Logos in fashion

When it comes to your business' branding strategy, establishing a company's logo is one of the most critical tasks. Your logo will be pervasive throughout all of your marketing campaigns, and it's one of the most prominent branding elements that people will think of when someone mentions your company. Your brand's logo should be memorable, versatile, and consistent, all the while giving your audience a sense of what your brand is all about. Unfortunately, many companies haven't exactly done a great job of keeping those goals in mind when establishing their logo, learning the hard way what it takes to create a positive brand experience through their logo.

In 2010, Gap decided it wanted to change its logo into a more modern version and abruptly announced a new logo. The clothing company was greeted by backlash from thousands of angry customers in social media, who were attached to the recognizable blue box with 'GAP' written in the center. For Gap, the saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" would've been sound advice. Its customers were already loyal to the original logo.

A company’s logo is the most powerful part of their corporate identity. Logos communicate with consumers and users on a personal level, affecting the market’s opinions towards the brand on a psychological level.

The logo is a representation of your brand, so it should incorporate some sort of meaning. That’s why I hate trendy logos. By making a monogram or crossbones or 4 letters divided between an X, you’re basically homogenizing yourself with every other trendy brand that does that. In my opinion, seeing a generic logo is like declaring an unoriginal brand. How can you try to be a successful brand, if you’re automatically pitting yourself up against every other brand that looks just like yours. That’s why logos need to be easily identifiable and unique. One of my favorite logos of all time has to be Nike. The swoosh is simple, sexy, and represents the active lifestyle of the consumer perfectly. From shoes to posters to storefronts, the logo applies to everything and it’s incredibly easy to identify. Minimal logos are sometimes the most beautiful, but it’s also the most difficult to design properly.

Logos are undoubtedly highly significant to a fashion label, one look at a logo and all of the brand ideals should rush to mind. Interlinking C’s means Chanel, interlocking G’s equates to Gucci and a V sitting on-top of an L is obviously Louis Vuitton. Fashion labels are renowned for logos that simply state their name or throw acronyms with beautiful typefaces at viewers.

Fashion label logos are designed to be altered slightly to suit different material and screen scenarios with options for mainly black on white and and at times with some color. With the majority of brands finding comfort on this simple color scheme, wonder can be found in how individual each looks despite this similarity. Style in simplicity compliments a fashion logo, making us enviable of those fashioning these clothes worthy of their logo.

Many of those collected in this list of sixty memorable fashion labels strive on simplicity and minimalism. Clean, crisp and creative logos that are designed to sit on swing tags and latch onto accessories with pride and sophisticated style.

Admire the collaboration of bold structures, gaping white space, strict colour palettes and powerful letters. Find each labels similarities but with them the small differences that set them apart and make them resonate uniquely.

 

Celebrities impact on fashion - Madonna

Celebrities are enormously glorified as style icons or fashion divas by the tabloids and the fashion magazines. The media leaves no stone unturned in covering the celebrity fashion trends on not only the red carpet, but also wherever they go. Youngsters and teenagers are the most influenced by the media projection of their favorite celebrity and they start emulating them. Thus, trends become fashion which constantly changes from time to time.

Being in the spotlight challenges most celebrities to wear clothes that reflect their personality and show off their individuality. Regardless of what they wear, street wear or luxury fashion, celebrities are always praised and greatly appreciated for what could become the next trend. Online newswires and famous magazines always feature celebrities to gain more readers and expand the exposure of the media vehicle. There are thousands of styles worn by celebrities that have greatly influenced the world of fashion. That is one of the key reasons why celebrity clothing has become a big fad because clothes look great on them, and an ordinary person dreams to look fabulous wearing them. This directly pushes the sales for the designer’s brand the celebrity is wearing or endorsing at any social event. From designer’s shoes, totes, to a stylish dress people will try really hard to achieve their favourite celebrity’s look. Some people go to the extent of copying celebrity looks displayed in magazines, now called “Steal the Style” section in most popular fashion tabloids which they believe are fashionable.

 Whether it’s  the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine wearing her favourite Alexander McQueen dress or Anne Hathaway wearing the classic Burberry, celebrities love wearing A-list designer creations. And designers on the other hand love creating couture designs for their celebrity friends, it’s vice versa, celebrities’ dawn the newest creations and push the sales for designers too. 

A true example of trend setting icon is the original Material Girl and style chameleon, Madonna. She has undergone  a transformation rivalled by no other since her music inception four decades ago. Whether she’s pioneering pop-punk, flaunting the JPG cone-bra or coming over all disco diva with sequined leotards and 70s flicks, the Queen of Pop has cued a thousand copycats. No pop diva has reinvented her fashion image with the consistency and creativity of Madonna. Madge emerged on the scene in the early ’80 as a street-smart ‘Boy-Toy’ and, over the course of her 30- year career, evolved into a fashion-forwards icon whose sense of style became as influential as her chart-topping tunes.

By 1984, when this picture was taken, Madonna had already nailed the eclectic, colourful, thrown-together urban look that would make her an icon for a new generation of youngsters. Note the graffiti T, hair bow, trainers and stacked-up bangles – just a few of her style staples.

September 14, 1984: Madonna looked both naughty and nice when she hit the stage of the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards for her debut performance of "Like a Virgin." The lacy wedding dress and infamous "Boy Toy" belt turned heads around the world and remains one of her most iconic looks.

January 28, 1985: No one had to ask who's that girl when Madonna hit the red carpet of the American Music Awards in a sultry Jean-Paul Gaultier corset dress and her signature strands of beads, crucifixes and pearls. Edgy, with just a hint of the elegance to come.

July 13, 1985: Madonna performs for a packed house at the Live Aid benefit concert at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, looking a bit like a gypsy woman gone glam. It was the first time since making it big Madonna stripped away the blond and let her natural roots show

April 17, 1986: Madonna trimmed her teased locks and rocked a dashing ball gown when she attended the "At Close Range" premiere with then-husband Sean Penn.

May 1, 1986: Madonna debuts a brand-new, understated "bad girl" look during the filming of her "Papa Don't Preach" music video. Her tasseled, peroxide-bleached hair and black biker jacket shows a different flavor of her edgy street style.

Spanish influences begin to creep in circa 1987, the year Madonna releases La Isla Bonita, the fifth single from True Blue. Here is she is performing at Wembley in full-on señorita mode.

July 31, 1987: Madonna's love for bustiers began to bubble up as she performed in Chicago during the Who's That Girl world tour. The black leather and zipper-detailed one piece mimics the eye-popping peep-show outfit made famous in her "Open Your Heart" video.

A Japanese aesthetic creeps in 1999 – just in time for Madonna to open the Grammys in this fuchsia kimono (with matching boots and eye shadow).

June 25, 1990: Get the points? During her Blonde Ambition tour, Madonna revealed some of the most ambitious outfits of her career. This show-stopping pink cone bra ensemble, designed by her frequent fashion collaborator Jean-Paul Gaultier, remains one of her most infamous looks.

March 25, 1991: Madonna arrived to the 63rd annual Academy Awards after-party at Spago's on the arm of date Michael Jackson, dripping with $20 million worth of Harry Winston diamonds and channeling screen siren Marilyn Monroe. Diamonds really are a girl's best friend.

September 7, 1994: Madonna did another style 180 at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards Madonna and served up flapper-chic style in a pale green sculpted dress, accented by a platinum-blond, finger-wave hairdo.

September 7 1995: At the 12th annual MTV Video Music Awards, Madonna kept it cool and current, rocking a Chanel silk blouse that was subtly unbuttoned enough to reveal a sheer bra.

December 14, 1996: During the premiere of her film "Evita" at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium, Madonna paid homage to her hero, Eva Peron, in a dazzling ruby-red and very regal-looking Versace number. Long Live the Queen!

October 23, 1998: Madonna went in an entirely different direction for her second VH1 Fashion Awards outfit -- a traditional royal-blue sari that referenced her growing interest in Eastern cultures and religions.

February 24, 1999: During her performance of "Nothing Really Matters," Madonna rocked the stage at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards in a bright-red Jean-Paul Gaultier kimono -- a nod to her obsession with Asian culture.

November 3, 2005: At the MTV Europe Music Awards in Lisbon, Portugal, Madonna revealed her new 'Hung Up' disco phase in a purple bomber jacket and matching purple boots.

February 8, 2006: In the press room at the 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards in Los Angeles, Madonna rocked this badass black dress with crystal detailing.

May 1, 2008: Madonna was spotted outside of BET's '106 & Park' at CBS Studios in New York City in this pimp-tastic ensemble that featured a black fur coat, black boots, and an endless supply of gold chains.

February 5, 2012: All eyes were on the 50-yard line when Madonna took center stage at the 2012 Super Bowl half-time show, wearing Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci, topped off by a glittering Cleopatra crown. The medley of hits she performed for the 114 million fans watching reminded the world why she remains one of pop's most electrifying artists, and her stunning outfit recalled why she remains one of music's most fashion-forward artists.

 Madonna wears her hair as a  black bob while hitting the red carpet at the 2013 Met Gala held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday (May 6) in New York City. The 54-year-old entertainer stayed true to the punk theme of the evening with her Givenchy outfit and Casadei shoes.

 I can't wait to see what outrageous outfits she still has up her always stylish sleeve.

Exposure- reveal the secrets of fashion PR

This Wednesday at LCS it was all about PR. We all went on a little ‘school trip’ to Soho  based PR company, Exposure.

They are an independent communications agency who deal in creative solutions to business challenges, craft campaigns and convey ideas on marketing. Exposure get involved in PR , brand strategy, press releases  and more for a broad spectrum of companies, from beauty to food and beverages.

The company was based in 1993 and it covers Europe, America and Japan. Among their clients there are big brands like: Coca Cola, Unilever, Nestle, Martini, Samsung, Levi’s, Hobbs, Dr. Martens etc.

Some of Exposure's clients

On arrival, we were greeted by Sian Clayton, who has been in the company for 7 months and worked her way up and is now the in charge of the company’s show rooms, liaising with all queries regarding the garments available at Exposure. 

Sian showed us around the two show rooms: the high street section and the high end room and explained how the whole process works and how she ensures the selected clothes  only go out to the best of clients.

The brands in the high street show room  were :

 -Levi’s denim with their new waterproof collection, designed for cycling. Several other designs are present in  this collection, some of which were not available on the catwalk.

Levi's new collection

- Hobbs who, Sian was saying, have been getting a lot of interest from Vogue this season and have been featured in several shoots already. I have to say their new collection looks very high end and I found that the shoes they designed now have a very classic, 40’s feel but in gorgeous nude colours. I may need to get my hands on one of those nude pink pairs before they sell out.

Beautiful, classic shoes from Hobbs

- Nike with their women’s  and men’s wear collections that have been popular in issues like Elle and Glamour. Nike’s gym gear tends to be used as a canvas to build on, as leggings and vests are often mixed with high end elements to produce amazing editorial material.

I love these funky trainers from Nike!!

-Penguin- with their menswear collection, according to Sian, are mainly used for their quality polo shirts which can be spotted in magazines like FHM.

-Sainsbury’s collection was a nice surprise.. I wouldn't have thought Exposure catered for the ‘supermarket lines’ but Sian explained that due to the new design team at Sainsbury’s and their whole new ideas, garments from Sainsbury’s have been flying off the shelves and are very sought after. This season they have already featured in a few magazines: Glamour, Grazia and Elle.

-New Era is a new brand that Exposure acquired recently and who appear mostly alongside Nike in editorials. For the time being they only have a small amount of items, mainly caps. The designs are quite classic but feature logos and prints in strong, funky colours, which is what makes the brand stand out.

The lack of space in the tiny show room is very obvious, all brands have their own stall, but  are quite close together.

-Dr Martens punk inspired boots collection featuring tartan, studs, winter florals is a very wearable range, with a very high degree of comfort. Dr. Martens  have  extended their designs to clothing too, which, I think, was a great idea; their mohair jumpers look and feel amazing. Also in this section there is a collection that was designed in collaboration with Agyness Deyn (see picture below). Highlights from the range include large, teapot-embroidered collars and a navy, shadow-check coat and dress. The new collection, will hit stores on September 30.

Due to the lack of space, the High end premium show room is situated next door in a separate building.

Unlike the pervious show room, the high end room comprises a good selection of jewelry with some of their designers having worked for Chanel.

Mckintosh  classic macs in colourful versions, Holly Fulton –rock and roll SS14 collection, Agi & Sam unconventional designs, Christopher Raeburn’s  waterproof collection for men, John Smedley quality turtle necks and Folk’s sought after pieces were all displayed in the second show room and looked the part- either because of the originality of the materials used or  because of their amazing  cut and stitching.

My favourite brand was Levi’s premium , who are included on the high end list due to the fact that they are concentrating on re-making vintage pieces. For their made and crafted line, the archives are consulted and old designs are re- made entirely to copy particular vintage items but a modern twist is given to the garments by using better fabrics and materials.( eg. 1030’s shorts, 50’s or 70’s leather jackets).

Accessories displayed in the high end show room are striking and the use of detail is what makes them stand out.

Clients, various magazines and stylists are always in need of Exposure’s garments and there is a firm protocol in place that Sian gladly shared with us. All clients need to send a brief, normally an e-mail and give as much detail as possible regarding the coming shoot and the clothes needed for it. Sian is quite strict when it comes to certain brands, especially the high end ones, which won’t be easily released to lesser known clients, due to the cost of the garments. Also in some cases the designers themselves request  to only be associated with certain clientele. All the clothes that go out for shoots need to be returned in pristine condition  and communication needs to be a priority at all times , only then can a client build a relationship based on trust and professionalism with the PR company.

In order to promote the new collections, Exposure organize press days that go on for one or two days. Invitations are sent out  mainly to stylists, bloggers and  press  to come in and have a look at key pieces from the new season. This ensures that all potential clients know exactly what is available in the show rooms each season.