Dr. Kate Armstrong

Wearable Tech merges with Fashion

2015-04-11T09:33:00.000+01:00

Wearable Solar Dress by Pauline Van Dongen Photograph: Mike Nicolaassen

When you think about how fashion will work alongside technology in the future, it might be hard to break from science-fiction-heavy ideas. However, fashionably using solar, wind and even kinetic energy to charge devices, keep us connected and even donate our energy to non-profits is being explored by a number of design houses.

Solar textiles

Meg Grant, of Solar Fiber, says she and co-collaborators Aniela Hoitink, Marina Toeters, Ralf Jacobs, and Professor Derek Schlettwein from Giessen University are already pushing the textile boundaries in terms of solar fibres.

"If you look around you, textiles cover so many surfaces, so why not give them a 'super power' that can take advantage of this, like solar energy harvesting," says Grant.

The idea behind Solar Fiber is a flexible photovoltaic fibre that converts sunlight energy into electrical energy via a yarn that can be worked into all sorts of fabrics. Its latest prototype is the solar shawl which displays the amount of energy being generated in real-time.

Solar fibres can convert sunlight energy into electrical energy. Model: Stephanie Samson. Photograph: Brian Smeulders Brian Smeulders/Brian Smeulders

Grant says the project is 100% part-time, voluntary and open-source and prototypes are currently only capable of generating tiny amounts of energy. "We are open-source because we believe that this kind of technology could be so game-changing that it should be in the public domain," says Grant.

After graduating from ArtEZ Institute of the Arts in Arnhem, the Netherlands in 2010, Pauline van Dongen started her own womenswear label. Working with companies from the fields of science and innovation, van Dongen aims to merge fashion and technology and like Grant, her focus is on solar textiles. She and her team call it Wearable Solar, clothing that gives people an opportunity to generate sustainable energy through what they wear and charge their tech on the go.

The Wearable Solar collection currently consists of two designs, a coat and a dress made of wool and leather, which produce energy through their integrated solar cells. The coat incorporates 48 rigid solar cells and the dress has 72 flexible solar cells. When worn in full sun for two hours, both garments can generate enough energy to allow a typical smartphone to be 100% charged. The solar cell compartments can be opened and revealed to the sun when needed and folded back when they are not being used.

"Wearable Solar is a sustainable answer to our increasing demand for energy and connectivity, while also anticipating the vastly expanding wearable technology market," says van Dongen. Read on here.

Elsewhere, the Guardian asks

How can technology advance sustainability in fashion?

Fashion meets technology - sound like scary sci-fi? It's happening. Join the live chat Tuesday 5 August, 1pm BST. Photograph: Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images

Hannah Gould

Comments

We've come a long way from Flintstone fashion. Today, we can engineer textiles to the point of being accused of "technological doping" and banned for use in competitive swimming, 3D printed garments are on the Parisian catwalk, and a Dutch artist has produced jewellery that can collect Beijing's pollution.

Wearable tech company Fundawear claims to be pioneering the future of foreplay, and has made it possible to wirelessly transfer physical touch using clever pants and a smartphone. While Indian start-up Ducere Technologies, has revealed internet-connected shoes that use small vibrations to guide their wearer.

Technology is also helping fashion become more transparent. Quite literally when it comes to x.pose, (the dress that exposes its wearer's skin in real time to reflect the volume of information the wearer is sharing on social media), but also in terms of supply chain.

Soko, an e-commerce market place for the developing world, allows women artisans who lack computers and bank accounts to connect with consumers worldwide using a mobile phone. As a result, the traditional middleman is cut out, logistical costs are reduced and artisan profits increased. For consumers too, QR scanning technology can better inform purchase decisions. The Fair Trace Tool for example aims to help small, cash strapped fair trade organisations better communicate their social impact stories to potential buyers.

On the journey from caveman to cyborg, the environmental impacts of fashion have escalated. Some 17% to 20% of industrial water pollution is from textile dyeing and treatment. To this end, AirDye has patented water-free printers that it claims can save up to 95% of the water, 86% of the energy and 84% of the greenhouse gases used in conventional print and dye methods.

However, there is an elephant in the room. Facing rare earth metal shortages and with 50m tonnes of unwanted elecronic devices already winding their way up in e-waste dumps in China and Ghana - is the marriage of technology and fashion, for better or worse? You decide. #thedebatecontinues #sustainabilityinfashion

Handbags watch out & Luxury Brands: retail space trends suggest that size isn't everything (but it's feeling a little crowded....)

2015-04-10T10:16:00.000+01:00

In the crowded and volatile market for handbags, not even Chanel and Hermès are safe, says Luca Solca, head of luxury goods at Exane BNP Paribas.

Saint Laurent's Sac du Jour | Source: Saint Laurent

LONDON, United Kingdom — Sales of accessories have rocketed in the past decade and, today, account for almost 30 percent of the total global luxury market, up from 18 percent in 2003. Mostly this growth has been driven by handbags.

For consumers, handbags are cost-effective status anchors that can be mixed and matched with other items to suit a wide range of occasions. For brands, handbags offer attractive retail economics, characterised by high sales productivity (sales per square foot) and strong full-price sell-through results.

Yet, there are dark clouds on the handbag horizon.

Simply adding more retail space is no longer a sure route to growth, especially for luxury megabrands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Prada, which now claim their store networks are appropriately sized. Prada’s recent decision to curb its space expansion plans is just the latest evidence of this trend.

Adding to the problem, the megabrands have raised their entry-level price points in an attempt to reinforce the perceived exclusivity and desirability of their bags. But while this has reduced the ubiquity of their products, the accompanying reduction in sales volumes makes revenue growth even harder. It has also opened a wide price umbrella under which several aspirational brands, such as Michael Kors and Tory Burch, have crowded, increasing pressure on megabrands from the bottom of the price pyramid.

Meanwhile, the top of the pyramid has become very crowded, as high-end fashion players like Dior and Saint Laurent have expanded into accessories. Simultaneously, medium-sized challengers from Balenciaga to Givenchy to Tod’s have also piled up at roughly the same price points as megabrands (and about 20 to 30 percent below this), trying to shore up their weaker apparel or footwear-based models with increased focus on handbags.

Exane BNP Paribas Infographic | Source: Exane BNP Paribas

Unsurprisingly, consumers, spoilt for choice in a crowded handbag market, are showing little loyalty and — especially in China — are swarming from one hot design to another.

Appearances are, however, deceiving. In reality, in the face of these challenges, megabrands are most certainly not moving upmarket to become high-end brands. The median price of their bags is now around €1,500. And, indeed, they have introduced (with much fanfare) new models priced above €3,000. But these brands are not aiming for the top of the pyramid. Certainly, they have raised their entry-level price points and largely relinquished the market below €500, but they still predominantly focus on the €500 to €1,500 price bracket.

Meanwhile, aspirational luxury brands are concentrated in two handbag groups: totes and small bags. Totes are used to carry things around; small bags are typically bought by younger consumers with lower budgets. In both instances, price is a more important purchase criterion than for other bags. Aspirational brands deploy one of three product strategies: attempt to own a shape, concentrate on best sellers or be a lower-priced fast-follower, an approach which may be unsustainable in the long term. Read on here.

SOFTWARE ENABLES CONSUMERS TO FIND THE PERFECT PAIR OF SHOES

2015-04-07T12:59:00.001+01:00

New software enables customers to search for similar shoes from a photo

British company Cortexica has developed the first software in the world that will help consumers to purchase the perfect pair of shoes.
Launching on March 19th, “FindSimilarTM for Shoes” takes a photo of any sort of footwear and then analyses it against a database of images. Working like a ‘visual search engine’ it displays a range of shoes with similar characteristics such as shape, colour and design and allows the consumer
to choose from a tailored selection. The technology works by mimicking the way the brain processes images and finds similarities.

The software, when embedded into an app or fashion website, will act as a personal shopping assistant. Users can photograph a pair of shoes they like from a magazine or shop window and the software delivers similar, potentially better options. These alternative options could save the customer money or help them to find more desirable products.
This is the first time that technicians have been able to programme computers to identify and recognise shapes in this way. Shape is particularly important when searching imagery of shoes, handbags or fashion accessories.
When purchasing clothes or shoes online, shopping by pictures is the easiest way for consumers to find what they are looking for. With the vast number of products now available on the Internet, this technology will help consumers find what they are looking for more easily, avoiding laborious drop down menus and endless style permutations.
Iain McCready, CEO of Cortexica, said: “Staying one step ahead of fashion is a constant challenge for many but we believe our technology helps consumers to do exactly this. Once the search engine is embedded in an app, the software has the ability to help shoe shoppers narrow their search and make better choices, this could result in them finding similar and often better items available elsewhere. Read on here.

Dior Documentary - I need to see this! [and 10 other must-watch Fashion Docs]

2015-04-03T13:38:00.000+01:00

Oooh La La Dior! A documentary that celebrates the man who celebrates Women - I'm IN! Find out where to get your tickets here.

Thank you to Grazia for compiling this list of top 10 Fash-Docs to put on your to-do list [what a chore right?]

1. Mademoiselle C

Also co-produced by Frédéric Tcheng, this docu follows the marvellous Carine Roitfeld as she embarked on the launch of her first venture, CR Book, since leaving her post as Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Paris. There's Kim Kardashian's pregnant cover shoot, the birth of Carine's tiny granddaughter, her love affair with Chanel, her collaborations with the beautiful Tom Ford and SO many glorious names in that roll-call you will not be able to resist!

2. The September Issue

Need we introduce the terrifying Anna Wintour? Amazing...

3. Diana Vreeland - The Eye Has To Travel

The uninimitable editor of Harper's Bazaar US, Diana Vreeland.

4. Valentino: The Last Emporer

"I love beauty. It's not my fault!" For more genius quotes from the Couture master, make sure you watch this movie!

5. Bill Cunningham New York

"We all get dressed for Bill" says Anna Wintour. The most adorable and genuine street style photographer you'll ever encounter. His diehard passion for fashion and impeccable moral compass will spellbind you.

6. The Many Lives of William Klein

Watch the full version of this documentary about one of THE most influential and contraversial fashion photographers of all time.

7. McQueen and I

Watch the full version of this moving film about the legendary designer, released on the anniversary of his passing.

8. The Secret World of Haute Couture

Back in 2007 the BBC asked who exactly buys these exquisite, one-of-a-kind pieces.

9. Yves Saint Laurent - L'amour Fou

Yves' lover Pierre Bergé opens up shortly after the designer's death. The documentary covers Saint Laurents' drug use, sobriety, life in Marrakech and their relationship. Prepare yourself for some emotive moments as Pierre packs-up and sells their beloved art collection.

10. Lagerfeld Confidential

“I have molded people’s perception of me so much, that I think it’s almost impossible for them to know the real me. I want it to be impossible, even for the people I love deeply. I don’t want to be real in other people’s lives. I want to be an apparition. I appear, then disappear. I don’t want to have reality in anyone’s life, because I don’t want it in mine.” says Karl. SOLD.

Meerkat Vs. Periscope: Round 1!

2015-04-02T20:15:00.003+01:00

Thanks for the review [below] Max Eddy - it certainly cleared up a few things for me! When will periscope get on my iPad I wonder? Being a hardcore Blackberry Lover, it will be no time soon for me to use it if they don't make a plan to embed across platforms/devices. I took a peek at Meerkat [it will make me pay more attention in my lectures that's for sure - what about privacy issues? will I be beamed out to ...somewhere?! Perish the thought ...I'd better get my wardrobe sorted]. And what about movies? What's to stop folks live streaming Fast and Furious 7? Ooh that's a great idea - as parents that don't get out [ever] to the movies that often anymore, we can send out our beautiful, happy, child-free friends and get them to beam us the movies that we miss out on, safe in the comfort of our own homes. OR can we leave Meerkat looking after Lily Coco [daughter] - set it up to watch her peaceful slumber, whilst we head out to the pub? #jokingdon'tcalltheNSPCC

But who needs to go to the pub anymore? Just stream your night out and I'll observe [ethnographically of course] from the comfort of my snug home in my cashmere loungewear thanks very much. Obviously, a lot of privacy, intellectual copyright and censorship issues coming up. Yes there are T's and C's and Meerkat 'rules' but you know what I'm alluding to.

It will be like when the internet or Facebook first launched and everyone started to live their lives online with wild abandon to the consequences of being watched. Oh dear, I smell trouble ahead. Imagine if these apps were in existence during Paris Hilton's time doing you-know-what....

But! Until then, optimistic as ever, please get streaming, let's see where this takes us.

Review by Max Eddy: Just a few weeks ago, we were all talking about Meerkat—a funny little iPhone app that let you share livestreams from your phone. Twitter was none too pleased about how Meerkat used its service to connect users, and now Twitter has gone on the offensive with its own livestreaming app called Periscope (free). This app does everything that Meerkat does, but with far, far more style and the critical addition of letting you save your feeds after you're done. If you want to share the moment from your phone (and save it for later), this is the app you want.

Periscope requires a Twitter account to use. I tested it on an iPhone 5cand iPhone 6. If you've already entered your Twitter login information into iOS, you can join up with just a few taps. Like Meerkat, this livestreaming app is currently iPhone only.

Take Us to Periscope Depth
When you first start up Periscope, the app shows off some colorful cards explaining the basics of the app and how to activate features like your camera, microphone, and location services. I like that Periscope integrates all of this into the app's tutorial, rather than just throwing a bunch of dialog windows at me.

When I first reviewed Meerkat, I really didn't like how it automatically had me follow everyone I follow on Twitter. Periscope made it optional, and it also suggested some other popular users I might like to follow. By default, you receive an alert when someone you know on Twitter joins Periscope, and when one of your Periscope pals hosts a new livestream. You can add more friends and tweak your profile by swiping all the way to the right, in the People section.

The key difference between Periscope and Meerkat is that the former gives you the option to save your streams. This becomes immediately obvious from the Watch section, which shows popular live streams and streams that have already ended. You can watch any of them. In Meerkat, I struggled to find content to watch, but Periscope puts users' streams at the forefront. That said, Periscope should take a page from that other Twitter video property, Vine, and better organize the featured videos.

If you want to save the streams you create to your phone, you have the option to do that, too. But note that your phone might fill up quickly if you try to save a multi-hour stream. You cannot, however, embed the streams Periscope saves on its servers. Sadly, user comments and hearts aren't visible in Periscope videos you save to your phone, but they do appear in the videos saved to Periscope online. Read on here.

April Fools 2015!!

2015-04-01T09:50:00.000+01:00

A round up of some of the brand April Fools - thank you @richleighpr

Raddison

Hotel chain Radisson has launched E-scapes – the world’s first ‘virtual holiday’ experience on social media – allowing customers to appear to be on a trip away according to their social channels, whilst actually still at home.

Firebox

Kim Kardashian jelly mould. The picture says it all. Cracking effort.

Firebox also ‘released’ this in relation to Miss Kardashian’s egotistical boyfriend, Kanye West:

Aaaaand… this. An ‘internal selfie stick‘: the perfect tool for the more intimate selfie’. Fuck’s sake.

Macmillan Cancer Support

Macmillan Cancer Support has today announced the launch of a brand new fundraising event: the Push A Sprout Up A Mountain With Your Snout challenge. The new event, which is ‘due’ to take place on 1 June 2015, was inspired by Macmillan fundraiser Stuart Kettell, 49, who last year spent four days pushing 22 brussels sprouts to the summit of Mount Snowdon with his nose.

Dr Oetker Baking

Mastercard Mastercard has, in partnership with former England rugby captain, coach and personal hero Martin Johnson (WWHHHHHHYYY JOHNNO, WHYYYYY?), ‘retired’ the PIN number 2003 – as apparently, loads of rugby fans took to using it after England won the World Cup more than *sniff* a decade ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHSpN9FWIfc ecigarettedirect.com ecigarettedirect.co.uk has released new Cheese and Onion and Garlic flavours of vape liquid.

and there are even more here.

#SPEAKBEAUTIFUL

2015-04-01T09:49:00.000+01:00

THE POWER IS IN OUR HANDS TO #SPEAKBEAUTIFUL AND CHANGE THE CONVERSATION IN SOCIAL MEDIA

Dove and Twitter Ask Women to Turn the Red Carpet Event Of The Year into an Opportunity for Positive Social Media Change

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, NJ, February 19, 2015 / PR Newswire / — Women and girls now live in a world of nonstop digital conversation. Social media platforms are environments where women are sometimes bombarded with messages that are hurtful and destructive to their self-esteem and confidence. In fact, new Dove research reveals that 8 out of 10 women encounter negative comments on social media that critique women’s looks.1 As a global beauty brand committed to helping women develop a positive relationship with beauty, Dove is partnering with Twitter to change how beauty is reflected to women on social media.

The new Dove #SpeakBeautiful campaign will encourage women to realize the role our online words play in impacting our confidence and self-esteem. When it comes to speaking positively to other women on social media, and about yourself, Dove wants everyone to understand that the power is in our hands. Together, with Twitter, Dove will unveil new advertising during Hollywood’s biggest red carpet event of the year to inspire social media change. The #SpeakBeautiful video reveals that over five million negative body image tweets were posted in 2014,2 yet only 9% of women admit to posting negative comments on social media.1 Women do not realize that the messages they post are contributing to negative mindsets and behavior about beauty online. Dove wants women and girls everywhere to understand that their online words matter, and it only takes one tweet to ignite a positive trend. Read the full article here.

Curly Hair? Feel underrepresented in the media? LOVE YOUR CURLS GIRLS!

2015-04-01T09:18:00.000+01:00

I wish this ad had been around when I was little (yes dear students, we did have TV's when I was little...!).
Now I have a little girl and I'm desperate to grow her long locks into a curly, bouncing, princess mop, so the arrival of this campaign is timely. The ad is a bit 'American' but the sentiment is lovely, wholesome and bang on the buck in my view, as it gets to the heart of anyone who's ever had curly hair - what do I do with it? How do I let it grow? I wish I had straight hair....etc [I actually don't, it would look awful on me...I've tried].
I learnt a long time ago to just embrace it and actually, I'm pretty sure Dove will never create anything I would want to put on it [I'm a Tigi Curls Rock gal! But my sister uses something completely different], but I applaud their strategy and acknowledgement that this is a very real issue for all us lucky curly gals. As a white British woman with VERY curly hair I have always felt under-represented in the media - no article ever gave curly hair coverage and if it did, the focus was about straightening it and 'managing' it - even the Frizzease ads of yesteryear [note in the brand name 'frizz' horrible word, should be banned it's akin to racism in my view] - and the focus on 'ease', suggesting that curly hair is something that needs to be 'improved' and 'sorted out'. So, whilst this ad is a little gushy and overuses the soft focus lens [I'm married to a camera man, the cinematography can't help but rub off, sorry] - the view that it takes and the very fact that it has bothered to create the campaign at all is a fabulous contribution in my view. Thank you Dove!

Meerkat and Periscope: will live-streaming apps transform news?

2015-03-30T22:15:00.004+01:00

Thank you @dutchpaul for the heads up on this!

Until last month, a meerkat was just a small mammal associated with insurance and a periscope was something one would expect to find on a submarine.

But now “Periscoping” and “Meerkating” are the latest social media trends. Twitter feeds have filled up with the words “LIVE NOW” as the apps, which allow people to live-stream video from their mobiles, have exploded in popularity.

Both Meerkat and Twitter’s Periscope, which was launched Thursday, are very easy to use, prompting excitement about the possibilityfor both journalists and users to report live from the scene of major events.

As the apps have grown, news organisations across the world havebegun experimenting with how to use them.

Last week, the Economist was one of the first news organisations in the UK to trial Meerkat, using it to explain UK deflation. Economics correspondent Henry Curr answered questions, sent in by readers on Twitter, on a live stream, as inflation fell to 0% for the first time in recent memory.

Read the full article here.

Excuse me...may I interrupt you?

2015-03-18T10:38:00.001+00:00

I had to blog about Unilever's Marc Mathieu writing about how brands must become a 'chosen interruption' as it echoes what I was saying to my students in the contemporary marketing communications' class this week. Brands must be 'invited in' to our experiences, consumption and worlds and as Marc says "Consumers no longer welcome untimely interruptions from brands, but now have the control to "pull" them into their lives as and when they wish" Read the full article here.

Soon smartwatches will listen to your body to work out how you’re feeling

2015-03-16T17:23:00.000+00:00

Thank you @digi_ad for the link and the article - engaging and thought provoking as ever!

How much does your smartwatch know? gdainti/smartwatch image via www.shutterstock.com

Our internet use is tracked by cookies and clicks, but smartwatches will listen to our body to sense how we feel.
Final details of Apple’s new smartwatch have finally arrived at the firm’s glitzy Spring Forward event. But while the hype machine steps up another notch, there are other issues regarding health and self-tracking and, possibly even more important, over wearable tech companies' interest in our emotional lives.
Apple’s Watch records exercise, tracks our movements throughout the day, assesses the amount of time we are stood up and reminds us to get up and move around if we have been sat for too long – let’s not forget Tim Cook’s “sitting is the new cancer” line. It achieves this by means of an accelerometer, a heart rate sensor, WiFi and GPS. There are already many smartwatches on the market such as the Pebble and offerings from LG, Sony, Samsung and Motorola, among others. Of course, these haven’t had the Apple marketing Midas touch.
Whether the Watch will be a flop or success, Apple’s entry is a significant contribution to industry-wide attempts to get us using wearable devices. The market is predicted to grow from 9.7m units in 2013 to 135m in 2018, according to CCS Insight, while a report from UK retailer John Lewis also records steady growth in wearables for health and well-being: sales were up 395% from 2013. This is notable because John Lewis is not aimed at the tech-savvy, and therefore presents a reasonable indicator of mass-market take-up of wearables.
Full article here.

Poo Poo!

2015-03-16T17:20:00.001+00:00

Tee hee if only this really existed - husbands/boyfriends are the most likely to need it....right?

GRAPHIC DESIGN The V&A senior designer on designing the McQueen Savage Beauty graphics

2015-03-16T14:46:00.004+00:00

The V&A senior designer on designing the McQueen Savage Beauty graphics

The arrival of the Alexander McQueen retrospective Savage Beauty in London was always going to be special. Its showing at the V&A therefore required some very, very special graphics, and the job of creating them went to the establishment’s senior designer, Jo Glover. She’s worked on numerous campaigns for the V&A, but this one must have been something of a dream project, with so much superb imagery and such a fascinating character to try and convey through physical and digital graphics.

“My approach to the Savage Beauty designs was to capture the slick, high-end luxury feel whilst retaining the dark sense that comes through Lee McQueen’s work,” says Jo. “We wanted to highlight the less known collections as well as the obvious ones. The events like the dinner are very high profile with a number of celebrity guests so lots of beautiful foils and stock were important for the invites and press pack here.”

She adds: “I had to fight for the very macabre ‘savage’ image because it could be seen as intimidating but I think the lead image we used for the poster and print campaign encapsulates the whole idea of both savage and beauty.”

Charlie Smith Design worked with the V&A’s publishing department to create the book accompanying the show – a stunning 336-page tome featuring backstage images, unpublished sketches and research boards from the McQueen archive. Full article here.

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty is on display at the V&A until 2 August.

Jo Glover: Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty V&A show graphics

Jo Glover: Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty V&A show graphics

Jo Glover: Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty V&A show graphics

Jo Glover: Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty V&A show graphics
Jo Glover: Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty V&A show graphics

Jo Glover: Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty V&A show graphics
Jo Glover: Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty V&A show graphics
Full ar

Thank you V&A - thank you Vogue! Bring on the McQueen Savage Beauty please!

2015-03-12T17:36:00.003+00:00

Breathless with excitement in anticipation of the McQueen exhibition! Quotes as being the 'best fashion exhibition ever seen' [for those lucky that saw it in New York.

The exhibition which opens this weekend is a retrospective of the work of the visionary British designer.

Originally staged in New York at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Savage Beauty at the V&A, is bigger - occupying a third more space and with 66 additional garments not previously exhibted.

Spread across 10 rooms, each exploring key concepts within McQueen's body of work, including early pieces from his MA graduate collection through to designs from the final autumn/winter 2010 unfinished collection and his time at Givenchy.

The exhibition opens somewhat appropriately given the feeling of homecoming that surrounds the exhibition, with a focus on London, where the words of McQueen himself greet visitors set against a backdrop of footage from his early catwalk shows. Read the full article here.
Thank you @BritishVogue for this vid to whet our appetites.

Mothering Sunday - here's to all you Mums ....and The Queen

2015-03-12T14:11:00.005+00:00

Love this campaign by the Body Shop and the wonderful Alison Jackson, famed of course for her use of look-a-likes. Chuckle chuckle watch the 'home video'

Jackson and Mr President: Mother’s Day for HM “The Queen”: a royal home video, still

Blue and Black or Gold and White? [yes. ..I'm late to the party with this one...]

2015-03-10T20:22:00.001+00:00

As above, I admit I'm totally late to the party with this one...where was I last week - under a rock? Not quite, but close [getting bad family news] - but I see blue and black OBVS! I can't not blog about this ...the original feed here.

#TheDress - What's behind the white or blue debate?

By Del CrookesNewsbeat reporter

The original photo on the left with our photo shopped version on the right

It's the debate of the year so far - well - on Twitter at least and has been the top trending topic worldwide.

It's all about #TheDress and whether it's blue and black (#blueandblack) or white and gold (#whiteandgold).

The whole debate started when Scottish singer Caitlin McNeill posted a picture of a dress on her Tumblr blog.

She asked her followers: "Guys please help me - is this dress white and gold, or blue and black? Me and my friends can't agree and we are freaking... out."

Caitlin told Newsbeat that it all started when her friend's mum wore the dress at a wedding.

Read it all here. And about the science of colour [the interesting bit] here - my husband [who is officially colour blind] and I ALWAYS argue about the colour of things! [please note again..he is officially COLOUR BLIND, yet still feels he has grounds to argue colour with me!] - perhaps, I should concede and [as this post illuminates] - we process colour differently....pah. And for good measure to add to the debate, read here and a quirky experimental review of actually wearing it, here.

Toddlers, TV and Henry Hugglemonster!

2015-03-09T09:12:00.002+00:00

Morning!
I'm actually lecturing on young consumers and advertising this afternoon, so it's with relish that I read this article by Gemma Taylor writing for the ESRC at Lancaster University about TV being GOOD for Toddlers!
I have a 2.3 year old who we have let

Please mum! Just half an hour more? Boy with TV remote via DarkOne

Scaremongering about the negative effects of children’s TV-watching is not new. But in our busy lives it’s more and more tempting to let your child watch television for half an hour or so while you tidy up, wash up, make phone calls, pay your bills or simply take a moment to sit down.

Despite the prevalence of television programmes targeting young children, the American Academy of Paediatrics discourages television exposure for children under the age of two years and recommends that exposure is restricted to less than one-two hours thereafter. But new research has shown that after watching an educational children’s television programme, toddlers can learn to count to five and learn to read a simple map presented on the show.

Bad reputation

In its 2011 policy statement, the American Academy of Paediatrics reported that television viewing was associated with an overall reduction in both parent-child interactions and children’s creative play, irrespective of whether the television was on in the background or the foreground. Television itself does not offer an ideal learning situation for children. We know that children up to three years of age exhibit a video deficit– meaning they learn less from television than they do from a live interaction. So it’s clear that children’s television exposure should be moderated.

When presented with TV programmes, children are faced with a transfer task, meaning that they must transfer what they learn from a 2D television screen to the 3D world. The poorer quality of visual and social information presented on TV can lead to a less detailed representation of the information in children’s memory and subsequent difficulties transferring learnt information to the real world.

Visual information such as size and depth cues are reduced on a 2D television screen compared to the 3D world. Likewise, in contrast to a real world social situation, an actor or character on television cannot respond to what the child is looking at, saying or doing at a given moment in time. Characterising the video deficit as a transfer problem is helpful for understanding how to support children’s learning from television.

Learning about 2D the 3D way. Baby boy watching TV via Frantisek Czanner/Shutterstock

Helping children learn from television

There is still hope for educational children’s TV programmes. Children’s television producers and parents can employ a number of techniques to enhance learning from TV and support children’s knowledge transfer to the real world. One reason that children often ask to watch the same TV programmes over and over again is that they learn better from repeatedly being exposed to the same thing.

Repetition within a TV show, such as repeating sequences or new words, or repeatedly watching the same show across a number of days can enhance children’s learning, memory and transfer of the information to the real world.

What’s more, the more familiar the television character, the more likely it is that children will learn from a television programme featuring that character. Repetition helps children to store more detailed representations of the information in their memory. While watching the same children’s TV show with your child may be tedious for parents, it is beneficial for children. Read the full article here.

News, Views and Updates

2015-03-02T13:44:00.000+00:00

Rather than one post on one topic, this one is a mish mash on some news that caught my eye this sunny Monday Morning, whilst I lie in my sick bed nursing a cold and chest infection [or rather 'face ache' as I have nicknamed it]. Don't worry students of mine I'm teaching later today, as ever, I'll be braving it to come in and uphold my duties :)

Those of you that know me, know I'm all things 'Mama' so I love this take on the theme by D&G who embraced it all with #DGMamma and paraded a flock of beautiful women down the catwalk with babes in arms, some pregnant and some little darlings running up the walkway. Read all about it here.

In other news, The Guardian are up in arms over a lipgloss by MAC called 'underage' - is it the best name for a lipgloss? Probably not. Is it worth the big discussion and furore that this column has given it? Not in my opinion. And I'm a lipgloss devoteeeeeeee! Read all about it here.

New brands to make it onto the super brand list are John Lewis, Lego and Virgin Atlantic.

The six brands making way are Heinz, Cadbury, Amazon.co.uk, Sony, Shell and Marks & Spencer. Stephen Cheliotis, Superbrands' council chairman, said the results showed that consumers favoured established brands despite the popularity of new media such as Facebook (which last featured in the top 20 in 2013). He said: "Younger brands, such as the social media giants, are sitting on the sidelines making little impact as a huge battle takes place among trusted, traditional brands seeking to remain relevant and retain their positions among the brand elite."Google, which was founded in 1998, is the youngest brand in the top 20, but has dropped out of the top 10.Dyson is the youngest of the other new entrants – Fairy and Haagen-Dazs. The vacuum cleaner manufacturer was founded in 1993. Read the full list here. To read about how Superbrands make their decisions on how who make it on to the list read here, or to just have a snoop around their virtual HQ [it is very interesting] then go here.

The Importance of Building a Fashion Brand: It's all in the Name

2015-02-03T20:33:00.004+00:00

An interesting article about the evolving nature and changes to some fashion brands over the years and more recently. We particularly like the satirical approach by Marc Jacobs. Thank you ID for the article!

Following Maison Margiela’s name change under John Galliano, i-D asks: what's in a name?

Unless you've been living under a WiFi-less rock for the past six months, you've probably noticed a few changes at Margiela. At creative director John Galliano's debut show in London—itself a change from the house's usual Paris slot—the designer made waves when he removed models' customary masks and came out for a bow following the finale walk. Amidst all these shocking switch-ups, it was easy to miss one other change: Galliano quietly dropped "Martin" from "Maison Martin Margiela," ushering the avant-garde house into a new era.

An overwhelming majority of fashion's top labels still bear the names of their founders, but what happens when times change: the designer leaves or the name just sounds off? Of course, Galliano isn't the first to play the name game: everyone from Hedi Slimane to Ralph Lauren has tinkered with titles. In the wake of MMM's streamlined new moniker, we did a little digging into the histories of nine other brand names.

Saint Laurent Paris
Hedi Slimane is no saint, but when the designer decided to drop "Yves" from YSL following his appointment as the storied house's creative director back in 2012, he became fashion's biggest sinner (Colette even started selling an "Ain't Laurent Without Yves" T-shirt before the house requested a cease and desist, then promptly cancelled the boutique's order of their spring/summer 14 collection.) Amidst cries of blasphemy, Slimane explained the name change was actually inspired by one of Yves' own: in 1966, the designer launched the ready-to-wear line as "Saint Laurent Rive Gauche." Slimane's rebranding also pulled from this era visually, opting for a sharp Helvetica inspired by the original logo's sleek typeface.

MbMJ
Marc Jacobs is never short on a sense of humour, especially when it comes to names: the designer's "Jacobs by Marc Jacobs for Marc by Marc Jacobs in Collaboration with Marc Jacobs for Marc by Marc Jacobs" tote (seriously) puts a much needed satirical spin on the endless splintering of diffusion lines. In the spring of 2001, Jacobs debuted his secondary line, Marc by Marc Jacobs, one of the most successful diffusions of its kind. Following Katie Hillier and Luella Bartley's creative takeover in early 2014, Jacobs opted for a streamlined new look, re-dubbing his youthful label simply "MbMJ."

PradaAlthough the ready-to-wear empire has remained all in the family since its founding in 1913, the house originally opened its doors as a leather goods firm named "Fratelli Prada," or "Prada Brothers." Although it's unsure when the name was changed, it probably happened around the time that Mario Prada's daughter Luisa took the house's helm (despite the fact that Mario did not believe women should have a role in business.) After taking over for her mother, Miuccia again played the name game in 93 when she launched Prada's sister brand Miu Miu, its title taken from her own childhood nickname.

Ralph LaurenRalph Lauren is undoubtedly one of the most iconic names in fashion, a paragon of Americana since the label's debut in 67. So it's the ultimate irony that Lauren's actual last name was something different entirely: Lifshitz. Having made the switch when he was just 16-years-old, the designer once told Oprah: "My given name has the word 'shit' in it." "When I was a kid, the other kids would make a lot of fun of me. It was a tough name. That's why I decided to change it." The rest is seersucker history.

Yohji Yamamoto
Before the Japanese designer debuted his eponymous collection in Paris in 1981, Yohji Yamamoto had already produced under the line "Y's" as early as 1977. These early designs were launched in Tokyo, before the designer—alongside Rei Kawakubo and Issey Miyake—took the fashion world by storm with their anti-fashion avant-gardism.

Burberry
Founded in 1856 when Thomas Burberry opened his own shop in Hampshire, "Burberry" actually was the store's original name. Because so many customers around the world kept referring to it as "Burberrys of London," the company switched to "Burberrys." When the brand's Knight Logo was later developed in 1901, the Latin word "Prorsum," meaning "forward," was added to the trademark, and has since become the name of the house's high-fashion division headed up today by Christopher Bailey.

Acne StudiosOriginating in Stockholm back in 96, Acne Studios was initially conceived as a branch of the creative collective ACNE, an acronym for "Ambition to Create Novel Expressions." The original collective focused on film, production, advertising, and graphic design, but in 2006, the coalition branched out into separate entities, including Acne Film, Acne Advertising, and of course, Acne Studios. Despite the confused reception of such an outlandish name at its outset, the industry's embrace proves that the product speaks for itself. Jonny Johansson's modest denim project has since become a global fashion powerhouse, presenting menswear and womenswear at Paris Fashion Week.

Balenciaga Although Balenciaga has kept founder Cristobal Balenciaga's name intact all throughout its 100 year history, former creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere was one of the first designers to insist on adding his name to the brand. However the days "Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere" are certainly no more, as the designer still finds himself squaring off against the house. Current creative director Alexander Wang doesn't insist upon the same personalisation, so for now it's back to good ol' Balenciaga.

Tiffany & CoAlthough the American luxury jeweller did undergo a name change from its original 1837 moniker "Tiffany, Young and Ellis" to "Tiffany & Company" when Charles Tiffany established the firm's emphasis on jewellery in 1853, that's not what landed the iconic blue box on our list. Because Tiffany is one of the first American luxury brand names, it sparked a wave of status-seeking parents (including Donald Trump) actually naming their babies Tiffany in the 80s. This yuppie staple demonstrates just how powerfully luxury brand names can infiltrate mainstream culture.

Credits

Text Emily Manning
Photography Marshall Astor of Prada, Marfa by Elmgreen and Dragset

SuperBowl, Advertising, Media Rates and FASHION!

2015-02-03T11:38:00.000+00:00

KATY PERRY, FASHION, THE SUPER BOWL

America’s Super Bowl – the match of all matches for American football – sees some of the largest advertising rates in recorded history. This year, audiences were not just watching from their televisions, but from computers and via mobile devices, tablets and mobile phones. Immense viewership of the 2015 event warranted rates of $4.5 million (£3 million) for 30 seconds of air time and the game saw records broken across the board: 49.7 overnight rating and greater social media engagement than any other Super Bowl.

What does this mean for the half time show and for fashion? Collaborator of the moment, Jeremy Scott was chosen to design the four looks for songstress Katy Perry, who headlined the show. Scott said to ELLE.COM, “Katy called me in October, when I was in Milan for the Moschino show. I knew something was up.” The twelve-minute performance saw Scott’s whimsical signature on The Flame Dress, a beach ball-inspired California Girls Bikini, The Sweatshirt Dress – an oversized football jersey emblazoned with ‘49’ to signify the 49th Super Bowl and a spangled asymmetrical silver Moschino Star Gown for the finale. The hashtag #KatyPerrySuperBowl shows the looks from every angle along with countless memes. Scott added, “Every single outfit had to be vetted and approved by the NFL.” Read the full article at The Industry London here.

Digital Strategies for Luxury Brands

2015-01-30T21:25:00.002+00:00

For most people, this is a social, friday night. For us academics [three that I know of at least!] we are busy beavering away on two papers for the upcoming GAMMA fashion conference in Florence in June. One is on social media and the influence on fashion content/choices and the other is on e-luxury: luxury brands on line. We're looking at this from an experiential/atmospherics perspective - deadline is tomorrow wish us luck!

We took some inspiration from these slides in the early days of debating our ideas - thank you Marci!

Digital Strategies for Luxury Brands from Marci Ikeler

Really Real Cinema Experience [without those awful glasses?] - I'm in!

2015-01-30T14:25:00.002+00:00

I'm late to the party with this I'm sure, but hey ho, I'm here now and that's all that counts. I LOVE the movies, theatre, stories, books - everything. Avatar in the 3D IMAX in Waterloo sat at the back with my hubby was one of the best movie experiences I've ever had in terms of storytelling, visual capability, immersive cinema experiences and so on [until we turned to one another at a particularly emotional part in the film, then started giggling at the ridiculously huge silly 3D glasses we had to wear].
A little bit like this:

So you can see why I say 'no' a lot when Husband wants to use the 3D TV at home - I just don't like the glasses or the experience. So imagine my delight that new companies are borrowing from the gaming industry to create new virtual reality experiences and immersive techniques in storytelling through the use of digital innovations. From what I can see you still have to wear the tech [and it's bigger and seemingly heavier than ever, but at least it's wraparound] - have a read of this. Whatever next for consumption in the Millennium? Too exciting for words - sign me up Oculus!

Over the last two years, we’ve seen virtual reality expand well beyond games into more unexpected areas like cinema and storytelling. This week as part of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, we’re excited to announce a new experimental virtual reality cinema project: Oculus Story Studio.

Oculus Story Studio is made up of a small, all-star team of film and game developers dedicated to exploring ‘immersive cinema’ — realtime story-driven VR experiences that let the viewer step inside and become part of the story. The goal was to learn more about cinema and storytelling in VR and to share that knowledge with the community.

Story Studio is debuting its first, short (4-minute) experience this week at Sundance called ‘Lost’. Lost takes the viewer on a journey to a moonlit forest inhabited by an unexpected creature. The piece is directed by Story Studio’s creative director Saschka Unseld, who was also the director of Pixar’s short film ‘The Blue Umbrella’.

Screenshot from Lost, a short immersive cinema experience from Oculus Story Studio

Lost was built in Unreal Engine 4 for Crescent Bay and mixes hand animation with procedural animation to better transport the viewer. The team has been working to expand Unreal 4’s cinematic and storytelling toolset — Lost uses custom gaze controls to tailor the experience to the individual viewer, allowing for a unique pace to the story each time.

In addition to its own creative team, Story Studio is also building experiences with guest directors including Rob Stromberg (Maleficent), Robin Hunicke (Journey), and Jillian Tamaki to create entirely new immersive stories as well.

So far, we’ve discovered that mixing great storytelling and art with the magic of VR presence allows for something really special. Lost is just the beginning for Story Studio, and we’re looking forward to sharing it, along with the team’s other upcoming films, in the months ahead.

We’ll have more news from the Oculus Story Studio soon, but you can learn more about the team and follow their work at oculus.com/storystudio.

Oculus Now Supported in Unity Free (PC & Mobile)

In case you missed the announcement over the holiday, Oculus is now supported in Unity 4.6 Free. If you haven’t already, you can download the integration from the Oculus Developer Centre.

Read the full article here.

Is Fashion Undergoing a Subcultural Revival?

2015-01-29T16:37:00.003+00:00

From Nasir to Gosha, Hedi to Hood by Air, legions of loyal fans are recrafting subcultural fashion codes for fashion's new wave.

nasir mazhar spring/summer 15

Throughout history, our 'look' has been part of our language. Fashion has been the key component of our identities; the surface decoration of the human body that possesses the ability to express the ideologies that lie beneath. Those looks have subscribed us to varying cultural tribes. From greasers to grungers, mods to metal heads - subcultures have always been recognisable, and defined, by the clothes they wear. But at first glance in the 21st century, those classifiable groups seem to have desublimated. When we try and identify a relevant subculture of today, it's not quite as easy as looking for a pair of Doc Marten boots or paisley print trousers. Yet cult menswear dressing in the last year seems to have had somewhat of a renaissance, and it makes for particularly excitable viewing.

In his book Plentitude, writer Grant McCracken wrote that "in the 50s, you were either mainstream or James Dean. You had to be one or the other". This however, is no longer the case. Over time, the sorts of people we can choose to be have multiplied dramatically. In today's kaleidoscopic world, we are presented with thousands of options to choose from. Who are our cultural heroes now that have come to symbolise a generation? Are they artists? Musicians? Designers? Politicians? Perhaps they're still the icons of Britain's past. The answer is, they've become all of those things.

Saint Laurent Paris autumn/winter 15

A subculture can be defined and identified as when a larger culture has failed to meet the needs of a particular group of people. Of course, it would be futile to suggest that there aren't minority groups whose needs aren't met. Yet, the diversity that is now so inherent in our society has forced a cultural hand. It seems no longer about identifying as part of a group, as much as identifying as a complete individual. As cliché as it sounds, in the mid 00s, it became cool to be un-cool. It's that age-old hipster mentality that we're all too familiar with. No longer are we James Dean or mainstream, but many streams - with it becoming less and less clear what rituals of resistance we might resist. Cultural overload has resulted in a conglomeration of fashion, with every genre of style tribe amalgamated. It's regram, retweet and #TBT culture; borrowing, stealing and merging in a frantic battle of (un)coolness. Just look at the amount of recent collaborations across the arts as a milestone indicator of that.

But we're all getting a bit sick of hipsters aren't we? Beards are being shaved off, socks put back on, and house parties replaced by club nights. Individualism can be, well, a bit boring and lonely sometimes, no? Ergo, subculture is once again emerging in its place, something that as a nation, we seem to have skipped for around a decade. But it's more new wave now and sits in-line with our modern ways of thinking. Look at club nights like Sink the Pink. Our ways of dressing are as likely to bubble up from the streets as they are now to descend from high fashion. Indeed the brands that tow the delicate line are the ones that aren't just making money, but are responsible for defining our current generation.

Read the full article courtesy of I.D here.

Apple Fashion Anyone? Wearable Tech and the Apple Watch

2015-01-29T12:39:00.001+00:00

I love a watch. I never used to, but since becoming a Mum [need to know the time all the time!], they have become my 'thing' to collect. I have all sorts to go with all sorts of outfits, some fancy [my 'rolex' and my Michael Kors, my cartier and more fun ones like swatch and others with pops of colour] - so I'm interested in all things 'watch'.

So imagine my delight that the head of Apple has finally revealed the much-anticipated Apple Watch will go on sale to the general public in April.

But what does it do??! Thank you TechRadar for answering this for me.

What does Apple Watch do?

Apple's first wearable gadget beams messages, Facebook updates and simplified apps to our wrists, eliminating the all-too-common need to take out our devices to constantly check notifications.

There are more than a dozen ways to interact with the watch, from receiving glanceable notifications, to feeling "taptic" feedback, to summoning Siri, according to the developer WatchKit software.

It's going to become especially convenient to pocket the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and even bigger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus in your jeans, or to always stow the thin, but still 9.7-inch iPad Air 2 in a bag.

Is that phone call coming from a telemarketer not worth your time or an emergency from a loved one? Apple Watch makes mundane notifications easy to dismiss while keeping you in the loop on life's most important alerts.

A handful of the Apple Watch apps being demoed

Other apps seen in the Apple Watch video include iMessages, Health, Calendar, Weather, Mail, Photos, Camera's shutter button, Passbook that now includes Apple Pay and even Apple Maps for navigation.

The number of apps coming is increasing all the time, even before the launch of the watch, and users can even try out the functionality of the wrist-dweller before deciding to go out and buy one. Read the full article here.

Bloomberg News says of the Apple watch and its collaboration with Switzerland [why is that as soon as the Swiss are involved in a watch, we think 'quality'?]:

Apple Watch

(Bloomberg) -- TAG Heuer is set to enter uncharted territory this year with plans for a smartwatch that will be its only timepiece developed outside Switzerland.

The brand and others based in the Alpine country will need to work with partners in Silicon Valley to produce such watches as Switzerland lacks the technological expertise to do so itself, according to Jean-Claude Biver, head of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA’s timepiece unit.

Biver has led brands through transformation before. As chief executive officer of Hublot, he led the introduction of “The Big Bang,” a chronograph that helped the brand to boost revenue under his tenure. Earlier, the executive turned around a moribund brand, Blancpain. He later sold it to Swatch Group AG, and was there tasked with restructuring the Omega label.

The Apple Watch is only one of the threats to the industry this year, following the Swiss National Bank’s decision last week to end the minimum exchange rate between the Swiss franc and the euro. The subsequent surge in the franc means that timepieces that are made in Switzerland will be more expensive when exported outside of the country, as all but a fraction are.

Swatch shares have fallen 19 percent in the first three weeks of 2015, with Cie. Financiere Richemont SA, the maker of Cartier jewelry, sliding 17 percent.

The smartwatch market will probably reach about $10 billion in 2018 from as much as $1.8 billion in 2014, Citigroup Inc. analysts forecast last year, with half of the market in the future coming from traditional watch wearers switching to the tech devices.

One person who plans on wearing the Apple Watch is likely Biver himself, he said.

“It’s a fantastic product, an incredible achievement,” he said. “I’m not just living in the tradition and culture and the past, I also want to be connected to the future. The Apple Watch connects me to the future. My watch connects me to history, to eternity.” Full article can be read here.

Facebooks' Oculus Rift Developments: Competition for YouTube?

2015-01-28T07:14:00.003+00:00

What Facebook’s Oculus Rift movies means for ads

Facebook is out to prove that virtual reality is more real than its detractors think, erecting an in-house studio to create fully immersive films on its Oculus Rift platform. If the medium is to be widely accepted by advertisers then the social network needs to show how the learnings can convey a more tangible form of the brand experience.

The technology giant’s virtual reality push is on. Four films are in various stages of production that will flout the Oculus Rift headset’s potential to change movie production. The first feature, titled “Lost”, debuts at this week’s Sundance Film Festival where those who try it will feel like they are traversing a virtual environment that reacts to their actions at certain points.

Experiential goes digital

Instead of channelling its energies into gaming, like many thought it would after the Oculus Rift buy last year, Facebook’s proposition for the platform looks likely to push the more mainstream movie format. This is backed by the calibre of expertise brought in to steer the project, including industry veterans from Pixar Animations Studios and Lucasfilm.

While the films are unlikely to impact the Facebook user experience in the near term, the learnings could pave the way for more experiential online activations in the future. Brands such as Nissan, Samsung and Coca-Cola have already tested the space, championing its potential to build brands through immersive experiences rather than interruptive messages.

But industry experts urge caution. Virtual reality won’t transform marketing tactics or business plans within the next year or two they add, and the cost of entry to the expensive tools could limit it initially to only a handful of brands, consequently stunting innovation.

Laurier Nicas Alder, head of social at TMW, said: "When Facebook acquired Oculus last year, Mark Zuckerberg predicted that we’d see whole lot more than gaming from the company in future and they’ve certainly not wasted any time. I can imagine that studios and brands alike will be biting at a chance to be a part of this innovation early, if for nothing else, to get be at the forefront of something so new and exciting."

Robin Thomas, digital strategist at content marketing agency Cedar, added: “Setting aside the technical, operational and budgetary considerations, the opportunities for brands within VR worlds are vast. For those with strong narratives and relevant stories to tell VR offers immersive experience at an unparalleled level. The key here, as with everything else, being relevance.

“As with all emerging technologies and platforms there will be a need for content, and lots of it, and those brands that invest early and learn quickly should reap the rewards. I just hope that the cost of entry for brands and customers doesn’t mean that this is limited to a few big spending brands creating experiences that no one sees."

Read the full article from The Drum here.