Shop Report
Content
Mary Katrantzou Shop Report Damla Atik ATI11347552 Fashion Design & Development BA (Hons)
FINDINGS
This project seeks to create a capsule collection of Mary Katrantzou‟s line that is accessible to the general public, a more affordable line. The collection takes key elements of her signature look and interprets these in a minimalist but casual manner.
Introducing the brand
In 2008, Mary Katrantzou had the honour of opening the London Graduate Show, with her theme being the use of trompe l‟oeil effects with regard to interiors and this was a very successful debut.
Inspiration;
Victorian jewellery
Russian constructivism Helmut Newton photography
A BIT MORE ON HOW SHE HAS DEVELOPED The brand‟s pricing is set for the high-end market. Her collections are available worldwide in over 200 high-end fashion shops, including Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Barneys, Neiman Marcus, Colette, 10 Corso Como, Joyce, Luisa Via Roma, Mytheresa, Stylebop, Opening Ceremony and Net a Porter, and in 47 countries. Awards; “British fashion award for emerging talent 2011” “Young designer of the year 2012” “Swiss textiles”
Ethos & Values
From observing the six years of brand history, it is easy to see that Mary Katrantzou‟s designs require a high level of knowledge in digital printing, software skills and tailoring. She produces good quality garments and she combines her creative skills with a good knowledge of techniques.
In 2008, Mary Katrantzou collaborated with SHOW studio and created a short film for the project titled „Future Tense‟. The video shows a design taken from Katrantzou‟s Central Saint Martins graduate show being distorted and altered in correlation to the background music. Design Ethos; Bold print Digital pattern Trompe L‟oeil Hyperrealist aesthetic
Advantages & Disadvantages
Her products are mainly sold online or in a section of a department store, which allows the brand to make profit.
Not having a flagship store does not allow the brand to show it’s own style, taste and the lifestyle that it offers.
Retail & E-tail;
Mary Katrantzou does not have an up and running website at the moment.
Competitor’s Retail & E-tail Strategies;
Basso & Brooke; The website shows a very similar design ethos compare to that of Mary Katrantzou. The homepage of the website is extremely basic. However, this is a very clever design due to Basso & Brooke‟s prints being so vivid and bold as it offers a contrast to the designs themselves and draws attention to the information given. The monochromic design of the entire website should be something Mary Katrantzou should consider when launching her
new website, as this would automatically connote elegance and glamour through its simplicity.
Peter Pilotto; The website is based on visual impact with images and videos. The videos of catwalks allow the viewer to feel the atmosphere of that fashion world, which prompts the viewer to wonder what it might be like to be in that atmosphere. It stimulates the viewer‟s imagination. Presently, Pilotto‟s work is sold in 42 countries worldwide by 200 directional retailers including, Colette in Paris, Harvey Nichols and Dover Street Market in London, Bergdorf Goodman of Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, and Joyce in Hong Kong and China.
Erdem Erdem is currently stocked in over 90 stores worldwide including Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Avenue, Colette, Dover Street Market, and Harvey Nichols.
The website is designed intelligently and there is a bright colour selection for background drawing the attention to designs which has digital printing on it.
The mood of the collections
The brightly coloured 3D prints and the intricate techniques she has used in her designs clearly depict Mary Katrantzou‟s confident mind-set. Asymmetrical silhouettes and use of draping are also merged well; it emphasizes the liberated spirit and a strong sense of style. Somehow, she succeeds in hitting a note of oddness that seems new. For example using Trompe L‟oeil technique gives an illusion and technological vibe. Fall 2009, RTW; Colourful Wearable Newness Elegant Digital Romantic
Spring 2010, RTW; Organic Free-form Sophisticated Purity Wave Revolution Hint of audacity Melancholy
Colour;
According to the research on WGSN, there is a focus on orange-hued reds this season. There is also a continuation of lava and seaweed, which has great effect with woven and knitted fabrics. Also solid colours such as lilac, enamel blue and hot pink are continued to be used. Cobalt, an intense blue, and watermelon, are used, and these bright colours are preferred. All in all, if the future trend colours, according to WGSN are compared to Mary Katrantzou‟s colour selections, we can say that she is really successful at colour forecasting. As can be concluded from the development of her collections, Mary Katrantzou has taken a clear path that has moved from a bright, multi-coloured palette to one that is principally monochromatic. This is illustrated in her fall 2011 RTW collection in which she focused on a single colour top-to-toe. Likewise, in her fall 2013 RTW collection, there is a lot of black and white.
Spring 2012 RTW
Fall 2012 RTW
Texture;
One of the key elements that Mary Katrantzou used in her SS 2012 RTW collection was industrial imagery. In relation to this, she was inspired by an American sculptor, John Angus Chamberlain, who uses a range of metals to create large abstract forms. She applied above inspiration to actual 3D garments by using little paint cans to decorate the fabric by blackening it. When comparing her previous collections to SS 2012, it can be seen that she changed her direction from using satiny, silken, smooth and fluid fabrics to crushed metals, which convey a sense of mechanical, stiff, and solid. Another example of this approach can be seen in her fall 2013 RTW collection, which features huge diagonal folds where she again evokes stiffness with an asymmetrical aesthetic. Stiff Metallic Crushed Sharp Monochrome Reflective Aluminum effects John Angus Chamberlain
Spring 2012 RTW
Satin sheen.
Fall 2013 RTW
Key Pieces; Smart & Casual vs. Femininity & Classy
Comparing to Mary Katrantzou‟s silhouettes, my key pieces are; sculptural, fluid and fuzzy
Minimalistic
Geometrical
Futuristic
Simplistic
Modernist
My choice of “Silhouette” is mostly based on my own preferences. In my own opinion, a design should not be complicated. Simplicity and purity are my key elements.
Silhouette;
Sleeveless tops with accentuated back
Collars
Oversized coats
Pleated shorts
Target Customer;
My target customers are those that are budget minded but are highly fashion conscious.
Mary Katrantzou’s targeted consumer profile;
• • • • • • • Strong minded Not afraid of print Bold More likely to be young Skinny and wealthy Inspired by art and all of it forms High disposable income, able to indulge in expensive pieces.
My tangential brand’s targeted consumer profile;
• • • • • • • • Broad vision Modern Inspired by art and environment Minimalist Mid-level income Love to travel Strong minded Simplistic
Range Structure;
All the products are for ladies. The product range includes; Dresses
£ 2,215
£ 1.240
£ 510
Shirts
£ 595
£ 540
£ 1.080
Skirts
£ 2.215
£ 1.240
Leather Pouch
£ 490
£ 315
£ 490
Scarf
£ 315 Jacket
£ 315
£ 400
£ 1,755
£ 3,510
Short
£ 250
£ 255
Price Architecture; The brand‟s pricing is set for the high-end market. For example the prices of products from SS2013 collection starts from £255 for a printed jersey t-shirt, up to £5265 for a printed silk habotai dresses.
Jigsaw printed metal-mesh and jacquard dress £5,940
Ziggy printed silk-habotai dress £5,265
Kathmandu dress £2,225.00
Babelona jacquard dress £2,050
Avra printed silk crepe dress £1,125
Venezuela printed dress £702
Star sailor and India bird-print jersey dress £595
Shorts £395
Blue carbon printed denim shorts £270
X Current/Elliott The Boyfriend Short £225
Mod print mesh pencil skirt £4,590
Matchu Khan printed leather skirt £2,320
Flamingo PinkMulti Silk Palma Sorbonne Skirt £659
Dino midnight jacquard top £1,080
Grace top £661
Multicolored Cotton Bloomberg Shirt £380
Amethyst/Brilliant Blue High-Waisted Silk Pants £696
The stiletto trouser £521,38
Casual trouser £299
Pound biker jacket 5,301
Multicolored Cotton-Silk Starsailor Jacket £1,755
White The Snap Printed Denim Jacket £435
Limitations; Mary Katrantzou doesn‟t have a flagship store; therefore it was difficult to find out the ambiance and the life style she offers to her customers. However, visiting the other department stores such as Dower Street Market, Selfridges and Liberty helped me a lot to do my research and I got a glimpse of what I was looking for. The reason why she does not have her own web site, I had to do my “range structure” research, by visiting other online e-commerce web sites. Not having her web site was also a restricting factor for me to complete my research in “ethos and values” study.
Competition;
Luxury Brand Designer High Street Retail Designer Budget High Street Designer
Buttom High Street Designer
In this category I believe that my tangential brand belongs to budget high street category because my offer to the target customer is; Less tailoring values More concentrated on silhouette and structure of design Affordable prices Added values such as; inside pockets, pleats, different types of hemlines Reducing the excess of complexity by using less colors and sculptural designs but bringing the value of softly structured pieces by using earthy mid-tones
As Claire van den Berg says in Dash Magazine; In this millennium era of excess overload and complexity, minimalism is, in its diverse array of guises, above all a derivative of simplicity, reduction and a return of the essential. (Berg, 2013, p.74)
Competitor Brands; Competition can be analyzed in two different dimensions. The first dimension would refer to color and silhouette whereas the second dimension would refer to pricing architecture. My tangential brand‟s main competitors are; Lilly Heine, Cos, Thomas Tait and Jil Sander. Of the four primary competitors, this report will compare my brand with Cos and Lilly Heine. Cos; Collection of style is for men and women who want high-end design and good quality at an affordable price. Cos produces fashion pieces that look classic and modern. Own brand; COS;
Similarities in color palette;
Lilly Heine; A designer who was graduated from Centrals & Martins produces an entirely beige and soft mid-tones colored collection. The pieces she creates are most likely minimalistic and simple. She uses laser cut technique to make layers and give 3D effect to her designs.
Similarities in color palette;
FINDINGS
This project seeks to create a capsule collection of Mary Katrantzou‟s line that is accessible to the general public, a more affordable line. The collection takes key elements of her signature look and interprets these in a minimalist but casual manner.
Introducing the brand
In 2008, Mary Katrantzou had the honour of opening the London Graduate Show, with her theme being the use of trompe l‟oeil effects with regard to interiors and this was a very successful debut.
Inspiration;
Victorian jewellery
Russian constructivism Helmut Newton photography
A BIT MORE ON HOW SHE HAS DEVELOPED The brand‟s pricing is set for the high-end market. Her collections are available worldwide in over 200 high-end fashion shops, including Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Barneys, Neiman Marcus, Colette, 10 Corso Como, Joyce, Luisa Via Roma, Mytheresa, Stylebop, Opening Ceremony and Net a Porter, and in 47 countries. Awards; “British fashion award for emerging talent 2011” “Young designer of the year 2012” “Swiss textiles”
Ethos & Values
From observing the six years of brand history, it is easy to see that Mary Katrantzou‟s designs require a high level of knowledge in digital printing, software skills and tailoring. She produces good quality garments and she combines her creative skills with a good knowledge of techniques.
In 2008, Mary Katrantzou collaborated with SHOW studio and created a short film for the project titled „Future Tense‟. The video shows a design taken from Katrantzou‟s Central Saint Martins graduate show being distorted and altered in correlation to the background music. Design Ethos; Bold print Digital pattern Trompe L‟oeil Hyperrealist aesthetic
Advantages & Disadvantages
Her products are mainly sold online or in a section of a department store, which allows the brand to make profit.
Not having a flagship store does not allow the brand to show it’s own style, taste and the lifestyle that it offers.
Retail & E-tail;
Mary Katrantzou does not have an up and running website at the moment.
Competitor’s Retail & E-tail Strategies;
Basso & Brooke; The website shows a very similar design ethos compare to that of Mary Katrantzou. The homepage of the website is extremely basic. However, this is a very clever design due to Basso & Brooke‟s prints being so vivid and bold as it offers a contrast to the designs themselves and draws attention to the information given. The monochromic design of the entire website should be something Mary Katrantzou should consider when launching her
new website, as this would automatically connote elegance and glamour through its simplicity.
Peter Pilotto; The website is based on visual impact with images and videos. The videos of catwalks allow the viewer to feel the atmosphere of that fashion world, which prompts the viewer to wonder what it might be like to be in that atmosphere. It stimulates the viewer‟s imagination. Presently, Pilotto‟s work is sold in 42 countries worldwide by 200 directional retailers including, Colette in Paris, Harvey Nichols and Dover Street Market in London, Bergdorf Goodman of Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, and Joyce in Hong Kong and China.
Erdem Erdem is currently stocked in over 90 stores worldwide including Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Avenue, Colette, Dover Street Market, and Harvey Nichols.
The website is designed intelligently and there is a bright colour selection for background drawing the attention to designs which has digital printing on it.
The mood of the collections
The brightly coloured 3D prints and the intricate techniques she has used in her designs clearly depict Mary Katrantzou‟s confident mind-set. Asymmetrical silhouettes and use of draping are also merged well; it emphasizes the liberated spirit and a strong sense of style. Somehow, she succeeds in hitting a note of oddness that seems new. For example using Trompe L‟oeil technique gives an illusion and technological vibe. Fall 2009, RTW; Colourful Wearable Newness Elegant Digital Romantic
Spring 2010, RTW; Organic Free-form Sophisticated Purity Wave Revolution Hint of audacity Melancholy
Colour;
According to the research on WGSN, there is a focus on orange-hued reds this season. There is also a continuation of lava and seaweed, which has great effect with woven and knitted fabrics. Also solid colours such as lilac, enamel blue and hot pink are continued to be used. Cobalt, an intense blue, and watermelon, are used, and these bright colours are preferred. All in all, if the future trend colours, according to WGSN are compared to Mary Katrantzou‟s colour selections, we can say that she is really successful at colour forecasting. As can be concluded from the development of her collections, Mary Katrantzou has taken a clear path that has moved from a bright, multi-coloured palette to one that is principally monochromatic. This is illustrated in her fall 2011 RTW collection in which she focused on a single colour top-to-toe. Likewise, in her fall 2013 RTW collection, there is a lot of black and white.
Spring 2012 RTW
Fall 2012 RTW
Texture;
One of the key elements that Mary Katrantzou used in her SS 2012 RTW collection was industrial imagery. In relation to this, she was inspired by an American sculptor, John Angus Chamberlain, who uses a range of metals to create large abstract forms. She applied above inspiration to actual 3D garments by using little paint cans to decorate the fabric by blackening it. When comparing her previous collections to SS 2012, it can be seen that she changed her direction from using satiny, silken, smooth and fluid fabrics to crushed metals, which convey a sense of mechanical, stiff, and solid. Another example of this approach can be seen in her fall 2013 RTW collection, which features huge diagonal folds where she again evokes stiffness with an asymmetrical aesthetic. Stiff Metallic Crushed Sharp Monochrome Reflective Aluminum effects John Angus Chamberlain
Spring 2012 RTW
Satin sheen.
Fall 2013 RTW
Key Pieces; Smart & Casual vs. Femininity & Classy
Comparing to Mary Katrantzou‟s silhouettes, my key pieces are; sculptural, fluid and fuzzy
Minimalistic
Geometrical
Futuristic
Simplistic
Modernist
My choice of “Silhouette” is mostly based on my own preferences. In my own opinion, a design should not be complicated. Simplicity and purity are my key elements.
Silhouette;
Sleeveless tops with accentuated back
Collars
Oversized coats
Pleated shorts
Target Customer;
My target customers are those that are budget minded but are highly fashion conscious.
Mary Katrantzou’s targeted consumer profile;
• • • • • • • Strong minded Not afraid of print Bold More likely to be young Skinny and wealthy Inspired by art and all of it forms High disposable income, able to indulge in expensive pieces.
My tangential brand’s targeted consumer profile;
• • • • • • • • Broad vision Modern Inspired by art and environment Minimalist Mid-level income Love to travel Strong minded Simplistic
Range Structure;
All the products are for ladies. The product range includes; Dresses
£ 2,215
£ 1.240
£ 510
Shirts
£ 595
£ 540
£ 1.080
Skirts
£ 2.215
£ 1.240
Leather Pouch
£ 490
£ 315
£ 490
Scarf
£ 315 Jacket
£ 315
£ 400
£ 1,755
£ 3,510
Short
£ 250
£ 255
Price Architecture; The brand‟s pricing is set for the high-end market. For example the prices of products from SS2013 collection starts from £255 for a printed jersey t-shirt, up to £5265 for a printed silk habotai dresses.
Jigsaw printed metal-mesh and jacquard dress £5,940
Ziggy printed silk-habotai dress £5,265
Kathmandu dress £2,225.00
Babelona jacquard dress £2,050
Avra printed silk crepe dress £1,125
Venezuela printed dress £702
Star sailor and India bird-print jersey dress £595
Shorts £395
Blue carbon printed denim shorts £270
X Current/Elliott The Boyfriend Short £225
Mod print mesh pencil skirt £4,590
Matchu Khan printed leather skirt £2,320
Flamingo PinkMulti Silk Palma Sorbonne Skirt £659
Dino midnight jacquard top £1,080
Grace top £661
Multicolored Cotton Bloomberg Shirt £380
Amethyst/Brilliant Blue High-Waisted Silk Pants £696
The stiletto trouser £521,38
Casual trouser £299
Pound biker jacket 5,301
Multicolored Cotton-Silk Starsailor Jacket £1,755
White The Snap Printed Denim Jacket £435
Limitations; Mary Katrantzou doesn‟t have a flagship store; therefore it was difficult to find out the ambiance and the life style she offers to her customers. However, visiting the other department stores such as Dower Street Market, Selfridges and Liberty helped me a lot to do my research and I got a glimpse of what I was looking for. The reason why she does not have her own web site, I had to do my “range structure” research, by visiting other online e-commerce web sites. Not having her web site was also a restricting factor for me to complete my research in “ethos and values” study.
Competition;
Luxury Brand Designer High Street Retail Designer Budget High Street Designer
Buttom High Street Designer
In this category I believe that my tangential brand belongs to budget high street category because my offer to the target customer is; Less tailoring values More concentrated on silhouette and structure of design Affordable prices Added values such as; inside pockets, pleats, different types of hemlines Reducing the excess of complexity by using less colors and sculptural designs but bringing the value of softly structured pieces by using earthy mid-tones
As Claire van den Berg says in Dash Magazine; In this millennium era of excess overload and complexity, minimalism is, in its diverse array of guises, above all a derivative of simplicity, reduction and a return of the essential. (Berg, 2013, p.74)
Competitor Brands; Competition can be analyzed in two different dimensions. The first dimension would refer to color and silhouette whereas the second dimension would refer to pricing architecture. My tangential brand‟s main competitors are; Lilly Heine, Cos, Thomas Tait and Jil Sander. Of the four primary competitors, this report will compare my brand with Cos and Lilly Heine. Cos; Collection of style is for men and women who want high-end design and good quality at an affordable price. Cos produces fashion pieces that look classic and modern. Own brand; COS;
Similarities in color palette;
Lilly Heine; A designer who was graduated from Centrals & Martins produces an entirely beige and soft mid-tones colored collection. The pieces she creates are most likely minimalistic and simple. She uses laser cut technique to make layers and give 3D effect to her designs.
Similarities in color palette;
