Introduction /Event Background
To begin with, a brand is a commodity, service or a company characteristic that distinguishes it from other commodities or companies; it is the name or a symbol that identifies one product or services from the others in the market.
Big brand names have been developed over the years to create the right identity and market it effectively. A product brand is the result of all the efforts and ingredients put in the product and presented in its name that helps the buyer easily recall and recognize it. It also helps the sellers increase the market reach, thereby minimizing on the marketing costs of the product (Randall, 2000).
The Pure Fashion trade fair is, perhaps, the most attended trade fair in London, and its main feature is the exhibition of the latest fashion brands. The event attracts more and more participants as its popularity rises.
The British Council oversees the growth and development of fashion industry in London. In 2009, there was a spectacular twist in the fashion fair in that both the Council and the trade show were celebrating their 25th Anniversary.
It must be noted that there is a high level of competence in this event. With over 1000 designs being exhibited, this trade fair appealed to traders, buyers and all other stakeholders.
Here, emphasis is given to the latest fashion discoveries as there is increased attention to innovativeness and creativity. The event is held with high esteem at Somserset House located on the Strand (London Fashion Week Dates n.d.). The display of style at the trade fair gives participants a feeling of endless partying.
Observations from the London Fashion Week
The London Fashion Week brings out a combination of style, art, creativity and the use of technology, especially in sales and marketing (Saviolo, 2002).
This year, apart from bringing together the best brands, the fair attracted some of the worlds well known designers, such as Matthew Williamson, Kinder Aggugini, Mulberry, Vivienne Westwood, Nicole Farhi, Jaeger, and Paul Smith, among others (The Londoner’s Guide to London 2012). One of the key things to note is that its main targets are buyers and sellers
Also, in this year’s event, models portraying some of the most sophisticated designs went the catwalks a number of times each day. One of the conspicuous shows put up in this category was the set of Jewelry showcased by Catherine Parr and Inouïtoosh (Pure London 2012 – Accessories Scene Fashion Show 2012).
They put up an unbeatable jewelry that included a set of well cut skull necklaces that were enlightened with bold and bright colors. It was the kind of outfit that reveals a strong fashion statement (Saviolo, 2002)
There was also the introduction of diamond sets that had been creatively blended with gold and silver pieces. An Italian leathered bag and luxurious gloves by Ruby were significantly prominent as well. There was also the maiden entry by Lulu Guinness with what was introduced as the Becksondergaar (Mestrovic, 2012). The catwalk did not fail in presenting well-rehearsed choreographic showcases.
A fashion show in any modernized or developing market may be incomplete without the WSGN report. It was notable that organizations were furnished with almost customized reports on their products where demonstrations of their market dominance and prospects were discussed (Mears, 2011). This underlined the important role of WSGN as a market researcher and observer in the fashion industry.
Range Inspiration
Having been in the fashion business for over 40 years, Quicksilver became one of the most reliable mid-to-high end contemporary womenswear company. The designers at Quicksilver have a keen eye for creative, authentic, innovative and classy products; this made them a household name in the UK and greatly revered in other parts of the world as well.
According to Quicksilver (2012), the company’s origins can be traced back to two Torquay Locals, John Law and Alan Green, who in 1969, saw a market opportunity in the making and sale of boardshorts (surfing garment), thus turning their home garage into a “factory”.
The name Quicksilver was inspired by Alan Green’s wife, Barbara, who while reading a novel, came across the name Quicksilver used to describe something that seemed “elusive, liquid, mercurial, changing readily”; according to her, it sounded more-or-less similar to what Alan and John were trying to do with their baby company (Quicksilver, 2012).
Quicksilver (2012) states another version of brand’s name’s origin; ancient Alchemists used this word to refer to the difficult, yet worthy process of turning base metals into gold. This is the reason why the company painstakingly strives to engage in the worthy process of turning good fabric into extraordinary fashionable products.
One of the major turning points for Quicksilver came in 1973 when John and Alan decided to officially open a company based on the increased demand for Boardshorts. Soon, their products were available in Australia with several top surfers rocking the Quicksilver board shorts. The company was licensed in the USA in 1976 and in Europe in 1984.
By 1995, the company was already realizing revenues as high as $174 million, and in 2004, the revenues hit the prestigious $1 billion mark. The company’s revenues continue to go up (Quicksilver, 2012).
Quicksilver greatly benefits from many professional sportsmen and women using their products in their endeavors. Their sports stars are Kelly Slater, Lisa Andersen (surfing champions in 1975), and Jeff Hakman (legendary surfer in 1976).
Notably, Quicksilver mostly specializes in clothing related to the outdoor sports lifestyle with their products cutting across all genders and age-groups. This is the reason why the company is popularly visited by the young and elderly. Moreover, their price-friendliness has been able to offer the company huge competitive advantage over other market players; no wander, its revenues keep growing.
Over the years, Quicksilver has been able to team up with various fashion houses and general business corporations in a myriad of ventures ranging from those done to increase their revenues to some that were done for Charity.
A good example of such ventures is the “Wave of Compassion” charity group which was specifically launched in 2004 to assist victims of the tragic Tsunami (Quicksilver, 2012).
Other than mobilizing for funds to assist the victims, the Wave of Compassion is reported to work together with local communities in sending medical equipment, food, clothing and even doctors to assist the communities that are in need (Quicksilver, 2012).
Today, Quicksilver offers a wide range of products, including accessories, footwear, eyewear, complete clothing collections and watches, among others (Quicksilver, 2012). It would not be far-fetched to say that people should expect a lot more from Quicksilver in years to come.
Fashion Communication
The process model
It is indisputable that individuals prefer the clothing that speaks for itself. Fashion communication models attempt to explain this by arguing that the way someone presents himself/herself in terms of clothing sends a message which may be termed as non verbal.
It is viewed as nonverbal because without one making any statements in this direction, a person is still able to categorize and even classify the bearer of the fashionable piece (Nicholson, Clarke & Blakemore, 2002).
Based on the above reason, there is a very pronounced connection between fashion communication models and the consumer of any given fashion product, It is widely believed that communication follows a certain process in which a message comes from the originator and is passed from one person to another through the various mediums.
In the same way, fashion can be interpreted to send an intentional message. The process will, therefore, begin with the designer who then places it in a store where a customer who intends to pass a certain message through this particular garment will pick it (Roshumba & O’Connor, 1999).
It, thus, means that in this case, the medium of communication will be the garment that the messenger is putting on. There is almost no argument that by looking at fashion as a way of sending a message; it will be looked at also as a way of influencing customer trends and tastes (Decker, 2009).
Debate would rise as to who is the real source of the message, whether it is the designer or the garment wearer? On the one hand, this is not an easy question to answer, but it appears both the designer and the consumer come from the same school of thought. Indeed, the fact that they are brought together by the garment is a clear indication that there is a common or shared opinion between them.
The semiotic model
The semiotic model reverses the communication process in that the message precedes the communicating process. This means that before a particular style of clothing is preferred over another, there is a premeditated process that has a clearly outlined message.
Unlike the process model where the design comes before the message, the wearer does not land on a garment by default because they intend to send a statement through the garment chose. An example can be driven from the sporting activity in several countries (Fernie, 1997)
It is observed that the fans come out during matches dressed in colors and garments that represent the teams they support. By doing so, they have already sent a strong indication as to where they belong to as far as the match is concerned.
In this regard, the Semiotic model can be said to have elements of influencing customer trends by season or moments. People choose to wear what they put on because they are conscious of what others will make out of it (Belmonte, 2012).
Fashion and Cultural Attributes
Another school of thought bases its ideologies on the argument that fashion and way of dressing represent a certain culture or allegiance to particular customs and practices (Bean & Bidner, 2005).
This model fronts the idea that just as a society brings forward its practices though dance, artifacts and institutions, it is also possible to bring out beliefs and values through fashion, clothing and design. In this case, a group of people who share the same values will put on resembling clothe patterns either partially or fully. The Muslim society can be a good example in this regard.
More often, one will require not be introduced to a Muslim by name, but the mode of dressing may send a strong, message concerning his beliefs. Fashion here is seen to play a critical role in representing the society just like other forms of art.
Another interesting presentation of fashion is when it is a way of building fences and bridges. The idea is that a particular mode of dressing sends a signal that tells one whether it is healthy to interact or it is better to keep a distance. In this category, we may cite the combat clothes worn by the police, particularly when there are riots. These clothes show how far they can and should go.
Conclusion
To a certain extent, it may seem that both the label and the consumer are out to send a set of messages. This is demonstrated by the thought that sometimes, the designer will intend to pass a certain message using his garment, but the consumer picks the same garment for a completely different reason.
If this happens, the message of the designer will be seen to be passed but not clearly explained. There might also be a scenario where the wearer of the garment may choose it for the same reason it was intended. This is quite common in a situation where clothes are picked for selected events. In this case, the message of the designer coincides with what the wearer had in mind when purchasing the garment (Belmonte, 2012).
For Quicksilver, the “demanding outdoor sports lifestyle” sold at mid-to-high end prices is their style (Quicksilver, 2011). On the one hand, this is a strong statement that may be interpreted to mean there is an emphasis on durability and quality, while on the other hand, it will be meant to say that these garments are for those who can truly afford them.
At the same time, the wearer will make a statement of being wealth and having a discreet style. Such statements are made alongside a touch of class in such a way that a garment may send more than one message. However, there cannot be one particular way of defining what message the consumer intends to pass.
Similarly, there is no direct definition as to the message being passed across by the designer. In other words, the definitions that an observer may come up with will be seen to be right according to their own standards.
List of References
Bean, E. & Bidner, J. 2005, Complete guide for models: Inside advice from industry pros. Lark Books, Bloomsbury.
Belmonte, M. M. 2012, Fil-Brit kid models for American fashion brand. Web.
Decker, C. 2009, Economics and the enforcement of European competition law. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, Glos.
Fernie, J., Moore, C., Lawrie, A & Hallsworth, A 1997, “The internationalisation of the high fashion brand: the case of central London”, Journal of Product and Brand Management, vol.6 no.3, pp. 151 – 162.
London Fashion Week Dates. Web.
Mears, A. 2011, Pricing beauty: The making of a fashion model: University Of California Press, Berkeley.
Mestrovic, A. 2012, Fall 2012 London fashion week: Burberry prorsum. Web.
Nicholson, M., Clarke, I. & Blakemore, M. 2002, ‘One brand, three ways to shop: situational variables and multichannel consumer behaviour’, International Review of Retail, Distribution & Consumer Research, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 131-148.
Pure London 2012 – Accessories Scene Fashion Show, 2012, media release. Web.
Quicksilver, 2012, About us. Web.
Randall, G. 2000, Branding: a practical guide to planning your strategy. Kogan Page Publishers, London.
Roshumba, W. & O’Connor, A. M. 1999, The complete idiot’s guide to being a model. Alpha Books, Indianapolis.
Saviolo, S. 2002, Brand and identity management in fashion companies. DIR, Research Division SDA BOCCONI Working Paper No. 02-66.
The Londoner’s Guide to London 2012, “London Fashion Week – View London”. Web.