Birthday Dress.

Pretty Vintage Dress.

...

In contrast to the muted colour palette featured heavily throughout their vintage lines which predominately relies on toners and darker tones of burgundy and mauves, their standard lines feature colour pop brights in terms of their graphic patterns. They do however, implement toners to allow their garments to be easily wearable by their customers. Now established, their prices have become considerably higher coinciding market penetration and expansion plans. Their prices generally range from £15-£58, in which controversially, their vintage line is priced considerably lower than their standard line which starts from around £25 for a lightweight jersey tee. They are however comparatively average, applying a square deal price quality strategy. Price is generally dependant on fabrication, manufacturing and exertion, however they use various compounds of mineral and synthetic fabrics like cotton and viscose, whereas the use of more luxurious fabrics are more apparent within their vintage lines. In terms of fit, vintage products are micellaneous and unpredictable, a very risky element to the overall brand coinciding the fact that, because they are hand picked and rennovated, they are non returnable.

Visual Merchandising

 The Visual Merchandising techniques and window displays featured in Motel are very select and inspiring in consideration of their market dominance status and as an aspiring market challenger. In such a niche vintage market sector however, they are strongly competing against leaders of that market, for instance, Urban Renewal, featured within Urban Outfitters and most conspicuous in online vintage boutiques. The segmentation strategy Motel use refers to that of a concentrated approach in their offers of a direct mix to those relevant to the target market. However, it is noticeable that the customer base who purchase their vintage line are reputably different to those purchasing their standard garments – according to the store manager, Hannah,  the majority of their sales in the Bristol store come from the vintage line with customers who aspire to the standard range purchasing from concessions within other stores. This could however be due to the location of Motel in comparison to the shopping centre, Cabot Circus, in which most people use as a shopping destination. Though the store is relatively small and boutique like they adopt a mixed floor plan, directing customers to the back of the store and encouraging them to try garments, thus reducing the post purchase evaluation. In terms of visually presenting garments, they are hung on wooden hangers at varied height from showcases and hanging rails along the walls, as well as on circular rails in the middle of the floor plan. Coinciding this, garments are folded on wooden merchandise units and counters alongside wardrobing techniques which feature garment displays thrown across the units with relative vintage accessories to preview outfits without influencing customers too much as they are perceived to know their own mind and style.

Their windows represent their vintage products and authenticity, using mannequins to give their customer a visual representation and materialistic idea of how garments will look. Coinciding this, an old, victorian styled wardrobe is used, featuring numerous fad style garments, again displaying their individuality and vintage exemplification. In combination with the lack of photography and barriers implemented into the store window, thus allowing passers-by to view all aspects of the store from an external picture, this will potentially help in attracting new customers, as well as existing ones into the store. In reference to the in store environment, it is similar to that of Urban Outfitters, in contributing a very industrial feel by featuring both internal and external brickwork with wooden, unfinished floors. There is strong photography in terms of promotion of the brand, with pictures of celebrity influences, flyers presented from music gigs and festivals, vintage and art fair leaflets etc., of which are featured behind the till areas and throughout the changing rooms.

Service

When walking into store you are instantly greeted by the member of staff stood at the till, dressed to suit the Motel customer profile and vintage persona. They are completely styled from hair and make up to accessories in order to suit the store environment. However, this is also used as a marketing and promotion technique, by giving customers a basis upon how they should dress, thus attracting them further to purchase their products. Due to the small nature of the business, there are generally only two staff members per day working within the store, one of which are in management and are, in an opinion, some of the most easily approachable and informative people working in any high street store at current. When served, there is a great aspect of general communication between the customer and staff member, who seem to realise exactly when to hold an intriguing conversation and when to consist in serving as quickly as possible.

Store Appeal

The store is situated in a key location for the student population, on Park Street alongside numerous exclusive and high end stores, a predecessor for the relatively new designer complex of Quakers Friars within Cabot Circus. The stores location does however rely on customers to travel, thus consuming a loyal customer base. Upon visiting the Motel store, loud, alternative music was played, accompanying the whole store atmosphere and representation itself. The store is very compact with garments situated everywhere throughout combined with accessories and vintage accessories. Garments are not specifically presented immaculately, however the way they are thrown together and compacted onto small rails suits the overall vintage feel of the store, contributing towards the boutique charity shop chic appeal. Garments are enhanced by spotlights, drawing consumer attention to saleable items as well as creating a constructive ambience throughout.

Verdict

Motel’s product offering, coinciding the price of their products are generally unbeaten by competitors amongst the vintage sector, undercut profoundly by charity shops, as would be expected. Prices are however, potentially indifferent to those offered by Urban Renewal, who too offer vintage dresses at an entry price of £25, compared to Motels £15 Sonya and Jean dresses. Quality on renovated and vintage garments are commonly unconcerned through various brands and therefore it is dependent on the brand to offer it at suitable prices in relation to their price architecture. As Motel offer their eclectic mix of vintage clothing at a reasonable price it would potentially be a cheaper option for their target consumer, especially when taking into consideration that the majority of their consumer regard the student population. However, as a new and small business they are currently still undertaking expansion plans, most recently into the USA and this could potentially increase price in the future.

Motel shopety shop report and that.

I literally love Park Street more than life. It's edgey, peaceful and full of very "cool" people and places. The architecture is amazing, as much as I hate Bristol University (a lot of the students, anyway,) it is pretty astounding. This one hill is like being in another world, it's so different to the rest of the city centre. Amongst the generally beautiful buildings a collective of Banksy graffiti work is also apparent - standing out immensely amongst the ancient style structure!

It's packed with quirky vintage boutiques and American style thrift stores, as well as high end brands. Coinciding this, there are some incredible restaurants, small coffee shops and awesome grimey bars and dingey nightclubs that just epitomise the existance of student culture in Bristol.

In a way, I suppose it reminds me of being in London - really busy but really peaceful, all the same!

And so, with an assignment requiring numerous competitive shop reports, I took this as an excuse to visit Bristol, comparing Urban Outfitters with Motel (and taking liberties on the shopping front, to analyse customer service, naturally.)

A small company started in the heart of Bristol and most recently causing commotion and establishing a household name through globalisation into Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and most recently the US, Motel is quickly becoming the go to brand for conspicuously quirky musicians, fashionistas and celebrities alike.

A brand driven by uniqueness and diversity, they follow suit of American thrift stores, accentuating vintage colours, styles and well-crafted pieces in order to offer 18-25 year olds products that celebrate the female silhouette. They hold numerous outlets throughout the UK, operating only one standalone store in their native city of Bristol, of which they stock their complete range of house garments as well as their renewed and renovated vintage range, stocked rarely. However, most impressively, they are at current holding concessionary channels in both Topshop and House of Fraser. Motel are considered fashion adaptors and innovators, appealing to the more insistent customer who will always shop at Motel and are routed to the brand due to their extensive product offering and off the mark one off vintage pieces that cannot be seen anywhere else. They too are predictable in terms of social class due to their appeal to attract certain customer bases referring to students. It would therefore be effective in measuring parents on the social class strata as this medium is primarily the source of student income, thus attracting those of the lower middle class (C1) and skilled working class (C2) as well as the working class (D) due to their vintage products – though expensive, they are potentially reasonably priced compared to other vintage shops in and around the Bristol area. . Coinciding this their customers generally fall into primary reference groups due to their central location – their customer have day to day contact with the store and with the student population in Bristol located principally in the centre, they are regularly visited by them on timetable breaks, shopping trips etc. However, their customers also fall into a dissodative reference group due to their attraction towards unique and diversified products in comparison to other high street brands, thus wanting to make a statement by displaying their individuality.

They too take a very distinguished approach when marketing the brand, and due to their lack of a bricks and mortar retail presence throughout the UK, in conjunction with Urban Outfitters,  their specific target market also have to seek them out. However, as their standard clothing line is featured throughout a number of department and retail stores it is generally the vintage lines that are highly desirable thus attracting a very loyal customer base who value the exclusivity of the range. They rely on viral marketing as a means of advertising, through friends, personal experiences and most recently through Facebook and other social networking sites coinciding their blog, updating customers on new arrivals, student lock ins and regular promotions for élite customers, thus making them feel highly valued and important to the development of the brand. Their new international website (www.motelrocks.com) is a significant medium in their generation of sales and revenue as they allow customers to purchase both popular lines online as well as offering economical transportation and exclusive pieces. Coinciding this, their standard line products are often featured in an array of weekly and glossy magazine, attracting attention of both regular and new customers, thus potentially increasing brand awareness.

Key Looks and Merchandise

The Bristol store represents the brands noticeable individuality and independence in terms of the sense of style they display, all of which is clearly displayed in their garments. A womenswear brand, they compromise a mix and standard line and exclusive vintage lines of which are rarely seen, as previously mentioned, throughout the UK. In conjunction, they also offer a vast range of fashion accessories, establishing a fulfilment of desire for vintage head and neck scarves, as well as an eclectic mix of handbags from a long timeline. They renovate and recycle numerous products, offering a large product contribution in terms of vintage shoes, from sandals to farm boots, as well as laptop cases in extensive floral and beatnik leather designs.
Though the store in predominantly vintage due to high desirability and exclusivity, their standard range stands out due to their key focus on print. In reference to seasonal analysis, their current focal point is on floral designs  representing a take on fairy-tale femininity, featured heavily through their vast range of products in terms of wallflower print. They also undertake a perception on colour direction seen on Christopher Kanes’ catwalk in terms of vibrant neon and brights showcased in their cosmic and triangle dress representations. They have however, minimised their range this season, in regards to their basic and fashion products in relation to the minimalistic trend of which they have been influenced from, using silhouettes and fabrics to differentiate these products from fads, fashions, styles and basics. These trends have been implemented into their range for maximum impact on their customer base, thus attracting trend led individuals who have a provocation to be different and value individuality.

Menswear: Spring Summer 2011

That's right, I did menswear too. I didn't have to, I just really enjoy menswear. My favourite section to work whilst being employed at House of Fraser was mens formal. Yes, I did enjoy the Savile Row suits and measuring at the tender age of sixteen. Haaa.

Inspiration for Spring/Summer 2011 menswear direction comes from both historical and contemporary innovative analysis of key trends, as stated by WGSN – “ Connect the past, present and future, looking backwards, forwards and sideways to curate and record the life of a product, seamlessly blending captured memory connections with subtle technology.  Knits adopt a second life through reconstruction. Updated silhouettes and modern fabrications are scientifically aged to recreate a cherished aesthetic as unique as the wearer. Treatments and embellishments reflect personal timelines layered with narrated personal histories.”

“Details borrow subtle references from the past, with an added contemporary filter of advanced technology, resulting in a curious timelines hybrid.
Swathed volume
Pleated, plaited and caught-up volume lends a modern-historical touch.”

Colour Analysis: Spring Summer 2011

An extensive level of palette was seen on the coming Spring/Summer 2011 catwalk, described collectively as saturated, flamboyant and nostalgic, as if it was spoken about a number of seasons combined.

New York

Marc Jacobs Spring Summer 2011


On a wider spectrum we saw 3.1 Philip Lim’s Ready-to-wear show in New York  display a more muted palette with neutral shades of taupe, tan, black and blush, relating perfectly against his pretty chiffon creations and delicate layering. Another designer incorporating a subdued colour palette was Alexander Wang who also previewed his collection in New York, featuring an all-white show. At Diane Von Furstenberg, Vogue described her show as integrating a “glorious mash-up of colours that shouldn’t work but somehow do.”

A strong featuring of red and orange were included coinciding vast, bold prints with intense graphics. A more differentiated range of muted colours were seen on Marc Jacobs catwalk, in a sense of gold and pinks with cinnamon, copper and mauve. Oscar de la Renta used a range of ostrich and summery hues with floral prints and pinks, as well as contrasting against the Spanish influences incorporated into the designs by using black and white with muted gold and limes.

A different approach was taken at Rag & Bone, displaying an on-trend attitude by using bold colours and graphic prints, as well as Vera Wang who featured pigmented darks within her show in terms of black, greys and navy. Finally, at William Tempest, designs were conceived in a bright palette of coral, lemon and pale grey alongside nude, showing us a range of luxurious evening gowns in Raphaelite and Victorian influences.

London

Christopher Kane Spring Summer 2011

At Antonio Berardi’s Ready-to-wear catwalk show presented in London, we saw a much more diverse palette, with shades of pale peach and pink chiffon with khaki greens, greys with white and silver with black and tan as well as fuchsia with monochrome – for example, the black and white structural panel dress he styled with bright orange and fuchsia heels creating a very effective contrast. Burberry Prorsum showed us a much more harsh approach in terms of their colour palette, with second-skin black and nude with tan and neon green and turquoise accessories. Contrasting this, models wore pretty pink and yellow dresses, and military khaki green and mustard. This was a classic example of hard versus soft, through use of both colour and fabric choices using intrepid ranges to exhibit such an impeccable show.

“Royal neon” and “Princess Margeret on Acid” was what was described in reference to the show presented by Christopher Kane in London. Fuchsia, yellow, green, orange, intoxicating and chemically acidic colours featured on all pieces throughout, not only in colour blocks but also inprinted with intrinsic designs and craftmanship. Erdem took the same approach to the colour palette as those featured during New York Fashion Week, with a more neutral palette of corals and white, dramatcially bledding into eachother along with a stong featuring of floral prints throughout the designs. At Mulberry, we again saw corals, this time with a large focus on denim and chesnut coloured palettes, tieing in with a seventies vibe again contrasting against the blue hues with putty and mushrooms we saw at Peter Pilotto.

Milan



Dolce & Gabana Spring Summer 2011



This season, a much more colourful method was seen as Gucci – a lot of jewel colour combinations such as dark orange, emeralds, gold and black as well as deep purple hues giving the designs a very Autumnal impression, however a subtle colour palette of nudes and pale fabric lines were also collective, giving a ladylike and lavish feel. Not dissimilar, the Prada show also took on the optimism trend, featuring many simplistic designs in an array of bold and graphic colours – an energetic colour palette of green, orange, blue, balck, white, plum in a series of graphics and prints. A high contrast against Dolce & Gabbana’s show which was almost entirely white, with the occasional black outfit symbolising virginity and priority. In terms of print, a subtle olive pattern was featured on silk material, giving off an understated and low key garment. At Jil Sander, Raf Simons took the neon trend and turned into a much more diverse and wearable design, again featuring a heavy influence of garish jewel colours in a range of print and fabric, as well as stripes and colour clashing. Completely altered palettes seen at Versus, with tartan in yellows, oranges and black combined with floral prints as well as interpreting the “be bold” trend by mixing fuchsia with red and orange with green. Finally,  Salvatore Ferragamo’s calwalk in Milan impressed a strong sense of luxurious and wealth, using again a muted colour palette in which we have seen previously through designers works in New York with tans and Camel – a key colour trend of this Autumn/Winter. Coinciding this, he uses olives and browns, with mellow yellows breaking the Autumnal colour palette. The warm shades give off a hippie luxe feel, corresponding well with the seventies trend said to carry on from this season’s monumental trend.

Paris

Lanvin Spring Summer 2011

In Paris, Christian Dior presented a very naval and sailor-esque range for Spring/Summer, with a large focus on navy blue and white. Coinciding this, Galliano featured denim in his designs, alongside pinks, purple, bright oranges and greens with strong turquoise embellishment. Showcasing young and summery colours like Dior, at Loewe the palette was incredibly bright and obstentatious – featuring fuchsia, saffron, coral, greens and orange.  However, at Loewe, they contrasted these brights as we have seen previously, with a muted colour paltte of tans and camels reflecting a sense of wearable diversity. With this came the butterfly motif, adding a delicate pattern to the harsh materials in again summery colours of greens and pinks.

Inspired by a vast amount of parisian artists during the 19^th century, John Galliano’s catwalk proved to be a colourful one. Creams, greens, neon acidic brights, pinks, oranges, neutral nudes and whites contrasted well against each other to create a strong sense of hard and soft seen previously with Burberry in London. Another influential colour palette seen on the Parisian catwalk this season was at Lanvin, where designers used remote, dark colours such as dark greens and blues,  as well as a combination of grey, khaki, black and indigo. They also featured a dash of neon pink and yellow, though subtly, teaming it with somber colours. Keeping with the somber colours, Givenchy introduced a fierce colour palette, the first to feature leopard print, as well as metallic blacks, again giving the catwalk a very wintery edge.

Trend Analysis: Spring Summer 2011

As part of a massive Fashion Buying and Merchandising assignment I had to complete this year, I had to conduct a ridiculous amount of fashion research for both Spring Summer 2011 and Autumn Winter 2011/12. I have therefore decided to share my extensive trend analysis with you. Because I am very clever indeed.

Through looking at numerous programmes in regards to WGSN, Vogue.com's highly informative show reports and just-style, I have discovered various trends and sub trends for this Spring Summer.

WGSN first embraced the 70’s trend, seen at two diverse ends at the spectrum – the first being opulence relating to the Studio 54 glamour feel with hints on vintage YSL with designers like Prada and Lanvin both implementing such trends, the latter giving off an androgynous David Bowie, electric sense seen on Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring Summer 2011 catwalk. The mix as WGSN state, resulting in “a hedonistic take on all things 70s this summer.”

In terms of detailing, we see a strong influence from Yves Saint Laurent in terms of tuxedo dressing and plunging necklines, with designers taking great inspiration from the incredible styling’s of the late designers.

Coinciding this, the repetition of one-shouldered silhouettes were featured in many shows, following many seasons, however this silhouette really does reflect the seventies. Again, Bianca Jagger has had a huge impact on designers undertaking the seventies trend, with Marc Jacobs and Christian Dior both embracing the cross-over halter neck, Marc Jacobs featuring both the silhouette and incorporating an obi belt in his dress designs as well as ticking another seventies trend: The thigh split. At Christian Dior, John Galliano integrated this feature on his yellow jumpsuit, this time integrating the one-shoulder in order to grasp the main aspects of this trend for the viewers.

The second trend we saw, as WGSN called it, was Pastoral Romance featuring a lot of pretty vintage and girlish floral influences combined with seventies silhouettes to create a antiquated boho feel. A strong interpretation from many designers, this trend featured heavily on the catwalks for Spring/Summer 2011 of the likes of Dolce and Gabbana, of whom embraced the lace overlay detailing with pretty floral imprints on a completely blank white canvas, apart from the occasional black outfit, which again incorporated vintage black lace with floral designs.

Within this trend, “fairytale femininity” was a key detail, with heavy features of lace and broderie anglaise as stated previously, on catwalks like Dolce & Gabbana, as well as Alberta Ferretti who incorporated vintage sheer lace into a key silhouette creating an incredible vintage piece. Gingham Checks and a heavy floral mix was also undertaken on the catwalks coinciding the gypsy blouse, with peasant style, square neck and drop waisted hemlines.

Coinciding this, we see a lot of sheer mixes teamed with cute girly floral pieces, adding an ethereal quality – At Collette Dinnigan, designers outlined almost all deatiling aspects of this trend within one outfit, a sheer blouse with a lace and broderie anglaise trim tucked into pale bloomer shorts with a faint floral print.


Another trend offered by WGSN was the Modernist Resort sub trend which has a very modernistic chic feel, influence from designers Spring/Summer 2011 catwalks like Prada, Chloé and Celine of whom featured a very unfussy, minimalistic look modernised by block colours and optic whites.


Detailing was kept to a minimum with this trend, with focuses on factors like pleated skirts both geometric and voluminous and colour tipping. Not only this, but sheer inserts and exposed zips were also featured heavily within this trend with designers such as Jil Sander and Prada showing modernistic collections with clean lines and simplistic silhouettes for Spring Summer 2011. Fabrics remained crisp, with untouched cottons and glazed summer leathers.