course a huge bunch of fresh native flowers.

The service counter will be an ornate Australian wood antique and situated approx in the centre on the left hand side walking into the store, so there is clear view of every area of the store. The logo and Tickled Pink will be on the wall behind the service counter. Merchandise will be displayed and hanging on the walls either side of the counter. Merchandise will be displayed in the middle of the store and on the opposite wall. Hanging merchandise could also be situated behind the display windows.

My Intention.

Subculture- Lolita (originated from japan and inspired by Victorian and Edwardian era dress. Lolita fashion is best known for its cross over into Gothic style and the wide array of sub-styles represented by its practitioners. Most often, Lolita fashion refers to those who wear skirts or dresses to their knees, a petticoat, long, often times monochromatic socks, and a wide array of accessories covered in lace or ribbon. The goal in many cases is to imitate the appearance of a child or a doll. Overall im wanting an Alice In Wonderland feel to my clothing brand.

Totem- Rabbit (i would make the rabbit look sweet but gothical)
Mushroom
Teapot or Cupcakes.
Symbols-Key&Padlock
Mushroom
StopWatch? (like the white rabbits' off Alice in wonderland.)

Colours- Im thinking Pastel colours like, reds and yellows whites (tea party-like style) And with Dark purples and blacks (to get the gothic sorta feel of the style.)

Historical Style- 1950's inspired (the sort of dress) and a bit of the Japanese Edo Period.

Age Group- 15-18 yrs. Teenage Kids.
Gender- Female
Season- Springtime or maybe summer.

Geographical Distribution- Not quite sure how to answer this question but i would love for my store to be situated in melbourne city. Or in any cities like sydney, brisbane. And on the gold coast too. But preferrably Melbourne. Melbounre being that, there is sooooo much style there, and i think my clothing brand would market quite well there.

Social,Political or Environmental aware? Maybe the totem of the rabbit could be integrated into each design to show awareness for animal cruelty. And each clothing item bought, money goes towards a charity.




Define the Products in the range-
Dresses
Tights
Umbrellas
Chains
shoes
Hair/Hat Peices.

Types of fabrics- Lots of lace,synthetic,Metallic.
Names?- Chain Me?
Bubble.Burst
Eternal
MagicalRealm
Swing.Free
Far Far Away...
Tick.Tock
White.Rabbit
Quack!
Wonderland
RabbitHole
FairyBread
Eat Me (like off the movie. Alice)
QueenOfHearts
Theres a few random names. If anyone has any suggestions or even add to the list thatd be awesome =] thankyouuuuuuuuuu.

Hayley: My Brand

Gone are the days when being a geek, a nerd, a dork, is uncool. The uber-cool among us are now costuming themselves to appear as the geeks they once taunted. With the proliferation of the I.T. and design industries, "Geek Chic" is a style quickly finding it's way onto the streets of Australia. The true geeks are finding that they now have an identifiable culture that others strive to be a part of.Part of being a geek is loving something so much, in a way that it opens you up to ridicule. This may be a love of computers, books, video games, comics, horror films, technology, the list goes on.

It's now cool to love what you love so excessively. being geeky and being cool are no longer mutually exclusive. My label brings the two together, making it readily available to both the true geek and those wanting to embrace the trend, maybe revealing their inner geek.
We readily associate certain things with being a geek. These things could be seen as the totems or symbols of this culture.

• computers
• the library
• calculators
• thick rimmed black glasses
• argyle
• vintage computer graphics
• cats quietly sitting on a window sill
• video games
• library bags

Geeks are generally quite subdued. As a reflection of this, I will be keeping my choice of colour palette equally subdued. Pale pink, grey, green, yellow and cream will be used in my logo design, my clothing and my concept store.

My label is inspired by the late 70's/early 80's era, the introduction of the video arcade as well as elements of the 1940's, i.e. the pencil skirt popularized by Christian Dior.


My target market will be the 20-30 year old, fashion conscious men and women of Australia who appreciate vintage fabrics, understated T's, and classic design for everyday street wear.
I will be creating the Autumn/Winter range for my label including both men's and women's wear.

• skirts
• Tshirts
• vests
• cardigans
• collared shirts
• pants
• shorts

As well as these staple pieces, my label will stock a range of accessories.

• black rimmed glasses
• finger-less gloves
• socks
• hair adornments
• scarves

I aim to use vintage fabrics as well as fabrics with vintage inspired prints.Some wool/acrylic and some fleece lined poly-cotton. My label is not concerned with the specific types of fabric. Attaining the desired look is the main concern.
I am wanting to use a single word associated with the geek world for my label. Some potential names include:

• librarian
• library
• public library
• poindexter
• wallflower
• study group
• catalogue
• the library
• book room
• collection

I am personally leaning towards "Library". Let me know what you all think. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Bronson: "Brand Me"

Subculture: New Wave/Romanticism, cross with more contemporary Indie Music movement.

New Romanticism; peaked in the UK during the 1980's, developing in London nightclubs and associated with numerous UK based bands during the 80's. The fashion culture of New Romanticism Movement reflects the tempestuous and dramatic style of the artists of 18th and 19th century Romanticism.

(above: a napoleonic and romanticism inspired range from Dolce&Gabana)

Totems-Rabbit, Fox and/or Elephant Shrew

(Interesting Facts:The Elephant Shrew: Elephant shrews are not, in fact, shrews. Recent evidence suggests that they are more closely related to a group of African mammals that includes hyraxes, elephants, sea cows, aardvarks, golden moles, and tenrecs. Elephant shrews take their name from their long pointed head and very long, mobile, trunk-like nose. Long, slim legs and characteristic hunchbacked posture give them the appearance of a miniature antelope or perhaps a tiny pig with a long tail. A gland on the underside of the tail produces a strong scent used to mark territories. This musky smell apparently serves as a deterrent against many carnivores. The checkered elephant shrew is a swift runner, and can make leaps of almost 3 feet. Its keen senses of sight, hearing and smell alert it quickly to danger.-and it is SO CUTE!!)

link to the African Wildlife Foundation; details on elephant shrew: http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/elephantshrew

Symbols: I want something defining, elaborate and imperial like a crest (shield ordained with crown, aniamls and flora, etc).

other possibilities:-

• a Napoleonic Lancer/Hussar
• personal silhouette

Colour

designed by myself on http://www.colourlovers.com/

Historian Style: The emotional and dramatic artistic style of French Romanticism. The collection will be very much based on those strong, rich and emotional colours used by artists in Romanticism; with clothing based on the enlightenment and glory of Napoleonic Military Uniforms crossed with the imperialism and pride of french sailor uniforms and the Victorian fashion trend of sailor suits.

Age Group: young adults 17-30

Gender: Male

Season: Spring/Summer

Product Range:-

• pants/skinny jeans
• shirts/tees
• shoes
• hats
• accessories. ie:bags, belts, scarfs, sun glasses

Potential Brand Names

Bronsonian Empire

Elephant Shrew

I AM ORANGE!!

Pygmalion et Galatée

Foxes in Suits

United States of Cupboards and Draws

Idiosyncratic

Saturday Monarchy

Princes of August

Black t

Neo Dorky

I'm personally tossing up between "Bronsonian Empire" or "Saturday monarchy". If my fellow bloggers could suggest which name they like more out of the list, it would be most appreciated.

create a brand profile

Something to consider in preparation for next terms wearable unit. Whilst on term break also take the opportunity to visit clothing retail outlets and observe, the point-of-sale, the visual techniques involved in the naming, packaging, displaying, promoting, appearance of a range of apparel products and shop layout/fitout etc.This brief will also integrate with Lis Walton's class Interpret brief where you will be designing the graphic visual identity of your label. In Spatial design with Stacy you will be designing the interior of the shop exclusively selling your label.

PART 1: THE BLOG- YOUR INTENTION
You have been sent an invitation to a new blog for you to make a 200 wd post with 5 appropriate images. Please read and answer the following to create a profile for your clothing label.

"Style is central to subcultural identity, and clothing and body adornment are the most visible emblems of membership signifying loyalty to kindred spirits and exclusion to the world at large".

Consider the above and the personality of your clothing label.
e.g. The American Pig Brand (APB) concept is a direct reflection of the remarkable and often excessive qualities of American culture. APB celebrates large Sport Utility Vehicles, 24 hour drive-thrus, pre-approved platinum credit cards, and other distinguishing characteristics of American life. APB has potential to portray both positive and negative views of the exceedingly prosperous American lifestyle.

Define and describe your potential market for your clothing label by answering the following questions.

1.Subculture?
Name 1-2 (Hybrids of two subcultures allowed.)

a social group within a national culture that has distinctive patterns of behaviour and beliefs. e.g Punk, Ballroom Dancing, Skating, Psychobilly, Trance, Burlesque, Grid Iron, Ping Pong, Fruits, Surfing, etc

2. Totems?
Name 1-3

An emblem consisting of an object such as an animal or plant; serves as a symbol of a family clan. e.g. snake, dragonfly, griffin, scorpion, shamrock, rose, fleur-de-lis, lotus, peyote, saffron, thistle, cedar, sycamore, yew, coral, cowrie, scallop, scarabs, doves, frogs, centaur etc

3. Symbols?
Name 2-3

An arbituary signs (written or printed) that has an acquired a conventional significance e.g arrow, cross, star, wheel, elements, dragons eye, swastika, anchor, trident, feather, key, shoe, web, mermaid etc

4. Colours
Name 5

significant palette list and swatch 5

5. Historical style
Name 1-2
what influence e.g. Byzantine, Soviet, Maori, Pop, Egyptian, Celtic, art nouveau, 1950’s, Art Deco, Japanese edo period, Post Modernism, Bauhaus, Rococo , Renaissance, Contemporary Asian,

6. Age Group?
Name 1

7. Gender?
Name 1

8. Season?
Name 1

9. Geographical Distribution?
Name 1-4

10. Social, Pollitical or Environmental aware?
If so what issues rattles you the most. List 3 (optional)

11. Define the products in the range.

12. Types of fabrics?
e.g. natural, synthetics, blends, woven, knitted, metallic, textured, jacquard, lace etc

13. Name of your brand?
list 15 potential names.

14. Anything else you need to tell?

due 28/07/09