evieloyfcnu-blog

[evieloyfcnu-blog]

The Importance of Fashion Media

  Fashion media plays a crucial role in the fashion industry today. Given the current significance of fashion journalism, fashion photography and fashion film, it would be foolish to deny the importance of fashion media. 

What catches your eye in a magazine? Would you stop on a white A4 page filled only with 11pt black text? Or would you stop at a page that has had the beauty of the clothing and the model captured perfectly by a camera? Fashion journalism and media work together to create something beautiful. Would anyone buy magazines if they were just page after page of pictures text? Would anyone watch a clothing television ad if it was just information subtitled against a plain black screen? 

Fashion media brings fashion to life in the way the designer wanted it to be seen. Fashion media, to me, is the method by which the designer communicates their inspiration and vision when creating their garment. It communicates in a way that words can’t, it evokes emotion with no barrier. Every person with the ability to see can understand fashion media, language is not an issue, neither is intelligence nor social class. 

Every aspect of fashion is made better through the existence of fashion media, it improves the communication from designer to manufacturer and journalist to reader. It links us all together, I find it really beautiful. Fashion media has great importance to me.

[evieloyfcnu-blog]

What Does the Future Hold for Retail?

It is impossible to deny that the shape of retail is changing. There is a very clear movement from the brick and mortar shopping style to a more online based method of shopping. Consequently, retailers are needing to rethink their business strategies in order to keep up with this more modern and technologically advanced way of shopping.

There are two ways to look at this change. You can see it from the point of view that technology plays a disruptive role in retail, or from a position that views technology as an efficient, easier and modern way of operating in the retail industry.

New technologies have revolutionised how many aspects of the fashion industry moves. With new technology and transitions to a world of e-commerce, there is the added ability to analyse the interactions of your clientele more precisely. Data analytics and social media are a huge help when trying to make business decisions, through these platforms brands are able to see specifically which group (or groups) of people they appeal to most. If 70% of your brand’s online shopping website viewers are girls aged 18-24, then you know exactly who your brand is relating to and also who you need to try harder to attract.

In my opinion, the brick and mortar shopping style is not likely to die out any time soon. Although it is fun, convenient and time saving to be able to order your clothes from your bed, it will never replace trying clothes on in store. I often online shop but when I do, more often than not, I end up with at least one item that doesn’t fit right or that doesn’t suit me. This is why, despite the many advantages of online shopping, I do still enjoy going into stores and having that certainty that what I buy will look how I want it to.

I think that the ideal shopping situation would be a store in which you pick out the clothes online, they’re brought to you and you are able to try them on in store. Almost a hybrid of e-commerce and brick and mortar. This would avoid the time consuming task of searching through heaps or disorganised clothing, whilst also avoiding the ambiguity of online orders and the “Will it fit me? Will it not?” guessing game we all play when shopping online.

[evieloyfcnu-blog]

Trend Forecasting

Who decides what you wear? Is the control ever really yours? I remember clearly the first time I ever really thought about this. I was watching The Devil Wears Prada, the iconic scene where the editor in chief of Runway magazine comments acidicly on how the fashion industry has chosen the clothes Ann Hathaway's “too mature for fashion” character is wearing tracing the garment through from its design house to the second hand clothes bin from which she bought it.

The serious point is how fashion shapes consumer choice. Fashion forecasters work for companies trying to predict trends. To do this work, fashion trend forecasters study market conditions and customers' buying behaviours. They evaluate designer collections, are they having market traction or failing to engage? This can mean analysing market data, statistics and socio-economic factors.

Above are some of the stand out trends for 2018, in my opinion. 

[evieloyfcnu-blog]

PR Self Evaluation

The PR module has been a journey on which I have gained an important insight into how PR can be seen as the soul of the relationship between the business and its consumers.  

So, where was I at the start of the journey? Eight weeks ago, I had no clear appreciation of the conceptual and practical difference between PR and advertising. I was unaware of the significant level of strategic thought and financial investment that lies behind the PR strategy of any successful business.

Now I have discovered how PR builds brand credibility and communicates brand association to consumers and that it achieves this through using the media and other unbiased channels to present the brand in the desired commercial light through the lens of independence.

So what exactly have I learnt along the way? I started by researching what PR is and where I should go to find it. I was taken aback by the complexity and subtly of PR strategy. Whereas advertising can lead to the customer feeling manipulated by the brand due to the immediate nexus between the brand and the point of sale, PR can help build longer term relationships with the consumers based on trust and desirable brand associations. PR does this by connecting the consumer with the brand at a subconscious, emotional level. In this way PR softens and contextualises advertising which might otherwise appear crude and exploitative. PR therefore provides a stable platform for advertising to operate in a more overtly sales-driven way softening the kerching expedience of advertising aimed directly at the consumer.

So much for the theory, what have I learnt which will be of practical value to my concept pitch for The Bowes Museum? I have learnt that facts and features are not a strategy. The current selling points include a 2-year old exhibition and a visit from Prince Charles. Not enough to set the pulse racing. I have used the methodologies of PEST, SWOT, PESO  and AIDA to analyse how I might help the Bowes Museum to achieve its objectives of a sustained increase in footfall with a broader appeal. There is a lot to be done. Currently the museum mainly appeals to families with young children and to pensioners. The strategic objective is so become an internationally renowned museum with a broad-based appeal.  

I have also learnt about the different methods used by business to handle their PR. There  are PR agencies and in-house teams to help companies deliver their PR Strategy. This is not only the positive PR image that the business wants to promote, PR also needs to be alive to all aspects of the company’s business. Corporate reputation is fundamental in the modern global world. I have discovered how PR can add value in crisis management such as modern slavery in the Nike supply chain. More recently local bank Virgin Money have reported on their 38% gender pay gap, but the PR message has been to report the gap early and provide visibility around their commitment to closing the gap by 2020.

Evie Loy

[evieloyfcnu-blog]

Six Stunning Significant Fashion Illustrators on Instagram

“Fashion Illustration is the art of communicating fashion ideas in a visual form that originates with illustration, drawing and painting and also known as Fashion sketching.”

Lets start with Lena Ker (@lenaker). She has 82,700 instagram followers for her beautiful account where she posts her sketches of all the best looks from the major fashion houses such as Gucci and Balmain. She is a Russian-based illustrator whose work is stunning, simple and sophisticated.

Blair Breitenstein (@blairz) has a very unique style of illustration, her work is chaotic but clear and her pouty sketches have more attitude than most models strutting down the catwalk. She has an impressive 109,000 followers on instagram including Arianna Grande and the editor of Vogue, Edward Enninful. Her signature style never fails to stun her audience.

Meagan Morrison covers a variety of illustrating mediums from pencils to paint which showcases everything from runway looks to celebrities sitting front row. Known on instagram as @travelwritedraw, she has 150,000 followers on instagram and keeps then regularly entertained with her 2,244 posts. Her work is vibrant and eye-catching.

Donald Robertson (@drawbertson) boasts perhaps one of the most distinctive fashion illustration styles of the moment. You could spot one of his pieces from a mile away. The illustrator has fun with fashion and has skilfully encompassed collage, colour blocking and rough paintings into his illustrations. He currently has 200,000 instagram followers including model of the moment Cara Delevingne and Christian Louboutin. He has 8,617 posts and is a regular user of Instagram.

Megan Hess (@meganhess_official) is another impressive fashion illustrator, her client list ranges from Chanel to Dior including Tiffany’s, Prada and a long list of other prestigious designers. Megan embodies fashion in her glamorous and girlie sketches. Her instagram is crisp and clean with impressive sketches and a splash of pink. She has 348,000 instagram followers and it is very clear why, Olivier Rousteing the creative director of Balmain and Fendi follow this account.

Kate Rodger’s (@paperfashion) illustrations can only be described as a work of art. She combines watercolour, sequins, beads, lipstick and even leaves in her work which bring a creative and fresh new vibe to the fashion illustration table. She had an incredible 654,000 instagram followers including Valentino and Ariana Grande. Her original and captivating take on Fashion illustration is a breath of fresh air.

I highly recommend having a flick through each of these illustrator’s pages. I have found them inspiring and interesting and I’m sure you will too. 

[evieloyfcnu-blog]

The Cost Behind the Cost of Your Clothes

Have you ever stopped and wondered about the origins of your clothes? How were they made? Whom were they made by? I know it’s not something that regularly crosses my mind.

Perhaps if I were older, with a more flexible budget I would pass more of my time in more expensive and exclusive shops. However, I am a 20 year old university student who is completely dependent on their student loan so my shopping capabilities tend to be limited to only the high street brands. I would say at least 75% of my wardrobe is from Zara.

Studying fashion (and therefore being a fashion enthusiast) I struggle to keep myself away from the shops for a bit of “innocent browsing”. When I walk into a shop and first lay my eyes on all the items of clothing, my initial thoughts are how great that top would make me look or how much more stylish and confident I would feel in those baggy jeans. My primary reflection upon the clothing is completely self centred. I think in hypothetical terms about what the clothes could do for me. I am completely overwhelmed by the mass of garments that are in front of me, the brand new, cutting edge outfits that I convince myself I “need”.

Given the low price point, I rarely manage to leave a high street store without at least one small item. When that blouse looks so good on you and is only £9.99 you’re practically making money, right? I never stop to think about the price behind the price of these high street items though. How can a brand possibly make money when selling their pieces so cheap?

I discovered the dark and horrifying truth after watching the documentary “The True Cost” one evening and it truly changed my perception of the fast fashion industry.

The documentary highlights the contrast between the glorious fashion houses in which the clothes are designed, by beautiful people, drinking their expensive coffee, who woke up wondering whether to wear their Balmain jacket or Burberry coat and the appalling conditions in which these poor and malnourished women work, in old, badly structured and dangerous buildings, working obscenely long hours, who woke up wondering whether they would be able to feed their children that evening is eyeopening. It exposes the gut-wrenching truth about the facilities in which these people are forced to work.

Im afraid to say, you haven’t even read the worst part of this horror story. 5 years ago, the most tragic garment manufacturing disaster in history occurred. On 24th April, 2013 the Rana Plaza collapsed killing over 1,100 people and injuring more than 2500. Not only were the workers of this building underpaid, deprived of rights and forced to work in disgusting and inhumane conditions but this awful job cost these hardworking people their lives.

These people are not just numbers in a newspaper. They are just like you and I, only their basic human needs failed to be met and consequently, they have passed away. Maybe rethink about that blouse next time. Sure, it looks great and yeah, it’s a real bargain. But at what cost? Whose rights to strike were lost so they could knock a few pennies off the price tag? Which health and safety regulations aren’t being met so that the brand can save a couple pounds? Whose life was lost so you could get that item for under £15? Is it a bargain now? “That will be £15 and the lives of 50 Bangladeshi women” doesn’t have the same ring to it in my view.

[evieloyfcnu-blog]

Feminism Through Fashion

Although feminism was portrayed through fashion as early as the 1800s, my review of feminism through fashion will begin in the 1920s with what one source described as “the bobbed hair epidemic”. If you’re struggling to picture this, think Great Gatsby. Women of the 1920s considered getting rid of their hair one of the “many little shackles that women have cast aside in their passage to freedom”. Although a hair cut in itself does not suddenly signify liberation, it did signify an allegiance to the “modern way of being a woman”.

Then came the 1930s and the rise of the, still classic, Chanel two piece suit. As stated in Vogue, Coco Chanel herself had women’s desire for a more relevant place in society in mind when designing this staple. Her creation of the iconic two piece took the timeless English masculine look and made it feminine. She may not have given women a seat at the table, but she dressed them for such a seat.

Jumping forward to the 60s, where it was out with the long, dull, victorian shapes and in with the new, quirky mini styles. Mini skirts and dresses not only denounced the dated version of what was “socially acceptable” for women to wear but also allowed us to redefine our sexuality as women. Although Mary Quant is often recognised as granting women “the mini”, she states that it was in fact “the girls on Kings Road” who invented the mini. Although initially scandalous to the average parent, it permitted women to move from their traditional, sexist, stereotypical rolls to the creation of a new identity for themselves.

Now for the sassy 70s. Diane Von Furstenberg drew inspiration from Claire McCardell and came out with a wrap dress for both the working girls and the Park avenue princesses. Another item that was viewed as a signifier of the liberation of women. Diane herself stated that her idea for this “easy access” dress came from her thought that “if you’re trying to slip out without waking a sleeping man, zips are a nightmare”. This revolutionary statement and ideology really empowered women and created a whole new ambience around the word “womanhood”.

Finally, the 80s slogan. Vivienne Westwood and Katherine Hamnett really brought attention to the slogan T-shirt and its affiliation with the feminist movement. Since then, the idea of wearing a political message has not dissipated. Recently the Fawcett Committee paired up with both Elle and Whistles for their “this is what a feminist looks like” campaign. In October 2016, Dior’s first female creative director Grazia Chiuri sent a slogan T-shirt down the runway with the words “we should all be feminists” written across the front. Feminism through fashion has truly stood the test of time, being able to wear what you believe in is not only empowering but it also allows you to spread your message with ease, grace and in a pacifistic manner. So why not invest in one? Whether you splurge on the £490 Dior shirt or spend £6.62 on a SheIn “feminist AF” white tee, feminism will never go out of style, so consider it an investment.

[evieloyfcnu-blog]

About Me

What I’ve Learnt...

At the age of 16, I moved to Paris. I was thrown into a new city, culture and way of life. I learnt sophistication, dedication and ambition. I determined a new appreciation for my surroundings, the importance of taking in everything and how essential it is not to take the little things for granted. Walking down Rue du Bac I realised how crucial it is to get out of your head and into the moment, I acquired a distinct attitude that allowed me to put my needs ahead of the social norm. I promptly took a year out of school and learnt French which gave me the time I needed to explore the most incredible city in the world, make unforgettable memories and be at one with myself.

Upon moving back to Newcastle, I feel I have been taking a few steps backwards. When I initially returned to school here I allowed the little things I had learned to ignore to get me. I stopped putting myself first and starting prioritising the feelings and opinions of others over my own. I became the stereotypical “trying to fit in” girl. I allowed others to knock my confidence, make me feel unworthy and to push me around. I became a doormat, my generosity was abused, fake friends walked in and out of my life as and when they pleased which resulted in me feeling lost.

So far 2018 has been good to me. The most important lesson I’ve learned in my life is that the phrase “treat others how you would like them to treat you” is not something to live by. I would like to be treated with respect, kindness, loyalty and generosity, however that is not how I have been treated. There are people who have taken everything they possible could from me, stood by silently and watched me be bullied, given nothing back to me and flaked away when they felt like it. Should I continue to treat them with nothing but kindness and devotion when I receive nothing beneficial in return? The answer is no.

I have learned to look out for myself again, put myself first and to stop taking negativity from people. If you aren’t being treated well by your friends or your significant other, then the best advice I can give you is to cut ties. I learnt the long and hard way that people don’t change. I have realised that the only person who will prioritise me, is me.

The best thing I have ever done is to cut all ties and leave myself temporarily with no one. It sounds scary and at first it is but the best way to surround yourself with all the ingredients necessary to make happiness is to start from scratch. Whoever is willing to help build you up from your lowest point is someone who cares.

[evieloyfcnu-blog]

The Sustainability Issues The Fashion Industry Is Facing...

Due to a recent and dramatic growth in the fashion industry, the need for raw materials and sweat shops is higher than ever. In the last two years people have bought 400% more clothes than they did previously. This number is ever growing.

Where do the clothes come from? We are quickly draining the worlds resources with our constant need to be on trend. Now, being on trend might not be such an issue if there were only 2 seasons. However, currently there are approximately 52 seasons per year with new clothes hitting the high street stores every week.

How do we expect to keep up with this increasingly high demand for raw materials and manual labour? There have been many tragedies and tragic statistics in recent years due to the growth in the fashion industry and the effects its having both socially and environmentally.

The Rana Plaza collapse paired with the 250,000 suicides by cotton farmers in India speak for themselves. The demand is too high, people cant keep up with traditional methods therefore corners are cut, profits are prioritised and the origins of your clothes forgotten about.

The cotton farms in India are being repossessed on a daily basis, the farmers cant afford to produce at the speed level required by big corporations within the fashion industry and as a result of this are losing their livelihood.

The environment is suffering, there are tons upon tons, piles upon piles and heaps upon heaps of clothing taking up huge amounts of space in landfills. These materials are exuding toxic, damaging chemicals into the air. These fabrics often aren’t biodegradable so they will sit there for over 200 years killing the planet slowly but surely.

How does the knowledge of the fact that your clothes will out live you and continue to harm this world long after your gone make you feel? It really hits me hard. I struggled to get my head around it at first, I almost found it sickening. I know that these brutal and heartbreaking facts have urged me to think twice before I next tell myself I “need” a new dress or jumper.

[evieloyfcnu-blog]

My first Pictorial, showing my experimentation with fashion photography. 

Eva Rankin. Styled and Shot by Me. 

[evieloyfcnu-blog]

Introduction to the Fashion Industry

Through 50 of My Favourite Quotes 

"Don't be into trends. Don't make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live." —Gianni Versace

"What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language." —Miuccia Prada

"Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life." —Bill Cunningham

"Fashions fade, style is eternal." —Yves Saint Laurent

"Fashion is very important. It is life-enhancing and, like everything that gives pleasure, it is worth doing well.” —Vivienne Westwood

"Fashion is what you're offered four times a year by designers. And style is what you choose." —Lauren Hutton

"Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak." —Rachel Zoe

"People will stare. Make it worth their while." —Harry Winston

"Fashion is like eating, you shouldn't stick to the same menu." —Kenzo Takada

"The joy of dressing is an art." —John Galliano

“Buy less, choose well and do it yourself!” ― Vivienne Westwood

“Create your own style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.” ― Anna Wintour

‘Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.’ – Coco Chanel

‘If you can’t be better than your competition, just dress better.’ Anna Wintour

‘The difference between style and fashion is quality.’ – Giorgio Armani

‘Fashion should be a form of escapism, and not a form of imprisonment.’ – Alexander McQueen

‘You cannot fake chic but you can be chic and fake fur.’ – Karl Lagerfeld

‘Style is when they’re running you out of town and you make it look like you’re leading the parade.’ – William Battie

‘I don’t design clothes. I design dreams.’ – Ralph Lauren

‘I don’t do fashion. I am fashion.’ – Coco Chanel

[evieloyfcnu-blog]

Dolce & Gabbana F/W 2013

[evieloyfcnu-blog]

16, 17 & 18

16, 17 & 18

At age 16, in 2014, my family and I relocated to Paris. At this age, the most important thing was fitting in and, if you were lucky, being deemed cool. These two things I was never skilled at. Starting over in a new country makes you realise how much of who you think you are is a reflection of others. The revelation was overwhelming, too much for my insecure 16 year old self, and resulted in a mission to discover who I am.

 At age 17, I dropped out of school, started to learn French and went looking for my true self. Little did i know, I was to find it on rue de Sèvres, only two streets away from my apartment, in the Givenchy concession within Le Bon Marché. Everyday I walked to my French lessons, at Alliance Francaise, and on my way home I walked back via Sevres Babylone to visit my new favourite place. Paris is certainly not the worst place to be when trying to find yourself, it has culture, art, music, museums, landmarks, attitude and, most importantly for this story, fashion.

Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche is home to 16 fashion houses, one of which is Givenchy. The Givenchy area was immaculate, it always looked so perfect. Every bag was sophisticated, every item of clothing was smart and every shoe was perfectly crafted. I would wander around everyday eyeing up the black Antigona bag, catching the light like the Seine between the Eiffel Tower and Trocadero. It was my first experience of love at first sight, my first encounter with high fashion.

I never payed much attention to Haute Couture. I knew it was expensive, I’d heard of Chanel, but I was still blissfully unaware that Balmain, Bvlgari and Balenciaga were three separate brands and not a mispronunciation of the same one. I soon discovered that there is more that differs between brands than their names. After a few trips window shopping in Le Bon Marché, I had an unquenchable thirst for viewing more clothes, shoes and bags. I had found my passion.

In 2016, I returned to Newcastle. The effects of following fashion were noticeable, similar to those of a drug. From the weight loss to the psychological obsession, I was truly addicted. Fortunately, unlike a drug, the effects of fashion were positive. For the first time in a while I took pride in my appearance, I had something to look forward to doing every night, from watching fashion shows to simply scrolling through net-a-porter, I found something that without fail brightened my day everyday. It gave me purpose.

On my18th birthday, I knew the present i wanted. It had to be Givenchy, my first love. I decided on the blue medium Nightingale. It was slouchy, not trying too hard. Wearable, yet still unique. Delicate, but bold in appearance. I see a lot of myself in this bag. It gives me confidence, it picks me up when I’m down. 2 years and many handbags later, my Givenchy nightingale means no less to me than it did when I first removed it from its box. This is more than just a bag. It has its own identity, it signifies my true self and reminds me never to sway from that.

[evieloyfcnu-blog]

How PR influences me

PR stands for public relations, it is all around us. If you aren’t aware of it, you will most likely succumb to it. It aims to subtly make connections between you and a product on an emotional level, resulting in you desiring this item. For example, Youtuber Desi Perkins recently did a sponsored video with Olay. I am a big fan of her channel, she covers everything from make up tutorials, to fashion, to skin care. Being a very beautiful, funny and successful young woman, it is clear why she is an idol to so many.

Her video (sponsored by Olay) saw her recommend their new facial cleanser to her viewers as part of her daily skin care routine. As a viewer of her channel (and being someone who would love to have her complexion) I bought it. This form of PR is the most effective on me. I relate to this person and associate them with beauty. I consider them to be knowledgeable on items like this. I will now associate perfect skin, style and make up with this item.

I find commercials involving celebrities to be fake. I wouldn’t go out and buy a product based on that because I see through it. I find it too perfect and scripted for me to connect with or to consider it to be even vaguely genuine.

In my view, the most long-term desired things seem to be designer accessories. Designer brands have worked for years using the principles put forward by Bernays to create a feeling exclusivity, superiority and class around their products. They have associated these feelings with their brand making every item, no matter how pricey, desirable. Although heritage has helped with these associations, PR plays a large part. These designer items are often sported by people of importance, celebrities, models or other high profile influencers all of whom have a cult following of people ready to purchase whatever they can to buy into their idol’s lifestyle.

When I wear a designer bag, it makes me feel organised and it gives me a sense of confidence. I feel like my bag almost protects me from other peoples judgment. I do not get the same sense of togetherness when I carry my possessions around in a Sainsburys bag. The innate sense of style possessed by certain brand names makes me feel effortlessly chic.

One final way I am definitely effected by PR is sales. If something is on sale, I suddenly desire it. I feel as if, because I am getting a deal, I am obliged to buy the product. In Zara last week, I bought a pair of jeans I definitely did not need purely because they were on sale for £9.99. If they were full price I guarantee I would not have even considered buying them, however, because they were on sale I felt as if I was getting an unmissable deal.

In conclusion I think PR has a huge effect on me. The most effective ways brands connect with me are through knowledgeable, trustworthy bloggers and through the feelings associated with certain brands’ names. I know I am buying into a marketing scheme, but the feelings these products give me are real. I know that carrying my nice bag will make me feel more confident, powerful and ready to achieve. Although it would be lovely to feel this way without an accessory, it is a small price to pay for a drastically different outlook.