Thought For The Day

2 months down, 2 to go

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BPSFW

Last weekend saw the second British Plus Size Fashion Week event take place in London.  The event saw 25 pop up stores and 4 fashion shows across the two days with retailers like ASOS, Pink Clove, Yours Clothing and Evans showcasing clothing for their Spring/Summer season. 

As my final major project is centred around the plus size and petite industry, the plus size industry has become a major part of my every day research and the promotion of this industry is not only important to my project but it has become important to myself. After all the hype that has been surrounded around the images of the perfect women over the past years, recent campaigns by companies like Dove have shown real women who are representative of the average women who now dominates our society. It makes me proud to think I am trying to further this industry through my concept, that this topic is so relevant to the modern day and my concept is answering needs of customers. 

Images: BPSFW

'Bouyant New Look'

Having worked with the teams at New Look head office during my placement, I am always keeping an eye on the companies progress. When I joined New Look for my 10 weeks they were undergoing a rebrand as they look to become an even more prominent part of the high street shopping experience in the UK. The rebrand involved everything from new concept stores to a new logo and a stronger focus on more fashion forward product.
This weeks Drapers reported that New Look has taken market share from competitor giants like H&M, Marks & Spencer, Topshop and Topman showing that all of the hard work is paying off. Revenues for New Look group were up just over 5% to £1.21 billion helped strongly by christmas trading period where ecommerce sales shot up a staggering 65%. This just shows me how much a change of aesthetic can dramatically impact on consumers and their perception of a brand.

Adding to this New Looks' Spring/Summer Lookbook for womenswear looks effortlessly elegant. Products look well designed, on trend and beautifully made with a hazy effect over the imagery giving the feel of more upper end high street than the price points that New Look offer. The company is proving itself as a key trend focused brand, and a I have extremely high hopes for the future of the company.

New Look Spring/Summer 2014 Womens Lookbook

Images: Verstylehouse

Indie Investment: Real Examples

Reading my Drapers edition this week, I stumbled upon an article which seems perfectly timed to my current academic life. The article, by James Knowles titled 'Right on the money' is solely focused on five different independent fashion brands and financially how they started and expanded their business. The article highlights the belief, which most of us do believe, that banks won't lend to small businesses and how in truth this isn't the case, although it does seem more likely a route for further investment. The retailers shown in the article include Trunk Clothes, Purple Menswear, Young Ideas, Concept Clothing and Dapper M and Dapper W. Interestingly three out of five are independent menswear retailers. Investment included bank loans, private funding as well as self funding with many putting in savings to achieve their dream business.

This article was so appropriate to my project I was undertaking and reading how other businesses had set up represented the opportunity that their actually is for start up businesses in this current time. The main message I got from the article was, in truth, that dedication to ideas is the main reason that drives a business and belief in the future of the business. Evoking this to banks and lenders passionately will be rewarded with investment to recreate the dreams that were dreamt at the beginning. 

Image: Authors Own

Petite Picks

Being a petite, I am constantly looking for new products that have been brought out in the petite range. But although there are many retailers who now offer petite ranges, the amount of product out there specifically designed for petite women is still lacking in numbers of products compared to standard ranges. But I have found a few of my top picks from Topshop and ASOS petite for this week...

 Topshop Petite Textured Bodycon Dress

£24

Topshop Petite Linen Mix Stripe Tee

£18

ASOS Petite Exclusive Top in Abstract Burnout 

£36

ASOS Petite Structured Waffle Knit Dress

£45

ASOS Petite Exclusive Wrap Skirt in Crepe

£35

Topshop Petite Tile Flocked Treggings

£28

All images taken from retailers websites

London Town

Last weekend I took a trip to one of my favourite places.. London! 

Having spent 2 months there interning last summer, I love being in the city with such a busy lifestyle, riding the tube and seeing all the inspirational sights.

This time, being a lot colder I packed my trusty Topshop Pink knitted jumper and ASOS chelsea boots as well as my H&M coat to see me through the weekend. We went to the ICEBAR, enjoying cocktails in ice hollowed out glasses all be it wearing a furry poncho that was always going to be too big on me. The London Eye and Madame Tussards were all packed into the weekend as well as a meal out at Fire & Stone in Covent Garden. A great restaurant which serves pizzas inspired by places around the world. 

Coming from a countryside home, London is an escape for me to a different way of living where you almost feel as if its never to early to be up or too late to be awake as you see countless other people who are doing exactly the same. There is always something different on offer every time you visit and now it is such a multi ethnic city that everywhere you turn a different language is being spoken. I feel this is driving our capital to new heights encouraging expertise from all walks of like to set up camp there creating extreme unique concepts, opportunities and outcome... and I can't wait to be a part of this in the future. 

Images: Authors Own