The American discount retail company Target has been positioning themselves as a champion of design for a while now. They have successfully brought high fashion to the masses, in the same manner as H&M and Topshop, by collaborating with the likes of Liberty of London, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen and Zac Posen. Recently they teamed up with LEGS and Mother NY for their 2010 Fall Apparel Collection. Together they created a memorable LED-light and fashion show (top image) at the Standard Hotel in New York. The result shows how big brands can push the industry forward by stepping up and financing non-traditional curation. It is an encouragement to all other brands out there to look outside your own industry to create experiences which engage and inspire your customers.
If you are into light installations, check out this interactive artwork made in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics. 20 powerful searchlights move in patterns designed by people on their personal computers via the internet. Another amazing interactive light performance is Echo, made by United Visual Artists (bottom image). Dance movements are translated into a monumental backdrop creating a simultaneous performance. Finally, don’t miss Fever Ray’s gig in London next week. I am not sure if it will include laser lights like previous performances, but either way I am sure it will be fantastic.
As part of some research on “yoof” trends this week, I re-encountered Kesh. Kesh is a fashion designer/magazine editor/stylist/DJ/presenter/art director/photographer. Not bad for a 23 year old. The only job title missing from the extensive list, however, is accomplished an self-promoter. Kesh is the mistress of cultivating fans and supporters – employing a range of social media platforms to reach people. Harnessing free applications online has allowed Kesh to enter and compete in markets that were previously impenetrable. She has a MySpace page, which links to her retail store. She’s recently moved from a Blogspot blog to the more popular Tumblr. She tweets and maintains a Facebook page. Whereever her target audience is, she is too. And it has worked. Starting out as a backing dancer for M.I.A, in 2007 she launched a line in collaboration with Topman, has been featured in a fairly unwatchable documentary by BBC Switch and now she’s in L.A conquering Stateside. No matter what you feel the sum of the parts add up to, it is impossible to deny that Kesh represents the dangerously savvy generation who are unashamedly adapt at promoting themselves. These are the brand managers of the future – cultivating a range of platforms to convey a unified message and develop a following. Watch and learn.
The MB London studio has been lucky enough to add another snappy dresser to the considerable ranks of sartorial excellence already present. Harry Woodrow, currently working here as a designer for one of our luxury fashion clients, has more than a pair of great cufflinks up his sleeve. Harry also runs his own bespoke tailoring company. With his designer friend Charlie, and Sam, a tailor, out in Hong Kong, Mellow Woodrow start with a cup of tea and a chat before creating high quality suits which are made to the individual styles and tastes of their customers. Check out his website here.
For anyone who knows SHOWstudio.com there is a fantastic exhibition of their work at Sommerset House. Nick Knight launched Showstudio in 2000 and in less than 10 years managed to completely reinvent the fashion image and the way we experience it by exploiting modern technology and the web.
"When SHOWstudio.com launched in 2000, the fashion world was most definetly not online. Today, there is a generation of young people whose entire fashion experience comes from the Internet, via live shows, on-the-spot collections reports, fashion film and e-commerce. These audiences number not thousands, but millions, all excitedly consuming fashion imagery, live and direct. In less than a decade, a revolution has taken place and I feel we have only just begun." Nick Knight
This is a must-see exhibition for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in Nick Knight’s fantastic style emporium, spray gigantic white manequins with colour, talk to a model on a telephone, watch plates of food being eaten from above or just watch Angelica Houston pose for a screen test.
It’s on at Sommerset House until 20 December.
Some taster pictures/films here
The latest edition of Grafik magazine (out today) includes a stunning 6 page spread about our work for new brand, E. Tautz.
Our existing Norton & Sons client, Patrick Grant, has re-launched the E. Tautz name for the 21st century, creating a luxury ready-to-wear collection for men. Grafik’s in-depth piece looks at how we worked with Patrick to create a distinctive brand which is both rich in history, yet discerningly modern.