Skip to content

Posts from the ‘TRENDS’ Category

Apr 30

christian-louboutin-spices-up-fall-11-campaign-with-art-6
1 Comment

5 lessons everyday retailers can learn from luxury fashion brands

Does the “rational” fashion consumer really exist?

Before fashion became my focus I was actually  a student of economics (go figure !) and the study of economics teaches us the following about our shopping habits….

  • The consumer is a rational person, who tries to use his or her money income to derive the greatest amount of satisfaction, or utility, from it. Consumers want to get “the most for their money” or, to maximize their total utility. Rational behavior also “requires” that a consumer not spend too much money irrationally by buying tons of items and stock piling them for the future, or starve themselves by buying no food at all. Consumers (we assume) all engage in rational behavior.

I suppose I wanted ask… does this theory ever apply to the fashion industry? – Hannah Brooks

Read more

Apr 15

Chloe vs Topshop Yellow Dungaree 2007

Fashion, Inspired or a Knock off?

Something Borrowed?

‘When is something borrowed, inspired or simply a knock off? Copyright in the fashion industry is a heated and controversial topic. Since “clothes” are considered to be utilitarian they generally don’t qualify for copyright protection. (Just to clarify, I did not classify clothes as utilitarian, personally I believe that there is more to them than mere function.) When an industry that combines both art and commerce innovates who owns and defines innovation? It’s a much debated point…just look at the recent legal battle between Louboutin and YSL over the rights of ownership of red soled shoes (wwd.com)‘- Olya Bell.

‘Back in our teens years, ripping off the designs of international brands was a common place practice by many Australian labels. The Australian fashion industry has developed significantly since, back then lead times were long and virtually the only way you could purchase up to the minute fashion was to travel overseas. These days Australian fashion labels export their own innovative ideas, the brands we used to travel for are located on our own shores and international online shopping has meant that the rules of the game have changed forever’ – Hannah Brooks.

Read more

Jan 26

Golden Globe Awards Red Carpet Fashion, Angelina Jolie, Stacy Keibler, Charlize Theron, Jessica Alba
9 Comments

Fashion Trickle Down from the Red Carpet

Awards Seasons’ Fashion exhibits the Trickle Down Effect

Olya Bell : ‘Gentlemen, did Ricky Gervais’ burgundy TED Baker diner suit inspire you to take a fashion risk?’

Hannah Brooks: ’Who cares about the suit! You have to love an awards host who takes a beer to the lectern’.

Hannah: ‘When did it stop being all about the films and shows and start being all about the fashion? What will the Oscar’s bring?’

Olya: ‘Han it’s always about the fashion! It is a little bit of PR brilliance on behalf of fashion industry’.

Hannah: ‘These days it seems we care less about who actually won the award, and more about which star was lent millions of dollars worth of Harry Winston jewels and who wore what. We sit glued to the television, we tweet our opinions to the world, we text our friends when we see a disaster on the red carpet and we talk about the dresses for days after the event. Are we just living our lives vicariously through those who are lucky enough to be sample size, styled by Rachel Zoe or lent a dress from Lanvin? Do we really take fashion inspiration from the red carpet… what does awards season mean for the people who are their own stylists?’

Olya: ‘They say that imitation is a form of flattery, yet I am not too sure. Allen B. Schwartz has become synonymous with post-award show knock off gowns. He usually replicates the top four gowns that retail between $250 -$400 US. They have been a huge hit with the prom market in the USA. ABS even produced replica’s dresses straight after the Royal wedding. ABS is not only the company that do “inspired” dresses. Msnbc’s  Today show “get red Carpet looks for less” video features four Faviana gowns to get that star look for less, straight from the runways of the golden globes. As students we were cautioned against the evils of plagiarism, what I want to know is – how is this different? We have included some images from their “look like a star” collection compared with the actual dresses the stars wore at the bottom of this post so you can decided for yourselves. ’

Angelina Jolie wearing a Atelier Versace gown followed by an “inspired gown” by Faviana.

Read more