insideguap-blog

[insideguap-blog]

Merry Christmas everybody

Today is the official start of our Xmas break. We'll be back in 2 weeks.

-the leak-

[insideguap-blog]

The tides of change

While the majority of the GuapGroup team have been focusing on setting up GuapGive, lots has happened with their clothing operations. The new insideguap team will do a December retrospective in the new year but we can briefly go though some of the major events

3rd Dec - The first official GuapGroup t-shirt and jacket were made and given as a birthday present to QG’s little sister

5th Dec – The launch of the street collection was delayed until 16th Dec due to collection continuity adjustments

10th Dec – Heat press issue forcing production to be halted

12th Dec – Studio a/w14 street catalogue shoot turned into test fitting

14th Dec – Lead models selected and model selection policy radically changed

15th Dec – Heat pressed fixed

17th Dec – Heat press issue, forcing a hybrid Slick – SuperClean collection to be made

 19th Dec – Asos shoot for a/w14  Slick-Superclean hybrid collection

20th Dec – New launch date across all platforms 10th Jan

21st Dec – Official 2 week Xmas Break

-the leak-

[insideguap-blog]

Parting of the ways

GuapGive has grown a lot faster than anybody expected and at the moment has more staff that the rest of the other 3 entities of GuapGroup combined. Therefore the decision has been made to let GuapGive forge its own path to greatness.

Technically GuapGive has been on its own path for a while now, with its different legal structure, different funding sources and different codes of conduct practices. But in addition to that, we the original insideguap team will transfer over to GuapGive full time so we can focus on the launch and from 2014 the new additions to our team will be solely responsible to document all GuapGroup (and some GuapGive) related stories.

-the leak-

[insideguap-blog]

Going Public

The policy for this blog has been to find the correct  balance between informing staff across the group, educating students  and retaining a competitive edge over competitors. Currently to find the balance we’ve remained private but in a public place. This has been achieved by using very specific tags like ‘girlguap’, ‘guapguys’, ‘cut’, ‘brand’ and ‘cloth’. These are words which are very unlikely to be typed into search engines allowing the group to decide who get access.

However features next coming up next year dictate the blog goes more public. Whether this means a new blog being created or finding a way to limit certain posts, the decision hasn’t been made yet. All they know is during their kickstarter campaign next month and in April when it goes public to students, the blog in its current form will still be used. In May however, when certain high publicity events occur and the existing dominant forces in the market start paying attention, it may not be smartest move to broadcast future plans, vital market research and operation protocols to the world. That being said, we happen to know the founders love it when they can broadcast exactly what they are about and when they are going to do it, but still have competitors powerless to stop it. So expect this to be a recurring issue in q1 2014 while they decide.     

-the leak-

[insideguap-blog]

Back to the Garments (while we were away – Guap Day)

It’s been a big week for the GuapGroup team with a lot of changes that have occurred. To start with Nelsen Mandela’s death was a rather sad note. There was a day of reflection, but things for the team move fast and we and everybody else was back working Friday night.

A day of reflection was introduced as there are only 3 people on the planet which CG looks up to, Warren Buffett for his self-belief, the Dahlia Llama for his wisdom and Nelsen Mandela for his ability to be better man and an example for the world.

There were discussions about putting off the launch but that would lead to vast problems being created for the new 2014 schedule. Therefore the Thursday and Friday following thanksgiving will still be ‘Guap Days’ but the Thursday will be more focused on stories that inspire hope. GuapGive will have a more active role on that day and also setup an award show. The Friday will remain as planned and be the big ‘Guap Celebration Day’   

-the leak-

[insideguap-blog]

XI Alpha

So far in this blog, we’ve talk very little about the parent company. This is primarily because the GuapGroup universe is self-contained enough to have its own dependence. But the fact is the founders are all part of XI Alpha so it’s influence can been seen throughout the business. GuapGive for example, there is a distinct focus on progress through education and the systems that will be used will be XI Alpha systems. GuapVision will be completely using XI Alpha technology and resources. The core principle of ‘getting money’ by working smart whilst leading a life of leisure is a core XI alpha principle also.

As we are working on GuapGive, we have met the majority of the XI Alpha team and managed to get an understanding of how they see GuapGroup from their corporate point of view. They don’t see it as an entity under their control, instead they see it as more of cooperation. To them XI group (the master parent company) is the entity and XI alpha is smarts while GuapGroup personality. Separately their both strong but together they are mighty.

So who do we work for? We are part of the GuapGive project but not part of GuapGroup. We’re in a strange position where we’re outside the internal corporate structure and are part of a division which is difficult to explain. Using an astrophysics analogy though, XI Group would be the universe, XI alpha would be a galaxy, GuapGroup would a solar system, GuapGroup subgroups (GirlGuap, GuapGuys and GuapGive) would be planets. We are the equivalent of an external entity that lives in some parallel universe with different rules concerning space and time. We can exist anywhere in the XI universe but can just as easily leave the universe.

And yes in the last two posts we have talked astrophysics and cybernetics in a blog which is meant to be about garments. Which in reality, is part of the reason why we talk very little about anything above GuapGroup.

-the leak-

[insideguap-blog]

Guap, a person

Another question we were asked during the Birmingham school visit was ‘how are the decisions made for what areas the business gets involved in’. Perhaps another thing we should have covered in origins also.

The answer is very simple, it’s not market research, copying competitors, following trends or random decisions. The founders view GuapGroup as person, not just legally but in aspect of what they do. They don’t call it GuapGroup or GirlGuap or GuapGuys, to them the business is a genderless being known as GG. All the business activities are viewed as aspects of GG’s personality. GuapGive is the charitable trait, GuapVision is the world through GG's eyes, the collections are the 3 main looks GG uses for while it doing its hobbies that are music, fitness, swagger living and making money. GG also has phases like any other person, perhaps it goes through a sport wear phase or a suit phase or an ironic phase. GG has idols also which are known to everybody else as ‘Classic Guapers’.    

Every decision that is made from music, types of shoots, investments, graphics, etc, is made from the point of view of GG. If GG would be into something then it gets approved, if something wouldn’t suit GG no matter the possible financial gains that would be forfeited, then it gets rejected.  

GuapGroup’s parent company XI Alpha is working on small scale cybernetics research projects and is paying close attention to GG and it’s decisions.

-the leak-

[insideguap-blog]

GG imperial

Last week we were asked why the nickname ‘chief Guaper’ was chosen. In truth we probably should have done a feature on it during origins week but seems like it escaped our minds.

Chief Guaper was chosen to represent being the leader of a little movement with the equilivant size of a small tribe. The name is meant to stay in place during the startup phase and after the business is fully operational, the nickname will change to King Guaper. With the logic being the scale of operations will have grown from a small band of individuals to a kingdom. After the first fashion year when the 12 full girlguap and guapguys collections have been launched, the retail locations have been setup, brand awareness has dramatically increases and GuapVision has been fully integrated with ‘the platform’, GuapGroup will receive imperial status. The final nickname for the head of guapgroup will then become Emperor Guap. This title will then be used by every head that runs the business for all time.  

-the leak-

[insideguap-blog]

Changes

Over this last week we’ve been conducting interviews for GuapGive, before that we were in Birmingham getting funding and this week we’ll be selecting our first group to sponsor. Our busy schedule led us to conclude that there is just not enough time to get everything done. To help lighten the load, we’ve recruited 4 more members to the leak team. We will continue to be cover all guapgroup related stories with a focus on guapgroup and guapgive, while the other leak members will focus exclusively on girlguap and guapguys.  

-the leak-

[insideguap-blog]

RIP Nelson Mandela

All operations across the entire XI Group are suspended until further notice. This includes XI Alpha, GuapGroup, CMTV and BluSky

-Chief Guaper

[insideguap-blog]

GuapVision

Continuing the drive to prepare content for the platform (still patent pending), GuapVision has been commissioned for GuapGroup. GuapVision will launch in early February and will feature short videos related to the Guap principles of music, fitness, money and swagger. In addition to the short videos, there will also be full length shows.

The first show is designed especially for the kawaii line, will have a run time of 28 minutes and seasons 1 will consist of 4 episodes. It will feature interviews, performances and include features designed to educate and inform the masses about the wonderful world of kawaii.

The second show is a music quiz show where UK university students partake in various rounds to see who has the most knowledge of a certain genre. The show will feature general knowledge rounds and identifying music video. As well as naming songs from the original samples and a complete the lyrics round.

The third show is weekly business show where industries are investigated and viewers are invited to take a behind the scenes look at what it takes to break into certain fields. The show will also look at what it’s really like to work in certain organisations and the quality of life of the employees. Each show will end with the GuapGroup strategy for entering the chosen industry featured. Filming is already underway so we can reveal that the 4 industries covered will be Beauty, Modelling, DJing and Baking.

The fourth show is a fitness show called Jamnastics. It features the latest and retro dances accompanied with the freshest sounds. The show starts by walking the audience though dances, then introduces a beat making it possible to get your grove on while getting your cardio on.  Each show has theme and the chosen themes are classic hip hop, house, basement and 50s Americana.

The first two seasons of the above shows will be available on YouTube then in summer they will make the switch to the live streaming channel on the platform. We’re told the group considered a catch-up service on YouTube with a month delay or something similar, but due to the technology that will be used on the platform, the filming and production methods would have to shot twice (one for the platform, on tradition video). This has just too many financial and time impacts so previous episodes will be available on the platforms VOD service.    

-the leak-

[insideguap-blog]

The GMC

The GMC is being setup to provide original  material for services hosted on the platform (current patent pending) thus strengthen brands, allowing more control over preparation and avoiding copyright issues all together. The GMC will use 2 types of systems, traditional and partnerships.

The traditional system sees individuals signed to paid 1-2 year contracts and receive training, financial backing and full support from the GMC. Traditional has more of a long term view such as getting a number 1 hit in a certain country or being the lead model for 2 seasons. Individuals in the traditional system get a base salary, then bonuses and appearance fees for various tasks.

The partnership system is much like sponsorships. Individuals work with the brand for specific products for a short amount of time. Partnerships will mainly be used if there is no more space on the rooster or if they can’t see enough benefits to sign them exclusively.

-the leak-

[insideguap-blog]

The GMC

As mentioned earlier, the reason GuapGroup was started was due to delays in patent applications and the resulting shortage of funds. There are 3 patents being applied for, 2 clothing related 1 technology related. The technology related patent is for a new type of platform which will host various media related services both for education and entertainment. As the patents draw closer to granted status, attentions have started shifting towards the platform launch.

In light of the patent progress, the GMC which is a GuapGroup business, has been given the go ahead. The GMC stands for ‘the Guap Management Company’ and will in effect manage music artists, models, graphic artists, actors, presenters and rising sports stars.

-the leak-

[insideguap-blog]

Since We’ve Been Gone

For the last week we’ve been in Birmingham as part of the team working towards securing funding for GuapGive. It was the first occasion (post the mass flu epidemic of late November) where everybody was together again. Luckily though, everybody returned with full health this time round.  

We can proudly announce that we have secured funding for a year and also added a new member to the board who will sit alongside our team and the QG. The whole process actually only took 2 days and after that time the majority of people left to focus on the launch. However we stayed behind to take part in enterprise day at an academy in Aston. Officially that was the first act of GuapGive, which aims to inspire and provide support for under 25s.

More details about the day to be released in February  

-the leak-

[insideguap-blog]

It’s A Floater

The founders have decided to switch to a floating date for launch instead of sticking to December 1st. The new launch date will be on the 4th December.

There is some logic behind the move, using a system which uses a certain day of a certain week is more convenient for releases. Thinking about their 2014 launches, their street collection will launch early Sept, slick collection early Oct and kawaii collection early Nov. But then late November will see a hybrid collection mixing styles of all three A/W14 styles. So the proposed schedule for 2014 is:

24th Nov – hybrid collection

28th Nov – Black Friday sales (30%+ discounts in stores)

29th Nov – Cyber weekender (30%+ off outlet collections)

1st Dec – Cyber Streetday (50%+ online discounts street collection)

2nd Dec – Cyber Slickday (50%+ online discounts slick collection)

3rd Dec – Cyber Kawaiiday (50%+ online discounts Kawaii collection)

4th Dec – Guap Day (event day 1)

5th Dec – Guap Day (event day 2)

8th Dec – Christmas run-up (12 days of xmas start)

20th Dec – Christmas Holidays (3 Weeks)

This means that every year from 2014 this will always be their winter schedule and the weekdays will always be fixed with the dates floating.

-the leak-

[insideguap-blog]

The Issue (Plan B)

The issue: going slowly is a problem because it puts a lot of pressure on the release dates and they are already 3 months behind schedule

The solution: Release the street collection for both GirlGuap and GuapGuys on December 5th then:

December 16th launch street-slick transition line

December 18th 1 week till xmas sale

December 20th last shipping day guaranteed before Xmas

December 21st Xmas break (2 weeks)

January 6th GirlGuap Slick launch

January 10th GuapGuys Slick launch

February 3rd GirlGuap Kawaii launch

February 7th GuapGuys Kawaii launch

-the leak-

[insideguap-blog]

A is for Average, B is for Branding

"Plan B has to always win. My philosophy is we are always smarter tomorrow than we were yesterday. A lot has changed in these 2 weeks, but it was the being unable to work on the present which made us focus on the future.

That future thinking made us consider how we can maintain the traditions, which are being created by us right now, for future generations. When you think along those lines, you quickly then realise tradition is everything when building a lasting brand. Everything we do right now is writing history and no matter how big the business gets, how much it diversifies, how many of the founders move on to different projects, the traditions will remain always."    -CG

-the leak-