To advertise or not to advertise?

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New Fashion Push in Kmart Campaign

Kmart’s new soft goods advertising campaign has a tall order to fulfill: give the beleaguered retailer’s fashion and home businesses a new image that’s at once authentic and aspirational.

Minneapolis-based ad agency Peterson Milla Hooks created a campaign that gives Kmart a new logo, new message and new vibe. “We felt [PMH] understood style and fashion and were creative out-of-the-box thinkers,” said Tara Poseley, senior vice president and president of Kmart apparel at Sears Holdings Corp. “We want to get out the message that we have amazing fashion.” PMH helped Target put the aspirational into its apparel, but Poseley claimed she wasn’t aware of the connection until after PMH was selected by Kmart. Clearly, Kmart is after the same effect. “We do want this be aspirational,” Poseley said. “That’s part of getting people to come into Kmart.”

The campaign is aimed at “the kind of person who has fun with fashion but isn’t a slave to it,” Poseley said. “It’s the type of person who doesn’t care about labels, but rather, about expressing his or her own style.”

I found this article  and thought it was interesting to see what Leslie would think since the store NANCY does not advertise. She said Nancy, owner of NANCY's boutique, believes she does not need to do much advertising because of her loyal customer base and word of mouth from her customers. I found this very shocking because I've learned from past jobs and classes in TXMI that customer service is first then marketing your store/brand is second  to keep it sustainable for the present and future.

Click Here to Read the Full Article 

Edelson, S. (2011, June 23). New Fashion Push in Kmart Campaign - Media News - WWD.com. Fashion, Beauty and Retail News - WWD.com. Retrieved June 25, 2011, from http://www.wwd.com/media-news/new-fashion-push-at-kmart-3679285/print/ 

Week: Three

Company Name: Ben
Internship position: Product Development Intern
 

It's all in the patterns

Doing this internship is truly confirming my opinion that fashion is a form of continuous art that will be ever evolving. 

Fashion Notes | The Scented Salamander: Perfume & Beauty Blog & Webzine. (2011, March 15). Marie-Helene Wagner Presents MimiFroufrou.com. Retrieved June 26, 2011, from http://www.mimifroufrou.com/scentedsalamander/fashion_notes/index2.html

The pre-fall collection has started! Leslie has been showing me the ropes to flat drawings and pattern making this past week. She spent almost an entire day teaching me all about pattern making and I can truly say I have more of an appreciation for couture clothing. 

Before I could understand the process of pattern making, I had to make sure the target consumer was well defined before we started designing. ben's target customer is a woman in her late 30s or older. She is known for her fashion savvy style, but dresses sophisticated in a modest contemporary way. She enjoys the finer things in life and wants quality clothing that will last. From all that Leslie and I finally decided on these designs and proceed to make the patterns:

 

"I think there is beauty in everything. What 'normal' people would perceive as ugly, I can usually see something of beauty in it." - Alexander McQueen

Sketching & More Sketching

   I am officially on island time and it feels great.  The wildfire's smoke has taken over SSI and my sinuses. Thankfully, I can work on sketching indoors and watch the smoke breeze by with an iced island mocha in hand. ;-)

   Leslie and I have been busy at work going to the beach discussing ideas for the pre-fall collection, fashion news and some life lessons she's learned over the years as well. From what I've watched and listened the NANCY store would not function with out her. I can totally relate to her stories about working in a store and feeling pulled in so many directions, but we both believe its worth it in the end. We also love our bosses to death and appreciate everything they do for us. So I feel like I do fit in the company culture of  the brand Ben and store NANCY. 

"A good boss makes his men realize they have more ability than they think they have so that they consistently do better work than they thought they could"
   - Charles Erwin Wilson

  

The World of Lingerie and Swimwear - Eres

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Eres A/W 2011. (2011, May 20). DollyDripp. Retrieved June 19, 2011, from http://dollydripp.blogspot.com/2011/05/eres-aw-2011.html

Eres to Open at Barneys New York

3657270

   Luxury lingerie and swimwear brand Eres will open its first dedicated in-store space, at Barneys New York, in mid-July.

  “It’s a really big deal for Eres,” said Celine Kaplan, spokeswoman for the Chanel-owned French brand. “It was a very long negotiation. Barneys will be the exclusive retailer for Eres in New York.”

The 220-square-foot area will house a full range of Eres lingerie for fall-winter 2011 and swimwear for 2011. Fixtures will emulate the ambiance of Eres boutiques with silver chrome and blonde wood fixtures similar to the luxury leather Valextra space at Barneys.

   Eres currently operates 18 boutiques worldwide including ones in Beverly Hills and Palm Beach, Fla., and 14 in Europe: eight units in France, three in Italy, two in Spain and one in Belgium. There are also seven in-store shops at major department stores in France, one shop at Selfridges and another at Jelmoli in Zurich. Eres closed two stores in Manhattan last year — one on Madison Avenue and a second unit in SoHo.

  Leslie , designer behind Ben, brought this article to my attention because the store NANCY carries this line of lingerie and swimwear. We both discussed the issues of luxury brands trying to find new and innovative ways to make money but still keep their image. It's interesting to see how this brand decided to go somewhat backwards by deciding to go to Barney's to save their company. Leslie believes this move will be for the better for the brand but not for luxury boutiques including NANCY. She says that luxury boutiques are now going to have to figure out new ways to get people in to their stores. 

Click Here to Read the Full Article

Monget, K. (2011, June 15). Eres to Open at Barneys New York - Fashion Markets News - WWD.com. Fashion, Beauty and Retail News - WWD.com. Retrieved June 19, 2011, from http://www.wwd.com/markets-news/eres-to-open-in-barneys-3657270?browsets=13085286048

Week: Two

Company Name: Ben

Internship position: Product Development Intern

  

 

The Ten Commandments of Customer Service

1. You are in business to service customer needs, and you can only do that if you know what it is your customers want. 
2. Be a good listener.
3. Identify and anticipate needs. Customers don't buy products or services.
4. Make customers feel important and appreciated.
5. Help customers understand your systems.
6. Appreciate the power of "Yes". 
7. Know how to apologize.
8. Give more than expected. 
9.  Encourage and welcome suggestions about how you could improve. 
10. Treat employees well.

    The brand Ben and the boutique NANCY both strive to help their customers no matter what the situation might be. They literally go above and beyond for their customers which is nice to see because I was taught that from my boss Katie at Cheeky Peach. I feel that customer service should be the top priority for any business, store or brand.   

"There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else." 

- Sam Walton

   click here for the full article  

Friedmann, S. (2011, May 13). The Ten Commandments of Great Customer Service. Marketing – Information and Advice on Marketing Strategy, Marketing Plans, and Marketing Careers and Jobs. Retrieved June 19, 2011, from http://marketing.about.com/od/relationshipmarketing/a/crmtopten.htm

Home Away From Home

This summer I've invited friends and family to come visit me while I'm SSI because my mom rented an entire house for the summer. I'm so blessed to have such an amazing mother :-). So my living arrangements are utterly amazing. I'm not at the beach but in all honestly I can bike/walk to the beach in ten to fifteen minutes.  Click here if you want to see more.


"Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need." - Sarah Ban Breathnach

The New Mrs. Leslie Friedman :-)

 

 Above is my amazing boss Leslie Buchanan Friedman who has recently got engaged and married all in one month! She is the designer for the brand ben and ben is a contemporary women's clothing line featuring jackets, blouses, pants, skirts, and dresses. I love Leslie's sense of style which is a bit of quirky and chic mixed into simplicity at it's best. I love that she is only a few years older than me, which allows me to relate to her even more. I've been picking her brain on  pros and cons of jobs in the fashion industry. She pretty much said I should deiced if I want to have a structured or unstructured job, which is soo true. I hope one day I am as half as wise as her in the fashion world and life one day. 

"Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today." - James Dean

pre-planning

I've been interning for three days now and I'm loving it!

I feel like I was extremely prepared for this internship from my past experiences from working at Cheeky Peach and other jobs. It has been an adjustment getting use to the whole idea of the island way, which is a slower and more relaxed atmosphere to encompass that idea with planning out my summer for ben has been somewhat of a struggle for me. I'm willing to grow and appreciate this new way of life for me. Plus I'm at the beach for an entire summer so I can't complain ;-).

Leslie, thus far, has been a wonderful mentor and insider on all things fashion and SSI. Each morning we meet at her house to discuss the pre-fall collection and fashion in general. We have planned for the next two weeks to come up with ideas and designs for the  pre-fall collection. After we meet each morning I go back to my place to sketch and research for the rest of the day. 

 Along with meeting with Leslie in the mornings she has also allowed me to go to the store, NANCY, that carries her line. I loved going into the store because I've been able experience their clientele and working with higher end clothing. I adore the store, but it is in need of a face lift and organization. I had the opportunity to meet Nancy, who owns NANCY, in between her busy schedule. She comes off very driven and independent which is nice to see from a store owner. I have yet to meet the other coworker that works with Nancy and Leslie, but I found out her name is Leslie as well. The dynamics to this store is noteworthy.

I am thoroughly excited about the weeks to come and being able to be around  amazing women and I hope to gain a world of experience from them. 

"Every artist was first an amateur." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sustainability is key

                           Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week Fall-Winter 2011-2012: Francis Montesinos

Spain Launches Luxury Industry Association 

 Europe’s luxury industry associations have welcomed a new member with the official launch of the Circulo Espanol del Lujo Fortuny, an organization promoting the luxury sector in Spain.

Carlos Falcó, the Marques de Griñon, who is executive president of the Circulo Fortuny, told a press conference at the Casino de Madrid that the luxury sector was a key driver of growth at a time when the general Spanish economy is struggling.

“The luxury sector — which values handmade manufacturing and guarantees excellence in craftsmanship — is particularly resistant to economic downfalls, and will therefore be a key element for the economic recovery,” he said.

European brands account for about 80 percent of the worldwide luxury market, with 17 of the world’s top 25 luxury firms hailing from the European Union, the ECCIA noted. The sector employed some 800,000 people in 2010 and generated sales of more than 137 billion euros, or $181.78 billion, it added.

European Commission vice president Antonio Tajani said the luxury sector owed its sustainable growth to creativity and innovation.

“Luxury exports have continued to grow throughout the financial crisis and the sector is an example of European cultural excellence at its best. The creation of the Spanish Circulo is good news,” he stated.

 Leslie , designer behind Ben,  takes part of the worldwide luxury market when buying fabrics and clothing for her brand. She states that having Spain as another luxury sector not only opens more ideas and choices, but allows a different variety of luxury for women. Leslie and I agree with Mr. Tajani  in the fact that to gain sustainable growth you need creativity and innovation to be resilient.

 Click here to read the full article 

Diderich, J. (2011, June 9). Fashion Markets News - WWD.com. Fashion, Beauty and Retail News - WWD.com. Retrieved June 12, 2011, from http://www.wwd.com

Week: one Week: One

Company Name: Ben

Internship position: Product Development Intern

  

ben and NANCY

Here's some background information on the clothing line ben and NANCY: 

-ben: ben is a private label for NANCY's boutique and is also carried in Sabot in Atlanta. Leslie is the designer behind the clothing line ben. ben encompasses the idea of understated glamour. Each piece is specifically designed to be functional but also forward. ben strives to create pieces that fit beautifully and transition beautifully from one season to the next and one year to the next. ben cares about its workers and the American economy, which is why all of their classic staples with a twist are designed and produced domestically.

- NANCY: A chic boutique, Nancy's caters to Island clotheshorses with high-end women's apparel from international designers like Germanys Rene Lezard and South Africa's Peter Cohen. The well-heeled women of St. Simons also appreciate Nancy's selection of designer footwear, which ranges from classic Calvin Klein to arty Adriana Cara's, and exclusive handbag lines such as $500-and-up Lambertson Truex. The stores owner and namesake has a keen knack for finding tres chic apparel and accessories that can make the transition from high-energy Manhattan to laid-back St. Simons. 

St. Simons Bound

  I just arrived on the wonderful island of Saint Simon's (SSI). It's been a whirlwind since I've arrived back form Ghana. I will be starting my internship assisting designing a pre-fall collection tomorrow with Leslie Buchanan who is the designer for Ben on Saint Simon's Island. Ben is a contemporary women's clothing line featuring jackets, blouses, pants, skirts, and dresses. I am so excited to see and immerse myself in the whole design process.

“Fashions fade, style is eternal." - Yves Saint Laurent

Trust in the process

I am officially the worst blogger. Every time I would start to type I would decide to sleep instead. Plus the wifi in Ghana is not to great.

I can not believe how fast this trip has gone by. Only four days until I am home in the states. I've already planned out my meal when I get back. A juicy cheeseburger with a side salad and fruit. My body has been craving lettuce and fruit since we have gotten here.

I had a dance off with the girls but when I wanted to take a picture with them they froze.

I don't know why but I adore this picture.

I took this in Cape Coast while walking out of the slave castle. This picture really does not do justice to what it acutally looks like.

I was able to meet and talk with a master casket maker/artist in Accra today.

 The whole idea of death is very different but interesting in Ghana.

Mrs. Blalock and I ran into this group of childern who wanted us to give them candy. While Mrs. Blalock was talking to a teenager, I taught the kids how to jump for a picture. :-)

This was by far the best meal I have had on this trip.

This trip has been such an eye opening experience for me and I feel like the whole group as well. From talking with inspiring entrepreneurial Ghanaian women to visiting the Kumasi's Children Home I have grown so much as a person. It's going to be a culture shock coming back home after this trip.