Skip to content

Posts from the ‘Fashion’ 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

Apr 11

Sunglasses Celebrities
2 Comments

Sunglass Hut or Sunglasses Factory?

“With my sunglasses on, I’m Jack Nicholson. Without them, I’m fat and 60.” - Jack Nicholson

Perception is in the eye of the beholder….

“Sunglasses for me can make or break an outfit. How many times have you seen a celebrity wearing a drab outfit saved by a fabulous pair of sunglasses and a killer handbag? The value of sunglasses should never be underestimated and relegated to being just an accessory! Oh and did I mention they can also protect you eyes!

In preparing my summer wardrobe this year I pulled out all my sunglasses to see which ones needed to retire and if there was a gap in my looks.  I counted 12 pairs! Is this normal? How many sunnies do you own? It sadly made me think about how much would I actually spend on sunglasses in my lifetime? I would buy probably 2 pairs a year, as they are nowhere near as expensive in Europe as they are back in Australia. Recent research in the UK suggests that an “average British female spends over £2,200 on sunglasses in a lifetime, owning as many as 42 pairs of shades“. Read more

Feb 26

Florence B 4

Has Kate Spade run out of her own ideas ?

An Unhappy Marriage

We must have missed the press release on this one… so you can imagine our horror when we opened the March US Vogue to see this ad for Florence Broadhurst for Kate Spade.

This disturbs me terribly as I love, love, love all the Florence Broadhurst prints and I absolutely loathe the Kate Spade label – Hannah Brooks

Read more

Feb 18

Cue label 2

Is seasonality meaningful these days?

Its 28 degrees outside (82.4 Fahreneit)…you had better rug up!

It’s only February and we’re already seeing overcoats in stores in Australia. If you don’t know how crazy that is …it was a beautiful, sunny, 28 degrees (82.4 degrees fahrenheit) in Sydney on the day that I tried this coat on. We have had a crappy summer this year and there hasn’t been a hell of a lot of  beach weather but it doesn’t mean that Sydneysiders are ready to don overcoats. To give you a bit of context, in reality you we only need an overcoat in Sydney for about 4 weeks a year and the time you would actually need to use a coat like this would be at best, 4 months away!

Read more

Feb 16

louis-vuitton-city-guide-2011-540x338
5 Comments

The tourist trap!

Do luxury brands reflect local culture or are they merely tourist fodder?

Our previous post Beware of the Temptation of Emerging Markets prompted some interesting questions from our readers regarding issues of brand identity and brand consistency and at 2OPINIONATED we felt that they warranted further exploration.

One of the key considerations in the luxury brand decision-making process is actually buying into the particular brands country of origin. French brands are considered timeless and chic, Italian brands are sexy and superbly crafted and American brands are fresh and uncomplicated. This factor had us pondering two things..

Read more

Feb 14

Witchery Montana
3 Comments

Do tweens want to wear the same labels as their mums?

Playing dress up – Witchery 8fourteen

Is Witchery really appealing to the “next generation” in launching a new range for 8-14 year-olds, labelled 8fourteen? Have a closer look at  the 8fourteen range at www.witchery.com.au

When we were teens we wouldn’t even walk down the street with our Mums…let alone wear their clothes. We’re wondering if this is a shrewd move by Witchery or a total strategic miscalculation like the launch of their menswear range in 2009 (see clip below) ?

Read more

« Older Entries