Chanel communicate to their desired audience through using their timeless elegance and sophisticated aesthetic in creating memorable runway shows and events, using celebrity endorsement to build brand loyalty, producing limited editions and offering a more exclusive service help build the demand for Chanel, offering personalisation and customisation to garments or accessories is a valued added touch and having a presence on social media to target the younger audience that admires luxury. Aiming to target a demographic that’s visually pleased by luxury brands and that’s why they use the best tailored suits, luxury coats and stylish blouses as the centre of their campaigns.
CULTURE
From my research it’s clear to see that Gabrielle Chanel was a racist and this has caused some controversies with the brand and tarnished its reputation. In 1924 she bad made a deal with the Jewish brothers Pierre and Paul Wertheimer who set up Parfums Chanel as well as promotional methods and distribution for 70% of profits while Chanel receives 10% and when she comes unhappy with the deal, she decides to use the Nazi ‘Aryanization’ law to take over the business. She was also known to have a romantic relationship with a Nazi officer Abwehr between 1941-1944, there have been many reports of her being present at meetings, dressing the Nazi’s wives for occasions and more. It came out in 2011 in the Sleeping with the enemy book; Coco Chanel’s secret war book that she was actually a spy and working for the Nazis. It also come to light she had more than one thing in common with Hitler and that was also being an addict, she was addicted to morphine.
GAP IN THE MARKET
From my research I have identified some areas in which I feel Chanel could improve on and maintain, that would also successfully benefit the brand. The first one is becoming more diverse, I feel this would have a big but positive impact on the brand. Moving on from the bad past Gabrielle Chanel left and carry on moving forward and embracing the black community and giving them the focus and time they deserve. I feel this would open doors for the brand future thinking avenues such as collaborations, restoring the brand loyalty, overall inclusivity and widening their demographic to black people could go really far. Doing this now would allow people to move on from the past of the brand and for everyone to see the new space Chanel wants to head into which is being more culturally aware. I also feel this would help push those brands who are not diverse to becoming diverse. I would say there is also a space to improve on their digital presence doing this could help with, connecting with your audiences and receiving their feedback on how to improve also what they want to see form the brand, informing those of exclusive pieces, events or collections doing this could also lead to inspiring a younger generation.
As Chanel have been around since 1915 it is clear in this time, they have built on brand loyalty and maintained that customer preference from within the main line but also exclusivity from haute couture being one of their strengths. Also known for producing only top-quality garments made with timeless materials and banded with a lot of craftsmanship behind it. Offering a wide range of products covering clothing, footwear, multiple accessories always with a chic structure and unique designs which allow more options for the potential customer to buy into maximising sales which is good for the brand. Chanel have been known for their designs and transforming the fashion world for women in terms of moving away from the more impractical fashions from the 1900s to Chanel designing suits for women in which it then stemmed from there into the global fashion brand it is today.
SWOT ANALYSIS
OPPORTUNITIES -
Expansion on product ranges e.g. an expensive range of accessories or more indepth choice of homeware with new designs could open doors for Chanel in the future even on limited editions or collections allowing the demand to boost sales. I feel it would also be beneficial to Chanel to use sustainable materials as this is something that is only rising and will continue to do so, doing this will then open the doors to those who only shop sustainably and get head while the demand is high. Giving Chanel a digital transformation for all their social medias to help push there aesthetic and story out but also considering the wider target audience we want to attract I feel would again benefit the brand. Many brands are now entering their digital eras becoming one with social media and the possibilities of AI as this is where the future lies. Introducing this into the brand now would allow you to be ahead within the way fashion is moving in the industry, targeting a wider audience and allowing you to tell your story and narrative in new ways.
WEAKNESSES -
The high price point that overall surrounds the brand I feel could be a weakness as this makes it harder for younger generation to purchase and those who don’t have the disposable income but love the idea of being a part of the exclusivity and representing that tribe. To improve this and cater to this market, they could bring out a second line within Chanel that is solely aimed towards the younger generation with a lower price point making it more accessible to those who desire Chanel. Still producing quality items for a fraction of the price would still be benefiting Chanel in profits ways but also widening there reach of demographic and audience. I feel their online presence could also be improved this would help target the younger demographic, contribute to building the brand loyalty and a chance to fully engage in the customer interaction and gain insight to what they would want from the brand. It is good for brands to be able to engage with potential customers and receive feedback on their brand and look for potential room for improvement from an outside buyer point of view, after all it is all about what the customers want.
ANALYSIS
THREATS -
Due to Chanel being so exclusive and high end it makes it harder for those who don’t have the disposable income to purchase the real deal but want to be a part of that tribe, desire the product and aesthetic so resort to buying the fakes/dupes on the market. Having fakes on the market are bad for luxury brands as it can be seen as a loss of revenue, has an impact on quality perception and can even lead to legal and enforcement costs. Being in the luxury market is sometimes hard as it is with the economic issues that could occur at any time and considering it’s also a very competitive industry its Chanels job to keep their customer preference.
OFF WHITE
WHITE
VIRGILS STORY
Virgil Abloh was born on the 30th of September in America. In 2002 he completes a degree in civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison it was also around this year he started working with Kanye West. 2006 he finishes a master’s degree in architecture from the Illinois institute of technology. In 2009 him and West become interns at Fendi and a year later Kanye employs Abloh as the creative director of his brand Donda. Abhol’s mother was a seamstress and taught him all the tricks of her trade which came in use when he started his own brand in 2012 called Pyrex Vision based in New York City selling deadstock from the likes of Ralph Laurent and printing his own graphics on them ready to resell. A year later he closes Pyrex Vision and starts Off White a brand based in Milan, focusing on fashion combining the ideas of streetwear, luxury, art, music and travel. In 2014 he launches for off white and shows the garments at Paris fashion week that year. 2017 was the year of many collaborations including Jimmy Choo, Warby Parker and Jacob the Jewler, but mainly the collab with Nike reworking some of their original designs and silhouettes of trainers and adding his own elements like a safety tag around the laces. 2018 was the year Abloh became the creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear collection.
AESTHETIC
From wanting to combine the ideas of streetwear, luxury, art, music, travel, culture, free thinking, and technology, while also wanting to pay tribute to America because that’s where he’s from. These distinct features include things like white arrows, diagonal lines, using industrial yellow and white, quotation marks and zip ties on the laces make the brand memorable. Looking at their style from an outside point of view I feel Virgil was successful within the brand to then even inspiring other brands to embrace the street aesthetic and the competitors into a new way of identifying streetwear.
Off White aim to target those who are interested in luxury fashion and streetwear who are also wanting to express themselves creatively. The age ranges from 18-55 mainly for those who have a high disposable income.
The unique selling point is their quality, when searching for a gap in the market Abloh stated that streetwear on the market was made of poor quality which and seen as cheap. So, his aim was to produce quality fashion with an edgy street aesthetic, targeting the audience who feels streetwear is just as fashionable as luxury fashion.
Stussy was founded by Shawn Stussy in 1984 the name taken from the family name. The brand initially started by Shawn putting his signature on handmade surf boards, which later he began further experimenting by adding the signature to t-shirts and caps. He then partnered with his friend Frank Sinatra to pursue the brand. At that time, it was one of the first brands to produce caps and varsity jackets that were available to the public instead of strictly sports teams. Then came the Stussy tribe that originally started in London where five individuals were awarded customised embroidered jackets with their names on. This movement then spread to other cities including Paris, New York and Tokyo. Stussy’s aesthetic is based around skate and surf culture mixed with hip-hop and being a free spirt. There garments can contain bold graphics, produced from quality fabrics that seem to attract the youth interested in streetwear. There price point reflects their quality and street vibe and considering their target audience with prices from £20 for accessories to paying more than £250 or more for a jacket
Yoji Yamamoto born 1943 was a fashion designer from Japan. He graduated in 1966 and studied fashion for his further studies at Bunka Fashion College. In 1977 he launched his Ys collection featuring avant-garde fashion with wild silhouettes mostly in his favourite colour black, with a women’s line first and menswear following in the 1980s. Following this he partnered up with Adidas in 2002 and launches the Y-3 line. This was a mixed aesthetic of Yoji’s avant-garde style featuring fabric layering, craftsmanship and poetic approach with technology, sport and street style which were spread between garments and footwear. They have collaborated with brands in the past like Supreme, Dr. Martins and more.
Vetements clothing for men and women was founded by Demna Gvasalia in 2014 inspired by everyday fashion and regular people. Demna originally from Georgia, America graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Demna who we know to be the creative director of Balenciaga now worked with his brother Guram who is now the CEO of Vetements to build the brand and have their own take on avant-garde streetwear fashion. The brand aims to target those who seek the exclusive feeling and those who have a high disposable income with the price tag they hold.
The ‘MARKEERAD’ collection was designed by Virgil Abloh utilising his architecture skills from his past degree to help create something different and unique to Ikea. It featured things like his trademark of quotation marks that his fans would recognise from his garments, also using the words like “TEMPORARY” on a clock, “SCULPTURE” on an oversized shopping bag and “WET GRASS” on a turf like rug. The collection ranged from products like, wall art, tool sets, rugs, chairs, tables, mirrors and more. The iconic “KEEP OFF” rug was reportedly put on a resale for more than ten times the original retail price! I think it has been good for me to look into the past collaboration the brand has done in order for me to see if they have been successful, what the message was, how it was promoted considering all collaboration Off white have taken part in has done well.
Moncler and Virgil Abloh decided to collaborate on a Fall/Winter collection 2016/2017 called ‘Moncler O’. This collection was inspired by the fishermen of the Northern Seas. It features things like long jackets, puffer coats which detachable hoods, waistcoats inspired by lifejackets, t-shirts, parkas, vests, accessories and more. It’s a blend of streetwear aesthetic with technical elements within the material details like gloss or opaque finish. They continued to collaborate on further occasions which suggests to me they have a strong connection and similar messages to bring to the fashion industry. I chose these images in particular as I feel the use of colour really stood out to me in which of the size proportions made that difference. This is something I will further think about then coming to design pieces for my fmp shoot.
COMMUNICATION METHODS
Off White use many marketing techniques like curating interactive campaigns that can inform the audience of new drops, events, limited editions but also a place where they can interact with their audiences and receive feedback, using social media to target the younger generation interested in streetwear and luxury, collaborating with other brands and celebrity’s producing limited editions help build brand awareness and opens more avenues for a different target audience, using celebrity endorsement to contribute to building brand loyalty. I feel communicating is something Off White can execute efficiently.
CULTURE
It has been known from the start that Virgil wanted to open the doors for the black community within the fashion industry and move away from the stereotype of being limited to what you can do and achieve, which is what Abloh showed us for the short time he was centre of the streetwear luxury category. Even going as far as dedicating a ‘I support black women’ collection featuring ten female black activists to be the face of the campaign. One being Trinice McNally, Virgil came got in touch with her after seeing her on a interview while at the Defend black women march in Washington DC. wearing a machete, Caribbean symbol and an Off-White belt on. In which they began talking and forming a friendship through the emails which lead onto the talks of empowering black women. This campaign was something that really stood out to me when looking into the history of the brand and how their past campaigns differ, I knew this was something I wanted to take forward as an element within my story telling as moving from component one into two I knew diversity and culture would be one of my passions that I would want to move forward with. This is where the ideas started of considering producing a collaboration with a brand who isn’t so diverse to making them more diverse and seeing the importance that culture and being inclusive.
STRENGTHS -
It’s no doubt that Off White is a strong brand, since starting in 2013 the brand has continued to go from strength to strength and although it was a major shock to lose Virgil the brand is still on and going in his memory carrying on the legacy be built in 8 years. Abloh was known to be an activist in his own way incorporating cultural relevance within his luxury streetwear’s aesthetic, this was something he took pride in and loved giving back to the black community. The brand has taken part in many successful collaborations in which has only helped the brand gain recognition and gaining trust from potential customers. There have also been celebrity endorsement partnerships that would have supported the brand in contributing to reaching the right target audience for the brand.
SWOT ANALYSIS
OPPORTUNITES -
Expanding on the project range would open avenues for Off White to exceed in, offering new and a range of products would generate more sales, boost brand recognition and go towards brand loyalty. As there are now more people who are now only shopping sustainably it’s a good time to start introducing more sustainability practices into the brand which is allowing you to cater to that market, doing this now will help the brand stay ahead withing the sustainability practices and help find the right replacement materials that still gives the same quality effect but in a conscious way a way that doesn’t harm anyone or anything.
WEAKNESSES -
From my research into the brand, I have identified some weaknesses which are the high price point considering all the factors of business; profit, craftsmanship, materials and others means its less likely the younger generation interested in luxury streetwear will be able to get their hands on it without saving every penny to go towards it. Launching a second line with a price point not so high would allow those who don’t have a lot of disposable income seem more reasonable for them to them so they can justify spending that amount on clothing, footwear or accessories, while opening a new target audience. I feel there is also a limited product range available to buy, expanding on current products with different colour pallets and materials would give more option to potential customers. They could also consider producing an extensive homeware collection that has street elements this is something I feel Off White would thrive from.
ANALYSIS
THREATS -
Due to Off White being in the luxury streetwear fashion market then comes with a lot of competitors to think about, I do feel as though Virgil really changed this sector and how they approach the streetwear aesthetic and the different ways you can interpret that and there is a lot of people who take inspiration from his work. With Off White comes the price tag for quality, there is a fraction of whom do not have the disposable income to splurge out so resort to purchasing the fakes. Now the fakes and dupes can be very bad for brands as its misleading with quality and can appear to be damaging to the brands reputation and can even result in brands taking lawful action.
GAP IN THE MARKET
From carrying out my in-depth research on Off White I feel if these areas were to be worked on the brand would only become more successful. Sustainability is reoccurring, considering the craftsmanship and the work/effort that goes into the pieces to make them could and would still be valued if the materials were sustainable. Even launching a second line that is fully sustainable is allowing Off White to open the market to those who only shop sustainably, while also carrying on producing luxury good that’s their target audience love. I also feel launching a second line that’s targeted at the younger generation with a lower price point would benefit the brand, allowing those younger with a desire of streetwear off white gives them access to it. But I have also identified that I will be using Off White, the aesthetic, style, promotional methods and general materials and how they are within the diverse space ‘multi-cultural’ to better a brand that I feel could use some of these elements to improve.
CHANEL OFF WHITE
CHANEL X WHITE
CONCEPT 1
To produce a capsule collection with a streetwear base aesthetic with a blend of elegance and chicness to represent Chanel. The purpose of the collection is to celebrate the black community and embrace the culture and beauty they have to offer instead of wanting to change or adapt it like I feel Chanel does, overall, this would also be improving Chanels diversity/equality approach. The message behind this campaign is to raise awareness that racism is still present within the fashion industry and that change is needed, everyone should be valued equally and treated the same no matter the colour of their skin, this is something I feel very passionate about as this is something I have had to deal with throughout my life, being discriminated against, racially and physically abused because of the colour of my skin was very hard to deal with. This is something I used to struggle with a lot and unfortunately went down some dark paths but as I’m getting older it’s something I love about myself and learning more on how to deal with those situations and how I can contribute to making the changes needed. This is aimed at the black community, you also could say the younger generation off people of colour to help them pursue whatever it is they desire to do and to do it with confidence.
