Years ago, labels such as Yves Saint Laurent and Prada started offering “diffusion lines”. Diffusion lines are brands that are more modestly priced in order to reach a wider target audience. An example of a diffusion line would be Miu Miu, a subsidiary under Prada, with much more affordable options for luxury handbags and accessories.

H&M and KENZO collaboration, Nov 2016

However, it seems that having diffusion lines is not enough to meet the demands of the mass market consumers. They are not simply looking for cheaper alternatives to luxury brands, but rather, a mass distribution of high fashion goods, and the idea of obtaining prestige without the price point.

Collaborations with fast fashion brands make luxury brand items seem more affordable as they will be sold at fast fashion pricing. It is then no wonder that fast fashion and luxury brands collaboration have continued on longer than diffusion lines. H&M has been collaborating with high street brands since 2004 till now.

Mass market and high street fashion brands collaborations not only appeal to consumers, but also the brands themselves. There are plenty of benefits in such a collaboration. The influx of media attention would create a buzz for both brands involved, among both new and existing consumers. Through the collaboration, both parties are able to reach out to a wider range of audience – which they would otherwise not have been able to reach with, with their own label.

It is a win-win situation for both parties. Luxury brand buyers would be exposed to fast fashion brands, while fast brand buyers would be exposed to luxury brands as well. Furthermore, as collaborations only last for a limited period only, ranging from a few weeks to a few months, it adds on to the allure of the collaboration. The idea of the collaboration items being limited-edition further spurs sales and creates a sense of scarcity of the goods and the value of the products.

To meet the demands of their customers, the retailers would usually put their products for sale online as well. Here, they would be able to employ a “bait-and-switch” sales tactic, where consumers would go online to search for a certain collaboration item, with a chance that they may check out their shopping cart with more than what they had initially set out to get. It is also worthy to note that products of a collaboration would be priced slightly higher than the typical products produced by the mass-market retailer themselves.

With the positive effects of having a high street fashion and mass market collaboration would also have its downside when customers assume that the same level of artisanship that has gone into making brand products have gone into making the collaborated products as well. The brand may have a say in the design process and development, but will usually be unable to have a say in the production processes, which would be done by the mass market retailer. In such cases, there is only a false sense of luxury and no quality assurance behind each item.

Stars Ann-Sofie Johansson, Kendall Jenner with designer Giambattista Valli

The latest collaboration between H&M and a luxury brand happened just this May, where H&M collaborated with Giambattista Valli, Italian designer and couturier. The pre-collection was revealed at the Cannes Film festival where stars Kendall Jenner, Chiara Ferragni and more walked the red carpet donning pieces from the collaboration. The actual sales in store would start on the 7^th of November.

From collaborating with luxury brands such as Roberto Cavalli, Viktor & Rolf, Comme Des Garcon, Jimmy Choo, Versace and many more since 2004, the positive track record has allowed fast fashion retailer H&M to stay relevant, even among consumers of luxury goods, and has helped to bridge the gap between fast fashion and high street fashion.

Article Credits:

Photo credits:

This article is written by:
Melinda Lau
School of Fashion & Design

Tie-dyeing was popularised in the 1960s by the hippie movement, also known as the counter-culture era. Western teenagers who protested against mainstream norms and practices, turned to creativity as a means to express their displeasure and angst.

One of the popular trends that arose during this era was tie-dyed garments. These bright coloured garments were a way to stand out from the crowd and make a statement. Tie-dyed garments became synonymous with the hippies, as a result.

The hippies were also known to be rebellious and outspoken in nature, and it was due to this that tie-dyed garments were often associated with bad company.

Gone with the bad reputation at present day, tie-dyed garments are back in trend and paraded down many runways. Tie-dying is also a that is seen as cool, organic and unique as no two prints will come out exactly the same. Big brands are also seen hopping on the bandwagon.

Look from Prada SS19 collection

In this look from the Prada SS19 collection, a single pink colour dye is being used to accentuate a white dress. To take the dress to the next level, creative director Miuccia Prada has opted to embellish the tie-dyed areas with black trinkets and beads, adding a funky element to what would have been a cute and girly style.

Look from Proenza Schouler SS19 collection

With the use of different fabrics such as denim and cotton, the use of blue tie-dye helps to give the look an elevated sense of cohesion. The baggy silhouette of Schouler’s look also pays homage to the hippie generation.

Justin Bieber sports a tie-dyed hoodie from his own fashion label, Drew House

Pop icon Justin Bieber has also caught on to the tie-dye trend. His own fashion label, Drew House, only produces tie-dyed items. Most of the items on his site are often sold out instantly upon release. Celebrities such as Ariana Grande has also been seen sporting this look.

With tie-dyeing back in trend, will you be creating your own tie-dye anytime soon?

This article is contributed by Melinda Lau.

Source:
http://www.fashionencyclopedia.com/fashion_costume_culture/Modern-World-Part-II-1961-1979/Tie-Dye.html#ixzz5ok00ZYFZ
https://groovyhistory.com/the-art-of-tie-dye

Image source:
(Tie Dye/Front Image) https://www.joann.com/tulip-tie-dye-party-kit/15009442.html
(Prada) https://www.vogue.co.uk/shows/spring-summer-2019-ready-to-wear/prada/collection
(Proenza Schouler) https://www.vogue.co.uk/shows/spring-summer-2019-ready-to-wear/proenza-schouler/collection
(Drew House) https://thehouseofdrew.com/collections/shop

Figure 1: Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme SS12

The Figure 1 above is a runway shot of a model wearing wide culottes that closely resemble a skirt. To the uninitiated, wide culottes might be a metaphor for a skirt. In reality, the cut is a specific hakama pants worn by Japanese men in the field of aikido made famous by Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of traditional Japanese art of aikido (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Traditional Aikido Clothing

These common terms appear in fashion retailers online as it is necessary to catalogue and define the garments they stock for the ease of the consumer. Any process of cataloguing requires categories (Cabonero, 2013) and when those categories are binary and leave no room for vagueness, there is no allowance for anything that falls out of the specific categories. This categorisation causes designers to design within set boundaries, rejecting the categorisation will invoke creative outcomes like the ones produced by Kawakubo. Yamamoto has managed to find a middle ground that appeals to his market while keeping garments uniquely deconstructed.

For the Spring/Summer 2015 season, Yamamoto designed garments that were able to tie and cinch with rope and strings. For the runway, the rope and strings were let loose and the garments looked like it was falling apart as seen in Figure 3. It was in essence a story of a woman coming undone in a sensual way. The ornaments dangled while revealing parts of the body.

Yohji Yamamoto

In Figure 4, it is seen that his illustration style involves only the key essentials of his design methodology being shape and silhouette. Every other detail is taken out, button placements, a face, hems and even the existence of layered garments. The notion of the garment itself is bare, it could be a figure wearing an overcoat standing sideways or a figure wearing a dress holding on to a walking cane with the left hand. This ill-defined illustration allows Yamamoto to be flexible in creation. If the ‘Evaluation’ stage of the Basic Cycle of Design claims properties have to be compared with the corresponding desired properties in the design specification (i.e. from illustration to final product) and in doing so, there should always be differences and it more often than not excels in making the product creatively unique (Roozenburg and Eekels, 1995). In doing so, Yamamoto has created unique garments that while follow a structure, unlike Kawakubu, still introducing a unique flair.

This experience has certainly boasted their tertiary education after going through the industrial demands and requirements set by the company, i-13 Concept. It was especially challenging as they had to design autumn/winter womenswear for the young and trendy living in China.

However, with the feedback and constant guidance provided from the industrial partner and lecturers, they were able to complete the desired number of designs within the proposed deadline and to showcase their capabilities.

Ms Carine Tan, Deputy GM of i-13 Concept commented:

“What clearly stood out during the collaboration was the tenacity each student possessed. They took our feedback seriously and made the necessary revisions after each consultation session. The leap in improvement was apparent when comparing the final designs to the initial ones. Your students should all be very proud of their work.”

And to further motivate the students, three winners and two consolation prizes were awarded by the company, and their designs will be produced and sold across their online platforms in China. Congratulations to all the 5 winners!

In this way, the creative process is heightened as it allows for one more point of innovation. In his autobiography, My Dear Bomb (2010), Mr Yamamoto explains the complex conceptual persona of him as a designer. He affirms sketches are just to convey general mood and that there is no need to fill in the real details. “In some of these sketches, with just a few quick lines, I might even outline something like a wild bird” (Yamamoto, 2010). If the illustration includes a face, a hairstyle, fancy shoes and so on, it means the job of the pattern cutter becomes a literal transition. In doing so, he stops defining terms, the basis of designing.

It is not just terminology that is problematic but the need to define garments using existing linguistics. As we categorise garments with preexisting terms, the term itself induces presumptions about the form and function, subconsciously or not. This eventually will limit opportunities to step outside these boundaries and therefore restrict the chance for creative exploration. A pencil skirt, for example, has strict design features and methods of wearing. Even if we are not using the term to refer to any specific piece of clothing, ‘skirt’ as vague as it might be has a very strict and specific concept. It has specifications that we take for granted, such as a possible vent, zip closures and waistbands. It also has cultural and gender connotations being suitable for someone of a female gender. By merely categorizing a probable design as a skirt, we dictate form and function without even knowing. In this way, this proves the idea of linguistic determinism by determining our perception and response to a garment.

Yamamoto, using his Japanese cultural knowledge while showing to a mostly western audience has seemingly negated terminology. Whilst the terminology for Yamamoto exists in his own way, the western audience would not be familiar at first hand.

Indian consumers remain the region’s top mobile shoppers for the second consecutive year, with 76% having made at least one purchase through their mobile phones in the three months preceding the survey.

In China, mobile shoppers remain a close second at 71%, followed by Thailand at 65%. More developed markets like Japan, Australia and New Zealand are relatively less active.

Digital wallet adoption rate now stands at 22% for Asia Pacific consumers. More than 10% of Asia Pacific consumers also make use QR code payments now. The most prevalent use of QR code payment is in China, where 42% of consumers are on-board with the system.

Consumers have moved from being one-device users to one-app users, as there is more demand for seamless payment experiences. This highlights a need for greater collaboration between public and private sectors and industry players.

The Mastercard Mobile Shopping Survey covered 14 markets (Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam). A total of 8738 consumers between 18 and 64 years old were polled online.

Customer Experience (CX) has now become a key differentiator for top brands and can make all the difference between a retailer’s success and failure. Businesses are now recognisning the need to increase their efforts across various customer touch-points and pay more attention to localising customer-management initiatives.

Here are 7 tips on improving the CX for retailers.

‱ Respond to feedback

Do not ignore customers. Consumers hold responses on their feedbacks to the company in high regard. They are unlikely to support retailers that do not respond to their feedback.

‱ Fix it the first time

One of the top frustrationsconsumers have are when they have to ask for the same information multiple times, and not having issues resolved the first time.Retailers need to prioritise and minimise the amount of effort customers need to go through to have their issues resolved. This can involve additional training and the empowerment of frontline staff in resolving customers.

‱ Make customers believe

Be sure to let your consumers know you are listening and acting on their feedback. This makes customers feel valued and the service delivery personalised.

‱ Invest in the online experience

Online processes and offerings help retailers become more efficient. Social media platforms must also be maintained and attended to as the platforms are now a popular medium where customers interact with businesses.

‱ Be one easy call away

While customers are more open to online channels for services and feedback, brands should still make it a point to have their phone numbers readily available in case customers feel they need to contact the organisation.

‱ Put security first

Customers do not always “see” your security, but want to know it is there. Walk the fine line of having publicly accessible information about the company’s security measures without revealing too much information to potential data thieves.

‱ Balance technology and the human touch

While technologies offer efficiency, companies need to understand that the human touch is still important to customer experience. Companies must balance appropriately make use of technology or the traditional human touch across all their touch points.

With these 7 tips in mind, retailerscan avoid being caught in the “experience gap” – the gap between the experience brands believe they are delivering and the experience their customers actually receive. Creating a positive experience for consumers is the key to customer acquisition, retention and even promotes their brand through word-of-mouth.

It is no secret that millennials like to share almost every aspect of their lives on social media. This translates to them shopping more since they do not want to be seen in the same outfit too often.

Top local fashion blogger, Viola Tan, also the founder of Love.Bonito; constantly uploads fashion and her lifestyle pictures to establish her brand and associate Love.Bonito as a trendsetter in Singapore. Fashion School for many local millennials, they look up to Viola as she not only possesses the looks; but also have the brains to build a successful entrepreneurship. Loyal followers, like many others, will comment on her posts to establish a connection.

Social media is something that almost everyone today owns and uses. You might be deemed as “outdated” if you are not using it. One is usually expected to be comfortable with the platforms professionally as well. This is hugely evident on local job search portals where you’ll see plenty of job opportunities looking for social media professionals in the fashion industry. Social media is a key channel for brand building and engagement with customers nowadays and businesses need to maintain their social media presence.

Social Media and e-commerce will continue to flourish in the Fashion industry. Many people still tend to be easily influenced by personalities in the online space and they aspire to be like them. Although it may seem to not make sense for people to lose their individuality and follow blindly of what is trending just to “fit in”, it is an undeniable force that social peer pressure is a powerful and major driver for the boom of digital in the Fashion industry.