Oscars 2016 Fashion

So the biggest awards ceremony of them all occurred last night and it was definitely worth the wait and that's not just because after nearly 25 years in the business Leonardo Decaprio finally won the Oscar he has always deserved. It was about time wasn't it? And with a captivating message about global warming at the ready, we were pleased Leo finally got to share his anticipated acceptance speech with the world.
However, in regards to the fashion, nearly every actress' choice for the night was on point but if I am brutally honest, the one person I was anticipating to see who has been religiously taking garments from the wardrobe of Louis Vuitton and making them a statement of her own all awards season, fell flat on the red carpet in comparison to everyone else. (No I do not mean she literally fell but you get what I mean.)
Yes, I am on about Alicia Vikander and yes it pains me to say it because I have gushed so confidently about her previous show stopping looks throughout the past month, but this one I just found myself wallowing in disappointment due to her Disney princess fashion disaster.

You can scroll down to see why but first as always I have brought to you my favourite looks of the night with hope that you also agree with me.

Firstly I am going to start with the elegant Cate Blanchett who excitingly channelled a frosted floral garden narrative with her Armani Prive gown. Her dress is so current to 2016 as it can be noticed that three dimensional flowers are gradually becoming a huge trend for the spring season. Therefore, this dramatic gown had real design elements and complimented Blanchett's porcelain skin superbly.



My next look and possibly one of my favourites from the whole awards season even though it may not be a popular choice, was this couture Givenchy dress worn by Rooney Mara. Although the gown paired with her ivory skin and deep red lip channels a 'gothic ghost bride' kind of look, the intricate lace detail and delicate draping silhouette is something that can't go unappreciated. The dress even allows the actress to be seductive with the revealing of her torso via a structured diamond cut out and ruffled slit up the skirt. However, by covering her shoulders and wearing a long arm length dress it maintains the elegance and slight innocence of this angelic gown.





At first I was not too sure about this Dior gown worn by Jennifer Lawrence for the star studded night, but the more I looked at it, the more I became obsessed. Perfectly styled with her short freshly dyed blonde bob, the star wore a dress that was adorned with heavy feathering and a contrasting plunging lace detailed top for a dark protagonist look. However, by wearing a nude lip and minimalistic make-up she manages to tone this dramatic look down to incorporates both a daring and graceful attributes to reflect her sweet yet powerful personality.
Although it does appear similar to the dress Cate Blanchett wore for the BAFTA's, Lawrence has put a youthful spin on the feathered look which allows her to stay on trend and true to her age.


It would not be the Oscar's if there was not a lady in red and the star who was embodying this seductive character in true spirit during the event was Charlise Theron in this Dior creation. The dress was ever so simple but with a powerful tone of red like this one, the dress did not need any more fuss added to it. The dress also compliments Theron's lean, slim figure which allows her to pull off the deep plunge and string shoulder detailing so effortlessly and wow the paparazzi and her fellow Oscar nominees.



I mean I suppose it is not that bad, but there is something about it which just scream's "I stole my grandmother's lemon soufflé, turned it into a dress and covered it in glittered embellishments because I had no time to get fitted at Vuitton not "I am a million dollar actress who will be taking home an Oscar tonight". Obviously I am not just blaming Vikander because this is not the best I have seen from Louis Vuitton either and that is something crazy to say since I basically live and breath fashion right now.
I get the whole lets channel Disney princesses because to be fair it is a growing trend for 2016 with the arrival of Beauty and the Beast in 2017 and the recent adaptation of Cinderella last year but does it really translate well onto the red carpet? I just feel like for an actress with such ground breaking, dramatized roles in some of the biggest movies of this year, her fashion should be communicating other revolutionary and innovative themes instead of the innocence youthful look we have already seen once at the Golden Globes and this current one which portrays a modernised image of Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Her outfits have already been jaw dropping the past two events in a cool modern way that appropriately reflects her age, surely she could of given us a third one to remember for the right reasons?

Fragrance Brief: Ideas for a gap in the market (Niche and Personalised Perfumes)

Niche Perfumes
It seems that 2016 is seeing a lot more demand for perfumes which are filled with natural ingredients and are from an artistic or individual background. Unique fragrances with higher concentration of extracts which last longer have become increasingly popular due to the role of fashion bloggers and smaller brands who are starting to promote these type of perfumes due to the rise in demand of consumers who are reluctant to buy certain scents due to allergy scares. Taken from the study 'Fragrance UK, August 2015' on Mintel database, it was found that 13% of fragrance buyers look for natural organic fragrances rather than chemically produced prestige aromas because of the fears of what it could be doing to their skin and health. Furthermore using the same database I found that 8% worry about allergic reactions and 9% would like to see allergens listed on fragrances This is an extremely big gap in the market for perfume markets to start to fill because many people do not realise that they could potentially be allergic to some of the high end perfumes due to certain ingredients which are covered up by a voluptuous captivating scent. Another reason for this demand could arguably be the increase of the influence of the hipster culture during the noughties therefore, individuals are starting to look for an expression of personality and individuality within their scent which they cannot find among these floral, gothic vamp, mythical goddess' perfumes because they do not represent something meaningful to an individual and are classed as rather boring.

Personalised Fragrances:

Obviously I am aware of the law regulation's which suggest that fragrances are unable to be completely natural or the ingredients can be fully specified on the bottle. However, one idea could be a niche perfume where the individual could personalise their scent so they know exactly what is being put into the concoction of ingredients and this could be a huge gap in the market for perfumers when they are trying to gain a new audience and consumer base.

Furthermore, it was found that consumers have agreed that many scents are too strong, which could influence the idea among perfume brands to allow their customers to choose the level of fragrance they would prefer. A brand's consumer could try different levels of a fragrance, take out ingredients or notes they don't like or add notes they do then order their preference. This would be perfect for a customer who wish to customise their fragrances according to the event or occasion they are going to. For instance, during the day, the level of fragrance could be a lot softer and subtle, whereas on the night, higher levels of fragrance and dominant notes could be added to create an olfactory representation of sensuality, elegance and passion which could be communicated through this changeable fragrance. Therefore, although it is primarily a personalised fragrance, the fragrance could be a 'Day and Night' perfume which allows a person to change their scent by using the same bottle but the different scents are located at opposite ends of the bottle to divide the different strengths of aroma and would mean an individual does not have to have two bottles but just one. This also arguably reduces the amount of raw materials and resources which would be needed to create two bottles and therefore, it becomes a lot more nature friendly. 

Examples of Day and Night perfumes:
Day and Night perfumes are something which have been done briefly before however, as you can see from my research many of these perfumes come in two separate flacons; one being named 'Day' and the other being named 'Night' or words associated which the different times of day or other contrasting elements such as black and white.

Zara's 9:00PM Friday Night and 12:00AM Sunday Morning scents




(Image: Zara Online)


(Image: own photography)


The White Company

Noir and Blanc Fragrances



Day and Night Fragrances




(Images: The White Company Online)

Fragrance Brief: In Store and Product Research within the market

For my new module 'Creative Networks' we have been set the task of developing our own fragrance brand in teams.

Carrying on with my research for a gap in the market in the fragrance industry, I thought a really good way of finding out what is exactly in the industry at the moment and what is not, would be to actually go out and have a look around a few stores in Nottingham and London and see what they have to offer. Also along the way we were looking for potential competition, how different market level brands were channelling the same ideas and mainly the products that were already being promoted.

The Classic

John Lewis

To start off our research, me and my teammates took a trip to John Lewis where we visited the Chanel counter to find out more about the iconic brand's classic scents. We looked at the classic Chanel No.5 and found out after nearly 97 years it is still Chanel's most popular and sold perfume across the brand. Something I found really interesting was the fact that No.5's target customer is predominantly of an older woman who has remained loyal towards the brand throughout their life and is not likely to ever change because this perfume is so traditional and reflects their values as a woman in the 20th century. However, although this is great for sales and the brand's longevity this perfume can be passed down from generation to generation as it captivates heritage and class. One think I found extremely heart-breaking was that many store assistants find that a lot of the people who view this perfume are elderly men who visit the store to remember the scent of their deceased wife as the smell transports them back to a time of happiness, love and comfort.

However, Chanel No.5 also represents a shift in the 20's and the emancipation of women who were gaining independence, getting the vote, smoking in public and wearing trousers. Therefore, women were moving from tradition to modern day values. As for the packaging of the bottle, it is quite minimalistic, boyish and androgynous, reflecting the values of women at the time.

The second perfume we viewed was Chance by Chanel which is known as the 'flanker' of Chanel's many perfumes because of it's four different scents which all go by the same name of Chance. Interestingly in terms of the story behind the shaping of the bottle, we found out that the silhouette of the Chance flacon is in fact shaped like a diamond ring to symbolise the luxuries and the possibilities of the next chapter in a person's life which could come from taking that chance. Furthermore, the perfume represents a whirlwind of happiness, fantasy and the unpredictability of life and is also an olfactory representation of the chances Coco Chanel took in her life which allowed her to become one of the greatest women in fashion of all time.

Game of Chance

The Chanel counter also had miniature spraying cards which were called 'Game of Chance' cards to further the theme of unpredictability of taking that chance in a game or in life for that matter. It also kind of reminded me of the television show 'Game of Thrones' therefore, Chanel could arguably be trying to connect with a customer who is fond of this popular culture television series which has been promoted quite frequently within the media. Therefore, it may provide their fragrance with more publicity and towards a modern audience who is up to date with current affairs unlike their No.5 customers who buy the perfume for its classic commodity.

Game= sports, board games, competition, success....

"A chance came up, I seized it." Mademoiselle Chanel knew that her real chance was the one of her own creation, a state of mind, a way of being and as she took these chances, success followed.

Coco Mademoiselle was the final perfume that we researched in store and although it represents a very different brand value to No.5 it was found that it is still purchased by customers of all ages from teenagers to middle aged woman do to this loyalty that older women have towards the brand. However, the younger consumers who do purchase this scent buy the perfume because it is a modern classic which symbolises the youthful independent side of Gabrielle Chanel. We also found out that the perfume took an astonishing thirteen years to create to avoid any chance of failure of sale up against No.5.

Au Naturale

Lush

One of my favourite brands for scented ingredients is Lush. Therefore, I thought this was a must visit on our search around Nottingham. We immediately went over to the Perfume section of the shop where we found a selection of scented fragrances which reflected the brand values of the store. As a brand, Lush also stress the importance of including natural ingredients and safe synthetics in their fragrances which they purchase from non animal testing suppliers. They also make it extremely clear that they do not test on animals either.  Furthermore, their bottles and flacons are 100% bio-degradable and are made out of potato starch. Therefore, in terms of packaging Lush are extremely unique with their environmentally friendly way off visually displaying their brand values.

As for the layout of the store, it almost looked like the cupboard of a professor's science lab which contained all of his crazy mixtures and components for a concoction.

High Street vs High End: As for the design of the bottles, they are playful, modern and kind of resemble a cartoon sketch in a comic book to communicate to an audience who likes quirky and fun scented products and merchandise. I don't know about you but these bottles look very similar to Moschino's Fresh fragrance which also debuted in 2015. Both brands are playing around with the concept of low cultured products to adapt their new fragrance to a wider market.



Lush' Gorilla Perfume Gallery on Oxford Street London

In true comic book style and storytelling, Lush has recently opened up a Gorilla perfume Gallery on Oxford Street in London which contains a collaborative art installation to put a creative spin on their usual in store retail set up and visual displays.  The gallery is subject to Lush's popular Gorilla Perfumes fragrances: The Smell of Freedom and The Sun and is open until the 24th March. I thought this was a really cool idea because Lush has been known primarily for their skin and bath products however, by moving into the fragrance market more predominantly they have managed to secure a new consumer who is interested in safe synthetic and natural ingredient perfumes.



Contrasting Perfumes

Zara- Day and Night Perfumes. 12.00AM Sunday Morning and 9:00PM Friday Night

You may see me discuss an idea in a few days that was formed from seeing this set of perfumes in Zara's store in Nottingham and I will post the blog link to this page as soon as it is up.

I really liked the idea of perfumes that catered for either day or night because I am aware that many people do actually wear different scents according to the occasion they are attending or the time of the day. I especially found this out during my recent consumer research survey that '69 out of 100' do alter their scent to the specific time of day and whether they are going somewhere dressy or casual. Many people tend to opt for a subtler scent during the day whereas their night scent is a lot more dramatic, intense and indulgent. Here is a bit more information I found out about Zara's contrasting fragrances...

9:00PM Friday Night



Top note: orange blossom

Middle notes: magnolia petals and heliotrope

Base notes: vanilla, tonka bean and musk.

For a sensual, mysterious after hours scent targeted at a woman who is charming and out to have a good time.

12:00AM Sunday Morning



Top notes: bergamot, pear and black currant

Middle notes: rose, orange blossom and iris

Base note: sandalwood.

For a woody, delicate Sunday morning scent.

(images: courtesy of Zara online)

(Own photography)

The White Company

However, Zara was not the only brand that we found to be promoting a contrasting trend within perfume as 'The White Company' also had two specific scents called 'Noir' and 'Blanc' and their own version of 'Day' and 'Night' scents. Take a look below.

The White Company 'Day' and 'Night' scents







The White Company 'Blanc' and Noir' scents





Primark

Although Primark could probably never compete with the likes of Chanel something I found very interesting was the fact that 'P.S Love' by the brand had an extreme resemblance to the flanker fragrance 'Chance' by Chanel! What do you think?


Chance by Chanel                                                     P.S Love by Primark

Next and the Body Shop

Whilst we looked around Next and the Body Shop we started to realise that one recurring trend between high street and high end brands lately, is the promotion of Floral scents. We noticed that both of these brands were heavily trying to push the trend within store. Whether this was because it is nearly Mother's Day or because the trend is so popular, in my opinion I feel that the overload of florals is starting to become a bit outdated and boring. What do you think?


(Next fragrance section)


(The body shop window display in Nottingham)

Alien by Thierry Mugler Refill station

Something else I found really innovative whilst we were doing research around Nottingham was the Thierry Mugler refilling stations which the brand have created for their perfumes Angel and Alien. These refilling stations are located in various department and fragrance stores.
The idea is unique, environmentally friendly and means that a consumer can recycle their bottle instead of buying a new one to reuse the material and to conserve raw materials and resources that these bottles are made from.

Refill stations can inspire retailer loyalty

'A third of those who buy BPC products are interested in saving money by buying refills, increasing to 40% of women who have larger beauty purchase repertoires and are most likely to visit stores. BPC brands can introduce refill stations for products, such as shampoo and shower gel, for a set monthly fee to ensure loyalty.'

Source: Mintel, The Savvy Beauty Consumer - UK - November 2015, The Consumer- what you need to know

Creative Concept:

Artistic shaping and design of perfume bottles

Modernistic designs: I have included a few branded perfume bottles which I found on my visit to Harrods over the weekend which I found were the most innovative, creative and cool. See if you agree with me!

My favourite finds: I chose these perfume bottles because they were far from average and as a consumer myself, they were the types of designs I would find myself purchasing just because of the shaping of the bottle before actually smelling the scent.

Bond No.9




Miu Miu's first fragrance


Missoni


Valentina Poudre by Valentino


Bvlgari Le Gemme

Moschino for Milan Fashion Week 2016

So as we welcome in Milan Fashion Week and say goodbye to London's spectacular five day fashion extravaganza, we start to embrace the distinctive fashion from high end brands such as Prada, Gucci, Fendi and Roberto Cavalli, who are all showing off their A/W16/17 collections in a contemporary European way. Sadly we only have Paris Fashion Week left then it's all over yet again until September later this year! :(

 However, one brand that was quite exceptional and certainly smoking tonight was Moschino, whose debut on the catwalk sparked an uproar of delight by arguably combining a vision of both fashion and performance (and even interior) to challenge the art of promoting ready to wear style in an unforgettable runway show which was filled with dancing and movement.

Carrying on with Moschino's epic brand values that mix luxury with popular culture, Jeremy Scott did not shy away from his current feature of graphic playful designs such as teddy bears and animated red lips throughout his clothing but surprisingly there were no Barbie, McDonalds or car wash references, it is the more serious dishevelled fashion towards the end of the show which I am more interested in and going to discuss tonight. At first these looks almost screamed Comme de Garcon in Paris 1981 but then the more you look at each model's attire, you start to get a feel for the deeper, rather disturbing and fiery (literally) narrative that is hidden behind Moschino's Fall 2016 show.

The reimagined Italian brand presented a Chandelier motif gown that spiritually left us with conceptualised thoughts of Lumiere from 'The Beauty and the Beast' and attires which looked as if Jeremy Scott had set them alight himself just before the anticipated show. This was because even one of his gowns was followed down the runway by a heap of smoke that clung onto the char burn
marks for dear life to represent burning pieces of art and beautiful couture. Hopefully there weren't too many asthma sufferer's on the front row....

As for the narrative for this expressive runway show, Jeremy Scott wanted to communicate a story that was based on the Dominican Monks of the 15th century, during the Renaissance, who had notably led a group of activists through the streets of Florence causing mass destruction on the city by burning interiors, clothing and many objects in sight. However, Scott has taken this historical Italian moment and turned it into a theatrical display of war with an element of self expression on the designer's behalf to allow Scott to combine his visually kitsch style with a deep context of the city of Florence and Italian heritage.

When it was Anne Cleveland's turn to strut down the runway, she surprised the crowd of fashion observers by not exactly walking but elegantly dancing with a cloud of travelling smoke around her whilst wearing a royal blue full skirt cocktail dress which was just as purposely ruine as the rest of Jeremy Scott's collection.

Similarly to Moschinos 'Fresh' fragrance for 2015, this collection also had us wondering what Jeremy Scott's challenging contemporary narratives intend to represent apart from the revolution of popular culture and the synergy of high and low lifestyles but somehow, it seems to work so well and leave his viewers wanting more and more from the weirdly wonderful brand.

(Images: courtesy of Vogue)

Anne Cleveland's debut down the runway

Fragrance Brief: Perfume Key Trends and Narratives

Throughout my research online and offline over the past couple of days, I have been in search for a gap in the perfume market. However, to know what is needed in the market, you have to look at what is already there. Therefore, I have gathered a few different trends and narrative that are being promoted across the industry by leading brands and which are turning out to be extremely successful. This blog post will be followed up by a post which will include what I found when I did some retail and consumer research on the market this week and what was going on within certain in store visual merchandising and their promotion of fragrance.


Perfume trends and narratives

Unisex Perfumes
Archetype: the rebel, the revolutionary
These androgynous perfumes have been popular for quite a while now ever since Calvin Klein stepped out with his ground-breaking fragrance CK One back in 1994 when grunge subculture and diversity of gender was really starting to be experimented with. However, over the years, it has not just been Calvin Klein who has taken on this unique trend, but other leading brands such as Comme de Garcon with Pharrell Williams Girl, Lady Gaga's Eau de Gaga and Lamis who debuted the perfume 'Everyone', have also identified their fragrances with a narrative that surrounds the blurring of genders.



Referring back to the reigning brand for androgynous scents, Calvin Klein has done it again but this time with a fresh, contemporary extension on the theme called 'CK Two by Calvin Klein' which is aimed at the demographic millennial group and generation Z and Y. The authentic perfume reaches out to this younger audience and consumer base by aligning different cultural representatives and generating values of a youngster throughout their everyday life and communicating stories about what they may go through during their adolescence life and beyond. Therefore, the perfume communicates experiences of love, lust and friendship. This is represented throughout the advert campaign as we see four different types of couples which can be identified among the youth relationships in today's 21st century society. The couples included are from different ethnicities, sexualities, origins and then one image is of true friendship to demonstrate the different kinds of relationship shared between two people; males or females and the free spirit and diversity among individual's today. You can have a look at the campaign below!

CK Two by Calvin Klein 2015 advert


Lady Gaga Eau de Gaga

Pharell Williams Girl (Comme de Garcon)

Gothic Romance, The Dark Side 
Archetype: the rebel, the fashionista
Many brands such as Yves Saint Laurent and Tom Ford have continued their dark narrative right through into 2016 but other brands such as Salvatore Ferragamo, who normally tend to use traditional feminine narratives, based on his two previously pink based products, has also adopted the mysterious concept for his communicative scent. If there's one thing all of these adverts have in common, it is the fact that each model is rocking a great deal of eyeliner which contrasts against their striking porcelain skin leaving them with a sensual gothic vampire look .

Yves Saint Laurent's Black Opium is among the selection of gothic and dark inspired perfumes which are trending at the moment. The flanker of the classic 1977 Opium signifies a glam rock aesthetic and the feeling of adrenaline which is arguably fuelled by the caffeine that is supplied through the note of coffee to kick-start an independent, edgy woman's night out and give her the energy to instantly seduce people with her scent.


Tom Ford's sensual Noir Pour Femme captures the true identity of a Tom Ford woman and the brand values they obtain. The fragrance is a paradox of the good and feminine side of a woman and the dark side which she keeps hidden away from the world. The perfume symbolises a juxtaposition of vulnerability and power but in a romantic alluring way. Furthermore, through this power there are arguably masculine elements within the fragrance but these are outweighed by the concoction of opulent floral and oriental notes to maintain the indulgence and sexuality that both Tom Fords scents and brand share.


As for Salvatore Ferragamo's Signorina Misteriosa, it is the complete opposite to it's sister scent and original perfume 'Signorina' as the new perfume combines sophistication and edge for an after hours aroma which is worn by those who are daring, outgoing and ready to show off their dark side.

Mythical Goddess'
Archetype: the hero, the ruler, the creator
Another trend which is becoming increasingly popular among high end brands since 2015 and is following us into 2016 is the trend of using mythical and historical goddess' to promote strength and dominance within the female gender identity. For instance, Versace, Bvlgari and Paco Rabbanne have released fragrances recently which take on this contextual narrative. Bvlgari's scent 'Goldea' has especially represented the theme of an assertive, high status woman with their use of 'dea' in the title which translated from Latin means 'goddess'. Furthermore, the packaging and design of the bottle symbolise the relationship that iconic goddess's such as Cleopatra have had with the colour gold and the motif of the snake.


As for Paco Rabbane the brand has communicated a narrative based on mythical goddesses in their new scent 'Olympea' by portraying the model standing on the top of Mount Olympus to evoke visions of power and strength but still sensuality and freshness to the brand.



Versace has furthered the Greek mythological theme with it's 'Eros' perfume which was launched back in Spring of 2015 but is still extremely popular. The design of the bottle even symbolises the face of mythological nemesis Medusa therefore, it has deeper reference to mythology and a different female identity which was also strong but in an evil and dark way adding a hint of wickedness to the story behind the fragrance.



Fashion Synergy
Archetype: the fashionista, the explorer, the creative
Moschino's newest fragrance 'Fresh' is a direct example of fashion synergy because not only does it combine an influence of Jeremy Scott's Spring Car Wash Couture SS16 collection but it also represents both high and low culture. This is demonstrated by the house cleaning product shaped bottle which contains a luxurious couture liquid. The luxurious liquid that is encapsulated in the flacon may signify the supreme status of the brand. However, the low cultured packaging signifies the brands values of taking something prestigious and mixing it with popular culture for a statement, bizarre and authentic effect that is sure not to be forgotten about for a long time.



Similarly to Moschino, Marc Jacob's has used the packaging of his perfume 'Decadence' to define a synergy between his distinctive personality influenced fragrances and his evening bag collection.

To read more about the narrative behind Decadence by Marc Jacobs, you can go to my blog post:

http://katefergvson.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/marc-jacobs-2015-fragrance-decadence.html



Delicate Florals
Archetype: the innocent, the sage, the caregiver
I don't know if I am the only one noticing this but nearly every single perfume that is taking over our department store shelves at the moment is either feminine, delicately floral based or fruity fresh!
Miss Dior is just one example of this but there are many more feminine liquidated scents floating about such as Valentina by Valentino and Elie Saab's Le Parfum.

Miss Dior represents both a bold and elegant woman in a timeless chic way. Romantic and natural, the perfume not only inspires a feminine identity but it also represents love which this woman is in search of and is able to lure men with her captivating yet playful charm.


Valentina Poudre Eau de Parfum by Valentino
This perfume represents natural beauty and simplicity which is symbolised by the minimalistic pale rose based bottle. On the subject of the bottle in my opinion, the moulded flacon resemble an abstract sculpture suggesting there could be some modernistic art inspiration or creative context behind the shaping of the bottle. However, back to the story behind the perfume, Valentina Poudre arguably signifies a feminine woman who adore sensual and indulgent things in life close to her skin such as fragrance which have the power to lure others in closer.


Not exactly the same edition of the perfume but both versions evoke the same olfactory messages and visual codes.

Other feminine perfumes on the market similar to these two:
Elie Saab Le Parfum


Bottega Veneta's Knot perfume



(Research: Courtesy of WGSN and Mintel)