Please Help Me With My Homework/Research/Survey

[Crying Diamonds]

Guys, thank you so much for your help - you've really, really helped me with my research
I heart you!!

 

[Crying Diamonds]

Being cheeky..
One last favour - I should know some but I'm a bit of a lame - does anyone know any collections that have an obvious sort of African tribal influence?

 

[amazingGrace]

have a look at Junya Watanabe for some overt tribal references, including use of traditional ankara, also check out Louis Vuitton's S/S 09 collection for loads and loads of tribal-influenced designs

 

[gius]

i remember reading african tribal influence was a huge trend some seasons ago
maybe 2006? it was less about a literal influence i think, rather it was the interest in tribal designs from the 60s (which was made abstract, very simple)
ie. there was a big use of raffia..


how can i forget Marni and their giant necklaces
and long strings of felt beads floating down a dress
also prints of farmers sowing the fields
s/s 06

 

[Petit Lucille]

remember the dior s/s2009 heels!!!
i'm in pain looking for a "sarcastic" photographer: making fun of fashion, or models basically, making fun of everything!!! ellen von unwerth is not good enough because it was "sexy" and she wasn't making fun of that enough!!
s.o.s.!! _._ or ._.??

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ There's also vintage YSL for African tribal I believe ...

 

[Petit Lucille]

so far i've got chadwick tyler because the models in his pictures are not in a "i'm so glamorous and sexy" state, but more of a quirky feel to it. does any other photographer captures that kind of moods?

 

[goldenalina]

Newbie!

Hi people, I'm vERy new...

I'm on a course right now at LCF (London College of Fashion), doing product design and development- thats what 'they' call it- I call it 'bag and leather designing/ making/ so much more'...

I need to start a little research into what I want to do for my final major project and was hoping for a little insight into what you (as the loving consumers), love so much about this particular pocket of the fashion world.
I take it most of you are from the States, even though its an entirely different market to where I would initially be targeting- I think there are some universal aspects when it comes to the love of handbags.

For now I don't want to get too particular- what I want to know firstly is: what is it about high end labels (LV, Hermes, Chanel etc), that you love so much? Is it a feeling? Is it design? Is it functionality or pure 'blinginess' of having that label on your arm? Is it all of those?? Tell me everything and anything- no matter how trivial!

I really appreciate ANY insight!!

Cheers guys!

 

[gius]

so you are focusing on those "mega" brands
rather than designer..which would include lesser known labels?

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I would suggest taking a look through our handbag forum ...

But for me, the three brands you mention do not appeal because they're, perhaps, overexposed. I prefer my bags to be logo-less (Hermes doesn't have much of a logo but they're certainly recognizable), or to have an obscure logo (like Lanvin's, which I think is really beautiful), so that 'no one' knows what they are. To me, there's something vulgar about the obvious choice ... and I've seen so many smug customers of these brands that I come to associate them and what I perceive as their lack of originality with the brands themselves. However, I may not be typical And I've been super-honest, hopefully I haven't offended anyone who is a fan of these brands

 

[goldenalina]

wow, great reply fashionista-ta! I totally agree with you in terms of the vulgarity of some of the luxury brands! I wanted to find out about more about people's opinions- since reading through some of the handbag forum posts- there are a LOT of people that seem to love those designs! Since I started this course and really learnt more about the industry and what goes into making a bag- I just think a lot of the 'magic' is lost in mass produced products- whether they're luxury or not.
But I do have to say that one of my all time favorite brands has to be Bottega Veneta- they might look simple but I'm really into the craftsmanship of their bags (long way from my budget though!)...

And to Gius- Its not so much that I'm focusing on the luxury brands- I just want to research into the fascination people seem to have with it- I personally love to see niche brands- well made and designed bags from 'lesser known/ up and coming designers etc. Thats the route I'm planning on taking eventually! I do know its gonna be an uphill struggle- but there seem to be more people gaining interest in original, handmade, or smaller range collections by 'new designers' etc etc ...

What do you guys think? And are you interested in this- do you look for new designers at all- or do you check fashion mags to see what they have to say about whos the 'next big thing?'

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I agree, I quite like Bottega myself ... although my big gripe there is that their handbags are all too big. Sometimes they make a mini size of this or that, and it's too small This is Tomas' philosophy, he believes that women will buy a bag that's the 'right' size, and he decides what that is. Well, not me ...

To understand the fascination you mention, you need more of a psychology course than a fashion course But I think it's really about does someone believe they are enough in themselves, or do they need a 'brand' (whether Dior, a religious institution, a school, a country club, a fraternity, a secret society ...) to prop themselves up? And, do they care what others think ... and do the 'others' respect the brand? Maybe I'm wrong, but I think it's just that simple.

As for new designers ... I'm not so much interested in what's in the magazines as what I can find in the stores. I don't really care what the label says, what matters is whether I like it. But if I can't find it to buy it, then what's the point? I don't seem to live in a very experimental market ...

 

[gius]

I do like new or lesser-known designers.. they are like hidden treasures but I also like the ones now and I do like some of the work by the major brands. So I agree with fashionista-ta on going by what I like and what will look good on me, rather than what the label says.

I can't find any source really better than tFS for new things. It's nice since often people you already know will be the ones posting about new designers here, so based on them you already have an idea of what kind of designer or work it is.. It's like word of mouth, recommendations rather than going by what a magazine will say, although I have found nice things in magazines too, randomly flipping pages.
Besides this you really do have to be interested in finding these other designers since they are not as easily exposed as the major brands. No commercials, billboards, etc. There is a lot more work to it, or you at least have to be around the same type of people, so I understand how a lot of other people focus only on the major brands.. Sometimes I visit graduation shows also at schools, to see the new artists and designers.

From people I've known, they do like the designs by the major brands but I mean it's all they know. They don't watch the shows or read a lot of magazines or online news to know about the other designers, even ones who are also famous. Even the way they see the major brands it's very limited since they may just go by what is in the stores or on TV. They don't know Prada made these strange dresses full of 3-dimensional lace for example XD. They only know Prada as high end and may be satisfied to buy a plain shirt from them, but had they known what else they design they may even search online or phone stores in other cities to find that interesting garment.
It's something I think about when I see someone carrying a very common brown Louis vuitton bag, thinking that if this person knew what other nice bags they made he/she would not have bought this bag!

 

[goldenalina]

Yup its def' true about there being less coverage on indi' designers- there are sites that help to boost them that only take a percentage of their profits (like 15% or something), and these designers have a platform in which to display and sell their goods. The problem with this is that there is no form of promotion of these sites at all! So how would people unless they're in 'the know' find out about these sites? Again it then still remains exposed to people only in particular circles.
I do realise advertising and promotion cost big bucks- at the same time I don't think it has to-as you pointed out even on this site a lot gets passed around through word of mouth- and what gets passed around in the www will also get talked about outside- but it has to be 'worth' talking about...

Can I ask both of you what brands you buy including indis- and how often- what do you particularly like in bags/ lifestyle accessories. For example is the design more important sometimes than the actual functionality of the product or vise-versa, is weight an important factor? Do you like them to be light? I only ask this because its something I've seen so often- there are some bags which are so heavy to begin with without even putting your stuff in it! I personally cant carry heavy bags- I carry so much crap- (important crap to me

 

[vogue28]

Can anyone tell me who designs for Fendi Casa? Is it Karl Lagerfeld?
TIA

 

[fashionista-ta]

Can I ask both of you what brands you buy including indis- and how often- what do you particularly like in bags/ lifestyle accessories. For example is the design more important sometimes than the actual functionality of the product or vise-versa, is weight an important factor? Do you like them to be light? I only ask this because its something I've seen so often- there are some bags which are so heavy to begin with without even putting your stuff in it! I personally cant carry heavy bags- I carry so much crap- (important crap to me

Let's see, you want to know specifically about bags ... what I have right now, including leather goods I carry in my purse:

• Kate Spade
• Valentino
• Bottega Veneta
• Marc Jacobs
• Michael Michael Kors
• Aspinal of London

I carry medium-size bags, and what I put in them these days is really pared down, so I don't worry too much about the weight of the bag.

Both design and functionality are very important, but I might compromise slightly on functionality if I really love the design ... but only slightly.

I also insist on bags I can carry in my hands or on my wrist. If it is purely a shoulder bag and can't be anything else, I just say no. Fortunately many bags are designed to be carried either way.

 

[GasolineRainbow]

For example is the design more important sometimes than the actual functionality of the product or vise-versa, is weight an important factor? Do you like them to be light?

If it's a small evening-type bag, I'm really more concerned with the design than the actual functionality. Sometimes these bags tend to be so small that you can't fit much into them, but whatever, they look good For everyday bags, I definitely put more emphasis on function over form. This includes:
- accessibility of content, as in easy to reach zippers and pockets for my various things.
- safety, bc I live in a large city, and require a bag that closes securely with a sturdy clasp or zipper, and can be held close to my body.
- low-maintenance exterior, because a light-colored suede bag is just asking for trouble, no matter how great it looks.
- Lightness, relative moldability even if it's a structured design, and no unnecessary hardware.

^I don't understand the cult of the Birkin bag. My aunt has one in the standard size, and while it is admirably constructed and devastatingly chic to look at, it is such an uncomfortable bag! It's very heavy even when it's empty, awkward to carry as it's too stiff, and imo has impractical handles. If you know its background story, I would have stuck with the basket

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I don't get it either I think they're way too big, and the bag to me looks pretty utilitarian--the design really doesn't do much for me. But admittedly, my taste in bags seems to be outside the mainstream. I usually can't see what's so great about just about any It bag. I was particularly mystified by the Edith, which I would promptly donate to Goodwill if I found it lurking in a back closet (which is where I assume they found the original ...)

 

[litto.moo]

Stereotypes in Fashion, Assignment Help!

Hi, it's my first post here! =)
Sorry to start it off with naggy questions but I'm brainstorming for a Media Yr12 Production Plan and I was interested to know if anyone could list some common stereotypes with the clothes/styles they tend to wear?

I hope I've put this discussion in the right topic and I feel really lucky to be even posting on this as I thought my application would never get through =D


Thanks in advance!

 

[lepip]

hi litto.moo! welcome to tfs, i thought id never get through too
im not totally sure what you mean but i have a new one my friends and i are tossing round at work: model style? so kinda like skinny jeans, boots, leather jackets ect
model street style is a good thread to look at for that one.
am i on the right track?