New Visual Stakeholder- Juno Calypso

Discovered via Dazed Digital, Juno Calypso is a young photographer who’s subject of imagery is the alter-ego Joyce.

Using pastel-hued rooms filled with tacky decorations and edible props, London-born photographer Juno Calypso has created a bizarre world for her alter-ego Joyce: a woman of indefinable age seemingly teetering on the brink of either a nervous breakdown, or death by indifference. Surrounded by cream cakes, fluffy fabrics and unearthed 80s beauty products, Joyce stares emptily back from behind her office desk, her deadpan mien and glazed-over eyes reflecting a deeper exhaustion with unrealistic ideals of femininity and beauty.

I believe that this seriously disturbing concept works due to its balance of irony and sinister qualities. All of Calyspo’s images are finished with a high-gloss shine and fine-tuned approach. Through the genre of tragic comedy, this images feel acceptable. However, I am unsure of how long Calypso will continue to use this original concept. I see a huge reference to the controversial imagery and themes of Guy Bourdin. Definitely huge future stakeholder.

The middle image, is my favourite I have seen so far. The clever positioning of props and set, has connotations of social confusion and online disaster- as society is controlled through the media and web.

Word Trends and Inventions

blog.oxforddictionaries.com/category/word-trends-and-new-words/

The development of new words from the increasing use of social networks and a continuously growing world wide web.

• typography
• writing style
• graphics
• social trends

1993 WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT YEAR EVER

20 years ago this week, the free Web was turned on. It’s not going to be turned off, is it?

http://www.dazeddigital.com/blog/article/16099/1/1993?utm_source=MadMimi&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Sex+Week+%7C+Southbank+skateboarders+%7C+Gareth+Pugh%27s+Tudors+x+Stuarts&utm_campaign=20130507_m115980028_Sex+Week+%7C+Southbank+skateboarders+%7C+Gareth+Pugh%27s+Tudors+x+Stuarts&utm_term=1035549_gif

This very interesting article comes at a time, when there is uncertainty surrounding the productivity of being continuously connected. Offices and large companies are making workers spend an hour a day not connected to the internet- with no access to the web or even emails. We had forgotten the benefits of living and working offline, when remaining connected increases the ease and immediacy of daily tasks.

Film- Helvetica

Last Friday’s film club showed Helvetica, the film gave a huge insight into the world of visual communication and visual codes. Based around the popular font ‘helvetica’ the slightly disorganised film portrayed a range of opinions and developments of the type face.

“it is like off-white paint”

“beautiful, timeless things, something’s shouldn’t be played with”

Rick Poner described how the 1957 type face is a visual expression for the public to understand- a symbol of swiss design.

Wim Crouwel believes that Helvetica is the “most neutral typeface.”

Controversy surrounding the font have had connections with it’s use during the Vietnam war.

I found the opinion of font designer Alfred Hoffman particularly interesting; that a good font uses the shape of the space surrounding the letterform. A font is the shapes behind and between the letters. 

Neville Brody is a graphic designer in the UK who loves creating an emotion from type and font. He sees Helvetica as “a mark of membership” with the “perfect balance of push and pull.”

“type face of socialism”

“perfume of the city”  says Lars Mûller

The film did make me question the huge importance of the font we should chose to represent our brand- St. George Street. We could use Helvetica as a symbol of society and lifestyle, holding its own simple beauty, or should we avoid it and presume that our politically conscious consumer would have negative connotations of the type and therefore the brand?

Case Study- Lanvin and the Social Butterfly.

The launch of Lanvin’s new fragrance “Me” is as far from our expectations of Elbaz as we could imagine. The campaign featuring a young woman kissing her own reflection holds all the connotations of self-obsession held by generation Y.

Packaged in a box and bow, this bottle of self indulgence.

An article from theage.com questions if this is the most narcissistic generation we’ve ever seen?

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/is-this-the-most-narcissistic-generation-weve-ever-seen-20130419-2i5ne.html

Narcissism is rising faster amongst generation Y than obesity.  This product plays on the power of consumers believing they deserve the best; they deserve a gift for themselves.  A huge proportion of fragrance purchases are bought for a gift, however, this is a generation buying fragrance, cosmetics and all luxuries, because they believe they deserve it before anyone else. I have questioned why Lanvin have chosen to push forward with this product and concept. Yes it is a rising market, however, it is most certainly not their existing primary consumer. I have concluded that this is a very clever, cheap and mass-market technique to create huge money flow in return. Lanvin are hoping to start a couture range, which is certainly not cheap! Many houses even loose money with couture collections, however, it adds quality, craftsmanship and huge credibility to a label, something hugely desirable for Alber Elbaz, however, he must have the funds before he can even start dreaming of couture.

Sunglasses: The Shady Business

http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/columns/luke-leitch/TMG10028874/Sunglasses-The-Shady-Business.html

I found this interesting article on the Telegraph, by Luke Leitch. It gives an overview of the accessory market, with a particular focus on eyewear. Eyewear is most certainly within a similar consumer category as fragrance; with the increase of diffusion lines. In addition, this articles gives an idea behind licensing in the fashion industry- which again is hugely relevant when considered between fashion houses or designers and fragrance houses.

Prada spring/summer 2013 Photo: VLADIMIR POTOP

Very Emotional Dove Campaign

A very clever and moving experiment.

Additional Lecture: It’s a Dolls Life- Towie Live and Barbie.

Amy Duffin. Level 3, fashion design.

The Human Metaphor for reality TV.

Most influential and relevant current trend- “search for authenticity”- reality shows, instagram- This trend was also mentioned by Dr Morgaine the food futurologist with regards to bottle design and packaging. There is a demand for people to see what they are buying and putting on their skins.

“Anyone is now a celebrity” Frith 2008:45

“Barbie is an icon of improvisation” Rodgers 1999:136

BBC 4 Documentaries on Fragrance

This series of 3 documentaries on fragrance were recommended by my module leader, and were much more exciting than I could originally imagine! I really enjoyed these documentaries and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I Iearnt- this proved to give me a huge advantage when looking at haute couture scents on a research trip to London.

Here are a few of my notes made during each episode:

• Guerlain Paris- experience,John Paul Guerlain- 183 yrs of family in perfumery
• business- get them young and keep them

“take off her dress, take off her make-up, what’s left? The charm of her voice and her perfume”

“Frenchness in liquid form”

• Day before mothering sunday- most important day in the fragrance calender
• Generation y- 18-27yrs (also mentioned in Harriet Posner’s Marketing Fashion Text book)
• Chandler Vien? (check name)- famous bottle design
• 60% of all business takes place in the last 1/4 of the year

Episode 2- Bottling the Memory

• CB- I hate Perfume (Visited in NYC)

Own Image- CB I hate  perfume, NYC- January 2013

• Americans want to smell clean
• John Claude Elaina (check name)- fragrance from fantasy- few, expensive ingredients- evoke memories and emotion

Episode 3- The smell of the future

• Russians- rich, heavy
• Chinese- light, airy
• Brazillians- Fruit
• Latin Americans- use more/ shower more/ want to feel fresher
• Brasil is the fastest growing fragrance market- scent crazes- scented shoes
• Car industry- seen obsessed- aston martin showroom fragrance
• More middle class than ever in Brazil- New Wealth
• IFF- scent of bathroom cleaner
• Victorian scents-rich and musky- Grossmith Family (Brooks)
• Decades later- lighter scents
• Middle east- hugely interested- multiple bottles per purchase

Market Analysis

I am a subscriber to Drapers Magazine and I have always loved reading the market index feature. However, I have never realised quite how beneficial a weekly update of this information could be. I am currently in the research and market analysis stage of launching a fragrance brand and from now on will take much more notice to this information.

Index feature. April 6th 2013

March 31st 2013