Future Intelligence & Future Consumer Project
Goals: Investigate Brand,
Visual Brand Report Supported by Data,
Market Development Proposal.
BRAND RESEARCH
(chosen brand, scroll midway) PAUL SMITH - WESTBOURNE HOUSE
ANDERSSON BELL- ONLINE
CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN - HARRODS
BRAND 1- Andersson Bell
Andersson Bell is a Seoul based brand inspired by Scandinavia and Korean Streetwear which started in 2014. Over the years Andersson Bell has found massive success in Korea but more so in overseas markets. Through mixing two very contrasting cultures into their fashion in a very well thought out, logistical manner, yet being insanely contemporary and connected to the creative process behind their garments.
Price
When looking at the prices for Andersson Bell's products we can see that the ones made in South Korea are of better quality as the price is higher. Which must mean materials are much higher quality and the process much more lengthy. Compared to the entry level products such as the beanie which must have been imported, which are still high quality, but have much more of a simple process, as they're likely made within factory.
https://www.ssense.com/en-gb/men/designers/andersson-bell
https://www.ssense.com/en-gb/women/designers/andersson-bell
WEBSITE
Usually the Andersson Bell website is a treat for customers to visit as the layout is always new and exciting. Unfortunately I visited their website and found the layout was too complex that it wasn't able to load the website. This is a shame from Andersson Bell as typically it is very well designed and user friendly. Relating their focus on design with contemporary art and nature to the website.
ANDERSSON BELL MIND MAP
INSTAGRAM
From looking at this collaboration we can see Anderson Bell is becoming more prominent within popular culture. Specifically fashion culture, as Asics are a very "in" brand in this time period, being worn by the young 'fashionistas' as well as athletes. Also this collaboration is very fitting in my opinion as both brands focus on the technical design aspects of their products. This technical focus appealing to the hiking fashion movement which is currently happening within the industry. Therefore is effective as two very prominent brands within the industry causes conversation, which is also a good marketing tool as consumers then share the brand on social media.
STORE OPENING
The store is; Brutalist, Minimal and has hints of nature throughout. This reflects the brands ethos of having a focus on design whilst being inspired by nature with colours and materials. The brand constantly tries to mix two contrasting environments, yet make them compliment each other.
BRAND 2 - CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN (Harrods)
Knowing Louboutin's personal history is very important to truly understand the brand, as from an outside perspective, a man designing sexy clothing for women is strange. But being raised with three sisters and working in Boutiques in Paris, it is clear why Louboutin has focused on 'celebrating' women and their 'nuances'. Also it gives insight into why anyone would want to buy into Louboutin, because of his personal heritage within this specific part of High -End Boutiques, being extremely experienced within the field.
https://eu.christianlouboutin.com/uk_en/la-maison-christian-louboutin
It was clear after visiting the store what the whole brands ethos aimed for, which was the notion of celebrating women. The store came across as sexy, with use of red velvet on the mannequins which were really long legs and no body. Attention being drawn to the luxurious shoes. The store included a chandelier which was a piece of art, made entirely of glass. The sales assistant kindly informed me it was designed by Louboutin himself, just like everything else within the store. This amazed me to how much his creative input goes into the brand, down to every last detail. I felt catered for even though purchasing a product was not my intention.
From the store visit my insight into what the Louboutin customer was much clearer. The majority of customers were women with their husbands, typically already wearing designer. When asking the sales assistant on the reason people come into the store, she let me know it was typically for couples buying gifts. As the brand comes across as very luxurious and sexy, it makes people feel good when being gifted a Louboutin product, as it makes them feel the same way. I'd say the customers of Louboutin range from Generation X to the Millennial generation, as they've hit the peak of their career.
There weren't any younger customers within the store, or any from Generation Z. The Louboutin customers I'd say may work within the financial/business industry, as they like to treat their partners with expensive gifts, were the luxury and status of the item feeds into the narrative of the product.
WEBSITE
Minimal with slightly darker red details, maintaining the brand image throughout from the store, into the online space. In my opinion the website could be a bit more flamboyant to replicate the store, maybe with full bleed images of the products which scream luxurious boutique within themselves. As Louboutin has a say on every aspect of the physical store's creativity, design. The website should be the same, making the brand image stronger.
For example a full bleed image such as this one is a masterpiece within itself in showing the ethos of Louboutin. The angle of the camera with the styling of the shoot give the impression of long legs, with the shadows casting perfectly to create a toned, sexy look. The position of the models on the bike (suggesting they're sweaty), showing a lot of skin suggests a spontaneous sexy scene. The pops of colour bring the viewers attention to the products, which is complemented by the rest of the imagery. Truly giving the image a Louboutin feel.
Louboutin offers customers entry level products, specifically within the beauty section. This means it offers the luxury of their products to a wider audience, as they can make more sales in volume, rather than one item. On the other hand, their main product lines are the other end of the spectrum, ranging from around £400-£2000 for a pair of shoes. This is where the true focus on the brands heritage is clear, offering their long time customers the highest quality Parisian boutique women's shoes on the market.
POP CULTURE REFERENCE
Having someone so influential within the music industry rapping about your products is one of the most successful ways brands nowadays are propelled into popular culture. This keeps Louboutin relevant in the eyes of the youth, having their idols talk about the brand. This creates a reputation in which the connects to a younger generation, being able to adapt with the times.
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/designers/a12774913/christian-louboutin-cardi-b-bodak-yellow/
https://footwearnews.com/2020/business/awards/cardi-b-fnaa-2020-style-influencer-year-1203080667/
BRAND 3 - PAUL SMITH
(CHOSEN BRAND)
PAUL SMITH before his fashion career was a very keen cyclist, one day he was involved in an accident. Being in hospital for six months, he made new friends, who introduced him to a pub focused in art and design. Here he decided to join the industry.
Opened his first store in Nottingham in 1970 in a 3x3 meter room. In 1976 released his first menswear collection. The brand has now grown to 130 shops around the world, and is a staple in the British fashion industry.
https://www.paulsmith.com/uk/info/company-history
WESTBOURNE HOUSE STORE, PORTOBELLO
When entering the store, I felt it truly reflected Paul Smith's design ethos, and reflected the brands values. The store stock ranged from; menswear, womenswear and homeware. Offering the consumer Paul Smith's design ethos in every aspect of life. When looking at the products in store the products quality was a very high standard, reflecting the brands status as one of UK's leading fashion brands. Also the products throughout the store screamed 'creativity' and in my opinion the inspiration from life itself was transparent. For example the pillow which can be seen below has been inspired by nature, but the quality of the weaving of the pillow is evident, even from a distance. Also the very contemporary candle holders on the left, which the colour looks like it's from a dusk sky in a woodland. Making the product authentic to Paul Smith.
Looking around the store it gave an insight into how the typical Paul Smith consumer leads their life. Being a large print of an Air Balloon flying across a desert with the signature stripes. On the right of the print, is a sunglasses stand offering a range of prescription sunglasses which look stylish and elegant in a range of different colours. This tells me their customers may enjoy travelling in style, rather than in a gap year way. Therefore hinting they are older with more disposable income. They like to think of themselves as older 'fashionistas' who have an interest in experiencing different cultures, and may have an interest in art.
LOCAL COMPETITORS
When looking at where their Portobello store was situated. I noticed nearby were many Clothing shops specifying in formal menswear. Also this specific area of London does have more upmarket feeling. Which feeds into the stores imagery. The architecture of the area, range of galleries and being situated near Notting Hill/Portobello gave an insight into the type of customer the brand is looking to attract.
When looking at PS store locations in Britain, we can see they are only based within major cities of the north, such as;Manchester and Liverpool. As he must stay competitive with other brands within these smaller cities. But many more in London. Suggesting his customers are of wealthier being in Central London, and that there is much more competition in the capital fashion wise. But the main point being in the centre of the ever changing British culture of the capital to stay inspired and to evolve with the culture.
Looking at his store locations of Europe, the main focus seems to be France, another fashion, art capital of the world. His presence seems to stay within places where art is a prominent part of culture within society. Which is why it is surprising there isn't any stores in Barcelona or Spain in general. Also these locations in Europe are prestine places to travel on holiday, hinting a Paul Smith customer may enjoy traveling around Europe.
https://www.paulsmith.com/uk/stores
https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/paul-smith
WEBSITE
RECENT PRODUCT RANGE
The recent product range uses tailored cuts, which compliments the wearers body. The tailoring aspect of the brand showing through whilst staying fun energetic through the use of bright and earthy colours. His signature stripes make an appearance a lot and are still as exciting as ever. The products make the customer feel proper but comfortable and sophisticated at the same time. Using the high quality materials throughout the collection.
In my opinion it is clear to see that Paul Smith's focus is in menswear currently, therefore I think pushing into the women's market could be effective.
Prices range from £60 for a t-shirt to £2500 for a Shearling Aviator Jacket.
Offering entry level products with quality, but still expensive to the average consumer for a basic item. Also very high quality items which consumer would trust because of Paul Smith's heritage.
Here we can see how PS attempt to cater for their customers, at no further cost. Offering a 'Monogrammed Gifts' service, allowing customers to treat a special someone to a personal Paul Smith gift. All of the products available are entry level prices for the brand, ranging from £65-£200.
All the items are accessories and not main collection items. Therefore makes a customer feel catered for without needing to spend a large amount, even offering 'free returns' and 'Click&Collect'. The Men's section is much larger as it is typically women purchasing a small personal gift for their husbands.
https://www.paulsmith.com/uk/monogrammed-gifts
https://www.paulsmith.com/uk/discover/collaborations/adidas-stan-smith-manchester-united
Here we can see Paul Smith's influence in the UK still today, especially in the menswear industry. Recently their collaboration with Adidas Stan Smith sold out instantly. Both of these brands specifically in Britain are very popular amongst football culture due to their extremely deep history and gaining popularity around the peak time in the 80's for football hooligans and their focus on menswear.
As we can see people today are conscious and aware of this history, especially in the local market of Manchester, where following a football team is religion. Paul Smith and Adidas have been extremely successful in tapping into a local consumer market with this collaboration.
This collaboration with Stan Ray in my opinion is an attempt from Paul Smith to target a younger consumer, specifically young creatives aged 20-30 years of age. Who may have an interest within streetwear fashion, skateboarding.
Preferring a more skater sub-culture fashion look, yet are aware of Paul Smiths heritage within the fashion industry. Two heritage brands from different cultures within the fashion industry would be very attractive to this kind of consumer base.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc2awVOrzeI/
POP CULTURE RELEVANCE
In this recent campaign by PS we can see their push into staying relevant within popular culture through the use of new wave of social media influencers. In this case Francis Bourgeois who gained fame for his train-spotting videos on Tik-Tok and Instagram which also have comedic value. He is now known to be a national treasure in the eyes of Gen Z. Bourgeois shot into fame in less than two years, being picked up by many different fashion brands along the way, creating amusing content whilst wearing their products. This new form of marketing is very successful in connecting a heritage brand with a new generation of consumers within a local market.
https://www.paulsmith.com/uk/discover/collections/ps-paul-smith-happy
https://www.instagram.com/francis_bourgeois43/
INSTAGRAM TAGGED
https://www.instagram.com/p/CkLTS-KuILU/
GQ styling Daniel Radcliffe in a Paul Smith Stripe turtle neck
From looking at their recent activities on social media, specifically Instagram. We can see PS are attempting to attract a younger generation of customer, specifically Gen Z. For example using Daniel Radcliffe, another icon in British pop culture, which Gen Z have grown up watching Harry Potter. Collaborating with a very popular photographer on Instagram who is also involved within fashion pop culture is a very good way of creating positive noise for the brand.
https://www.instagram.com/sweetcian/
Below we can see an example of an artist from Leeds being inspired by the Paul Smith stripes to make a piece of contemporary art. This shows the influence of the brand through its heritage within Britain. People not only from the fashion industry appreciating Paul Smith's work, but from other creative industries, such as Fine Art. His influence transcends many different cultures and industries due to his mass appeal through being inspired by life.
Also this is organic positive noise for the brand. Especially through Instagram using hashtags, such as "#leedsart". Whoever follows this hashtag will see this artwork and be reminded of Paul Smith. Showing the true power of social media on maintaining brands relevance in todays society in general.
Being the reason the brand is now targeting a younger generation of consumers as their voice on social media is much more powerful and engaging.
